Chapters Chapter 2Sterling's POV
Once again I was struck by the similarities to home as I entered the red brick building that housed the local Hospital, but after nearly two years of mud and sheet iron walls, leaky ceilings and chasing rats from the food stores I suddenly felt rather spoiled.
The entry hall was bright and open with not a speck of grime to be seen, other than my hooves of course.
I noted only a handful of patients as I walked to the desk, the nurse, a young woman with a pale blue coat and light malachite hair, looked up, "Hello, can I help you?"
"Hello, earlier a young man was brought in with a stab wound," I said, "tall guy with a red coat and barleycorn mane, built like a brick outhouse?"
The nurse blushed lightly at that, "one moment," she then checked the patient register, "Here we are, McIntosh Apple, stabbed in the side and puncturing the left lung. He came out of surgery two hours ago, if you'll take a seat I'll ask one of my colleagues if he's ready to receive visitors."
"Thanks," I said and went over to an empty seat, looking around I saw five others waiting: a woman and a child with a colander on their head, a man with crutches and his leg in a cast, and a couple sitting opposite me with the woman cradling a bandaged arm gingerly, probably a burn.
After a few minutes another nurse appeared, this one was a very pretty twenty something with a snow white coat and a long pink mane in a bun.
"Are you the one asking to visit Mr Apple?" she asked.
I nodded, "he's just woken up, If you will follow me I will take to you to his room," she said, with that I stood up and followed her out of the waiting room.
I tried to remember the way from the waiting room, but I gave it up after the third corridor on the first floor, eventually the nurse stopped at a door, A113.
She knocked, waited until a voice answered, then entered, "good evening Mr Apple, how are you feeling?"
"A little sore down my left side and a little groggy," a deep, an almost American voice replied.
"Very good, I just need to take a few measurements and then you have a visitor," the nurse said.
"Applejack?" the male asked fearfully.
"Fortunately she isn't here yet," I chuckled quietly at the relieved sigh, then tried not to react as the male quite audibly was made into a pincushion for the nurse.
Eventually the nurse finished, "that's all done, now you can have your visitor."
"You can come in now," I pushed off the wall and entered, keeping a straight face as Macintosh rubbed his shoulder, glaring at a rather large needle that resembled a knife I once saw a French Officer shank a German with.
"Oh don't tell me that a bid strong stallion like you is afraid of needles too?" the nurse pouted playfully, noticing me watching the needle.
"I've seen my share of knife fights," I countered, "forgive me if I'm reluctant not to keep an eye on sharp objects."
The nurse pouted, then went back to tidying away her instruments, but just before she left I stopped her.
"I didn't thank you, miss...?"
"Nurse Redheart," the nurse replied.
"Thank you miss Redheart," I said, smiling gratefully.
"You're welcome, it's nice to see there are some gentlecolts left in this town," Nurse Redheart replied, smiling, "when you're ready to leave just find me at the nurse's station down the hallway, to the left from the door."
And with that, she left. I turned around to see the m...stallion looking at me.
"You ok, they get the knife out alright?" I asked, settling into one of the visitor's chairs.
"Yeah, Doc said ah mighta died if ah'd pulled the blade out when yah stopped me," the stallion blew a strand of hair out of his face, "ah'm Macintosh Apple, friends call me Big Mac," he said, holding out his good hand.
"Sterling Armure," I replied, shaking his hand, "sorry you got caught up in that mess."
"What exactly happened? Ah don't recognise yah from round town?" Big Mac asked.
"We're not from around here," I replied, "we were heading into town to find out where we are, actually. But when everyone we saw met us with the thousand yard stare I figured it would be better to ask one of the shopkeepers, and the only one obviously open was that merry-go-round place..."
"Carousel Boutique," Mac noted, "Miss Rarity's store. Then what happened?"
"We heard that thug threatening the shopkeep," I said, "Miss Rarity, was it?"
"Eeyup," Mac replied.
"Well, the Lieutenant sent me and Weston round the back to get in that way, once we were inside we signalled the LT and waited for him to distract the thug so we could disarm him, you know the rest," I shrugged at the end.
"Well, in case you were wondering ah followed when ah saw two of yah run round the back, imagine my surprise when I hear somepony threatening Miss Rarity."
"Thanks anyway, that knife caught me off guard, one of us might have been killed without the help," I said gratefully.
Any reply was cut off by a shout from the hallway, "Macintosh Zap Apple!"
I jumped up, a glance told me Mac was terrified out of his mind, I stepped behind the door and drew my revolver but didn't cock it.
Footsteps reverberated through the floor in time with ominous echoes as we waited, then the door was thrown open.
"Macintosh! What in Celestia's Multi-Colored... Oh! Howdy."
Standing in the doorway was a rather pretty orange coated, blonde maned woman almost as tall as me, well muscled, though not to the same degree as Mac or any of my platoon, with feminine curves that'd sink a Dreadnought and a pair of chest pillows that'd bounce a six pound shell.
"Nice to meet you," I replied, holstering my revolver, "Sterling Armure, I take it Mac's your brother."
"Applejack Apple," the woman said more pleasantly, "Ah don't recognise yah from town, are yah new here?"
"Arrived in the area sometime this morning," I replied, gesturing to the chair opposite me, "my friends and I are really lost, so we figured to get directions in town, only we walked into a holdup in one of the shops and Mac here decided to help out."
"And that's where he got stabbed?" I didn't need to be a veteran soldier to detect the danger in her tone.
"Thug had some kind of freaky knife," I explained, "went from a toothpick to a lethal weapon in a flash of light, guy used my distraction to break free and tried to fight his way clear, between us we brought him down but Mac got stabbed. I stopped him form pulling it out..."
"And Just Why Would Ya Do That?" the woman demanded.
"Are you a three year War veteran? Do you know what most common weapons do to people and how to stabilise them so the medics can bandage and evacuate them?" the woman wilted at my glare and ashamedly shook her head, "the blade was in his lung but plugged the wounds, if it had been removed then blood would have flowed freely into his lung, he could have drowned before the Doctor arrived."
Applejack looked ashamed and mumbled an apology, then I felt a tug on my sleeve.
In front of me was a little boy, a Unicorn, with a black coat, a silvery mane and bright azure eyes.
"Did you really save my uncle?"
I nodded then jump a little in surprise as the kid hugs my knees, I place my hand on his back gently.
"Thank you for saving him," the boy mumbled.
"It was only right," I said, as a little girl, a pale yellow with hair a bright red like Mac's hugged me too, mumbling her thanks into my jacket side.
"Now who are you?" I asked, noting the children, both seemed around ten but I couldn't know for sure.
"Ah'm Applebloom, Mac's little sister," the girl said proudly, stepping back and curtsying.
"I'm Star Field," the boy said shyly, "Mac's my uncle."
"Adopted," I asked Applejack, who nodded.
"Found the tyke all alone in a basket one morning ten years ago," Applejack said, wrapping her son in a hug, "under one of the trees just outside the house, once ah saw his bright eyes looking up at me ah knew ah couldn't turn him away."
"That was very kind of you," I said earnestly.
Just then Nurse Redheart knocked, "excuse me, but I believe you said you were involved in the incident today, Mr..."
"Sterling Armure, and yes I was," I replied.
"Then I must ask if you've had a checkup, from what I heard the fight was nasty," Redheart added.
"Not the worst I've been, but no one but other than the aggressor was injured," I replied.
"Then I'm going to have to ask you to follow me for a checkup," Redheart said, "We have a duty to ensure the health of everypony in town."
I sigh and stand up, I know from experience it's a bad idea to fight with doctors and nurses, "Alright, I'll come quietly. I guess we'll chat another time," I said to Mac.
"Eeyup," he said with a knowing smile.
"Thank yah again," Applejack said.
"Bye," both children waved.
"Bye now," I said, then I followed the nurse out and down the corridor.
I followed Nurse Redheart into the examination room, it was fairly standard, though I was surprised by what looked like a reclining chair with two articulated stirrups that would hold someone's legs beside the examination table.
"If you could strip we can begin," Redheart said, moving to an instrument table.
I took off my jacket and laid it on a table off to one side, followed by my shirt, my ear flicked as Redheart gasped, I ignored it and laid the shirt down.
I know my back is a mess, a year of colonial policing and two in Hell in Flanders has turned my shoulders and upper back into a roadmap of pain. Shell fragments, shrapnel balls, rifle, machine gun, pistol bullets and various knifes and clubs had left their marks on my body, I'm actually pretty proud that I've only twice suffered more than superficial injury.
This is followed by my belt, I can almost feel Redheart's eyes on the holster as I set it down, but she doesn't say anything.
Finally I take off my trousers, piling them on top of my belt, hiding the holster, I take a step towards her but Redheart clears her throat.
"You need to be naked, this will be a full check up," Redheart explained.
I tried not to let my discomfort show as I removed my shorts and added them to the pile, I'm not ashamed of my body or particularly shy, sharing a dugout with thirty other men cures you of that if huddling together during the shelling doesn't, but I haven't exactly been naked in front of a woman before, not even a nurse... at least when I was awake.
As I lean against the table, Nurse Redheart begins dictating to... a floating quill?
"New Patient File. Patient name is Sterling Armure. Coat colour is white. Mane is sapphire blue with two streaks, one cerulean the other pthalo blue. Eye colour is cerulean. Cutie Mark..." at this the nurse leaned around me to look at my hip, "A blue shield bearing an Arcane Star with three stars crowning. Height is..." at this she gestured I stand, as I did she produced a tape measure, "Two Hooves and one Stirrup."
'I'm 6 foot 1,' I thought.
"Weight is approximately two hundred and ten pounds. Shoulders and upper torso are covered in scars, largely superficial though indicative of a violent past," I raised an eyebrow at the nurse.
She then taped the quill and it fell still to one side of the paper, she then takes a thermometer and slips it under my tongue, before turning back to the tray and picking up a small torch.
"Do you have any allergies or history of illness?" she asked, shining the torch in my right eye.
"Other than a few aches when it rains," I muttered semi-sarcastically, "nothing I recall," I tried not to wince when the light was shone in my left eye.
"Pupil dilation is normal," she notes, writing the results on the paper, then she takes the thermometer, "as is temperature," she then produced a stethoscope, "breath in."
For the first time I recall, it wasn't cold, I obeyed Redheart, taking a few deep breaths, she then told me to relax.
"Breathing is normal, airways sound healthy," she made another note.
I froze and tried very hard not to move.
"Turn you head and cough."
I'm pretty sure I could be mistaken for Mac's long lost brother as I return to the waiting area, I had to stand there for several minutes as Redheart constantly adjusted her grip so she got accurate results.
If I wasn't so embarrassed at her barely veiled groping, her whispered praise regarding my endowment would have been a real boost to my ego.
As it is I'm glad to be out of there.
"Armure?"
I look up to see the Lieutenant rise from a chair, "Colthurst."
He gives me a look, but I silently communicate they don't know we are soldiers, a handy skill when snipers are sniffing around.
"All done?" he asks.
"Pretty much, nurse decided to give me a checkup as we're new in town," I explained, "apparently basic healthcare is paid for by the state and everyone is entitled to it."
"Something we could learn from," Colthurst said.
"Excuse me, did you arrive in town with Mr Armure?"
I struggle not to grin as Nurse Redheart, who was showing me out, notices the lieutenant.
"Indeed I am, Miss?" Colthurst replies politely.
"Nurse Redheart, I'm afraid I must ask you to follow me for a checkup, seeing as not only were involved in the altercation earlier but you are new to town, it is mandatory for all new arrivals to receive a checkup," she explained.
"Very well, if you'll allow me a moment," the nurse nods and walks over to the desk, "the lads are outside if you want to wait with them, this shouldn't take too long," Colthurst said.
"See you in a bit," I said, then headed for the door, I looked back as I opened the door to see nurse Redheart lead the Lieutenant away.
outside I walked down the steps and spotted Weston and Hagen at a fountain opposite the doors, the former sitting on the wall ringing the fountain and the latter on the ground leaning back against it.
"Where's the LT sarge?" Weston asked me as I settled beside Hagen.
"Getting a free checkup," I grinned, "including a 'Full' physical."
The two men chuckled, I think he might be a bit miffed you left him in there," Weston warned.
"Then I'll offer you two getting one as a peace offering," I grinned broadly as they went deathly pale.
"You don't play fair, sarge," Hagen moaned.
I shrugged, "I had to sit through it, so can you."
"But you're the same species, we ain't," Weston argued.
"And they run the only medical institution for miles," I countered.
"At least we got plenty to tell the Captain when we get back," Hagen pointed out.
I winced at the thought of explaining this in the debriefing.
Chapter 3Sterling's PoV
I'm not feeling too good, though that may just be a natural reaction to waiting for the Captain to chew us out.
"Yes Sir," I, Hagen, Weston and Lieutenant Colthurst reply.
"You then proceeded into one of the shops, hoping that the shop keep would react a little more positively than the other inhabitants?" the Captain continued.
"Yes, sir," we chorus.
"You then proceeded to initiate a civil brawl upon discovering that said shop keep was being threatened?"
"Yes, sir."
"Leading to one civilian casualty, whom is removed to hospital and all four of you being interviewed by the local constabulary?" We couldn't have better coordinated that wince if we tried.
"Yes, sir."
"And, upon Sergeant Armure visiting said civilian in hospital, two of my men are subjected to a full medical examination?"
I'm not sure if I should be worried about that, "Yes, sir."
"So, in short. Not only did you introduce yourselves using your fists but two of you are now recorded in two separate institutions, correct?"
Nice knowing you lads, "Yes, sir."
...
...
...
"Well, I suppose you did rather well under the circumstances, you could have gone in shooting," the captain remarked, then started going over Weston's report as if nothing had happened.
"Wait? What?!" I blurt.
"On the one hand your introduction was marred with violence," The captain elaborated, giving us a look, "on the other, you saved two, possibly three, lives today, earning the gratitude of at least two families whom we can approach later to better understand our new situation."
The captain then looked pointedly at me and Colthurst, "if the price of that leverage is you two having a nurse cop a feel, then so be it."
I wish I had the lieutenant's darker fur colour right now.
"First thing tomorrow, Colthurst and Armure will return to the town, your task is to get the lay of the land and see if there are any opportunities to earn some cash. The one thing your little jaunt confirmed is that we are a long way from home, the paper money is worthless and our coinage may well be only scrap value, so we must gain a source of local currency and a potential source of goods, our supplies will not last forever."
"Yes sir," we reply, salute, then head out.
On exiting I take a look around, sixty men can dig a two hundred and fifty yard trench in six hours, two hundred in four and a half is the battalion record (though that may have had to do with the jerry's moving their howitzers at the time), but six hundred can do the best part of a mile in eight.
There aren't any dugouts bar the Captain's just yet, but there's a bowl at the centre of the oval trench lines where we've not only pitched tents but parked the tank and strutter.
I wind my way back to my section's tent and drop into my bunk, I'm out like a light once my head hits the pillow.
The next morning the lieutenant and I entered the town, it was almost like yesterday but there were fewer people staring at us.
We entered the Miss Rarity's shop to find that the damage from the previous day had been repaired.
"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is Chic, Unique and Magnifique!" a warm, cultured voice called out, "oh! Mr Colthurst."
"Good morning, Miss Rarity," Colthurst greeted the white mare with a smile, "my friend and I were hoping you could help with a problem we have encountered."
"Of course, if there's anything I can do to repay you for your kindness?" the young woman said.
"The lieutenant and I are soldiers for a foreign nation," I explained, not reacting as she jumped as what I said processed, "one minute we were in the middle of a battle then the next we're all lying on a hillside on the edge of the forest outside town."
"There is a lot we don't understand," Colthurst picked up, "until yesterday, myself, Sergeant Armure and numerous others were of the same species as the two others with us yesterday. Why did only some of us change? Why did we appear outside your town?"
"The only things we know for certain are: your people aren't our enemy and we need to start earning money in order to pay for supplies, food and medicine," I explained, noting she no longer looked alarmed and was nodding along, "you and Mr Mcintosh are the only people we have spoken to, thus you're the only source of information to begin solving our problems."
"The men need jobs, we need a stable food supply and we need coin to pay for things we can't otherwise get," Colthurst finished.
"Hey, even if you could just point us at the labour exchange, that'd help," I added.
She looked at both of us carefully, "well, I'm not sure what you mean by a labour exchange, but most ponies in town send notice to the town hall for oddjobs, and with Big Mac in hospital, I dare say Applejack will be needing some assistance until he recovers," she said thoughtfully, "how many of you are there?"
I blinked and looked to the lieutenant, "about... five hundred?"
Miss Rarity's eyes bugged out as the LT shook his head, "six hundred and fifty two."
Miss Rarity coughed, "well... I dare say, the only place such a large number of stallions could find work would be the railway, Only... they've fallen on hard times recently."
"Isn't that Hastings bloke from the ROD?" I asked Colthurst.
"He is," Colthurst confirmed, then turned to Miss Rarity, "do you know what sort of problems they're having?"
"Well, I did hear that most of their newer engines had been, ahem... 'Loaned' from the Baltimare and Manehatten Railway," I tried not to roll my eyes at the dramatics, " for the holiday season, you see. Well, the company demanded them back shortly before they were needed, forcing the local company to use the older engines that were already in dire need of overhaul or replacement. Well, you can understand how that went, between the frequent breakdowns and cancellations the company is losing money, and customers, hoof over fetlock, and thus, cannot afford to hire engineer's to design new engines."
"Do they have a Company Works?" I asked.
Miss Rarity nodded, "yes, just outside of town, it's not large though, not like the Baltimare and Manehatten's."
"Hastings has worked most of the ROD's engines, he may be able to whip something up for them," I mused.
"Why don't you go find him and take him over there?" Colthurst suggested.
"Aye Sir," I acknowledged with a nod and turned to leave.
"This is it?"
I don't blame his skepticism, the works is little more than a rural engine shed beside a goods shed, a pair of workshops and two ash pits on either side of a water tower.
We follow the gravel path round to an office on the side of the workshop, we hear shouting as we approach.
On reaching the door, a black maned Unicorn male walks out with a rather pleased look on his face, he starts on seeing us, he turns his nose up and barges past, he then falls face first into a oily puddle as Hastings and I both draw back our legs.
We enter the office to find a khaki coated male earth pony with his head in his hands, he looks up as we walk in and groans, "what now?"
"Gotta a problem?" I asked.
"Just that the Baltimare and Manehatten has not only reclaimed the engines we loaned but refuse to return the money we paid for their use," the stallion said, "without new engines or that money we won't last the season."
"Of course, they're just doing this to drive us out of business and take over the lines in and out of Canterlot," he muttered.
"And I thought our railways were cutthroat," Hastings whispered to me.
"But, if you could get new engines, that would help right?" I asked.
"Of course, we can even build them here, but we don't have any engine designers or the money to hire one," the stallion replied.
"Well, I can help you there," Hastings said, "Charles Hastings, Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers, British Royal Army."
"British? I've never heard of such a place," the stallion questioned.
"We're a long way from both home and the war we were fighting," I explained, "and soldiers without a war are out of work."
"Armure here was asking around town to see if there were jobs going, he was pointed to you and brought me along," Hastings added, "I was a driver and later an engineer, so I know my way around most of the ROD's engines, I might be able to help you out."
"Are you offering to design an engine for us?" the stallion asked in disbelief.
"I am," Hastings confirmed.
"But we have no means to pay you," the stallion protested.
"If it means pissing off that snob and his mates? I'll do it for free," Hastings replied.
"Thank you," the stallion said, shaking Hastings' hand, "I am Smokestack and I'm responsible for the engines here."
"Let me see what you have so I can start work," Hastings said then turned to me, "I'll catch you later sarge."
"Don't work yourself too hard, ya here?" I said, then turned to leave, my next stop was the Apple family farm.
I walked back into town, Applejack had agreed to let twenty of the lads alternate working on the farm in two shifts until Mac was healed, also Miss Rarity had persuaded both myself and the Lt to model our uniforms for her.
A familiar drone comes over the houses and I look up in time to see the Strutter bank over the town, Flashheart's white silk scarf trailing over the rear fuselage like a flag, I watched as he banked over the houses and started to lose height.
I started walking towards the most likely place he'd land, a large green that was used for a market the day before.
A small crowd is forming as I reach the green, I grin as I note that it's largely females in their teens or early twenties, the engine dies with a splutter and the man himself vaults out of the plane.
I'm about six foot but Flashheart easily has half a foot on me, his build is wiry, almost like a swimmer, his blonde locks frame a roguish face, currently giving that smile that leaves all the nurses hot under the collar, and surprisingly the man is a white Earth pony with a golden mane and tail.
A quick glance around shows the crowd is just as affected by that smile as human females, I snap to attention and salute as he comes up to me, "Captain Flashheart, Sir!"
"No need to be so stiff, Sergeant," Flashheart laughed, "heard about this place from Blacky so I thought I'd come and have a look round myself."
"And Colthurst and I are your chaperones?" I guessed, Flashheart just grinned, I looked to the Heavens, "Is it not enough the Hohenfriedberger haunts my nightmares but you dump this on me too?"
"Well, your luck does take the good as well as the down right awful," a familiar voice answers behind me.
Flashheart laughs and turns to the newly arrived, "good to see you George, I see you've gotten acquainted with the locals already."
I looked over my shoulder to see the LT walking towards us, his tunic and breeches immaculate and his boots and belt shining in the sunlight.
Completing the image is Miss Rarity, wearing a snow white blouse that hugged her full bosom and narrow waist perfectly, a brooch with a purple stone at her throat, her skirt was the same rich purple as her hair, flair out over womanly hips and fell to just below her knees, visible underneath were a kind of black boot laced at the front, her left arm was entwined with the Lt's and her right held a purple parasol, shielding her face from the sun as her long hair flowed like a mountain stream over her shoulders.
I blinked and felt my mouth dry, I bowed respectfully, "Hello Miss Rarity, may I say you look the vision of Beauty."
The young woman blushed prettily, "why thank you, sergeant. Now, I do believe we have business to attend to," she said, pointedly ignoring the stares from the crowd.
"Lead the way, my dear," Flashheart replied.
I put my shirt back on, Rarity was sitting on a couch sketching designs already, she'd had us take various poses in different states of dress and apparently it had inspired her.
Although exactly how half naked soldiers in khaki serge could be inspiring escaped me... exotic uniforms and designs to model I suppose.
As I bent down to roll my puttees I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"What's that round your neck?"
My left hand closed protectively around the end of the chain, I then cupped it and opened my palm to show a gold band, plain apart from a diamond with a pink coloured core but of excellent craftsmanship, that had a silver chain looped through it.
"I don't really know," I told Colthurst uncertainly, "I've had it as long as I remember. It's the only connection I have to my past."
A soft gasp drew us back to the young seamstress, "my goodness, do you know what you hold?"
I shook my head, "That is an Engagement Band, it is a very Old Unicorn Custom, they are made in pairs and the stone always contains the tip of horn of the one giving the Band."
My hand went reflexively to my horn, and sure enough the tip felt like a bit was missing... though I wasn't ready to rule out yesterday's shenanigans with getting my helmet to fit.
Miss rarity lifted it off my hand and inspected it closely, "removing even the tip of one's horn is quite painful, thus the act has always been seen as an act of great commitment between a couple."
"A Promise of eternal love," Flashheart mused.
Miss Rarity nodded, "indeed, if such a couple were to cancel the engagement there would be much scandal, it's almost taboo."
"So somewhere out there is a girl waiting for me," I said thickly, the enormity of the revelation descending on me, for a second I could just see a girl holding a similar ring and chain, staring at the jewel with the tip of my own horn inside.
"Most probably," Miss Rarity released the ring, "It is only the Noble Families that still follow the custom regularly these days, and I recognise the Maker's mark, it is a famous family of jewel smiths from Canterlot that primarily cater to the Nobles, the Princesses and Foreign Dignitaries."
"So either I come from one of those families or my Fiancé does?" I thought aloud.
I'm not sure which would be worse; turning up in my khakis to some Noble Lady's house or for my Family to see me now.
My ears flattened against my head as my imagination ran wild, almost all leading to the same outcome.
"It would seem so," I hear Miss Rarity say.
"Sterling?"
I take a breathe as Colthurst sits down beside me.
"It's just... what will they think?" I ask rhetorically, "I'm a soldier, a sergeant at that, I made my way up from the bottom. If my Family is Nobility then they'll expect me to at least be an officer, and... I don't act like a noble..."
"Neither do I," Colthurst retorted, "otherwise I'd have been as hated as Mallory. Besides, none of us who changed have clear memories from more than five years ago, if what little I remember is true then they'll be happy for us to come back. Family is Family, that was true back Home and we've seen that's true here too."
I look at him, "you think they'll want me back?"
"Of course, darling," Miss Rarity assured me, "Family is everything here."
"See," Colthurst said, "Now come on, we need to start back."
Just as we stood up I felt the floor vibrate, "did you feel that?"
"Feel what?" Flashheart asked, then the room shock to a great Roar outside.
We ran to the window as a black shape flew overhead, my jaw dropped, "Is that a Dragon! "
The beast was black and heavily muscled, four legs with it's wings growing out its shoulders, it's scales shimmered as it turned to fly back over the town, but as it came back I saw something wrong, "what's that on it's side?"
"looks like green ooze," Flashheart noted.
We all hit the floor like a machine gun had opened fire as the dragon loosed a stream of flame over a building on the other side of the square that looked to be one giant cake.
"Bloody Hell!"
"Where's Saint George when you need him!" I yelled as I looked up.
"Either of you two know how to use a Lewis?" Flashheart demanded.
"Yeah, I've got two in my section, made sure everyone knew how in case a sniper got the gunners," I replied.
"Get your tunic on and come with me, you're my new gunner!" Flashheart ordered and stood up and was out the door before I could argue.
I lay there for a second, the gravity of the situation sinking in...
"Rats!"
Chapter 1:
Sterling's POV
The shelling hadn't stopped, it had been going on for days with sporadic counter fire, but now the time had come, we were going over the top.
I looked to my left, counting my section, Pvt's Hagen, McCullen, Weston and Baron, LCpl Allan and Pvt Tory carried a Lewis gun each, a look to my right showed Lt Duncan Mallory strutting around behind 2 Section.
"Sergeant Armure?"
"Yes Sir," I gritted my teeth as most of the men for fifty yards either way tensed up, I forced my hatred down, even if I would win twenty quid in the pool for killing the Bastard.
"I expect your men to keep up with the Advance, none of the Bolshie cowardice I've come to expect," Mallory sneered.
"No, Sir," the 'Cowardice' he meant was having the sense to take cover after a machine gun opened up on the platoon during a dawn attack ordered by Mallory in a vain attempt to gain glory. Mallory himself had been found as they fell back cowering in a crater using his trousers as a latrine.
Of course an Officer's word held more weight than a Sergeant's so his section, the only survivors, were branded cowards, despite the fact there were four Military Medal holders there and Armure himself had also earned the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal when he turned back to assist wounded men after a failed attack and blunted a German counter attack using the Lewis gun two of the wounded men had been carrying, being wounded twice himself in the process, Mallory resented that an ordinary soldier was recognised above him.
Some suspected he'd arranged the following botched attack to eliminate Armure.
Mallory opened his mouth to speak but Capt Blackadder stepped out, "all right lads, the Tanks are coming up, you're to use them as cover…"
"Sir, must we use such cowardly tactics?" Mallory complained, I and everyone else glared at him.
"Enough Mallory," Blackadder barked as Lieutenant George Colthurst and stepped out.
"Your lads ready Sergeant?" Lt Colthurst greeted, the glint in his eyes showed his amusement at Mallory's displeasure at being ignored.
"As we will be, sir," I replied, "just hope we see the end, I heard a rumour the Germans may have chlorine gas."
Colthurst grimaced; he'd seen the effects on French troops the year before, before he could speak further Lt Col Forrest called the men to assemble.
I stepped aside for the companies likeable Lieutenant and he smiled gratefully, I took position by Hagen.
"Company, One Pace Forward!"
We stepped up to the ladders, "Stand Ready!" we gripped the ladders and readied to climb, I looked around as the ground started shaking, "On The Signal, Company Will Advance!"
"Good luck, everyone," myself and Colthurst were among the few who heard the Captain as a roar erupted over our heads and a metal monster rolled over our heads.
"What is THAT!" Mallory screamed in panic.
I didn't have time to savour Mallory sounding like a little girl, my own heart was racing, I felt a tension in my chest lift as the monster rolled over the trench and I saw clear sky again.
I didn't hear the order but I was aware of Colthurst climbing beside and I followed him up, bayonet fixed and ready for Battle.
At first it was very different, it was quiet besides the noise of the tanks, trails of smoke curled into the heavens behind the German lines.
"Keep low and stay behind a tank," I ordered, "they won't be stunned for long."
I briefly heard Mallory sneer before Hell broke loose, I ducked into a crater, Colthurst, Baron and Hagen dived in behind me, McCullen, Weston, Allan and Tory took cover in another to my left.
"Hello there sweetheart, you come here often?" Baron joked, earning a laugh as I banged on his tin hat.
"Look alive and you might… BLOODY HELL!" I felt the others press against me as 7.92 mill rounds scythed over our heads.
"Mallory's Bought It!" someone shouted, just after a tank fired.
"Alright, who won the pool?" Hagen asked Baron, the Chatham native dug through his pocket for a notebook.
I fired rapidly at German muzzle flashes as Colthurst shook his head, "I really shouldn't let this slide."
"It's you sir," Baron blurted incredulously.
"In that case, carry on," he answered smugly, leaning over the crater rim and firing three rounds from his revolver, making a German helmet disappear in a cloud of blood and two others dive away.
I lowered myself back into the crater and rubbed a spot on my head, just under the brim of my helmet.
"You alright?" Colthurst asked.
"Getting headaches the past few nights," I explained, "waking from weird dreams… They're not very clear."
"Look Out!" someone bellowed and we looked up in time to see an RFC two seater heading for our section of the line, it came down fairly intact and both crew scrambled out, heading for a crater to my right where Blackadder was taking cover.
"What's that?" I looked forward and the bottom dropped out of my stomach.
An ominous cloud was drifting towards us, the tank in front of us and the infantry that had stayed with it were trying to escape.
"Oh God!" Hagen whispered.
"Any last words, chaps?" Colthurst asked with forced calm.
"How many bullets you have left?" I muttered as the tank was engulfed, it was terrifying, the battlefield seemed silent as the cloud approached, swallowing man and machine.
"Not enough I fear," Colthurst replied, his voice wavering, "It was an honour, chaps."
"Honour was ours, sir," Baron replied solemnly.
"Here it Comes!" someone shouted.
I braced from the pain but it didn't come, instead my head felt heavy.
"Wha… waz zit doin…" I heard Hagen slur.
My body felt heavy, the headache was getting worse and an itching spread across my skin.
I fell on my back and saw blue sky for a brief moment before the cloud swept over me, quickly followed by darkness.
Celestia POV
She sighed internally as he droned on, she couldn't go a week without that uptight prat of a too many times Great Nephew making a fuss about something where everypony else would just shrug and move on.
Today it was something about… What was THAT!
She turned her head in the vague direction of the Event, shocking her nephew.
"Auntie! Are you even listening to me?" Prince Blueblood demanded.
"Court is over," she ordered, "Clear the Room!"
"But, I…" the prat shrunk away at her glare.
"COURT IS OVER, LEAVE ME, NOW!" she ordered in the Royal Canterlot Voice
The prat and the rest of the nobles scattered, emptying the Throne Room in record time.
Once the door slammed shut, she took a breath to calm herself, reaching out with her magic to try and identify the massive surge just beyond the border.
She had just managed to identify both a closing rift and some impressive transformation magics when a pony entered the room; she tensed then relaxed as she recognised the elderly stallion's aura.
"Colonel, you felt it?" she said in greeting.
"I did," the aged Pegasus replied, stepping over. The stallion wore the armour of the old Lunar Guard, also known as Bat-ponies, the unit was officially disbanded with Nightmare Moon's imprisonment but she secretly kept the unit active though at greatly reduced strength, "the signature is familiar but I can't place it."
"Neither can I," she admitted, carefully watching as the last transformations completed, "I almost thought…"
"As did I," the stallion agreed, "I confess I am divided as to whether I would be glad or worried if she returned early, alas it seems not."
"That leaves the matter of the cause of this… rift," she continued.
"It seemed to spike near Ponyville, I can have some of my ponies investigate," the stallion offered.
She smiled, "Thank you, Dark Wing, that would be most helpful."
The last member of the original Lunar Guard left to carry out his duty, she had extended his life with her magic in order so not only was there a familiar face for her sister when she returned but someone who still had actual combat experience in the Royal Guard, the centuries of peace had not been kind to the military.
As the Colonel left she looked to the sky through a nearby window, wondering if her sister, or NightMare Moon, had a hand in this.
Sterling POV
I came to after… I don't know how long, first thing I noticed was how clean the air is, opening my eyes showed a beautiful blue sky through a forest canopy…
Forest!
"Sound Off!" I ordered, trying to stand up when I noticed something odd. I missed my men call back as I noticed my feet were…
"Bloody Hell Sarge, You're a Unicorn!"
I looked up from my hooves to Baron, then put a hand to my head… yup, a horn.
A flash of brown distracts me and I look left, "I'm not the only one."
"Seems not," Lt Colthurst is now a chestnut coloured stallion with a black mane, a brown muzzle and white feathering on his hooves, he was inspecting his new three fingered hands, then came the most important test, yep he could still use his Webley.
"All right, I want a headcount and a list of supplies that came with us," I ordered, lowering my skewed helmet off my head, a glance around shows nearly half the men in sight are, well… ponyfied.
Not only that but a tank, the Sopwith Strutter and four teams of Royal Artillery, two field and two anti-aircraft guns had been caught by… whatever that was.
4 hours later, about ten o'clock by my watch, Capt Blackadder called a staff meeting.
"Gentlemen, I won't beat about the bush, we are in trouble," he surveyed his men, five lieutenants and the three senior sergeants, plus Flashheart.
Lieutenants Colthurst, Barnes, Welsh, Cowlairs and Devon, Sergeants Armure, Took and Newman and Captain (formerly Major) Flashheart.
Technically Flashheart was the ranking officer but he deferred to Blackadder, he freely admitted the sky was his domain not the Earth below, so for the duration was accepting a demotion to avoid taking charge of ground pounders.
"We are in an unknown land, with unknown locals, with no intelligence," Blackadder paused as most of his men snorted at the thought of Army intelligence, "we have limited supplies, ammunition and a third of our men cannot eat their rations," he then looked over each of them, "we have many problems and need solutions, any suggestions?"
"Well, we are on a hill," Cowlairs pointed out, "first things first, I say we dig in and fortify the hill."
"It'll keep the men busy with familiar work and give us an edge if we need to defend ourselves," Took chipped in.
"We should also send out a team or two to check out the area," Barnes added.
"Pretty sure I saw a village through the trees earlier," I put in, "Hagen, Weston and I have civvies from leave in Dunkirk, if one of the officers has a set and two revolvers were donated we could check it out."
"I have some, I volunteer," Colthurst replied.
"I can spare my revolver for a day," Welsh offered, Barnes nodding in agreement.
"Any objections?" Blackadder looked over us but none were voiced, "Right, Colthurst, Armure, get changed and find Weston and Hagen, then head into that village, find out where we are and what the locals are like."
I nodded and rose, heading for the tent my section were quartered.
"Weston, Hagen, get in your civvies, we're going to take a look at that village," I announced as I entered, both men jumped up and dug into the footlockers that, like most of the assault force, they'd carried with them, I myself quickly dug into my own.
Soon enough I was dressed in a white cotton shirt, brown woollen trousers and a black jacket, it felt odd not wearing boots however my hooves not only prevented it but didn't seem to be suffering for it. On my belt was a holster for my S&W .455 Triple Lock revolver.
Weston and Hagen were similarly attired, though Hagen wore jeans and a brown coat while Weston had a wool jumper and a blue knit cap.
"Still fit?" Hagen asked as he got ready to leave.
"Tight around the crotch," I muttered, adjusting the twin bulges so they weren't quite so squashed, I wasn't small before but now I'm literally hung like a horse, Thank whatever God cares Army uniforms are made in all sizes, I really needed to get new clothes.
As we stepped out, Lt Colthurst approached, looking quite the gentleman in a black riding coat and white breeches, and holding two holsters on belts, "here you are chaps," he greeted, "do you know how to use a Webley?"
"Aye, sarge took the time to teach us after that mess in '15," Weston replied, taking one belt and putting it on.
I shrugged as Colthurst looked at me curiously, "rifles were pretty unwieldy inside our own trenches so afterward I told the lads to scavenge any revolvers they could find and with most of our officers dying that day…"
"I see," he mused as Hagen looped the other belt around him, "and yours?"
"Smith and Wesson Triple Lock in .455," I replied, "got in from a quartermaster last I had leave, say what you will, the yanks make good guns."
Colthurst nodded then looked at the other two, "Ready chaps?" both men nodded, "let's go."
The village is something else. With the stone houses and thatched roofs it's almost like someone scooped up a rural English village and dumped it here, except it was filled with ponyfied people, or were they ponies in the first place?.
"Anyone else freaked out by how much this looks like home?" Weston asked, looking around warily.
"Yup," Hagen agreed, keeping an eye on a large red pony that was watching him.
"Focus, we need to find out where we are," Colthurst replied, watching as several ponies suddenly ran indoors and locked the doors.
"We should ask one of the shopkeepers," I suggested, noting how half the ponies stood and stared while the rest ran and hid, I pointed to an unusual looking shop with several mannequins in the windows, "look, that one's still open."
"Looks like a merry go round," Weston blinked.
"Come on," I followed the Lt almost to the door, but he stopped, holding up a hand, I listened.
"…please sir, I have no debts that I know of, please leave and let us be!"
"... give me the money or I'll take it from your pretty body, maybe that horn of yours, or perhaps I'll take it from this little thing."
My blood turned to fire, I barely registered as the woman pleaded hysterically or the Lt signalling us to go round the back of the building and make a noise once we were inside, my focus returned as Weston tried the back door.
"Locked," he muttered, I held him back as he went to kick it in.
"Let me try something," he nodded and I stepped forward, some of my dreams took place in a town like this and were more vivid, I could remember a distinct feeling that occurred before I did what I could only call magic.
The horn on my head thrummed to life, pulsing with energy in a way a dream could not recreate, I concentrated on that feeling and held out my hand, imagining that energy wrapped around the bolts locking the door, I curled my fingers imagining the bolts retracting and to my amazement the door clicked and I lost focus.
Weston stared in disbelief as I tried the handle, the door opening easily, "come on," I said, carefully entering.
"How'd you do that, sarge?" he asked quietly as we move through a store/sewing room.
"Something I saw in a dream, the town seemed weirdly familiar to the same one, so I took a chance," I explained then waved him back as I saw a woman standing in the doorway ahead, she was shaking, I noted an old mannequin that was already leaning heavily and nudged it over.
The woman screamed but calmed down on seeing the old mannequin, but her attention was drawn back by a pained yelp.
"What're you smiling at you little…"
"She's smiling at me," I could almost imagine the guy giving himself whiplash as the Lt stepped up, "now, let the child go!"
"Who do you think you are?" the thug yelled, I heard him shift and peeked out, he was facing the Lt who had Hagen and that big red pony on either side of him.
"Lieutenant The Honourable George Colthurst, British Royal Army," he replied in all his blue blooded glory.
"Never heard of it," the woman moved to one side as the thug tried to move toward the opening in the countertop to escape through the back.
"You'll be familiar soon enough," I caught the Lt's nod and charged in, I pried the thug's left arm of the girl and pinned him to the counter as Weston did the same for the right. He struggled in our grip as the girl ran to the woman, I stared in shock as his knife went from a toothpick to a seven inch lethal weapon in a white glow, the thug capitalised on my shock and wrenched his arm free, punching Weston and scrambled up.
I vaulted the counter as he swung at Hagen, the Lt's fist connected soundly with his skull and I grabbed him, sending him headfirst into the wall, he recovered enough to sink his knife into the side of the red pony but let go when a goods train of a punch from his victim slammed into his ribs.
Both reeled and fell away, I took the opportunity to kick him in the back, something breaking as my hoof connected, he shot upright in agony and the Lt decked him in a solid hit to the jaw, he didn't get up.
I went to check on the red pony and stopped him from pulling out the knife as I checked him, "Don't! it's in your lung, if you pull it out blood'll rush in and you'll drown."
He looked at me in disbelief but nodded when he saw I was serious.
"Rarity, did you hear about… What the Buck happened?" we looked up to see a cyan pony woman with wings coming out her back hovering (literally) in the doorway.
"Don't just stand there," I barked, "get a doctor and Law Enforcement, MOVE!"
The woman saluted and dashed off, I turned to Weston and Hagen, "Tie that filth up!"
Weston collected a rope from the back room and the thug was quickly hogtied on the floor while the Lt comforted the two females.
The red pony, or stallion I suppose, grimaced several times as the blade shifted subtly in his body while we waited. Eventually a pony in a white and gold uniform arrived.
"Miss Rarity?"
"I'm here Sheriff," the woman, Rarity, replied, standing up and walking over to him.
"What in the Hay happened?" a younger stallion asked, looking around.
"That can wait 'til this guy is seen to," I argued.
"Quite right, Doc it's safe," the older stallion called out.
A bespectacled caramel coated pony in a white coat stuck his head around the door then entered, followed by a white coated mare in a white uniform.
"What do we have here?" the doctor asked.
"Asshole over there stabbed him," I explained, indicating the still unconscious thug, "I left the blade in as from the angle and blade length it'll be deep in his lung, I figured if I or he removed it the blood would pool in his lung."
"Quite right," the doctor smiled grimly, "you've probably saved his life, help me get him onto the stretcher."
I helped move the stallion onto the stretcher, he was face down so not to aggravate the knife, he looked me in the eye as the Doctor and nurse lifted the stretcher, "Thank you."
"Any time," I replied as they carried him out.
"I'm gonna have to ask yah to come with me, I need to collect yer statements and Miss Rarity needs to rest," the older armoured pony declared, the woman sent him a grateful look.
"Very well," the Lt agreed, "Chaps?"
"Lead the way," I replied, following the Lt out.