*****No man's land, Perspective of Private James Weber, CEF.*****
I cursed as I stumbled and ran through the muddy fields of Flanders. All around me the rest of the Canadian first division charged as German mortars and machineguns rained death around us. Keep moving. Breath. Ignore the screams and the dead. I Look to my right. George, my younger brother is just behind me. He looks just as terrified and tired as I am, and the long months of bombardment and fear have thinned his previously cherubic features. Marching away, we'd been posterboys for the perfect soldier of the british empire, Tall, Fit, brown hair and bluegreen eyes sparkling. Now George looked pale and sickly, his eyes full of fear and sorrow.
"Come on, georgie! Jerry won't wait forever!" I laugh, Ignoring the burning pit of dread in my stomach and the bullets and shrapnel whizzing by my head.
"Dammit Jimmy, If I had my say they'd wait for us until after I've had my coffee" He grumbled, giving me a wavering smile. Nodding, we left the shellhole and continued on our way, wading through the muck towards german lines..
*****A few hundred yards away, perspective of: Helmut Gottfried, German 4th Army *****
"Dad! Tommies on the left!" shouted my brave son, pointing out another group of charging brits. They were close enough I could see their faces. A few o them were as young as my boy...I pushed this thought away and pulled the trigger on my maxim, letting a burst of machinegun fire scythe through them. Thankfully, the noise around us drowned out their screams. My son, Johannes, was unbuttoning his trousers.
"Johannes! What in the hell are you doing!" I shouted over the din,
"We're out of water! I'm going to piss in the water jacket to keep the gun cool!" he shouted back. I shook my head. He was right, but he still should be in cover. I should have been paying attention though, because a pair of tommies jumped into our position rifles pointed right at us. I looked at Johannes and Franz, the other man on our team. both had their hands raised. I sighed and did the same.
"we surrender!" I said in english. they'd caught us fair and square, and I was not going to get my son killed in this fucking war if I could help it. The brits looked surprised by this, but before I could speak again they raised their heads and shouted.
"COVER! IT'S A WHIZ-BANG!"
*****Private James Weber POV
I pulled Georgie down as a burst of machinegun fire cut down most of the platoon. Fuckin' jerrie bastards had the whole of menin road covered. But if we turned back now, they'd shoot us. I couldn't do that to mom and dad, and I couldn't let George down. So I pressed on, gritting my teeth I vaulted over a mound of dirt and continued my charge, George right behind me. I kept expecting the gun ahead of us to fire, sending death chattering at us, ripping us to shreds. It never did, and as I jumped into the gun position I saw why. A young german was trying to refill the water bag by pissing in it, a task he quickly abandoned upon seeing us. He raised his hands, which let his trousers drop. It would be funny if not for the circumstances. Georgie and I raised our rifles at the surprised Germans, who raised their hands.
"we surrender" one said in almost perfect english. Before we could move however, a sound like tearing paper or fabric filled the air. An artillery shell was inbound. Georgie and I shouted at the same time, diving for cover.
"COVER! IT'S A WHIZ-BANG!" There was fire, pain, and then.... nothing....
Author's Note
Start of a little side project that has been kicking around in my head for a minute. not gonna be updated regularly (story of my life) and I'll still be working on the other two stories sporadically.
"We deeply regret to inform you..."
Twilight could only stare in shock at the scene before her. What had started out as a simple tweak of the teleport spell had left her crystalline throne room a mud filled mess. Twilight would have been just fine if it was only mud however, what caused her shock was what was in the mud. Bodies lie all around, torn and broken. The sight of the blood made the purple princesses stomach turn as she gazed around. wire fence lay in twisted heaps, covered in razors. A few shattered stumps told of trees, while dozens of oddly shaped spears told of battle. What drew twilight out of her shock however, was a whimpering moan in almost perfect equish.
"...Help....Please...."
Twilight sprung into action, shouting for her loyal assistant as she sprinted for the door of the Castle. "Spike! We need an emergency letter to the princesses, Now!" she said, snapping the purple drake with her magic as she took to the air towards the hospital.
"What's the hurry twi!" shouted spike over the rushing wind
twilight was out of breath and her mind was racing too fast to process everything, so her words came out in bursts.
"Teleport spell...malfunction! Strange Creatures! Hurt! " said the frantic purple princess as she whizzed by a surprised rainbow dash.
"Hey! Whats the big Idea Twilight?! I'm tryin' to nap here!" said Rainbow dash, flying ahead of her friend Twilight just groaned and looked at spike.
"She tweaked a teleporter spell and somepony got hurt, she also needs the princesses, something about strange creatures" spike said, his face a little fearful. Rainbow dash nodded immediately.
"I'll get the doctors, you send a letter. " Dash said, speeding off, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake as she broke the sound barrier.
*****A few minutes Earlier, Private James Weber POV*****
I opened my Eyes slowly, as I tried to sit up. My head was spinning, and everything was numb. looking myself over, I saw I was wounded. I was bleeding rather profusely from wounds in my chest and legs. an objective, logical part of me knew that they were severe, potentially life-threatening, but between my lightheadedness and grogginess (concussion?) I did nothing but watch. Weakly, I lifted my head, looking for George. He was a few feet away, thankfully still unconscious. His fucking legs looked like the ground beef we had in our rations...oh god, Georgie.... I shook my head, causing a spike of pain to roll through me, focusing me a bit. The sun was out, and the sound of gunfire was gone. Had the battle ended while we were out? The rain had stopped, that was a small mercy. I heard someone gasp, a woman it sounded like. Perhaps it was a nurse? I opened my mouth and called out to her hoarsely.
"Please....Help...." The woman gasped again, and a horse started galloping away. Perhaps she was going for help? It was too hard to think, and before I knew it darkness was closing in on me again.
*****general POV*****
Twilight is pacing outside f her castle when, in a flash of light, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia appear, worry evident on both their faces as they present twilight with her element.
"Where are these creatures Twilight?" Celestia asks, her face full of concern.
Twilight hiccups as tears run down her face. "Inside....Most of them are...are...dead, but Doctor stitch and nurse redheart are fighting to keep 4 more alive...I...I couldn't take th-the blood so I'm waiting outside..." Rainbow dash and applejack stumbled out of the castle together a moment later, both puking in a nearby bush.
"Ah...Ah...Oh Celestia his legs!...." Applejack said as rainow dash shuddered in silence, before looking at the confused princesses.
"T-They needed help holdin' one down while they....By the sun they cut off his legs!"
The princesses paled at the very thought. Amputation was very rare amongst ponykind due to the prevalence of healing magic. It was a serious wound indeed to require such drastic measures.
Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie showed up a few moments later "What's all the hubbub, bub?" Pinkie said hugging rainbow dash with a smile that faded as she noticed Rainbow's State.
"...Dashie?" Pinkie said, trying to nudge her friend who just shied away and cried a bit.
"Oh, dear, whatever is the matter darling?" Rarity asked.
Fluttershy was silent, she'd never seen Dash or applejack so distressed since she'd known them.
A mournful wail sounded from the castle, causing all of the girls to flinch as Celestia looked Luna in the eye. They hadn't heard a sound like that since the Nightmare war...
"Girls, Stay outside while we see to our...guests" celestia said, her face and tone serious. she motioned for her small contingent of guards to follow. Twilight and her friends nodded and waited. soon stretchers came out with four figures on them, and the sight made the elements blanche. the first 2 wore greyish uniforms the elder one had half his body swathed in bandages while the younger had thick ones on his head and hands. Then a writhing creature in a khaki Uniform was carried out. causing Fluttershy and rarity to faint as it begged and cried over two bloody stumps. twilight paled and the guards carrying him looked disturbed, their practiced facade cracking under the horror.the last one carried out had the lightest wounds, but was still unconscious. these four were loaded onto the prncesses carriage while more stretchers were carried out, these covered in bloodied sheets towards the hospital.
Pinkie's hair went down her mood darkening. Her face still split by a wavering smile as she tried to process what she'd just witnessed. "W-where are they going? S-shouldn't the doctor fix them too?" She asked, a small edge of fear in her voice at the answer.
The guards just paused, before one answered with a shaky voice. "Morgue....There was nothing they could do...."
