Captain Dewleaf sat in his office waiting for an update on the scouts who had just returned to the base from the front lines. This day marked his 30'th year in service and 18'th year in this war. His office and the base resided well within the "green zone" so it was a permanent instillation, unlike bases closer to the front lines which were constantly moving. The room had been built inside of an abandoned gofer hole, just like every other part of the base.
Looking over past files of soldiers who had been sent out to this area, approximately two miles north east of the "yellow zone", not a single squad had returned in over four months. Despite this General Snakewood continued insisting that this location was of importance, so he would order a squad to be sent every week to try and weaken the enemy and find out what they could.
"Sir, the scout squadron has returned with their report on the parasprite nests," said Corporal MeadowDrop.
"Excellent send them in," said Captain DewLeaf, "We need to know how their numbers have grown since last time."
The corporal opened the door to let in three breezies whom the Captain was acquainted with, he made sure to learn the names of any breezie he sent out there. Each of them held severe injuries.
Private 1'st Class MoonGust, male, 23 years old, stands at 5cm high, white skin with black speckled hair that went down to his shoulders Before he had left on the mission he carried himself with the eagerness of a child who had heard a great storie from a grandparent. He had lost one antennae, as well as an eye and his right wing had a crack down the middle. He no longer held the same bright attitude from when he left, all that was left was fear.
Sergeant TwinkleWings, male, 29 years old, stands at a remarkable 8cm high, red skin with fiery hair styled in a standard buzz-cut. He had been the most energetic sergeant this base has seen for quite some time, he was always playing games with the younger recruits and kept high moral for anyone who returned from battle. Ironically he had both wings torn to pieces and lost his back left leg. He appeared to be in a lot of pain but was trying to keep a strong poker face.
And finally their C.O. Warrent Officer BrightFlowers, male, 38 years old, stood at 6cm, blue skin with a shaved head that was usually covered by a cap. He was a natural born leader, from the first day he could give orders and organize his men in a quick decisive manor, he was a role model for almost everyone on the base even some of his superiors. He had lead a counter-attack on a swarm of parasprites that had made it past the "yellow zone" and sent them packing back home on his 3'rd week here, truly a magnificent soldier. But he had suffered more horrifically than his subordinates by far. His torso from the mid-spine back had been bitten completely off, and was very sloppily bandaged together allowing his entrails to be seen between the bloody rags, its nothing short of a miracle that he is still alive.
The captain addressed BrightFlowers first, "Officer, what news do you have to report? What are their numbers? Did you find any weaknesses?"
The Warrent Officer weakly looked up to Dewleaf and said, "We must retreat, those things are unstoppable."
Captain Dewleaf let the fear sink in that the breezies may very well be exterminated in this war, but he only let it sink in for a moment, he regained his composure and asked again, "Did you find ANYTHING, FLOWERS!?"
"Only that these things are never full, no matter how much they eat cough cough, replied the Officer spitting up blood.
"Corporal get this man to the infirmary A.S.A.P.," ordered Dewleaf.
"Sir, yes sir!" answered MeadowDrop.
He wheeled off the body of BrightFlowers and left the Captain alone with the two subordinates.
"Th-they they killed everyone." said Sgt.TwinkleWings, "We couldn't even take down a one of them."
"Where did these monsteres even come from!" shouted Pvt.MoonGust.
Letting out a sigh at the failure of the mission Captain Dewleaf answered. "Do you really want to know Private? Because if you wish to know where the parasprites came from. . . I'd be the expert on that."
"You know where th-they're from?" asked both the injured soldiers.
Reaching into his desk Dewleaf retrieved a small sky-blue book with a lock on it. "This is my journal recounting the early days of the war as well as a few months preceding it. I need to compile a report for the General so take this and you'll know what happened." said the Captain handing MoonGust the book and the key.
"Thank you sir," said MoonGust.
"Now both of you get down to the infirmary with your C.O. You need to heal up, and he could use some friendly faces," replied Captain Dewleaf.
The two soldiers had been in the infirmary for several hours, BrightFlowers was put into intensive care and was allowed no visitors. The Captains journal lay on the stand between Gust's and Twinkles beds, but neither of them had worked up the nerve to open the book yet. They had heard stories about the early days of the war, where parasprites would eat whole villages at a time, and quivered at the thought of reading about such genocide from a primary-source.
"You're the one who wanted to know where they came from," said the Sergeant more as a question than a statement.
"I know, but it's just, you saw what those things could do to a squad of soldiers, I can't imagine what they did to whole cities," said MoonGust.
"Well you can always bring it back to the captain," replied TwinkleWings, "But listen I'm tired, I'm going to catch some Z's, so try to keep it down okay."
"Alright, g'night Sarge," said Gust softly."
Twinkle had been asleep for over an hour, and Gust tried to sleep too, but he was just far to anxious about what was inside the book to sleep. He picked up the book and unlocked the latch. He opened it up to a random page in the middle which read. . .
27/09/1849EVERYONE IS DEAD, OH CELESTIA WHY? I COULD HAVE STOPPED THIS. WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR?
MoonGust immediately slammed the book closed causing TwinkleWings to stir in his bed a little bit. Gust took a few breaths and opened the book once again, this time to the first page.
3/05/1849 MistleToe is in the operating room right now. In a few hours we're going to be parents. I decided to start this journal to recount every step of being a father for you son. If it turns out your my daughter, well the same thing applies.
Your mothers has been in there for over eighteen hours I'm getting worried, the nurse said that you are awfully large and having trouble coming out, so they're preforming a C-section. I trust the doctors skills and will keep waiting out here.
4/05/1849 *THAT DOCTOR IS A MADMAN!** HE. . .let MistleToe die. BUT EVEN AFTER I LOST MY ONE AND ONLY, HE HAS THE NERVE TO CALL, YOU, MY SON AN ABOMINATION. He wanted to have you put down, LIKE YOU WERE AN ANIMAL. But don't you worry son I got you away from that monster, and I've finally decided on a name for you. Your face lit up the second your name left my mouth like you already knew it was meant for you. You really liked the name Parasprite.*
MoonGust managed to drift in and out of sleep after his nurse told him to go to bed. If he wasn't focused on what he had read inside of the Captain's journal, he had nightmares over the recon mission. The images of his comrades being torn to pieces by packs of parasprites flashed through his dreams, as well as the parasprite that had nearly bitten of his own head, had he not been pulled out by BrightFlowers. Each time he saw the images they grew more and more gruesome as he remembered EVERY detail of the fight.
But it was morning now and he was not in a battle. He was sitting in bed eating his pollen rations next to Sarge, both of them had calmed down since the previous night. The rations have maintained their portions throughout the war, not because of high pollen production, but because the soldiers who would have eaten it died in combat.
"So did you read Dewleaf's book while I was out?" asked TwinkleWing, between bites.
The private remembered what he had read inside of it, and decided he needed to talk with Captain Dewleaf before telling TwinleWing. "No, not yet. answered MoonGust, "I think I may just hand it back to him, what's the point in knowing how this started anyway, they're here and they're monsters, that's all that matters."
"Suit yourself," said Twinkle, "I don't care much for history anyways. Hey I got a deck of cards, you up for a game."
MoonGust looked over his Sergeants condition and was amazed at how laid back he could be despite all that had happened. Not only had he seen so many Breezies die, but he also lost his wings for Celestia's sake.
"Sarge," said Gust, "Do your wings-er, do your injuries still hurt?"
TwinklesWing finished off his last bite of pollen and putting down his cards then said solemnly, ". . . No, they don't hurt that much. I'm just . . . trying to cover up my other pain."
"Yeah I know what your talking about," replied Gust, "You just seemed way to . . . full of life, even after what happened."
"Seventeen Breezies died out there," stated the Sergeant, "They were young, they had a lot of living to do. So I have to live for them as best I can."
Their attending nurse came in to retrieve their trays, she was pink with bright red hair that swirled around her like a budding rose. After placing the trays on her cart she pulled a letter from behind her wing, and began to read it aloud.
The nurse read sadly, "On the 1'st of April 1895, at 3:37 a.m. Warrant Officer BrightFlowers was pronounced dead. Cause of death; severe blood loss, and failure of vital organs."
The nurse set the letter on their shared table then wheeled the cart out of the room quickly, leaving the two soldiers with even more depression.
TwinkleWings was the first to speak, "Flowers makes eighteen Breezies that died on the mission. DAMN IT why don't these things go find something else to eat, why do they only eat US!
"It should have been me," whispered MoonGust.
"What?" asked TwinkleWings.
"It should have been me," he repeated.
"Gust, I can't here you." said the Sergeant.
"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!" shouted MoonGust.
"What are you talking about Private?" exclaimed Twinkle.
"If I hadn't been weak, if I hadn't been a failure," said Gust clutching his head, "Flowers would still be alive!"
"Gust you know that's not true!" said Sgt.TwinkleWings, "He saved your life, and then you saved my life. What he did was his choice, it was NOT your fault."
". . . . I . . . saved your life?" asked MoonGust.
"You don't remember?" said the Sarge.
"Everything happened so fast, it was the first time I'd ever even seen a parasprite," replied the Private, "What did I do?"
"You don't remember," repeated TwinkleWings,"Well . . . I was cornered by a pack of three parasprites. My spear had already broken and one of them was about to swallow me whole in one bite, but then you showed up. You had wedged your spear into its mouth and tried pulling me out."
"But if I pulled you out what happened to your wings and leg?" asked Pvt.MoonGust.
"While I was being pulled out your spear finally broke and the bastard slammed down on my leg. Then the other two frenzied and tried to get any part of us. They grabbed both my wings, and tore them right off," continued TwinkleWings.
"How did we even get out of there?" questioned MoonGust again.
"You got me down to the ground and we saw Officer BrightFlowers crawling into a cave remember?" said the Sarge. "The parasprites were way to big to fit inside, so you wrapped up most of Flowers, and cauterized my wounds. We waited there for the sprites to leave and then we started marching home."
"I remember walking home," said Gust, "But I really did all that?"
"You did," replied Twinkle, "Your a hero."
". . . Sarge, thanks," stated the Private, "I needed to hear that."
"No problem. Hey listen I've got eighteen souls to live for, you mind helping me out?" said Sgt.TwinkleWings brandishing his deck of cards.
"Sure," answered MoonGust.
After playing cards for a little over an hour Private MoonGust decided he needed to talk with Captain Dewleaf about what he had read in his journal.
"Hey listen I'm going to go give the Captain his book back, I don't want to have to think about the sprites any more than I have to." said Gust.
"Alright, I'll see you later then," replied TwinkleWings.
MoonGust was cleared by the nurse to leave the infirmary, and received his uniform. A standard birch camo vest and boots, that worked very well with his already birch colored looks, he also received an eye-patch to trade out for the bandage he had been using.
"Now take it easy you," scolded the nurse, "I know you recruits think you're invincible, but you need to let your injuries heal before doing anything that puts ANY kind of stress on you."
"Okay okay, I'll wait before I do anything stupid," replied MoonGust, "By the way I never caught your name?"
"None of you soldiers do, because you never ask!" said the nurse irritated, "You just go and get yourselves torn to shreds then expect the medical teams to patch you up with out so much as even asking for a name!"
"Well. . uh. . that's what I'm doing now right?" asked the Private.
"Hmm. Well I suppose your right," responded the nurse calming down, "My name is Nurse Primrose."
MoonGust couldn't help but feel the name was familiar but decided he must have eavesdropped by accident and heard it then.
"Well that's a fitting name," said Gust.
"Why?" asked Primrose.
"Pretty to look at first, but then you find out it has some nasty thor- OW!" said gust rubbing his cheek after being slapped by Rose.
"That is now way to speak to the woman who treated you and your friends wounds!" said Primrose clearly back to her thorny mood.
"Well I better get going then," said the Private, "Try not to hurt your patients before they leave next time."
"Understood, I'll just hit you next time I want to hit one." said Rose with a giggle.
He left the hole the infirmary was in and looked across the field to the military intelligence hole, where all offices resided on base. It was dug out under the roots of a tree so it was easy to find from anywhere on base.
The wind blew right towards the tree from the infirmary, so he spread his wings a prepared to glide over to it. The second the wind even touched MoonGust's wings he felt like they were on fire.
"Aghh!" screached Gust closing his wings, "Okay next time the nurse says take it easy, TAKE IT EASY."
So he walked across the field to the tree. The hole into this one was slightly larger than the one to the infirmary and had an awning made from a root that went over it. After entering in the hole he had no trouble finding Captain Dewleaf's office, as he had been there just yesterday.
He knocked on the pine bark door, and was invited in after a short pause.
"Ah, Private, so good to see you up and about so quickly," said Captain Dewleaf, "How is BrightFlowers doing?"
". . . . " MoonGust remained silent.
"I see. . . a shame he was a fine leader but not the first to be lost so I've gotten rather used to it," said Dewleaf solemnly, "So now why did you wish to speak with me?"
Pulling out the Captains journal Gust asked, "How on earth could you have fathered a monster like that?"
". . . You weren't supposed to find that out, lock the door, we need to talk" replied Dewleaf with a very serious attitude, "Tell me everything you read in that book."
"So you've only read three entries so far?" questioned the Captain, "And not even in the right order."
"Yes, now I want answers," demanded MoonGust, "How did you even have such a monster as a child, why didn't you kill it when you had the chance, and why would you even give me a book like this if you didn't want me to know about this?"
The captain took in a breath and answered, "Firstly Parasprite, my son no the species, was not always a beast like the rest, he just looked the part, he was a normal Breezie. Secondly no father in their right mind would kill their son no matter what he looked like or what the doctor said. And lastly. . . I gave you the wrong book."
"The wrong book?" said Gust confused.
Captain Dewleaf reached into his desk and pulled out a book identical to the on he had given to MoonGust the previous night.
"This is a modified version of what you read, I edited this to where everyone involved was left nameless and no one could find out that I was involved," said Dewleaf.
"You had both books next to each other?" questioned the Private, "That's rather reckless don't you think? Though that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is what you said about him not always being a monster, how does a "normal Breezie" go from being born to killing hundreds within four months?"
". . . . Continue reading the book and you will find out," stated the Captain, "Just swear to me that you will not utter a word of this to anyone, understood?"
". . . . . If I find one thing in here that says you had any reason to know this all might happen, I will have you arrested so quickly your head will spin." said Gust.
"You won't," said Dewleaf, "Now you should get going I have work to do."
"Very well," said MoonGust turning around.
Noticing an open file on his desk Dewleaf exclaimed, "OH! Private! That mission was your first fight?"
"Yes, sir." replied Gust.
"Well a soldiers first fight can be pretty harsh on your metal and emotional state," stated Dewleaf, "Especially one like what you went through. If you ever need to talk about it please do not hesitate to come to me."
". . . . I will sir, thank you sir," answered the Private.
MoonGust had moved been in the barracks for over three hours waiting for everyone to fall asleep before opening the book again. Once he was sure he was "alone" he reached below his bed and pulled the book out, and began to read;
30/05/1849 I can't believe it, your not even a month old right now and you've already gotten into a fight. Your just like you old man but a lot quicker on the draw. I didn't have my first fight till I was a year old, but that doesn't change that fact that you got kicked out of your daycare. I need to find someone to take care of you while I'm working, all the baby sitters are to freaked out by your appearance, and there is no way the daycare will take you back. Still can't believe you bit off the tip of that boys antennae that, you don't even have teeth right now. I think I remember hearing some talk about a creature that lives with ponies that loves strange things. It might be willing to look after you, I mean after all If it lives with ponies it has to be mild tempered.
01/06/1849 I talked with the creature and he said he would be more than happy to watch after you, he lives not to far from here and is willing to meet me halfway between both of us, so you have a new baby sitter. I admit he is stranger than even the rumors made him out to be but hey, maybe that's what we need right now, strange solutions to strange problems. Your probably not able to remember his name because of how young you are right now but in case you wanted to know he is a nice man named Discord.
"Discord? Wasn't he that thing sealed away by Celestia and Luna, 15 years ago?" whispered Gust to himself. "The captain had something like that watch his kid? I need to ask him some more questions tomorrow."
