In the previous episode.

"You who command the men of war, my people will free me from your wooden castle."

"... I doubt."

and now the rest of your program.

1- She left us peacefully

A race against time had started:

• In one hand James who hoped to arrive in time to save his friend.

• On the other, the 501 Battalion led by one of the most decorated men in the entire Army of Equestria.Who will win, the future will tell but let's get back to the present

"501 Battalion !!!!! "

All then stop moving, paralyzed by the voice of their general

Elsewhere in the desert

James continue his frantic race, he follows the many tracks left by the cavalry

"Easier than I thought, right Mother?""Neighhh"

"... Fort Faust is waiting for us."

He straddled his mount, took his bugle forged in crystal and then blew into it, releasing a sound that even God I couldn't describe it was like he had come from another world.Normally after doing this the company would become as one entity, all moving in unison, as if they shared the same brain ... but this is no longer the case.

"AHHHH MY EARS !!!!"

"It's already time to eat."

"What do we do, boss?"

Everyone was running around, causing even more disorder in a city already turned upside down, Bullet Catcher started to laugh

"Hahaha, your men of war look like frightening baby birds, seeking their mothers to protect them."

BANG !!!

A weapon was heard, no one dares to speak, shout or even laugh any more, all understood that if a single word came out of their mouth it would mean their death. They all ride their mounts in the deepest of calm, Privates Snips was in charge of transporting the prisoner to the Fort and then they finally left Ponyville in a huge cloud of dust.

Meanwhile in the deset of EquestriaI

"' Almost there, I'm almost there !!!"

James continue to rush at full speed in the desert, he seemed inexhaustible because since he read the article he has not stopped shouting that he would save his friends .. but it was not reciprocal, Mother couldn't take it anymore, she began to slow down to the point of not being able to move forward. James noticed it

"Mother ... Mother are you okay?"

James pushed her to the limit

"Mother, forgive me I wanted to go as fast as possible for Bullet ... but I didn't think about you, oh forgive me my dear. "

James started to cry

"It's just .... it's just that it's been a long time since I considered someone a friend, I only had you ... oh Mother"

James put his hand on her birthmark, she was lying in the sand, resting from her frantic run, it was then that they felt a cool wind caress them ... Suddenly Mother stood up, this wind had the effect of a rebirth, in other words nothing could stop her.

"Oh Mother, what's happening to you?"

James didn't understand a thing but it didn't seem to bother him.Mother rushed over him and licked his face

"Hehehe, what are we waiting for, let's go save Bullet!"

James got on his back and Mother reared up

"Yee-Hawwwww !!!!!! We're back in the race !!!!!!"

And both set off again in the desert ... without even noticing the strange white horse in the horizon.

James felt like he was riding not just a horse but quite a stagecoach, he had never rode so fast in his life, as if he sliced the air in his path.

"I see it, Mother! I see Ponyville !!!!"

Ponyville was getting bigger and bigger but about twenty yards from it James noticed that the streets of it were empty.

"They are already gone ... we will stop a little further, my beauty, understood."

"Neigh."

Mother stopped and James continued on foot, he entered the city discreetly, he walked along the walls avoiding the windows, it was his mother who had taught him that ... not to him especially but to his sisters , James did his homework while his sisters prepare for a nocturnal attack under their mother's supervision.

"Quiet, quiet ... I am the shadows incarnate ..."

It's a beginning

James seeing that everything was calm in the main street decided to take a closer look

"There's nothing here ,? Where did they go ?! Tssst, think James how would your sisters do?! ... Nadalia !!!"

James had a flash of genius

"Nadalia, she always finds traces on the land, she is a tracker after all."

James dropped to one knee and looked at the ground

"Yes ... yes I see traces of hoofs, even carts, yes .... They have continued on this path so I will do the same."

James was pleased with himself when he spotted a light out of the corner of his eye.

"Shit, I have to hide and ...." It was then that all the windows of the city lit up ... and the inhabitants woke up

"It's a joke or what !!!"

"What do we have here ?!"

It was the Mayor of Ponyville who was accompanied by her good citizens but James didn't have time for that.

"Madam I'm sorry for all that's happened but I have no time to waste The cavalry are taking my friend away but I've made a promise to save him so please let me go ."

There was a great silence then the Mayor did as usual and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"LET YOU GO!!!!!!!! YOU REALLY DEMAND TO LET YOU GO!!!!!!" She is not happy

"Look around you, you destroyed our beautiful city, you hurt its inhabitants."

James bowed his head in shame

"YOU.....you took everything from us and it was too much for poor Lady SpeedWagon's already weakened heart."

James trembled when he heard the news, he muttered " no...."

"When your sisters left and calm returned, we tried to clean up the aftermatch, we treated the wounds of the Apple family and Miss SugarBelle, we .... we removed Father Pie's body and sent the news to his family....he didn't have a decent funeral."

The mayor started to cry

"During the attack she was surely taking refuge in her house, we find her lying in her bed."Tears flowed in everyone's eyes" S....She hug her wedding photo...she left us peacefully

So believe me when I tell you you won't leave this town alive!"

That's when the Mayor pulled out a gun and pointed it at James.

"You have one last word cowboy."

It was then that James slowly approached the Mayor, then knelt down and placed the end of the gun on his forehead, much to the surprise of the Mayor and the townspeople.

" What is he doing?!"

"He wants to die or what?!"

" Do it!!!"

That's when James spoke "So you couldn't miss me, pull the trigger."

The Mayor seemed to hesitate for the first time in her life, she who wanted to see James at the end of a rope from the beginning and there she could finally end it by pressing a simple trigger.

"How dare you.......DIE!!!!!!"

“NEIGHHHHH!!!!!”

It was then that a neigh was heard

"What's that again!!!!?"

It was Mother who galloped at full speed to join James

" Now!!!" That's when James took a fistful of sand and threw it in the Mayor's eyes

"AHHH!!!!"

"Damn, that worked" He got up and picked up the mayor's gun

The Mayor rubs her eyes while insulting James

"You dirty little rat, you're dead you hear me!!!!"

"I'm sorry but I have to save my friend."

James pushed the Mayor then ran at full speed towards the exit of the city, he was joined by Mother.

" I can do it!"

James gripped the handle of the saddle then with all his strength jumped up, raising his right leg as high as possible.

“Yes!!!! I made it!!!!

bang

A bullet passed close to James, apparently the Mayor has more than one weapon in his sleeve

"Oh shit, faster Mother, faster!!!"

"Come back hereeeeeee!!!!!!!!"

All Ponyville was screaming in anger And both ended up finally leaving this cursed city, they continued as far as possible following the tracks left by the 501, with each meter crossed James felt that he was getting closer to Bullet, that he could fulfill his promise.

"We're going to take a break, Mother."

"Neighhhhh!" James reached into his bag, took out an oatcake and gave it to Mother.

"You deserve it."

"Neighhhhh!"

" Haha, I too should eat something but first let's see the trophy I got from Madam Justice, this weapon must have meant something for her to decide to execute me with it and...... "

James then fell silent when he noticed that this weapon was a silver-plated Schofield revolver with gold tips, a mother-of-pearl stock engraved with an M and an extended barrel of 15 inches

"...How do they get this kind of stuff, I mean this gun in its place in a museum not in the hands of a mayor with anger issues." James put the gun in his bag

"It's time to get back on the road Mother, this Fort Faust shouldn't be far away but I have to find a plan...Hmmm, I'll find it when the time comes."

2- IT'S STILL FRESH!!!!!

In the desert, everything was calm, the wind caressing the sand which rippled in contact with it, the sun shining on it reflecting all the unique colors of the desert. Yes....But that will change because a deafening noise was heard, like a roll of drums but tenfold by 10 no 100...it was the cavalry.

The general leading the convoy, in addition to being one of the most dangerous men, he was one of the fastest riders in all of Equestria and it was thanks to his mount "Spearhead" named in honor of a friend who succumbed to his injuries during the assault on the crystal empire. .... he never recovered but it's not the time to talk about the wounds of the past but the one he will inflict in the future, he was advancing straight towards his goal, nothing can make him deviate of the path he was taking and nothing to trouble his mind...but that was not the case with the idiots who served as his soldiers

Meanwhile, at the end of the convoy

"Snails, when do we stop? My butt hurts from the saddle and I feel uncomfortable because of the other behind me." Snips Pointed Bullet

"Hey...I don't know...Don't think about it Hey." Snails is not a man of words

"My sachem warned me that there are pale faces with slow brains but you....You are beyond comprehension." Bullet had spoken

" What did he say Snails I didn't understand?"

"Hey, he said.....We're pale skinned Hey." What a bunch of idiots. That's when Snips got angry

"My skin is pale because my mum said not to expose me too much to the sun because I risk getting sunburned and then I'll peel everywhere!!!" Oh Snips is really annoying

" Hey...Well said Snips......Hey."

Bullet opened his mouth to say something but in the end he said nothing and fell silent.

" Exactly!"

But Bullet wasn't done, he didn't use his mouth anymore but let his brains do the talking

(You're stuck, they tied your hands but not your legs so you can run but not very far.) That's when he had an idea

"Ahh!!!!! A SCORPION CRAWLS ON YOUR BACK!!!!"

"A SCORPION!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!" That's when Snips freaked out and in his panic he fell from his horse immediately his friend joined him

"Hey....Stay still...I'll shoot him Hey!"

That's when he pulled out his gun and started shooting at his friend... Imagine the scene Snips rolling on the ground to kill his imaginary scorpion while Snails shoots his friend but luckily misses every one of his shots. This alerted the others who came back to witness this pitiful spectacle, all laughing at this and it was at this precise moment that Bullet applied his plan.

"Farewell, men of war."

Bullet took the reins of Snips' horse, although his hands were tied, it didn't bother the maneuver, he had escaped his jailers.

"I must return to my brothers and sister, Little Strongheart I have so much to tell and..."

bang

Bullets fell from the horse, his body hitting the ground and blood flowed from his wounds, mixing with the desert sand.

"Why do I have to do everything?"

The general sheathed his weapon and looked at his soldiers who immediately stopped their nonsense.

"Bring it back to me."

Snips immediately got up from the floor

" Yes sir!!!!" He started heading towards Bullets when the general interrupted him

."The Horse, Soldiers"

Snips was confused and hesitantly said

"And the prisoner?"

The general didn't say anything for several minutes then say

"If he lives"

Private Snips then ran to retrieve "Snipsy Snap" his mount ( how original)

"It's good I'm here, the scorpion that will bury me is not yet born.....maybe."

Then he slowly approached Bullets, this one was on his stomach. Snips hesitated for an instant and ended up turning it around.

" Sorry."

"Aaah"Bullets was lying on his back, he was hit in the shoulder, nothing too bad but he was losing blood and immediately Snips was nauseated because he couldn't stand the sight of blood

"He's alive, gen..Splatch!!!" Snips threw up his meal

Half an hour later

The Battalion had been delayed because it was necessary to treat the wounds, Bullets was not going to die in this desert, no, the general had to take him alive to Tartarus where he would spend the rest of his miserable life

"Tartarus awaits you now." Said the general to Bullets who was now tied up and under surveillance in a wagon of the 501st.

At the other end of the desert

James continue his frantic race following the traces left by the Battalion

"It's much easier that way, isn't it Mother?"

"Neigh!!!"

It was then that James noticed that the tracks tightened as if the convoy had stopped.

"There's been trouble here, we'll stop here Mother"

James approached and realized that at a place where the ground was turned upside down and that there were gun marks and empty cartridges not far away.

"It must have been scorpions." It was then that James noticed hoof marks and footsteps going further west.

"Why are they going that way?."

James followed them when he began to sniff a funny smell

"Sniff-Sniff" James made a funny face

"Ohhh, what's that smell?!!! It smells like baked beans and lard ."

Splouch

"...Left foot...Lucky charm" James just walk in it

That's when he noticed a bloodstain...with Bullets headdress Seeing this, James rushed over and took it in his hands. James looked at him eagerly

"..."

Then he opened his right hand and noticed that there was blood on it, seeing that he ran his left index finger over the headdress and saw that the tip of his finger was red

"....The blood is fresh and there is no body..."

That's when he screamed

" IT'S STILL FRESH!!!!! HAHAHA!!!!!" We lost him

"Hahaha, that means they went through not long ago"

James hissed with his forefinger and thumb and immediately Mother ran to his side (and imagines her face when she sees the hands, as well as James's mouth covered in blood)

"...What...Oh it's nothing, quickly we have to go!!!!"And so James and Mother charged again

Jame was confident he knew that sooner or later he would catch up with them and that he would deliver Bullets and bring him back to his people but nothing is decided yet, fate is a rogue and likes to play with the world and build it like he wants it... But even fate could not prevent the construction of this rampart to the glory of the eternal sun

Fort Faust

Its particularity and its five-pointed star shape, from the main courtyard to three paths, path leading to the West, East and North extremities. Its extremities each contain a block numbered from 1 to 5

1: Jail
2: the infirmary
3: the armory
4: the barracks and General Quarter
5:The reserve

Each Block can become impenetrable vaults in the event of an attack thanks to armored doors allowing them to be separated from each other, because if Block 5 is compromised during an attack it can be closed thus blocking all in one way leading to Block 3 and 1. Blocking the attackers in the main courtyard where they will be exterminated by heavy fire from the defense.

Let's talk about the defences, the Fort is high up which allows a better view, the earth around it was digging creating a basin and the only way to enter or exit is via a drawbridge on both sides of the Fort and in the walls of it was built with a pipe system

How does it work? it's very simple.In case of attack, the system will open by activating a lever that is in the armory releasing modified oil which will flow outside the Fort thanks to the pipe system, the oil outside created a huge black puddle which will ignite creating a veritable wall of flame that will eradicate all traces of the misfortunes that were caught in it.

This Fort was designed to be impregnable....but there is a reason

Because this Fort is the only defense of Canterlot, And if it falls, all Canterlot falls because you see Canterlot is a great civilized city where firearms are not in the belt of every modern citizen, the city has many brave defendant....but not against a horde of organized bandits who would follow the beings who destroyed Fort Faust.

He must never have fallen, and the being charged with defending him has finally arrived.

"Halt, this is Fort Faust. If you have no business with the Equestria army turn back or we will be fired upon!!"

"Is that how you talk to your general, Jasper ?"

Jasper Hoof realized his mistake and panicked.

"General Shining!!! Oh sorry, I didn't see it was you!!"

Jasper Hoof, a young man whom the general had spotted when the 501 was in charge of delivering remedies to all the towns and villages in order to fight against a wave of smallpox, The general accompanied by a doctor's cart was near a village when that they were attacked by bandits who wanted to recover the remedies for them. The bandits surrounded them, the general was the only armed one and the situation was not enviable... it was then that a young man galloped at full speed from the village and started shooting at the bandits armed with a rifle , this made them flee and the general was able to take the remedies safely, this act of courage impressed him and recruited the young man immediately.

Jasper then started screaming

" Lowered the bridge and open the door!!!!!"

The huge Brigde fell and the wooden doors finally opened

"Welcome General, your quarters have been cleaned and tidied up as you requested, will you need something else?"

Shining got off Spearhead, took the reins and gave them to Jasper

"Take him to his box, clean him, feed him then take care of the prisoner."

Confusion was visible on Japser's face.

" A prisoner?" It was then that the carts containing Bullets arrived and an order was given.

"Take him to the infirmary, re-check his wounds then lock him up until we leave for Canterlot. Did you understand, Jasper"

"Yes my General!"

"Good, I'll be in my quarters, disturbing me only if it matters."

General Shining Armor then went to rest after watching Bullets one last time. Jasper then took Bullets to the infirmary.

Fort Fauste Infirmary

Bullets was lying on a table, he was biting a piece of wood to bear the pain he was feeling right now.

“Hnnnnnnng”

"Sorry, but I have no other choice, the bullet did not go through the skin so I have to remove it before it causes lead poisoning....Here it is"

Japser with surgical forceps removed what was left of the bullet that injured Bullets and put it in a small metal basin

cling

"Now I'm going to have to stitch up this nasty wound."

He placed a needle in a pan of water which he boiled, once the pasteurization was completed, he recovered the needle and stitched up Bullets' wound.

" I hope you'll be fine, I'm quite proud of my needlework but it's not the thing I particularly like to do but hey.... a cell is waiting for you now, soldiers I'm done here ."

Bullets was then taken to his cell as Jasper looked on.

"...I hope we won't have trouble with the tribes..."

3-Me mums wonted to wosh it

"We.....We..coming...soon, buddy....Shit, I'm getting tired of the sand."

James and Mother start to be exhausted from the chase but everything is going to end soon, only one more mound of sand to climb and

"...I SEE IT!!!" James screamed with all his remaining strength

"Finally arrived... Sniff I....I thought I would never see it with my own eyes!!! I would like to thank everyone, My father who gave me hope all my life, Mister Chicks who comforted me during dark periods of my childhood and especially, especially Mother!"

James wiped away his tears of joy

"Mother who allowed this magical adventure in this beautiful land!"

James continued his monologue in his madness as Mother descended slowly approached the Fort without being spotted.

"Neighhh" Mother whined to make James come to his senses

"Thank you all and....What Mother....Oh yes the mission!"

At the bottom of the dune, James looked at the Fort while brushing the mane of Mother who had done a good job bringing him here.

"Mmmm...The door will probably be guarded and they will probably lock Bullets in one of the Fort's cells."

James moved forward discreetly to get a closer look and managed to see the entrance, which was indeed guarded. He stared at her for a long time thinking of all the things he could do, then smiled and said

"Hehe, finally I found this plan."

He comes back to Mother and tells her

"My dear, you have before you a new recruit from the Equestria army."

Mother look confused

"You'll see, I'll get into this Fort without problems." And James got back on Mother and headed for the entrance Enter which was guarded by the best of the best soldiers the Battalion could offer

"Said Snails, why do we always have the worst affections."

" Hey....It could...be worse...we could clean...the toilet, Hey." They kept talking when they saw something coming straight at them.

"Look Snails someone is coming!!!!"

"Hey....what?"

They then saw a form move inside a cloud of dust, naturally fearful the boys trembled as they held the incoming threat in their sights. Snips then started talking

"This is Fort Faust, there are plenty of soldiers inside....very bad guys so no sudden moves or I would be forced to shoot and God be my witness, I am aiming very badly!"

"Hey....Yeah!"

It was then that the cloud stopped and slowly fell, gradually revealing the silhouette of James and Mother. To the surprise of the two accomplices, he was not a bandit but a civilian

"...Who are you and what are you doing here, buddy?" Snips was confused

"Hey....You're a civilian."

James smiled, got off Mother's back and confidently approached the two before saying in a loud, solemn voice.

"...I too am a soldar , !!!"

James panicked and instead of the loud tone he wanted to sound, he took on the voice of a deep country bumpkin.

Inside James's Head ( Shit!!!!!!!)

The two friends looked at each other as he knew something was wrong and then Snips spoke.

"If you're a soldier, where is your uniform?"

James face disintegrated and said weakly

"...My mum wonted to wash it b'cause it was all dostea and me mum doesn't like dost, she says dost....is Satan's mud."

They looked at each other again

"....My mother also washes my clothes, afterwards they smell like lavender" Snips smiles

"Hey....Come home...we'll give you....a new....uniform."Snail is still slow

" Good idea Snails, I too will take another one so I will have two:

• One for the week
  -The other one for my mom

James couldn't believe it, his plan had worked, only because he had found two idiots who are more stupid than him. Snips turned to James and said

"Follow us, we'll show you the reserve." Snips turned to the door again and shouted "Hey lower the bridge and open the door , we forgot one of ours outside!!!"

There was a long silence and then the door finally opened. Snails looked at James and said

"Hey....After you..."

"Thank U Buddy"

James had succeeded, he had entered Fort Faust with Mother, he only needed a uniform and he could finally save his friend

"The stash is over there and...." Snips was cut off by Jasper

"What's going on here? Why is there a civilian inside the Fort?!"

"Hey....He's not.....civilian.....he's with.....us..." I pray Snails shoots faster than he talks then Snips spoke in turn

"Yeah, he's a soldier like us."

"So why isn't he in uniform?" Said Jasper tiredly

"....Me mum wosh it..." James spoke

In front of this beautiful skewer of champion Jasper did not know how to act, he sighed and said

(Sight) "The mass recruitment of the army..." Jasper looked at James

"What's your name soldier?"

"uhhhhhhhhh" James was trapped because he couldn't tell the enemy his name

"uhhhhhhhh.....Billy, Hill Billy jr, sar!"

Jasper widened his eyes and said nothing for a moment before finally saying

"Is this a joke soldier?"

"No...Dat me dad name too."

Jasper closed his eyes and said quietly

"Be nice Jasper, he may be missing some neurons but he's a soldier..."

Snips and Snails looked at each other

"Go back to your posts and stay there."

"SIR YES SIR"
"YES SIR YES" And the two friends left

"Private Bill, go to the reserve and get a new uniform then come back here, I have a mission for you."

James smiled and said

" Yes Sar.....Where da reserve?

"...follow this path, it will take you to the reserve understood?." Jasper pointed the path who lead do the Bloc 5

" Ooooh.....thank u."

"You're welcome, now faster."Jasper clapped his hands and Billy ran there with all his might.

4- Now you look like a soldier

Fort Faust reserve

James or rather Billy got what he needed to be able to walk in the Fort without compromising his mission, he got a uniform and got dressed.

"Hehehe, blue suits me pretty well."

Billy in his brand new uniform walked out of the storeroom and back to Jasper who smiled at the sight of him.

"Ho do I look, Sar?"

Billy was looking good in his Dark blue shell-jacket, sky blue pants and black boots without forgetting his kepi under the watchful eyes of Jasper who approached him

"Give me your kepi."

Billy was confused

"...Kay"

Jasper straightened the visor then put it back on Billy's head."it's better....Now you look like a soldier."

Hearing this Billy had a big smile

"Now, listen to me rookie, your new mission will be to watch over a prisoner, this one is in Block 1, it's the one north of the Fort, understood."

Billy stopped smiling and said calmly and seriously

" Yes sir....."

"Good"

Jasper walked away and James said in a low voice

"My plan is in motion"

The End

Author's Note

Here is a new chapter of this story, thank you for reading it, I will be interested in a new, more heroic world.
See ya