Chapters My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 1: The Thief and The Thunder
Pinkie Pie awakens with a shock in her bed. She sits upright, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she does and looks around. She's lying in her soft bed in the room that the Cakes have allowed her to sleep in ever since she first came to Ponyville.
She breathes a sigh of relief. Nothing wrong in her room, nope, all is as it should be.
She smiles and lies her head back down on the pillow, but instead of the soft, feathery pillow that she always sleeps with (except when it's being washed, then she uses a different one with a big, pink balloon on it) she feels all too familiar scales upon her cheek.
She can't help but laugh a little as she lifts her head to look upon her favourite little alligator.
Gummy is standing on her pillow with his trademark, stoic and emotionless expression that only she, for some reason, can understand. Weird, you'd think after so long her friends would begin to understand him just as well as she does. Oh well.
”Yeah, Gummy? What's up?” She asks him in a quiet voice so as to not awaken the twins sleeping in their room just down the hall. Sometimes they sleep like rocks, other times like...hmm, what sleeps light and awakens easily? A dragon? A timberwolf? A timberdragon?
Before she can reach a conclusion, the room lights up from a lightning strike outside followed mere moments later by a thunderous roar, which in turn is followed by the heavy pitter patter of rain against her window.
”Hmm.” Pinkie muses and gets up out of bed, placing Gummy upon her back, before she tip hooves over to her window to look outside.
She can't see much of Ponyville through the rain and darkness, but there isn't much to see anyway. Most ponies have gone to sleep by now, and those who haven't were probably out for some late night partying with friends or at a bar.
Although a night party would have been pretty fun to attend, she can't, atleast not tonight. She's promised Mr. and Mrs. Cake to watch Sugarcube Corner and the twins while they were at a baking convention in Canterlot, so for tonight she's all alone at home.
Well, except for Gummy and the twins of course.
”Did the thunder scare you, Gummy?” She turns her head and asks her alligator, who blinks slowly in return, not letting a single sound escape his maw.
”Aw, it's okay, Gummy, I think it can be scary sometimes too, but remember what Granny Pie said about being scared?” Pinkie doesn't wait for an answer, instead, she takes a deep breath and, still in a quiet voice, begins to sing.
”When I was a little filly and the sun- ” Suddenly, she hears another loud thundering noise, except this time it's coming from downstairs, in the bakery kitchen.
Pinkie blinks, then blinks again. Maybe one of the twins has somehow gotten out of the crip, climbed down the stairs and started causing mayhem?
That has to be it.
After all, what else can it be? A thief?
”Nah, I don't know any thieves. Except Gilda, but that was only once. I think.” Pinkie didn't want to think ill of Gilda, especially after she saved her and Rainbow Dash back in Griffonstone, buuuuuuut.
She slowly opens the door that leads out to the hall. She takes a peak towards the stairs, then at the twins' door.
Nothing seems to be amiss in the hall, but she should probably still check their room, just to make sure they're still in bed and asleep.
With Gummy still on her back, she continues to tip hoof over to the twins' room, making sure to be as quiet as a mouse, or a fly.
Those nasty flies. One time, she was trying to bake a cake for Fluttershy's birthday, and there was this fly that just WOULD NOT-.
She shakes her head. Now is not the time for an inner monolouge about cake and flies: she has to check on the twins.
She opens the door and heads silently over to the crip, only to find that both Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake are lying there, sleeping soundly away in foal dreamland with occasional small snores.
Pinkie breathes a sigh of relief. ”Well, guess it's not you two who made the noise.” She whispers before leaning down to plant a kiss on each of their foreheads, making them wiggle their little hooves, trying to catch whatever touched them in their sleep.
”Pinkie...” Pound mumbles, followed by his sister, ”Pie...”
'Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw.' Pinkie nearly sheds a tear of joy. That always helps to make her day, no matter how many cupcakes got burned or how many rude customers she had.
”But if it isn't them,” Pinkie closes the door behind her when she's exited the room, and heads for the stairs once she's back in the hall. When she reaches the top of the stairs, she listens closely for any possible sounds over the thunder and rain.
For a few moments there's nothing, but when a particularily loud thunder crack roars outside, she hears what sounds like another bowl hitting and smashing onto the wooden floor followed shortly by a yelp from somepony downstairs.
Oh, she hopes the twins didn't hear that as she winces a bit, listening for any babies crying.
A few moments pass by, and, thankfully, no noise comes from their room
”Pehew.” She sighs, happy they didn't wake up, but now what should she do?
It sounds like somepony is down in the bakery, maybe a thief who's stealing all their baking utensils! But why would a thief steal those? Don't they have their own kitchen? Or maybe the thief is homeless, and when he saw how deliciously delicious Sugarcube Corner looks, maybe he thought he could steal some cupcakes.
If that was the case, Pinkie certainly wouldn't mind giving the poor pony a cupcake or three. Infact, she'll happily stay up a couple hours to bake for a pony in need, especially since afterwards they might even become her newest friend!
Pinkie becomes a bit giddy at the thought, smiling to herself when she thinks of the fun things she'll soon be doing with her new thief friend. If they're a thief, they'd have to be really good at sneaking, so they could help her get back at Rainbow after that last round of pranks.
But what if it's not a nice thief? What if it's a big and really nasty thief? Aha, of course!
”If the thief turns out to be a nasty pony, you'll protect me, won't you Gummy?” Pinkie says in a hushed voice and turns her head to Gummy.
He blinks.
”Ah, my hero!” She hugs his little form close before she lets him go, steels herself, and begins to head down the stairs.
When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she can see light coming from within the kitchen, but it's not bright enough to be from the ceiling lamp. Puzzled, Pinkie makes her way to the open door and peers her head inside.
The fridge stands completely open, full of cakes of various kinds, shedding its light throughout the kitchen. Surrounding the fridge are the remains of cupcakes and muffins that look like they were devoured by a starving animal: there are crumbs all around the floor, and the paper packing of the cupcakes and muffins have been bitten into, presumably eaten as well along with the actual pastries.
Pinkie turns her head to the right side of the kitchen where the counter and the drawers are that store the utensils for bakery. She nearly gasps loudly and quickly retracts her head when she spots a figure kneeling infront of one of the windows to the outside world.
”It is a thief, Gummy!” She whispers to her scaly pet before she ever so slowly pokes her head through the bat doors again, squinting her eyes to try and get a better look. It looks like its resting one of it forelegs on the counter to the window as it peers out, like it's looking for something.
”Wait,” Those aren't frontlegs, they're arms, kind of like Spike's except much bigger and longer. Actually, comparing it to Spike isn't too much of a stretch. Looking it over, it seems to be kneeling on one knee while its other hoof stands firmly planted on the floor.
It wears some odd looking clothes that cover its entire body. On its head is a metallic looking hat that looks like some kinda soup bowl, and in its right hand that rests close to the counter top, hidden from view of anypony that might look through the window, is an object that also looks metallic with a grey colour and an odd L shape.
Good thing Rarity isn't here or she'd faint at the mere sight of this thing's clothes.
Pinkie's eyes travel back towards the fridge, where she notices a trail of crumbs from the fridge to where the thing is kneeling now. Besides the crumps, she can also see the remains of two ceramic bowls shattered on the ground. Those must have been the things she heard shatter on the floor earlier.
'It must have been starving, I mean, why else would it devour my cupcakes like that?' Pinkie can understand being really hungry for cupcakes, but she's never been so hungry she went and stole somepony else's cupcakes.
A sour pout crosses her libs when she has a realizing thought, 'Still, it could have asked instead of just taking from the fridge. I'd be happy to spend a bit of time baking if it meant feeding somepony in need.'
Pinkie begins to think a bit more, 'Not a pony, though, it's shaped more like a diamond dog would.'
She shakes her head to try and regain her focus, 'No time for thinking on that, it's still a thief! Buuuuuuut, I suppose I can't blame it if it was so hungry it was willing to break into somepony's home to steal it.'
Pinkie took a deep breath. No matter what she had to try and talk to it, to see if she could help it in some way. She becomes giddy again at the thought that maybe she can get a new thief friend.
'A thief friend sounds really sneaky. Oh, I can't wait to try all the fun pranks we're going to do together!'
Just as she's about to step forward towards the crouching figure, another thought strikes her, 'But what if it's not a nice thief? What if it's actually a big and nasty thief that wants to rob Sugarcube Corner!'
Pinkie pushes the thought out of her mind, 'No, I won't think like that! If there's anything I've learned from Zecora, it's to never judge anypony based on how they look. Besides, Gummy said he'll protect me. He'd never let anypony harm me.'
With a self assuring nod, Pinkie goes out from behind the doors and slowly approaches the being. Can it be a diamond dog? Those are the only things she knows that fits the way this thing looks. Or maybe it's a small minotaur.
Pinkie gasps inside herself so as not to alert the maybe-diamond-dog-maybe-minotaur, 'Maybe it's a minotaur baby that got seperated from its mom!' Pinkie certainly doesn't want to be seperated from her mom in a big, strange place with weird looking creatures in a town that gets attacked once a week by something straight out of a Daring Doo book.
Maybe Rainbow knows if there's a part where a diamond dog or minotaur breaks into Daring Doo's kitchen and eats all her pastries.
When she gets closer, she can see a bag at its side that's being held in place by a strap that's slung over the thing's head. It looks full, but she can't tell what's inside it. Besides that, she can now see that its clothes are really brown, like dirty, icky mud.
...No wait, they're blue, but just really, really dirty. There's also specks of a red colour smeared all over it, as if it took a bath in strawberry juice, the kind that's really hard to get out of your clothes. It smells pretty bad too, kinda like Winona when she hasn't been bathed in a week, and has slept in the barn with the big, fluffy pigs that week.
When she gets to within 2 meters of the thing, she raises her hoof in a friendly wave like manner, but before she manages to speak, the bright light of lightning shines through the kitchen, briefly illuminating everything, before it's followed not a second later by the roaring of thunder.
The figure reacts violently as it begins to shake heavily, and its hand quickly smacks onto its metal helmet, pushing it further down on its head. She can hear its ragged breath while it shakes before it says something barely above a whisper, but thanks to the pitter patter of the rain Pinkie can't hear what it is.
”Uh, hello?” Pinkie asks carefully after she swallows the massive lump in her throat. She's never been this nervous about talking to anypony before, at least not since meeting the yaks of Yakyakistan. Then again, this isn't exactly a pony or a yak.
It didn't seem to hear her, though, as its gaze has returned to looking outside the window out into the cold, dark night of Princess Luna. It seems dead set on scanning all that's outside, looking for anything, anypony, but Pinkie has no idea why it wants to do so.
”Hello?” She tries again, ”Can-can you understand me?” She takes a few steps closer.
”I-I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name?” Even though she's as nervous as she is, she still puts on her friendliest and biggest smile possible.
It seemed to hear her this time, as it gives a tiny jump before it turns around so quickly it gives Pinkie a shock and makes her reel a bit. ”Oh, great, I was worried-” Pinkie stops midsentence as her face turns from one of pure joy and eagerness to make a new friend to one of shock as she finally sees its features up close
Its muzzle is almost completely flat with a tiny nose that rests above its mouth. It doesn't seem to have any fur except a mess of hair on top of its head that pokes out from underneath the helmet along with a light beard. She can clearly tell that this is neither a diamond dog nor a minotaur.
What catches her attention the most, though, is its small eyes that are...empty. She'd heard a pony once say that the eyes are the window to the soul, but its eyes are completely devoid of emotion, of any feeling or spark of life. It's as if it was just a doll with pony like eyes that's starring at her.
No, wait, there is one emotion she can see, or maybe that's just her own reflection she's seeing in its eyes: fear, fear is rampant in its eyes, the kind of fear that a cornered animal will have when it knows there's nothing else to do but fight.
”A-are you okay?” She asks with worry upon seeing how lifeless its face and eyes look.
Instead of answering, the thing points the grey, metallic object in its hand right at her. There's a barrel at the end pointed at her that looks like a miniature party canon.
As Pinkie stares down the barrel, she can't help but look up in order to make direct eye contact with it. Its eyes are a light brown colour and completely bloodshot, as if it had been awake for days or had cried alot. There are small scratch wounds on its cheeks as well, as if it has dragged its claws down its cheeks with enough force to tear off the skin, with dried blood smeared all over its face.
It's a gross fascination she feels as she looks into its eyes and features, for even though they're terrifying her to her very core with just how emotionless the eyes are and how bloody its face is, she can't make herself look away.
”H-how'd this happen?” She whispers more to herself than it. Her terror mixes with worry as a near paternal instinct comes over her, like with the twins. She wants to try and help it, to try and do whatever is needed for it to get its spark of life back.
But right now there's nothing in its gaze except rampant fear and a steely determination to live.
Pinkie likewise steels herself and slowly brings her hoof forward, ”I-I want to help you, please, let me help you, you must be so hungry and frightened.” She tries desperately, hoping that it'll recognize her gesture as one of friendship and of wanting to help.
It stares at her hoof, then slowly lowers the mini cannon. ”Yes, that's right, no one'll hurt you. How about I sing a song about being scared?” Pinkie's songs seems to always calm ponies down in scary situations, maybe she can calm them both down with one?
”When I was a little filly and the sun was going do -”
Just then, another crack of lightning comes with roaring thunder, and the being cries out in a distinctly male voice before the room lights up again as a loud bang rings through the room. Pinkie can see smoke rising from the barrel of the cannon, and a look of horror resurfaces on her face as she slowly looks behind herself.
On the wall behind her is a shelf where a fine collection of some of the best ingredients for cake baking sits. These ingredients had cost a lot of bits, and some the Cakes had gotten from Zecora. There's a particular brown sugar that Zecora had been kind enough to mix up for them, which was a traditional sugar mix from her homeland.
The tiny bag that had held the sugar on the shelf is now ripped apart with brown sugar all over the shelf and floor, and in the wall itself behind where the bag sat is now a small hole through which a pony could peek.
Click click
She freezes, standing stock still, before she slowly returns her gaze to the crouching figure. The barrel of the cannon is pointing directly between her eyes. 'I-it wants to kill me?! Why?!' Her flight instinct finally takes over, and she bolts for the batwing doors of the kitchen.
Just as she reaches them, another loud bang rings out, and this time the projectile slams into the batwing door mere inches from her, leaving a hole in the door that goes straight through it.
She turns her head, looking at it with a terrified look. It looks at her with a scary determination, a determination to live, to survive...to kill.
Her mind screams at her to run, to get the twins and run away from this thing, this thing that wants to kill her! She has to get the twins and get somepony who can help!
She can see how it places its thumb upon the back of the cannon and pulls back. Click click
Before it can fire its cannon again, Pinkie bolts out the doors and runs as quickly as she can up the stairs. She clicks her teeth together, a look of pure desperation clear on her face before she practically breaks down the door to the twins room, only to find them awake and leaning on the rail to the crip with their front legs.
They look confused and scared up at her. They must have awoken when the thing fired its cannon.
”Sorry, guys, no time to explain, but we gotta get outta here!” Pinkie nearly screams the last part at them, making them shy away from her before she quickly scoops them up in her hooves, and throws them onto her back along with Gummy, whom they both hug close as their eyes dart around in fear and confusion.
She runs back down the stairs, casting a last glance towards the batwing doors that leads to the kitchen. She notices now that the cannon's projectile hit the cash register where it's blown apart the "s" key.
She swallows before more thunder roars, yet this time it's followed by a gut wrenching, terrible scream from within the kitchen. At the sound of the scream, the twins begin crying themselves, but whether they're spooked by the thunder or the scream she's not sure of.
She can't stay here, though: if it wants to kill her, then the twins...no, she can't take that chance. She runs out of the main entrance of Sugarcube Corner, out into the dark streets of Ponyville towards the home of the only pony she can think of who can help.
”Oh, please, please, please be awake, Twilight.”
End of Chapter 1: The Thunder and The Thief
My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 2: They Shall Not Pass Part 1
Chapter 2: They Shall Not Pass
Part 1
He can hear them...
They're outside....
They're planning to assault, to attack, charge and capture him, to kill him and display him like a trophy, to be paraded around as if he was a fox that had been hunted for sport.
He peeks out of one of the windows. He can see them. They're six in total, small and colourful, looking like small ponies, but he won't be fooled.
It's a trick, he knows it's a trick. They're trying to confuse him, make him lower his guard as he did when the pink one was in front of him.
But it won't happen again: he knows what they're up to.
No, no they won't dislodge him, they won't take him. At least, not alive.
He shakes a bit, in exitement or fear he's not sure, as he slowly opens his napsack and looks inside. There's some bullets inside, but none that'll fit the revolver, along with a cylinder shaped object with a removable cap at the top.
A manic grin spreads across his face. He's got a surprise for them they won't see coming.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle gazes with an observant eye at Sugarcube Corner, looking for any signs of it, even the slightest hint of the creature inside that Pinkie Pie met. Then, barely visible through the dark window, she sees it for the briefest of moments, wearing the steel helmet that her friend described, before it dissapears back into the darkness.
She squints her eyes, trying to get another glimpse of it, but gives up after a few moments of nothing. She turns her head to her friends, all gathered in a hurried fashion after Pinkie burst into her castle and screamed her name as she ran all the way to her room.
She was up after the second scream, but Pinkie wouldn't stop shouting until she used magic to close her mouth for a moment to get her to take a deep breath.
Once the situation had been explained, they gathered the rest of their friends from their various homes. They all look tired, particularily Rarity, who'd complained on the way that being awoken from her beauty sleep was terrible for her complexion.
Still, she's gathered them for a reason.
"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here." She begins.
"I'll say," Rarity mumbles in a less than pleased manner, "do you know how long my process for getting ready for bed is?"
"Oh, can it, Rarity," Now it's Applejack who interjects, "Ah'm sure Twilight's got a reason fer draggin' us out here in the middle of the night."
"Is Equestria in danger? Oh, are we gonna fight a big, scary monster?!" The exitement in Rainbow Dash's voice is only matched by the exitement that shines in her eyes at the thought of getting into a hoof fight with a big, bad, horrific creature.
"D-do you really think it's a-a big and scary monster?" Fluttershy's voice begins to quiver at the mere thought of whatever beastly monstrosity hides away inside Sugarcube Corner.
"I hope it's got fangs, oh! And claws, and really big, red eyes that can suck out you soul in an instant!" Rainbow continues and gazes up at the sky with a wide grin as her wings make her hover above the ground a little while her hooves rub against one another.
"I'm sorry to dissapoint, Rainbow," Twilight Sparkle breaks Rainbow out of her monster fighting fantasy to bring her back to reality, "but it's got none of those things."
"Aw, really?" Rainbow's exitement is shattered like glass to be replaced with sheer dissapointment all over her face as she slumbs down and lands on the ground again. "Way to burst a bubble, Twilight."
"Sorry, Rainbow, but based on what Pinkie Pie says, this may be a creature we've never seen before."
"Really? Well, how does it look?" Rarity asks and turns her head to Pinkie Pie who's remained silent throughout the exchange. After they'd gotten their friends Pinkie had been unusally quiet and not her usual, bubbly self.
Twilight figures this is likely because the creature tried to kill her, but it may well be something else they need to talk about in greater depth later. For now, though, her friends wants answers, and frankly so does she.
"Go on, Pinkie," She encourages her friend in a reassuring manner, making sure to speak as gently as she can, "tell us what you saw."
Pinkie's eyes darts between her friends. She seems to consider what to say before she sighs and takes a deep, calming breath, releasing the air before she begins.
"I-it sorta looks like a bigger and taller version of Spike." She manages to say in a shaky voice, making Applejack place a reassuring hoof on her shoulder along with a gentle smile, "Go on, Sugarcube."
Pinkie Pie can't help but smile to her dear friend, "It didn't have any hair on its body, but it had a little beard, and I think I saw some hair underneath its helmet."
"It wore a helmet?" Fluttershy asks, her interest having been piqued now too upon hearing there wasn't much dragon about this thing.
"Yeah, it wore a blue helmet and had a big, blue coat on that was really, really dirty and...bloody."
"Bloody?" Twilight asks with a quizicall gaze, "Bloody how, excatly?"
"Well, it looked as if blood had been sprayed on it, or if somepony filled a balloon with it and then threw that balloon on the ground infront of it."
Twilight looks at her friends' reactions. It's a mixture of disgust, strange fascination and, on Fluttershy's part, worry.
"Oh, no, do you think the poor thing's hurt?" She says as her natural tendency for kindness flares up while she looks with worry towards Sugarcube Corner.
"I-it had scratch marks on its cheeks, as if it had been clawed in the face like this," To illustrate, Pinkie drags her hoof quickly down her cheek with an accompanying swish sound.
"Oh, no! The poor dear, we have to help it."
"I don't think it'll let us, Fluttershy." Twilight says much to Fluttershy's confusion before Pinkie continues, "It has a little party cannon, but instead of shooting confetti it shoots...I don't know what it shoots, but I think it was trying to...kill me."
"What ?!" Rainbow bellows and turns towards Sugarcube Corner with a furious gaze, her mouth forming into an angry scowl as she stomps her hoof into the dirt, "Let's get it!" She then takes off, but stops and falls to the ground as Applejack bites down on her tail.
"Whoa there, nelly, we shouldn't rush anythin' right now." She says after spitting out Rainbow's tail.
"Why not?" Rainbow quickly shoots to her feet and gets all the way up into Applejack's face, "It tried to kill one of our friends," She motions towards Sugarcube Corner as she says it, "we should go in there and show it why you never mess with any of our friends!"
"Ah agree that we should take action, but rushin' in like we're a herd o' stampedin' cattle ain't gon' solve diddly. It'll propably just result in somepony gettin' hurt." Applejack tries to reason, but Rainbow barks back, "Yeah, somepony's gonna get hurt, somepony who's got it coming!" She turns her head and shouts the last part towards Sugarcube Corner.
Just then, the window of Sugarcube Corner opens up ever so slightly, "Der Kaiser bist scheisse!" A clearly male voice shouts back above the pitter patter of the rain, and the occasional thunder that still roars not too far off.
All the ponies stand stock still, shocked that it actually answers back. Twilight can't understand what it shouted, but the way it shouted it, it sounded kind of like it was trying to gloat them into trying to get it.
Based on Rainbow's impatient and slightly angered look, it seems to be working.
"Hello?!" She tries with a raised voice, "Can you understand us?"
Instead of an answer, the window slides shut, but she can just barely make out movement from within the building.
"Okay, girls, we need to come up with a plan."
"Okay, so how ya reckon we do this, Twilight?" Applejack motions towards Sugarcube Corner, "Ah don't suppose we can just waltz on in and tell it ta put its cannon down."
"Um, it sounded more like a 'he' to me." Fluttershy corrects quietly, but not so quiet nopony heard her.
"He or not, darling, it doesn't change the fact that whatever beast is in there tried to harm our dear, little Pinkie Pie." Rarity puts a reassuring hoof on Pinkie's back and gently pets her hair, making Pinkie smile a bit, happy for the close contact from her friend.
"Guys, we still need a plan." The impatience in Rainbow's voice is growing, "That thing's taunting us, we need to get this over quickly so we can make it eat its words. Whatever it said."
"Okay, girls, listen up." Twilight has already formed a plan: now she just needs to tell her friends.
"Rainbow Dash, based on what Pinkie Pie told me, the creature seems sensitive to the sound of thunder so I need you to clear away the clouds so that the sound won't agitate it further."
"Got it!" Rainbow says with a salute.
"Applejack, if things go sour, I need you to be next to the door to Sugarcube Corner so you can lasso it in case it tries to escape."
"Good thing Ah brought mah strongest robe then." To emphazise, Applejack swings said robe around her hoof before tying the end into a lasso knot that can catch any critter, big and small.
"Rarity, did you bring the gems like I asked?"
"But of course, darling," Rarity opens her saddlebag and shows Twilight several yellow gemstones, "but why do you need these?"
"Because Pinkie said the creature has a cannon, which means it needs to see to aim. If the creature does try to aim at us, you're to use your magic to activate these gems. That should create a powerfull enough light to blind the creature before it can properly aim."
"Uh, Ah'm no scientist, but how does that work?" Applejack asks in confusion.
"There's a reason I asked specifically for these gems." Twilight picks up one of the gems in her magic, making it glow not only with her magical, purple aura, but also with a soft yellow glow.
"These are sun gems, they're incredibly sensitive to light of any kind, and if they're hit by it, they light up. The more powerfull light they're hit by, the more powerfull they'll glow in turn, and it's my theory that if they're hit by concentrated magic to light them up, they'll glow so powerfull that they should be able to blind it."
"Won't we be blinded too if it's so powerfull?" It was Rainbow's turn to question Twilight's train of thought, making her pout a bit.
"We won't be holding them, Rainbow. Rairity'll throw them into Sugarcube Corner after activating them. They should glow for just long enough, and that'll hopefully blind it long enough for us to subdue it if it gets necessary."
"I must throw these through the windows?" Rarity says with a hint of guilt as she looks at the windows of the bakery.
"Only if necessary, Rarity."
"Ugh." Rainbow groans, but doesn't say anything more as Twilight turns her attention to Fluttershy now.
"You, Fluttershy, will have the most important job."
The yellow pegasus tenses up at her name being called, and the word 'important' in the same sentence, "M-me?"
"Yes, this creature is obviously intelligent, so I'd like you to try and talk to it and try to get it to surrender itself."
"B-but what if it doesn't want to? What if it would rather eat me whole?"
"Oh, come on, Fluttershy, weren't you the one saying that it was 'just a poor dear' a minute ago?" Rainbow says in an impression of Fluttershy at the end.
"I guess so." She mumbles in return.
"Great," Twilight says with a smile, "and don't worry, I won't be far behind. Hopefully that won't be necessary, but if it does, I'll try to chase it out with my magic so Rarity can blind it and Applejack can lasso it. Everypony ready?"
"Hold on, why ain't Starlight here? Don't ya think she'd be a huge help with her magic?" Applejack asks making everypony look to Twilight for answers.
Twilight begins by sighing deeply, "Well, she was supposed to be at the castle for studying, but it turns out Trixie needed some help collecting some things from the Everfree Forest, and just so happened to need Starlight's help." She speaks with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice.
"What if I go get her?" Rainbow asks, "I have wings, you know."
"I don't think there's time: we need to get that creature now before it harms anypony."
"Um, Twilight?" Pinkie speaks up with a slightly raised hoof.
"Oh, yes, Pinkie?" Twilight asks and looks at her pink friend.
"What about me? Can I do anything?"
"Hmm, yes, there is. You know the layout of Sugarcube Corner like the back of your hoof. Is there any way inside Sugarcube Corner we could use to our advantage?"
"Well, um, we could try and get in through the upstairs windows, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"But why not?" Asks Rainbow, "We gotta get this thing, and I'm gonna make sure we do just that!"
"Just you?" Applejack asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, of course you guys are here to help, but we all kno-"
Before Rainbow can finish, they all hear a loud yelp from inside Sugarcube Corner.
* * *
"Der Kaiser bist Scheisse!" He shouts through the tiny crack in the window before he retracts and listens for a reply.
He breathes as calmly and quietly as he can, clutching the revolver tightly in his hands, before he hears a female sounding voice from outside say something muffled.
He listens, but he can't quite make it out. It's likely a threat, or perhabs an order to start lobbying bombs through the windows to drive him out!
He quickly shuts the window, denying them the chance to do so.
He briefly peaks over the window sill to get a look at them, but thanks to the rain what he sees is only a muddled picture of the outside world.
He slides past the window before he stands in the middle of the room, surrounded by candies of all kind. They're good, no, perfect for his empty stomach. He knows it isn't the healthiest, but damn it, he deserves something!
He goes to the door and listens closely. Over the sounds of the rain and the occasional roar of their cannons he can hear them outside, plotting, planning how to get in and kill him.
He checks the revolver.
One bullet left. Damn.
This isn't good, but at least he has a surprise in his bag waiting. He needs to barricade himself quickly, before they attack. He looks around for anything he can use. The counter of this bakery could be a small barricade, but there isn't much room to manouver around in here.
The windows can work, unless they have bombs or flamethrowers.
Hmm...there has to be something he can use, anything. He sneaks back to the counter, but on the way he slips, letting out a yelp as he does, and lands face first onto the wooden floor, followed shortly after by a loud thud right infront of him.
He quickly looks up and aims the revolver at where the thud came from, only to see that it was a box that had fallen from above. He looks back over himself to see that he slipped over his own bootlace, which he sits up to quickly get retied.
Afterwards, he curiously looks around a bit for where ever the box came from. He sees above him a spot on a nearby beam that looks like it can hold such a box. It must have been sitting loosly enough for his fall to knock it out of its spot and down onto the floor.
He slowly edges closer to the box before he opens it up and looks inside. A wide grin spreads across his face as he sees the contents inside.
Just then, he hears three, gentle knocks on the door. He aims at it, expecting something to come through, but nothing does.
He hurries to put on his mask and bring his lighter out of his pocket before he picks up the contents of the box and sets them out on the counter. He has a special surprise for those little Huns now.
* * *
Fluttershy looks back at Twilight after knocking three, timid times so as to not scare the creature inside too much, "Uh, T-Twilight?"
"Don't worry, Fluttershy, I'm right here." Twilight says behind one of the bushes close to Sugarcube Corner.
"I-I know, but-but what if-"
"Listen, you're the kindest pony in Equestria. If anyone can convince this thing to give itself up and let us help it, it's you."
"O-okay, I can do this," Flutershy breathes in and prepares herself for whatever is going to be behind the door, "I can do this." She raises her hoof to knock on the door again, but as she does the door flies open, and reveals a six foot tall humanoid in an incredibly dirty coat.
Fluttershy shakes in the knees as her gaze travels upwards to look at the creature's face, only to see that it'a wearing what looks like a brown bag with two eyeholes that has round pieces of glass inserted in them, like glasses of some kind.
Before she can speak, she hears a familiar whizzing sound, only to see smoke emerging from behind the creature's right arm. Following the stream of smoke, she sees a firework rocket being held in the creatures claw, which has a piece of cloth wrapped around it to protect it from the sparks.
The rocket itself, however, is aimed directly at her face.
She manages to duck just in time before the rocket flies over her head, streaming down the streets of Ponyville, before it explodes in a magnificent show of light, sparks and loud, crackling sounds.
Pinkie Pie's amazed by the show, but it doesn't take her long to realize that the creature must have gotten ahold of her fireworks stash hidden up on one of the beams in Sugarcube Corner.
"Twilight!" She pops her head out of a bush, "He has my fireworks!"
"I noticed!" Twilight calls back while Fluttershy looks back to see the creature picking up another rocket to light up with a small flame being emitted from a little, metal looking box.
"Now wait just a minute, Mister!" She asserts while flying up to his height, trying to make eye contact through the glass.
"You think because you're a big, scary creature that you have the right to try and harm my friends? Well, you're wrong! You will not fire that rocket that Pinkie Pie saved for some foal's birthday: You're going to put that rocket down right now, and apologize to all of us for scaring us and Pinkie Pie."
Fluttershy feels the stare may very well be her best option as she gazes into the black orbs that are the eyes of the bag like mask. For a brief moment, she can see its eyes, but there's none of the emotion she's ever seen in any animal or pony.
It's as if she's staring into the sunken eyes of an abyss, devoid of all life and emotions with nothing to spare for any and all.
Then suddenly an emotion flares up: rage. A raging fire erupts in the canvas of darkness, a resistant spirit that will not budge, a defiance, a willingness to kill to survive, to put itself in terrible danger to achieve its goals.
And it terrifies her to the bone.
Before she can react, the creature rears its head back and quickly slams the dome of its helmet against her nose, sending the sound of bones breaking through the air, and making her fall backwards onto the ground. She holds her hooves over her shattered nose as fresh tears stream down her cheeks that mix with the blood and rain.
Twilight's eyes go wide when she sees her friend lie helplessly on the ground, but as she turns her horn towards the creature in the door frame, a rainbow streak shoots across the sky, yelling in furious rage.
A rocket streams towards her, but Rainbow expertly dodges it before it explodes behind her in a great mess of pink sparks. She smashes against it, sending her and the creature backwards into Sugarcube Corner.
"Rainbow!" Twilight calls out as she hurries to the door where she sees Rainbow atop the creature with a raised hoof.
"I'll teach you to mess with-"
Before she manages to finish, the creature smacks its cannon against the side of Rainbow's head, sending her off of it as she groans in pain.
Twilight lights up her horn, but it's quick to aim its cannon at her. The air around them becomes tense and heavy. She can hear its heavy breathing over the mask it wears, and she's sure it can hear her own.
It hasn't fired yet. Why not? Is it out of shots? Or maybe it's waiting for her move.
Twilight casts a quick look at Rainbow Dash and gulps as she decides to take the chance. In a flash she dissapears and reapears next to Rainbow, whom she quickly wraps up in her magic before she teleports both of them outside again, using her magic to shut the door as well as bring Fluttershy over to her and Rainbow.
Twilight breathes heavily and sits down in the middle of the road. She can hear the sound of ponies galloping towards her, and when she looks she sees the remainder of her friends running fast towards her.
"Twilight! Are you okay? What happened to Rainbow and Fluttershy?!" The worry in Applejack's voice is as clear as it is on her face as she tries to help Rainbow sit up. She responds with a pained moan, "Ow, my head. What happened?"
"The creature, it hit you on the side of the head with its cannon." Twilight explains while Rarity helps tend to Fluttershy's nose. The poor dear's whimpering and crying still, the tears not stopping for even a moment
"Oh, pshhh, that's it? Come on, girls, let's get back to-ow!" Rainbow is forced to sit back down as she brings a hoof to her head, a pained expression crossing her face while she feels on the spot where the cannon hit. Some blood is running down the side of her head thanks to the wound.
"Easy, Rainbow, you have a wound, and you may also have a concussion. I don't think you can help anymore tonight." Twilight says much to Rainbow's annoyance.
"Oh, come on, Twilight, ow."
"No, Rainbow, concussions are serious; you need to get to the hospital right now."
Twilight turns to Pinkie Pie with a serious look on her face, "Pinkie, can you bring Rainbow and Fluttershy to the hospital while Applejack, Rarity and me try to figure out a solution?"
"O-okay, Twilight." When she sees the damage done to her friends close up, Pinkie feels a terrible sense of guilt rush over as her hair goes straight and tears begin to well up in her eyes.
"Pinkie," Applejack puts a hoof on her shoulder, "if ya wanna help, help our friends get medical help."
Pinkie gives a small nod before she helps both of them up and begins to bring them both to Ponyville Hospital.
Meanwhile, the townponies are beginning to emerge from their homes, curious as to why somepony's shooting off fireworks in the middle of the night.
"It's alright, everypony, the situation's under control, just stay inside your homes and let us take care of it."
Most seem to accept Twilight's explanation, but there are still those that linger a bit before going inside, yet all looks out at them through their windows.
Twilight sighs deeply before turning to her two remaining friends, "It's down to us now. Rarity, you got the gems?"
Rarity nods and shows the sun gems to Twilight.
Twilight gives a nod and steels herself before she begins a slow trot towards Sugarcube Corner where the door is beginning to creak open again.
End of Chapter 2: They Shall Not Pass Part 1
My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 2: They Shall Not Pass Part 2
Chapter 2: They Shall Not Pass
Part 2
They're getting closer on their little feet, determination clear in their eyes. If they can see his own, they'll see the same steely determination, the same will, but not the same willingness to hurt others, kill others.
There's only three of them now, the other two having been led away by the pink one, who'd become straight haired like a balloon that's run out of air.
He breathes raggedly, his mouth quivering a bit as he lowers the mask back over his face, taking in big gulbs of air while he slowly closes the door again. Wouldn't want them to see what he's up to.
He lowers his hand into his bag as he edges closer to one of the windows, feeling for the round object within while looking at them out there with his eyebrows furrowed.
Wait: they're splitting up!
The white one is heading left, while the orange one is heading right. The purple one, however, is heading straight for the door. He can't see its face, but he's certain he knows what its feeling: he's feeling it too, afterall.
His eyes dart between them all as he begins to humn a little tune to himself, not a specific one, just a tune his head's making up on the fly as his hand digs around a bit in the bag.
He whips out his lighter as he heads back to the counter where he picks up the three largest rockets that he clutches tightly in his cloth covered hand. With the other hand, his thumb strikes the sparkwheel several times, sending glowing sparks flying.
When a flame finally erupts, his hands shake, and his eyes go wide, as he sees the blood on them. He tries to blink to make it go away before he sweeps at his hands, trying to get it off. It helps with the worst of it, satisfying him for now as he returns to his planning.
He can still hear their guns pounding away at the building, and he quickly ducks behind the counter, peaking over it to keep watch in case they try to get at the windows, the flame continuing to illuminate the small space around him.
They've been shooting all around the building, the bullets hitting the outter walls, but they can't seem to penetrate them at all for some reason. Maybe their guns have been weakened by the rain? Dry powder?
He shakes his head. No, that doesn't make sense, but he doesn't give it much further thought as a little grin finds its way onto his face while he gazes over the counter past the rockets.
He chuckles a bit, just a little, when suddenly, a loud crash is heard to the right of him over the counter. He whips his head around to see whatever it was before a blinding light erupts throughout the room.
He cries out, bringing his hands up to shield his eyes, dropping the lighter and the rockets in his hands as he does.
They're trying to blind him so they can rush him, they must be!
Just then, with the blinding light obscuring his vision, the ringing in his ears become the whistle of the captain while an image appears before his eyes of the man pointing his revolver at the enemy lines before he screams, "Charge!!!"
Still blinded, he runs for where he last saw the door, throwing his hand into his bag and retracting the round object, removing the safety cap on the top. He feels for the door, wrapping his free hand around the handle just as their bombs go off behind him, sending heat and sparks everywhere.
He throws open the door at the same moment he knocks the now unsafened cap against his helmet, starting the timer as he rears his arm back to throw, taking a deep breath before he screams at the top of his lungs, "They shall not pass!"
* * *
"No, no, no !" Twilight's eyes widden as through one of the windows of the bakery she can see some of the fireworks go off inside, the explosions setting fire to the more flammable parts of the construction. The creature itself finally emerges from within, sounding enraged with its arm reared back as if to throw something.
'This is it! Here's our chance!' She lowers her horn, lighting it up as she prepares her magic to stun or knock out the creature. Applejack's still standing close by the door, lasso in hoof and ready to throw the moment she sees the creature in full.
Just then, it shouts, "Ils ne passeront pas!" The words somehow sound familiar to Twilight, like she's heard somepony say something that sounded almost like that, or close to it.
Her short distraction, however, allows the creature to throw something round looking through the air towards her, catching her off guard. The round thing lands with a heavy thumb some ten feet away from her.
It has the appearance of a sort of small, black-greenish pineapple with a small cap on top of it that appears to have been pushed down with force like som sort of activation mechanism.
"What is-" Before she has a chance to finish her sentence, the little pineapple shaped thing explodes, sending dirt, dust and sharp metal flying through the air along with a shock wave that knocks her off her feet while terrible pain shoots throughout her body.
She groans as she tries to stand, shaking a bit as her movement only seems to intensify the pain. She looks over herself to see several small wounds and cuts on her forelegs and chest along with what appears to be tiny bits of metal stuck within some of the wounds.
"Twilight!" Applejack cries out before her attention returns to the creature who's now stepped out of the building itself, a small, sharp looking spade in one claw, and what she assumes is the cannon in the other.
Which it's aiming right at her wounded friend.
"Oh, no, ya don't!" She quickly swings her head around, lasso in mouth, and throws it hard. The lasso wraps around the creature's torso, and upon seeing her success she quickly tightens it, bringing the creature's arms down to its sides.
"Got cho!" She says with the rope still in her mouth, but the creature is quick to look her way, wheezing and huffing as it does. For a tense moment they stare at each other, gauging the other's intent, before it begins to struggle to get the rope off.
"Twilight!" Applejack cries out through her teeth as it swings its spade at the rope, cutting straight throught it. Her eyes go wide as it quickly drops the spade, and grabs the now cut robe before it pulls it hard towards itself.
With her still holding onto the rope with her mouth she's pulled along, landing with a hard crash onto the wet ground infront of the creature while a burning light begins to emerge from the windows of the bakery.
The lasso is dropped by the creature, landing at its feet, before it reaches down and picks up the spade, her eyes following it along as it's raised.
Her mouth starts quivering as she sees it raise the spade high above its head while the light from the fire within Sugarcube Corner shows her the dirt and blood clinging to its clothes. Most of all, however, it shows the lifeless orbs of the mask, black and empty, as if she was staring into the deepest, darkest abyss, more terrifying than the evil eyes of King Sombra.
She wants to move and run away, to get away from this murderous thing, but the fear has gripped her completely, paralyzing her body, and making it refuse any command.
As the creature gribs the spade tightly in its claw, she can see her life flash before her eyes: her first applefritter, Applebloom's birth, arguing with Big Mac. It's all over now.
The creature's head suddenly rears forward a bit after a ding can be heard from its helmet while a rock falls onto the ground behind it. It whips its head around to see Rarity standing behind it with a defiant look in her eyes, "Get away from her, you beast!" She shouts in a rather unlady-like manner.
It responds by swinging the spade at her head, but she's quick to dodge down to the ground with a shriek, making the creature swing the spade into the bakery's outer wall, getting the sharp weapon stuck in the wall.
She quickly rises and runs to her friend's aid, helping Applejack up onto her haunches with her hooves, before the creature whips around and points the cannon at them both while leaving the spade in the wall.
She brings Applejack's head to her chest, trying to shield her friend from this beast's wrath, "Don't you dare harm her!" She remains defiant, yet a few tears well up in her eyes as the realization comes that this may be the end for them both.
Just then, a flash of purple is seen out of the corner of her eyes followed by a blast of magic connects with the lens of the creature's mask, making it cry out as it smashes into the wall before falling backwards onto the steps that lead to the door of the burning building.
Both Applejack and Rarity whip their heads around to see a bleeding Twilight approaching, her legs, torso and face having several small wounds that bleed. She's breathing heavily, trying to fight through the pain that's racking her body.
They don't stop her from getting nearer while the endless rain keeps pouring down, sizzling out on the flames that have begun to eat through the roof.
Upon seeing the fire, the town ponies emerge once more, freightened and curious to know how and why Sugarcube Corner has caught fire, and why their princess is standing bleeding in front of it.
With her gaze still firmly locked on the creature, Twilight speaks, "Ar-are you girls okay?" She asks before wincing and drawing breath sharply when close enough to her friends, "I am, and so's Applejack, but we need to get you to the hospital, darling: you're bleeding!" The distress in Rarity's voice grows as she steps closer to check the wounds of her friend.
Twilight casts a passing glance over her wounds before back at Rarity, "Don't worry about me: I'm fine." She then switches her attention onto Applejack.
"Applejack? You okay." Applejack is barely responding, merely staring at the creature with a terrified look in her eyes, "I-it was gonna kill me." She says barely above a whisper with a quivering voice.
"I-I know, darling, but it didn't!" Rarity tries to lighten the mood, but fails miserably to such a degree that even the townponies wince.
"I-it was so close." Applejack mumbles again, "What woulda happened to mah family? Granny would be devastated, and-and Applebloom..."
The worry now grows tenfold within her as Twilight considers what to do with her traumatised friend for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
"Rarity?"
"Yes?"
"I think Applejack needs to go home, and see to her family. She's had enough for one night."
"Okay, darling, if you're sure. Come, Applejack, let's get you away from that ghastly thing." Applejack gladly accepts Rarity's help, the image of the creature with the raised spade still clear in her mind while thought of what would have happened afterwards follows.
Twilight follows them for a bit as they walk down the streets before she turns back to the still burning building, the flames having burned through the roof and are now licking the outter walls Pinkie's room.
With a nod of determination, she lights up her horn to-
Suddenly, she's thrown to the ground as something tackles her, and looking up reveals the creature, the glass lense her magic hit having been broken, revealing its eye. Wounds are surrounding its eye, having been inflicted when the lens was shattered by her magic.
Blood is slowly flowing down its face, and its eye is lit up with fury and hate to a degree she's never seen before in any of the monsters or villains she's ever faced. It quickly presses the cannon against her forehead, making her feel the cold barrel.
She begins to light up her horn, but it presses its thumb onto her windpipe, choking the air out of her, and breaking her concentration, making the purple shine fizzle out of her horn.
She tries to cry out to her friends, or anypony for that matter, but the pressure it puts on her throat prevents any sounds from coming out.
Their eyes connect as it looks into her own, the hate in them seeming to only grow the longer they maintain eye contact. Just then, a light begins to shine onto its face hitting it right in the eye.
* * *
He blinks a few times, trying to get the annoying shine of the flare out of his eye, before he looks at wherever its coming from, only to freeze dead in his motion when his gaze comes to rest upon what's shinning so much.
It's not a flare: it's the sun shinning so brightly, so magnificently, casting its light across the ruined landscape of muddy holes, torn bodies, maze-like trenches, and ruined houses.
But as the light trails across the land, it's as if the holes expand to form a lake outside the town, the bodies turn to leaves blown away by the wind, and the blood beneath them become nothing more than simple water puddles formed from the rain that's by now ceased its downpour.
The wooden beams of the trenches grow and turn into brown trees with the greenest leaves he's ever seen while bushes grow alongside them. The houses go from destroyed ruins to filled with life, warmth and joy as if they'd never been destroyed or seen a hint of war.
Those who inhabit those trenches and houses, which had been full of sharp knives, loaded guns and bombs ready to be thrown, are turning into more of these small, colourfull things, the uniforms they wear dissapearing in the wind only to be replaced by furry coats.
One in particular looking at him through a window, a mint green one with a white streak going through its hair, stares at him with wide, yellow eyes full of fascination and wonder. As he looks at it, his eyes adjust more to the light, and it hits him that it's not some monstrous beast or a Hun: it's a horse, a small one. Just a simple, little pony with a mint green carrot sticking out of its head.
As the realization dawns on him where he is, or rather where he's not, he begins to slowly let go of the little, purple pony's throat, sitting up gently as he does. He scans the world around him, seeing it for the first time with clear, open eyes.
"W-where-"
* * *
Twilight can hear the creature say something in a language that sounds familiar, but she doesn't understand it. However, wanting to finally end this, she takes the oppertunity while it's distracted by the sun to quickly light up her horn and send a great blast of concentrated magic right into its chest, sending it flying off of her and landing a few feet away on its back.
She quickly jumps to her hooves, her horn trailed right at the prone creature. She clenches her teeth as she lights up another spell, preparing all her magic to go into another, single blast. A moment passes without it moving, then another, and another.
Her heart rate slowly calms down along with the adrenaline rush, allowing her to think clearly once more. She takes in a deep breath before letting it out in a deep sigh.
"Twilight!" She hears the panicked voice of Rarity shout before a gentle hoof is placed on her shoulder, "Are you okay?!" She turns her head to her worried friend who has a terrified expression.
"I'm fine, Rarity," She manages to say through her ragged breathing, "it's over."
"A-are you sure?"
Twilight turns her gaze to the prone creature lying unconsious in the Ponyville street.
"Positive."
Rarity looks at her friend with worry for a few moments before she also breathes a great sigh of relief while Twilight sits down onto her haunches, trying to catch her breath.
"Applejack?" Twilight asks after a moment or two, wanting to know what happened with her farmer friend.
"I left her down the road when I saw the creature on top of you. Was-was it staring at the sun?"
"I think it was. It looked like it was distracted for some reason, and then it said something, something that sounded familiar. It sounded like Prench, actually, but I'm not sure."
"Prench? Are you saying we can maybe, actually communicate with this- this thing?!"
"Yes, Rarity, I think we can." Twilight rises after having recuperated some of her energy, "But we can discuss that further when the princesses get here, for now you get Applejack home, and I'll get the fire under control."
"Okay, darling, take care of yourself." After a quick, reassuring hug, Rarity hurries back to Applejack who sits waiting on a bench some ways down the road with a somber expression.
With her friends finally taken care of, Twilight turns back to the burning building, concentrating her magic to create a bubble around it, preventing the flames from spreading throughout Ponyville as well as choking its air supply, making the flames slowly fizzle out.
Meanwhile, a pink pony with hair as straight as a javelin arrives at the scene, edging closer as she takes in the situation before her.
Twilight is using her magic to tie the creature's arms behind its back with the remainder of Applejack's rope, making sure to tie two extra, strong knots.
Pinkie's heart sinks as she sees the fires slowly dissapate, leaving parts of her home charred and blackened in their wake, but it seems most of the building was spared from being turned completely to ash.
This isn't the main focus of her attention, even though it hurts her deeply to see her home in such a condition.
Instead, she sets her sights on the tied up creature she reaches just as Twilight finishes tying a third knot just to be sure.
"I'm glad you came back," Twilight says with a gratefull, tired smile, "I just hope the Cake twins aren't too much of a hoofful for Spike to handle back at the castle."
"Yeah..." Pinkie says without much emotion as her gaze travels from her hooves to Twilight, who gives a satisfied nod before speaking again, "Maybe you can keep an eye on it for me while I adress the townsponies? It'll only be until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrive."
Pinkie merely gives a small nod in return, and sits down on her haunches just besides the creature's head. Twilight, meanwhile, has gone on crowd control, explaining the situation to the town's ponies who look terrified at the thought of a hostile creature with destructive weapons.
Pinkie, though, isn't terrified at all. Instead, she feels a great sadness at everything that's happened as she looks from the damaged, smoking building to her exhausted friend, and finally down at the unconsious creature.
She isn't sure what exactly's compelling her to do so, but she can't help thinking whether this is truly the same creature she met back in the kitchen. The same one that's been so destructive, and caused such harm to her dearest friends. The same one that, for a moment, lowered its cannon and was willing to give her a chance.
She wants to, no, she must be sure.
She leans down to the creature's head, and with her mouth gently removes the chin strap of the helmet. It tastes like mud and blood, a filthy, ironish taste, but she doesn't care much for that right now.
With the chin strap out of the way, she lifts the helmet off of its head, placing it very carefully besides herself on the dirt road.
Next comes the mask, which is rather straight forward to remove as it easily slides off of its head after she finds the straps at the back of the creature's head.
She lifts it slowly, almost afraid of what she'll find underneath, only to reveal the soft features of the same creature she saw kneeling at the window back in the kitchen.
Everything looks the same: same face, mouth, small nose and eyes, the same light beard, same short, scruffy hair, and the same wounds down its cheeks. Only real difference is that now there's some minor, fresh wounds around its left eye.
It looks so peacefull without all the fear and hate all over its face, like a normal pony taking a nap. A really, really dirty pony that's had a really rough night.
She looks back at her friend whose still explaining the situation much to the horror of the ponies in town. Normally, she'd love to join the conversation, and come with some witty comment to lighten everypony's mood.
Normally.
"Oh," Pinkie looks back at the unconsious being, and can't help gently pet its cheek with her hoof, feeling the dirt and small hairs of its beard, "what happened to you?" She chokes out before a few tears hits its cheek, which mix with the blood and mud.
End of Chapter 2: They Shall Not Pass Part 2
My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 3: Tragic Stroke
“The ETB has been kept under surveillance by doctors, nurses and/or royal guards, as per the instructions of the two royal sisters. Their task is to make sure the ETB does not lash out; attempt escape or perform any other sort of aggressive or violent action.
During the first night of its stay at Ponyville Central, ETB began screaming, crying and thrashing about violently in its bed. ETB screamed in a language, which sounds similar to Prench. A professional, Prench speaking translator has been called down from Canterlot, and should arrive within a few days.
Doctors attempted to keep ETB in bed until both security and royal guards stationed at the hospital arrived, yet it managed to break the restraints around its wrists, where after it flew out of bed and ran around the room, screaming while pulling at its own mane and trying to block out all sound by holding its paws over its ears. All this was done while it was screaming at the top of its lungs.
The guards eventually managed to subdue the ETB and get it restrained onto the bed, however, it continued to scream and thrash about until a sedative was administered. ETB then slept for the remainder of the night.”
Nurse Redheart reads the report for the fourth time, making sure she has gotten every single minor detail written on the paper memorized and etched within her memory.
ETB, that’s the name the doctors gave the creature: ‘extra-terrestrial-being’. Not the fanciest sounding name, but it would do for now, at least until they find out the creature’s real name.
She looks up for a brief moment to avoid hitting a doctor who’s rushing past her down the white halls of the hospital, likely to get to an operation that needs another hoof.
She has just gotten back from a well-earned, albeit rather short, vacation she’d spent in Las Pegasus, a courtesy gift from the hospital for all her years of hard work and labour.
She hadn’t cared much for that place: it reminds her too much of a hospital with all that was going on at the same time. Ponies were laughing, crying, yelling, moving and thrashing about wildly, either because they won big time in a casino or their marefriend ran off with the hotshot that just won big time in a casino.
It’s safe to say Las Pegasus isn’t her cup of tea.
Now, however, she’s back and it seems she’s come at just the right time: a strange creature has recently come to Ponyville who, according to what she hears from other ponies and reads in the newspaper, took on Princess Twilight Sparkle and all of her friends in a fight that hurt some of them and nearly cost them their lives.
However, after a long, hard fought battle, the princess managed to subdue the creature, hitting it with a blast of concentrated magic in the face before she got it restrained. Then, she could focus on extinguishing the fire that raged in Sugarcube Corner.
The nurse feels a sad expression creep its way onto her face at just imagining seeing everypony’s favourite pastry store burst into flame.
Poor Pinkie Pie, she was almost killed by the creature, and then her home got partly destroyed in a fire caused by her own fireworks that the creature had found and used to attack them.
And now she herself is tasked with watching over this violent beast.
Outside of the room that’s been cleared out for the creature to stay in stands two of the biggest stallions she’s ever laid eyes on: tall, muscular, broad chested, and wearing the standard golden armour of the royal guards of Princess Celestia.
It’s been rather intimidating coming to work and seeing so many of the royal guards stationed outside and inside the hospital. It’s not that they’re rude or in the way of the staff’s work, it’s more that they stand and stare blankly into the air, not blinking or moving at all, like a tree or a rock. It’s unnerving.
All the guards all over the place give the building the appearance of a prison more than a place where ponies came to seek help and healing when hurt.
She shows her identification card to one of the guards, showing off she’s one of the staff members specifically chosen to care for the ETB. The guard nods and uses the magic in his horn to make a yellow aura appear on the lock of the door, followed by a satisfying click.
For a moment, she wonders why the creature is here in Ponyville and not in Canterlot. It seems obvious that it’s where it would be easiest to keep watch over it. According to one of the other nurses who she shared her concerns with, it’s Pinkie Pie who wants the thing to stay in Ponyville Somehow, she managed to convince the princesses to let it stay.
Why she would want that, Redheart has no idea, but it isn’t her place to question her superiors and the orders they get from royalty. With a deep breath and a steeled mind, she pushes open the door with her hoof and peeks inside.
The room is cast in darkness from the blinds being rolled down, but even then, the light coming in from the hall through the door reveals the room. The creature is lying on a hospital bed, which proved far too small, making its feet poke out over the railing of the bed.
Like with its wrists, there are leather straps around its ankles that keeps it securely restrained to the bed.
The hospital didn’t have a patient gown big enough for the creature either, so they’ve had to keep the blanket over its crotch to hide away its, erm, ‘bits’.
It’s no problem for her, though: she’s used to having to wash her patients, so it won’t be that much of a shock to her if and when it comes to that.
Which it likely will during this shift.
Stepping inside, she closes the door gently behind her, being careful to make as little noise as possible, before she walks closer to the bed where the creature lies. She stops when she notices the balloons and three, packaged gifts all wrapped with bright colours and small notes on top of them.
‘Who would send this thing presents? ’ Curious, she steps closer and looks over what it says on the notes, squinting her eyes to get a proper look at the text in the dark.
‘To my new friend from Pinkie Pie. Get well soon!’ Is written with bright, pink letters.
Redheart can’t help smiling a bit. To think Pinkie Pie would still wanna be friends with that thing after everything it did. Then again, it is Pinkie Pie. She’d want to befriend an Ursa Major if she could.
She opens the blinds to let some sunlight in, but as she does, a sound from the creature draws her attention towards it.
It seems to still be asleep and is dreaming something: its head makes a few, subtle moves every now and then, followed by a low moan or gasp.
She breathes a sigh of relief yet can’t help wondering a bit about what it could be dreaming about. Maybe Princess Luna will know.
Never mind that, it’s time to get to work. She walks over to the side of the bed, being sure to check the heart monitor it’s hooked up to, seeing if-
“No!”
“What?!” Redheart can’t help but squeal as the creature shouts, making her turn to see it with its eyes still closed, yet a terrified expression has spread across its face.
It’s thrashing its head from side to side, its hands forming fists over and over, its arms pulling at the restraints around its wrists.
“No! No! ” It repeats lower this time, sweat forming on its brow while its breath becomes hurried and ragged.
Redheart knows what to do: she’s comforted panicking patients hundreds of times, but this time, this one time, she’s completely frozen like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming train.
On the one hoof, her nurse training is screaming at her to act and wake it up, to make it realize that it’s only a nightmare, that nothing can harm it, that it’s completely safe.
But on the other, her survival instinct is screaming at her to do the opposite, to stay away from this beast, this violent animal, this thing that could break free at any moment and go on a rampage through the hospital, hurting or murdering ponies as it goes.
“NO!” Just then, the creature rears up and screams, its eyes flying open as tears stream down its cheeks.
‘Celestia damn it, do your job, Readheart !’ her mind screams, making her forget all thoughts of self-preservation before she places her hoof on its shoulder.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay, shh, it was just a bad dream.” She says in her most soothing and caring tone.
The creature’s eyes dart all over the room, its breath remaining hurried and ragged, the blanket and bed drenched in sweat.
“There, there, nothing to be afraid of.” The creature turns its head to stare at her with eyes that are wide and wild, before it slowly leans back onto the bed, keeping eye contact with her all the while.
“See? You’re fine, it’s alright, no pony’s going to hurt you.” She continues, cooing and petting its shoulder gently.
Its eyes dart upwards to the nurse’s hat she wears, and as if a switch flicked in its mind, it calms down considerably, even gaining a wide, nearly manic smile. Wearing the wide smile, it reaches one of its claws towards her.
She flinches, almost drawing back, but not forgetting her obligations as a nurse, and to prevent spooking the creature or agitating it, she allows its claw to get closer until it connects with her cheek.
It whispers something to itself while it gently pets her cheek, almost like a dog that returns the stick that was thrown moments ago over its head.
He continues to whisper softly, but as she listens it begins to sound more like a song it’s singing to itself, as if hoping the sound of anything other than the sounds in its head will calm it down.
‘No, not it: he.’
* * *
Pinkie Pie is walking down the white halls of the hospital with a string attached to some balloons wrapped around her hoof. On her back stands her alligator Gummy, and on top of his back is a big gift wrapped in blue with a pink ribbon on top.
Besides the ribbon is an envelope, also pink, and encased within is an cyan coloured letter that wishes the creature a good stay at the hospital, but also to get well soon so she can properly welcome him to Ponyville.
She casts a glance out of a window she passes on the way to see a crowd of ponies gathered outside. They’re scared, she knows they are, she heard them whispering on the way here about the creature, how it’s dangerous. This fear has led to anger. Some are holding up signs, either with their magic, their wings, or their mouths while some others have set up a stand where they’re asking for ponies to sign a petition.
She overheard what it was about when she passed by: it’s a petition to get the creature shipped off to Canterlot as soon as possible to get it out of Ponyville.
She shudders a bit: she doesn’t want anyone to be ostracized because of a terrible misunderstanding.
Rounding a corner, she spots two royal guards stationed on either side of a door that leads to where the receptionist said the creature is.
She smiles as she approaches, eager to say hello to the creature and attempt to make a new friend. For real this time.
“Hi!” She greets one of the guards whom looks down at her, “Yes, Miss Pinkie Pie?”
“I’m here to visit my friend.” She says with a smile and leans forward, showing off the balloons, Gummy and the gift on his back.
The stallion nods and uses his magic to open up the door. Pinkie smiles, happy that the princesses have allowed her, and her friends, to come see the creature whenever they come knocking.
She eagerly skips inside where she finds Nurse Redheart standing by the bedside. The creature is sitting up straight on the bed, having the bedsheets draped over his crotch with his torso fully exposed.
He is incredibly thin, so much so she can see his rips through his skin. The skin itself is pale, like somepony who hasn’t let the sun get on their body, but his head and face, however, are more of a tannish brown. He’s eating a plate of the famous green glob and purple, square jelly the hospital serves here. He’s swallowing it down like it’s the best meal he’s had in years.
“Oh, Pinkie Pie, hello.” Redheart gives her a tired smile, “Came to see our extraterrestrial visitor?”
“Yup, I wanted to see how he was doing and to bring him a gift to make him feel welcome!” Pinkie beams with a joyous smile.
“That’s so nice of you.” Redheart places a hoof softly on the creature’s lab, making him briefly look up from his meal, “Don’t you agree? Isn’t it nice that Pinkie Pie’s come to visit you?”
He stares at Redheart for a moment before he returns to his meal, making the nurse sigh, “He still hasn’t said a word.”
“Oh,” Some of Pinkie’s elation went out, “so he can’t speak Ponish at all? Only Prench?”
“That’s what the doctors think, and I’m inclined to agree with them. He mostly doesn’t react to anything, except for loud noises like a bomb.”
The moment Redheart says the word ‘bomb’, the creature flies out of bed, the bedsheets flying off in the process and landing on Redheart’s face, before he quickly scampers underneath the bed, not moving a single muscle with only his feet being visible.
Pinkie and Redheart stare wide eyed at the exposed feet, a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces. The creature moves incredibly fast for someone that looks so weak.
The two ponies exchange glances, knowing what the other thinks without words being said. With a nod, they both head around the bed and carefully, slowly edge their heads downwards until they can see underneath the bed.
The creature is holding his hands over his ears, trying to block out all sounds.
“Shh, it’s okay, nopony’s here to hurt you.” Pinkie whispers gently and extends her hoof out to the creature.
After a few moments of silence, the creature raises his head slightly, looking around underneath the bed before he locks eyes on her hoof. He stares at it, confusion clear in his eyes, then slowly wraps his claws around it, making Pinkie’s smile return.
“There ya go, come on.” With a few, gentle pulls she gets him to slowly peak out from underneath the bed. He gazes around the room confused, as if searching for something that should be there, but isn’t.
The nurse and the party pony give the creature all the time he needs. When he finally rises to his shaky feet, Pinkie gasps, blushes and looks away upon seeing his naked behind. Redheart is quick to come around the bed and ease him back onto it, swiftly covering his privates with the bedsheets once more.
Still, he looks around the room in confusion and distrust. Something for him mustn’t be right, something isn’t as it should be.
Nurse Redheart sighs, “The way he reacts to things, it’s like he has trauma.”
“Trauma?” Said Pinkie.
“Yes, he’s traumatized. Something must have happened where he’s from, something that left a deep, psychological scar on him. But I’ve never seen anypony so affected they can’t talk, barely move except for serious shaking, and who reacts to any sudden noise or specific words.”
“Like bo- the b-word?” Pinkie asks to be sure.
“Yes, Pinkie, like the b-word.”
Pinkie thinks for a moment before another question comes to mind, “Wait, shaking? But he’s not shaking now.” Pinkie notes and motions to the still creature.
“Watch this.” Redheart walks in front of the creature and fishes out one of the small chocolate bars she always keeps on her person, “Come here, dear. It’s milk chocolate, the one you like.” Pinkie thinks it’s a bit strange she’s calling on him as if he’s a dog, but doesn’t say anything as the creature’s eyes lock on the chocolate bar.
Slowly, he rises to his feet and starts walking, but as he moves his body sways and his torso keeps rocking back and forth. His legs appear stiff as wood, and he continually blinks while his head begin shaking from side to side like a boat being rocked by a storm on the open seas.
Pinkie can’t believe what she’s seeing as he takes the chocolate bar, slowly returns to the bed and begins to devour the chocolate after getting it out of its wrapped prison. Like with the hospital food, he gulps it down on a level that impresses even her.
Mmm, maybe sweets can help cheer him up.
Nurse Redheart gets Pinkie out of her fantasy of what sweets would best suit him, “It happens whenever he tries to move, but when he’s sitting still or resting, he’s completely still. It’s like every muscle in his body is trying to move at exactly the same time.”
Pinkie’s worry returns as she looks at the poor thing, when she feels a tuck at her hair in the back of her head, reminding her of the weight on her back, “Oh! Nurse Redheart, can I give him something?” She asks as her smile returns.
“Well, sure, if you don’t mind me seeing what it is first.”
“I don’t.” Pinkie eagerly places the package that has rested on her back onto the floor before she unfurls the ribbon with her mouth, allowing the box to fall apart by itself, revealing the delicious chocolate cake within.
Redheart can’t help but smile at the sight of the cake, particularly when she sees the words ‘Get well soon!’ written in bright, pink frosting.
“Aw, Pinkie Pie, that’s so sweet. I’m sure he’ll love it.” She gives a nod to Pinkie, making the pink mare lift the cake up onto her head and present it to her alien friend who is licking his libs for traces of the former piece of chocolate.
“Here ya go! See? It says, ‘Get well soon!” Pinkie declares and places the cake into his lab, making him stare down at the cake, blinking a couple of times as if to be certain of what he is seeing is real.
He raises a hand and lowers it downwards to the cake, making Redheart react, “Oh, no, dear, here, this should do better.” She smiles and leaves quickly before returning with a plastic fork she gives to him.
He brings a piece of the cake up to his mouth, touching the piece against his libs, before he takes it into his mouth. His eyes light up as chews, “Gâteau, vrai gâteau.” He mutters lowly with renewed vigor in his voice. For the first time, Pinkie sees a small smile emerge on his libs as he really digs in, eagerly swallowing the cake almost as fast as the chocolate.
Redheart looks at Pinkie and decides now is a good opportunity to get something cleared up.
“Pinkie Pie, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah?”
“Why didn’t you want the princesses’ to take him to Canterlot? I mean, they have better facilities there, and Princess Celestia and Luna would be able to keep a direct eye on him. Wouldn’t that have been better?”
Pinkie thinks for a moment, considering how to best formulate her thoughts. She knows it was the right call to keep the creature here but… why? After a few moments of thinking she speaks up.
“When I moved here to Ponyville, it was kinda scary having to get to know a new place where I didn’t know anypony. I quickly found a nice home with the Cakes, and everything was alright for me.
“Then when Twilight Sparkle came to town, she was all alone and didn’t have any friends here. Well, no one except Spike.” She smiles sheepishly before she continues.
“She needed some friends to make her feel welcome before she could settle in. So, I thought, if he was taken to Canterlot,” She places a hoof on the creature’s knee, but he doesn’t react, being too preoccupied with the cake, “he wouldn’t have anypony to look after him, nopony to be his friend. I think, if he was moved, it would be really stressful for him, not just because of the whole moving thing, but also because he wouldn’t have anypony.”
Pinkie Pie looks Redheart in the eyes, a determined smile appearing on her face, “And I’m gonna make sure he has a friend who can comfort him.”
Nurse Redheart nods understandingly, but eventually must take the cake away from the creature in order for him not to overeat, much to his clear chagrin. Pinkie is quick to place a hoof on his shoulder, though, bringing his attention to her.
“Hey,” she tries, “remember me? From Sugarcube Corner?” He cocks his head to the side, staring deep into her big, blue eyes for a moment, before his own grow wide, like he’s had a sudden realization.
“Pinkie…Pie?” He says carefully and quietly, as if worried she would break if he said it wrong or too loudly.
“Yes, yes ! Pinkie Pie, that’s me!” She exclaims loudly and rears onto her back legs, but her shouting and sudden movements only makes the creature snap back, yelping in terror, as he curls up on the bed like a baby and holds his hands firmly over his head, whimpering as he does.
Pinkie gasps horrified, “No! I mean, uh, sorry! I didn’t mean to!” However, her apologies fall on deaf ears as the creature begins to rock back and forth, prompting Pinkie to continue to try and apologize before Redheart starts pushing her out.
“Out.”
“But I- “
“OUT! ” She snaps at Pinkie and closes the door in her face.
Pinkie’s mood shatters and she drops her haunches onto the floor, her head lowers and her hair goes straight. Beyond the door she can hear how Redheart tries to calm the creature down, desperation in her voice and calming coos sounding from her. All goes quiet after a while, and the only sound heard is that of hospital staff trotting past in the halls.
“It’s normal.” She hears the guard to her right say, making her look up at him in confusion.
“What?”
“It’s normal it reacts like that. The creature doesn’t like loud noises. Completely flips out because of them.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” The guard responds, followed quickly by Nurse Redheart opening the door and sticking her head out, a tired expression on her face.
“Is he okay?” Pinkie asks as worry washes over her. Has she lost her chance of making friends with him?
“He’s…no, he isn’t, he needs some time to calm down.” Redheart explains, making Pinkie’s hair straighten further. Upon seeing this, Redheart exits the room, closing the door behind her, before she places a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, dear, I’m sure you can come back and see him soon enough. In the meantime, why don’t you go check on Applejack? She got quite the shock and could use a friend like you close by.”
Pinkie smiles at Redheart’s words while her thoughts go to Applejack. She’d barely seen her countrypony friend for a while. She’s mostly been working day and night bucking apples, probably trying to get her mind off the creature and what it almost did.
“Okay, Nurse Redheart, I’ll be sure to get her the tastiest apple cupcake I can make!”
Redheart can’t help but chuckle a bit, “Yes, dear, you go ahead and do that.” She casts her head down the hall towards the exit of the hospital, “Now git.”
With her smile returning and Gummy on her back, Pinkie skips and hops down the hall while Redheart sighs and once more enters the room of Ponyville’s alien visitor.
* * *
Pinkie means well, Redheart knows she does, but sometimes the party pony can be too much of a hoofful. Redheart pours some soap intended for the body onto a sponge before she gently drags it across the back of the creature, making him shiver a bit as the sponge touches his naked skin.
After some time, she’d managed to calm him down, followed by a bath. It hadn’t been easy getting him into the tub, especially when his loincloth fell and she saw…well, ‘him’. It wasn’t anything new to her, though, as helping to wash patients was part of the job.
The water washes over him, cleaning away the sweat he’s accumulated from all his thrashing about, yet he continues to shiver, even as the warm water fills the room with steam.
As she washes him, she can’t help thinking about all those ponies outside the hospital, ponies who want him gone, ponies who are afraid of him.
‘If only they could see you, you poor thing. See how much you’re suffering.’ A sad expression crosses her face as she continues scrubbing him, eventually finishing off by soaping up his hair. He doesn’t protest, barely moves. In fact, it seems he actually enjoys it while he hums a little, happy tune to himself.
* * *
“Ah’m not so sure this is a good idea, Pinkie Pie.” Applejack muses as she walks besides the hopping, pink pony who leads her through the streets of Ponyville, the afternoon sun baking on them while it lowers to soon make way for the moon.
“Don’t worry your pretty little country head about it, AJ, I’m sure once you get properly introduced to him, you’ll see how much he needs friends.” Pinkie says with a happy voice as she bounces along, eager to show her farmer friend how her alien friend really is.
“Pinkie, do Ah need ta remind ya what it almost did?” Applejack spoke in a darker tone, her head slightly lowered towards the dirt road while her hat was pulled further down her head to shield her face from the afternoon sun.
Pinkie stops bouncing at that and stands still, resulting in AJ stopping her walk as well, turning her gaze to the pink pony with confusion.
“I know, AJ, but… You’ve got to believe me when I say he isn’t dangerous, just…afraid.” She’s looking at her hooves as she speaks, her curly hair covering her eyes before she looks up at Applejack, who stands with an unconvinced expression.
“Afraid? That thing, afraid!?” Applejack tries to control her outburst, but she still manages to draw some heads from ponies passing by.
“Yes.” Pinkie says simply, but continues before Applejack can speak again, “I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense after what happened, but I really, truly believe that he didn’t mean anything bad by it. He was just trying to defend himself.”
“Defend hisself, sure, after he almost did ya in inside Sugarcube Corner.” Applejack snarks and continues the way towards Ponyville Hospital in a brisk trot, leaving Pinkie to stand dumbfounded.
“But… he wants to be friends.” She whispers before she follows after AJ, eventually arriving at the hospital where the crowd outside demanding that the creature be removed from Ponyville has grown ever so much.
They manage to make it through the crowd with some trouble, finding themselves in the reception hall where some royal guards are standing by, watching the crowd and keeping an eye out for any and all trouble.
Pinkie scans the personnel, looking for a very certain, white mare.
Where could she be? Hmm.
After a few moments of searching, she spots the mare in question, Nurse Redheart, coming out of the hall and into the reception room to talk with the receptionist about something or other.
Grinning widely, Pinkie hops and skips over to the nurse, waiting a brief moment for her to finish speaking with the receptionist, before she lights up as Redheart turns and faces her.
Redheart gets a bit of a shock, exclaiming a small, surprised yelp before she breathes a relieved sigh, “Oh, Pinkie, it’s just you. Did you go see Applejack?”
“Sure did!” Pinkie beams, “I also brought her along to meet our new friend.” She points a hoof straight at Applejack who comes up besides Pinkie. She raises her head and gives a small, slightly uncomfortable smile to Redheart, “Howdy.”
Redheart’s expression goes from a smiling one full of encouragement to worry and disapproval, “Pinkie, I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”
“I’m sure everything’ll be fine once AJ gets introduced to him. And once she’s made friends with him, then everypony will see that he’s actually nice!” Pinkie’s joy and confidence in her own plan practically shines like the sun.
However, both Applejack and Nurse Redheart’s expressions clearly show their skepticism, “Are you okay with this, dear?” Redheart asks the farmer who nods, “Yeah, Ah just need this done so Ah can satisfy Pinkie and git on home ta the farm.”
Redheart seems unconvinced, “Applejack, are you sure? He almost killed you last time you interacted with him, I wouldn’t want you or him to relapse and try to harm each other.”
“Listen, nurse, Ah appreciate the concern, but Ah’m certain ah won’t ‘relapse’, but if that critter tries anythin’ Ah’ma introduce him to my two back hooves.” She finishes off with a nod and a confident look, but Redheart’s trained nurse eye can clearly see that beneath her tough exterior, Applejack is nervous and still very afraid.
She’s about to protest further when Applejack speaks up, “So, am Ah gonna meet this thing again, or are we gonna stay here ‘n argue?” There was a slight edge to her voice, an edge Redheart was ready to match, when a scream suddenly resonates throughout the entire hospital, shaking the ponies to their very core.
Redheart gains a shocked expression and takes off down the hall, followed by several other nurses, doctors and royal guards.
Pinkie recognizes the room they’re headed for: it’s the creature’s.
“Come on, Applejack!” Pinkie runs, followed by Applejack, down the hall until they arrive at the room where the door stands wide open, the usual guards on either side of the room now inside where the screaming continues.
Pinkie pokes her head inside, her jaw dropping in horror at the scene before her: the creature is being held down by several guards, while doctors appear to be trying to inject him with a syringe full of what must be sleep medicine.
The nurses are assisting the guards in trying to keep the creature down, but he’s refusing their attempts, thrashing about and screaming at the top of his lungs, moving his front legs this way and that to avoid the syringe.
Most of all, his face is contorted into an expression of pure horror while tears stream down his cheeks. His eyes are darting all over the room, looking at the guards, doctors and nurses before they make contact with hers.
Pinkie’s heart drops at the sight, and she quickly flies in, trying to push past the guards and doctors, only to be pushed back by all the movement.
“Stop! Can’t you see he’s terrified!” Her words, however, fall on deaf ears. She isn’t willing to stop, though, and she quickly dives back in to get to her friend, leaving Applejack to observe the struggle unfolding before her.
Why is her friend so concerned for that thing? Could it really be it was just scared? Like she is? Can it really be a friend?
Eventually, the syringe hits its mark, and the creature slowly begins to calm down, emitting a few whimpers and wheezes, allowing the staff to take a step back and breathe a sigh of relief.
Redheart turns to Pinkie, about to berate her for trying to interrupt the hospital staff’s work, but upon seeing the distraught face the pink pony wears, she sighs and brings a hoof to her face, “Pinkie,” She speaks in a low voice, making Pinkie look at her while her hair starts to deflate.
“Don’t. Ever. Do that again, understand? Don’t ever try to stop hospital stuff from doing their work, okay?”
“But, I- “
“I know you wanna help him but preventing us from sedating him won’t do any good. What if he hurts himself while he’s in a fit of hysteria?”
Pinkie lowers her head while Applejack slowly walks closer, constantly keeping her eyes on the creature.
His chest is raising and lowering quickly, but it begins to calm down as the sedatives work their magic.
She gets so close she can hear its ragged, drawn out breathing, as well as see the small shakes and quivers its body makes on occasion.
“Hey,” She’s not entirely sure why she spoke up, maybe because Pinkie desperately wants her to give it a chance and see that it’s not so bad. Maybe she wants to believe her in some way. Or maybe, she just wants to see for herself that this thing isn’t worth fearing.
The creature doesn’t respond, though, merely keeps staring out into the air in an empty, almost lifeless manner, with eyes blank and emotionless.
“Hey, Ah’m talkin’ to ya.” Applejack’s about to poke the creature’s shoulder, but a guard quickly places his hoof above her own, lowering it and giving her a critical eye, “Don’t touch it, it doesn’t like being touched.”
She lowers her hoof and turns back to the creature, letting her gaze travel over it for a few moments. It seems so vulnerable, almost pathetic, as it lies there and tries to breathe. Was this thing really so dangerous? Could Pinkie be right? Was it just trying to defend itself from what it thought was the danger?
“P-Pinkie Pie?”
Everypony stops what they’re doing and look straight at the creature, who’s got his eyes trailed on Pinkie Pie. A single tear is falling down her cheek, but her sadness is replaced with the shock of hearing her name.
The creature slowly raises its claw towards her, making the pink pony walk up to him, placing her hoof in his claw thing. He gently squeezes her hand, warming it slightly. He stares into her eyes, trying to speak or formulate words, but it’s like the words are getting stuck in his throat, unable to be said.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I’m here. No one’s gonna hurt you, I promise.” She puts on her most friendly and genuine smile. The creature continues to stare into her eyes, his libs still moving and trying to form words.
“J-J-Jean.” The creature suddenly whispers, making everypony trail their ears to pick up the smallest sounds.
“What? What did you say?” Pinkie leans in a bit, trying to hear again what he said.
“J-Jean.” He says again with one hand weakly motioning to himself. Pinkie can’t help but let her smile widen as the realization dawns on her.
“Well, hello there, Jean, I’m Pinkie Pie, it’s really nice to meet you.” Jean seems to want to say more, mumble something in Prench most like, when suddenly a new royal guard comes bursting into the room.
“Everypony come quick! The mob’s becoming unruly outside!” He blurts out and runs out of the room, followed quickly by the other guards and doctors. One of the guards stand by the door, holding up his key and waiting for the remaining ponies to come out before he locks the door.
“Oh no! They want the creature gone!” Redheart follows after, with Applejack following as well before she stops in the door and looks over her shoulder to see her friend still holding her hoof in the creature’s claw.
“Come on, Pinkie! We gotta calm those ponies down!” Pinkie looks at her friend before back at the creature, giving him a gentle smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
Pinkie runs out of the room closing the door behind her while the guard locks it with his key. She leaves so fast she doesn’t her Jean’s last words, “No… don’t go…”
The group arrive just outside the entrance where the mob has gathered. Several other royal guards and hospital staff are keeping the unruly ponies at bay.
“Get it outta here!” One stallion shouts, followed by a mare exclaiming, “It’s a danger to our foals!” The crowd seems to have grown to roughly 30 ponies, not the biggest but enough to be a danger if they get inside the hospital.
“Ponies, please! The creature isn’t a danger! It’s here because it needs help!” Redheart tries to reason, but her reasoning falls on deaf ears.
“After what that thing did?!” Another stallion shouts, “It almost succeeded in burning down Sugarcube Corner and tried to kill Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends! How could you ever want to defend that vile thing!”
“Jean.” Pinkie says and glares at the stallion, making him look with confusion back, “What you say?”
“His name is Jean !” She yells, making the crowd fall silent, “And he’s a living, breathing, not a thing as you call him!”
“But, Pinkie Pie,” A purple mare from the crowd starts, “it tried to hurt you: why would you defend it?”
Pinkie steels her gaze and stands as tall as her frame allows, gathering up all her courage, “Because he’s scared and vulnerable and in need of a friend! And anyone in need of a friend doesn’t need to look any further than Pinkie Pie! I know what it’s like to be scared and alone, and there’s no way in Tartarus I’m gonna let anyone hurt him. Anyone !”
The crowd’s now gone completely silent, taking in her words and almost cowering before her gaze, when suddenly Applejack steps up besides Pinkie.
For a moment, some in the crowd look relieved, thinking Applejack will surely agree with their point of view, but she looks at them with shame and disappointment, “What happened to y’all? Y’all used ta be the friendliest bunch o’ ponies one could ever meet. Now look at ya. You’re lettin’ ya fears drive ya towards wantin’ to harm a critter scared fer his life. If anythin’ y’all are doin’ exactly as he did by tryin’ ta get rid o’ somethin’ y’all are afraid of, and that ain’t no way ta go around it. Y’all should be just as ashamed as Jean.”
Mares and stallions all look shamefully at the ground, the mob mentality fading away and giving way to reason as both Applejack and Pinkie Pie’s words register.
Pinkie can’t help but smile at her farmer friend, whom smiles in return. Pinkie is about to say a heartfelt thanks and throw her arms around AJ’s neck, when they hear a loud, terrified scream, “PINKIE PIE!!! ”followed by a loud thud.
* * *
Jean leans back on the bed, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. Whatever they injected him with has made him incredibly tired, but he tries not to sleep. He doesn’t want to.
“Come back… please,” He mumbles, trying to find the strength to sit up more, yet he’s too weak. Accepting his fate, he fully relaxes, yet the noises from outside won’t stop, the noise, that piercing, ear piercing noise.
He groans, the noises shattering the small piece of mind he had for a moment. He tries to raise his hands to his ears to block out the noises, but the restraints keep his hands firmly in place.
His body begins to shake again as he desperately tries to move his arms, yet the weakness in him forbids him from doing so. His breath becomes more ragged as the noises become distorted, twisting and shifting in character, until they sound like something else, something familiar and horrifying.
He closes his eyes and grimaces, trying to block out the noises coming from beyond the walls, the loud shouting, shouting, screaming.
It doesn’t help. In fact, it makes it worse.
With his eyes closed, the screaming becomes so much clearer, the screaming of a thousand voices going silent, only to quickly be replaced by another thousand, and another thousand, and another thousand.
He rocks his head back and forth, trying to block out the noises, the shouting, the screaming, the screaming! He tries to scream in return, to make any other noise be heard than the screaming outside, but it’s no use, he’s too weak to scream.
He begins to thrash around again, pulling as hard as he can, making a weak and pathetic attempt to pull himself free.
Suddenly, the restraint around one of his wrists flies open, letting his hand come flying up to his right ear, trying to block out the sound.
It takes him a moment to realize his hand is free, and he looks at it in confusion before down at the restraining leather. It must have gotten loose during the struggle earlier, and this last bit of thrashing seems to have been enough.
Even in his weakened state, he manages to undo the restraint on the other wrist, allowing him to finally use his hands to block his ears from the invading noises. It helps a bit, muffling the sound just a little bit.
However, the images accompanying the screams start flooding back, making him quiver and rock back and forth on the bed. He whimpers, tears threatening to spill forth, but after some moments he notices something.
The screaming from outside. It stopped.
He looks towards the window, confusion and curiosity replacing his fear. He manages to find the strength to force himself out of the bed, letting the covers fall down around his legs. It’s a bit cold, but not nearly as cold as he’s experienced before, and that was with clothes on.
He staggers over to the window, fumbling a bit with the hinges before managing to open it up and sliding it open. The gentle spring breeze rushes into the room, allowing him to breathe in fresh untainted air.
Libs quivering and eyes wide with confusion, he takes a look at the outside world. He can see green trees, a small village, a big mountain in the background. It seems… serene… serene and untrue, unreal, like something that couldn’t exist, shouldn’t exist, can’t exist… or maybe it’s him that shouldn’t exist.
His eyes eventually come upon a crowd of multiple colours, all standing outside this beige coloured building. They must be the noise makers, the screamers, the ones that bring back images he’s trying to forget.
His head shakes a bit along while his libs quiver, and he leans a bit out of the window to get a better look at the assorted mob.
He spots something pink in front of the crowd… no, wait, not something, someone. That pink horse is down there, talking to the others with the orange one besides it. What was her name. She told him her name.
It's…
“Pinkie Pie,” He manages to say just before he loses his grip on the windowsill, his weight working against him and making him slip out of the window.
The world seems to slowdown as he falls headfirst towards the green grass below, his arms flailing in a desperate attempt to break his fall when he inevitably hits the ground.
He uses the last bit of the strength in his lungs to let out a scream, the scream he’d been holding in for so long, a scream for help, before he hits the ground with a heavy thud, sending his world back into darkness.
“PINKIE PIE!!! ”
End of chapter 3: Tragic Stroke
My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 4: The War to End All Wars
Chapter 4: The War to End All Wars
A tear trails down Pinkie Pie’s cheek, all that remains after crying for days. Seven if she remembers right. That’s how long it’s been since Jean fell out of the window of the hospital. She still remembers the thud when he hit the ground, and the image of him lying naked and motionless has been etched into her mind.
She carefully places her hoof on his hand, petting it gently. It feels hot, and the few hairs on it tickle her hoof.
She hasn’t moved from his bedside, refusing every time a nurse, doctor or guard tried to move her. She wants to be here with him, to try and comfort him, even if he’s not aware of her.
Her friends are in the room along with her, all her dearest. Even Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are here, with Fluttershy’s nose still bandaged from when Jean broke it, and Rainbow with bandages around her head. Turns out Twilight was right: Rainbow did get a concussion.
Fluttershy’s sitting on the other side of the bed, mirroring Pinkie’s move by having her hoof on Jean’s shoulder. She’s gently cooing, humming a tune for him like she would a wounded or sick animal in her care.
Her other friends are talking in the background, but she isn’t listening. She’s more focused on Jean’s comatose form, but she does pick up the occasional word: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna being frequently mentioned.
She hears the door to the room open, making her briefly turn her head to see who enters.
“Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?” Sure enough, it’s the two royal sisters of Equestria who’s entered. Princess Celestia smiles kindly in her motherly way to everyone present, while Princess Luna has a far more serious look on her face.
Oh well, her friend’s will tell the princesses about what happened. She turns her attention back on Jean, continuing to gently pet his hand.
Conversation between Twilight and Princess Celestia is heard, but also the sound of hooves approaching behind her.
“He looks so peaceful, doesn’t he?” She hears Princess Luna say behind her. Pinkie merely nods in response, “Yup, like a normal, everyday pony almost.” She says, ending with a saddened sigh.
“Yes… if only his dreams were the same.”
“His dreams?” Pinkie turns to Luna, confusion in her face. Luna appears sad as she looks at Jean, a look of pity in her eyes.
“I’ve been watching his dreams, trying to bring him good ones but… they always turn into horrible, terrible nightmares.”
“Of what?” Pinkie’s curiosity is peaked.
Lune looks down a moment, then at Pinkie, “I will not tell you.”
“What? But why not?”
“Please understand, Pinkie Pie, that if I believed you could handle it, I would. Even then, to try and describe it is… is impossible with words.”
Pinkie turns and walks up to the moon princess, gazing into her eyes, “What do you mean, princess?”
Luna hesitates, her eyes darting everywhere, eventually settling on her older sister. Celestia gives her a reassuring smile, followed by a nod.
Luna gives a little smile in return, nodding as well.
“I mean,” Luna turns her gaze back onto Jean, who winces briefly before returning to his still state, “to describe it to you would be like trying to explain colour to a blind pony: I can do my very best to describe it, but they would never truly grasp or understand it. And in this case, I would not want you to.”
“Please, Princess Luna,” Pinkie places her hoof on Luna’s shoulder, “I wanna understand why he’s in so much pain. I wanna understand so I can help him… please.”
Luna sighs deeply before casting a look around the room, “Do others share this sentiment?”
Twilight’s the first to nod, “I can’t pass up the chance to see an extraterrestrial’s dreams, what we could learn is limitless. Besides, I wanna try and understand him too, and get some insight into his world.”
Much to everypony’s surprise, Fluttershy speaks up next, “I’d like to know too.”
“Are you sure, Fluttershy?” Luna asks, “A gentle pony such as you should not have to see- “
Fluttershy holds up her hoof, halting Luna’s warning, making her, and the others, look very surprised, “I know, Princess Luna, but I want to try and understand so I can help him too. I can’t let him be in pain and not try to help.” She finishes with a smile, making Luna sigh before she turns to the remaining two element wielders.
Rainbow is about to speak up before Applejack interrupts anything she would have said, “Ah don’t think Rainbow should go inside Jean’s head, what with her own bein’ all busted up ‘cause o’ him. Besides, me and Rarity would rather stay outta there.”
A nod from Rarity confirms her stance on the matter.
Luna looks to her sister, whom merely nods and maintains her gentle smile, making her sigh, “Can I not convince you otherwise?”
“Please, princess. I wanna understand. I need to.” Pinkie pleads with a desperate expression.
“I cannot guarantee you will understand, Pinkie Pie… but very well. Gather around.” Princess Celestia, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight all gather around Luna as her horn begins to light up, sending the ponies into a slumber, before she touches her horn to Jean’s forehead, thus sending the ponies on a journey into his dreams.
Or, rather, his nightmares.
* * *
Jean is standing in front of a white tent, surrounded by hundreds of other, similar coloured tents. The sun isn’t up yet, casting the surrounding area in a darkness only illuminated by the moon, the stars and the fire, around which huddle crouched, shivering figures. Stretching out before the tents is a landscape of mud and brown earth, with a creeping mist seeping among the hundreds of white and grey tents.
The landscape is dotted with holes scattered in a random pattern all around, and many are filled with brown, muddy water. Between the tents walks hundreds of his comrades, many of whose faces he recognizes.
There are hundreds of them, thousands of them, wandering about restlessly, waiting.
To his right are large metallic, square boxes on caterpillar tracks, armoured beasts with a single cannon on its right side. A ship on land moving around, unhindered by the destroyed landscape, yet Jean knows that it’s best not to stand too near them.
High above him, wooden birds are flying, never flying too far away to get out of sight. Their mechanical engines keep their propellers going around in endless circles, keeping them airborne and above the rabble on the ground. On their wings, they sport the colours, signaling their friendly intentions.
“No,” Jean whispers lowly, terror filling his voice as he realizes where he is. He clutches his fists weakly, “please.”
“What’s that private?!” A sharp, intimidating voice bellows besides him, making him stand straight and bring his hand up for a salute, his palm facing forward and his fingertips close to the corner of his eye, “Nothing, capitaine!”
A man wearing a dark kepi hat and with a bright red moustache walks from the mist up to Jean from the side, wielding a saber in one hand and a revolver in the other. He doesn’t seem very impressed with Jean’s answer.
“Exactly: nothing! Move your hindquarters and get yourself a rifle. We attack as soon as the hour strikes.” He grins, almost wickedly, like a demon, and walks off to start corralling other poor souls into a formation fit for fighting.
Jean didn’t refuse, how could he? A soldier refusing a direct order from his superior? Preposterous.
Jean quickly finds a rifle leaning against some others that are also taken with haste by his fellow soldiers. He checks his pouch for bullets and starts loading the rifle.
8 bullets in the tube magazine.
Next comes a loud whistling, from the capitaine’s whistle, calling all together. Jean is quick to join them, standing between men whose faces he can see and remember. Each and every single one with a face and a name.
The capitaine seems satisfied and points his sword upwards. As he does so, the mist begins to lift, revealing the hill that he points his sword towards. Scattered all over the hill are craters, created thanks to days of shelling. Twisting throughout are trenches, filled to the brim with enemies ready and waiting for a fight.
“There she is, boys!” The capitaine shouts, “The hill that’ll lead us to victory! The hour of sacrifice has arrived. Onwards! For honour and fatherland!” Looking around at the faces of his fellow soldiers, not a single one smiles with the patriotic fervor they’d held only a few years ago.
Instead, the capitaine’s words only seem to diminish the already ruined morale, the word ‘sacrifice’ only implying further carnage and meaningless death.
They begin to march in a long line, consisting of three ranks, along a road broken up by the occasional crater hole.
All along the sides of the trail, lying on the broken ground, are the shattered bodies of other blue clothed men. Their limbs are torn off, their faces mutilated, and some lie with their guts spilled out, picked over by crows and rats, great pools of blood and gore mixed with mud all around.
Jean tries to ignore the bodies, looking down at his feet as he marches, gritting his teeth and clutching his rifles in his hands.
It doesn’t help much as the carnage becomes greater and greater the closer to the hill they come, more and more bodies pilling up besides the road. By this point, wounded are being carried past them by stretcher bearers, some without arms and legs or their intestines out, trying desperately to hold them in.
And then there’s the screaming. The constant, incessant screaming from those carried past, mixed with a new sound, a soft whistling in the distance, followed up by a massive, thundering crash ahead of them.
As the mist finally lifts completely, the capitaine, blows his whistle, making everyone, including Jean, fix bayonets atop of the rifle barrels. “This is it, boys.” The capitaine laughs manically and blows his whistle before he points his revolver at the enemy lines, towards the hill, “Charge!!! ”
All the men let loose a harrowing, bellowing scream of anger and fear before they start running, running towards the hill. At the same moment, hundreds, thousands of others now revealed by the lifting mist, charge alongside them simultaneously, all bellowing war cries, many of whom he recognizes from other battles. Instantly, lights exploded from the hill as machine gun fire rains down on them, sending many screaming to the ground as their bodies are torn apart.
Some have their limbs torn off by the unending fire, and one is hit so many times in the waist that his torso falls off, leaving his legs standing a moment before they too collapse.
Thunder is heard in the distance, which quickly translates to whistling, before all around them massive explosions tear the ground up, sending body parts and men flying in the air, screaming, before they hit the ground.
Through the air flies pieces of clothed meat, landing all around them, with bits and scraps of his comrades hitting and staining Jean’s clothes. He cries out in shock and horror as his fellow soldiers fall one by one, when suddenly an explosion behind him sends him flying forward, making him land on top of one of them
He tries to get up, but as he pushes his hand down to support himself, he feels his hand touch something soft, squishy and warm. Lifting his head to look, he sees his hand inside the stomach of a friend, whose shock and pain translates into a scream as he begs Jean for help, to kill him, KILL HIM!
Jean lets loose a cry of horror as tears well up in his eyes, the fear starting to overtake him. He looks upwards towards the hill, only to see the incessant artillery barrages from his own side has transformed the hill, twisted and changed it. The shell holes have been expanded, and the bunkers and trenches seem to form into a cackling mouth while the craters seem to look down on him.
The hill has formed into a skull, an evil symbol of death, laughter erupting from its twisted trench mouth with insane cruelty as its earth gets stained with the blood of thousands.
“No, no! No more!” He cries and turns to run away, but he crashes into the capitaine, who gives him a hard shove, making him fall backwards over his dead comrade.
“Trying to run away, are you? You know what we do to deserters?” He points the revolver right at Jean’s forehead, smirking as he pulls the hammer back, an audible click sounding over the screaming and thundering explosions.
Jean gulps, shaking heavily as he picks his rifle back up and rises, turning back towards the hill where thousands of blue uniformed men lie cluttered together, so many that the ground is barely visible beneath them. What little is, is covered in blood.
“Move!” He feels the point of the capitaine’s revolver pressing against his back, forcing him forward back into the war. He runs and runs, past the screaming, wounded and dying, diving behind some dead comrades just as an enemy machine gun spots him and starts showering the bodies with bullets.
On both sides of him, an endless wave of blue rushes past him, screaming and dying as they all fall around him, pilling up into small hills of dead that provide cover for the living. The gunner switches targets, picking off those without cover, who fall like flies to his destructive weapon.
Finally, the moment comes when the gunner runs out of bullets, and Jean emerges from above the pile of bodies, peaking as he takes aim with his rifle.
He spots him, the gunner, behind his machine gun, along with a spotter, who helps him in reloading the gun. Jean quickly takes aim, first for the spotter, who’s about to put the ammo belt into the gun.
He squeezes the trigger, letting loose a bullet that smashes against the spotter’s face, right into his eye, a mess of brains and skull exploding behind him. He falls to the ground, leaving the gunner to quickly pick up the ammunition and continue reloading, a furious expression on his face.
Jean loads as well, pulling the bolt back, then forward, loading another bullet. He takes aim, firing off another round, hitting the gunner on the helmet, making him fall.
He smiles and begins to rise, when the gunner suddenly emerges again, now shouting with rage as he continues loading the machine gun. In his helmet is a large indent from the bullet that smashed against it.
Shocked, Jean takes aim and fires, yet in his desperate haste the bullet hits the sandbag in front of the gun. The gunner laughs mockingly as he loads, prompting Jean to quickly reach for one his grenades, pulling off the safety cap, knocking the fuse against his helmet before he throws it.
The gunner manages to finish reloading just as the grenade lands behind him. The following explosion sends him, and the gun, flying out of the trench and onto the sloping hill, becoming another of many corpses.
Jean quickly rushes into the trench, but as he runs along it he runs into an enemy, who swings his spade above him with a thundering roar, swinging wildly at him. He manages to deflect his blows, hitting the bud of his rifle against the enemy’s face, making him fall to the ground.
He quickly follows up by burying his bayonet into the breast of the enemy, making the youngster cough up blood and scream in pain as the life drains from his eyes, his last words being for his mother to come save him.
“Good, boy, good! Now move!” The capitaine shouts from the top of the trench, waving the sword above his head as he hollers for everyone, including those who’ve been wounded, to keep moving.
Jean gulps and continues along, the trench filling up with the blood of all those dying around them. When he emerges from the trench, he spots a small hill amongst the bodies, but as the sun begins to dawn on the horizon, he recognizes it for what it truly is.
It’s a large hill of bodies, which his comrades are trying to climb in order to get at the enemy. Jean’s breath becomes hurried and ragged, yet he continues on like a good soldier should, beginning the climb up the hill of bodies.
As he climbs, however, he slips thanks to all the blood, sliding down and losing his rifle in the process. He can’t climb down to get it, though, that would mean turning back, and turning back means desertion.
And desertion means death.
With tears in his eyes, he continues climbing, blood and mud staining his clothes, and as he reaches the top his eyes go wide. In front of him the hill evens out a bit into a small field, and upon this field lie hundreds upon hundreds, with ever more running into the fray, only to be gunned down from the enemy line just ahead, their machine guns tearing into them.
On either side of him, his comrades are climbing up, prompting him to follow along, when a shell crashes down and sends all of them flying once more. He lands in such a manner that he can gaze up at the overcast sky.
Far in the sky he can see more wooden birds fly around, circling with their wings spread out permanently while their propellers keep moving round and round
For a moment, a glimmer of hope swells in his heart: one would almost think those birds were his own, flying around to help keep the enemy off of them, yet one reveals on its tail a cross, crushing all hopes of such. They must be spotters, directing enemy fire onto him and his fellow comrades.
He gently sits up, leaning a little against a comrade’s body. Strangely enough, the enemy gunners are ignoring him. Maybe he’s not a very enticing target with the way he’s just lying there, staring dumbfounded at all the carnage.
Not too far off to his side come one of the new metal machines, rolling along the ground on its caterpillar tracks. It’s cannon it fires at the enemy trench, landing a direct hit and sending clumps dirt and men flying.
Once the beast drives past a line of trenches, however, enemies emerge once the men hiding behind the steel monster come into view, lobbing grenades and picking them off one by one. One grenade strikes home, penetrating the weak frontal armour of the tank where, unfortunately, the engine is placed.
The engine explodes, showering both the inside and outside of the tank in burning gasoline. The screams of the men being roasted alive inside the tank is inhuman, like a screeching banshee giving a last, desperate cry before it dies.
His body, previously so tense, almost relaxes as he sits ignored by the world. That is until he spots the capitain standing above some young comrades, pointing his revolver at them. They cry out, begging for him not to send them out, send them to their deaths.
The capitaine spits in disgust, aims his revolver at the forehead of one and fires.
In that moment, a feeling starts building up in Jean, not one of fear, but of anger, unprecedented anger. Such a feeling should be reserved for his enemy, but right now it’s directed at one man. Jean begins to crawl, keeping his head low as he crawls forwards towards the capitaine.
The capitaine aims at the others, who scream and look horrified at their now dead friend, blood oozing out of the hole in his forehead in bursts.
Jean continues crawling, the anger building, turning into rage. How many more must die for this hill? How many more must die for this war? This never-ending, meaningless war.
“Anyone else not wanting to die for your country?!” The capitaine exclaims angrily, waving his revolver at the young men, when Jean rises behind him and takes his sharpened spade in hand, raising it above his head.
Just then, the capitaine turns his head, looking Jean right in the eyes, “What are you-“ Before he can finish, Jean brings the shovel right down on his head, cutting through his hat and imbedding the spade deep into his skull.
He groans a moment before his body goes completely limp, collapsing on the ground as Jean forces his spade out of the capitaine’s skull. The others look at him, terrified, yet thankful, very thankful. Jean breathes heavily, yet they’re not out of the fire yet. Death is all around, and he needs a way to defend himself.
He picks up the capitaine’s revolver, opening the chamber. Five bullets left.
A burst of fire from the enemy hits home in the head and shoulders of one of the youngsters, reminding Jean where he is and sending him diving for cover behind the capitaine’s body. He takes aim at the gunners, firing the revolver twice, hitting a gunner and his spotter.
Three bullets left.
As he prepares to fire again, one of the youngsters points to the sky, shouting.
Jean looks skywards along with the others, and they all see the birds circling far above them, while one of the men flying the birds points down at them. They’ve been spotted, and not a moment later a thousand shells head right for them. All of them scream, but Jean screams the loudest, fear overtaking his moment of bravery as he tries to use both of his arms in a futile attempt to block the incoming death.
They crash all around him, tearing the living and the dead apart, before one flies directly at him. Just as it hits him, he finds himself back in the mist, surrounded by hundreds of tents of similar colours.
“No,” Jean whispers lowly, terror filling his voice as he realizes he’s back once more, “please.”
End of Chapter 4: The War to End All Wars
My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 5: My Honour and My Fatherland
Chapter 5: My Honour and My Fatherland
Pinkie Pie hasn’t moved from Jean’s side, even now two weeks after his accident. Last week, Princess Luna showed them all Jean’s horrible nightmares of a war in his home world, and those images have been all that’s been on her mind ever since.
Both of her friends who witnessed it with her had reactions differing from each other: Twilight Sparkle has been in her castle, comparing Jean’s nightmares to everything in Equestrian history, right from the early days of ponies up until now, trying to find something to compare it to, something that’ll help her understand.
Last she heard, nothing in Equestrian history can compare.
And poor Fluttershy was devastated by all the suffering he’d seen and experienced. She was the first one to cry afterwards, followed shortly by Pinkie herself.
She’s stayed with Pinkie as often as she could, trying to comfort both her and the comatose Jean, but it’s clear she wishes she could do more for the poor dear. Unfortunately, today was one of the days where her duties at the animal sanctuary demand her attention.
Pinkie’s lib begins to quiver as she tries to process the horrors she witnessed in Jean’s dream. She’s had a week to do so, but it still baffles her completely.
So much death, so much suffering, and she still doesn’t know why. She caresses his hand as she’s done all this time, sitting all by herself. The others have lives of their own they had to get back to, but she has remained by his side, refusing to leave until he gets better.
Or at the very least wakes up.
She hears the door open up behind her and turning to look she finds Princess Luna entering the room, “Hi, Princess Luna.” She says, giving a small smile.
Luna gives a similar smile, “Hello, Pinkie Pie. I understand you have not moved from his bedside?”
Pinkie gives a simple nod in return and returns her gaze to Jean. “I’ve tried to understand what we saw in his dreams while I-I wait for him to wake up.”
Luna gives a nod and observes Jean a moment before she speaks, “Do you understand now, Pinkie Pie?”
“I’ve tried to… it’s all that’s been on my mind. But I just can’t understand.” She turns to look at Luna with a heartbroken expression, drawing sympathy from the moon princess, “Why? Why would they kill each other? Why would-why would they do that?” Her voice chokes up as tears well up in her eyes, “Why?”
“I do not know, Pinkie Pie, I wish I could offer explanation, but I can’t. All we know is the ensuing horror.”
“There’s something else, princess, something I thought about.” Pinkie takes a moment to steady herself, peeking Luna’s interest, “I heard once that ponies in your dreams are all ponies you’ve seen in real life. Is that true?”
Luna gives a nod, sensing where this is headed.
“A lot of the creatures in Jean’s dream had faces we could see, that were unique. Does-does that mean they were all real and… died?”
Luna nods slowly, “They are most definitely some he has known or seen, and the possibility of them having died is very real. This also goes for the ones that he killed in the dream.”
“The ones he killed…” She repeats slowly and looks back at him. She had thought a little about it, and the more she did the more it made sense. He tried to kill her, then fought against her friends. How many more would he have hurt if he thought he had to defend himself?
“How long do you intend to stay?”
“Until he wakes up.”
“That could be a long time.”
“I know.”
Luna falls silent a moment, then speaks again, “Have Twilight Sparkle write if you ever need to talk, Pinkie Pie. Dreams can be… difficult to understand.” Pinkie gives a little smile and a nod.
“Will do, princess, thanks.” Pinkie rises for the first time in hours before giving Luna a quick, yet heartfelt hug, taking the her by surprise, yet she is quick to smile and return the hug with her wings.
“You are most welcome.” After the hug is over, they both share a last smile, Luna’s reassuring while Pinkie’s is hopeful, before the pink pony is once more left alone to watch over Jean in his deep slumber.
“Oh, Jean, you poor thing.” She says quietly, her eyes full of sorrow.
“What happened back in your world? What happened?” She turns her gaze downwards while a single tear trails down her cheek.
“War.”
Pinkie’s ears perk up and she slowly raises her gaze back to Jean, “What?”
His eyes are slightly open, along with his mouth. Pinkie feels a rush of happiness wash over her at seeing him finally awaken.
“War,” He says again a little louder this time, “the war came…”
Pinkie’s surprise makes her momentarily speechless before she leans in a bit closer to him, wanting to hear everything he says, “You understand me? You speak Ponish?”
“I speak English, French, German,” He says quietly and raises his head slightly, speaking in a weak voice, “my father taught me. He-he taught languages at school.”
“School?” The gears in Pinkie’s head begin to turn, putting all the pieces in place, “That’s incredible! But if you can understand me, why didn’t you back at Sugarcube Corner?”
“You mean that bakery?” Pinkie nods, making Jean breathe deeply, “I-I don’t know. I woke up in a forest outside your town after a battle. I thought I’d died and gone to hell, or somehow got lost in No Man’s Land.”
“No Man’s Land? What’s that?” The confusion in Pinkie begins to build even as answers are given.
“A land belonging to no man, Pinkie, a land between us and the enemy. Only death reigns there.”
“And you thought you were there?”
A nod confirms her suspicion, “I was lost in that forest for hours, until I finally found your town. I was so hungry that when I saw the bakery I-I broke in and tried to find food.”
Pinkie nods, remembering the raided fridge, “And that’s when I found you?”
“Yes,” He affirms, “and I heard you, I really did but… I was still locked in that battle, a battle that-that should have killed me. So, I-I tried to kill you…”
“You thought I was one of them?” She pets his hand gently with her hoof, slowly beginning to understand.
“I did, I thought all of you were. But when that sun rose I-I could clearly see where I was. I was no longer on that hill… no longer among the dead.”
Pinkie tries to give him a reassuring smile, “That’s good, right? You’re here in Equestria, and not back there where bad things are happening. You’re safe now.”
Jean shakes his head, “No, Pinkie, I’m not.”
Pinkie’s smile turns into a confused frown, “What do you mean?”
Jean looks towards the window a moment, out onto Ponyville. The small town is being illuminated by Celestia’s spring sun, creating an idyllic scene of gentle serenity. It’s enough to make anypony having a bad day smile, yet it only seems to worsen Jean’s mood, making his frown grow bigger and bigger the longer he observes the view.
Finally, a single tear rolls down his cheek, before he turns to Pinkie, a sad, solemn expression on his face, his eyes full of sorrow.
"I'm blind, but I can see. I'm deaf, but I can hear. I still see the smouldering battlefield, and I hear the shells whizzling through the air. I see them exploding, deforming the land, and I hear the explosion while I see the shrapnel tear my friends apart, ripping their flesh to pieces.
“Most of all, I hear them, Pinkie, I hear the screams, the screams as they lay dying, crying out for their mothers to come save them. And the smell, dear God, the smell was terrible. Powder, oil and rotting flesh all assaulting your nose. It was horrible."
Pinkie chokes back some tears as she listens, “But then why fight at all? Were you forced to?” Jean breathes heavily before he continues, “I volunteered, Pinkie, along with thousands of others.” He gazes her straight into the eyes as he speaks.
“I wanted to fight for my country, defend it from invasion, from an enemy that would seek to shame us.”
Pinkie can understand wanting to fight to protect your home, she’s done it herself multiple times against big meanies that wanted to take over or destroy Equestria. For the life of her, though, she can’t understand how anyone could ever go so far. Before she can ask, however, Jean continues.
“You know what made me fight? What didn't make me put a bullet in my head or stab my leg?” Pinkie shakes her head and focuses on him, wanting to both hear and understand his reasoning for enduring such horrors.
“It was my honour, Pinkie, my honour wouldn't allow it. How could anyone go to war and call themselves a soldier, if they'd just kill or wound themselves to get away?
“And it wasn't just that. It was our duty, the duty we had to our nation, our fatherland. We couldn't just abandon the fatherland in its hour of need...but now, after everything I've seen...everything I've done...I wish I had. I fought for my honour and my fatherland...and I wish I was dead...”
Tears are now trailing down Pinkie Pie’s cheeks as she takes in his words, “N-no, you don’t mean that. I-I’ll be here for you, I promise, we can be friends and I’ll help you! Please…”
The desperation is clear in her voice, her attempts to hold back her sobs now failing completely. Jean scans her face, seeming to consider something, before he speaks.
“I suppose there is one thing you can do.” He says with barely any emotion.
Pinkie smiles through her tears, hope welling up inside her, “Yes, yes, anything.”
Jean motions her closer with his finger, prompting her to do so, before he speaks. “My revolver, get me my revolver.”
“Revolver? The little canon?” Pinkie says carefully, making Jean smile and nod, “Oui, yes.”
Pinkie retracts her head slowly as thoughts run through her head. Her initial thought is to go ask the princesses where it is so she can deliver it to her friend in hopes that it will make him happy, make him better. But then another, darker thought crosses her mind for but a moment, prompting her to stop herself from leaving to find it.
“W-why do you want it?” She asks carefully, making Jean smile sadly.
“I want to end it, Pinkie, I don’t want to live with these memories, these horrible, awful memories. Please, Pinkie, help me end it.”
Pinkie takes a step back, a scared expression on her face, “I-I can’t Jean,” Her words make Jean frown heavily, “I-I don’t want you to die.” She continues, horrified at his wish.
“Kill me.” He mumbles and forces himself up on his weak arms, “Please, kill me.”
“We-we can help you, Jean, I- “
“KILL ME!!! ” He screams at the top of his lungs, scaring Pinkie and making her stumble back, “Kill me, kill me, kill me!” The door to the room flies open and a doctor hurries in, “What’s going on in here?”
Not answering him, Pinkie runs past him out the door, tears streaming down her face as Jean continues to shout behind her those same two words: “Kill me.”
Pinkie stops in the hallway and collapses onto her haunches, her hair now gone completely straight while she cries heavily.
‘He wants to die. He wants to die, and I can’t help him’
The thought keeps running through her head as staff runs past her and into the room in an attempt to subdue Jean, make him calm down with medicine.
‘He’s given up.’ The thought hits her like a train, crushing her completely. She isn’t sure how long she cries, feeling lost and devastated. Slowly, a different train of thought begins to enter her mind.
“No.” She raises her head upwards, looking up at the ceiling lamp that shines brightly down on her, filling her with renewed vigor and making a new, confident smile emerge on her face.
“He might have given up,” Pinkie whispers to herself more so anypony else, “but I won’t give up on him.”
The End
