"Given the right circumstance, any man can shoot another man."

Unknown

Metal, dirt, blood, and fire. These are what had clashed today in the forests near galloping gorge.

Destroyed military trucks were left in smoking heaps. The human soldiers they were designed to carry were littered dead on the scarred road. Their weapons were gone, taken by their enemies. Gunpowder had filled the air, signaling that the soldiers didn't go down without a fight.

On the edge of the battlefield, a water stream was peacefully flowing to the deep forest. Despite the ash and blood covered soldier that was laying on his back in the water. He looked dead to the world that was foreign to him.

Suddenly, Jake gasped a lungful of air, brining him back from his almost dead slumber. After weakly giving air back to his lungs, He slowly rose up from the stream. Despite his injuries, he walked toward the battle site. He saw, to his horror and grief, that he was the only living human in the forest. He looked around, hoping to see that none of those who he called brothers were in the field. Fate was not kind, as he saw bodies of his two friends, Billy and Joseph, riddled with bullet holes.

Grief's venom had flown through Jake as he fell to his knees. He remembered how they were all sent to investigate a supposed imp horse base, a slang that American soldiers had given to their enemy, only for it be nothing. After his leader had called in the report, The Imp horses had ambushed them by blowing up their trucks. The explosion had knocked Jake out, preventing to see the fate of his brothers in arms.

Despite the loss of his brothers, He swallowed his anguish and rose up to follow a new mission, Getting back to the American base stationed in the gorge to warn them of the imp presence.

He remembered the general direction of his base as taking the road was a suicidal move for a lone soldier, Especially an unarmed one as his weapons were damaged from the attack.

He then willed his wounded body to move and started his risky trek.

The clouds gave the forest a grayish hue. The woods gave no sound to Jake as he carefully walked through the cluttered forest ground.

The forest was a striking resemblance to Earth's own forests but Jake knew that this was no home of his.

He remembered how he ended up in this damn world when he and few of his friends heard the news of an alien force calling its self the Crystal Empire. Apparently, it had come from a world where the unreal became real as its inhabitants were sentient mythical creatures. The main being talking horses, or ponies in PC terms. The empire wasn't taken seriously by America but that changed when Alaska and California were attacked and thousands of civilians and soldiers killed. The worst the country had suffered since Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Understandably, many able men and women joined the army to bring the fight to the Imps. They were sent over to the other world, Equestria, to help the Royal Ponies in the war against the Empire. It was stressed that they were two kinds of ponies, the regular kind, and the crystal ones so that the soldiers don't end up shooting an allied horse.

Jake had never seen an equestrian horse up close until the attack. But if he ever gets out of this alive, the next imp he sees is gonna get a bullet in those stupid looking helmets that they wore.

Jake wasn't a complete greenhorn as he was in service during the North Korea skirmish back in 2019. He was in a few firefights but they were quick and easily won. But this was the first time he ever lost friends in a battle. He'll see to it that the imps pay for it.

He leaned against a tree to rest his wounded side that was bleeding slightly. He scanned the area for any dark armor peeking out in the trees. He looked up in the sky for any dragons for they existed in this stupid world. He was not gonna be a snack for some giant lizard.

Seeing its clear, he moved through the woods as they get thicker and thicker. It both made him both nervous and at ease, the thick woods made it harder for him to see the enemy but that also goes for the imps. Even if they do, the trees can provide cover from bullets.

In the far off distance, he heard distant gunfire and artillery being shot from miles. It was the ongoing battle near the fields of the city called Cloudsdale. The Galloping Gorge base was stationed to supply them with guns and reinforcements as the battle was to keep the imps from taking the Equestria capital. The battle had kept going on for weeks.

While he was listening to the distance battle, He notice something in the woods. In high alert, he watched through the trees and saw a glimpses of black armor coming towards his directions.

"Shit!" he quietly curse. It didn't seem that the imps had noticed him, which gave him time to look for cover. He scanned the ground and saw a log thats big enough for him to hide. He stealthily rushed inside the log and hid there for the danger to pass.

He laid in the log as the marching hooves came closer and closer. If he had to guess, it belonged to a small squadron. He stayed quiet and still. His heart racing when he heard a set of hooves heading towards his log. He heard the imp standing on the log. He waited for the imp to do something as seconds painfully went by.

"Captain! Time to move out." A voice shouted, possibly belonging to the squadron leader. He hears hooves getting off the log and the rest marched off away from the hidden human.

Half an hour went by when Jake finally got out of the log. He collapsed on the floor in relief, sighing in relaxation. After getting his nerves back, he got up and continued on to his self given mission.

Jake continued on his trek, getting more tired from the journey and his wounds. He wandered if the base was just ahead or was miles upon miles away.

He didn't had time to think about his predicament when suddenly he finds himself falling down a steep hill. He tumbled down the hill, hitting trees and rocks. his body falling like a thrown away doll. He yelled in pain and anguish from the pain stricken rumble. He finally ended on the bottom, crashing to the flat ground, making a huge dust cloud.

He laid there until he very slowly shifted to lay on his back. He looked back at the steep hill that added new wounds for him. Needless to say, he wasn't thankful.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck." He weakly cursed repeatably. He shakily stood up, giving grunts of pain as he did.

He really hoped that the base was around the corner for his falling trial that he was given.

He looked out as the forest was getting thinner and thinner and saw to his esthetic relief the human base, stationed a few miles away near a small valley that was in covered rocky hills.

With new found energy, he limped downward on a more tamed hill to reach the base.

He traveled down the rocky hills, using the stone pillars to catch his breath once and awhile and continued on. After a limping for a few minutes, he suddenly stumbled on a shocking and uneasy sight.

Settled in a nest was a camouflage blind that used the rocks and shrouded grass cover to function as a nest. A few supplies were littered around the nest. Canned food, blankets, and a welcoming sight to Jake, weapons.

He limped toward the pistol that was on top of a crate and inspected the firearm. It was a 45.colt, one of the most powerful handguns in the world as it was one of the few revolvers to use shotgun shells.

He heard that before the Empire attack, they made deals with black markets from American's enemies to receive weapons to be on even terms.

Glad to finally have a weapon his hands, he turn to continue heading to the base but stopped cold at what was waiting before him.

It was an Imp that also stopped dead, reaching for a rested sniper rifle. It had no helmet, giving Jake a good look at its features.

Its fur was a dull pinkish red and its mane was cut as a dull gray short mohawk, probably for military regulations. From the petite snout, more nimble limbs, and feminine eyes, Jake could tell that the Imp was female.

It stumped Jake at how in this magical hell, the ratio between genders favored the females. It would've made the male soldiers look forward to being sent to Equestria if it weren't for the women being freaking horses.

They stood, starting their standoff. They eyed each other, waiting for the right moment to strike. Memories of his friends inginted a burning rage at the imp in Jake. The desire to blow her head to little bits grew for revenge of what the empire bastards did to his friends. He already had a gun in his hand, giving a better chance of shooting her before she can reach for her rifle.

He glared into the eyes of the mare, seeing a mixture of fear but also the same anger he was feeling. For some reason, that anger reminded him of his fellow soldiers from the Korea Skirmishes. Soldiers that had experienced worse battles against the koreas. He saw the anger against the koreas but he also saw loss and grief for friends and brothers. Oddly enough, the mare had that same look in her eye.

He had no idea of what happen but he could tell that the mare imp had loss someone, a friend or a significant other. She had bags under her eyes, possibly due to lack of sleep and the stress she had went through.

He tried to get rid of the thoughts in his head. The Imps had attack America. The mare lost someone? Well, he had parts of his country blown to kingdom come!

But is losing a single loved one isn't worth as much as losing hundreds? Does that mean her pain isn't equal to those grieving back home? These questions popped into his head.

Slowly, his desire to fill the mare with lead died down. The mare had watched his face went from a cold, dead glare to a tired, somber gaze. Apparently, she was having similar thoughts as she slowly dropped her guarded stance. She had a similar look with she how took in the human's bruised and bloody form.

Jake calmly holstered his new pistol and the mare walked slowly away from the rifle. They both understood that their opposite wanted to be anywhere but here with all that they had gone through. They didn't forgive each other for what their side did but they didn't want to spill blood today.

They still kept a wary eye on each other as Jake walks backwards. They were still soldiers and thinking an enemy won't backstab you is a sure way to get you killed.

He then turns to walk forward to the base that a mile away. He limped down the hill and stopped. He looked back at the nest to see the imp was gone but the rifle was still there.

At ease, He limped as quickly as he could to the base. After long and tiring march, he finally reach the gates of the fortress but he then collapsed to the ground. Luckily He heard shouting and footsteps heading toward him. Two soldiers carried him by the arms and took him the medical wing.

Jake was resting on a medical bed while the rest of the medical staff was busy dealing with other patients. He noticed to his surprise that some of the doctors and nurses were ponies. In fact, the soldiers and staff was mixed with humans and ponies.

He told the doctors that he needed to see the commander of the fort about an imp presence in Galloping Gorge. After were done fixing him up, they informed him that the commander was on his way. He waited until he heard hoof clops coming toward his space of the building.

He turned to meet to what he hoped was the commander but to his shock, what greeted him was a white pegasis.

He could tell that the horse was male as it was very muscular and a stony snout that showed his tough facade. He wore the ridiculous roman armor that was colored silver with golden lining. His dark yellow mane acted as the spartan helmet's plume. Americans would usually teased the pony soldiers of their outdated armor.

But the unicorns bright blue eyes speak of no nonsense and determination of getting the job done.

The Pegasus spoke first. "You the wounded solider the guards found at our front door step?"

"You an officer?" Jake questioned, wondering why a flying horse was talking to him.

"Yes I am. Officer William had to go to Cloudsdale for a tactical meeting. He left me in charge of the base." The horse answered. "You did't answer my own question, solider." He didn't seem pleased of not being answered right away.

"Yes sir, I'm the only survivor of my battalion from the border of Galloping Gorge. We were ambushed by Imps. They might have a small force in the territory" Jake answered. While he prefer to speak to a human leader, a leader is a leader.

The pegasus soaked in this information, nodding his head affirmation.

"I'll send this information to the higher ups and send some reinforcements to take care of this." His eyes then became admiring at the human. "Not a lot of men would've done what you did. Rest now solider, you earned it." The pony gave a salute which Jake gave back and he left.

Jake then laid back on his bed. Bandages covering his lower stomach. He contemplated about the events that happen to him. Losing his battalion, hiding from imps, falling down a big hill, and walking away from a standoff with a mare solider unscarred.

He didn't know what had happen to the mare. He kinda didn't care anymore. Whatever happens to the mare later on was not his problem.

Jake rested his eyes to go to sleep. He won't give up joining the fight against the imps. He and his fellow soldiers will stop them and give a good ass kicking. But that day is not today as he wants nothing more but to earn some deserved rest.

Author's Note

Alright! now this is more like it! I hope you enjoyed this and let me know in the comments about what you liked and didn't like. I NEED FEEDBACK!!!!!!!…. Sorry about that, That was my other personality. Rex! say your sorry……..RACIST!!.
Keep on living Bronies. I know I cant' for I am a skeleton

Oh Rex! did you called them the U word!?