I looked across the battlefield and listened to the far off thundering of cannons. The men that I had known for the last five years laid in heaps around me either dead or dying covered in the entrails of the man that had been standing next to them. I myself was lying upon my back covered from head to toe in shrapnel wounds from the grape shot that had torn apart our ranks.
You might be wondering why I’m able to tell you this even though I dead on that field. Well to tell the whole story I have to go back into the past a long way to the time I was first born.
Many millions of years ago I was born to a normal family in a normal house with normal parents. I grew up in a small town in a country call the United States of America. My life was pretty simple, I would wake up go to school, go to work, and than go home to my family. Then everything changed.
In my senior year of high school the Twin Towers fell and the call of war was heard across the nation. When I graduated instead of going to college for a history I decided to join the army and fight. I went to boot camp I made friends and enemies there. Then when I completed camp I was sent to Iraq. When we first got there the fighting was beginning to cool down and we weren’t expecting any attacks for some time. It was on route to the base after a routine patrol that this cycle began.
One of my team members was cracking a joking and we were all laughing having a good time. When the Humvee rolled over a pit in the ground that had been hiding an old IED. With in seconds me and the other men in the Humvee witnessed out last moments on earth, or at least the other men did. I was not so lucky.
No I did not survive the explosion I to died but that was not the end for me. When I died I say my soul leave my body along with the souls of the other men who died in the explosion. Some of the souls flew up towards the sky while others flew to the ground but mine remained where it was. I watched as a rescue team tried to save us to no avail. I watched as the put the charred remains into body bags and returned to base. I just kept watching because that was all I could do, for days, weeks month I stayed there watching that spot, until one day I suddenly appeared in a black room.
In the room two orbs floated in front of me. One was glowing a deep red the color of blood and anger. The other glowed a deep blue that calmed the nerves. Then the red orb spoke in the voice of an old man.
“It is time for you to meet your destiny.”
The blue orb than spoke in a voice similar to my mother’s
“Forgive us for what is about to happen.”
I felt something tugging on me before I could ask what was going on and the two orbs soon faded from my view.
When I next opened my eyes I was alive again but I was no longer in the desert but a forested mountain. My clothes were similar to those of a peasant during the middle ages. For the next few month I explored and found out that I was indeed in medieval Europe. I tried to live a normal life but soon the tides of war caught up to me and I was swept away. From battlefield to battlefield I would roam until one day I was stuck down by an arrow.
I thought that it was the end but I was wrong. I closed my eyes waiting fro the embrace of death only to find when I once more opened my eyes that I was in a new place in a different time. For the next three hundred thousand years I would travel across the world across time always fighting in war never knowing peace. I would fight in the first wars known to man and the last war when man finally destroyed earth. I fought in every war that had ever occurred on earth. When I fought the last war ever recorded I thought that it would finally be the end of the cycle but alas I would find no peace.
For war was not just something confined to the human race and so I would find myself fighting on different worlds, different dimensions. Some were similar to earth others where so far advanced and a few even had what was known to humans as magic. So now I lay on a battlefield my body broken once more just wondering where I will go next, when I will go next. All I can do is pray to whatever deity is out there that this be the end as I close my eyes hoping to fall into that never ending sleep that I yearn for.
I open my eyes to see that I am in that black room from so long ago. In front of me once more are those two orbs that sent me through that torment of endless blood and gore. When I saw them my mind seemed to break.
“Why, Why didst thee subject me to that torment for millions of years? Why didst thee not just kill me and send my soul to the fires of hell?!” I shouted at the glowing orbs.
The red one started to glow bright and began to shout.
“Be quiet boy and listen!”
The blue one cut of the red one before it could yell anything more.
“Just what child and we will explain all to you.”
I had already fell silent having collected myself after being put in my place by the red orb. It was true that at the moment I knew nothing and it would probably help not to anger the things that had made me live in endless war.
“First let us introduce ourselves. You may go first.”
I don’t know how but I felt as if the blue orb was nodding towards the red orb as if trying to pressure it into being polite.
“I am known by many names. Ares, Mars, Mixcoatl, Chiyou, Anhur, Thor, Mangala, Hittite, Takemikazuchi, and Winalagalis are just a few of my titles. I am the spirit of war and battle. I give soldiers the bloodlust they need to end the life of another man and conquer empires for themselves.” The red one said in a voice that commanded respect.
The blue orb then began to speak.
“I am also known by many names. Athena, Minerva, Baduhenna, Neith, Chamunda, Qamaits, Anat, Badb, Ifri, and Macha. I am the spirit of strategy and victory. I inspire great general and soldiers to victory through strategy and tactics.”
When they both finished speaking I decided that I should also give a self introduction just to antagonize them.
“My name has been forgotten through the ages. I have held many a title such as soldier, Man at Arms, Samurai, Knight, General's aid, General, Sergeant, Strategist, and Tactician. I would like to knoweth why thou has't hath brought me hither after so many years of war?”
The blue orb’s lights seemed to dim slightly before it spoke.
“I am sorry for the pain you have had to suffer but it was necessary.”
My rage boiled over at that. What gave these orbs the right to decide what was necessary or not.
“Damn thee and thy necessary. What wast necessary about millions of years of bloodshed? What wast I to doth? No matter what I didst war nev'r ended it just hath kept going and going. No matter what I didst I could not changeth the outcome that wast already determined by history. No matter what I didst I could not save the lives around me and thee telleth me that all of this wast necessary!”
I was in tears at this point remembering the deaths of all my comrades and how many times I had tried to change the outcome of a battle to save their lives only for it to be for not and have them die anyway. I remembered every life I took on and off the field of battle every act of evil I had committed was forever carved into my mind and these orbs where telling me it was all necessary. It was at this time that the red orb shined brightly and exploded into a shout to match my own.
“Be quiet you whelp and listen well. You are just a cog in a much larger machine. You do not have to know why it was necessary for you to face all of this you just need to know that it was necessary!”
The blue orb began to glow in a calming way and the red orbs lights dimmed ever so slightly.
“Now will you listen to us for just a moment before you make any more hasty decisions?” The blue orb asked me.
“I wilt Listen to thee for now, and wilt not maketh mine decision until thou has't spoken thy piece.” I said as I calmed myself down.
“Very good. First I will tell you what you are.” The blue orb said as she began a lengthy speech.
“You see spirits can not act upon the physical world themselves so we must choose a champion from among the many mortals. Of all the mortals we have seen you where the greatest candidate for what we needed. You fulfilled not just my needs of having a clear mind and high intelligence but you fulfilled the spirit of wars needs of having a strong spirit and courage.”
“Wait thee must beest mistaken, wouldn't a most wondrous general fit thy needs much better than I?” I asked interrupting the blue orb.
“No child they would not, You see our champion needs to be someone who could work in the shadows of history to change the course of battle without anyone knowing. This way they could go to different battles without anyone noticing them.” The blue orb explained.
“I see.”
“Now that you know what you are we must speak of why you were brought here. It is time to give you the choice of remaining the champion of battle or to return to the chain of reincarnation.”
“If I chooseth to remain as thy champion what wilt befall to me.?”
“You will do what you have been doing, but you will have two wishes one from me and one from the spirit of war.”
“And what if I chooseth to returneth to the cycle of reincarnation what wilt occur then?”
This time the red orb answered me.
“You will have choosen the coward’s way. Your soul would go back to your original earth and be reforged into a new child's soul. All you memories will be stripped from you and we will have to find another to be our champion.”
“In the end mine choices art to either continueth with this life of endless conflict or I alloweth another soul to becometh thy plaything for all eternity?”
The blue orb seemed dimmed almost unnoticeably at what I said but the red orb answered me right away.
“Yes does are your choices, You can either man up or be a coward choose quickly so that I can be rid of you.”
“Then I chooseth to stayeth as thy champion for I would not wish this burden onto any other soul.”
“I guess I was right you did choose the cowar…...Wait what did you say?!” the red orb shouted surprised at my response.
“I hath said that I wilt beest thy champion so that no one else hath to beest thy slave for all time.”
“Good, very good.” The red orb mumbled to itself.
“We thank you for choosing to remain our champion. What is it you wish for?” The blue orb asked me. It did not seem that surprised about my decision.
“I wish for one whole lifetime of peace. Just one life time of peace so that I may has't memories to sustain me for the eternity of war I am about to embark on.”
This did seem to surprise the blue orb. The two orbs both dimmed and became silent but I had a feeling that they were actually arguing or talking to each other about what I just say. Minutes ticked by and they still arguing. Finally they both glowed bright and the blue orb spoke up.
“We can give you one lifetime on a peaceful world, but there can be no promise of war not occurring for we do not control when people go to war. e could give you power or wealth?”
“No all I wanteth is peace for one lifetime.”
“If that is all than what is your second wish?”
“I would like to be able to have every book I’ve ever read on war, strategy, tactics, and weaponry. “
The blue orb flashed for a second before the red orb asked in a confused tone.
“If you hate war why do you want does books?”
“I wanteth these books because I has't resigned myself to this fate. That being so I wilt readeth these books in mine time of peace so that at which hour the horns of war sound again I wilt beest ready. “
The orbs went silent again. I waited hoping that they would approve of these. Even though I hated what I have done I still know that war was something that could not be stopped, and I hoped that by using my time in peace to study it I would be more prepared when I returned to the battlefield. The orbs both lite up and then a necklace appeared in front of them.
“This necklace contains all of the books that you want and a few more all you have to do is think of the book or what subject you want and it will appear. Be warned though that only one of each book is stored in the necklace and if that book is destroyed it is gone until you replace it. Use them wisely.”
The necklace floated towards me and affixed itself onto my neck. The orbs both began to glow brightly and the spoke in in sync.
“You have served us well and deserve this rest from this day forth until your death you shall be known as Miles Ars Belli. Now go forth and enjoy your peace until the day you are once more called upon to serve.”
With that I was covered in a bright light as I felt myself being tugged out of the black room. I wonder where they will send me this time. My mind race as I tried to think of any peaceful world I’d been to but I could think of one I guess that this will be a new experience for me. I thought as I grinned before disappearing from the room.
In the room only the two orbs remained. They flashed and began to form the outline of a man and a women.
“Why did you not tell the boy who he truly was, what he truly is?” The man asked the women.
“It was not yet time. If I had told the child what do you think he would have done?”
“He would have tried to tear down heaven in a glorious battle.” The man replied his voice filled with “And what a glorious battle it would be.”
“If he did that the other spirits would not rest until they destroyed him and us. No it is better for him to find out later.”
“Say what you like but I don’t like all of this dancing around the subject it makes me feel less honorable withholding information from him.” the man spat out.
“That may be so but we have to think logically if we want him to succeed.” the women replied calmly.
“Baah, you and your logic look where it's gotten him. Did you see him he was almost broken!” The man shouted at the women as he began to glow red.
The woman's face contorted in to rage.
“Do you think it is easy for me to see his mind slowly erode like this? Do you think lying to him makes me proud or happy? Well it does not but it is the only way. For now let him enjoy his peaceful life and hope that he is ready in the end.”
With that the women disappeared in a swirl of blue light. Leaving the man by himself in the black room. The man stared at the spot that Miles had been standing in.
“Well boy good luck with your peace. I hope you find something to fight for, that will be the only way you will keep your sanity.”
With that the man disappeared in an explosion of red flames.
My body tingled all over as I finally woke up. I opened my eyes and tried to get used to the sun light. It was always such a pain when I entered a new body to adjust to the world because it was the first time this body ever did anything so it was always over sensitive to outside stimulants. After a few minutes my eyes finally adjusted and I was able to take in my surroundings.
I seemed to be on the side of a long country road near a forest. A warm summer breeze blew from the south and the sun beat down from a clear sky. All in all it was a very nice day for my first day in this world. Much better than other worlds I’d shown up on.
I relaxed for a bit and enjoyed the songs of the birds. Before I finally decided to figure out where I was. I tried to stand but had some trouble doing so. That’s when I realized that I was no longer bipedal. It didn’t really surprise me after all it wasn’t the first time I had been turned into a quadruped.
I did my best to stand and walk around just to get used to having four legs instead of two. It took some time but I was able to walk for the most part without falling flat on my face. By the time I was able to make my way to the road the sun was already setting.
I traveled north along the road hoping to find someone or something to lead me to civilization but I had no such luck. Soon the sun had set and the night was ushered forth. A multitude of stars filled the sky as the soft glow of the moon covered the land. I sighed to myself as I looked at those stars. The sky was beautiful but at the same time it reminded me of what I have done. Many of the stars that shined so brightly above my head where once suns that I had fought under. Soon sleep came over me and I rested near the side of the road.
The screeching of birds woke me up in the morning and I started my journey once more. Today was much like yesterday, clear skies as far as the eye could see and warm breezes blowing from the south. As I walked I tried to narrow down the planet I was on based of of the flora I observed, but with little success.
My observation of the plants ended when I realized how thirsty I was. Crap I thought, I hadn’t drank anything in the last day or so and I had no water supplies on me. The situation turned from one of relaxing to one of need. If I had gone on like this for another day or so in this weather it would have ended badly.
So I decided to enter the forest and search for a source of water. I spent hours weeding my way through the tangle of trees and roots. Trying to find even a puddle of water. Finally I came heard the noise of water rushing. Following that I found a small stream filled with crystal clear water. I was hesitant to drink since in one of my previous lives I had gotten a very nasty bug from drinking from a stream, but I had little choice in this matter and began to drink.
The water was cool and delicious. It had been a long time since I had drank something so pure. When I had finished drinking I pulled back my head and looked at my reflection in the clear water of the stream. I seemed to be a small horse like creature. My coat was bay and I had black markings running up my legs. My mane and tail were also black. It was when I was looking at my tail that I noticed a mark on both sides of my flank.The mark was of a knight chess piece in front of two crossed swords. One of the swords was a knight’s arming sword the other was a officer’s saber . When I saw the mark I immediately knew what world I was in.
In all the places I had ever fought there was only one where pony like creatures had markings on their flanks. I was on Equs the planet of harmony. It had been almost two hundred thousand years since I fought here. I wonder of those two sisters were able to create the country they had always wanted. I had died in the last battle against chaos so I didn’t know if they survived or not. Though it doesn't matter because I could have been sent here centuries before that happens or centuries after.
Well if I’m right and this is Equs and those two sisters are still alive it might do me some good to find them. If I remember correctly they are quite benevolent, and if they are the rulers it might be a good idea to ask for citizenship. When I made my way back to the road I say another pony walking north.
He had a green coat and a yellow mane he was wearing a straw hat that looked like it had seen some use and was chewing on a piece of straw. the marking on his flank was a bunch of green apples. When he say me he shouted out a greeting.
“Well howdy thair straynger, where ya headed awn this faahn summer's day?”
“I wast making mine way to Canterlot but I hath seemed to hath lost mine way, would thee mind pointing me in the right direction”
“Well don't that lick all ah'm headin' t' canterlot maah self. Hooaah don't ya wawk with me straynger?”
“Many thanks good stallion, I believeth that to beest a splendid idea.”
I walked up to the stallion and we began to trek northwards. Along the way he started to ask questions to pass the time.
“Ya don't mahnd me askin' but what do thay cahwl ya where yo-wr from?”
“Not at all, thou mayest refer to me as Miles Ars Belli and I am from Bohemia. Might I knoweth what thy title is?”
“Huh so ya aren't from aroun' hair guess that explains thuh funny way ya tawk. Thuh nuh-ames Ginger Gold, ah'm pahrt awf thuh Apple Clan.”
“Tis a pleasure to maketh thy acquaintance Ginger Gold.” I say as I extend my hoof for hoof shake.
Ginger Gold grips my hoof firmly somehow. I will never understand how you can grip things with hooves. We continued on in silence until Ginger Gold started to whistle a tune as we walked. This went on for some time, we just walked as Ginger Gold whistled until the sun began to set.
“Well ah guess this is as daisy a spot as any t' may-uk camp. We'll be in Canterlot by tamarr.”
We both laid under the shade of a tree and watched the sun set. We had already eaten our fill of grass on the walk so there was no need to cook any food. As we sat Ginger Gold brought out the guitar that was strapped to his pack and began to strum it.
“Hey Miles ifin' ya don't mahnd me askin' what you goin' t' Canterlot for?”
“I suppose I'll beest looking for a job or something along those lines. Maybe a lodging to settle down.What about thee what art doth thee plain to doth in Canterlot?”
“Me, well ya see ah've bee-yn wanderin' aroun' for a while now an ah gawt this notion that it was finally taahm for me ta settle down an guh-row maah roots. So ah'm headin' t' thuh Canterlot Train Station t' meet maah cusion eend gitty-up t' thuh Apple Ranch.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It is, i got another question for ya, ifin' ya don't mahnd me askin'. What does yo-wr mark mean. Ah mean maahns obvious but yourn is a bit straynge. Where ya a guard or sumthing?”
“No I wast not a guard but twas something along those lines. I wast a soldier for sometime, but that is behind me for now and I would to start a new as a teacher.”
"Ifin' thats thuh case ah wish ya luck.”
“Thank you and I wish you luck with your endeavor.”
“Good night Miles.”
“Good night Mr. Gold.” I say as Ginger Gold put his guitar down and we both drifted off into sleep.