Chapter 1
-50 years ago-
-Ponyville, Equestria-
-1 year prior to the Battle of Stalliongrad-
The light blue elder Earth Pony smirked delightfully as he admired his reflection in the bakery's windows as he walked by the building, his uniform was light brown, the matching peaked cap on his head, the leather strap across his chest in a bandolier type of fashion, and the red armband on his left foreleg that bore the ReichsEagle. He looked forward to being Germaney's Political Party chapter, he ran his hoof through his short white mane before adjusting his armband.
"I need another one soon." He said as he walked along the road noticing the edges were wearing out in a few places.
It didn't matter as long as the symbol was still intact and visible, that was the only important thing. The Earth Pony turned and walked down the cobblestone street that made up the town's main street, greeting anypony he met in a friendly manner. He soon reached his destination, the towns Political Party Headquarters.
"Güten Morgen die Herren." (Good morning Gentleman) He says as he walks in through the doors of the building. The other three ponies sitting behind the front desks answered in a familiar fashion since they were all Germane but understood Equestrian as well.
"Güten Morgen Steel." A white unicorn said from behind one of the three desks.
A steaming cup of coffee was levitating in front of him with a blue tinted field of magic surrounding it. His cutie mark was that of a violin since he was a musician.
"Güten Morgen James." The elder Earth Pony replied with a nod.
He made his way over to his desk, which sat against the back wall of the building under a large banner sporting the symbol of the ReichsEagle.
"So anything new?" He asked James before taking a sip from his coffee.
"Yes, sir there's a letter on your desk." James said as he replied. Steel looked down to see a tan colored folder with the word "URGENT" stamped across it in red letters laying on his desk.
"What's this?"
"It vas there vhen ve all got here zhis morning, it must have gotten here during ze night via magic." A gray Pegasus called from the other side of the room before going back and eating his breakfast of muffins.
"What is it sir?" A young red Earth Pony asked; the colt couldn't have been more than nineteen years of age.
"Hmmm....a letter from Canterlot. Seems we're expecting a visitor and his escort sometime this morning." He said as he read the letter over a few times, but before he could go on, the doors opened.
The last thing any of the Political Party members expected was to see a pair of ponies dressed in Jet Black uniforms, but such a pair was standing right in the doorway. The Pegasus of the two walked past James, his unicorn companion trotting in right behind him. He looked around in a expressionless gaze, inspecting the Party building. While the two mysterious ponies stood just inside the door the Party members got a good look at their uniforms; solid black tunics with two breast pockets, complimented with two white SS bolts on each side of the collars of the uniforms. Their peaked caps bore the ReichsEagle with the addition of a skull and crossbones just above the bill.
"Can I help you Gentlecolts?" Steel asked, he didn't know what to make out of their uniforms since he's never seen them before.
"Are you Political Officer Steel Vernhoven?" The tan Pegasus asked, eyeing the light blue pony's cutie mark that was a hammer and metal board since he was a blacksmith.
"Yes I am who wants to know?" He asked the tan Pegasus.
"I am SS-Standartenführer Whittman, you should have received a letter concerning my arrival." As he spoke the Pegasus pointed to the single green stripes sewn onto his left and right sleeves at the knee.
"Yes, but i just got into the office and-"
"How old are you Political Officer?" The tan Pegasus interrupted.
"Im fifty but I don't see how-"
"Too old to be affective," the SS-Standartenführer said to the unicorn.
The other pony who was a SS-Untersturmführer nodded and used his magic to levitate a pen and pad from his breast pockets and writes down several notes.
"How old are the rest of you?" The Pegasus asked.
"Thirty-Four." Answered the gray Pegasus.
"Twenty-Two." Added James.
"Nineteen." Chimed in Hans.
"The rest of you qualify." The tan Pegasus informed, glancing over them once more. He looked to the gray Pegasus.
"Name and Cutie Mark."
"Heinrich, und my cutie mark ist a chef's hat, I run ze local bakery. He explained to the tan Pegasus.
"Can you fly?"
"Yes sir, best in town!"
James jumped into the conversation with "In your dreams Heinrich we all know that Shadowwing is the strongest and fastest Pegasus in town." Heinrich grunted irritatedly knowing that James was right and mumbled under his breath as he shuffled his hooves. Whittman bore the same blank look as he let out a annoyed sigh.
"Im sorry but what the hell is this all about?" Steel demanded, his temper beginning to rise. After all, these two ponies just showed up and started asking random questions.
"Where are you from? And who sent you?"
"I was sent from Canterlot, though I am personally from somewhere else other than Equestria. As for my purpose of visiting your little hamlet of coltstock, it is the drafting of colts between the ages of eighteen and forty for the military." The tan Pegasus explained to Steel.
"What military?"
"If you read ze damn letter you vould know Dummkoph." The unicorn that remained silent up until now gave Steel an angered glare as he was clearly irritated by Steel's tone he was talking to his Superior Officer in. The look that Whittman have him reflected why he hadn't said anything when he first arrived. Whittman continued from there.
"As you all know, and from what me and my kameraden have been informed, relations between the Stallionists have been getting quite... hostile I should say...the Royal Equestrian Guard can hardly keep Celestia, Canterlot, and the surrounding area, secure let alone all of Equestria. If what they say about Stalion is true, then Equestria needs a fighting force worthy to combat this threat. It is such a force Princess Celestia herself decided to form."
The Political Party members were now giving the two visitors strange looks as if they were insane. They all knew that tensions between the Stallionists were beginning to get hostile but no pony ever gave any thought on the two nations going to war.
"You cant be serious." Steel interjected.
"Im not laughing Mr.Steel, now if you and your colts will aid us in gathering up the appropriately aged colts of this town, I am to have them all meet at the railroad crossing a few miles East of here within 5 hours, and it will take a few hours to gather everypony and get them there to meet our train." The tan Pegasus stood there for a few moments, starting at all the other ponies in the room.
"Now! Schnell!" He yells, his voice showing emotion for the first time that morning.
The Colts rushed out of the building, doing as they were ordered. While his friends gathered any colt they could find that were the appropriate age, steel rushed to his home that sat at the edge of town near the forest. When he galloped into the yard, the Earth Pony found his son working out as he was benching a 1000 lb weight with his wings. The white Pegasus racked up the heavy weight and turned to face his father when he heard the sound of hooves, a small white towel was slung over his shoulder as sweat streamed down his face and neck.
"Hey dad, you're home early. I was just doing my morning workouts. What's wrong?" The colt noticed his father was out of breath from the run.
"D- Draft....y- you....in.... age group..."
"What?" The colt said as he was clearly confused.
"Im not sure but two ponies showed up and started talking about drafting colts between the ages of eighteen and forty are being pressed into service." He explained to his son.
"Wait you don't mean..."
"Yes, shadow, you're going to have to go with them...."
The twenty two year old colt stood in silence for awhile, staring down at the ground. Steel trotted up to his only son and put his foreleg around him, looking into his gray eyes. "You going to be ok son?"
"Yeah.... I'll be fine...."
"Now listen to me, if this military will be anything like the Royal Guard its going to be tough. I should know having-"
"I know dad, you served in the princess's guard for Seventeen years. Then you met mom, moved here, started the blacksmith business, had me, and...." Shadowwing stopped short, not wanting to go on. Steel nodded sadly, knowing what he meant. His wife, shadows mother, Velvet, had died giving birth. The colt didnt know much about his mother, but he did know that she was very kind and a wonderful singer.
"Come on, I'll help you pack..."
After looking through shadows closet, the white pegasus stood at the door with a large saddle bag on his back. The bag contained a few work shirts, a small blanket, a loaf of bread for the trip, a journal to keep him occupied, and his favorite leather jacket to wear when he wasn't training. Steel trotted into his study after saying he had something for him. He returned with a picture of a white mare with a long black and red mane smiling warmly as she is holding a new born baby white colt with the same mane color sleeping soundly in her arms wrapped up in a small blanket.
"Is that..."
Steel nodded as he set down the picture infront of him so he could see it.
"Yeah...I took this picture of her holding you before she died...she wanted you to have something to show you how much she loved you even if she was dying...."
Shadow looks at the picture, tears forming in his eyes as he smiles.
"Thanks dad...I'll take good care of her..."
Steel picks the picture back up and nuzzles open his sons saddle bag and slides the picture Into the bag. The two had begun walking back towards town; the time of the trip nearing as the sun was in the East as it was 5:00 pm , they were quiet for the most time until they reached the town square, every colt that was the right age was standing around the two ponies from this morning, both still dressed in their Jet Black Uniforms. Whittman, the Pegasus, was standing on a wooden crate while his unicorn companion stood next to him. The tan Pegasus on the makeshift podium was shouting out to the large crowd of sixty colts.
"EVERYPONY, FORM UP! TWO FILES! MOVE IT! SCHNELL!" He yells as he orders the large crowd of colts into two files.
"What?" A blue unicorn asked.
"MOVE IT!" Whittman yelled back, just as loud.
The unicorn jumped from being yelled at. Among those in the forming ranks of ponies were a few of the Political Party officials, they were out of uniform now, except for their caps on their heads . The three were at the front.
"Glad to see you joining us Steel!" James yelled jokingly.
Steel payed no attention to him , turning back to his son.
"Word of advice...do not draw any attention to yourself during training . It will bring you trouble. You understand me?" Steel whispered in a hushed tone.
"Yes, sir." He nodded in understandment. "Ill keep my head down and do as im told. "
"That's my boy....stay safe....you're the only thing I have left ." Steel then wrapped his forelegs around his sons neck , hugging him close. Shadowwing didn't know what to say so he returned the hug with one foreleg.
"I'll come back, dad."
"How touching, wouldn't you agree UnterstürmFuhrer? "The tan Pegasus said coldly.
His unicorn companion merely nodded.
"If you vould be so kind to fall in up front next to Hans, Mr.Shadowwing, ve vill be on our vay. Ve have a train to catch." The unicorn officer said to Shadowwing.
Shadowwing did as he was told as he took his place in the formation. Hans gave him a reassuring smile.
"Dont vorry shadow, ve vill stick together, vatch each others backs. Alright?" Hans held up a hoof to him.
"Ah what the hell, sure." The two hoof bumped before being put into check by Whittman as he stood in the front of the formation of colts.
"Move out!" Whittman yelled and the formation began to move forward.
The formation of colts started off, marching out of the town down the cobblestone street that would turn into dirt a mile or so out of town. Mares, fillies, and those who were staying behind lined the street. Waving and watching their colts march off to an uncertain fate a few mares cried as they watched their husbands, sons, and brothers march past them. While the towns folk were in a sad mood , the colts who were enlisted were rather excited. They were going on an adventure that would lead them to parts of Equestria they have never seen before! Some had never even been out of the town before for that matter. As they marched out of town, conversations began to spark between friends and neighbors. The two ponies dressed in the jet black uniforms leading the formation didnt seem to care as they talked to each other in a language not everypony understood. Shadowwing took one last look back at his home, wanting to be with his dad in the shop making objects made out of metal, wanting to be a foal again where he would watch his dad for hours as he making things from decorated designs to small stairs. He tried not to think about those memories as he marched on with the formation of colts.
