Good Old Manehatten

Later that night when dinner was over Crimson and his dad were out getting ice cream for his mom, his dad, and him. It was a little ways away but not so long that the ice cream would melt by the time they got home. Crimson spoke up "So dad, you don't tell that many war stories about yourself and what it was like before I was born. We've got plenty of time for at least one story...Right?" Crimson asked his dad.

"Well I guess I have some time. But I will have to make it quick so I can still get my sleep. Waking up at five in the morning is a bitch... Don't repeat that!" His dad replied and began to speak."Well it all began like this."

Flashback

As far as I know I have lived in Manehatten my entire life. I grew up as an only child. I lived in the projects, where all the gangs lived it wasn't as bad back then as it is now. Back then I could walk outside at night, sleep with the front door unlocked and even the windows open. And I could go to the park when I wanted to. As you know gangs were different back then. As I said I was an only child, my dad was rarely ever present as he was always out at sea trading with other places. Except for Buckssia. And as you know my mom was a nutcase. Its sad you never met her. Now she's living in Las Pegasus. Like I said she was a nutcase and she tried to tell me that pegasus ponies are bad ponies and yet... She had no idea considering she herself was a zebra. Again nutcase.

So with that said I spent most of my time outside the apartment playing sports with my friends or playing chess with the elderly. To be honest It was a bit of a boring life. All my mom ever did was smoke and cook meals that were okay. That's why you see me mixing my beans with spicy mustard and why your mom will never let me cook in the kitchen. But fast forward to High School I meet your mother. She was like a goddess with her beauty. She was strong both physically and mentally even rivaling some of the athletic stallions that played hoofball. I remember introducing her to my friends and one of my buddies said she wasn't as strong as she said she was. So they had an arm wrestle and she won with flying colors. She was a tom colt back then. They asked how she was that strong and all she said was," For four years I did intense farm work like towing miles of soil and moving entire logs all by herself and if I didn't my dad would beat me. Also I always have to fight with my older brother." She was a tough mare. But she knew enough English to get by. But after a few months of work she was speaking English as good as her teachers. She said her love for reading was her talent. Oh I forgot to tell you how I got my cutie mark.

Well I was a little colt back then. I was just tinkering with some motors and some copper wire. And somehow I was able to make a mini automotive device and there was a flash of light and there I got my Cutie mark. My teacher said It had to do with something with engineering.

And after that point math was more of a way of relaxation. And with all that practice in math I was able to fix a lot of things around the house, from the electricity, to the pluming. To even saving lots of money on stuff my mom would normally buy.

I know I'm all over the place switching from foalhood to stallionhood. But back to me and your mom. When I first met her mom and dad they were nice. But at first I thought my dad hated me. I mean the first thing I did was butcher your grandma's name. And I offended her at the dinner table. But after I told him I planned on joining the marines he started to have a liking for me. As he said he encouraged his daughters to marry into military families. So after some months of dating we graduate and head our way to college. We attend college. Eight years later I earn my Doctorate in mechanical engineering. I'm sure your mom told you what happened when she graduated from college. I'll assume yes. So after we settle down we make love and the next morning I was to leave for a boot camp called "The Farm". And After four months and a half of basically every horror story you hear about boot camp.

Wake up at six hundred, make your bed, do your work out, do your drill, do more working out, get shower, take break, take the daily hike which got worse everyday, or navigate in the dark. Sometimes both. And we had to go off rations everyday, which was just hay and eggs. And if you don't know what a hike is. Think of it as a daily miniature marathon where you have to run for how long your instructor says and you will have 60 to 120 pounds on your back. And in some cases we would have to hike into the night and camp out when we were done. And don't get me started on the drills. If you have ever seen a marching band at a parade they all march at the same pace and stride. Its like that and if you are the slightest bit off your drill instructor would point you out and rip you a new one. And since this was the farm, Equrestia's most dangerous boot camp for marines. We also had to swim in pitch black ice cold water and find a target. They wanted us prepared for anything and on some nights we had to run because the instructor felt like it. I think I remember him firing live ammunition during the weekly obstacle  course. I think I recall one grazing my coat.

I was trained for warfare but never wanted to go into it. If I had to I would. I have only been on international trips to work on projects and over see some facilitates. Since it's not classified I had a small part in magical weapons. But with the FAD(Friendly Assured Destruction) policy that Celestia and many national leaders signed they became sorta useless. But in the event of a magical fallout I know what to do.

So after four months of what most would call a living hell I come home to your mother. For the first few hours she was pissed at me for leaving without any say. But now I could officially became a marine and I worked in the engineering core. She told me she was having a foal, and I couldn't be any happier. We couldn't decide on a name for a long while. Then your mom thought it would be funny to make a pun out of our favorite book. I know your heard that story plenty of times. And so seven months later she gives birth to you and that was the best day of my life. Next to the day we got married and last was when I met her.

End of flash back

"So I hoped that gave some light on what you were wondering about." Sprocket finished his story about to open the door to his apartment.

"I got everything I needed dad. Thanks." Crimson replied happily as he walks into the living room to sit down on the couch. And enjoyed his milkshake.