We Damned Fools.

Stone looked into the small fire they had in the center of the basement dwelling. A small hole had been broken into the ceiling above them, just enough for the smoke to escape, not enough for a grenade to fit into. Candle lay on his back, snoring loudly, Sketch was doodling nearby. The other two members of his squad were snoozing peacefully on the other side of the room.

Sketch looked up from his notebook. “So who was she really Stone?”

“I told you, just a stranger on a train, who sent me some mail.” Sketch nodded and went back to his doodle. “What are you drawing now?” He turned the notebook to his commanding officer. A sketch of the bay, a sailboat, and a man looking out over the water. “Who’’s that supposed to be?”

“You sir.” Stone gave him a puzzled look. “I was on the beach the day before the attack, I was with Commander Iron Plate. I saw you watching the water from your foxhole, I only remembered today when that sargent mentioned it. Thought it’d make a nice drawing.” Stone nodded. “Maybe you can send it to your lady friend, eh?” He smiled at the man across from him.

Stone chuckled and reached into his haversack for the letter. He read it again, he looked at the picture of her. “You should draw her instead, she’s more picturesque.” He handed the photograph over to Sketch.

“Why don’t you write her sir? She’s real pretty, she at least deserves a reply.” He ripped a piece of paper from his sketchbook and handed Stone a pencil.

Dear Rarity,

I thank you for the letter. I am well, here in Manehattan. I got my cutie mark here, so there’s that. I thank you and your friends for signing off to get me into the army, that was very generous of you all. I have your picture, its very nice. One of the soldiers drew a sketch of me and insists that I send it to you, I told him I wasn’t a very good muse.

Defiant Stone.

He folded the letter up and placed it in the same envelope she sent his letter in. Sketch handed him the finished drawing and his photo back. He put the drawing into the envelope. He placed the photo and her letter into his haversack and closed it up.