Author's Note

Sorry if this chapter is too short or not very good, I just got done with having surgery after I broke my arm playing football, I'm well and fine now and have been for awhile I've mainly just been suffering from the plague known as writers block, but I did promise I'd get another chapter out soon, so here it is!

I still need an editor and proof reader, if your interested contact me at rohanstew@outlook.com

Also a quick shout out to alexthereader for being a very patient dude (or dudette.) in waiting for another chapter. It's nice to know I have folks like you who want to read my story! :3

Flashbacks and the Cutie Mark Blues

Fire, gunfire, the smell of burnt flesh and gunpowder in the air. I hear screaming as the Humvee ahead of me bursts into fire from an explosion caused by an IED underneath it. The smell of blood is thick in the air as bullets slam into doors of our Humvee. Edwards had already opened fire with the .50 Caliber gun mounted on the Humvee. I flung the door open and jumped out running using the door as cover as more shots slammed into the vehicle.

I hear an explosion and a body is flung past me missing his left arm. I cursed under my breath after seeing he was the Lieutenant in charge of the platoon of soldiers ahead of us. I feel someone grab my shoulder, " Cap'n, we're going to be fuckin' sitting ducks here if we don't do something! We walked right into this fucking trap bastards are all around us, pretty sure I saw an RPG so this fuckin' thing is an armored death trap for us! " I hear Perkins shout to me as he aims over the door of the Humvee letting off two shots with his MK11.

" I know Sergeant this shit is FUBAR! God damn so much for a supply convoy! Trucks are absolutely fucked if the hundreds of bullets flying into them mean anything," I shouted while popping out of my cover and firing on an insurgent who was stupid enough to try to rush our position while spraying wildly with his AK47. The bullets fly into his unprotected chest destroying his organs and causing blood to start spurting out from where he was shot in the heart.

Suddenly I heard a loud gasp and what sounded like a small child starting to cry out of shock and fear. I quickly spun around and and was completely shocked to see a small Luna standing there bawling and staring at everything in shock and terror. In seeing this I was knocked out of the dream state I was in and everything in the background seemed to fade out of focus as I ran over to grab the filly and pull her into a hug blocking out the rest of the dream, all that could be heard was faint gunfire and screams in the background as I try to comfort her.

" Shh, Shh little one don't look, please don't look just relax, please calm down, " I gently whisper to her patting her back and managing to slowly calm her down. " Now, how in the name of the lord are you hear Luna? You shouldn't be here, " I whisper to her continuing to pat her back.

" I-I saw y-you were having a bad dream M-Mr. Gerald a-and I w-wanted to help s-s-so I tried to use my magic and I-I didn't know w-what would happen, I-I just m-m-manged to come in a-and ... I-I wanted to make you feel b-better, "

" It's alright Luna, please calm down. I'm sorry you had to see that... It wasn't a dream. It was a memory. I need you to not do that anymore for either me or the others..... It's not appropriate for you... You're too young to see horrors like this, " I say to her looking her in her teal eyes. She nods slowly, but my eye is driven to a new marking on her flank. It appears to be a sort of crescent moon on a black background. "Luna, when did you get this?" I inquire gesturing to mark. As she turns her head towards it her eyes brighten up and she lets out a loud happy squeal shouting "I GOT MY CUTIE MA-"

I awoke with a jerk to see Celestia prodding me in the face with her hoof. I stare at her for a full minute before we both burst out laughing from the awkwardness of it. I sit up looking at her to see her staring at me with the brightest smile I think I've ever seen and then she precedes to loudly and happily exclaim "I GOT MY CUTIE MARK GERALD!' While pointing to a mark on her flank.

I try to hold in my laughter at the words 'cutie mark' and say "O-oh *pfft* that's g-*pft* good Tia, now could you just explain what that is?" I ask grinning at her.

"Oh sure I'd absolutely love to!" She exclaims happily before starting into an explanation of a cutie mark and how it represents a ponies special talent in life and that they get them when they discover what their special talent is.

"Uh-huh...so what is your talent Tia?" I ask.

"Raising the sun and Luna's is raising the moon!" She casually exclaims as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole fucking world.

I stare at her completely gob smacked for what must have been quite a long time as she started to look kind of upset and poked at me. "A-are you okay Gerald?" She asked looking up at me.

"I-I'm completely fine....It's not as if I've just had my entire understanding of the laws of physics and space destroyed by a ten year old and a twelve year old....Not like that at all. In fact I think I need to lay down now, have a good afternoon world!" I exclaim before passing out from the shock of it all.