The Horrors Of War

Edward and the other soldiers ran to the town edge, aiming their weapons. Snipers were on the roofs, and the Browning was mounted on a Japanese tank wreck.

A tank rolled up the hill, then another, until there were six tanks rolling towards the town. The ponies screamed and galloped away, leaving Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Celestia, the guards, and the CMC the only ponies in Ponyville.

Edward's eyes widened. He set down his BAR and put his fingertips in his mouth. He let out a long whistle, before stopping.

It was silent for a moment, before a long similar whistle replied back.

Edward smiled. "Weapons down!", he yelled.

Twilight's eyes widened as the Americans just let the tanks roll towards the town. But something seemed different about these tanks.

These ones were green.

"Hellcats and Greyhounds!", a soldier said.

"Jeeps!", Edward said.

Three M-18 Tank Destroyers, two M-4 Sherman tanks, two M-8 Greyhounds, three M-3 Halftracks, and four Willys MB jeeps were rolling towards the town of Ponyville.

"Didn't expect the whole damned armored division.", a soldier said.

"Nah...that's more than an armored division.", another trooper said.

The vehicles rolled into town, blocking small paths, and filling the town square.

"Nice to see another human face. Name's Jones.", the tank commander said.

"You're a gunner. Where's your commander?", Edward asked.

"We may sound crazy...but we found ourselves in some forest. Our commander looked outside, and a giant five headed monster snatched him out the hatch! We bolted right after he was swallowed.", Jones said. "I was next up the line, so...I'm in charge now, I guess."

Edward gestured to the ponies behind him. "Think what you went through was crazy? We fought Japs with talking and flying ponies runnin' around."

Jones snorted, as he spun the 1935 Browning Hi-Power in his hand. "Well, damn.", he said.

"Sir, there's enough room in these vehicles for us to get outta here!", a soldier said.

"Mighty fine, there!", Jones said. "Wanna get outta this hellhole?"

"Well, we kinda agreed to help protect these ponies...", Edward said.

"What? Why'd you do that, don't you wanna get home?", Jones asked.

"Yeah, but I don't think we can get back...and we're alien here, so I'd rather be friends with these things rather than fight off the whole world.", Edward said.

Jones scoffed. "Kinda ridiculous, but what the hell? I wouldn't wanna fight that much either.", he said.

Then a pink pony with a pink mane and a pink tail zoomed up to Jones and Edward.

"Friends? You wanna be friends?", she said in an energetic tone. Jones and Edward fell over in surprise.

"What the hell?", Jones spluttered.

"You know what this calls for? PARTY!!", the pink pony yelled, as she pulled out a blue cannon on wheels from her poofy mane. She fired a massive burst of confetti into the air, startling everyone.

"Germans!!", a soldier yelled. All the vehicles started rolling, the soldiers running around in panic.

Jones and Edward watched as a Hellcat and a Greyhound collided by accident, while the soldiers all started running around, yelling.

A Sherman rolled over the pony's cannon by accident, and the loud "CRUNCH" made everything stop.

The pink pony froze with a look of horror on her features. The Sherman rolled forward again, revealing a flattened pile of blue metal, with the Sherman's track prints on it.

"Uh oh.", Twilight said.

"Uhh, Pinkie? Just calm down, OK? Pinkie Pie?", Applejack said, cautiously approaching the pink pony.

"Pinkie?", Jones muttered.

Pinkie looked ready about to scream, but the moment everyone cringed away, she let out a breath.

"Okie doki!", she said. "I have another one anyway."

She pulled another cannon out of her mane. This one looked EXACTLY like the one the tank had accidentally run over.

Everyone blinked, before scooting nervously away from the physics defying pony.

"This is Pinkie Pie...", Twilight awkwardly introduced.

The tank driver stepped out of the hatch. "Sorry about...that.", he said.

"It's OK, William!", Pinkie chirped.

The driver blinked. "How'd you know my name?", he asked.

"Guessed.", Pinkie said, rather nonchalantly.

William slowly lowered himself in the hatch again, before shutting the hatch door.

"So, let's have a 'Celebrate Alien Arrival & Victory' PARTY!!", Pinkie Pie cried.

Pinkie Pie zipped away and soon reappeared, setting massive tables of food and a giant dance floor, as well as party decorations on the tanks and cars.

A giant music platform was set up, and hip hop music started playing.

Unfortunately, hip hop music was not a thing in America at the time, so there was music playing all over the town, and the two hundred American soldiers were just standing there, awkwardly looking around.

Pinkie Pie frowned. "Come on, dance! You don't have music like this in your world?", she asked.

"No...this technically doesn't count as music.", Jones said.

"Boss, look what I found!", a soldier said. He was dragging a grand piano out of a house. The piano was dusty with a couple splinters on it, but it was still in good shape.

"Hey, you wanna play it?", Edward asked.

"Yes, sir.", the soldier said. He sat down and tested the keys first, before he began to play the song, "Swinging On A Star".

"Hey, the band's here, right?", Edward asked.

Several soldiers walked up. "Yes, sir?", one asked.

"Are there any orchestra instruments here?", Edward asked.

"I think so.", Rarity said. A couple ponies left and came back with some orchestra instruments. They were a little small for humans, but they still worked.

"Alright, who here can sing?", Edward asked.

No one spoke up.

"OK...I'm up.", Edward said.

Pinkie Pie switched off the music, and the piano resumed playing. Soon, the soldiers that were in a band began to play.

The lieutenant cleared his throat and began to sing.

"Would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a pig?

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig

Or would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook
He can't write his name or read a book
To fool the people is his only thought
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish

A new kind of jumped-up slippery fish
And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So, you see it's all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin' on a star"

The song ended, and everypony stared at the performing soldiers. The other soldiers started applauding and cheering at the song.

Twilight slowly got up, wincing at the injury, before slowly walking to Edward.

"That...that was a good song, but the thing is...", Twilight said, before pointing at two mules, one old female, and one slightly older male. The male was glaring at the soldiers, while the female was awkwardly standing.

"Oh...no offense.", Edward added.

"None taken. Let's go, dear.", the female mule said, before dragging her husband away.

"Other than that, that was an amazing performance. Why'd you become a soldier rather than a performer?", Rarity asked.

"Since the war started, we all had to join. We got drafted.", Edward explained. "And believe me, I was a singer back before the damn Japs attacked Pearl Harbor."

"What's Pearl Harbor?", Rainbow Dash asked. She'd finally flown down after looking for other Pegasi.

"I'll...explain later.", Edward said.

"Wars are horrible. Why do we need to fight?", Twilight asked.

"Because they do."

Celestia looked up. "I've ruled Equestria for hundreds of years, and I learned that peace can never flourish without conflict.", she said.

Edward nodded. "That's something a friend of mine said.", he said.

Celestia frowned. "Your world seems to take that saying seriously.", she said.

"When a dictator goes after you because the last war went badly for them, yeah.", Edward said.

"How many wars have you had?", Celestia asked.

"My history? My first one. But in history of the whole world, at least twenty.", Edward said. Everypony gasped in shock.

"How're you still sane?", Rainbow Dash asked.

"Probably because I was taken here before I could even fight.", Edward said. Twilight's ears lowered in shame.

"I wanted to fight Germans, not those suicidal pricks.", a soldier said.

Celestia stomped her hoof. "I don't want to hear anything about killing or harm in any way.", she said, sternly.

Edward and the other soldiers looked up at the princess.

"All due respect, killing and dying is what we do.", Edward said.

"Not today. Not while you're here. You're going to live life, and spread friendship and love just like we all do.", Celestia said.

The soldiers snickered and coughed at how cheesy that line was. Celestia sensed it too, and she blushed slightly, looking down and shuffling her hoof on the dirt.

Then a soldier walked up, holding one of Pinkie Pie's cupcakes. Frosting was caked around his lips.

"Lieutenant, you have to try these.", he said, a big grin on his face.