The Fourth Reich

Earth - Adamstown, Alabama - Billy Coen

"Billy! Git yer arse out here and help me move th' truck inside!" I heard my boss Jessup, yell from outside.

"I'm coming boss!" I barked back, running through the shop and outside where I found my boss trying to move the beat up truck we've been working on for the past month inside, I ran over to him, running up to the front of the truck and pushing with all of my strength. The wheels were flattened, the breaks shot and the frame rusted from time. Looking over at my boss next to me, I saw him struggling to push the heavy truck back into the garage. The man was in his late forties, while that wasn't that old, he kept getting back problems.

"Come on boy, put yer back inta it!" He yelled at me as the storm overhead started coming in faster.

"You first old man!" I yelled back, pushing on the truck and making it move. Stupid thing wasn't budging one bit, but I bet I can get it to move. Planting my feet against the ground, I pushed and pushed until the truck started to budge, eventually rolling back and towards the garage. The storm had fallen right on top of us just as we got the truck back inside. As we rolled it inside, I cracked my knuckles, giving them a shake as the storm rolled over us, followed by a downpour of rain.

I grimaced from the thunderstrikes, as me and Jessup went back inside, headed through a different door so we wouldn't get wet. Jessup hit a button, causing the garage door to descend downwards and close shut as we ended up inside the shop. I let out a little sigh as I followed my boss, and walked towards one of the tables before sitting down in a chair next to it. I just listened to Jessup grumble about the damned storm coming out of nowhere.

I frowned and thought about the storm as well, it did roll up out of nowhere. Looking out the window, I saw the thunder rolling across the sky, clouds lighting up as lightning grew in strength, and the rain hammered down on the building. I'm glad I was inside, and not outside, I hated getting wet, which brought me back to wondering... Where did this come from? I wondered, the news said it'd be clear today...

Someone's lying.

> Fallen Empire

- Scootaloo's Journal

- 1955/10/10

In the land of Equestria, there used to be happiness, harmony and friendship. It was a land where you could live in peace, for years and years... now however, that all has changed with the invasion by the Nazi Empire, they came to Equestria and took it for themselves, Steamrolling through our country in their tanks, crushing homes beneath their treads and blasting apart our streets. Planes flew in our skies, bombers dropping explosive ordinance that leveled buildings and cities, fighters that strafed small towns and took out Pegasi cities with precision attacks and bombing runs.

Hundreds, if not millions of ponies were killed in the first wave... we weren't prepared, nopony was prepared for the onslaught of gunfire and tank shells, and the artillery bombardments from half a mile away. Ponyville stayed strong during the first wave, Equestria's military managed to hold it during the second wave, then the third wave... but the fourth wave was when it fell to Germany's forces, tanks and planes, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers invaded the town on all sides... thousands of soldiers were killed and Ponyville fell to the Third Reich.

Now... it's been fifteen years since the war began... me and my friends are on the run, have been since the third week of the invasion. We're hiding out in an old abandoned mill, just outside of Trotland... Celestia help us, we're running out of food, I don't know if we'll make it another day without water. Sweetie Belle isn't looking so good, despite what she's telling us, I can tell she's hurting bad.

Apple Bloom is getting worried, last run for food into town have been getting harder and harder. The increase in soldiers have made sneaking around almost impossible, and most of the ponies in town are starting to recognize both me and Bloom whenever we go for supplies... it's hard to hide ponies like us. Sweetie could do it, but I can't send her out, not in her condition.

I can only hope today will be less of a pain... damn snowfall.

Kalte Eintrag - Sektor Sieben

Equestria - Outside of Trotland - Scootaloo

I sighed as I closed the journal and placed it back into my bag, zipping it shut and pushing it aside. I shivered from the cold winter wind blowing in from the window above, the dang thing was broken so there was no way to cover it up and keep the almost below zero air out. Another shiver and I stand up, slowly making my way over to the window to look out, I carefully raised my head and peered out into the snow laden fields outside of Trotland. The city was a bustling metropolis before the war, home to many factories and R&D hubs, including a hub specially made for magic users. It held close to a million ponies, now at last count, it was only twenty thousand, the others have either fled, or were turned into conscripted slaves, or killed during the war. Trotland was turned into a massive fortress, populated by hundreds, if not thousands of Nazi soldiers, all armed to the teeth with just about every gun in existence. Rifles, shotguns, sub-machine guns, and artillery emplacements spread out throughout the city.

A breath escaped me, turning into a plume of smoke before dissipating into the cold air, never to be seen again. I leaned back, grabbing my rifle and cradling it in my arms. It was a German made rifle, a Karabiner 98k I think it was called. It was long, heavy, and had a mean kick, but it got the job done. It had a scope on the top, a small little thing, and held five rounds that, if I aimed right, I could take off somepony's head. I had Apple Boom alter it when I found it... well... stole it actually, from a soldier Apple Bloom had bucked in the face, nearly knocking his head off. I had grabbed the rifle and tried using it, but the damn trigger guard got in the way. Bloom just cut it off and extended it a bit so I'd be able to fire it.

It worked out well so far.

"Hey Scoots," I heard from beside me, followed by a bit of warmth. Looking over I saw Apple Bloom sit down next to me, draping a thick dark brown cover over the both of us. The mare closed the distance between us and nuzzled me, shivering from the cold, "When did you wake up?"

I extended my wing under the cover, wrapping it around Apple Bloom's barrel and pulling her close. "I didn't sleep." Was my answer, my eyes drifting across the mill house we were inside of. The wood was rotted from age, the ceiling was half gone letting snow gather in the far corner, the snow pile covered half of the old furniture. Paintings from ages ago were stripped and ruined from the elements, whatever scenery they held was lost forever.

Bloom nodded, leaning against me as I found myself looking at the third member of our party, Sweetie Belle. She was still asleep, bundled up under some thick covers Bloom had found upstairs. The youngest of us had gotten sick with something, and neither Bloom or I could figure out what it was. It made her hot all over, sweaty and made her tired constantly. I thought it might have been the flu, but none of us had come into contact with any animals or anypony that may have contracted it.

How she got this sickness, is a mystery in of itself.

"Ah think she's gettin' worse." Bloom commented as an engine sounded overhead, making my ears twitch. "She's been eatin' less an' less every day."

A sigh escaped me, along with another shiver. The blanket did little to warm me, but having AB nearby helped with that some. "I don't know what to do to help her," I replied, eyeing Sweetie's shaky form. her eyes were closed, her face would grimace every now and then and a groan would escape her, as if she were having a nightmare. But I knew better, she wasn't having any dreams or nightmares.

She was hurting really bad, and there was nothing I could do.

What could I do?

With a sigh I stood up, hoofing over my rifle to Bloom who took it with a questioning gaze. "I'm heading out, I'm going to see if I can't get some medicine for Sweets." I informed her, shrugging off the blanket and walking over to the exit.

"Why're ya goin' now?" She asked me, concern in her voice as her orange eyes bored into my own.

I looked towards the door, stopping. "I have to do something..." With that, I left the mill house and ventured out into the cold wastes of Trotland.