Chapters Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
Author's Note
After a long break and some thought, I have decided to reboot this story and attempt to make something a bit better this time around.
I hope you enjoy this story,
Judgement day
"Sir, wake up, we're ten minutes from dismount" the trooper next to me said, kicking me lightly from the mounted gun position.
"Thanks Corporal, any news?" I ask, hoping that HQ had managed to scrounge up some air support.
"No sir, HQ claims that all our air support units are already tasked with other ops" the corporal explained.
"Shit, we'll have to do without, hopefully we won't need it" I cursed, we were expecting to face a well defended forward operating base and HQ was fucking us over with no air support and nothing but SA80s and GPMGs.
We didn't even have armoured vehichles, just some old armed land rovers borrowed from the local reserve base. These old cars were dusted off only a few hours earlier, having sat in the garage for years with little to do but small parades and maintenance runs.
Five Minutes later...
"Contact Front!"a stattaco of gunfire sounded off as I began to shout orders to my platoon, responding to the hail of lead coming from the mounted gun ahead of us.
"1 section, give covering fire! 2 section, prepare to move, move!" As the section west of my position began to provide covering fire, my section and I maneuvered around the dead ground running along the hillside.
We soon slowed to a crawl as we reached the wall of sand bags that marked the Russian defences. My section was lined up with their rifles trained on the enemy position. I flipped my personal role radio from shout to talk and said "shift fire". The section providing covering fire shifted their fire away from the defences as I switched my radio back to shout and prepared my grenade along with the other designated grenadiers within the section.
On the count of three we all lobbed our grenades and waited for the deafening explosions that followed. As the grenades detonated and ripped through those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast, we fixed our bayonets and prepared to fight our way through the now broken defences.
"Fight through, fight through!" We lepts to our feet and charged the enemy, arms presented and ready to fire upon the invaders, in this moment we were fearless, screaming as we unloaded our rifles into the disoriented Russian forces.
Clouds of brown and red were illuminated by the fire erupting from the burning remains of a crate of supplies, rushing through the dust and dirt I impaled a soldier with my bayonet, covering my face with arterial spray. I ignored the blood and charged on, shooting down another two as they tried to run, the fight was almost over.
As we began to clear the tents myself and two other troopers headed towards the centre of the camp, reaching the considerably larger tent, we entered to find the bloody remains of two officers and a burning pile of maps and orders. As the fire began to spread to the rest of the tent we exited and reloaded our rifles, preparing to move back to our vehicles just 200 metres south of where our platoon was.
As I ran I passed the gored and bloodied bodies of the Russian infantry, my breath misting against the frigid air of the early morning. The dark red blood was a stark contrast to the green pastures of the Devonshire countryside.
"re-org at the vehicles and prepare to move out to the final rendezvous point" I ordered, running with the rest of 2 section towards the parked landrovers, where 1 and 3 section were awaiting our return.
"Good to see ya didn't get slotted again silence!" Called out the masked man leaning on the side of one of the landrovers. This was reaper, the platoon's weapon specialist come joker, a man I trusted with my life and my rifle. He had been my spotter and best mate for years, working with me on almost every operation I took part in.
"I don't just go around asking to get shot you know!" I joke, jumping inside the land rover and starting the engine.
"Nah, they just seem to want to shoot your ugly mug!" He retorts, shouting over the sound engines as we pull away from the scene of carnage behind us.
"Yeah yeah, whatever Reaper, i'm not the one wearing a mask here" I quip, listening to the roar of typhoons fly overhead as we pass the wreck of a troop transport truck.
"Sir, we have possible enemy contact im seeing multiple... SHIT RPG FRONT" The radio cuts off as an explosion blows the vehicle in front off the road and into the river adjacent it. I immediately disembarked the vehicle, grabbing both my rifles and moved to the rear in order to find some cover.
As I reached the back of the car I dragged out my bergen and pulled out the command radio. "Zero this is Sierra two five Contact wait out!" I shouted, shouldering my bergen and L115a3, preparing to move out of the area as the vehichles began to get pelted by small arms fire.
An ominous whistling filled the air as everything began to slow, in my peripheral vision I spotted the smoke trail of an RPG headed towards my vehicle, I tried to dive away but efforts were futile. I was blinded by the intense flash of golden light that followed...
There was nothing but silence after the numbing explosion, no pain, no sight, just darkness...
After what seemed like hours I finally awoke, or... least I think I was awake, the only indicator being the return of my senses.
Looking around the room I was in revealed it to be filled with bookcases and expensive looking paintings. In the centre of the room was a king sized bed covered by dark purple velvet curtains, I avoided the bed and attempted to open the large arched doors that were behind me, only to find they were locked.
The rustling of bedsheets alerted me to another presence in the room, I turned around and was greeted by a flash of blue light, I was knocked to the ground as I began to lose my senses yet again. Slowly I accepted the embrace of sleep and lowered my head to the soft carpeted floor.
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
Welcome to Canterlot
I awoke with a gasp, the pain in my head reminding me that I was still alive. Sitting up and observing my surroundings told me I was in a prison cell, the big metal door and solid walls telling me there wasn't much chance of an easy escape. The cell seemed to be an isolation cell, with no windows and a soft mattress built into the floor. There seemed to be no indication of previous residents, the layer of dust attesting to the lack of visitors.
The unmistakable sound of hooves outside the cell confused me, ' why would a horse be inside a prison?' I asked myself. But after cheating death and the strange occurance in the dark room, I decided not to ponder it to much and prepare myself for whatever may happen next.
I stood up and checked my body, whoever searched me must had been either careless or in a hurry as they had missed my sidearms and hadn't even checked my plate carrier's pouches. Inside I still had my explosives, pyros and ammo as well as a few rations and my radio pack. These people seemed be amateurs, leaving a man with his weapons is the worst thing you can do.
I was startled by the cell door suddenly swinging open, I instinctively went for my sidearm and jammed it in the rather confused looking face of a strange blue horse, simultaneously slamming it into the wall on the other side of the hallway. I was immediately made aware of two spearheads levelled at my throat, the blue horse grinned and said in a feminine voice " We suggest thou lay down your weapon and surrender thyself to questioning before my children make thee some new airholes". As she said this I felt the tips nudge me a little, in response I gave the two smaller horses two either side of me a glance.
At this I let the gun slip out my hand, my mind failing to understand what just happened. "Y-You can talk!?" I exclaimed.
"Of course, why wouldn't we be able to talk?" she asks, seemingly amused at such a question.
My mind draws a blank for a few seconds..
"Because you're a fucking horse!" I scream, gesturing towards her.
"We are a pony and we art Royalty, we expecteth thou to adress us as such" she frowns ruffling her wings and lighting her horn.
I found myself restrained and lifted of the ground by the same blue aura surrounding the winged unicorn's horn. "This is some messed up dream" I mutter to myself.
"We assure thou that this is no dream and thou art infact talking to an alicorn princess" the pony princess explains. "We would greatly appreciate your cooperation whilst we take you for questioning with mine sister and I."
I ignore the pony and focus on thinking about my situation, I knew there was no point in escaping with both the princess' magic and the two ponys in black armour holding spears preventing such an endeavor. The only option I could think of right now would be to just cooperate for now until an opportunity arrises.
As I was carried up the spiralling staircase I began to think over recent events, my platoon... they were most likely dead considering how easily we were taken out. I was probably dead, dreaming or somehow in an alternate universe. I opted for the latter considering the headache I was suffering was still very real and there was no devil waiting for me as I knew of.
As we ventured through the dungeon halls we eventually came upon the interrogation room, a room outfitted with a metal table with shackles connected to a bar on the table. I was lowered onto the chair and clamped into the restraints. The princess and guards left the room and shut the door, giving way to a mumbled conversation outside. I looked around the room, finding the walls the same grey concrete colour as the cell, with no obvious windows or mirrors.
I took the time that I was afforded to calm myself for the upcoming questioning, beginning to come to terms with where I had arrived. After a few minutes the muffled conversation siesed and the door swung open again.
The Blue Princess walked into the room followed by another, larger alicorn; this one seemed older, with a white coat and strangely flowing rainbow mane, as if it had wind blowing against it despite the fact we were inside. This strange pair took seats in front of me as the white one cleared her throat. "I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, what is your name?"
"Captain James Parker, 918273, Special Air Service. Why am I here?" I ask, deciding to forego lying to them, given the circumstances it would only complicate my situation further.
"Thank you Captain, although I'm afraid I can't answer that question. Although Luna might" she said, gesturing to her sister.
"Sadly the answers we can provide thou are sorely lacking. It appears the residual build up of magic from mine own regeneration hath caused the triggering of a teleportation spell. It seems this spell was the cause of your arrival here and for that we are truly sorry." She says, looking at me with sadness in her eyes.
"It's ok ma'am, I was dead anyway, your spell may have saved my life. For that I am in your debt, there is no reason to be sorry about such a thing." I explained, it became apparent that what had brought me here was a bout of luck. I was lucky to be alive, all thanks to this Pony Princess' magic. I felt obligated to repay her in some way, even if she didn't directly influence it, she saved my life.
Celestia spoke up "Thank you for that Captain Parker, judging by your Rank I would expect you're a part of your world's military?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm a member of her majesty Elizabeth the second's British Army, SAS regiment." I say, a small amount of pride leaking into my voice. "I'd assume there is no way back, considering you haven't just chucked me back into my world?"
This time Luna answered "It seems thou hath a sharp mind Captain, you would be correct in your assumptions. Due to the complete randomness of this event, we find ourselves unable to trace the spell to it's original location."
Celestia carried on "Other than tracing the spell, which we are unable to do, there is no other way of sending you back to your planet. As such we would like to extend our hoof to you and offer a room in our castle as compensation for your unfortunate arrival"
I stayed silent, still coping with hearing that I would never return home. I would be thought dead, too burnt to be identified, anyone that could have survived the attack would be left to bury the bodies. I took a moment to come to terms with my fate and let out a sigh. " Well, since I'm being provided a room I may as well work for it. Ma'am, if I may, is there any way I could repay my debts to you?"
Luna perks up" Oh, we hath an idea! Sister, were you not complaining over the state of our guards training?"
"Yes, Luna, what do you have in mind?" she replied, quirking an eyebrow at the strange question.
"We were thinking that Sir Parker could assist Shining armour in the training of our guard units" she explained. "Given the fact his world seems to be highly advanced in the art of war, we assumed he would be able to assist us in better defending our fair land." At this I grinned, I always enjoyed training new recruits, seeing them broken and remolded into soldiers provides some strange satisfaction that nothing else can provide.
"I'd be glad to assist you Ma'am, but I'll have to go through your so called guard's training myself first before I can pass any judgement."I explained, knowing full well their training would be completely different.
"Excellent" Celestia said" you start training tommorow morning at 0600 hours, just in time for the new batch of recruits. Captain Armour will wake you at 0530 for breakfast and then a briefing before training" she grinned "I'll have the guards take you and your equipment to your new room. I expect that you are tired after such a traumatic event?"
"That I am your majesty, I'll probably be asleep before I even hit the pillow" I joked.
I was wrong, but it didn't take long for me to fall asleep on the unrealistically soft bed.
Author's Note
That wraps up this chapter, I'm gonna go get some sleep myself now.
Thanks for reading,
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
The sound of the Reveille call echoed through the halls of the castle guard wing, filling it with the lively sound of the trumpets call alongside the groans of new recruits who were not yet accustomed to rousing at such an hour. I grinned, missing the sound of a trumpet in the early morning, it has a strange effect you see, it invigorates you and forces you awake. There was no denying the call of the trumpet, a minute or so of the call was enough to wake you as the bugler strolled through the halls. By the time I was dressed, a pony in purple trimmed guard armour. "You must be Captain Armour, right?" I said, shaking the hoof of the fellow officer standing in my doorway. "I'm Captain Parker, your new recruit" I joked.
"You're gonna stick out like a sore thumb Parker, I'll tell you that much. But I reckon we can work around it... How about foreign exchange program?" He asks, sweeping his protruding mane back under his helmet.
"Sounds good, should hold up for now, although someone is bound to rumble it sooner or later. I'd like you to treat me like any other recruit while I'm training, don't need any favouritism making it easier. Well, if you can... You could make it harder for me if possible." I say, knowing that what they had in store was nothing compared to selection.
"Are you sure?" He asks, tilting his head."guard training isn't exactly a cake walk" he laughs.
"We'll see about that 'sir' " I joked. "Well, let's go get some scran before the day starts"
"Scran? ...Oh, you mean breakfast!" Shining stated, leading me out the room and towards the sound of conversation and the clinking of cutlery. " Once you're done, follow the rest of the recruits towards the parade square, I assume you know how to perform drill?"
"Basis of every good army is skills and drills sir, of course I know how to march"I said, taking off my tan beret and placing my webbing on one of the hooks outside the mess hall. I ensured my sidearm was secure before entering the bustling room.
The entrie mess hall fell silent as I entered the room, some of the guards tensing up as they spotted me. "Listen in!" Shining ordered. " this is recruit Parker, he's the new exchange recruit and expect you all treat him just like any other recruit" a small amount of whispering and murmurs waved across the room." I know, he may look different , but he's one of his country's best soldiers" he explained.
"I expect no special treatment from you gentlemen, I may sound like a Rupert, but I assure you, I am a trooper. You won't hear me complaining over a bit of dirt on my kit or a paper cut. I don't expect your respect and I don't expect you to like me, all that must be earned. Just treat me like any other pony and we'll get along just fine." I stated, at this everyone sat down and finished their breakfast, with myself following the recruits out onto the drill square at the front of the castle after collecting my webbing and replacing my beret.
The castles towering gold and white spires loomed over our postition, myself and the other recruits standing waiting for whoever was running the training.
The sound of heavy hoof steps alerted me to a guard with three chevrons stamped into his armour, this must have been the Sergeant in charge of training. " Gentleponies, I'm your training sergeant for the next few weeks. I will be your parent during this training, any problems, you come to me!" He trotted up to where I stood at attention. "And what's your lanky ass supposed to be, a hairless ape?!" He exclaimed, causing a bout of giggles from the other recruits.
"No sergeant, I'm a human, just a bit better than an ape sergeant" I claimed, prompting a small grin from small pony in front of me.
"We'll see about that recruit" he steps back and addresses the rest of the recruits."As Recruit Parker has kindly demonstrated, you will reply to me with only yes sergeant, no sergeant and end your sentences with sergeant." He grins. "Today, we will be testing your limits. To see how far you are willing to push yourself" he turns to the small band arriving from around the corner. " before we start, I'm going to see how patriotic you really are. Parker?"
"Yes sergeant?" I replied.
"Does your country have a national anthem?" He asks, gesturing to the band behind him.
"Of course, why sergeant?" I ask, wondering where this was going.
"I'd like you to sing it after we finish the Equestrian national anthem." He states " We can't expect you to sing our own, you don't know it and you certainly aren't a citizen of Equestria, so you can sing your own, might enlighten us" he joked.
And so they began, the band beginning a light hearted tune, the lyrics mentioning the princesses, some god named Foust and their allegiance to harmony and Equestria. When the anthem ceased, I looked around, slightly unimpressed by the almost girly anthem. The ponies seemed proud, the sergeant looking at me expecting me to start.
I took a breath as the band started the British National Anthem , before I started singing I wondered how the band knew what to play but ignored it, focusing on the Anthem.
I sung my heart out, bringing tears from both myself and even some of the other recruits, my voice quaking with the loss of my home, the place I had protected with my life. " Thank you Recruit Parker, that seemed like a rather heartfelt anthem, you even used music magic" the sergeant stated, chuckling slightly, I wondered if he meant the band? They seemed to magically know exactly what to play and were all unicorns like Captain Armour.
'speak of the devil' I thought as Shining trotted around the corner, the sergeant snapping up a crisp salute towards his superior as I returned to the position of attention. Shining returned to the salute "Thank you sergeant Dawn Shield, I'll be taking over from here. Report to the Armoury, the Quartermaster has your new wing blades" he said, poking the sergeant's wing.
" Thanks sir, been waiting for them for a while" the Pegasus stated, leaving the drill square back towards the castle.
"Ok recruits, lets begin with a gallop and we'll go from there!" the officer shouted, leading us off the drill square and onto a running track leading onto the mountain. "this track leads down to the guard depot on the outskirts of the Whitetail Forests, once we arrive you will be briefed on the rest of today's training. A word of warning, DO NOT, stray from the path! It may not be the Everfree, but Whitetail is still a dangerous place for any civilian. Is that understood!?"
"Yes Sir!" came a chorus of replies.
And so we ran...
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
The cold morning air made for excellent running conditions, your body could work for longer in the cold, the body heat you build up being sapped by the frigid air. Too cold and you lose too much body heat, bordering on hypothermia. Too much heat can lead to dehydration , it can also cause hyperthermia, both quick killers.
The cold morning air was the goldilocks temperature, just right for running.
My breath misting alongside the pants and gasps of the recruits, we had been running for less than 10 minutes and these ponies were already struggling. I wondered wether this was normal for ponies, maybe they just don't have the same stamina as humans? Even the Captain was out of breath slightly. I decided to raise the issue"sir, how long can your guards run for?"I asked, not in the slightest tired or out of breath."it seems our stamina may differ sir" I joked. Causing another bout of giggles from the recruits and a quizzical look from the Captain.
"Ponies can run for about five kilometres in one go. My best guards can run at max ten kilometres. Why, how much can your soldiers run?" Shining asks, panting as we ran.
"For my regiment, minimum of 10k within an hour, capable of running for three days straight or more with no rest. There's a reason we're called the best sir, some of the fittest humans in the world are in our regiment, and for good reason. We go into the harshest of terrains and the most dangerous missions, we're expected to perform no matter where we are and deliver no matter what." I said, grinning at the shocked expressions of the ponies surrounding me. "But hey, that's what humans are made for, we're predators, omnivorous of course but we can hunt prey for miles, waiting for them to succumb to their injuries collapse from exhaustion." I explained, showing both my molars and canines with a wide smile.
"Well as long as you don't eat anything sapient, you'll be fine here, some ponies are a bit squeamish though. Got to admit, your kind are rather scary, even more so than Griffins. I mean look at you, you're running with a full bag and your weapon, no matter how strange that thing is." Shining quipped.
I chuckled at his response "I'd never eat another sapient being, it'd be like cannibalism in a sense, not to mention murder." I shifted my rifle sling slightly. "I'm used to carrying all my gear anyway, but I hope I don't have to demonstrate what this thing can do. Let's just say it's not pretty and leave it at that." Both my rifles were a weight that, in addition to my webbing, was a weight I had grown accustomed to in my long service to Queen and country. Running in my gear was a common occurrence and was something that I had grown to love. It seemed that the only two people armed in this group was Shining and I, with the captain of the guard sporting a short sword attached to a belt and scabbard around his barrel.
A few minutes later, the run had led us to the depot at the bottom of the mountain, with the sign post of the base stating 'Whitetail Royal Guard Training Area: Enter at own risk " We're here" panted the Captain." Dump your gear at a bunk and prepare to move in five. This'll be your home for the rest of your training, all of your personal property will be here when we get back"
Five minutes later...
"The first test shall be a timed run of the assault course" the captain said, gesturing towards the plethora of walls, jumps and other obstacles. Some of the recruits looked worried, the prospect of tackling this assault course a daunting one. "The rules are, no wings, no magic and no skipping obstacles. If you fail to complete the course, you will be removed from training and will have to try next time. Any questions? No? Good, recruit Parker will go first followed by Bronze Buckler, Swift Wing" the list went on as the captain listed off the names of the recruits. "Parker, you're up!"
"Yes sir!" I replied, launching off the starting line and attacking the first wall, lauching up it and running along the raised platform towards a large drop. I jumped off the edge and rolled, maintaining my momentum and springing across the following three pit jumps.
After the jumps was a small tunnel, which I slid through without hesitation, rising to my feet and carrying on as I exited.
As I built momentum still I ran up the hill leading to a rope swing, launching myself over the gap and landing back into a run. Next was a net climb, which I climbed and descended with ease, the following two wall vaults and sprint to the finish leaving me breathing deeply.
I turned to the rest of the recruits and Captain armour to find them attempting to quite literally pick their jaws up of the floor.
"What?" I asked, the group still staring at me with an awestruck expression.
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
"What?" I asked, the group still staring at me with an awestruck expression.
"The Princess is gonna be pissed" Shining trailed off, lowering his head slightly.
"Why is that exactly sir?" I asked, fearing what was to follow.
"You just beat her record, Luna doesn't like getting beaten in anything." Shining said ,flinching slightly, reflecting some past experience I wasn't eager to dig up just yet.
"That's a right shame sir, but the princess will just have to gain the record back." I said, turning to the treeline and chuckling."Won't you Princess!" I shouted, prompting the sounds of branches and twigs snapping violently as the Alicorn landed with a violent thump from her perch within the trees.
"B-but how?" The startled Lunar Princess stuttered, pulling herself back up to her hooves with the aid of the tree next to her.
"You need to work on your camouflage and concealment Princess, I noticed you as soon as we hit the trail." I scratched my head, chuckling once more. "You should probably refrain from muttering as well, that pretty much gave you away completely. So, do you have a reason for following me?" I asked, slightly annoyed at being trailed.
" Would thou expect us to allow a creature we barely know to be left without proper supervision?" The Princess asked, making her point clear.
"Of course not, but I would at least expect some form of trust. If you wanted to supervise me, you should have just left me in that cell, your lack of trust concerns me." I explained, becoming frustrated with my circumstances.
"Leaving thou in the cell would have done none of us any favours, we know that and thou should too." She sighed." We suppose we should have afforded thou more trust, but leaving you in a cage may have allowed mine record to sit untouched as it has before you flounced in and ruined it." She joked, pouting slightly. "We have reconsidered our offer on you training our troops. Our nation, although it has its own bouts of chaos, is a peaceful one. We believe our guard shall do fine with the supervision of Captain Shining, as long as he doesn't go soft on them?" She quirked an eyebrow towards the Captain of the Guard.
"Of course not your Majesty, I shall continue with the new program as planned." He stated, snapping up a quick salute and leading the other recruits back to the assault course.
"So, Princess, what's with the change of heart?" I asked, following the Princess as she began to walk towards the camp's small billet.
" Luna shall be fine Captain Parker, Mine sister is the one who decided to stop you." She giggled slightly. " We must admit, the stalking of thou was mine own idea, we wanted to ensure you wouldn't escape and cause harm to our citizens. We were originally going to contact you in your dreams and recall you to the palace, but thou stopped us from doing that quite frustratingly." Her horn lit up with a dark blue aura, my equipment soon hovering from the room and onto my body.
"Really now? I'll believe that when pigs can fly Luna" I joked, knowing that both were impossible.
"We assure thou that we can enter ponies' dreams Captain, perhaps we may demonstrate later? Mayhaps we could find out more about your life?" She grinned, her smile becoming slightly deranged. "Maybe we'll even share the finds with mine sister?" She chuckled darkly." Your secrets shan't be safe for much longer"
"I'd advise you not to delve into my dreams Luna, you won't like what you find in my head. And I won't take such a breach of my privacy likely." I warned, causing Luna's grin to fall.
"Of course Captain Parker, we shall refrain from invading thine dreams. We only said this in jest, any secrets you hold shall remain yours as you wish." Her grin returned in full force. " But that won't stop me from learning more about you mine Captain" she explained jovially.
"Mine?" I asked
"Yes, thou are now our own personal bodyguard, and the only member of the Nocturn guard, effective immediately." She stated. " We apologise for not allowing your own say, but we required a competent guard of mine own, mine sisters day guard seemed too weak and so you arose as the obvious answer."
"Luna, you do realise I'm not loyal to neither you nor your sister, why choose someone who could just as easily kill you and everyone you love as I could leave you in search of a way home?" I asked, highlighting the flaw in her logic.
"No, but thou is loyal to the lives of the innocent and to your country and her interests." She grinned with a sly smile. " But considering that your country does not exist within this world, perhaps you could form new ones with the nation of Equis, you may even keep your loyalties to Britain, no matter how far it may be."
"That seems like a sound deal Luna, but you will have to earn my loyalty before I swear loyalties to Equis." I explained, as Luna turned to face me.
"That is an understandable wish, we shall present you with your new duties when we are back at the palace and all has been explained" she claimed, leading me uphill towards the looming structures of canterlot. " I expect thou has no issues with becoming mine loyal guard?"
"No, though unexpected, I don't mind running security for you. Just as long as you don't use me as a gopher." I joked.
"We'd perish the thought, our guards have always been treated with the upmost respect and honour." She explianed. " I can't wait to see how your form looks in mine Nocturn armour, Captain Parker"
"Wait, you never mentioned a uniform, your not gonna force me to wear that shitty gold stuff the rest of them wear are you?" I asked, a joking tone masking my worry of becoming a walking mirror.
"Why would we force you to wear that? I have mine own guard armour that is much more practical than mine sisters garish golden plates. I shall craft you armour myself, considering that the existing armour won't fit your unique form. I'll even make it fit to your own equipment" she replied.
"Armour made by royalty, I'm honoured. I hope you won't mind my assistance in the creation of my armour? I'd appreciate being able to add some personal touches." I explained.
"I wouldn't have it any other way my Captain"
Author's Note
So, another chapter.
Even I don't know yet!
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
Hidden away within the labyrinthine hallways of Canterlot castle, locked away behind iron-clad doors, the Princess of the night and her soon to be personal bodyguard toiled over smithing the Captain's new Nocturn guard armour. The final pieces were coming together, being placed on a display manikin once they were cooled and enchanted by the Alicorn princess. As I removed the final plate for the arm bracers, the Princess levitated it over to her station while it was still hot, refining my own shaping and adding her own enchantments and treating. The metal faded from its hot red down to a jet black, matching the other pieces as it was placed and sown onto the remaining bracer. "Finished, thou has some skill in smithing, but we would recommend thou stay within your current profession." Luna joked.
"True, I'm better with my fists and weapons than I am a hammer and anvil. You said that there was one piece missing though? " I asked, remembering her instructions on building the set of covert armour, meant to be worn and hidden underneath clothing.
The set was comprised of thin overlapping armoured plates and mesh that created a set of armour that rivalled heavy armour in it's protection against Equis' weapons, even if they were only blades and magic. The armour set was accompanied by a set of badges to be placed on my uniform, the badges depicted a Lunar Crest, Luna's cutiemark and symbol of her power. The idea of cutiemarks was explained to me by Luna, who told me of how a pony would achieve it when they found their calling in life, much like her sister and she earned theirs from raising the sun and moon.
"Yes, but that piece will be a secret for now, you shall earn it in due time." She stated, dousing the magical furnace and levitating the armour off the manikin and into a bag. "Put this on and meet me in the throne room for your first shift, I expect you to wear something black, place one of your badges over your heart and one on your right shoulder, underneath your countries flag I presume" she said, handing me the sack and badges separately.
"You would assume correctly Ma'am, I'll wear my black gear, glad I packed it now." I chuckled, remembering the set of heavy clothing I had stored in my Bergen for public and night ops. "Not sure how I feel about being a bodyguard though, it's not exactly my forte Ma'am"
"That shan't be a problem Captain, we're sure you'll do fine, there shouldn't be any massive revolutions against the crown or assassination attempts tonight. We aren't even sure most normal ponies know of my return, only the nobles and a few citizens know of me, including the guard of course." she moved to leave."I expect you outside our room within the hour, is that understood?"she asked leaving the room as I followed.
"Yes Ma'am, see you in less than an hour." I said as we parted ways, I was headed straight for the guard wing, my room specifically.
Once I arrived I set about unpacking my Bergen and getting changed into my black kit, infamous from it's appearance in the Iranian embassy siege and popular culture depicting my regiment's activities. This gear was bolstered with fire protection and biochem seals, these all created a set of heavy clothing and, along with the armour, ammunition and equipment, created a suit that weighed enough to almost double my own body weight. The full set of gear made me look rather intimidating, I forwent the gas mask and balaclava for my helmet and social skills, I didn't want to go around in a mask anyway, it gave off the wrong message.
Once I had affixed the Lunar crests and stored my Bergen, I pulled out my rifles from the locker across from my bed, I placed them upon the table under my room's window and began to check and clean them. The largest of the two was my Accuracy International Artic Warfare Magnum L115a3 or more simply known as the AWM. The rifle is chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum and has an effective range of 1,500 metres. It was my signature rifle, I could be so far away from my target, that they'll be dead before they hear the shot, I could silence all with but a squeeze of a trigger.
The other rifle was an L85a2, part of the SA80 family and created by BAE systems and improved by Heckler and Koch, the rifle was the work horse of the British army, standard issue for almost every infantry soldier, the rifle was both accurate and reliable. The rifle has an effective range of 800 metres and fires the 5.56 NATO round, the rifle was fitted with a bi-grip and laser light module. The rifle also had a set of two sights, a thermal sight and a lightweight day sight.
I slung both my rifles over my back and unholstered my sidearm, an old browning hi-power pistol, handed down to me as a gift from my father, who had served in the regiment before me. My pistol was both reliable and sturdy, with a solid metal build and simple design. The grips were steel and were engraved with the flames and downwards Excalibur of the SAS. I owed this pistol my life many times over, having used it in defense countless times over, I replaced the pistol in it's holster and closed the locker.
I then lifted my trouser leg, unholstering my Walther PPK, given to SAS members during plain clothed and high risk operations as a holdout weapon. With a swift unload and reload I checked the weapon for any damage or faults before reholstering it on my thigh and covering it with my trousers and their twisters.
Before I left I checked my pouches to ensure I had all my ammo and grenades with me, the extra equipment being placed in my utility pouches and smock. The final thing I checked was my knives, one was a fairburn Sykes knife while the other was a bayonet for my SA80, in its scabbard and attached to the shoulder strap of my webbing. I ensured everything was secured with one final check and set off towards the Royal towers wing.
As I walked down the hallways I garnered many stares, some from awestruck guards, some from fearful servants and others from insulted nobles. The stares persisted from every pony I passed on the way towards Luna's room, I ignored them, continuing on my path until a particularly ballsy pony decided to try and stop me.
"You there, tall creature! Stop!" I turned to face the owner of the voice.
"What?" I asked, slightly annoyed at the interference of this blond haired pony.
"I require your assistance, servant" he stated, ok, now he was beginning to piss me off.
"I am no servant blondy" I mocked.
"B-blondy!? I am Prince Blueblood! Y-you freak!" He raged, beginning to go red in the face.
"It seems someone needs a lesson in anger management, Blueballs." I quipped, walking past the apparent 'prince' " now if you mind, I have more important things to attend to."
"How dare you!" He screamed, stomping his forehoof on the ground. I ignored him and carried on towards my target.
A few minutes later and I arrived at the ornate doors of Luna's quarters, saluting back to the guards stationed at her doors. "The Princess is waiting for you inside." One of the guards stated. I acknowledged the guard with a nod as I entered the darkened room.
"Ma'am, I'm here" I called out.
"So you are Captain, well timed, we were to leave in a moment." Luna explained, leading me back out of the room and towards the throne room. "Tonight you shall be by my side as I run Night court, in this time I shall be listening to my citizens and hearing what they have to say and what they request of me"
I nodded " understood Ma'am, I'll stay out of the way until I'm needed, anything else ma'am?" I asked.
"Nay, just refrain from killing the nobles, no matter how annoying they may be" she said.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, sadly"
Author's Note
What will happen next?
Maybe later...
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
Night court just got interesting
Upon the throne of Canterlot Palace, the font of Equestria's power, sat Luna, Alicorn Princess and co-ruler of the land laid before her. The map detailed the locations of several train stations and cities across Equestria.
"Your Majesty, I propose that a line be built to the new settlement of Appleoosa, this settlement requires a supply line in order to sustain it in definitely, the desert is simply too hot and too dangerous to cross on hoof." The noble stated, indicating the dotted black line running across the Buffalo Plains.
"Isn't this territory of a Buffalo tribe Sir Track?" The Princess asked.
"No your Majesty, it used to be, but the tribe has moved on and the town of Appleoosa was formed by a branch of the Apple clan." Sir Right Track explained. " The tribe seems to have become nomads, they seem to wander the plains systematically"
"Thank you for your input Sir Right Track, my sister and I have decided to allow this track to be built for the benefit of our little ponies" she signed the paperwork floating in her magic and lowered it to the noble. "You are dismissed."
"Thank you, your majesty" the noble bowed, turned and left the room, passing the next pair of ponies as they aproached and bowed low towards the throne.
"Rise and speak your mind" Luna ordered, the pair raising as one.
At this point I blocked out the proceedings, focusing purely on the space around me and potential threats to my charge. I was stood upon one of the protruding platforms that adorned the raised throne, overlooking the rest of the hall, the guard across from me was adorned in Black, bat like armour of the Nocturn guard, the leathery wings and fin like helmet crest making him look slightly more intimidating than their golden coated counterparts.
The light from the stain glass window wasn't really enough, the ceiling itself magically providing a glow of blue tinted light across the room, a stark contrast to during the day. The ponies in the room all seemed tired, probably having waited to see the Princess through the day or just not used to staying up late. My pondering was cut short by the two great doors at the entrance of the room slammed open, revealing Blueballs himself.
"Out of my way!" The Prince shouted, pushing past the pair of ponies who were just about to leave. "You!" He pointed at me. "I'm going to kill you!" He screamed.
"Mm-hmm" I hummed in the affirmative.
"But first, I'm going to humiliate you!" He exclaimed, slamming his hoof down.
"Neat" I replied.
"But first, before I do any of that, I'm going to hurt you!" He shouted.
"Oh? See, that would be intimidating, if you were… well, intimidating." I stated.
"Grrr, are you mocking me!?" He asked, growing redder by the moment.
"Yes, and I'd suggest you stand down before I am forced to take action against you" I stepped forward bringing my bayonet to level with his throat, advancing slowly. "I do not take threats against my life lightly Blueballs. I'd suggest leaving before you make any more mistakes".
At this point the prince was practically burning with rage. "How dare you address me as such! I demand a duel! Aunty Luna, could you bear witness?" He asked, prompting the Princess, who had until recently, been sat watching the volley of harsh words with a slight grin.
"Yes Blueblood, but I forbid you from fighting to the death, it would be too barbaric for our society. I would suggest that you both fight without magic, it would be an unfair fight for both of you" she stated. " I just hope that the Captain leaves you in one piece my nephew, you may have just made a grave mistake.
"1700 hours, two week from today, Canterlot gardens. Fail to attend and be considered a coward." He stated.
"I accept you challenge and add my own rule, blunted blades only. We wouldn't want any fatal wounds now would we?" I chuckled. "I wish you luck in you preparations Blueballs, you'll need it."
The Prince harrumphed and turned, trotting out the room."You shall regret your decision greatly freak." He called back as he turned through the empty door, the room having been vacated during our rant.
Once the doors had shut I turned to the Princess " Apologies Ma'am, I wasn't expecting to see that idiot for a while, we had a minor missagreement in the hallway and he probably isn't thinking straight, but that is his mistake." I paused for a moment. " Although, you could have just told him to stop, saved him from making such a terrible mistake." I asked.
"I could yes... But I would'nt enjoy that would I Captain?" She stated.
"I'd imagine not Ma'am, I suppose it would be more entertaining this way." I sighed. "If only he had controlled his anger... I wonder what occurred to make him this angry.
"So what, the Prince tried to fire you because a bird had ate his favourite roses and you didn't prevent it?" Shining armour asked the guard across his desk.
"Yes sir, he did, then he proceeded to throw a bit of a tantrum, he said he was going to ' show that tall freak a lesson" the guard explained.
"I'll look into it Stalwart, thank you for aproaching me with this" he said indicating that the guard could leave.
"You're welcome sir" the guard said, saluting and leaving as Shining returned the salute.
"Well, seems you've caused quite a mess Parker." The Captain of the Royal guard muttered to himself as he made haste down the halls of the guard wing towards the throne room.
Meanwhile, in the throne room...
"So how do we proceed Ma'am?" I asked Luna.
"Now we wait Captain, perhaps you train with a blade, perhaps not. It is up to you, but be warned, my nephew shall be training to take you down. He is proficient with a blade, are you?" The princess asked.
"Yes, It was an optional part of my officers training, I can use a blade just as well as one of my own own appendages. That coupled with extensive training in hand to hand combat should do nicely. I'm probably going to need to spa with another pony though, get used to my opponent being on four legs and at hip height, or shoulder height in your case Ma'am" I said " although I'm probably never going to be forced to fight you nor your sister." I joked fixing my bayonet onto my rifle as we moved to leave the throne room, following the Diarch down the ramp and past the waterfalls at the bottom set of platforms.
"We sincerely hope that thou shall never have to, my sister and I are formidable opponents. Thou wouldn't last long against either of us without an immense amount of magic, which you do not possess" the princess claimed, opening the towering doors with an aura of blue from her horn coating the handles.
As the doors swung open, Captain armour trotted around the corner, coming to a stop as he spotted us.
"What did you do Parker?" Shining asked, seemingly worried.
"I don't know, you tell me Armour." I replied.
Author's Note
And that marks the end of this chapter.
Up next...
Nightmare!
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
"Him?"
"Yes Shining"
"You're serious aren't you Parker?"
"Sadly" I replied as we walked towards the guard wing.
"So Prince Blueblood challenged YOU, to a duel?" The Captain asked, not believing the pompous Prick- err I mean Prince would be stupid enough to challenge me. "Well, nopony is complaining, Blueblood is the least likeable noble in Equestria"
"I'm not surprised, the way he goes about addressing others" I said, opening the door to his office and taking up a chair as he sat upon his own. He took up a letter on his desk inside a pink aura of magic and opened it.
"A letter from Princess Celestia?" I asked, noting the wax seal adorning the envelope.
Shining took a moment, reading through the letter and looking back up at me. " yeah, she told me that I needed to assign two pegasi Nocturns to pull Luna's carriage. She also wishes you to go with her in costume." He said with a grin.
"Really now?... I just may have an idea" wearing a grin of my own.
The very next evening I donned my lightweight night ops equipment, it consisted of a black smock and combat pants with a balaclava and pair of matte black glasses to cover my eyes natural white. I forewent carrying my rifle with me for the purpose of keeping the weight down, the only weapons I was bringing were my sidearms, knives and taser. The taser was something which I was issued when I first started working around civilians, I never found a reason to use the thing, it had just sat in my Bergen everywhere I went. I guess the reasoning for giving it is was to allow us to detain civilians without resorting to killing them, of course that would never happen, but the top brass insisted on it, claiming it will come in handy... I guess they were right, just not exactly what they imagined. The taser was solid black and was placed inside my assault vest with the rest of my gear.
With the final touch of the Lunar Crest, my 'costume' was ready for nightmare night, Shining had explained the strangely Hallows Eve like celebration, the similarities being perfectly mirrored apart from the backstory, the holiday meant for hiding from a Nightmare Moon, Luna's apparent evil form.
I locked up my room and headed towards the Royal quarters once more, passing through the now almost empty hallways, the occasional shimmer of gold in the dark hallways being the tell of the patrols of the palace guard on patrol. After a few minutes of walking I had arrived at the doors, greeted by a salute from the two guards at the door, which I briefly returned and headed through the open doors.
"Good evening Captain" Luna greeted with a smile, her hair now looking similar to Celestia's own flowing mane, it's starry visage flowing within an unseen wind.
"And to you Ma'am, it appears your mane is now flowing?" I questioned.
"Ah yes, the Aetherical transformation of one's mane happens when one has attained, or in our case regained, a certain amount of magic. It is a phenomenon known to happen during extremely powerful magical surges, it can happen to any pony with enough magic." She explained, leading me towards the awaiting floating carriage outside her balcony. "But enough about my mane, we must make towards Ponyville, we express our interest in this holiday of sorts, it seems to be a point of joy for many a pony...although we do not understand it ourselves"
We embarked the carriage and set off towards the town below. " I'm sure you'll figure it out Ma'am, that's one of-" I was cut off by the crack of an arrow against the side of the carriage. I immediately threw myself over the Princess, shouting. " Take evasive! We're taking fire from the clouds!"
I harsh whistle flew by my head as another arrow was launched. A lone cloaked Pegasus dove from the clouds straight towards us, the flash of a blade attached to a hoof prompting me to unholster my Browning and place one round in the flyers wing. But not before the attacker screamed "Die imposter!" As the round connected and tore apart the female's wing. The resulting damage sent the pony diving into the forest below.
After a minute, I got off the Princess and turned to the two Nocturn pegasi who were pulling the carriage. "You two alright?" With the reply in affirmative I ordered " Bring us down in Ponyville, I want a hot landing, make a show of it. We carry on as planned, stay vigilant and return on the signal. Collect that body on the way back and alert Captain Shining. You ready Ma'am?"
"Yes, an attempt on my life shan't deter me from joining the festivities with mine subjects." She said as we began to dive at an ever steeper angle towards the cloud bank as Luna donned a cloak and pulled up the good.
Author's Note
And the first piece makes its move...
More next chapter!
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
"Bring us to a halt above Ponyville, we fear we shall not be able to land within the crowd" the Princess ordered.
With a swift reply in the affirmative, the two pegasi brought the carriage to a hover above the crowd of costumed ponies, both young and old. "Jump with me Captain, let's give these ponies a good first impression" she said, both of us then jumping as the same time, the violent winds ripping past us at a thrilling rate. As she slowed her landing with a flare of her wings, while I landed on both feet, ducking into a roll and stopping at a kneel.
I looked up to see the citizens of Ponyville bowing before the Princess, many shaking in fear from the sight of us. One pony within the crowd stood out though a lone purple unicorn, the one known as Twilight Sparkle, a member of the recently formed Elements of Harmony. "Princess Luna!" The pony, adorned in a wizard costume said before being quickly pulled down by her assistant spike, a dragon, would you believe it? I didn't at first, it took shining a trip to the library, two books and five pictures of spike and his sister to convince me. Looking at this small dragon was making it hard not to laugh, his costume being rather confusing, he was dressed in a purple dragon costume, a dragon... In a dragon costume...well, to each their own. As I pondered this, the Princess had advanced towards the citizens, still shaking in fear in front of the Lunar Princess.
The princess slipped from her hood and flared her wings, causing all before her to shake. "Citizens of Ponyville! " her shout making ponies grip the earth to stop themselves from being flung from where they stood by the wind the Princess' voice created. I knelt on the floor, clutching the ear I had facing her and slipping my ear defenders on.
Before she started again, I ran over to her. "Ma'am stop! Your hurting them!" I shouted, indicating the shivering and whimpering as they attempted to back away. "I'm sorry to interrupt you Ma'am and I know it's not my place, but this is not the best first impression."
"But... This is how we address our subjects, is it not?" She asked, feeling slightly confused. "The Royal Canterlot voice is how we are to adress our subjects. How else are we to ensure they hear us?" She asked.
"Perhaps not deafening your subjects would be a good start to allowing them to hear you Ma'am. Perhaps using a normal voice and allowing someone else to herald you in would be a better alternative Ma'am that is what your sister and other leaders do." At this she rose an eyebrow, considering the idea.
"Perhaps, one's image before her people is vital to a leader in holding their hearts and minds. I shall have you herald for me then, my bodyguard, show me how it is done." She grinned, waving a hoof towards a crowd.
"Mares and Gentlecolts, Her Majesty Princess Luna graces you with her presence this night in the hopes that she may befriend and understand her citizens. Much has changed before Her Majesty returned, I expect you to bear this in mind when Her Majesty addresses you. Furthermore, her majesty wishes to take part in these celebrations, so please, do attempt to treat her as any other normal pony. Thank You for your time, you may return to your festivities ponies." I exclaimed, loud enough to be heard across the town, yet quite enough not to hurt the ponies ears.
"That good enough Ma'am?" I asked, turning towards the princess. She replied with a small nod and we then approached Twilight sparkle.
"For now Captain" she stated.
"Hello my name is-" Twilight was cut off by the Princess before she could finish.
"Starswirl the bearded, thou even got the bells right." The Princess commended her sister's student.
"Thank You, see Spike, I told you somepony would get it!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to find Pinkie and see if I can get in on that candy." He grinned as he waddled of towards the sound of chicken squawks.
"Ok then, don't eat too much!" Twilight called after him."Sorry Princess, as I was saying my name is- " she was once again interrupted by the Princess.
"Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic and mine sister's faithful student. Thou are the one who freed me from the dark forces that warped my mind and body. For that I am very grateful." The Princess said with a smile, bowing her head slightly in gratitude towards the smaller pony.
"It's ok Princess, there's no need to thank me, I just did what was right." Twilight said with a nervous grin. "Would you like me to take you around town? I'm sure you'd love to meet my friends and take part in the celebrations." She paused to allow us to follow her. "I have one question though, what is that thing following you? Is it a golem? Is it an automiton? Or is it... Oh what did Lyra call those things?... Oh yeah, is it a human?" This caused a giggle from Luna.
"I think you'll find I'm a human, Miss Sparkle, not a robot or magical construct. I'm a living, breathing, Human being. Albeit one in the wrong place and serving a magical pony Princess as a bodyguard. I am Captain James Parker, but you can call me James.
"OK James, so you're the Princess's personal guard then? Judging by the badges on your uniform, that is." She asked, poking the Lunar emblem upon my arm.
"Yes Miss Sparkle, you assumed correctly, although I'm not exactly in uniform. I'm not even wearing my armour, this only protects me from the weather, although aparantly the Pegasi have that handled." I said, looking to the sky to see a small amount of dark clouds hovering in the night sky.
One cloud in particular caught my eye though, this one was moving across the town, pushed by a pony with a multi-coloured tail, the pony was lightly snickering while pushing the storm cloud closer to our group. As she neared closer, I decided to stop Miss Dash's fun with a little of my own. "Miss Dash, this is the Royal Guard, disembark the cloud and land immediately!" I shouted, winking at the confused pair in front of me.
At hearing my shout, Rainbow yelped and fell off the small cloud. "Whaa! Please don't throw me in prison!" She wailed, whipping her head around to find the golden armour.
As she searched, I approached her slowly, using the shadows to hide my presence. When I was close enough, I slowed to a crawl and rustled through the bush to the side of her and stood. Upon seeing my form, she screamed and backed into Twilight, who was currently giggling away at her usually calm and cool friend. "Do not be afraid Miss Dash, I am merely Princess Luna's guard, you can't seriously be afraid of me can you?" I asked mockingly, chuckling a little myself.
"Pfft, nah. Why would I be scared of a thing like you?" She said, still shaking from fear.
"I don't know, do you Ma'am?" I asked the Princess, pulling out my Knife and idly sharpening the blade of the perfectly balanced knife.
"No, Captain Parker, we could not procure reason for such a reaction. Perhaps she is just scared of everything?" She grinned, playing on to the joke.
"Maybe, but I heard Miss Dash is fearless, so this must not be her. Ah well, such a shame." I said, shaking my head slowly.
"I am fearless, I am THE Rainbow Dash, THE fastest Pegasus in Equestria. Wait a minute... Did you just prank me?!" She complained, huffing as she stomped a hoof on the ground.
"Yes Miss Dash, but only because you were planning on doing the same. Serves you right for trying to scare us anyway, your lucky I didn't just shoot you down." I warned, my tone growing serious as I frowned beneath my balaclava.
"Ha-ha, with what!? You don't even have a horn, you can't do magic and you certainly can't fly!" She teased, giggling along with the other two ponies.
"A human may not have magic, may not naturally be able to fly or have amazing strength. But a human is smart enough to use this to its advantage, a human can use the tools it makes to keep itself at the top of the food chain and survive no matter what. The human race is the most deadly and destructive force on earth, maybe even here as well." I stated, sheathing my knife and leading the group towards the crowd. " But enough about Miss Dash and I, lets get involved in the festivities. That's what we were here for, shall we Ma'am? The town awaits. " I stated, bowing with a gesture towards the many stalls for games.
"We shall, wait for me at the town hall, I wish for some private time with Miss Sparkle while we enjoy the festive celebrations." She said, pointing a hoof briefly towards the stage set up in front of the building. " I assure you I shall be safe, you spend some time to yourself."
"Of course Ma'am, I'll be sat in the alleyway I think, get a bit of a nap in before we meet again." I said, walking towards the small alley across from the stage.
"Ok, enjoy your nap James!" Twilight said, waving with a smile.
"I shall, you go and enjoy yourself now, shoo!" I chuckled, placing my back against the wall and sitting on the floor. As their hooves drifted away, so did I, accepting the embrace of sleep once again as I rested, fading into the darkness of the night.
Author's Note
I'd like to thank Bethesda and their game Fallout 4 for sidetracking me so much. But I've finally got this chapter out, cut it shorter than I wanted, but that's because I have something planned
What... You thought this chapter would be a Nightmare scene?
Silence- A Soldier's Journey In Equestria
Author's Note
I'm back!
A rude awakening.
I screamed in agony as I woke, grabbing the knife that was lodged firmly into my rib cage and stopping it from slipping further into my chest, the knife rested just above my now racing heart. The pain was immense, but it told me I was still alive, I could still fight back.
I slammed a knee into the cloaked pony's barrel and rolled to my feet, facing the shadowy figure as it recovered and unsheathed another blade."Drop the weapon and surrender peacefully and I won't hurt you." I said, palming my pistol in it's holster in preparation for the pony's response. The response however, was simple, a flash of a blade and a jab was responded to by a step backwards by myself and one round placed squarely between his eyes, blowing out the back of his head onto the wall in a splatter of brains, blood and bones.
Suddenly, I lost vision and collapsed against the alley wall, my helmet scraping against the rough surface of the bricks. I lay slumped against the wall for a moment, listening out anything else while I attempted to recompose myself. After reholstering my pistol, I pulled on the knife planted in my chest and flicked it out, adding another spray of gore onto the now dripping brick wall across from me. I grunted in pain as I covered my wound with a concoction of chemicals and a sterile adhesive pad from my first aid kit, ensuring the wound would stay clean and preventing infection. I collected the knife and stowed it one of my cargo pockets as evidence, hoping that it would be traceable in some way.
Stepping out of the alleyway caused a chorus of screams to echo down the street to my right, a stattaco of hooves thundered towards me as flashes of gold rushed through, slowly fading back into the ever blurring crowd in front of me. The last thing going through my head before I hit the ground? "Fuck that guy"
I awoke once again within the castle, this time within the Royal Guard medical centre, recognising where I was from my explorations during the little time off I've had since arriving. "I see you're awake, you should be dead given what was in your system when you were dragged here by the princess and her escort group. A knife covered with a horrible mixture of poisons and toxins designed to kill an Alicorn that have been outlawed for thousands of years, straight to the chest and yet here you are, fresh as a daisy? You should be glad the Ponyville guard had a medic who knew how to draw out most of the poison, otherwise you'd be lay on a slab in the Mortuary instead of sat here in the comfort of that bed" The doctor in front of me stated, scanning the sheets floating in front of him before nodding slightly to himself and looking back at me.
"Our assessments put you in the clear, avoid breaking the wound and if you feel ill of health again, be sure to pop by my office and I'll give you the once over. While this is certainly not one of the weirdest encounters with a patient I've had, it's certainly up there in convenience. I just so happen to be your new GP, any injuries or ailments you think require a second opinion and you come to me. If I'm not in my office, I'll be in the training field hospital or my room, don't hesitate to ask me if I've got the time for an inquiry. See you around, I'm off to deal with a recruit who thought it would be a good idea to annoy one of the sergeant majors, enough to warrant a broom lodged in the nether regions rather fiercly." He chuckled, trailing off as he trotted out of the doors and into the busy hallway.
As he exited, he left the door open so that the Princess and the two guards who were pulling the sky chariot could enter. "It seems I missed the party, it looks like you three were having fun without me?" I joked, gesturing to the still sweating and out of breath guards and raggled hair of the Lunar Princess.
"If your version of fun is dragging an unconscious sack of overgrown ape all the way across ponyville and then racing you to the hospital by chariot, then yes, we've had TONS of fun." The Princess grumpily said, creasing her brow slightly in annoyance.
"Hey, it's not my fault my body can't handle something designed to kill an immortal well. At least I'm still breathing, for now at least anyway. Sorry about the party, both of them" I said, referring to both my earlier joke and nightmare night itself.
"Apologies accepted, collect your gear from the cabinet and get some down time, I expect to see you at my door tomorow morning in your armour. Be careful not to open that wound as well, the doctors placed healing runes around the opening, it should be healed by the end of the night if you're careful with it." She then turned and moved to leave and stopped within the door. "My sister shall be with us tomorrow, I expect the best." And with that she left, trotting down the hallway with her escort and leaving me to change into my gear and head back to my room.
On the way back I was dragged into Shining's office by a Solar Guard Private, lets say Private Fuckwit for now, you'll understand why in a minute. So, not long after exiting the Medical Wing, I was approached by Fuckwit, this Orange numpty decided it'd be a grand idea to come running around the corner and slam into my chest. As you could understand that hurt quite a bit considering the hole in my chest and force at which a fully grown stallion in gold armour can hit. I pulled myself up and looked upon fuckwit, considering dragging him by his blue hair all the way to Shining, then back to the infirmary to get his eyes and ears checked after being thoroughly skullfucked through a good old fashioned beasting. Of course I was in too much pain and was tired enough to not give enough shits and simply settled on asking "What's your fucking malfunction Private?"
"N-None Sir, I was trying to find you under orders of Captain Armour Sir." Fuckwit stated, pulling himself to attention and giving off a sloppy half-assed salute.
"You're lucky I'm too tired and have a hole in my chest, otherwise I might have been tempted in beasting you to Blighty and back. What does Armour want Private?" I asked, returning the salute and looking down upon Fuckwit.
"U-Urm... he didn't say, just said he needed to talk to you about a Pegasus and that's it. Do you know the way Sir?" The fuckwit asked, sweeping his hair that hung on top of the helmet.
"Yes I do, I didn't quite catch your name Private?..." I inquired.
"Private Flash Sentry, Sir, Pegasi Mail branch of the Royal Logistics Corps." He stated, showing his flash of a scroll with wings crossed with a sword. "Got attached to Captain Shining for all his priority mail, so I guess I am also his gofer now."
"Goodbye Private, I shouldn't keep the Captain waiting."I said waving him off and heading down the hallways towards Shining's office.
Welcome to the Shitlist,Flash Sentry, you broke the one rule, never give a pissed off officer of any rank your name, they WILL remember you later.
I entered Shining's office with a sigh "Any news on the attackers then? " I asked, leaning againsts the now closed door.
Shining's horn glowed for a brief moment, coating the room for a moment before he took a deep breath "Well, it seems the crossbows they were using were made using multiple easy to find and untraceable material, all we know is it was made in equestrian borders based on the materials themselves, nothing else is specific enough to be useful. The Pegasus and Earth pony were both complete blanks, their cutie marks were chemically burned off, the blade you recovered however is a different story. One of the military historians caught wind of this and wanted to take a look once we were done analysing the poisons and low and behold... you were attacked by a cult that worships nightamare moon and a deity they call the night mother." He scratched his head, leaning back a little.
" Apparently they were a part of the hit squads that took out most of the palace's defences during the nightmare moon incident. They aren't much now since they haven't been active for a thousand years, but I guess they're back now the Princess has returned." He sighed and took a sip from the coffee mug on his desk, loosing a bit of respect from myself for not drinking tea. "That's all we know, nothing else I could tell you, you should probably get some sleep, you've had a pretty rough night."
"Will do,thanks for the info, see you tomorrow mate" I said, waving Shining off as I stepped back into the hallway and headed to my nice comfy bed for some well needed rest.
