Chapters August 26, Equestria, 1942
Speed and his squad landed on the beaches of Equestria they were warmly welcomed in the town's towards the battle field. They marched up into village after village of destruction. The people who lived in the villages must have been evacuated on deceleration of the war,
"Soon they'll be back in there beds and there towns, this war shall be swift," Speed told his comrades.
He believed that the war really would be over by Heart's warming eve, he believed that crown and country would help him through it. They continued to March inland but were advised to avoid Canterlot, the capital of Equestria as the what he called enemy had taken control of. He and his unit travelled south west towards the mild west and soon arrived at a small desert town with a destroyed sign that loosely read 'Welcome to Appleusa,' as soon as his officer read that the sign collapsed. The time was somewhere around 21:39 and they had just arrived. They were told to inhabit the deserted houses. Speed and his squad found a barn they could sleep in. His squad consisted of four ponies; Himself, Bullet, Cloud Kicker and Star Smasher. The barn they were camping in was just on the edge of the town and was partly surrounded by an apple orchard, which grew apples all time of year and at that time there were apples there. Speed suggested to his squad to pick some apples just in case they wanted a quick snack. The average British military backpack was rather large and could fit slot in it. He several apples into it before pushing bundles of hay into the corner of the barn to make what loosely resembled a small bed.
The next morning he was awoken by his commander's trumpet sounding in the middle of the town telling them to fall in. He struggled to get up and awoke his squad and any other soldiers who had spent the night there, wen he awoke there was quite a crowd. After five minutes the town centre was swarming with soldiers from several squads and battalions they had arrived when he was asleep. The town was briefed on the plans.
"Okay troops!" Bellowed a general "Our Intel suggests that the quickest way to the battlefield is thorough the Everfree Forest and that the battlefield is Ponyville!" He continued "Please go and be fed when dismissed, we will step off at 09:00 hours!"
The general walked off into a building after saluting to his soldiers and after being fed the soldiers carried on on there quest: To arrive at Ponyville!
Speed set upon the forest unto what he pictured to be hell on earth. He stomped timidly into the unknown of what they were getting into. Murmurs in the line of soldiers suggested that this was the most unnatural or scary forest in Equestra. After he entered the forest, the soldiers heard strange noises coiming from the woods, not only gunshots from beyond the forest but strange animal sounds.
"Sir?" Asked Speed "You said we would take 3 days on hoof to get here, how big is this forest?"
"Very big, when we get out it would be about 9:35" Replied the P.O in a blunt voice still attempting to see wear in the Everfree Forest we were.
As they Marched on the gun shots became more detailed there was even shooting overhead by the pegasi above. Speed didn't join the air force as it was thought to be more dangerous, he also was not the strongest flyer however it was not uncommon to see a Pegasus in the battle field. He would fly up and help the soldiers above however he did not have the correct equipment, for example the R.A.F had special wing modifications to make them fly faster and armour so ground soldiers bullets had little affect on them they also had stronger weaponry to shoot down enemy pegisi. Hoof soldiers had completely different gear from weapons to saddle bags they had a rifle, helmet, saddle bag and robe. The way the standard rifle worked is that they have a strap attached to the weapon and certain muscle movements would pull the trigger. The weapon was strapped so it was just next to the soldiers face on the right and a scope could move from right to left into the soldiers eye with the movement of a hoof. The helmet was supposed to help stop bullets however it was not always the best defence, the English helmet was shaped sort of like a odd shaped bowl, it's odd shape was to help with the impact of a speeding bullet. He had a simple cloak or robe to help keep warm and the saddle bags to carry your items.
Speed began to enter a small area of darkness it was such black and he could not see a thing eventually he found himself brush ing along the bushes on the side of the path.
*SMASH*
Pain was the last thing Speed felt he stupidly had walked un heroicly into a tree and knocked himself out. Speed was awoken to shelling bombardment around 30 meters from we're he awoke. The enemy must have mis calculated their shots. After about 5 minutes he began to peace together what had happened.
"My name is Speed, I am an English Hoof soldier fighting in a war against the Germans and Hungerians moving to the western front," Speed dead slowmy to himself "I am deep in the Everfree Forest and only means of communication is my voice... My gun,"
"Oh.. Buck, that hurt" Speed said under his breath.
Speed soon came were that blood was gashing from his forhead and needed medical attention. When he got his Hooves he felt dazed and stumbled towards a hill, soon he became aware that the path he was on had an incline and when he had fallen over he rolled down it leaving a trail of wet blood. He stumbled out of the 'blackout zone' and into the light an saw what was Ponyville...
Unknown, Equestria, June 1914
Speed stumbled out of the forest and towards the bombarded town, he followed a small trail of hoof prints leading into the former Ponyville. He soon came across what used to be a farm and he smacked into the wall of a destroyed barn. The barn seemed to be a mix of a house and a barn so he crashed into the locked door. The door fell inwards with Speed along with it this made the rest of his body painfull too he hopelessly smashed into things looking for bandages. He saw a book on the counter which he picked up and stuffed into his saddle bag swiftly happening it might contain info about the town. Besides the Barn area it seemed intact as he leaned against the wall upstairs. He opened one of the doors.
*SMACK*
Speed wailed after being greeted in the room with a hoof to his right cheek then darkness.
He woke up with not only blood on his forehead but his side from when he opened the door and his face where he was hit. He began to hear hoofsteps outside the door and the jangling of a key opening the lock and a pony walking in,
"Are you alone?" Demanded a pony with a country accent, Speed was petrified and failed to answer,
"I said ARE YOU ALONE?!" The pony screamed. Speed tried to move however was stopped by ropes securing him to a bed,
"That ain't gonna help ya," the voice became restless as the tone was razed.
*CRACK*
"AHHH!"
A pain began to swell on his chest and a red mark began to appear on his chest as the pony came beyond the doorway. Speeds eyes darted around the room trying desperately to find some means to help him escape,
*CRACK*
The rope came down again but harder this time, a reason why Speed was more scared was because looking outside it was night time which made it beer implacable to identify his captor.
"LOOK AT ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!" Shouted the pony now at the foot of the bed,
"NO ONE IS WITH ME!" Sobbed Speed now in great pain
"No pony?" Echoed his captor
"I'll deal with you in the morning," said the earthpony sternly,
"WAIT YOU CAN'T LE-" shouted Speed only to be interrupted by a needle being jabbed into him "lea... leave m.. leave," He was cut off by his body giveing in to the drugs shot into him. As his eyes closed he opened his mouth to try to force out he sentence.
When the drugs wore off he realized his bindings had been removed. He was bandaged and he had felt worse last night than he did now, he tip toed towards the door and opened it slowly he stumbled grabbing on to a banister and grasped it to stop him falling down the dark stairs as it was early morning. When he reached the bottom his heart skipped a beat thair in front of him was a adult pony with a cowboy style hat on covering her face. Speed saw across the room his stuff, everything apart from the gun but he didn't care he would be issued a new one when he got there. After a while starting at the orange pony he began to believe he was asleep. She was surrounded by bags and bags of he could get but decided it was to dangerous he steeped to his stuff and turned around to take one last laugh at her stupidity however what he saw was not a stupid farm pony but his gun,
"Get on the ground!" She began seeming quite calm,
"Today just isn't my day," he sighed to himself as he got on the floor, "care to at least tell me your name?"
"Applejack," she said as a voice of another pony came down the stairs and then 2 more ponies came after the young females voice. After about 5 minutes the whole family was their and one of them came over angrily a big red pony slammed him into the counter then looked to him face to face. What he saw was a battered up solider who came across his home, the pony dropped him then walked back to Applejack,
"Now I'm gonna asked you a few questions and your gonna answer them," she said calmly,
"Question number 1 are you alone?" She asked slightly move her head to each window marketing sure no one was outside
"Yes," speed answered bluntly
"Will you leave?" She asked scared as she gave over the gun,
"Yes," Speed took the gun put on and got his things and left for the door he paused in the doorway turning to the family
"Goodbye" he said leavening and he knew exactly we're he was going, The Trenches
Ponyville, Equestria , June 1914
He arrived upon the battleground. The sight was horrifying he never thought it would look this bad even for a war. He slowly trotted closer to the trench and stopped behind a rock as he did not want to get shot after all he went to. At the time this meant something to him however in hindsight he thought a battlefield was not the ideal place to go for safety. Speed eventually gained the courage to move to the next bush when the rock behind him was obliterated by enemy fire, he soon began to gather that he had not chosen wisely to arrive he quickly moved to behind a small mound two steps in front he knew he wasn't making good ground but he was going forth. eventually, after what seemed an eternity of constant bombardment he hopped into the trench greeted by a gun of one of his forces and was ordered to the wall of the trench,
"Stay here!"the pony said bluntly as he began to trot off down the trench.
Speed took the chance to 'admire' his surroundings. He was in a wet horrible hole in the ground constantly being fired upon bullets whistling past heads and body's dropping down to the floor covered in wet blood staining the mud and little wood around them. the trench slowly began to fill with water as the clouds opened dropping a new kind of hell in itself the flooding,rain and poor sight. The trench began to fill with water as the pitter-patter of the rain slowly drove him insane. After about an hour the pony ran back splashing every puddle on his way over,
"The Commander;" He said introducing a soldier in a slightly different uniform.
"Good Afternoon, sir," Speed said politely.
"Whats your squad, soldier?" Asked the commander in a refined voice of a rich man.
Speed sat her and clenched his forehead to attempt to remember the training he had back home to attempt to remember his squad name,
"Five... T-Two... Alpha Hotel?... No wait," Speed said between thoughts "Five Two Tango Hotel,"
"well we hope to give you a happy reunion with your squad when you next see them, now please follow me," The General indicated a small room cut into the side of the trench, many soldiers where bunked and somehow asleep here. He was taken quietly down the small room where his squad eagerly awaited news of him, what they got instead of news about him was him,
"Oh my Luna..." said Bullet trying not to sound to stunned
Squad 52ND were shown to 'their' area in the trench it was cold and damp but he would have to get used to it. Speed had a hole under a wooden board to stand on there was a surprisingly bit of space under there enough to put his things and sleep. He and the rest of the English forces were part of the allies 'New Lunar Republic' it was the side of Princess Luna in the war his enemies were part of the 'Solar Empire' Celestia's side. The war began when Luna attempted to regain her rights to the throne, of course Princess Celestia was not OK with this. Princess Luna had had secret meetings that ponies began to find out about and even more ponies joined said meetings these meetings were just talk and speeches to get ponies to help Luna all of there marches and events were non-violent. One day three of Celestia's own guards broke their oath and training and attempted to get Celestia off of the throne, this was not planned by Luna and the guards were stopped. That day every pony in Equestra and around it had to pick a side The Solar Empire, or The New Lunar Republic, as the war began it was small forces verses small forces since the civil war began out her realms have been brought up to the war like the Griffin to The Solar Empire and of course English to the NLR.
As the battle raged on above him Speed rummaged through his saddle bags to find the book he found on the counter of the barn house. He opened the book to see what he could find.
The Book read
Applejacks Diary
Day 82)
Ah' am now starting to realize that wars can begin so quickly, get this the two princesses have a squabble and now a blasted' war has started. We are already being told to be out of our homes as war is starting but i aint' budgein' we were born here an' we will die here!
Thanks Diary - Applejack
Day 102)
Ah' am now startin' to think about this war, ah' think its startin' to get to me, the war is starting... here. Ponyville is the place were the civil war is gonna' begin! Ah' remember a couple weeks ago ah' said ahm' gonna' die here, well it feels like its gonna' come true.
Thanks Diary - Applejack
Day 112)
It may be the early days of the war but ah' have had half a dozen armys march down this road to Ponyville fillin' up trenches that stretch for miles that will be almost the only cover from the everlasting rain that is this war.
Thanks Diary - Applejack
Day 117)
The war has started raging, and half the barn has been blown apart its like ah' wasteland out there... some pony is outside ah' better take mah' family to our 'safe room'
Thanks Dia-
The a began to squiggle down the page as she must have hurriedly closed
the book, of course Speed knew this was when he had knocked down the door of the barn to look for some sort of bandage or medical assistance and found this book and a smack to the face. He only really remembered these parts as they were most relevant but he began to feel ashamed of what he had done, and he began to fall asleep.
Speed was an ordinary English pegasus. He lived, of course, in England on the coast of the South West. He lived on an island called Portland, which was not very active to be fair. Often ,to pass the time, would be to sail which was one of his greatest ambitions to do. Alas it was only a hobbie and to add on to that it was very windy. In England there was no such thing as wether ponies as there really was no need. No wether ponies, no winter wrap up, no breesies and very little magic! Portland was an island but now it's not precisely an island. One day in the past a huge wave across a lot of what is called the Jurassic Coast, washed thousands of stones to create a beach. The beach ends at Portland and is called Chesil Beach. Connecting Portland to Weymouh and the rest of England is a man made causeway so ponies wouldn't have to sail back and forth between Portland and Weymouth. On June 28th of 1914, royal guards in Equestria went against there training and oath and attempted to kill princess Celestia and before they were captured they shouted,
"Long Live Luna!"
Now Princess Luna is a wanted criminal in Equestria but has raised an army and declared war on Celestia and the Solar Empire and called her army,
"The New Lunar Republic,"
England instantly took sides with Luna, however many other kingdoms such as the Griffin Kingdom took sides with Celestia but for others the choice was not so easy. One day soldiers came to Weymouth although England had not officially declared war however Great Britan gave the order to mobilize. Speed went to a table with a Union Jack draped on it. He was given some papers to sign of which he did unquestionably. His training started on August 8th as he stepped in to what was four years of rain, bullets blood and death in what would be...
The Great Equestrian War
After he left the house he continued on into what direction the shooting was coming from which was a fair trek away so he sat down with his back against a wall of the former barn. He pulled open his saddle bag and realized nothing that he had was confiscated even the book he found on the counter. He rummaged through his bag disregarding anything that could hurt him like bullets or even enemy soldiers eventually he came back to the apples he had stored from Appleusa then remembered the ones he had stored in the hay bale, it was a dumb idea he was never going back to that town again it was a good thought in the moment he was now beginning to realize that he was in likely to get out of the war alive, he sat there and reflected on that thought before taking a bite out of the apple. He was awoken back to reality at the sound of a shell hitting the floor almost 30 meters away it was a bit of a distance but it was enough to remind him he was in the middle of a war and the time for rest was not now he began into a slight jog into a sprint of which was not needed but he wanted some 'exercise' as it was a fairly silent day, or what passed for quiet in a war he came to a quiet sort of area with a kind of hill or mountain range around it to stop winds from getting in and inside the area and inside was a cloud home it seemed battered however he wanted to see it. Speed fluttered slowly up to the former house and looked around there was many tipped over things and other Speed thought it was due to quick evacuation however he couldn't be entirely certain. As he stepped thorough the doorway something fair his hoof and he fell on his face, in front of his bruised muzzle was a book simply marked on the cover 'Dashies Diary' Speed felt curious he decided to take the book along with him although he felt he was invading what seemed a female names privacy he felt he needed to to See the back story of Ponyville or places in it and to Speed it felt necessary at the time. After Speed had successfully seeped the place of anything useful or dangerous he disembarked vowing that if he survived the war he would bring it back here.
It was soon dark and he was only just entering a destroyed town in the middle of a country at war on the battlefield. He moved cautiously building to building hoping to stay silent and not step an unlucky hoof on a landmine, Eventually he came to the conclusion rooftops were the answer. When he finally reached the end rooftop of the road he was on he noticed that the tree at the end of the village was a house or as it said on the sign above the door 'Twilight's Library' there was a balcony at the top that Speed naturally flew to the view he got was of one horror the trenches!