Echo Sierra Bravo

Chapters

Chapter 1: "This is Echo Sierra Bravo..."
Chapter 2:"...need immediate assistance..."
Chapter 3: "...be advised....within the compound..."
Chapter 4: "the enemy.....imitating....."
Chapter 5: "...compromised....requesting..."
Chapter 6: ...assistance....needed....
Chapter 7: ...situation...stabilizing...
Chapter 8: Situation Green

Chapter 1: "This is Echo Sierra Bravo..."

“Overlord this is Echo Sierra Bravo requesting immediate fire support, how copy?”

“Overlord this is Echo Sierra Bravo requesting immediate fire support on our location, do you copy? over.”

“Overlord, this is Echo Sierra Bravo, Captain Walker speaking We still have birds on the ground, and we need immediate fire support if we want them to go anywhere, how do you copy? over.”

“Overlord we are taking heavy fire from hostile contacts to our front and are in desperate need of fire support. We have civilians still inside the fortification in need of evac, but we are running out of time. We need fire support. Overlord, do you copy?”

Captain Cornelius J. Walker looked through the open tent flap to the Chinook that sat with its rotors spinning as people were loaded into its waiting cargo bay. There weren’t many civilians left; most had either been air lifted out or had simply climbed back into their vehicles to take their chances when they determined that the army wasn't moving fast enough. He pressed the button down on the handheld radio remote.

“Overlord this is Captain Walker at Echo Sierra Bravo. Hostile fire is coming in hard and is getting worse by the minute. We still have a bird on the ground and need more time to get it loaded up. We need fire support at this position. over.”

The radio crackled.

“Bravo this is Overlord. Be advised. Fire support will be delayed in getting to you. We have positions under attack across the board and you are currently still green. We are diverting fire support to where it is most needed. As soon as they are available, we will send birds your way. How copy? over.”

Walker ran his fist across his forehead, wiping the sweat away from his brow. The gunfire outside was rolling ever closer. Flashes of green could be seen on the faces of the civilians as they flinched and began to scream. He couldn’t fault his men, they performed beautifully under the circumstances. They remained cool, shoving the civvies onto the chopper, and when they wouldn’t move, they would simply carry them inside.

The longer it took however, the more soldiers peeled away, rifles raised as the fighting claimed more casualties. Walker sighed and shook his head.

“Overlord this is Walker. I copy.”

“Hold out Captain. We will send help as soon as we can.”

“Yeah,” Walker replied without pressing the function button.

He handed the radio to his operator, who took it in silence, multitasking as he wrote down the transmissions. Walker ran his hand down his face, unsure of what to do. They just needed a little longer. A few minutes at most. The Chinook would take off and he could withdraw his men from the position; push back closer to Overlord to regroup with the rest of the division.

A shadow obscured the landing pad, and a man waited expectantly. Walker looked at him.

“Well?”

“The civilians are all on board captain. We can begin putting our wounded on next.”

Walker shook his head.

“No. Send it. We’ll take the wounded with us when we pull out. That bird needs to be gone now.”

“Captain, are you sure?”

“I am Sergeant, we all hear the gunfire. Send it. We’ll follow it out.”

The man saluted.

“Yes sir.”

Walker began to turn away, then stopped.

“Sergeant?”

“Yes Captain?”

“When you tell the pilots, keep yourself on board. Make sure they know where they’re going.”

“Yes sir, thank you sir.”

Walker nodded toward the waiting helicopter.

“Get going.”

The man disappeared. Walker looked at the three men that made up his command team. He gestured at the radio equipment.

“Get this down and grab a rifle. We’re going to move in five.”

They said nothing, bursting into motion as they disassembled the radios. Most of it they would leave behind, but they needed to take steps to ensure the enemy couldn’t use it. Cords were brutally torn from the backs of the radios and their batteries were discard to the side. Walker watched as the operators intentionally wound the cable ends together, obscuring what went where.

The wind picked up as the Chinook’s rotors increased their speed. The unwieldy craft lifted into the air as Walker watched, covering his eyes. The behemoth was easy to spot against the night sky, its tan color and flashing lights making it painfully obvious against all of that black.

Walker prayed their luck would hold, that they still had enough time. As the bird lifted further into the sky, Walker’s eyes drifted down, taking careful stock of his position. Just outside of the range of the heli-pad lights, he could see his men withdrawing as black shapes flitted back and forth in the flashes of their rifles.

A .50 cal roared up, a man hopping up to take the place of the former user who laid on the ground, his uniform smoking as he was dragged back by a team of medics. His screams were blissfully drowned out temporarily by the helicopter above him.

Walker pumped his fist a little as the bird spun about, its movement beginning to carry it toward the rear. Just as he began thanking god that their luck had held, a wide green beam cut through the bottom of the Chinook. In an explosion of fire, the wounded bird began to drift to the right as the pilots struggled to bring it back under control. Walker could only watch in open mouthed horror as a second beam struck the cockpit. Blunted shards of glass rained on the heli-pad and Walker raised a hand to shield his eyes from the debris.

The Chinook went into a death spin, and Walker felt helpless as he watched it spiral in the wrong direction. Its wounds brought it down behind the bugs, and he watched as a momentarily lull in attackers startled his men. He heard the sound of twisting metal as the Chinook hit the ground somewhere behind the trees to their front. He prayed that everyone died instantly. It would be a small mercy.

Walker felt a tap on his shoulder. It was his radio operator, a Private Richardson.

“Captain, what are your orders?”

Walker looked around blankly for a moment, then his mind reset, and snapped shut like a trap.

“Withdraw from all positions forward of the .50, we need to tighten our area of fire. Get someone checking the Humvees. If their good, then we load up and go. If not, we walk.”

The man nodded and took off. Walker repeated his orders to a sergeant, his heart panging momentarily at the thought of the man he had sent to his death.

'No, not now,' he thought. 'You still have men that need to be kept alive.'

Walker scanned the battlefield, absorbing as much information as possible. He grimaced. What had been a full company was now down to less than fifty combat ready men. The rest were either lying in a line of wounded, or were simply gone. He understood the need of the medics to not grab the dead, wished desperately for an opportunity to at least retrieve their dog tags. To make sure their families would get something, if not a body.

“Contact front!” came the shout.

Men quickly braced against the sandbags and opened fire. The .50 cal roared again, his muzzle flashes painting the black bugs in yellow light as it wreaked havoc amongst the clustered creatures. They fell in a pile, the ones behind showing no hesitation as they crawled over their fallen comrades. No fear. No sympathy for their dead.

Walker looked around for his rifle, couldn’t remember where he had left it. The bugs pushed forward, despite their losses. His men smoothly fell back, moving closer to the heli-pad. As one man broke from his cover, a green beam came from nowhere, tearing through his shoulder. He collapsed with a scream. A medic darted forward, only for another beam to take him in the throat. He fell like a sack, impacting the dirt silently.

Walker drew his sidearm and ran forward. He fired as he went, leaving holes in at least one bug. He had no doubt he hit every shot, especially since the creatures were so thick that he could fire into the sky and still hit something.

He grabbed the fallen private by his vest. The man screamed wordlessly, clutching at the ugly burn decorating his shoulder. Walker didn’t look at it, didn’t watch anything other than the bugs as he fired at any that got too close. He got lucky. His pistol clicked empty as he got back to the sandbags closest to the heli-pad. A pair of medics took over, dragging the wounded man away. Walker dropped the empty magazine and quickly reloaded.

His men continued to fall back, though Walker noticed more than one body simply dropping. The only way he could tell if they were dead was if the bugs ignored them. If they didn’t, the creatures would latch on, dragging the man away screaming. Rifle fire was ineffective at saving the poor souls. Walker holstered his side arm and took up a dropped rifle. His muzzle flashes joined the rest as they peppered the seemingly endless horde of bugs.

Within two minutes, Walker was down a magazine and a half, and his men were all behind the final wall of sandbags. Without proper covering fire, green beams began cutting through their line, men collapsing with gasps and screams. The .50 cal in particular kept getting hit, with a man getting killed before he could even get the gun firing again. The armor that was supposed to be able stop most small arms fire was useless against the beams. The shield was charred black, with most of it simply blown away.

Walker dropped another magazine. The man beside him took a grazing shot from a beam. He screamed with pain, but stayed on his feet, his finger finding the trigger again and again. Walker slammed the fresh magazine home and picked out another target. As he fired, he heard a sound dreaded by soldiers worldwide. A click.

He looked to his right, the private not reaching for another magazine, his vest empty. Before he could call it out, a beam tore through his sternum. He fell back with a gurgle, dead before he hit the ground.

Walker fired again, counting his shots now. He had burned through his ammo, and he knew the men around him were experiencing a similar fate. More clicks rang out, followed by the calls.

“I’m out!”

“I’ve got nothing left here!”

“Captain we need ammo!”

Walker felt his rifle click, quickly dropped it in exchange for his side arm. The bugs were very close now. He felt gore spray as he fired point blank, each shot killing a target. To his left, a man was dragged to the ground as he was pounced by two bugs. It only distracted Walker for a moment, but it was enough. He pulled the trigger as his pistol contacted the chest of a bug that had leaped at him, its teeth bared. The creature died with a hole the size of his fist in its chest, but gore and meaty bits covered his hands, and more importantly, it got into the action of his m9.

Walker leveled the gun at another target and pulled the trigger. The bug died, but his gun also jammed. Walker worked the slide furiously, wriggling the shell loose just in time to level the pistol at another target. Again, it jammed. Walker growled in frustration as he worked the slide again. He felt a shadow pass over his face, saw the shiny white teeth of a bug, could see a look of victory in its eyes. He was going to die with a jammed gun. Walker pointed the non-functioning weapon at the changeling and pulled the trigger anyway.

A flash of light blinded Walker as the ground shook, sending him sprawling from his feet. The world seemed to rend apart, the ground bucking like a bronco. Walker couldn’t see it, but he heard a host of screams, could hear metal striking metal, as well as metal striking meat. He rolled onto his face and pushed himself up on his hands and knees. He shook his head as he tried to clear his ears of ringing.

Walker’s vision gradually returned, though a million spots danced before his eyes. He wiped dirt from his face as he grabbed the sandbags to his front, wrenching himself to his knees. When he saw what those bags were concealing, Walker thought for a second that he had died. There was simply no other explanation for what he was in front of him.

It was a large force, anywhere from a company or two’s worth of armored… ponies. They were standing between the pitiful remainder of his own forces and they were assaulting the bugs with fervor. Even more, the ponies were steadily driving the black creatures back. Walker could only watch, transfixed, as the ponies cut through the bugs like a scythe, leaving a thick carpet of bodies in their wake. One in particular stood out, not just because of its superior height, but because of the sheer power behind each swing. Walker spotted long blades attached to a large set of golden wings. The pony almost seemed to dance, spinning around and around as those blades decapitated anything they met. A wide hole in the bugs appeared, quickly filled in by the other charging ponies as they filled the gap, not content to stand back and watch their champion do the dirty work.

Walker managed to blink, and the motion jolted him enough to bring him back to reality. He looked at the men around him, all in silent awe just as he was. Walker let them remain that way for a moment as the ponies began to roll like a wave over the outer fortifications. He then began shaking each man in the line, waking them up. As they processed, the questions began.

“Captain, what was that? Who was that?”

“I don’t know Private, but for right now, they are not hostile and that’s good enough. How is our ammo?”

The men checked their weapons, and one hopped up on the vacant .50 to check. The grim looks told him enough. The calls followed; empty, out, dry clicking, the message the same.

“Have maybe a belt left Captain. I’m down to three rounds in my rifle,” the new gunner said.

Captain Walker sighed.

“Stay on the gun and give your rifle to someone else. If they come back, we need as much firepower as we can have.”

The man nodded and passed his m4 to a man who was holding an empty rifle. Walker thumbed the grip of his side arm, and almost as an afterthought, he pulled a rag from his pocket and scrubbed at the action, trying to clear the gunk that had caused it to jam. As he did so, Walker said;

“Distribute what you have left evenly. Fix bayonets if you have them. We’ll give them a show if nothing else.”

The men responded grimly. Some had lost their KABARs, while others had nothing to put the blade on, their rifles dropped or broken. Walker kept one eye on his hands as he cleaned his pistol, and the other to their front, where the sounds of battle still roiled forth. Flashes of green and white light traded blows, as if they too warred for dominance. His eyes drifted upward as a crackle of thunder pealed across the sky.

'Great,' he thought, 'rain.'

The lightning seemed to act strangely. The bolts that usually stayed amongst the clouds striking out with increasing frequency, their energy attacking something over the trees. Almost every single flash was in that direction, like they were being aimed.

Light drops began to fall, and Walker cursed their luck. The thunder seemed to roll closer, and a large crack split the sky. The wind picked up, and his men began to fall back into a line behind the cover of the sandbags. Leaves, knocked from the trees surrounding their position, began to pepper the corpses that lay strewn in front of them. One of the massive generator power lights behind them rocked with a soft groan of steel. The light set them on edge as it too began to move, creeping back and forth, giving the grisly scene before them an eerie look.

Walker walked behind his line, whispering encouragements to each man on the line. Some shifted nervously, while others struggled to keep the growing amount of water from their eyes as it dripped from their helmets. All eyes were focused forward, all waiting tensely for an enemy to appear.

Walker flinched when the loudest crack of thunder yet echoed overhead. It was like a grenade going off beside his head. His vision temporarily spun, and his ears rang. It was gut instinct to level his sidearm at the ponies when they landed behind him on the heli-pad. Walker and his men spun on their heels, weapons leveled as the quartet of ponies landed with a loud thud, their hooves cracking the concrete of the pad. The humans were silent, their weapons dripping with rainwater as they pointed, each man waging a war within himself to ensure that he didn't instinctively pull the trigger before an order was given. The men around him had wide eyes, filled with many emotions; fear, confusion, a slight mix of hope. The two parties remained at a silent standoff. Walker didn’t want to make the first move, though in the back of his mind he really knew he just didn’t want to make the wrong one. The survival of his men relied on a thread, a single decision, or misspoken word.

The ponies watched the humans, their eyes seeming to convey anger and sympathy simultaneously. What Walker didn’t see was hostility. They weren’t here for a fight. Not with their unit at least. He licked his lips and prayed as he slowly lowered his sidearm. The largest of the four ponies seemed to take this as a positive sign and stepped forward, opening its mouth to speak. A mistake.

A shot rang out, it could have been anything. The crushing nerves, a slipped finger, a flinch at the torrential rain. Walker saw it ricochet off of the pony’s helmet. Several reactions were immediate. The pony dropped to the ground. The remaining three ponies drew weapons, their armor seeming to take on a new glow. At the same time, Walker threw himself in front his men, grabbing rifle barrels and forcing them to the ground.

“Hold fire! Hold fire! Keep your fingers away from those triggers!”

He looked with wide eyes as the ponies advanced regardless. His men flinched back, and several rifles found their way back up. He was going to lose control. He had no doubt they would lose a firefight if there was one, and even if they did win, how would they explain four dead corpses filled with bullet holes when more ponies came knocking?

“Halt!” a loud female voice said. The advancing ponies froze.

The one that had been shot, a taller, blue pony, got to her feet. She rubbed at the mark on her helmet, her green eyes peeking out from beneath the shadows cast by her now marred helm. She advanced on them quickly, her eyes seeming to lock on to Walker. It took significant willpower not to level his pistol at her head again. He felt like he was being judged, like the pony's eyes could lay his soul bare for the world to see. Ignoring the instincts that told him to fight, Walker holstered his pistol, flexed his hand, and then walked forward. It helped his fear, and would at least make it appear like he wasn’t afraid if he was willing to meet the pony halfway.

The two stopped within feet of each other, and Walker crossed his arms across his chest to keep them from fidgeting. The pony looked him up and down.

“You are in charge here?”

Walker nodded.

“I am. I’m Captain Walker, First Infantry Division.”

“Princess Luna of Equestria,” she replied. “These are your soldiers?”

Walker looked back, saw less than a dozen faces staring back.

“They are,” he said simply, leaving out the fact that he used to have almost two hundred under his command.

“Excellent, you may tell them to stand down. We shall take things from here.”

Walker looked back at the pony with a confused expression.

“Excuse me? On whose authority are you issuing orders?”

The ponies behind the princess glared at him. She simply took it in stride, as if expecting his reaction.

“My own authority Captain. You are seriously depleted and are in need of rest and medical care. My own forces shall occupy your positions until such a time that we require your services.”

Walker frowned.

“I don’t think so. This is United States Army property, and as long as we are here, it will remain such. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but until I or my superiors decide this position is undefendable, we will remain where we are, manning our own positions.”

One of the ponies took a step forward, a snarl on its face.

“You are addressing your superior human. You will treat Princess Luna with respect!”

Walker bristled, and he knew the men behind him did so as well. Tension returned as rifle butts found their way to shoulders. Princess Luna whirled on the speaking pony, and above their heads, a low peal of thunder crackled across the sky.

“Be silent Captain Watcher! This is their planet; we are guests if nothing else. You will respect them as you respect me.”

She turned back to Walker.

“My apologies Captain, I have no desire to intrude, but merely to assist you. I will not pretend to understand your weapons, but I have heard enough to know they are nigh empty. We simply wish to give you the opportunity to resupply, so that you might be better prepared when the changelings return.”

“Changelings?” one of the men behind Walker asked. “You mean the bugs?”

Princess Luna nodded.

“Yes. These creatures, while not overly powerful, are incredibly numerous. While my sister will do her best to keep them occupied, more will surely flood around her and attack where we are at our weakest.”

“Here,” Walker said flatly.

He sighed and ran a hand down his face, thinking hard on how he should react. She was right of course, but would it show weakness to admit that? No... No. He needed to protect the men that remained first, then worry about looking weak. The simple truth was that if she pressed the issue, they would come up short. After a moment, Walker shrugged.

“Do as you please Princess Luna. It’s not like we can say no.”

He turned away from the pony without waiting for a reply. He pointed to Richardson.

“Get the radio back up, I want to talk with command. We need to alert them to potentially friendly forces to our front.”

He paused and sighed.

“The rest of you… let’s get to work. Set up a new perimeter around the pad, see if we have any boxes of ammunition in storage that we missed. Scavenge what you can.”

The men nodded and got to work. Rifles were slung over shoulders as sandbags were shifted. The rain had softened, but the wind still howled. It held a slight chill to it. Walker prayed that winter wasn’t coming early this year. While the forests of Virginia didn’t get exceptionally cold, he had a strong feeling they wouldn’t have heating units available any time soon.

He and Princess Luna traded a glance. She seemed unsure of his immediate acceptance of her single-handedly taking over his position. The glare he was giving her likely didn’t help. She looked away first, giving orders to the three ponies that still hadn’t moved from the heli-pad. Walker snorted and walked away, he had work to do.

Chapter 2:"...need immediate assistance..."

The radio began to crackle as Richardson found the last cord and plugged it in. While it shouldn’t have taken more than five minutes for the experienced radio operator to undo the damage he had done, he was unfortunately alone in his task. Walker had no real experience with the technical aspects of the radio system, and the other two men who had made up his command team were gone. One sat under a blanket on the heli-pad, a black hole in his head, while Richardson claimed the other had been grabbed by three changelings. The man had fallen silent after that, had just quietly gone about his work. Walker didn’t press the issue.

After half an hour of managing the setup of their new defenses, Richardson had called him into the tent, and now the radio was alive once more. Richardson immediately slid into his usual position. He gave Walker a thumbs up, and Walker picked up the transceiver, depressing the function button.

“Overlord, this Echo Sierra Bravo, how copy?”

The reply was immediate.

“Echo Sierra Bravo, this is Overlord. We lost you for a few minutes there, what is the status of your position? Over.”

Walker sighed and wiped away some water from his forehead. The rain had slowed, but it hadn't stopped as they worked. His uniform was close to being soaked through, and Walker couldn't help but feel that it wasn't going to be dry any time soon.

“Overlord this is Captain Walker, Echo Sierra Bravo is operational, but my unit is combat ineffective. We took a hell of a beating. Over.”

“Captain, has your position been compromised? Over.”

“Affirmative Overlord. I have my men pulled back to the heli-pad on new defensive positions. The enemy overran the old ones. over.”

“Captain, what is your current troop strength? Over.”

Walker peeked out of the tent, did a quick count.

“Overlord, I have maybe a dozen combat effective guys, and maybe two dozen wounded on top of that. We are low on ammo and medical supplies. I’ll need to abandon the position and withdraw if we don’t get reinforcements. Over.”

“Negative on your last Bravo. You need to keep that position up. Over.”

Walker ran his tongue across his teeth.

“Can I expect reinforcements then Overlord? Or at least resupply?”

“Negative Captain. We are engaged on all points across the board and there are positions that are hot right now. Are you currently engaged with enemy contacts?”

Walker frowned in frustration.

“Negative Overlord, but I expect that to change. My men are dry clicking out here, if nothing else we need ammunition. We will have to pull out if we don’t get some assistance. Over.”

“That is a negative on withdrawal. Captain, you need to hold that position with the forces you have.”

Walker wanted to laugh. Not a laugh filled with humor, but rather one of oozing desperation.

“Negative Overlord, we’re hanging on a thread here. If it weren’t for those pony things showing up…”

“Captain please repeat your last,” the radio cut in. “Did you say you were reinforced by ponies?”

Walker rubbed his forehead again.

“Yes and no Overlord. They swept in and took out the bugs that were hammering us. Only four are still here, the rest continued in pursuit of the enemy.”

The radio fell silent. Walker waited for thirty seconds for a response. He looked to Richardson, who shrugged in reply. Walker pressed the function button.

“Overlord, are you still there?”

The radio remained silent. Walker waited again. As he took a breath and prepared to ping the radio again, it sprung to life.

“Echo Sierra Bravo be advised; the pony forces are designated as friendlies. While we have not made contact with their operational leadership, they have been spotted across the board. Until they do something we don’t like, they are to remain as friendly contacts. How copy?”

Walker nodded.

“I copy Overlord. What about our reinforcements? Over.”

“Captain Walker be advised; there will be no reinforcements. You will maintain your current position with your current forces, any less will be seen as a dereliction of duty. How copy?”

Walker exchanged a glance with Richardson.

“Overlord, I believe I didn’t quite catch your last. We are to maintain our current position, but we will not be receiving reinforcements?”

“That is correct Captain.”

Walker groaned.

“Overlord, maybe I have not made my situation clear. We are low on ammo, men, and medical supplies. We are combat ineffective and need immediate resupply or we will be forced to withdraw. I cannot maintain this position with my current forces. How copy?”

“Captain Walker be advised; you will maintain that position. You have already failed once tonight; this is your second chance to make things right or you will be relieved of your command.”

That sent a shock through Walker.

“What failure would that be Overlord?” he asked numbly.

“You made us look bad Captain," the voice replied. "These ponies have begun pitching in all over, but as you have said, it took direct intervention to salvage your position. You have demonstrated that we need their help, and that is unacceptable. It will only give them leverage in the future when diplomatic contact is made. You have disgraced yourself, and have disgraced our division.”

Walker felt anger rising in his chest. He clamped down on it, making sure it stayed under control, keeping it from his voice. He couldn't well explode at his superiors. He needed to convince them to give some sort of reinforcements, and fighting them wouldn't help. Reason was the only step he could think to take.

“Overlord what should I have done? I did not ask them to intervene. They did so of their own volition.”

“Captain you should have showed strength. You should have been able to push the enemy back and demonstrated that we, as a nation, are strong.”

“Overlord we had no ammunition! Would you have had me assault the enemy with sharp sticks and harsh language?”

“If that is what it took. We will discuss this no further. Remain at your post, and try not to fuck it up. Overlord out.”

Walker held the transceiver in silence. He wanted to say something in response. He briefly thought about ordering a retreat anyway, out of spite. But no, he couldn’t. Couldn’t let anger affect his decisions, couldn’t even show it to his men, knew he would only fire them up against their superiors. Walker calmly handed the transceiver to Richardson, who set it down.

“What next Captain?” the radio operator asked.

Walker sighed and rubbed his face.

“We follow our orders Private; we remain here for the time being; we fight off any enemy that comes our way.”

“Respectfully sir, how?” the man asked, removing his headset, carefully placing it on its hooks.

Walker turned away and stared at the barely lit walls of the tent.

“We make do Private. That’s what soldiers are supposed to do, right?”

Richardson accepted the answer silently. The two stared at nothing, each lost in his own thoughts. They were broken from their contemplation by a trio of men running in to stand in the tent’s doorway, obscuring the light.

“Captain we have a situation out here.”

Walker looked up, a question on his lips when he heard the yelling, more than surprised that he hadn’t noticed it before. He gestured the man to walk and talk, and Richardson and the other men fell in behind them as they walked outside. The rain was still falling in a drizzle, making the darkness outside of the lights seem even blacker. Flashes still popped out through the trees, but they were fainter now as the fight rolled away from their position.

“They won’t let us go out any further Captain,” the private said. “I know I saw at least one of our guys moving out there, but there’s gotta be more sir. At the very least there’s ammo out there and we need all of that we can get Captain.”

Walker held his hand up to silence the man as they approached the scene. Princess Luna was gone, but had left several more ponies behind. Numbering six now, two of them looked like plain horses, just a bit smaller, and decked out in armor. The last one had a horn, and was the one doing the most arguing with the man Walker identified as one of the company medics.

“Sergeant Philips, what seems to be the problem here?” he asked forcefully, butting his way into the argument.

The man looked to Walker, a smile momentarily passing over his face.

“Captain, I was just trying to explain to this fuzzy headed idiot that we need to go out to retrieve our wounded and dead.”

“I have already told you that it isn’t safe yet!” The pony looked desperately at Walker. “You are Captain Walker, yes? I am Guard Captain Shining Armor. Princess Luna simply needs a few minutes to sweep the area for any remaining changelings. Then you can go out to look for your wounded, I promise you. Buck, we’ll even help! We just need to make sure there isn’t a threat.”

“Captain a few minutes may be too long!" Phillips cut in. "I only barely stabilized the wounded we already have, and I got to work on them as they dropped. We lose lives the longer we wait.”

Walker considered both sides of the argument, but mentally, he knew exactly the choice he was going to make. His men were out there, and had the potential to come out alive. More men healing meant more fighters down the line. Walker could already tell that there would be nothing short about their conflict with the changelings, and they'd need as many people as possible. Still, he didn't want to cause issues if he didn't have to, and a minute or two of wait wouldn't kill anyone who wasn't already dead. He looked to Shining Armor and asked;

“Tell me Captain, how much longer will Princess Luna be gone?”

The pony shrugged.

“Twenty, maybe thirty minutes?” he replied.

Walker’s frown deepened.

“That is unacceptable. Sergeant take who you need and get to work. Assemble the wounded in the radio tent. Richardson will clear space.”

The medic smiled gratefully, and began to start forward, only for the Equestrians to draw their weapons. Captain Armor shook his head and sighed.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that Captain Walker. I have my orders. Nobody is to leave the perimeter of lights until the princess returns. It’s for your own safety.”

Walker felt the men around him tense up. He, however, let no emotion creep onto his face. He merely bowed his head silently and turned away as if to leave. His men watching him in disbelief, while the Equestrians seemed to relax for a moment. A nearly silent sigh of relief passed between them.

Then Walker whirled around, his sidearm drawn and pointed at Captain Armor’s forehead. He made sure that a look of murderous intent was clear in his eyes. Rifles and swords raised. Shouts from both sides yelled to the other to drop their weapons, but Walker merely waited. Captain Armor met his gaze with tired eyes, but he didn't seem angry at the turn of events, if anything, it seemed like he understood.

“Listen well Captain Armor" Walker said. "I will be told by nobody that I am not to retrieve men, my men who are wounded. This is how it will happen. We will move forward. We will retrieve our dead and wounded. We will do so without interference on your part. For your own safety of course.”

The pony flinched as Walker bent his words against him. Armor glanced to his sides, likely calculating how fast his ponies could move to disarm or kill the humans. Walker knew he had the situation well in hand however.

“Think carefully Captain. Your soldiers may get me in a rush, but I can guarantee that you will not see it. This ends one of two ways,” Walker said, crushing any stupid actions the pony might attempt dead in their tracks.

Captain Armor met his gaze again, and in it he saw defeat, with a glimmer of respect and understanding. Without lowering his sidearm, Walker nodded at Phillips.

“Get to work Sergeant. Get our boys out.”

The medic slung his rifle over his shoulder, pushing past the ponies. Quickly, another man followed, then another. Walker waited while each man pushed their way past the armored ponies, climbing into the sea of bodies to look for fallen comrades. Richardson grabbed another private by the arm and dragged him toward the command tent, giving him a basic rundown on how to move the radio equipment safely. Walker slowly lowered his pistol and re-holstered it, never breaking eye contact with Captain Armor. He then followed his men, pushing past the ponies to begin searching for the dead and wounded.

It was a grizzly scene before him, and Walker was somewhat glad for the dimness of the light and the rain that still worked to clean away the pools of gore. Black shelled bodies were stacked high. Some pieces occasionally twitched despite their separation from their body. Walker had to toss aside more than one leg, some of the them flailing in his grip. It was distasteful, but while he let a disgusted scowl creep over his face, Walker didn't stop working. They needed to find the wounded.

“Movement front!” a cry rang out.

Rifles cracked at the fleeing black shape as it crawled out from beneath a pile of bodies. The changeling made it five steps before a round tore through the back of its head. Two men ran forward, checking to make sure it was truly dead. They were completely exposed, and if another changeling came through the destroyed gate, both soldiers could be dead in an instant. They had no cover, nor any covering fire. Walker scowled, that wouldn’t do.

“Private Cook! Front and center.” he called out.

The man quickly responded, moving as fast as the piles of bodies would allow. He ran up to Walker and saluted sharply.

“Yes sir?”

“Man the .50. If anything moves that isn’t us, shoot it.”

“Yes sir.”

The man sprinted toward the large gun, hoping up quickly as he began inspecting it, pulling a rag free from his vest to clean away any gore from the action. Walker looked around their position, then narrowed his eyes as he spotted an ideal position.

“Campbell! I want you up on that wall,” he said pointing to the grey pillar of stone that signified the entrance to the evacuation site. “Take a flare with you, I want to know if the enemy is coming before he’s kicking down our door.”

The man nodded and ascended the ladder leading to the walkway. He had to shove more than a few bodies to the ground, but eventually the private settled into a crouch, his rifle trained outward. Feeling a bit more secure against unwanted surprises, Walker resumed his search. He ignored the stares he could feel digging into his back. He didn’t particularly care what the ponies thought of him, saviors or not. He simply went to work, scanning for the tan and brown that signified a human uniform amongst the see of black bodies.

The calls began rising into the air quickly. Sergeant Phillips darted between cases with a sharpie, the brutal unkind work of triage. As their only remaining medic, Walker knew that the man had to pick cases carefully. One man could only save so many by himself. The dead were dragged away, set beside the sandbags around the heli-pad, their ammunition and weapons stripped away as his men reloaded their weapons. If things went right this thing would never have to happen, but things never went right, did they? As they were dragged from the mountains of bodies, the cries of the wounded grew louder. Walker welcomed each cry, another survivor, another justification for his desperate actions. Wounds could heal, the dead could not.

Walker kicked aside another bug corpse, goo leaking out of a hole in its throat onto his boot. He drew his sidearm as he saw the remaining corpses in the stack shift. Then he saw the hand trying to break free. He re-holstered the gun and began moving bodies furiously, determined to free the pinned man. As he lifted a body, he heard the weak cries for help.

He saw a patch of uniform, a smear of red, and as he shifted the last body aside, he saw the face of his target. Walker couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Lieutenant Frank Hughes, the big man a fast friend and longtime subordinate of Walker’s. He was one of Walker’s favorite people to talk with on long nights when sleep was impossible. Unfortunately, the man was clearly wounded; blood stained his uniform and a puddle of goo filled the foxhole the man was laying in.

“Hello?” the man weakly said, his hand trying block the light from reaching his eyes.

Walker kneeled beside him and began scanning him for wounds.

“Hey Frank, it’s me.” Over his shoulder he shouted, “Medic!”

Hughes smiled weakly; his eyes glazed with pain.

“Hey Captain, good to see you. I’m afraid I can’t shake your hand though; I can’t feel it no more.”

Walker quickly found a deep black burn in the man’s right shoulder. A large chunk of meat was gone, and blood seeped slowly from the wound. Walker patted the man on his good shoulder.

“Not a problem Frank. I’m going to get you some help, then you’re going to be right as rain and fighting again.”

The man giggled.

“I don’t think so Captain. It hurts something fierce. Think I need to go to a hospital, seem some nice doctors and pretty nurses.”

Walker shifted as he tried to let more light into the hole, only for Hughes to gasp in pain. Walker saw his knee sitting on the man’s thigh, saw a just of bone poking out of his pants below that. Walker shifted again to alleviate the pressure he had caused. Walker licked his lips and called out again.

“Medic!”

He needed help if he was going to lift the big man out of the pile of corpses, hell, the man’s other leg was still buried under several changeling corpses. Hughes raised his head and looked at his leg.

“Aw man, the bugs broke my leg.”

Walker gently pushed his head back down.

“Don’t look at that Frank, were going to get it taken care of, no problem.”

The big man pushed back, the shock causing him to try to put eyes on his wounds. Walker grabbed his arm with his other hand as the man bucked, trying to get free.

“Frank, I need you to stay calm for me. You’re only going to make it worse.”

The man let out a screech as the bodies shifted and one brushed against his torn shoulder. He started fighting harder, and Walker struggled to keep him still. He called out again, his voice angrier.

“I need a medic over here now!”

He continued to try and calm the panicking man and Walker felt relief as a shadow temporarily blocked out the light as a body dropped into the hole next to him. Walker scooted aside, trying his best to keep the man from moving.

“He’s got a nasty burn on his right shoulder and at least one compound fracture in his left leg,” Walker listed off through gritted teeth, hopefully saving the medic time.

“Alright, lets get him out of here first, then I’ll take a look. He’s going to get an infection or worse if he stays in all of this goo.”

Walker nodded silently and shifted around as he prepared to grab Hughes’ shoulders. He froze when he saw who had dropped into the hole with him. It was a pony, in all white armor, a red cross decorating its rear. Noticing his lack of movement, the pony looked up at Walker. The pony waved at him with a hoof.

“Sir? Are you alright sir?”

Walker shook his head, startled out of his stupor by the pony's words. He nodded briskly.

“Yeah, I’m fine, on three.”

The pony nodded, and the two lifted Hughes’ from the foxhole. They carried him a few feet away before gently laying him down. Three more ponies swiftly descended, bandages quickly finding their way to wounds as they talked amongst themselves, diagnosing any injuries Walker may have missed. Hughes’ seemed to have a moment of clarity, for he called out.

“Captain? Captain?!?” he began to flail more violently.

Walker butted in, grabbing the man’s hand.

“I’m here Frank. Stay calm, they're trying to help you.”

Hughes looked at him with wide, fear-filled eyes. Walker’s calm expression seemed to help him relax, however, and he nodded. His eyes drifted closed and Walker was shoved away rudely by the ponies. He let it go however, knew he had nothing to contribute. No experience with wounded. It was better to let the experts do their jobs. Walker gazed around the fortifications, saw a series of similar scenes unfolding. Where there had previously been only six ponies were now several dozen, most seeming to be medics of some flavor. They all wore pale white armor, which made them stand out plainly amongst the changeling corpses. His men would dig out a wounded man and the ponies would descend, quickly treating whatever wounds had brought the soldier down. Blankets had been provided as well, and Walker grimly spotted a long line of covered bodies. Far too long.

Walker decided to begin doing his actual job, and he walked forward, finding his way to the ladder. As he began to climb a wail echoed out. Finishing his climb, Walker turned around. One of his soldiers was on their knees, their rifle falling to the side. Walker knew what the man was reacting too, had seen it far too often. A corpse was pulled out of a foxhole and the wailing soldier simply collapsed, falling on his side. He curled into a ball as another wail split the air. Ponies moved there as well, and while he couldn’t hear them, Walker was sure that they were comforting the man. He could see the rest of his men watching the scene play out as he was. As they carried the broken man away, the rest of the humans simply returned to their grisly work. They knew better than to dwell.

Walker swallowed roughly, shoved down his own emotions. He felt the creep of desperation, of fear, and of overwhelming grief. He ignored all of it, tucking it away until the time was right to feel anything. Death was only going to grow more common, he couldn’t afford to break, couldn’t afford to even crack. His men needed him. Time to work.

Walker moved stiffly along the fortification. He looked at the sky as he walked, could see a myriad of different color flashes. He saw more than one explosion, tried not to think of some pilot being driven from his throne on high. He prayed silently for the flyboys, wished only that more of them would survive so they could drop more bombs.

Private Campbell didn’t look up as Walker stopped behind him. His eyes were trained outward, tired eyes that remained wide as he struggled to see shapes in the darkness. The rain certainly didn’t make that job any easier.

“All quiet up here Private?”

Campbell looked over his shoulder at Walker, then he snorted and looked back outward.

“Yes sir, it is. Nothin’ movin’ out there as far as I can tell.”

“Good,” Walker replied shortly.

Neither said anything for a moment, then Campbell looked back at Walker.

“Sir if I may, do we need help back there? I heard that awful sound.”

“It’s better if you stay up here Private," Walker replied. "Use your eyes the right way. Keep us safe.”

Campbell nodded; his mood subdued. After another second of silence, he asked;

“Captain, what was that sound?”

“Put it out of your mind Private. Just focus on your job here.”

“Captain, I think after tonight, I have a right to know.”

Walker sighed. He braced his hands against the rough concrete and stared into the darkness.

“Johnson snapped. Saw something he shouldn’t have ever seen. It was just too much. Can’t blame him for that.”

Campbell seemed to pause in thought. He then swallowed audibly.

“That gonna happen to me Captain?”

A bright flash lit up their faces. Walker looked for a mushroom cloud, saw nothing. He took that as a good sign. He knew there was little hope left if nukes were dropped. Walker hoped it was just good old-fashioned shock and awe.

'Kill them all,' he thought, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.

To Campbell he said;

“It’s certainly possible Private. It could happen to any of us. No training on this planet can ever prepare you for seeing your buddies dead. It just isn’t the kind of thing that’s supposed to happen. All I ask is that if you feel that feeling creeping up, you come to me and let me know. This job is important, and I need someone up here or we're going to have a few more dead buddies tonight.”

The man flinched and turned away. Walker silently cursed himself; his words had come across much harsher than he had intended. Walker let out a deep breath, focused his mind. He needed to be blunt, and comforting, not just blunt. He looked to Campbell.

“I apologize Private, that was cold. We all have a duty to do, we can’t afford to freeze up. I don’t blame or look down on Johnson, wish he’d never been in that situation to begin with. He broke down and that’s that, we just have to keep going.”

“And just where are we going Captain?” Campbell asked.

“Tonight?" Walker asked. "Nowhere. We find who we can, we find what we can. We’re going to arm up and hold here till the sun rises. Hopefully we’ll get some reinforcements, but I doubt that. This shit show has everything all screwy. Come morning we’ll poke our heads out, see if we can link up with anyone else. If everything goes well, we’ll centralize our wounded, maybe get some real firepower through here.”

“After that sir?”

Walker’s gaze hardened, as did his voice.

“Then we settle the score,” he said darkly.

Campbell nodded somberly. After a second a grin broke out on his face.

“Yes sir, I like the sound of that. We’ll teach them stupid bugs a lesson. Yes sir, that sounds like a real plan. I’d like to volunteer for whatever probe you need sir. Kill me a few more. Settle the score, yes sir.”

Walker clapped him on the shoulder.

“Good man. Stay sharp and you have my word you’ll go out. Relief will be by in a few so you can rest up.”

The man grinned and nodded, a new energy in his eyes as he shifted. His rifle poked over the edge of the wall and he began sweeping side to side a snail’s pace. Walker could feel the steel in the movement, knew he had made at least one of his men feel worthwhile. Now to do it again.

******

Walker sat on a crate, his hands working mechanically as he helped a pair of his men in unloading half-used magazines into a bucket. They each had a small stack of bloody and battered magazines sitting next to them, the good work of the scavengers. Once he had personally checked in with each man, Walker found that he had little to do. With the overwhelming number of Equestrians streaming about the position, Walker decided to help with a simple, but necessary job; reloading magazines so that they could evenly distribute the ammo they had found. It wouldn’t last long in a fire fight, but it was better than what they were carrying.

So, Walker had grabbed a bucket and set up near the stack of destroyed vests and rifles. Truly sorting them would come later, but Walker had picked out a functioning rifle, then had set to work removing magazines from the rifles and vests, dropping the unused rounds into the bucket to be reloaded into fresh magazines. Two men had soon joined him, whether physically or mentally exhausted, Walker had welcomed them and the three had quickly gone about the task of emptying every single round into the bucket. Once that was finished, they reversed the process, filling magazine after magazine to capacity, setting them in a pile. Walker knew the monotony of the task was mind numbing, but honestly, that’s what they all needed right now. Simple, stupid labor to keep from thinking too much.

A shadow fell across the bucket, and Walker looked up. Princess Luna frowned as she looked down at him. Walker finished loading the magazine in his hands and slid it into an empty slot on his vest. Pointing to the two soldiers, he said;

“Everyone gets one magazine first. Then distribute the rest as evenly as possible.”

The pair mumbled yes sirs, and Walker got to his feet, rubbing at his cramping thighs. Squinting, he looked at the pony beside him.

“What can I do for you Princess?” he asked.

“Would not such a menial task be best reserved for the common soldier?” she asked.

Walker shrugged.

“A good leader asks nothing of his men that he won’t do himself. Everyone is doing more important stuff anyway; this was the best way I could pitch in.”

She smiled at his answer.

“Well said Captain. I imagine we shall have a long and prosperous relationship together.”

Walker chuckled.

“Maybe not Princess. If command has their way, I’ll be relieved of duty as soon as someone qualified shows up to take my place.”

Princess Luna frowned.

“And for what reason might they relieve you? You seem a capable fighter and a careful diplomat. These are excellent qualities for a leader.”

“Command told me to hold my ground here. Before all of this,” Walker said, gesturing at the mad scrambling of ponies. “I have eleven fighting men left, and at the time we had no ammunition. I wanted to withdraw, get some supplies, a few more guys maybe, and then we could hole up here. Command told me I was a coward, and that I shouldn’t have accepted your help. How did they phrase it? Oh yeah, I made them look bad.”

“By accepting help in battle? That is a ridiculous notion,” Princess Luna replied.

Walker shrugged and looked at the mud on his boots.

“Command seems to believe you’ll use saving our position as diplomatic leverage.”

The pony seemed aghast at the idea, and her face showed it. Despite the clear difference in species, Walker was both surprised, and happy that he could still read her expressions clearly. They may have been shaped like horses, but the ponies emoted like humans. Perhaps it was the eyes, those seemed to team with life and intelligence. Walker blinked himself back into focus as Luna replied.

“What an utterly ludicrous thought!" the blue pony declared. "We assisted you because you needed assistance. There is no intent beyond that.”

Walker shrugged again.

“To some people that’s a foreign concept. Doing the right thing because it’s right and for no other reason, just doesn't sit right with them. I cannot tell you why.”

“And what of you Captain? Would you run now?”

Walker looked her in the eyes, his lip curling in anger.

“I didn’t want to run before. I'd hold the position alone if I had the ammunition, but I won’t send my men to an early grave on the whims of some idiot thirty miles back staring at a map. My plan was a tactical retreat to resupply and rearm, get our wounded treated, the like.”

Princess Luna remained calm, her face passive.

“Is that still your plan Captain?”

Walker sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“No.” The anger left his voice. “We can’t abandon the position now. Twelve guys can disappear into the dark and nobody would know. I couldn’t do it with all of your ponies here now. Won’t leave them behind either, it isn’t right.”

Princess Luna smiled.

“A good answer Captain. I am glad to hear it. I have not met many humans yet, but I hope many share your mentality. It is an honorable one.”

Walker smiled, looking away.

“Thank you, Princess. Just doing my job the way it should be done.”

“Do not discount your actions Captain. You value the lives of your soldiers, and have now extended that value to my ponies as well, despite them being alien in every way. It demonstrates a strong heart.”

“What would you have me do Princess?" Walker said with a shrug. "To say you saved our lives would be an understatement. Me being anything less than grateful would be an act of shame.”

“Nevertheless, you have my thanks Captain. War is a horrible thing, but it can bring out the best in ponies.”

“Quite a price to pay for it though.”

Princess Luna simply nodded in agreement. Walker ran his tongue across his teeth, wished he had something to drink. His canteens had a hole in them however, and he was unsure of how it got there. What was important however, was that all of his water was gone. Beside the mist on his face, he had nothing to drink until he filled up a new set. He sighed and checked his rifle. Princess Luna watched him with mild fascination as he managed the weapon, but didn't comment on it. She instead asked;

“Captain, it the intention of my sister and I to establish our base of operations here. Will this cause any problems with your command?”

Walker fiddled with his rear sight.

“Probably, but they can’t say no, and I certainly won’t. I can’t say enough how grateful I am for you coming when you did. On top of that, your medics are treating my wounded without question. As far as I’m concerned, you have more than earned the right to the position. If you need us to move out, let me know. I’ll take whatever flak comes my way from command.”

“That will not be needed Captain," Princess Luna replied. "In fact, I was hoping to make use your services. It will take some time until the full might of Equestria is brought to bear through a series of portals, and even then, it will be sent out to fight the changelings. I would request your forces provide additional security for this location in the interim.”

Walker aimed the rifle, satisfied with the results of his tampering. He slung it over his shoulder easily, taking comfort in the weighted down feeling of a loaded firearm. He grinned at the pony beside him.

“I really can’t say no, can I? What kind of host would that make me?”

He thumbed away condensation from the tip of his nose as he looked at the fortifications.

“I can put a few of my guys up on the walls to act as lookouts once they finish finding the wounded. I just need to switch out the gunner and the point man, put them somewhere a bit less intensive for an hour or two, let them rest.”

Princess Luna blanched for a moment, then began rapidly shaking her head.

“No no no,” the blue pony backpedaled. “I apologize Captain, I meant in the morning. Your men have already been through enough this night and are likely exhausted. No, they need to rest, as do you. My ponies will occupy the walls until sunup, then you will take over until my sister returns.”

Walker looked out into the darkness, his face changing into a frown.

“If you need our assistance tonight, I am more than happy to provide it Princess. We've fought on less sleep before.”

“Trust me when I say it is unnecessary, Celestia is likely routing the local changelings as we speak. It should be a quiet evening.”

“Captain!” a voice shouted in spite of Princess Luna's words.

Walker’s eyes locked on to the red flare being waved back and forth through the air as Private Campbell pointed out over the wall. It took only a second for a green beam to rip through his chest, and he fell, dropping from the walkway to the corpse strewn ground below. The .50 cal roared up as black bodies rushed through the open gate.

“Contact front!” came the cry, but Walker was already sprinting forward.

He hit the sandbags next to the .50 at a full run, the air driven from his lungs as he impacted. He ignored the sensation as he picked out targets, the rifle in his arms jerking as he fired. He was joined quickly by the rest of his men. Ammo had been distributed, and they put it to good work.

Changeling bodies tumbled as they tried to rush the position. More than a few bugs climbed the bodies of their dead comrades only to be driven back down as the .50 tore the head from their shoulders. Thunder cracked overhead, and Walker watched with fascination as a lightning bolt tore through the sky, impacting within the horde of changelings. The affect was instantaneous. Dozens of charred bugs simply slumped over, while others writhed on the ground. The rest turned tail and fled, and Walker waved his arms to order the cease fire, as most of his men had been rendered temporarily deaf.

Walker waited for any additional glowing eyes to poke out of the darkness, and when none did, he rose from behind the sandbags. He held his hand up, motioning for his men to stay back as he moved forward. He poked at the bugs as he moved past, kicking them to ensure they were truly dead. When nothing moved, Walker shifted his movement toward his fallen soldier.

Campbell was undoubtedly dead, the hole in his chest wide enough to see the ground through. A shocked expression painted his face, and Walker looked away, unable to look into the eyes of the man that had been alive moments before. He held a hand to his mouth as bile rose up in his throat, the stench of the burning finding his nose.

In the brief moment of distraction, a changeling burst from the stack of bodies. It was too close to level his rifle at, while also being too close to him for his men to shoot it. Walker fell to the ground as the bug pounced on him, its shining fangs trying to tear at his neck. It snarled like an animal; its blue eyes crazed as it sought his blood. Walker tried to swing a fist at its head, only for the creature to pin the limb. The changeling seemed to smile in victory as it reared back, its horn glowing a sickly shade of green.

Walker looked away and slammed his mouth close as a spray of goo coated his face. Princess Luna kicked aside the corpse as the head rolled away of its own volition. She reached out a hoof to him, a look of concern on her face.

“Are you all right Captain?”

Walker got to his feet, then frantically tried to scrape the goo from his face. He spat over and over, unable to avoid the taste.

“I got some of that nasty shit in my mouth!” he said as he tried to scrub the goo away.

Princess Luna grinned widely. She wiped off her sword on a changeling corpse.

“My apologies Captain, it was the only way to guarantee the kill,” she said, a laugh tinting her voice.

Walker nodded as he collected spittle in his mouth. He hawked a loogie away, the effort not helping at all.

“I’m going to be tasting that for days,” he spat, glancing at the blue pony. “But thanks Princess, I owe you another one now.”

She smiled, but that quickly disappeared as Phillips appeared, dropping beside Campbell as he checked for vitals. A pony medic followed, and the pair carried away the body. Walker watched them go, his face grim. Richardson ran up.

“Was there anyone else besides Campbell?” Walker asked, spitting on the changelings again.

“No sir," Richardson replied. "Cook says he saw one of the pony medics get nabbed though. He was right next to the wall when they came in.”

Princess Luna frowned deeply. She turned to Walker.

“Captain, I am afraid I must ask for your forgiveness and your assistance. It appears you will be needed this night. Captain Armor shall assist you in the defense of this position.”

Walker shouldered his rifle, flinching as he noticed for the first time the blood leaking from his burnt sleeve. He had been hit. He ignored it.

“And just where are you going Princess?”

The pony began walking toward the empty black outside the gate.

“Hunting.”

Chapter 3: "...be advised....within the compound..."

Walker stared into the dust at his feet. The stuff caked everything, stirred up by a thousand feet running every which way. It was a mixture of fine white and dirt brown, likely the result of ash mixing with the fine Virginia topsoil. The rain was gone, had been for hours, but instead of the usual soupy mud that followed a rainstorm, the ground had dried out, and the dust had begun, clogging rifles and stifling the breathing of man and pony alike. Walker snorted. At least it wasn’t more bug goo.

His eyes did not leave his boots, however. The dust was merely something to lose his mind to, the only reason he was still awake. The sun had risen well over an hour ago, and with it had come relief. The ponies had established a “portal” that allowed them to travel between their world and Earth permanently. While the notion of magic was mind boggling, Walker had simply accepted it. It was better than trying to wrap his head around everything. Thinking too hard would only give him a migraine.

The men sitting in a semi-circle around him shared his dead stare. Each one was exhausted beyond comprehension. After Princess Luna had left, they had come under attack twice more. While there were no further casualties, ammo ran short again. As the first fingers of light poked through the trees, Walker was positive there was a grand total of three bullets between the remains of his company. Bayonets had been re-fixed, and the humans had waited in tense silence with the Equestrians at their sides. The ponies had decided to send primarily support staff through with Princess Luna, designed to support the vanguard of her sister, a pony Walker had only heard referred to as Princess Celestia. She had yet to make another appearance however, so the waning hours of darkness were filled with nerve wracking paranoia as the men prayed that the enemy wouldn’t come back. They wouldn’t abandon the six pony soldiers and the host of pony medics, but the fight wouldn’t be a lengthy one either.

Once the sun was up however, Captain Armor had established the portal and another wave of soldiers had poured through, quickly assuming the human positions as the men drifted numbly away, their duty temporarily completed. Hunger quickly found the men, not for food, but for something far more powerful for a tired mind. Coffee.

Even the word made Walker groan as he rubbed at his grit encrusted eyes. There had been a mad scramble as they plundered the meager supply tent. And then… the horrors truly began. During the night, beams had been flying everywhere, and nobody had noticed one go into the tent, didn’t notice it strike the precious slim supply of caffeinated gold. When his men pulled out the charred corpse of the coffee crate, Walker felt a real pang of grief. Army coffee tasted like shit, squeezed from the asshole of a goose, fresh and steamy; but it was still coffee. Now they had nothing. Well, except…

Walker smirked lightly, his eyes finding the brutalized crate that was sitting a few feet away. His men had found only one box in the tent undamaged in anyway, and they had all cursed fate as Richardson pulled out a full five-pound crate of Charms. With no coffee, no sleep, and an overwhelming rage at their situation, two of his men had lost it. They grabbed tent poles, took the box to the center of the helipad, and began wailing on it. The other men joined in, shouting encouragements as they all watched with glee as the horrible Charms were taught their place. For the first few minutes, Walker had remained silent, his smile wide as he watched the scene. He hated the candies as much as any man, was glad to see them gone. When the men didn’t stop wailing on the shattered box however, it became an issue. Laughs at the violence dropped away, replaced by concerned calls. The pair kept going, making sure each and every package was obliterated. When they were hitting little more than mush, Walker physically restrained them, dragging them away as he disarmed them of their makeshift weapons. One man had simply collapsed, his mind breaking. Phillips escorted him to the medical area. The other man sat in the dirt beside Walker now, his face still holding traces of anger as he stared at the Charms. Throughout it all, the Equestrians had simply watched. Walker wondered what they thought of the display. The ponies likely wondered how a box of candy could bring out such deep, violent emotions. He snorted again. They wouldn’t understand, couldn’t. They lacked the context, didn’t likely even know what Charms were.

Walker rubbed at his eyes as sunlight creeped under his helmet to stab him in the face. Here they sat, seven men in a semi-circle. The eighth worked like a mad man as he helped the wounded. Walker coughed; his throat dry. He would kill for something to drink. He would do absolutely anything at all if that drink was a steaming hot cup of coffee.

It was in this state that Captain Armor approached him. Caked in all manner of filth, held up by a flimsy plastic chair, his eyes dead, and his body limp, coated in all manner of gore, most of it not his own. Walker suspected he looked a lot like a corpse, but he didn’t care one bit. He squinted one eye closed and looked at the pony as he approached. Captain Armor stopped within the semi-circle his eyes scanning the battered faces that lifelessly stared back. Finally, the pony spoke.

“Captain Walker, the princesses are requesting your presence in the command tent.”

Walker nodded slowly, bracing himself as he got slowly to his feet. He groaned as his muscles strained and his knees popped. He rubbed the back of his neck roughly as he tried to work the tension out, closing his eyes as he gave out orders.

“Richardson, you’re with me. Everyone else, hold fast. Rest up.”

Cook looked at him.

“Captain, we need water.”

Walker nodded and sighed.

“I know Private. We’ll see what we can do after I talk with the princesses.”

Cook nodded and his eyes drifted down again as he tucked his knees in under his arms. Captain Armor looked stunned.

“You don’t have any water?” the pony asked.

Walker shrugged.

“We weren’t supposed to be at this position forever. We only brought what we could carry and the emergency stock. Most of that has been destroyed or given to evacuees. We don’t have anything left.”

Captain Armor looked at him in bewilderment.

“T-that’s… Look, we have plenty of everything; food, water, buck if you need tents, we have extra of those too. Give me a list and I’ll get it to you.”

Energy seemed to creep into the humans sitting in the dirt.

“Well shit, I could use me a real nice spaghetti dinner. Get some garlic bread, a nice wine…” Private Bell said wistfully, clutching at his chest.

“Spoken like a true Italian mama’s boy,” Martinez interrupted. “What we need to get is a big mess of tortillas, load them up with some Chinese takeout, and then we get the tabasco sauce….”

The man was silenced by a round of boos as the men threw their empty canteens at him.

“Christ Martinez, you can’t just go mixing anything together and calling it food,” Cook said, shaking his head. “Besides, what you got to do is drizzle chocolate on the tortillas first and then get the Chinese food…”

More boos rang out as the men began to laugh. Bell nudged the as of yet silent Sergeant White.

“What about you Sarge? What can our mystical saviors get you for Christmas three months early?”

The man rolled his tongue around in his cheek.

“I couldn’t care less. I’d eat a horse’s ass and drink its piss at this point.” he said, his voice serious. The men stared at him in silence, Captain Armor even more so. Then the Sergeant cleared his throat. “Just so long as it isn’t any fucking Charms.” He spit at the box, the spittle landing with a wet splat dead center in the crushed mess.

That set the men off. Bell slapped White’s back as he fell over, his face red as he laughed loudly. Walker smiled and shook his head as the men all laughed, with even White cracking a smile. Walker tried to wipe his smile away, but found that he couldn’t. Every time he looked at the expression on Captain Armor’s face, it just made the situation funnier.

“I think we’ll take just about anything you’ll give us Captain.” he said, chuckling. “Just so long as it isn’t a box of Charms.”

His men cheered in agreement, each man launching into a story about the horrid candy. Walker wisely tuned it out while Armor nodded dumbly.

“Yeah, I think I can arrange that. I’ll send somepony over with some breakfast for you guys in a few minutes. Follow me Captain.”

Walker gestured for the pony to lead the way as his men continued to laugh behind him. Walker made sure to kick a bit of dust over the Charms as he walked past, his own way of demonstrating his hatred. Captain Armor fell in beside him, matching his long strides with a steady trot.

“If you don’t mind me asking Captain Walker, but… Charms?”

Walker grinned.

“Just candy I’m afraid. Rumor says their bad luck, and that if you have any on your person, then you can expect it to rain, especially if you don’t have any cover.”

“Any truth to those rumors?”

Walker sighed.

“I believe them. We had one case of coffee in our supplies Captain. Would have been just the thing we all needed. It was destroyed with everything else, but the box of Charms survived. That’s bad enough luck for me.”

Captain Armor nodded in understanding.

“I see. So, no Charms then?”

Walker laughed.

“No, no Charms.”

Captain Armor fell into silence as they approached the Equestrian command tent. It seemed a bit small to Walker, though it looked miles above anything they had. The sides seemed to shimmer in a rich purple, while the threads looked like they were made from gold. A stark contrast to the desert camouflage pattern of his own command tent. As they approached the entrance of the tent, Captain Armor cleared his throat nervously.

“So, Captain Walker...”

“Yes, Captain Armor?”

“Was that man serious?”

“About Charms? I can assure you that we are all very serious about Charms.”

“Not that,” Captain Armor replied as he lifted the tent flap. “Did he really mean he could eat a horse’s as-…”

The words died in his throat as he quickly snapped into a salute at the sight of the two princesses. Walker really wanted to say something. He was tired, and everything hurt, and he had no coffee, and he needed a win. Unfortunately, Princess Luna beat him to the punch.

“Captain Armor, Captain Walker, it is good to see you. Please, finish your question Captain, I am sure it is very important.”

Armor flushed red.

“N-no Princess, it’s quite alright. We were just discussing… logistics! That’s all, just logistics.”

“Then by all means continue Captain, such important matters should be discussed openly, and without fear.”

Captain Armor looked to Walker for help. The human grinned, intended to give him none.

“I think I understood the meaning behind your question. The answer is no, in a literal sense, Sergeant White was not being serious about eating a horse’s ass, and drinking horse piss.”

Walker wished he had a camera. Armor was sweating bullets, while both princesses, while a bit shocked at the coarse nature of the question, were amused, nonetheless. Walker continued with a smile.

“In fact, it’s a fairly common metaphor in… certain circles.”

Princess Luna knew. She had to. There was no other reason she phrased her question like she did. She knew what Walker was doing and she wanted to see it happen.

“What circles might those be Captain?” she asked playfully.

Walker passed a hand over his face to hide his growing smile. His hand came away grimy, so Walker made a show of wiping it on his pants.

“Well funny that you ask, but the metaphor is used to indicate when a man of a certain… inclination expresses interest in a new, uh, associate. He’s been with us for years, so that only stands to reason that he is interested in a new party.”

Captain Armor’s tail whipped back and forth. His pupils were the size of pinpricks.

“M-me?” he sputtered.

Both princesses giggled. The one Walker believed to be Princess Celestia spoke.

“Why Captain, are you considering the human’s proposition? Think of your wife.”

Captain Armor flushed a deeper red. Walker couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing. He slapped the pony on the back as he doubled over, tears streaming from his eyes. The princesses joined in, though not nearly as enthusiastically. Their laughter was much more dignified than Walker’s. Throughout it, Armor simply remained frozen like a plank. Walker wiped his eyes and patted the pony on the back again.

“I’m just yanking your chain Captain. It is a metaphor, but not for anything like that. The Sergeant was simply expressing that he was extremely hungry and thirsty.”

“Nothing else?”

Walker shrugged.

“Not that he’s indicated to me. You’ll need to bring it up with him.”

Captain Armor nodded dumbly, his tail still swishing.

“I-if you’ll excuse me Princess, I-I’ll be outside.”

The pony bowed and departed swiftly. Walker opened his mouth to say something, but could not find words. He felt a twinge of guilt, hoped he had not just created an awkward situation.

“I’m sorry, that was inappropriate.” he said finally, turning to the princesses. “I didn’t know he was married. I hope I haven’t created any problems for him.”

Princess Celestia waved his doubts away.

“Do not fret Captain. Shining Armor merely misses home. The jest was in good spirit. His wife would have certainly found it funny, and she is the Princess of Love. I do hope your man is prepared, however. Our soldiers are more romantically inclined when far from home. Will this Sergeant welcome the advances of a stallion?”

“For confidentiality reasons I cannot say Princess," Walker replied. "That information is between Sergeant White and the United States Army. From personal experience however, White has always been a good man. Once you get past the Sergeant, he can become… adventurous.”

Princess Celestia smiled.

“Then all is well Captain. We too jest in such a manner with our ponies. It helps them release tension during these trying days. If anything, this may bring our two races closer together no?””

Walker nodded, a touch of guilt still sitting in the back of his mind. He dismissed it and straightened, letting the officer take control once again. He gave the princesses a stiff salute.

“Captain Cornelius J. Walker reporting for duty.”

The princesses quickly waved him down from attention.

“Please Captain, there is no need for such formalities. You and your friend may have a seat, we have much to discuss.”

“Friend…?” Walker echoed, he looked beside him and saw Richardson standing at a rigid attention.

He had completely forgotten the man; forgot he told him to follow. Walker waved the private toward an unoccupied chair as he sat down. The princesses sat down as well, though on cushions rather than chairs. Walker slumped in his seat once his rump contacted it. He was still tired, though the movement had brought him back to a state of semi-awareness. Evidently, this was noticed by the ponies, as Walker soon found a steaming cup of black liquid placed in front of him by a waiting guard.

He just sat and stared at it for a moment. The steam rose in wisps, and he could smell the sweet aroma, even from so far away. His hand twitched. Walker looked up from the cup, his eyes flicking to the princesses. They silently encouraged him to drink, and so his eyes fell back to the cup. Tentatively, Walker reached out, he didn’t want to seem like he was desperate. The cup touched his lips, and Walker let it lean back just a little, the black liquid inching toward his tongue.

And then he pumped back the whole cup in one go. To say it burned as it went down was an understatement. Walker nearly fell from his seat as he started choking on the coffee; he pounded his chest as he tried to alleviate the burning in his esophagus by brute force. Richardson merely grinned as he sipped at his cup, and for a moment Walker hated the man for his self-control.

“Captain! Are you alright?” Princess Celestia asked. Richardson laughed, both at Walker’s plight, as well as the Princess’ concern.

“He’s fine, the Captain just really loves his coffee. Wary are those who face him if he ever goes without.” The man chuckled treacherously as he sipped at his cup again. Walker wanted to strangle him.

Walker got his breathing back under control and sat up. The princesses looked at him with concern, but he smiled.

“That…” he said gaspingly “Was a good cup of joe. Probably shouldn’t drink it so fast, huh?”

Richardson chuckled again. Responding to his mild joke, the princesses laughed.

“No Captain,” Princess Luna said. “I don’t think you should drink a boiling liquid quite so fast.”

Walker nodded in agreement, coughing once more as he properly cleared his throat. The guard refilled his cup, and this one Walker simply held in both hands as he carefully sipped at it, savoring the taste. It was singlehandedly the best coffee had ever tasted, and it required no cream or sugar either.

Walker looked to the princesses, his mind shifting focus as the caffeine went to work. He leaned his elbows on the table and set the cup down.

“So, to business then. What can I do for you this fine morning?”

Princess Celestia smiled.

“Breakfast first. Like you, I have had an understandably long night and need something to replenish my energy. I hope you do not mind Captain.”

Walker shook his head.

“Not at all Princess.”

A guard in yellow armor stepped forward.

“Scrambled eggs and hash browns should suffice.” Princess Celestia told him with a smile. Princess Luna ordered the same. Princess Celestia looked to him.

“For you Captain?”

“The same, though I like my hash browns a bit crispy.” he replied. She looked to Richardson, who also asked for the same.

“Just so long as the eggs are real and not that dehydrated MRE crap.” he muttered as the guard left with a salute.

“MRE’s?” Princess Luna asked.

“The finest cuisine the US Army supplies her brave men and women.” Captain Walker said with a smile. Richardson spat into his now empty coffee cup. Princess Luna looked between the two, a confused expression on her face.

“They are not good?” she asked.

Walker laughed.

“No ma’am they are not. If you’ve eaten soup that had little pieces of sand and gravel in it, then you’ve gotten a taste of an MRE.”

“And that’s the good ones.” Richardson said, shaking his head.

“Quit your bellyaching Private. When its weight or taste, we both know you choose weight every time. It’s common sense.”

Richardson nodded in silent agreement. The princesses still seemed confused, but Walker left it. It wasn’t like they had any of the brown packets with them. If the ponies were lucky, they would never have to taste the dehydrated wonders of a veggie omelet. Walker felt a chill run up his spine and he cringed at the thought of the foul-tasting dish. Luckily for him, the food that wasn’t evil incarnate came out, served quickly by the same guard from before. Like the coffee, the plates were steaming as they were set down. Learning his lesson from earlier, Walker only attacked the food with mild aggression, though he was still the first to finish his plate, stopping short of licking it clean. The princesses ate with calm dignity, and Walker waited in silence as they ate. He watched the silverware lift in their magic, thought it a bit odd, but simply accepted it. Life was easier that way. Besides, it’s not like they had thumbs to grip the utensils with.

Once they were finished, the guard collected the plates and disappeared. With food and coffee covered, they were now ready to begin. As she began to speak, Princess Celestia made a roll of paper vanish with her magic.

“So, Captain, as a broaching subject, what do you know about us?”

Walker pondered the question for a moment, piercing the blurred events of the last few hours together in his mind.

“Well,” he started slowly, “I know you call yourselves Equestrians. I know you are called Princess Celestia, and you are called Princess Luna.” He said, pointing at each of them respectively. “I know you are similar to a creature here on earth called a horse, or pony. I know you use magic, and I know you pulled us out of the frying pan last night. I can’t express my appreciation of that enough either. My boys and I were in a rough spot and you just dove in.”

Princess Celestia smiled.

“Merely doing the right thing Captain.”

“Wish there was more of that. Doing the right thing I mean. You just don’t see it enough these days.” Walker replied as he leaned back in his chair a bit.

“I wish that were not the case, but continue Captain.”

Walker bit his lip. After he came up with nothing else significant, he shook his head.

“I’m afraid that’s it. Everything else is a big unknown quantity. To be honest, I don’t much care though. As long as you give me coffee and eggs, you’re likely to stay my best friend Princess.”

She laughed softly. Her eyes hardened however, and the tone in the tent shifted dramatically.

“Now tell me what you know about the changelings.”

Walker rolled his tongue in his mouth as he scowled.

“Bugs. Ugly and mean. They don’t go down easy and even then, if they aren’t dead, they aren’t done. They don’t care about dying, they don’t care about their wounded. All they seem to want is you and me dead and they don’t seem to care how many bodies it takes for that to happen. I’m going to kill as many as possible to make them pay for what they’ve done here. I have lost far too many men to think anything else.”

Princess Celestia nodded slowly, her face serious. Walker noticed a small grin on Princess Luna’s muzzle.

“Would it be accurate to say that you hate them Captain Walker?” Princess Celestia asked.

He stared at her, catching her eyes with his.

“Princess, I had two hundred men under my command and now have seven. Hate does not begin to describe how I feel for those little rats.”

Richardson nodded in agreement, anger plain on his face. His fists rested on the table, clenched so that his knuckles had started to turn white. Princess Celestia sighed.

“I will be honest with you Captain; I am both glad and mortified to hear that. Mortified because I do not like violence. I wish that we could all live together in peace and harmony, as friends and allies all.”

She paused, her face darkening.

“But I am gladdened because the changelings have largely spat in the face of that cause, have forced us into a war for the very universe with their reckless hatred for life. Your answer tells me that you share our struggle, but I ask you to make sure we are clear and honest with one another. Captain, will you join our fight against the changelings?”

Walker laughed, drawing a surprised expression from the ponies. He shook his head.

“Princess, if I think you have me confused with a politician. My actions speak loud and clear my intentions, as I believe yours do as well. Join you? Please; point me at a target and let’s get to work. We have to teach these bugs a nasty lesson about messing with our lives.”

Princess Celestia smiled.

“Excellent, to business then.”

As she said this, a purple pony walked into the tent, decked out in black armor similar to that of Princess Luna. She ignored everyone though, as she had a packet of papers levitating in front of her face, along with a handheld radio. An Army radio.

“I’m sorry Princess, I just can’t seem to figure this code out! The messages mean what they say, though the words are a bit non-descriptive. I believe the names have to do with locations, but they seem to have no real set meaning! I can figure it out with just a little more time, I promise!”

Princess Celestia halted the pony’s rambling with a raised hoof. With the pony’s eyes following it, she then pointed it at Walker and Richardson, both of whom were now staring at the floating radio. She eeped and hid behind her scroll.

“Sorry Princess! I didn’t realize you had guests.” she said sheepishly.

“It is alright Twilight, Captain Walker is an ally, as are all the humans. What is discussed with me can be discussed with him.”

The pony nodded. She smiled and extended a hoof to Walker.

“H-hello” she said tentatively “My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m Princess Celestia’s protégé.”

Walker ignored the hoof, his eyes transfixed on the radio. He pointed at it.

“Where did you get that?” he asked firmly.

The pony flinched.

“This?” she said, waving the radio back and forth.

Walker’s face curled slightly, and his tone held a touch more of anger.

“Yes, that. Where?”

“T-the m-man outside said I could have it.” she answered meekly. Walker felt the tension drain away swiftly, replaced by relief that she hadn’t looted it from a corpse. That was soon replaced by excitement.

“Man? What man? Did he come in with you?” he said, the questions rapid fire.

“Y-yes.” she said in reply. “We were coming back from a recuse mission when Princess Celestia sent me a letter. I came as quickly as I could. I asked the man if I could keep his “radio” so I could study it more. He said yes, said he was just glad to see friendly faces.”

Walker seized the hoof that had remained outstretched and shook it with enthusiasm, shaking the poor pony. Both princesses laughed at the sight. Walker released the pony, a smile on his face.

“You, Ms. Sparkle, are my new best friend. I’m Captain Walker.”

She smiled nervously.

“Pleased to meet you Captain. I’m glad I could bring you good news.”

Walker sat in the glow of the news for a moment before his mind reasserted itself.

“So how many? Where from? What unit did you grab?” he said, firing off the questions again.

Princess Celestia chuckled.

“Twilight I believe you’ve met your match when it comes to asking questions.”

Twilight sputtered at the accusation. Walker waited while the ponies had their laugh, but once it wrapped up, he eagerly waved for the purple pony to speak.

“W-well, I didn’t really understand all what the man said, but I took notes!” she chirped. She flipped through the pages in her packet until she found what she was looking for.

“Ah! Here we go. The man was one Sergeant Charlie Davis,” The name sounded vaguely familiar to Walker, but he couldn’t think of the man’s face. Twilight continued. “the unit was the “Big Red One”,” First division, excellent. That meant they weren’t the only ones left. “and the location was, whatever these words mean.”

Twilight flipped the packet and it floated toward Walker. He rubbed at his eyes, forcing moisture into them. He squinted at the messy writing, but picked out the words easily enough.

“Echo Sierra Alpha.” he read out. Alpha; that position was to their west. Walker pondered why they had come back east. If they needed to evacuate, they should have pushed west to Overlord. That didn’t bode well. Still, Walker was glad. Alpha had been one of the better supplied positions, and if he remembered correctly, acted as an ammo dump.

“How many men did you bring back?” Walker asked.

Twilight flipped through her notes.

“Ummm, uninjured? Thirty-seven. They rode in the hmmmmm-vees.”

Richardson laughed when she actually hummed instead of saying hum. Walker imagined that was the work of Alpha. Still, his mind was tallying numbers in his head. They had active motor transport, that was good.

“How many wounded?”

Another page flipped.

“Fifty-eight. There were more, but….”

Walker nodded solemnly. There would be time to grieve later.

“Dead?” he asked.

Twilight looked away. Walker spotted tears, but remained silent.

“I haven’t counted yet. It’s a lot though.”

Walker felt his heart stiffen.

“Did you get them all back?” he asked, his throat suddenly dry.

She nodded. Walker heard a whimper, elected to ignore it.

“Good. That’s what matters. They did their jobs, it’s only right that we make sure their taken care of. You did good work Ms. Sparkle. Thank you.”

She nodded again. Princess Celestia pulled her close and whispered something in her ear. She sat down beside the princess and slowly resumed writing on the pages. Princess Celestia’s wing stayed around the purple pony, glancing down occasionally to make sure that she was alright.

Walker stared silently at the wall of the tent. In a part of his heart he sympathized with the pony, but the rest of it had a job to do. His mind combed through the numbers. Another company meant he had a lot of work that needed done. Supplies, wounded, burial. First of which would be finding their CO and getting him up to speed. That could wait, however.

“Captain,” Princess Celestia began, “You said those words like you understood their meaning. You understand this radio code?”

Walker nodded.

“Yes ma’am. It’s how all radio transmissions are encoded. It helps keep the enemy on its toes, especially if they aren’t natural English speakers. Richardson here is my radio man; he can do it better than anyone.”

Twilight seemed to perk up slightly at the new information. She slid the packet toward Richardson.

“So, you understand what this is?”

Richardson picked up the packet. He scanned the page for a second, then nodded and slid it back.

“Yep. Echo Sierra Delta, or Evacuation Site D.”

Twilight quickly wrote something down. The packet slid across again.

“And this one?”

“Foxtrot Echo 2. Firebase E, grid section 2.”

Twilight scratched her head in confusion.

“But you just said that Echo stands for Evacuation. How can it also stand for E?”

Walker chuckled.

“Don’t try to think about it too hard. If you try to rationalize it, it stops making sense, especially when you throw in mission specific callsigns.”

Twilight frowned and began scribbling away at her packet. Princess Celestia seized the radio and floated it to Walker.

“The simple question Captain, is can you understand it? The voices from your “radio” are clearly distress calls, but we cannot respond to them if we cannot find them.”

Walker nodded and grabbed the radio, setting it on the table. He pointed to Richardson.

“Go draft a couple guys and bring our radio in here. I want something with a bit more range. The maps too.”

The man nodded silently and darted from the tent. Walker heard a shout go up as the man called out for help.

To Princess Celestia, Walker said,

“I hope you don’t mind Princess, but I’m going to use your tent for operations. It’s nicer than mine.”

She smiled in reply.

“Of course, Captain, I am grateful that you are willing to include us with your radio transmissions. We may not understand them quickly, but such cooperation will only make any efforts that much more successful.”

“That’s the hope.” Walker sighed.

He looked over his shoulder as Richardson briskly entered the tent, the bulk of the equipment in his arms. A trio of men, Cook, Phillips, and White followed with the rest, as well as the grid maps. As Richardson set up the radio, Walker unrolled the maps, spreading them out over the table. While he did so, Walker also removed his helmet, setting the sweat ridden thing beside his coffee cup. The air was cool on his damp hair, and he ran a hand across his already fading crew cut.

Walker pulled out a spare scrap of paper from between two maps, and almost as if on que, Richardson handed him a pen before going back to work on the radio. Walker put the map of their section over top the rest, his brow furrowed as he circled their position, while crossing out Alpha. He wrote down the estimates for troops on the paper scrap and pinned it to their location. Throughout it all the Equestrians simply watched; Twilight took more notes, her eyes largely on Richardson as he fiddled with the radio; while the princesses watched Walker, analyzing the man as he silently worked to piece together an accurate picture of the situation.

Walker glanced up as he vaguely heard when someone else entered the tent. Captain Armor and Sergeant White exchanged a look, with White giving the pony a wink before re-assuming his usual hard glare. Captain Armor flushed furiously and moved to stand near Twilight. Walker smirked and looked back at the maps.

‘Good for you Sergeant White.’ he thought to himself.

Richardson pulled on his headset and took a seat as the radio crackled to life. Walker quickly found the transceiver pushed into his hand. Everyone waited with bated breath as the airwave sat, silent. Walker looked to the princesses.

“Alright, we’re up. Who do you want to talk to first?”

“If you don’t mind Captain,” Princess Celestia started, “we were hoping to contact with your commanders. We have yet to make any sort of diplomatic contact with them, and while you have been most hospitable to us, we would like to confirm our actions with your leaders.”

Walker nodded to Richardson, who quickly dialed onto the proper channel. The radio remained silent. For some reason, Walker felt uneasy, like he should have been hearing chatter of some kind. He shrugged it off, attributing the sensation to his rushed breakfast. He depressed the function button.

“Overlord, this is Echo Sierra Bravo, seeking immediate contact, how copy? Over.”

The radio remained silent. The mood in the tent was tense, the air seeming to press down. Evidently his nervousness was shared. Walker cleared his throat and tried again.

“Overlord this is Echo Sierra Bravo, seeking immediate radio acknowledgement, how copy? Over.”

Again silence. Walker looked to Richardson.

“Is this the right channel?”

The radio operator nodded.

“Yes sir. This is the same channel we used last night. Their end seems to be receiving sir, but nobody is picking up.”

Walker swallowed audibly. He tried again.

“Overlord this is Captain Walker of the First Infantry Division at Echo Sierra Bravo, I am requesting immediate radio acknowledgement. Do you copy? Over.”

The radio crackled with static, but nothing else came through. Walker shook his head.

“They might have changed channels Captain.” Richardson offered. “There might have been a breach and they wanted to be safe. Do you want me to try another channel?”

Walker shook his head.

“They would have tried to alert us if they changed the channel. You are absolutely sure this is the same as last night?”

Richardson nodded. Walker sighed.

“Then that means nobody is home. Switch to an open channel to-…“

The radio crackled and what sounded like a voice spoke, though it was garbled and covered by static. Walker seized on it, however.

“Overlord, this is Captain Walker, do you copy?”

The radio crackled again. The voice seemed a bit clearer, but Walker still couldn’t understand it. It was definitely there, just scrambled.

“Overlord, I repeat, do you copy?”

The radio fell dead silent. Walker stared at it, frustration beginning to build.

“Overlord? Is anyone there?”

The radio sat. Walker shook his head and dropped the receiver. Useless tra-…

“Captain Walker this is Overlord we can hear you.”

Walker’s eyes lit up and he scooped up the transceiver once more. He felt a slight grin creep across his face.

“Overlord this is Echo Sierra Bravo, our situation has updated since our last contact. We have encountered heavy enemy forces, but have pushed them back. We are still in need of immediate reinforcement and resupply, how copy? Over.”

“Captain Walker have you made contact with the enemy?”

Walker looked at Richardson, confused. The radio man shrugged, sharing his expression.

“Overlord, that is an affirmative. We have been in contact with the enemy all night. They’ve been hammering us. We received allied assistance to drive them back.”

“Walker, describe the enemy.”

Walker looked at the princesses as they shifted nervously. Their eyes seemed to rotate between looking at the radio and looking at him. He wanted to ask them if something was wrong, but decided not to. He needed to focus on the radio.

“Overlord, enemy contacts are as follows. They can best be described as medium size, black bug creatures resembling a small horse. They have blue eyes and horns that shoot green energy.” Walker paused, then added; “Overlord I was made to believe that we were fighting these things on all fronts. Do you mean to tell me nobody else has described to you the enemy contacts?”

“Walker have you made contact with any other enemies?”

Walker was at a loss.

“Overlord is there something I should know? This position has made contact with one enemy and one enemy only. If there is another threat, I need to be made aware of it so that I can prepare to counter it effectively.”

“Walker, have you made contact with any other enemies?”

The ponies inched around the table. Princess Celestia and Captain Armor moved to Walker’s left, while Princess Luna moved to the right.

“Captain,” Princess Luna said slowly, “please step away from your radio.”

Walker ignored her. He pressed the function button again.

“Overlord I have been in hot contact with the unknown bug contacts all night. I have taken heavy casualties at the hands of these things. If there is another enemy creeping around, I need to know about it so that I can make accurate troop assessments in the field. Please describe what you are trying to have me look for so that I might best provide you with the intel I have. Over.” He finished forcefully.

“Sir, Overlord isn’t using callsigns. Their radio protocol is all over the place.” Richardson said. Walker held up a hand to silence the man.

“I know Private.”

“Walker be advised; the enemy you have described is a friendly contact. I repeat, the changelings are friendly. You have been attacking our allies. Any further hostilities should be ceased immediately.”

“I didn’t say changelings.” Walker muttered to himself. Richardson shifted in his seat.

“Sir, I think something is up at command. They aren’t responding like they should be.”

“I got it Private,” Walker snapped, “now shut it.”

He pressed the function button again.

“Overlord that is a negative on your last. We have been knee deep in bugs all night. They engaged us. They are confirmed hostile forces.”

“Captain please step away from the radio.” Princess Celestia said firmly. The ponies all seemed on edge now. Walker ignored the fact that they all seemed to be staring at him. Maybe it was just because he was tired. He waved the princess away as he listened to the reply.

“Walker, you will cease all hostilities with changeling forces. You will turn your weapons on all Equestrian targets.”

That got a reaction. Swords were swiftly drawn. Cook, and Phillips raised their rifles as a shouting match began, each side demanding the other drop their weapons. Walker however had eyes only for Princess Celestia, who hadn’t moved. Richardson tugged on his sleeve.

“Captain this is crazy! You can’t seriously be listening to this crap!”

Walker ignored him. Instead he and Princess Celestia continued to stare at each other. Slowly, Walker pressed the function button and talked into the radio.

“Overlord, I didn’t catch your last.” he said without breaking eye contact.

Princess Celestia slowly shook her head.

“Do not do this Captain. Your commanders are being controlled and now they are trying to control you. Please step away from the radio so that we can figure this out together.”

The radio crackled.

“Walker I repeat, The Equestrians are our enemy. The changelings are here to help.”

“The changelings are trying to tear us apart Captain. They are trying to spread deception. Remember who your friends are.” Princess Celestia said.

Walker tilted his head.

“And who are our friends Princess? I must say, suddenly a lot of things seem too good to be true. You knew just how to get us on your side, and that nasty human suspicion of mine has some questions now.”

“Captain!” Richardson protested. Walker ignored him again. Cook and Phillips shifted nervously, and Walker could feel their eyes on his back.

Princess Celestia’s eyes narrowed.

“Captain, I assure you our intentions have been nothing but genuine. These thoughts are not your own. You are being manipulated.”

“By who?” Walker asked calmly. He raised a finger. “I’d like to run a test. Depending on the results, I will beg my forgiveness and pray that you accept me as an ally again,” He paused, his gaze hardening. “but if the results are in anyway suspicious, I’m going to ask you to leave my position.”

“And what test would that be Captain?” Princess Luna asked, her voice angry.

“One of trust.” Walker said, breaking his stare with Princess Celestia to look at the blue pony. “You have said that we are equal as allies, but the minute a potential enemy attempts to manipulate me, you put my judgement into question. I have been given no opportunity to test if Overlord has been compromised, or if their operator is simply tired and misinformed. Yet, you have deemed me a threat, and have questioned me to the point that my own soldiers do not fully trust my judgement.”

His eyes flicked to Richardson, who flinched back in response. Walker shifted his gaze back to Princess Celestia.

“So, I am going to see if you mean what you say. I will prove that I can trust your word, that we are equal allies. I am also going to test Overlord; we will find out together if they have been compromised or not.”

Walker smiled.

“Depending on what they say, and how I respond will show that I have not been compromised, and if I have, then you have two fine American soldiers with m4’s who can blow me away at a second’s notice. In this way we all win.”

His thumb hovered dangerously over the function button and Walker matched Princess Celestia’s stare with his own, his smile dangerous.

“A whole lot of words have been said, but very little real trust has been shared. You say we are your equals, prove it. Put your trust in me.”

Princess Celestia didn’t blink. Walker continued.

“What will it be? Either way you answer, I will have mine.”

Her eyes flickered down in thought. Next to her, Twilight and Captain Armor shifted. The purple pony looked terrified, while Armor had an angry expression on his face. What that anger was directed at, whether him or the voice on the radio that had brought this doubt to the table, was unclear. Walker felt his eyes drift back to the princess.

She looked up at him, then slowly nodded, her face a mask.

“Proceed Captain.”

His thumb pressed down.

“Overlord, I believe I may have valuable intel concerning enemy leadership, how copy? Over.”

Princess Luna’s wings flared slightly, and all of the ponies inched just a bit closer. Richardson was simply staring at Walker, aghast. Walker ignored all of this; his ears remained tuned to the radio while his eyes remained focused on Princess Celestia. The radio crackled.

“Walker, you have information? Speak it.”

Walker ran his tongue of his teeth. Now even he was beginning to question this decision. Should he really be risking the good relationship he had already established with the ponies just for a stupid test? It could cost him everything, including the lives of his men if he was wrong. He bit his cheek, then sighed. He had to know, had to trust his own instincts, and this was the only sure-fire way to find out if he was right.

“I have what I believe to be two Equestrian princesses at my position. We are at Echo Sierra Bravo. Over.”

Richardson stood from his seat.

“Captain!”

The Equestrians began to move, but Walker turned to face his wayward private.

“Overlord has our grid squares Private!” he shouted. Everyone froze. Richardson’s eyes were wide as Walker got in his face. “Their maps, like our own, are based around names. Just like us, those maps will have Evacuation Site B on it, not the callsign. If it’s the bugs they shouldn’t know any better. I get my answer if they ask where we are.”

The man flinched back, then as he thought it out, he nodded and sat back down, his face downcast. Walker looked at the Equestrians, and they all seemed to accept the logic and moved back a step. Princess Celestia was the only one who hadn’t moved. When his eyes found her, she nodded, the corners of her mouth turning upward slightly.

The radio crackled loudly.

“Walker, where are you?” the voice asked, its tone slightly more aggressive now. Walker spread his hands wide, with the look of ‘I told you so’ written on his face. The ponies seemed to retreat; shame written on their faces. Swords were sheathed and his men lowered their rifles. Walker depressed the button again.

“Overlord, we are at position Echo Sierra Bravo. Over.”

“Where Captain!” the voice shouted. “Give us your location!”

Walker dropped the transceiver on its hook. The voice slowly became more distorted as it raged at his silence.

“Walker! Tell me where the princesses are! Walker! Walker!”

Motioning to Richardson he said,

“Get that thing on an open channel. We need to make sure everyone knows who the enemy is. Overlord has been compromised.”

The man nodded and he began to fiddle with the channel switch. The radio continued to crackle, the voice on the other end no longer even sounding human.

“Walker! Respond damn you! I will mount your head on a pike! Walker!”

Richardson flipped a switch and the radio fell silent. Walker crossed his arms and looked around the room. Most of the Equestrians avoided his eyes, looking at the ground sheepishly. Princess Luna stared at him, but did not meet his eyes, her practiced gaze knowing just where to be so that she didn’t have to register his stare. Princess Celestia was not only willing to meet his eyes, but her face was adorned with a smile as well.

Walker sighed and looked down.

“Princess, I apologize for doubting your intentions. I only ask that you forgive me so that-..”

“Done.” She interrupted; her smile still present.

Walker looked up.

“Captain, I understand your suspicions, and have occasionally felt them myself. In war if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. We have also not treated you as we should, and for that I must apologize. We are merely visitors on your Earth, and as such, the right to command falls to your people. We are here merely to offer what assistance we can to ensure that the changelings are driven away.”

Walker nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath as he stared at the table, then he looked up and extended his hand.

“Allies?” he asked.

Princess Celestia took the hoof in her grasp and shook it firmly.

“Friends.” she replied.

The sigh of relief was audible. The guards resumed their original positions, while Princess Luna finally met Walker’s eyes with a sheepish grin.

“Captain, radio’s up.”

Richardson flipped a switch and a flood of noise poured forth. A hundred different calls rang out as different units screamed over one another as calls for orders and support mingled. The ponies flinched back at the wall of noise, while Walker leaned in close. He grabbed the transceiver.

“All callsigns be advised.” he started. None of the other voices stopped. Walker shook his head and tried again, much louder.

“All callsigns be advised. This is Captain Walker calling for radio silence, I repeat radio silence. I’ve got something to say and you need to hear it.”

A few voices dropped out, so Walker repeated the message, practically screaming it each time. Slowly but surely, the radio fell quiet as each voice responded to his call. Walker caught his breath for a second.

“All callsigns be advised. Overlord has been compromised. Any and all orders received from command are to be disregarded until we can ascertain their situational status. Until someone of higher rank comes in to countermand me, I am taking control of this sector, callsign Charlie Whiskey.”

He paused as he formed the words, thinking carefully as thought of everything he needed to say to make sure everyone was taken care of.

“Listen well, I can’t say for sure what’s going on. We’ve been hammered at my location, and I am sure that you all have faced a similar situation. These bugs are a nasty enemy and they won’t quit until we’re off the playing field. I won’t let that happen. Here’s how we’re going to stop it. From now on, locations and units will be referred to only by callsign; any soldier found to not be using appropriate callsigns will be labeled as compromised and will be treated as a hostile contact.”

It was a harsh stance, but he couldn’t afford infiltrators. The transmission from Overlord was evidence enough that the bugs could make or take spies that mimicked human speech. Walker continued.

“Earlier this morning command issued me an order stating that the Equestrian forces, the uh, the ponies,” he shrugged at Princess Celestia, who simply motioned for him to continue. “should be labeled as hostile contacts. I am countermanding that order. All pony forces should be labeled as friendly contacts. I repeat, ponies are friendly contacts. They saved my ass and in all likelihood will be saving a few more before today is done. They won’t hesitate to stick their necks out for us, so we’re going to do the same. Treat them like they’re our own.”

Walker paused as he took a deep breath.

“I am establishing a rally point for all forces in our sector at my location, site Echo Sierra Bravo; now designated site Romeo Sierra Alpha. The password is who won the World Series last year.”

He paused again, and his thumb slipped from the function button. Walker sighed as he prepared the last part of his speech.

“Look, the enemy is vicious and persistent. They have taken a lot, and are going to try to take a lot more. They have killed many of my men, many of my friends, and I know they have done the same to you. They don’t relent, and they won’t quit until we are all lying in shallow graves.”

“But that isn’t going to happen,” Walker snarled. “Right now, we have been bruised. We’ve taken a few licks, but guess what, so have they. We have survived one night, and now we’re going to do it again, but this time, we’re going to make them pay. They brought this fight to our backyard, so now it’s time we drive them away.”

Walker placed a hand on Richardson’s shoulder, gripping it firmly.

“The enemy has tried to put a wall between us and our friends. I’m here to tell you that it won’t save them. In fact, I intend to hurt them just a little more for the attempt.”

He lifted his thumb from the button again; Walker hesitated as he started to speak again, but found that he had nothing left to say. He let out a stress relieving breath as he began to finish his transmission.

“Anyone who can move, assemble at the rally point. If you are pinned down, call it in. We’ll assemble what we have, and we will come to get you. No man left behind.”

Walker cleared his throat.

“This is Charlie Whiskey, all call signs report in. The sooner we rally, the sooner we can hit these bugs where it hurts. Romeo Sierra Alpha out.”

The calls began filtering in. Richardson found a pad of paper and began to write as fast as he could. Twilight moved around the table and sat next to him. She took the second pair of headphones from their hooks and began working the second half of the radio, quickly falling in as she processed the calls, taking away some of Richardson’s workload. The man gave her a nod of thanks, all while still responding to the radio calls.

Walker felt a burst of energy. One hand replaced the transceiver, while the other grabbed a map. He gestured for Cook, Phillips, and White to come closer. The men quickly found their way around the table as Walker laid out his plan of attack.

“Phillips, I want an inventory check. Get me numbers on everything. We’re going to have wounded pouring in, and we’re going to need beds for them to lay in, covers to protect them from the elements, food to feed them, and ammo to protect them. I need to know exactly what we have down to the last bullet. Draft whoever you need; I want it within the next half hour. Go.”

Phillips saluted and sprinted from the tent. Walker continued.

“Sergeant White, I want you to assemble a squad. Make sure those Humvees Alpha brought in are armed and ready to go.”

Walker pointed to a raised section of lines on the map.

“When you have the vehicles up, I want an OP on this hill to our east. That should give us eyes for at least a mile in all directions. If you have to, clear the trees, but only if it’s absolutely necessary.”

Walker shifted back and forth on his feet, trying to work the tension from his calves.

“While I’m sure the bugs know where we are, there’s no reason to make it easy to spot us. I want as much natural cover as possible.”

White pointed to a position to their southeast.

“Once I’ve set up the OP, do you want me to check in on Charlie? They’re only three miles away. That’s closer than anyone and we haven’t heard a peep from them yet. If I remember correctly, they had a big munitions dump at their site. We could really use the extra ammo.”

Walker scratched his nose. He really didn’t want a large group of men away from base, but the man did have a point. Having men with empty guns made them no more secure than men out and about searching for ammunition.

Walker sighed, but nodded. He straightened and crossed his arms, a slight frown on his face.

“Do it. Be fast though. We’re already short on men, I don’t need you getting lost out there. Cook, you’re here with me. We’re going to process the calls and see who’s coming in. With Sergeant White gone, we’ll only have a handful of guys to guard the compound, but we’ll just have to make-…”

Walker was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. He looked up from the table to find both princesses grinning at him. He blinked, then realized why. He had not only left them out of his planning, but he had completely forgotten they were there at all. He cleared his throat.

“Sorry Princess,” he said, smiling weakly. “old habits I guess.”

Princess Celestia chuckled.

“Fear not Captain, it is a good sight to witness. In the face of extreme adversity, you seem determined to persevere. I only wish to offer assistance so that you do not wear yourselves thin.”

Captain Armor stepped forward.

“If you’ll allow me, I can take a team of guards to set up the observation post. That will free up the sergeant to look for any weapons at your ‘Charlie’.”

Walker nodded.

“That’ll work. White, take a few extra boys with you, and if you can take a Deuce and a half, last I checked it didn’t take any serious hits, it should still run. The more ammunition we get back from Charlie the better.”

Sergeant White saluted, and then as he left, he blew a kiss to Captain Armor. The pony blushed as he left through the opposite side of the tent. Walker shook his head in amusement.

“Well Princess, once Richardson gets some distress calls,”

Richardson leaned over from his radio and forced a slip of paper into Walker’s hand. He then slid smoothly back, his voice never wavering as he continued to reply to the radio. Walker grunted as he read the paper.

“Alright then, we have a company that abandoned its post in an attempt to withdraw but got pinned down near Foxtrot Bravo India. The forces at India have tried to push out to save them, but they got pinned as well. They say their engaged with at least a company’s worth of bugs, but it’s likely more if they both got hit outside of their positions. Expect anywhere between one-hundred and a thousand hostiles in that area.”

Princess Luna nodded, her face becoming very serious.

“I shall see to it at once.” she said as she slid on her helmet.

Walker circled the positions on the map.

“It’s about eight miles to our northwest. If you can break them out, getting back here should be a breeze.”

Princess Luna nodded. She moved toward the tent flap, a pair of the guards peeling off to follow her. She stopped however, as Princess Celestia spoke, a look of concern on her face.

“Maybe I should go too.” she said. “It sounds like they are in dire straits.”

Princess Luna shook her head.

“Nay sister, you have been on the front lines all night. You need to remain here and rest.”

Princess Celestia looked to Walker for support, but he shook his head.

“Going to agree with Princess Luna on this one. Besides, I need someone to coordinate your forces. They aren’t going to take very many orders from me.”

Princess Celestia huffed and plopped down. Princess Luna stuck out her tongue.

“You have had your fun Tia!” She said lightly. “Now it is my turn to rescue the humans!”

Princess Celestia chuckled lightly at her sister’s antics.

“Fine Luna. Go and play the daring knight in shining armor. I shall remain here and ensure that our ponies are properly divided to support one another.”

Princess Luna laughed as she turned to leave, but Walker called out to stop her.

“Princess! Before you leave, we need to give you a callsign so that our forces can make sure you aren’t a bug.”

She turned and smiled.

“An excellent idea! It should be something daring, and befitting of my princess-ly nature!”

Richardson slid over another slip of paper, a small grin on his face. As Walker read it, he found that he shared the smile. Princess Luna, however, did not. Her eyes narrowed.

“What is to be my callsign Captain?” she asked.

Walker licked his lips, savoring the moment as he chuckled.

“Princess Luna, your callsign is Papa Lima.”

Princess Celestia chortled. Princess Luna looked at him in abject horror.

“B-but…” she stammered. “I am neither a father nor a bean!” she shouted. Walker bit his cheek to stop himself from flat out laughing at her.

“Sorry Princess, that’s how the protocols work. Besides, Richardson has already sent it out, right Private?”

The man nodded as he peaked over the radio set, giving the stunned blue pony a quick thumbs up. Her mouth flapped as her mind tried to find some way to protest. Princess Celestia chuckled.

“Come now Luna, I think it is a very daring name. Certainly, an unforgettable one.”

Walker chuckled as Richardson slid him yet another slip of paper.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so mocking Princess. We have to give you a callsign as well.”

Princess Luna perked up slightly while Princess Celestia’s eyes narrowed as her smile vanished.

“Choose your next words carefully Captain.”

He laughed.

“Sure thing Big Papa.”

The tent seemed to freeze. Only the sound of the two radio operators continued as they wrote down and answered the incoming calls. Princess Luna had a goofy grin across her face while Princess Celestia stared daggers at Walker. The captain just shrugged, the grin never dropping from his face.

“Sorry Princess. Papa Charlie was already taken. Richardson thought Big Papa would be distinguishable on the battlefield. In fact,” Walker said, turning to the radio man with a grin while slapping a hand on the man’s shoulder, “Richardson just really thought that Big Papa was what a foreign Princess should be designated as, didn’t you Private?”

The man wisely cowered behind the radio, his voice dropping lower as he tried to hide from rage of an Equestrian Princess. Princess Luna saddled up behind her sister and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders.

“Come now sister! I think it is a daring name.” she said, mocking the words Princess Celestia had said only moments earlier. “And I definitely think-…”

Princess Celestia growled.

“Luna….”

“our subjects will have a very difficult time forgetting it. Hmm Tia? Do you think our little ponies will ever forget to call Princess Celestia Big Papa?”

Princess Celestia turned on her sister.

“To the moon Luna!” She shouted. Princess Luna danced away, laughing all the while as she departed the tent. Princess Celestia groaned and buried her head underneath her hooves, her head hitting the table with a dull thud.

“You have no idea what you’ve done Captain. She’s going to go on about this day forever. Centuries shall pass and she shall continue calling me Big Papa. It will never end.”

“I don’t know Princess; I think Big Papa suits you.” Twilight said, never taking her head up from her notes.

Time froze as she realized what she said, and more importantly, to whom. She eeped softly as she joined Richardson in cowering behind the radio. Princess Celestia glared out from beneath her hooves.

Walker only shook his head as he continued to laugh.

Chapter 4: "the enemy.....imitating....."

Walker wiped the crust from his eyes, flicking it to the ground. He scanned the map, memorizing every detail as the pieces began to congregate. It had been a busy day, and now the sun was setting once more, its orange rays cutting through the trees. At least five callsigns had filtered into the rally point so far, some four hundred fighting men, with at least triple that in wounded. The dead were…

Walker rubbed his eyes again as he wiped away that thought. There would be time later for counting bodies. Right now, the living were much more important. So far three positions had been reported wiped out, with little trace of the men that had occupied them aside from bullet casings and an awful lot of blood. Walker had seen more mental collapses, the Equestrians beginning to feel the desperation now. It was a horrifying sight to only find bodies, to know that you were too late to save even one life. Walker was surprised that the Equestrians had never seen the sight of an emotionally broken soldier before though. When a line of trucks had rolled in and the tail of a deuce had dropped only to reveal a pile of bodies, one of the Equestrian medics snapped. His wail of grief was long and loud, and none of the ponies knew how to respond. Phillips ended up poking his head from the medical tents to grab the pony, escorting him back to the tent to lay him down with the rest. Walker saw more than one shaken pony; saw the horror in their eyes at the sight of someone just… breaking, but he knew that it would only get worse. This was just the casualties of the army; Walker couldn’t imagine what population centers looked like.

Overall however, the results were positive. White was back in the command tent after his run to Charlie, helping Walker and Princess Celestia distribute forces to sweep in the stragglers, while also taking some stabs at the changelings. The bugs were persistent, but with their element of surprise gone, along with the combined efforts of two armies, any attacks they made were turned on their heads as the Equestrians and Army units cut them down in droves.

For once, the radio fell silent. Richardson flipped a few switches and Walker watched as the lights faded out. He then stood up stiffly, he hadn’t moved since the morning, and turned to Walker.

“Captain, as of right now, all forces are present or accounted for. We have three companies still moving here, but they will arrive by morning. Otherwise, our forces in this sector have been consolidated.

Walker nodded as he absorbed the information.

“Get some sleep Private. We won’t need you again until tomorrow.”

The man nodded, and the energy seemed to leave his body. He gave Walker a weak salute and then shuffled from the tent. To White, Walker said;

“Sergeant set up a six-hour watch, four men on the corners. Then you join Private Richardson.”

White looked at him, the usual hard expression on his face, marred only by the black bags under his eyes.

“Sir, I’m fine to keep going.”

Walker nodded and smiled at the man.

“I’m sure you are Sergeant, but I didn’t ask. You’re no good to me if you can’t see straight. Go.”

White looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. He saluted, his crisper than Richardson’s, then he strode from the tent, the flaps billowing in his wake. Walker rested his elbows on the table, trying to massage his eyes to keep them open. He sighed deeply and closed the tired orbs, rubbing the whole while. It didn’t help him in the slightest.

Walker opened his eyes and ran his hands through his hair, letting them rest behind the back of his head. He stared at the map, running the tally in his head again. He wasn’t going to make accurate decisions if he couldn’t remember what he had at his disposal.

Walker looked away from the map as Princess Celestia rose from her pillow and walked slowly over to the radio set. Twilight had passed out at her station, her soft snores providing the only noise in the tent. Princess Celestia smiled at the purple pony and draped a blanket over her, adjusting her head so that it wasn’t resting on her headset. Replacing the set on its hook, the tall white pony looked over at Walker.

“What of you Captain? You have been as awake and busy as any of us. Should you not get some rest as well?”

Walker shook his head and looked back to the map, his vision blurring slightly.

“Can’t. I have to make sure we’re ready to start making a substantial difference. If we stand in one place for too long, it doesn’t matter how many bodies we have, we will be overwhelmed. I need to develop a plan to make sure the bugs stay on their toes without losing men and material.”

Princess Celestia moved to his side.

“Are you sure you can do so as you are Captain? You are exhausted, that much is plainly written on your face.”

Walker closed his eyes and pinched his nose as he tried to ward of the slowly building migraine in his forehead.

“I’m fine. I’ve pulled double all-nighters before and I’ll do it again. I just need to find me focus.”

Walker felt something strange on his shoulder, then opened his eyes to find that it was a large white wing. Princess Celestia looked at him with concern.

“Captain, like all living creatures you must rest. I know the burden you feel, I share it, but neither of us can do our jobs if we are too tired to function. Those who rely on us need us to be at our best at all times. I know you feel you should be doing more, but there is nothing for now. Things are quiet. Take the respite while it is available, so that you don’t make mistakes when the time comes when there is no rest.”

Walker sighed. Her logic was spot on, and he found that he agreed with the pony. Walker’s eyes drifted to the map once more. Tomorrow would be another long day. A lot had to be done. He’d need to be sharp. His men would need at least that much.

Walker scratched his nose, his eyes still staring at the map.

“What about you Princess?” he asked. “You’ve been at work as hard as I have.”

She nodded in agreement, and smiled.

“That I have Captain, and I will rest when my sister awakens in an hour’s time. She will watch over us the rest of the night. There is no excuse for you not to rest.”

Walker sighed again, admitting defeat.

“Fine, I’ll get a bit of shut eye. With your permission though, I’d like to remain here. I want to be close if anything happens.”

“Of course, Captain, shall I have a guard find your belongings and bring them here?”

Walker shook his head.

“Nothing to find I’m afraid. Most of my men didn’t bring anything but what they carried on their backs. I’m no different. We’re awful short on beds and sleeping bags. I’ll make do.”

Princess Celestia frowned.

“Did your commanders not prepare you for this? I cannot believe they would send their soldiers into battle without the proper means to rest comfortably.”

Walker smirked, though the motion lacked any humor.

“I’m afraid nobody was prepared for this Princess. This was an evacuation site. Sometimes I wonder just where the civilians were evacuated to; if their still safe.”

It was a sobering thought. What if the changelings were as widespread as they seemed? Did any of the helicopters carry their cargo to safety? Or did they all suffer the same fate as the last Chinook to take off from the heli-pad? Walker hated being in the dark, hated the lack of information. He supposed he was spoiled. With all of their technology, humans were used to instant communication, Walker even more so since often the information was put in his hands while it was occurring. All of the silence caused by the changelings was… disconcerting. Walker subconsciously began looking for a pen as the gears in his mind began to turn. Communication should be the first effort, the more coordination with other sectors the better.

He managed to snag a well-used pen and a half-blank sheet of paper. On this he began to make a list; a set of objectives that he would need to see accomplished in order to make sure they had the best fighting chance possible.

Deep in his focus, Walker didn’t notice Princess Celestia was speaking to him until she tapped him on the shoulder. The concern was back on her face, and Walker grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry Princess; I’m going to be up for a few more minutes. Just to make sure our priorities are straight for the morning.”

She sighed, not breaking eye contact.

“Alright Captain. I shall send a guard with a spare blanket and pillow. I shall also alert Luna. If you are not asleep by the time she awakens, she will make sure you find rest.” Princess Celestia smiled playfully. “Believe me Captain, she will ensure you are asleep, by force if necessary.”

Walker nodded.

“Thank you, Princess.” He turned to the map and his steadily lengthening list. Princess Celestia sighed again, then walked away from the table. Using her magic, she levitated the sleeping Twilight from behind the radio. As she raised the tent flap, she paused. Over her shoulder she said,

“Goodnight Captain.”

“Goodnight Princess.” Walker replied without looking up.

His mind was beginning to race as his second wind kicked in. On the page he wrote down communication as the first bullet. He then tapped his fingers as he thought. Next would have to be an inventory check. Already the numbers were growing fuzzy in his head, and he really wanted a precise count of all of their arms and supplies. Maybe he could recruit Twilight to do it, she seemed to enjoy counting, and organizing. Next would have to be a manpower assessment. He didn’t want to run any of the men under his command too thin, as that could cause untold issues. Then he would need to…

An hour later his one-man operation had extended to four front and back sheets of paper. At some point a pony had dropped off the blanket and pillow, but Walker hadn’t even acknowledged them, his pen moving at the speed of sound as he poured his thoughts onto paper. Some of it wasn’t entirely legible, but that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was putting together a plan, and slowly it was beginning to form. He just needed a bit more time.

Walker didn’t even notice when Princess Luna walked into the tent. The blue pony sighed.

“Captain, why are you still up at this hour? Did my sister not tell you to rest?”

Walker nodded.

“That she did Princess, but I started thinking. We’re going to need to move fast to establish communication lines with the other sectors. If we can consolidate our efforts, we can…”

His sentence trailed off as his mind grew fuzzy. Walker suddenly found it impossible to focus; his vision blurred, and he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. A yawn swelled in his chest, and Walker felt his knees weaken. He squinted as he tried to find the source of his sudden tiredness. His eyes fell on a blurry Princess Luna, who was looking at him with a smile and a lit-up horn.

“You will sleep now Captain. As Tia said, you cannot perform your duties in an exhausted state.”

Walker tried to fight the sleep magic, tried to wipe away the cobwebs in his head.

“I’m fine…” he mumbled. Walker leaned heavily against the table.

“No Captain, you are most certainly not fine.” Princess Luna replied firmly. “You are becoming obsessed and you are taking on burdens that you do not have to carry alone.” Softer she added, “We understand the weight of command Captain, we feel it too. You cannot make decisions if you do not rest. If you truly want things to go well, you must sleep. I do not wish to see you break as others have.”

Walker opened his mouth to protest, but found that he couldn’t. He felt his fingertips leave the surface of the table as he fell backward. He never hit the ground though. Walker watched with tired fascination as he was floated to the dirt, the pillow slipping softly under his head as the blanket was draped over his body. His eyelids were so heavy now.

“Sleep Captain, I shall wake you if anything is amiss.” Princess Luna said softly.

Walker began to nod off, mumbling a weak, “just fifteen minutes,” before his eyes closed and he slipped away to sleep.

*****

Walker felt something shaking his shoulder. He moaned as he crawled out of the blackness that was sleep and into the daylight. He cracked open one eye, his bleary gaze falling on a sideways, kneeling Princess Celestia, a cup of steaming coffee offered in her magic. Walker pushed his arm from beneath the blanket and grabbed the cup, sitting up slowly as he did so. His head was killing him; he felt like he’d been drinking the night before. Walker took a sip from the cup as he rubbed at his eyes with his fingers.

“Thanks.” He rasped.

“You are most welcome Captain.”

Walker opened his eyes, squinting at the morning light filtering through the tent flaps.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

“Approximately five hours. Luna said she had to put you down at around one in the morning.”

Walker grimaced.

“Sorry about that Princess. Just had a lot on my mind.”

Princess Celestia shook her head.

“It is I who owes you an apology Captain. Luna found your notes, and while some are sheer gibberish, there is much we need to do to coordinate our efforts, both with each other and your forces at large. We have already begun taking steps to remedy some of the issues you brought up.”

She paused, then smiled.

“Still, I was correct about your need for rest. I only lament that you could not sleep for longer, but alas I feared you would be unhappy if you were left out as we begin this day’s operations.”

Walker nodded.

“Damn right.”

He kicked the blanket off his legs and got to his feet. He took a much longer drink of his coffee as Princess Celestia rose as well. Wiping away some coffee that beaded on his growing facial hair, Walker cleared his throat and moved toward the table.

“So where are we at so far?” he asked, crossing his arms as he looked over his shoulder at Princess Celestia. She walked to the table as her magic neatly folded the blanket and stowed it on a corner of the table.

“I have Twilight assigned to the task of your inventory as you had suggested in your notes. Knowing her speed at such matters, I expect her to have an accurate count within the next half hour, if not sooner. Your Sergeant White volunteered to help her.”

That didn’t sound like the gung-ho sergeant, but what did Walker know? The man played his cards close to the chest. Walker dismissed it as nothing as he listened to Princess Celestia continue.

“So far, two of your companies have entered the final approach to our camp.” She said, pointing a hoof to the two separate units that were slowly moving to converge. “The final one is still some hours away, but I have sent teams of healers to take some of their wounded. Not only will we get them treated here faster, but that should also help speed the rest along on their journey.”

Walker nodded, processing the information. It was good news. If they were moving then they hadn’t had any fights with changelings, or at least nothing too nasty. That meant they would come in spoiling for a fight. A few hours of rest would have them practically chomping at the bit for some revenge. Anger was a tool, and Walker intended to use it to its fullest to make the bugs pay.

“Finally,” Princess Celestia continued, “Luna and I will be taking a large force to this location.” She pointed at a point to their west, a patch of land that was surrounded by tall hills, forming a small, but deep valley. “It is the ideal location for a hive, and we suspect that the high activity in that area is disguising a queen. We hope to kill her, confusing any changelings in the region. In their disorientation, the changelings will be soft and can be brushed aside from our position to the east.”

Walker bit his lip in thought.

“Do you think we could push to the coastline? It might not net us much, but it has the potential to open an avenue of both resupply or retreat if this position became untenable.”

Princess Celestia looked at him, her brow furrowed.

“You would retreat?” she asked, the confusion clear in her voice.

“No.” Walker said slowly, “but it is better to have the option open. It is far better to plan for the worst and never use it than to plan for the best and get wiped out because we had no alternatives. A dead army can’t fight back. I’d rather lose a chunk of land and some pride than my men. We win by staying alive to hit the bugs back.”

Princess Celestia nodded, and bowed her head.

“Of course, my apologies Captain. I am not used to pessimism amongst any but my sister.”

“Not pessimism Princess, pragmatism. When the enemy outnumbers you, a hit and run war of attrition is a good way to bleed them and even the odds. I’ll retreat as many times as I have to if it means we can cut at the suckers. It worked for the Russians against Napoléon and it will work here if we need it to.”

She frowned.

“I am afraid I do not understand that reference.”

Walker took a sip of his coffee.

“Napoleon was a Frenchman who got too big for his britches. Started a mess of wars in Europe, and in one he decided to invade Russia. Army to army, he decimated them, they couldn’t counter his leadership or his soldiers. So, the Russians ran. They ran all the way to Moscow and beyond, burning every spot of food and shelter on the way. Napoleon had his eyes focused on a landmark and he got arrogant. He took his prize, plundered Moscow, but he suddenly found himself and his men stuck in the middle of enemy territory with no supplies, no shelter, and no warm clothing. Russian winter is cruel to invaders, and he felt it in force. By the time he got back to France, a large portion of his army was dead, buried in snowbanks. So ends all who seek glory through violence.”

Walker side-eyed Princess Celestia.

“Did any of that make sense? I didn’t even think to ask you if you knew any of our history, or barring that geography.”

She smiled.

“Twilight would be more knowledgeable on the subjects, but yes, I think I understand the gist. This Napoléon over extended because he thought victory would be simple, and the Russians simply didn’t do anything to dissuade him, they just bided their time. It proved to be his downfall.”

Walker shrugged.

“More or less. If I’m remembering correctly, he gets banished once, but comes back and does the same thing again. He lost the second time as well of course, but still….”

Walker almost dropped his cup when a purple ball rolled through the tent flaps at high speed. Twilight shook the dust from her armor as she stood up.

“Somepony was talking about history!” She looked around the room, as if scanning it for the person in question. “Did I miss it? Is the lesson already over?”

Princess Celestia chuckled.

“Yes Twilight, I am afraid it is. Captain Walker was giving an example of human military history that applied to our current situation.”

The purple pony groaned, burying her face in her hooves.

“And I missed it!” she whined. “All I know about humans is about maps! I want to know history! Myths! Cultures! There’s so much out there, I know it!”

Princess Celestia smiled warmly.

“It is alright Twilight, there will be time for research later.” She looked over at Walker, and that smile took on a playful tone. “I’m sure the good Captain would be more than happy to tell you about human culture in detail later today, won’t you Captain?”

Walker was jolted again as Twilight impacted his chest. Her eyes held tears in them as she displayed the sorriest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen.

“Will you really?” she asked, her voice even sorrier than her eyes.

Walker nodded dumbly.

“Uh, sure thing. I’m a bit rusty, but I know this big library in DC, has all the books you’d ever want.”

Twilight squealed with joy and Walker felt his ribs compress as she squeezed his chest in a tight hug.

“Oh, thank you! I love libraries, I even live in one! What is yours called?”

Walker tried to extricate himself from the hug, but found that the pony had hooves of steel. He didn’t want to be rude about it.

“The uh, Library of Congress. It’s the biggest library on the planet. It’s got miles of shelves.”

Twilight seemed dumbstruck.

“Miles?” she squeaked, her eyes drifting away in a far-off look as she imagined long rows of books, stretching into oblivion. Princess Celestia laughed.

“Oh, dear Captain, it would appear you have broken her. I’m afraid she’s never going to let you go now.”

Twilight’s mind kicked back into gear and she looked up at Walker again.

“Oh, when can we go? How far away is this DC? What does the DC stand for? Is it more code?” Twilight began to babble off a stream of questions, and Walker looked to Princess Celestia for help. She simply shook her head, her smile wide.

“You got yourself into this mess Captain, libraries are my student’s single biggest weakness.”

Walker threw up his hands in a ‘how was I supposed to know that?’ gesture. He thought hard as he sorted through the enthusiastic purple pony’s questions.

“Well, DC isn’t too far from here, maybe fifty klicks? They are outside our sector, so we haven’t had any contact with them since we lost Overlord.”

Walker’s eyes fell to the map table. He swallowed roughly.

“Last I heard, they were under heavy attack. They went dark a little before you showed up.”

The words were unspoken, but the look on his face said enough. Twilight’s enthusiasm dipped and she peeled back. Walker didn’t move, dangerous thoughts rising up in his mind. Was DC even still standing? They had more than enough men to make a good fight out of it, but they had also been far too quiet. Was anyone left out there? Or was it just the small number he had managed to pull together?

Princess Celestia seemed to notice the desperation welling up inside of Walker and she moved around the table, setting her wing on his shoulder.

“Captain?” she asked as she tried to get under his eyes. Walker struggled to meet those pink eyes, but he found once he did, the desperation crept back just a little. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat.

“I’m fine.” Walker said. He put on a fake smile and opened his eyes to look at Princess Celestia. “Sorry about that, still waking up.” He looked to Twilight, who was trying to figure out why the man had suddenly shifted from happiness, to despair, and back to happiness again. “DC is probably fine. They have enough men to hold back an army of thousands for decades. They’re probably just consolidating their resources like we are. They’ll push out when their ready, and pretty soon we’ll make radio contact with them. When all of this is over, I’ll make sure to take you to the library personally, does that sound good?”

Twilight eyed him cautiously.

“Promise?” she asked carefully.

“Absolutely. We’ll make a day out of it.”

She smiled tentatively, and nodded. Walker looked to Princess Celestia, who was still watching him carefully. Walker tried to think of something else to say to reassure her, but found he had nothing. He was still trying to believe the lie he told Twilight. Walker looked away from the princess, couldn’t meet her eyes; didn’t want her to see the truth in his. He cleared his throat again as he found solace in the maps.

“So, Ms. Sparkle, have you finished the inventory yet?”

The purple pony perked up, and a large packet of papers floated from her saddle bags.

“Yep! Tommy was extremely helpful! I know so much more about your weapons and equipment now!”

As she began to ramble, Walker was stuck on a part of her answer. Tommy? Why would Sergeant White let her call him Tommy? In his most casual situations, the man always preferred either Thomas, or Tom, but never Tommy. Walker pondered the implications as he scanned the packet Twilight handed him.

The numbers were actually decent, to Walker’s surprise. With the runs to Delta the previous day, they had a modest stock of munitions, as well as a healthy amount of food and medical supplies courtesy of the Equestrians. With his permission, they had established a permanent portal between their worlds, and overnight they had pushed through mountains of supplies and personnel. The back half of the packet was the manpower survey he wanted, and it included the Equestrian troops as well as his own. These numbers were a bit more dismal, as he currently had only about seventy combat effective men. The rest had sustained some kind of injury, whether a physical or a mental one, or were deemed ineffective by the medics because of exhaustion. Walker hoped that the remaining companies would bring in some real manpower, but he tempered his expectations.

All in all, however, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. He could work with seventy men, especially with the support of the Equestrians. As Twilight continued to talk, Sergeant White walked into the tent, joining Walker at the table.

“How’re you feeling Captain?” he asked.

“I’m feeling Sergeant. There’s going to be a lot of tired days ahead, and you know that we won’t ever get enough sleep to catch up.”

“Yes sir.” White agreed.

Captain Armor walked in the opposite tent flap and took his place at Princess Celestia’s side. The pony and White shared a glance, fast, but not quick enough to escape Walker’s notice. When he looked to the sergeant however, he noticed something out of place.

“Sergeant?”

“Yes Captain?”

“What is that?” he asked, pointing to a white and pink ring that had been hastily sown below the unit patch on White’s right arm. Sergeant White flushed red, his usual serious demeanor slipping.

“It’s uh, it’s....” he stammered as he scrambled to come up with an excuse. Walker knew he had him, now to poke some fun.

“Sergeant I don’t think I need to remind you that any non-standard modifications to your uniform need to be cleared with me.”

“Ah, yes sir. I can remove it if-…”

Walker held up a hand, stopping the man. He tried to keep a grin from his face as his eyes flicked toward Captain Armor. The pony was trying his best to stand very still, refusing to look at anyone. Princess Celestia had an amused expression on her face, taking as much enjoyment from this as Walker was.

“That won’t be necessary Sergeant, the color seems nice, it goes well with the tan camo that is your uniform.”

“Thank you, sir.” White said. He snapped to attention as Walker straightened, clasping his hands behind his back as he got very close to the ring.

Upon closer inspection, the ring held a small myriad of colors. Half seemed to match that of Captain Armor’s mane, while the other half were of a pink nature, what Walker assumed were the colors of the pony’s wife.

“So,” Walker started, “What is it Sergeant?”

“It’s a gift sir. From a friend.”

His eyes flicked to Captain Armor, before snapping forward when he noticed Walker watching. Walker not-so-casually looked over his shoulder at the pony, then back to White.

“I see. Why did you sew it onto your sleeve Sergeant?”

“Sir if it is an issue I can…”

Walker stopped him again with a raised hand.

“Answer the question Sergeant. This isn’t a court martial; I just want to know the reason.”

White sighed.

“I didn’t want to lose it. The normal ways don’t work for me. I’ve gone through three sets of dog tags in a month before; this was the best way I could think to make sure I didn’t lose it.”

Walker rolled his tongue across his teeth as if in thought.

“A friend gave it to you?”

White flushed red a little.

“He’s a very close friend sir.”

Walker nodded, letting the man and pony stew for a moment. After a moment of “thinking”, Walker smiled and shrugged.

“Carry on then Sergeant. Who am I to come between “close friends”?”

His eyes pointedly fell on Captain Armor. The pony didn’t dare to meet his eyes. Princess Celestia just shook her head at the still captain. Twilight looked stunned. As White relaxed and he and Walker began getting down to business, she pulled Armor aside, her voice at a loud whisper. Far too loud, as everyone in the tent was able to clearly hear what she said.

“Really Shining? Now?”

“Twilley it’s not what you think! We talked and just sort of… hit it off!”

“You gave him a herd ring! Your first I might add! This is a big deal!”

“I know that!” Captain Armor whispered back harshly. “It’s not like I didn’t put thought into it! He’s really kind Twilight, and we have so much in common! I thought you would be happier about this.”

“Happy? Shining I’m ecstatic! Just wait until Cadence hears! Oh, she’s been so worried about the whole herd thing since you never invited anypony in! She’s going to love to hear that you finally found someone!”

Walker cleared his throat loudly. The two turned around to find everyone staring at them, though White was doing his best impression of a tomato. Walker had to give the man a solid 9 out of 10. The pair of siblings blushed and grinned sheepishly. Twilight chuckled weakly.

“He he, sorry everyone.”

Walker raised an eyebrow.

“Herd?” he asked simply. The word cut the air like a knife. White shook his head slowly, tight lipped as he stared at Twilight and Shining Armor. Princess Celestia smiled.

“It is an ancient Equestrian tradition. When ponies would grow close to each other, they would form large groups, called herds, that would live together. A way of bringing in friends into a larger family not related by blood. My niece has been trying to reinstitute the practice, as she believes it will inspire further unity and love in these dark times.” She paused, before her smile widened. “Herd mates also share lovers. I have been told it is quite the occasion when a herd fully assembles.”

“Huh.” Walker said. Now Captain Armor was now trying to contest White’s tomato impression. The white fur got in the way however, 7 out of 10. Walker shrugged it all away though, his fun tormenting the pair at its necessary end.

“Guess you learn something new every day. Not my business either way. Congratulations Sergeant hope the Captain and his “herd” make you happy. Now let’s get to work, we’ve delayed it far too long.”

The man nodded dumbly and began sifting through the maps. Captain Armor had to be prodded into motion by Twilight, who whispered something about “talking more later.” Princess Celestia chuckled.

“I shall leave Captain Armor with you Captain. He will assist in the coordination of our forces. Now, I must be off, Luna is waiting for my arrival to commence the assault. We shall return before sundown.”

Walker gave her a quick salute, and the princess left the tent, taking a pair of guards with her. As Walker poured over the maps, Captain Armor tapped him on the shoulder. Walker turned to face the pony.

“Yes Captain?”

“I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t know that you cared so much about your soldier’s and I would understand if-…”

Walker stopped the pony.

“Captain Armor, what you and Sergeant White do in your personal time is between you and him. I have no impact on that, and I meant what I said when I told him I hoped you would make him happy. It is important to me that my soldiers have a reason for fighting, and now you’ve given him another one, am I wrong Sergeant?”

The man shook his head, not looking up, the professional sergeant mask not slipping now.

“No sir you are not.”

Walker nodded.

“Thought so.” To Armor he said, “Captain, your relationships are none of my business, hell if you want to recruit every man in my command for this “herd” of yours, then I say more to you, on one condition.”

He looked the pony in the eyes, fixing his gaze in place.

“Your private life is just that, private. It doesn’t impact what we do here. I need Sergeant White to be focused, and if you begin breaking that focus, I will bar you two from seeing each other. A few minutes of joking and poking at each other is fine, but if fire starts raining overhead and my men aren’t fighting because their minds are elsewhere, we have an issue. They need their focus; I need their focus. Anything less and this whole operation falls apart and whatever romantic plans you have for the future go up in smoke. Are you reading me Captain?”

The pony nodded.

“Yes, Captain Walker. Keep the workplace for work.”

Walker nodded, and patted the pony on the shoulder.

“Good. So, let’s quit talking and get to it, shall we?”

*****

Walker leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Captain Armor was passed out beside him, his head laying Sergeant Whites lap. The man was stroking the pony’s mane, while his eyes stared into nothing. They were all tired, the morning was a rush of hectic work as they fortified Walker’s plan to reestablish a base of command for the Army at large. They had planned out where they would need to set up transmitters to widen the sweep of his company radio, and Richardson had spent most of the morning at his radio, testing if anyone new moved into their sector. Once the plan was laid out, everything just… stopped. The princesses started their attack, but they wouldn’t wrap up or send word until later, while the radio fell silent as the straggling companies rolled in.

Walker had greeted the tired men with open arms, mentally noting that it would be at least another day before they were able to make any movements. While the three companies had brought in a swell of fighting men, almost two hundred, they had also rolled in exhausted. They had been hackled by bugs the whole way, and while they hadn’t lost much, it had kept them on edge. Paranoid and jumping at shadows, nobody slept, and now they dragged their feet as they wandered gratefully into camp. They didn’t even give the ponies a second look when they began swarming over the vehicles, medics calling out as they dragged away bloody and groaning men.

Walker had seen a few more breaks, especially when the rear vehicle drivers reported their cargo of bodies. Walker tried to keep that as quiet as possible, directing White to set up tents to block the unloading of the trucks. The news still got out however, and more than one pony simply dropped to the dirt, their eyes filled with tears and their souls crushed at the wretched sight of so much death.

Upon speaking with the company leaders, a pair of lieutenants and a sergeant, Walker discovered that he was still the highest-ranking officer in the area. He was still in charge. The men reported that their CO’s had gone down fast, getting snatched up or gunned down in the opening salvos of contact. Like they had been targeted.

Walker didn’t know how, or why he hadn’t fallen victim to such a deliberate act of killing officers, but he couldn’t let it shake him. He ordered the men away, put them up in the center of camp where Captain Armor had loaned a great deal of tents and blankets. Like him, many of the men had been prepared for a day action; at best they were ready for two. Not this prolonged thing they were engaged in now.

Now however, Walker was taking a brief respite. The radio had grown quiet, and there was simply nothing he could do while his men were resting, and the princesses were away. So, he had dragged a chair into the shade just outside of the command tent and had fallen into it, content to take a short nap while Richardson remained next to the radio in case anything came through. Captain Armor and White had followed, with White content to lean against the tent pole with the captain sprawled comfortably over him, his snores only just reaching Walker’s ears.

Walker sighed and ran a hand over his face. He hated the waiting. The feeling that he could do nothing to change it while others acted. It was better to wait though, pieces were always moving, and rest was a commodity that he wanted to provide to his men as much as possible.

Walker looked over as the snores seemed to grow louder, found that White had joined Armor and was now also asleep. Walker smiled at the pair, glad that they had forged something special while walking in hell. As per their agreement, the two had focused on business only while there was work to be done. They worked like a finely oiled machine, feeding Walker a steady stream of relevant information as he laid the groundwork. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought they’d been working together for years.

Both of them jolted awake as Richardson shoved his way out of the tent. White gave a shout when Armor sat up abruptly, drilling him in the crotch with his hoof as he tried to stand. The man fell over with a groan, and Shining Armor looked like he was struggling to either laugh or apologize for crushing the man’s genitals.

He ended up doing both as he tried to help the man up. Walker just grinned and shook his head at the pair. He squinted against the harsh yellow sunshine and looked up at Richardson, who was staring at White and Armor, shocked that they had been so close.

“What can I do for you Private?” Walker asked.

His words shook the private from his momentary shock and he looked at Walker.

“Sorry sir, a call just came over the radio. He says he’ll only talk with you.”

Walker raised an eyebrow. White still had a pained expression on his face, but Captain Armor was looking carefully at Walker.

“Do you think it could be another changeling queen?” he asked.

Walker shrugged and rose from his chair.

“Only one way to find out.”

They followed Richardson into the tent, with White limping close behind. Richardson sat behind the radio, putting on his headset while Walker picked up the transceiver. Richardson flicked a switch.

“Alright Charlie Whiskey, you are on with Charlie Whiskey.”

Walker looked at the private in confusion, but before he could say anything a voice came through in a harsh whisper.

“Is this Captain Walker I’m speaking to?”

“This is Charlies Whiskey, yes. And who are you?”

The voice chuckled.

“Well Charlie, it appears as if you stole my callsign. I’m Captain Walker, Delta force, also designated Charlie Whiskey.”

“Alright “Whiskey” let’s say I believe you, what do you want from me? Why not talk to my radio op?”

“If I’m being honest Captain, I’m in a bit of a situation here. My fault of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less dangerous. I need someone of your authority to get me out.”

Walker paused in confusion.

“And what authority might that be Captain? We’re the same rank, you have as much authority as I do.”

Whiskey chuckled again.

“That’s funny Captain, good joke. In all seriousness, you have this sector under your thumb, plus you appear to have gotten in very good with the ponies. That’s the part I need help with right now.”

Walker looked to Shining Armor, who shrugged.

“Where are you Captain? What is your status?”

“You know that hill to your east? I was moving your way, but I wanted a look. Decided it was a good spot to put eyes on your operation. Turns out, somebody had the same brilliant idea I did, and put a team on top of the hill. Unfortunately for me, they are good at their jobs and I didn’t realize they were here until we were within a few meters of their position. I don’t see a whole lot of green up there, and I don’t know if their orders are to shoot first. I would assume this is the work of our new friends, but I’d rather I didn’t find out after a lengthy fire fight. Could you kindly tell them that we’re here?”

Walker looked to Shining Armor, who quickly snatched up a pen and sheet of paper. Walker pressed the function button.

“Captain, where exactly are you at on the hill? I have someone running a message up, but I need to know how close you are so that they don’t just jump and attack you.”

“One second.” Came the response.

Walker listened as the radio on the opposite end was shifted, then Whiskey whispered;

“This close.”

Walker strained his ears, but… yes, there were several voices talking quietly on the other end. Captain Armor identified them as his guards. He wrote faster. Walker took a deep breath as he watched.

“Alright Captain sit tight. Somebody is alerting them to your presence now.”

Whiskey cursed softly.

“Well hurry it up Captain, that little maneuver attracted their attention. They are moving in on my point guy now.”

Walker’s eyes flicked to the page Armor was writing on.

“Captain, any time now.”

“One second,” the pony replied, his brow furrowed in concentration. “I have to phrase it a certain way or they won’t accept the orders. It’s like your callsigns, it’s a measure to keep out spies.”

“Captain,” the radio crackled, “they’re getting awful close.”

“Captain Armor….” Walker pressed.

“Done!” the pony shouted. His horn flashed and the paper disappeared. A brief pop could be heard over the radio, and Walker waited in tense silence. He could almost hear the tension on the other end of the radio.

Eventually, a voice called out, much closer than before.

“Hello? Somebody is out there?” the voice called.

“Captain?” Whiskey whispered.

“It’s alright Captain, just move slow and keep your weapons down. Give the Equestrians a wave.”

Walker listened to leaves rustle as Whiskey stood up. A startled shout rang out, but luckily no gunfire followed.

“Howdy boys! Mind if I come in?”

The radio clicked off. Walker looked to Captain Armor.

“They going to bring him down here nicely, or hard?”

The white pony shrugged.

“I don’t know. It depends on what they had for breakfast today.”

The joke wasn’t funny, and even Sergeant White shook his head in exasperation. Captain Armor chuckled weakly.

“Maybe we should meet them out front?” he offered.

Walker nodded.

“Let’s.”

It only took five minutes of waiting before Walker began to hear the approaching chatter of the ponies and Delta operators. He had been pacing before the gate entrance to the position, chewing his thumbnail while Captain Armor had been tapping his foot at an incredibly irritating rate. Surprisingly, Whiskey and the OP guards were laughing it up as they walked down the dirt road into camp. The man was swinging one his arm wildly as he told an animated story, his rifle over his shoulder, while his other arm was draped over the shoulder of a pony that was laughing along with him. Shining Armor sighed in relief and trotted forward to greet them. Walker, however, stayed back. The goal had always been to contact a superior, or at least an equal to better coordinate efforts, but Walker felt like all of his work would be squandered if he wasn’t at the head. Misplaced nervousness gnawed at his belly.

Whiskey spotted him standing back and disengaged with the ponies, a wide smile still plastered on his face as he waved goodbye with loud promises to finish the story. Walker briefly wondered what it was. He squashed it as the other Delta members fell in behind their captain, a total of four in all.

“Captain Walker, pleased to meet you, I’m Captain Walker.” The man said, extending his hand. Walker accepted it, giving it a firm shake before dropping his hands to his side.

“The pleasure is all mine Captain; please come in, I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”

Whiskey nodded.

“That we do Captain. First though, these ponies seem nice enough, where’d you find ‘em?”

Whiskey had a bit of southern drawl to his speech, nothing that would require clarification, but present, nonetheless. Walker led him and his team back toward the command tent while Captain Armor talked with the guards from the OP.

“They quite literally dropped out of the sky Captain. We were getting hammered and they just… showed up. Bit of a miracle really.”

Whiskey nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that story more’n a couple times. Not widespread mind you, but we’ve been scooping up a few strays that tell the same tale. Wanted to hear it from someone with authority before I believed it though. By the way, none of that Captain Walker shit, call me Seal, it’s gonna be easier in the long run.”

Walker looked at the man.

“Seal? Like Navy Seal?”

Seal laughed.

“Yes Captain, I understand the irony. Man named Seal joined Delta. My parents didn’t know I was gonna be an Army man when they saw me swimming through the icy waters of Erie.”

“So, they named you seal? Hell, of a first name.”

Seal laughed again.

“My first name is Tobias, Captain. Seal is what I go by.”

Walker ahh’ed in comprehension.

“I’m afraid I’ll still like to be referred by rank, Seal. Cornelius James doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like Seal does.”

“No Captain I don’t think it does.” Seal agreed.

Walker parted the command tent flap, letting Seal and his men inside before following. Seal whistled as he looked around.

“Nice digs Captain; didn’t think the Army standard issue could look this good.”

Walker smiled.

“Not our army Seal, but the princesses are letting us borrow it for the time being. Helps coordination and all that.”

Seal held up his hands.

“Hey, I wouldn’t say no. What’s that about though? Princesses? You’d figure generals would lead an operation like this.”

Walker shrugged.

“Not for me to judge. I just accepted their help and tried to make the best of the situation.”

Seal nodded.

“Yeah, let’s get down to that Captain. First, I wanna congratulate you.”

Seal slid off his ruck and rifled through the pockets to pull out a small blue box.

“Now I know this don’t really mean shit, but it’s the thought that counts right? As of now you have been officially promoted. Now, it ain’t gonna put a star on your helmet, but it’s a start.”

He opened the box and handed it to Walker. Inside was the insignia patch of a colonel. Walker looked up at Seal, who was still grinning at him.

“If you don’t mind Seal, who authorized this?” Walker asked.

Seal sighed.

“I’m afraid that’s gonna be the second part of our conversation. You probably know better than anyone that we took a good beating. The board is a mess, and your sector is one of a few that got it’s shit together quick. Not discounting your efforts Cap- I mean Colonel, but the good admiral thinks that it’s in no small part thanks to the Equestrians. He thought it better if our man on the ground measured up a bit more in rank if you catch my meaning.”

Walker nodded.

“No offense taken Captain; I know how much the ponies have saved our bacon. Just wish I could do the same in return.”

A small part of him was relieved, he was still going to be able to help out at the highest level. He carefully peeled away his captain patch and replaced it with the colonel patch. The clean piece of fabric stood out like a sore thumb on his filthy uniform. Seal and his men snapped to attention, and Walker dutifully returned it. Seal grinned.

“If you don’t mind me saying so sir, that looks downright spiffy.”

“Thank you Seal, now, to business, shall we?”

“Yes sir. Mind if I take a load off?”

Walker nodded. Seal’s men dipped outside, while Seal dropped his ruck at the foot of the table. Walker waited patiently as the man got settled, removing a map from his ruck, along with a canteen. Both of these he set on the table. He then grabbed a chair and plopped into it.

“So, Seal, you mentioned an admiral?” Walker started.

The man nodded.

“Yes sir, Admiral Alexander Smith, First Fleet group, or well, all fleet group now.”

“What does that mean?”

Seal unfolded the map and laid it out, weighing down the corners with the canteen and a few empty coffee cups.

“Like I said, it’s a mess out there. We’re still trying to get the numbers sorted out, but believe me, it’s bad.”

“Bad how? Are we talking units, equipment, civilians?” Walker asked.

Seal looked up; all traces of his smile gone.

“Yes. We have whole sectors wiped off the map, especially down near Florida, the bugs really went after it down there. When shit started hitting the fan, Admiral Smith took his ships out of the harbor at Norfolk so that he could better provide support where it was needed. Turns out, that saved him and his squids, cause Norfolk went dark an hour later.”

Seal pointed at several cities that were marked with black circles.

“It ain’t the first city either. You know New York? That happened over and over in every major city on the east coast. Could be on the west too, but I simply don’t have that intel, we haven’t had any contact since most of our satellite arrays went down.”

“Our satellites? Are you telling me the bugs can hit us in space?”

Seal shook his head, his face grim.

“Negative.” He sighed before continuing. “We have confirmed reports of several nuclear strikes, both locally and abroad.”

Walker paled.

“Nukes? It really got that bad?” he asked.

Seal nodded his nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath.

“Yup, and it’s worse than you think. According to the intel, we aren’t the only ones getting hit. Europe, Russia, India, China, all suffered similar attacks. These damn bugs are everywhere Colonel, and they won’t stop coming either. Word on the grapevine says that the Indian government approached us in hour two. They couldn’t stop the bugs, and they had reports that they could turn people into more bugs. So, they asked us to glass the whole damn country. So, we did. Half our arsenal went over the Pacific and tore them to pieces.”

Walker was dumbstruck.

“We dropped nukes on foreign civilian populations? Who the hell greenlit that?”

Seal shrugged.

“If those rumors were true, we saved those people a lot of suffering. Just think Colonel, how many people in India alone? Their army ain’t small, but it can’t drive away a billion bugs. Especially since a lot of the civvies over there are all packed in like sardines. If things are that bad, it sucks, but we did the right thing.”

Walker fell into a chair, his knees weakening at the news. A billion people. He swallowed dryly.

“You said half of our arsenal, where’d the rest go?”

Seal shrugged.

“Here and there. A few places asked the same as India, we lobbed a few into some of the dark zones locally…”

“Dark zones?” Walker asked, his eyebrow raised.

Seal tapped one of the cities that was circled in black.

“Major population centers that were reported to have zero human life. New York got three big boys to try and clear out the bugs. No idea if it helped. We haven’t been able to get a bird that far out.”

Walker grimaced.

“What about DC? We heard anything from Washington?”

Seal shook his head.

“Not in the last twelve hours. They were putting up a fierce fight, and for once all of those political big wigs did something, as they were authorizing nuclear strikes left and right to try and stomp out the bugs. Didn’t help though. A few fly boys did a pass that way three hours ago. All they saw was a lot of fire and a lot of bugs. We can’t get ground forces anyway nearby, they get swamped by bugs in a heartbeat, so we just stopped trying.”

“Did they get access to the nuclear button?” Walker asked, his heart momentarily freezing.

“No, and thank god for that.” Seal replied. “We go one transmission out of Washington about fourteen hours ago. It was messy, but Admiral Smith thinks it was from the White House. They destroyed the switch and began ripping apart the systems in there. The flyboys reported the White House being a husk, so I think it’s fair to say the bugs aren’t going nuclear any time soon.”

Walker let out a sigh of relief, but checked it. There were thousands of soldiers in DC. They should have been able to hold out, but they didn’t. He had barely a few hundred, what the hell was he supposed to do with that? Walker didn’t know, but he wouldn’t give up hope. They made it this far, and evidently weren’t the only ones. They could still fight. They had to.

To Seal he said,

“Captain, I’m going to need you to keep that information close to your chest. We can’t let any of the men know we lost DC. I need them up and fighting.”

Seal nodded, his tongue poking at his cheek as he crossed his arms.

“Sure thing Colonel. Sorry you had to hear of it like this. Did you have family in DC?”

Walker shook his head, his eyes staring blankly at the wall.

“No, my parents lived in Manhattan.” He said, his tone dead. Seal bit his lip.

“Ah. Sorry Colonel.”

Walker shook his head.

“We’ve all lost something Seal. I can’t let it stop me and I won’t let it stop my men. I have more than a few Virginia boys here, they can’t hear about this. Not yet.”

Seal nodded in agreement.

“My lips are sealed. There’s a time and a place. Just don’t wait too long. It’ll do more harm than good.”

Walker sighed, and remained still for a moment, before he blinked and jolted himself awake. He clapped his hands together and got to his feet.

“So, what’s our plan Seal? What does the Admiral have in mind?”

The man refolded the map so that only the coastline was shown.

“Well,” he started slowly, “what the Admiral intends to do with his forces is keep them off the coast until we can secure a piece of ground from the bugs that we know we can hold. So far, your sector, and our northern most are the only ones who still relatively have control of the territory. The rest are gone or lack any officers whatsoever. I’ve managed to make contact with a handful of companies and sent them your way. They should arrive in the next day or so.”

Walker held his hands up as he stopped the man.

“Wait, go back to the part about the officers, what do you mean they had no officers? Not even one?”

Seal shrugged, his grimace firm.

“I don’t know what to say Colonel. Whether targeted by the bugs or by way of sheer stupid fucking luck, every single officer in each land sector is dead, besides you and a Lieutenant up in Maine. I’m alive only because I was called in from leave near Norfolk and I went out with the Admiral.”

“There’s no way that it’s coincidental Seal, not on such a large scale.”

“I agree Captain.” A new, but familiar voice said. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked into the tent, with Captain Armor in tow. Both princesses were covered head to heal in changeling goo, and though they looked alright in terms of wounds, their armor looked like it had taken a beating. Princess Celestia removed her helmet, her flowing hair breaking free of its prison. She set it on the table.

“We have found the locations of several hives, and have destroyed several as well.” She said. “and I can assure you that this elimination of your officers is a coordinated effort to weaken your response to their attacks.” She looked at the stunned Seal. “Who is this?”

Walker stretched out his shoulder, trying to roll away an ache as he said;

“Princess, this is Captain-…”

The man moved forward quickly, seizing her hoof and giving it a vigorous two-handed handshake.

“Captain Tobias Seal Walker ma’am, but you can call me Seal. It is a genuine pleasure to meet you.”

He grinned as he looked back at Walker. He pointed to Princess Celestia.

“This is Big Papa right?” Walker nodded in affirmation. Seal grinned, still shaking her hoof. “I gotta say, I am a big fan of your work. Saving squad after squad of our boys? Best present I could ever ask for.”

Seal let go of her hoof and looked her up and down. He chuckled a bit, shaking his head as he inspected the pony.

“Damn, I don’t believe it. Still, the proof is in the pudding.”

Princess Luna cleared her throat. Seal’s eyes were drawn to the noise, and his grin widened.

“I’ll be, Papa Lima, as I live and breathe.” He circled the table rapidly, but as her hoof extended for a handshake, Seal ignored it in favor for giving the pony a crushing hug. Walker raised an eyebrow as Seal lifted the pony into the air, her mouth screaming help silently. Princess Celestia chuckled. Walker let it go on for a moment, but knew he had to stop the man.

“Captain show some dignity and set the poor Princess down. She just got back from squashing bugs; she doesn’t need you crushing her.”

Seal grinned sheepishly and gently set down Princess Luna. The pony moved away from the man, though Walker noticed a faint blush on her face. As Seal moved back around to Walker’s side of the table he said;

“Sorry Colonel just had to give ‘em a warm welcome. They’ve done a lot already, and I know you regular Army prudes don’t give nobody no lovin’.”

Princess Luna turned a slightly darker shade of red while Princess Celestia tilted her head.

“Colonel?” she asked, directing the question at Walker. He nodded.

“Seal here delivered a promotion along with news. As you heard, most of our officers are gone, and I’m one of the only surviving ones. What’s left of our chain of command decided I needed a bigger name if I was going to be representing the U.S Army in our cooperation with a pair of Equestrian princesses. So, now I’m Colonel Walker.”

She smiled, and for once, Walker noticed a bit of the warmth in that smile. He liked seeing it honestly; it really lit up the room.

“Congratulations then Colonel. I only wish it was not under such grim circumstances.”

Walker nodded in agreement.

“Grimmer and grimmer the more we look at it too. What’s left of our forces in the region have been scattered, so we really can’t expect a lot of reinforcements.” To Seal he asked, “Captain, is there any way of getting resupply? Not to downplay the princess’s generosity, but it would be good if we could start pulling our weight in the supply department.”

Seal nodded.

“We can get some birds this far inland. Admiral Smith has been able to snag more than a few dumps worth of munitions, so if ammo is what you’re asking for, we’ve got that in spades.”

Walker nodded.

“Good. Besides that, what do we know about Maine? Is there a reason the bugs haven’t been effective that far north? Also, the fleet; as far as I can tell, the buggers can fly, so why aren’t they going after our ships?”

“From what we can tell, they don’t do so good in the cold, or over really big bodies of water. A lake is no problem, but the Atlantic? They avoid it like the plague.” His eyes looked to the two princesses. “I’m no expert on the bugs though. Do either of you lovely ladies know more? Does the cold stop ‘em?”

Princess Luna flushed again while Princess Celestia tapped her chin in thought.

“I have not had much personal experience with such, but yes I believe they are susceptible to cold. You must understand, Equestria is land locked, and in addition to that, we control our weather. It is sunny and warm most of the year. It would stand to reason that since the changelings are insectoid in nature that the cold would slow them down. Their chitin does nothing to protect them from the cold.”

Walker sighed.

“Unfortunately, even if they are susceptible to the cold, it doesn’t help us. It won’t be consistently cold here until November. We’re too far south.”

Walker tapped his fingers against the table, his mind working.

“But, if the Admiral wanted a landing zone, I think his best bet is going to be hook up with the group in Maine, set up a base there so the cold can act as a deterrent. Do we know their troop strength though? Are they going to be able to keep holding the line?”

Seal nodded.

“I don’t have a precise inventory, but the Lieutenant up there did the same thing as you. He’s consolidated his forces and is even now pushing for the coast. Admiral Smith sent a Seal team after him to have the same conversation with him that I’m having with you.”

“Do you have any means of communicating with this Admiral?” Princess Celestia chipped in.

Seal shook his head in response.

“Not yet, but some birds with a long wave radio should be on their way here now.” He checked his watch, then looked to the princess. “I don’t know how fast you can move, but I would sure love an escort for them. Choppers are a rare resource now, and I don’t think we want to lose them.”

Princess Luna, her blush gone as steel entered her eyes.

“I shall see to it at once. They will be expecting us?”

Seal nodded.

“We were all briefed on what to expect. Who you were, what you looked like. The pilots should have received the same briefing. Just be careful. Everyone has an itchy trigger finger these days.”

She nodded and departed the tent. Walker looked to Seal.

“If you don’t mind me saying, I don’t think you walked all this way just to hand me a patch and a radio.”

Seal grinned and spread his hands.

“You’re not wrong Colonel, guess that’s why you earn the big bucks now. No, I have another mission out this way and I was hoping for some assistance on it.”

“Let’s hear what it is first, then I’ll see what I can offer in terms of support.”

Seal side-eyed Princess Celestia. He cleared his throat.

“Colonel, I’m afraid this mission is a bit classified.”

Walker leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of his nose as he leaned on his elbows.

“Seal we are currently standing in Princess Celestia’s command tent. Barring the fact that she is one of the sole reasons this position is still green, she’s more than earned the right to hear whatever mission you’ve got to carry out. More than likely she’ll play no small role in supporting it.”

Seal nodded, and smiled at the princess.

“Yessir, just wanted to be sure.” To Princess Celestia he said, “Sorry for being a bit tight lipped Princess, I’m sure you know how stingy command can be with intel.”

She inclined her head.

“I understand Captain Seal.” Her eyes shifted to Walker for a second, a smile on her face. “Luckily, Colonel Walker has found a way to trust us as he would you. It is the best way for friends to work together.”

Walker didn’t comment, because now he wasn’t being totally trustworthy. He’d only heard about it a few minutes ago, but the nuclear strikes would remain secret. Including more people, even if they were the princesses, was a dangerous move that could lead to the start of rumors. Rumors he’d have to confirm or deny. Rumors that could lead to more breaking soldiers, and at worst, angry allies. Killing civilians based on rumors didn’t sit right with him, but he did agree with the call. If the changelings could convert human beings into more bugs… it was a massive mercy killing, a tragedy, but mercy, nonetheless. He’d rather withhold information than flat out lie about the fates of the cities.

Walker cleared his throat and waved at Seal to continue. The man nodded, drawing out another map from his pack. He spread it on the table and Walker and Princess Celestia poured over it. Walker recognized the sectors to their west, saw fewer black circles on this map.

“My mission has a lot to do with your declaration, Colonel, about Overlord. Nobody is saying you were wrong, or even out of your station by making it, but it told us something. Overlord was compromised, and we’d like to know why.”

“Why? I think the answer is obvious Seal, it was the command center for the entire eastern seaboard. Cut that off and our forces lose all coordination.”

Seal held up a finger, smiling widely.

“Exactly. Like any army or living creature, you cut off the head and the body dies. We already talked about the coordinated killing off of officers, but that didn’t work out completely,” Seal nodded his head to Princess Celestia. “mostly thanks to them. Two officers survived unscathed Colonel, two. The Equestrians did us a hell of a service stepping in when they did.”

Princess Celestia smiled.

“Merely doing the right thing Seal.”

“And I can’t thank you enough for that Princess. There’s a whole mess of boys who owe you their lives, and that ain’t something we’ll forget. It’s our turn now though, and it starts at Overlord.”

He turned back to Walker and tapped the black circle around Overlord’s position.

“Since your declaration, we went ahead and labeled Overlord as a dark zone, but the real truth is we don’t know what’s there. The Admiral wants to save the birds for actual fire missions, so scouting this far inland needs to be done the old-fashioned way. My mission is to determine what the enemy concentration is around the position, secure any intel we can snag, and then destroy it. I brought with me a single burst transmitter that will send a green light to the fleet for the flyboys to drop a few bombs on the position once we’re clear.”

“So, what do you need from me?” Walker asked.

“I saw you had a couple of Humvees sitting around, and I could use a couple extra rifles. My boys are the best, but we can only reload so fast. If we get swamped, I want a bit more firepower to make sure it isn’t a one-way trip.”

Walker nodded, biting his lip in thought. He stared at the map for a second, before he raised his gaze to Seal’s face.

“Alright Seal, you have a green light from me, on one condition,” he said, raising a finger.

Seal nodded.

“Whatever you need Colonel.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Seal shook his head.

“Never mind then, absolutely not. You need to stay here, safe and secure to make sure our operation continues running smooth. Besides, you have the single best relationship with the Equestrians; we need you as chief diplomat as well as chief coordinator. I don’t think their gonna listen to just any old suit they throw in your place.” He looked to Princess Celestia. “No offense.”

She smiled and nodded.

“None taken. You are correct regardless. Colonel Walker has been very accommodating to our presence, though there were a few initial…. setbacks.”

Walker made a face at her as she looked at him with her smile. Seal looked between them, a confused expression on his face.

“What kind of setbacks?”

Walker scratched his nose.

“I may or may have not put a sidearm into the face of one of their captains with intent to shoot him if he prevented my medic from digging out our wounded.”

Seal looked to Princess Celestia, and eyebrow raised.

“And he got away with that?”

She chuckled softly.

“I should not have told Captain Armor to prevent something of that nature. Colonel Walker’s actions only proved that he was both strong willed, as well as caring enough to make a fine ally. No relationship is without its bumps, and so I forgave and forgot.”

She turned back to look at Walker, and he felt his face redden slightly as he saw that smile again. What was coming over him? He cleared his throat and looked to Seal.

“My condition stands Captain, I am coming on this mission, and I will not take no for an answer. Leaders do so from the front. I refuse to stay behind a desk while my men go out and risk their lives.”

Seal grinned and spread his hands in defeat.

“Alright Colonel, you’re the boss. I’d like to leave sooner than later though. If the rumors are true, those bugs could be extracting intel from Overlord even now.”

Walker tapped the table, drumming his fingers across its surface as thought.

“It’s going to take a bit to get the men prepped. We need to make sure everyone is rested up and focused before we take on something like this. We’ll leave at first light tomorrow.”

Seal nodded.

“I’ll alert my team to stand down for now. Anyone in particular I need to talk to for getting ready?”

Walker snatched up a sheet of paper and pen.

“Yeah, find Sergeant White and get him to hand pick a squad out. Tell him to arm them up with the best we have, and don’t skimp on ammo. I have no doubt we’ll need it.”

Princess Celestia cleared her throat.

“Pardon my interruption Colonel, but I too wish to be included on your mission.”

Walker looked at her with eyebrows raised.

“Are you sure about that Princess? You’ve been going at it all morning.”

She nodded.

“I will be sufficiently rested by tomorrow morning. If these “dark zones” are what they sound like, your Overlord may have a changeling hive within it. If there is a hive, there is a queen, and you will want my presence if you confront her.”

Walker looked to Seal who shook his head.

“I have no objections Colonel. The radio is alive with her work. If Big Papa wants to tag along, I say let her.”

Walker shrugged and looked back to Princess Celestia.

“There’s you answer. I’m more than happy to make a bit of room. I want to still keep this small though, so I need to restrict you to only one plus one.”

He wrote out a few more sentences on his paper before he handed it to Seal.

“Find Private Richardson, he’s my radio op. He’ll make sure our squad radios are synced, and he’ll need to modify Princess Celestia’s helmet so that she’s online with us.”

He looked to the princess.

“If that’s alright with you of course.”

She inclined her head and smiled.

“Of course, Colonel, it will be interesting to experience some of your technology firsthand.”

Walker smiled in return and looked back to Seal.

“Once all that’s done, let me know then go and get some sleep. I have a strong feeling we won’t be resting much in the coming days.”

Seal nodded. With a salute to Walker and a bit of his goofy grin pointed in Princess Celestia’s direction, he left the tent, scooping up his ruck and rifle as he left. Walker rolled his tongue in his cheek, wondering briefly what the man found funny. He sighed and looked to Princess Celestia.

“You sure you want to tag along Princess? I can’t thank you enough for helping us out through all of this, and I would understand if you wanted to take a break while we manned the front for a few.”

She smiled warmly at him.

“Celestia is fine Colonel, and yes, I am quite sure. As you said, a good leader does so from the front, and I will not leave my friends to fight their battles alone.”

Walker chuckled.

“You can’t keep calling me by rank if you’re going to drop yours. Either Walker or Cornelius will do just fine Celestia.”

Walker could see a faint blush spread across her face, though she was much better at hiding it compared to the other ponies.

“Of course, Cornelius.” She mumbled in reply. Celestia cleared her throat and looked toward the tent flap.

“I believe I shall go await the return of my sister. I am most eager to see these “birds” of yours.”

Walker nodded and she slid out of the tent gracefully. Walker froze in his thoughts. Gracefully? Warmly? Why was he suddenly thinking about Celestia like that? There was another thing, she had dropped her title for him, and he had done so in return, but why? What had changed that lost the need for such formalities?

Walker stared at the still swinging tent flaps in thought for a moment, the shook his head to clear it of the stray thoughts and looked at the maps. He had planning to do.

Chapter 5: "...compromised....requesting..."

Walker scanned the tree line, trying to see through the mud that had splashed up on the windows of the Humvee. Seal was at the wheel, while Celestia and a green Shining Armor were in the back seat. Private Cook manned the .50 turret. As planned, they had left at dawn, but rainstorms had kicked up overnight and as a result, all of the exposed dirt had quickly turned to mud. It was not an issue for the Humvees, but it made it more difficult to watch for hostiles when the window was painted brown, especially since Seal seemed to enjoy ramming through puddles, splashing torrents of mud over the vehicle.

In total they had four vehicles, three Humvees and a Deuce and a half, all loaded down with men and arms. Walker wanted to be prepared, so each man was practically carrying his weight in ammunition, along with several spare crates loaded into each vehicle. He looked over his shoulder with an amused smirk at the sight of Shining Armor straddling one such crate. Due to their size and non-bipedal nature, the ponies had to make a real effort to fit into the Humvees. Celestia had insisted, however, that they go in the smaller vehicles, citing that they could squeeze in to allow the humans more comfortable seating in the Deuce. Walker had agreed for only two reasons, the first being that she was right. He had at least three men in the Deuce carrying heavy weapons, with at least one SAW and pair of M240 medium machine guns. Saddled with that, plus rifles and all of the associated ammunition, the men were large and heavy. Even now he could practically hear the Deuce sliding around in the mud, straining as they climbed the last hill to Overlord’s position.

The second reason was a bit more personal though. Because of her taller stature, along with her armor and fluffy wings, Celestia had managed to pack into the Humvee, with the effect of looking like a giant gold and white chicken, with feathers sticking every which way. Though nobody dared to laugh out loud to her face, all of the humans had shared looks and grins at the sight, and Walker had been one of them. His only regret was that he was seated directly in front of her, so every once in a while, he would receive a kick to the back of the head as her limbs shifted with the vehicle. After the third apology, Walker had simply tried to shift closer to Seal to avoid the swinging hoof. It was partially successful, in the way that she no longer kicked the back of his helmet, but his shoulder instead.

Seal grinned and revved the gas as he sped over a large bump. Walker glared at the man as the hoof drilled his shoulder particularly hard, definitely leaving a bruise this time. Celestia apologized, while Seal cast a glance over at Walker, that smile on his face.

“Sorry Colonel! You know how the roads out here are,” he laughed.

Walker rolled his tongue inside his cheek.

“Sure Captain, the roads,” he said sarcastically. Seal laughed again.

They finally reached the top of the hill, and the trees opened up, exposing a series of tents and walls surrounding a squat grey building. Walker tapped Seal on the shoulder and pointed to what looked like a guard station.

“Stop us right there, we’ll look around on foot.”

Seal nodded and his smile was quickly replaced by the steely demeanor of a Delta operator. He drove carefully now, his eyes scanning back and forth as it took in information. Seal drove to within a few feet of the guard post before stopping. He was out the door in a flash, giving directions to the rest of the vehicles. As Walker shoved the mud crusted door open, the vehicles formed a circle, and men began pouring forth, their weapons up as they scanned and set a perimeter. Walker slid his rifle strap on his shoulder and yanked roughly on the passenger door.

Celestia smiled, her face clearly giving away her embarrassment. Her legs were tightly packed against her chest, so much so that she unable to get out on her own. Walker smiled and offered his gloved hand.

“Need some help?”

She looked away, her face turning red. She accepted the hand however, and Walker pulled, forcefully enough to get her dislodged, but not hard enough to yank her into the mud. She slowly climbed out of the Humvee, trying to maintain her dignity, until a spot of mud dropped from the door and down her neck. She yelped and shoved Walker over, sending the man into the mud.

He could feel the mud sliding down the neck of his uniform, all cold and wet. He was lucky though, his rifle ended up on his chest and remained clean. Celestia gasped and she grabbed his arm, yanking him to his feet.

“I am so sorry Cornelius! I was just surprised, and I moved forward and…”

Walker wiped away at the mud on his hands. He grimaced when it didn’t help. He squinted at Celestia as wiped the filthy hands on his relatively clean pants. She met his eye, but was clearly embarrassed about the situation.

“It’s fine Celestia, no harm no foul. Some people think mud is relaxing.”

“Are you one of those people Cornelius?” she asked.

Walker laughed and shook his head.

“No, I am not.”

Her face fell slightly as he laughed, but Walker saw a trace of a smile. He slid off his rifle and shouldered it. Walker found Seal looking at him, a small grin on his face.

“Something you need Captain?” Walker asked, his voice filled with faux force. Seal shook his head.

“No sir. Just seeing how a professional diplomat does it.”

Walker nodded toward the building.

“Get to work Captain, make sure we’re clear out here.”

Seal’s grin broadened.

“Sure, thing Colonel.”

He waved his team forward and they began to comb through the abandoned position. Walker looked to Celestia, who was still blushing faintly. He waved her closer.

“Come on, let’s start looking.”

She nodded silently and followed Walker as he hopped over a stack of sandbags. They had agreed beforehand that Walker would call the shots, with Seal as his immediate second and Celestia as the third in command. Seal had offered the second position to her, but she declined, stating that it was their mission, she was merely there to help.

Captain Armor slipped around the Humvees, quickly falling in beside Celestia. The slightly nervous, easy to embarrass demeanor was gone, replaced with unbridled confidence and awareness, surprising Walker. He was used to Shining Armor being a bit bashful, but in the field he was clearly a soldier, his movements precise and with intention.

The trio moved around the position as Walker’s men combed through the mud, looking for signs of life, or barring that, a struggle. The radio in his ear spoke up.

“Colonel, I’ve got bullet casings and weapons over here.” Seal said. Walker looked around, found the man standing near a stack of sandbags with a machine gun mounted over them.

“Any blood?” Walker replied.

“Negative, no blood, no goo, nothing. Just casings and dropped firearms.”

Walker scanned the ground, his eyes drifting up to the building to their front. It was slowly becoming more imposing, a silent bastion that almost definitely held the enemy, and Walker knew that they would have to enter it at some point.

“Check if the weapons are empty.” Walker said. “If they aren’t, strip them down and load them on the Deuce, no point in leaving them behind.”

He received two clicks in affirmation, and then the radio fell silent once more. Walker ran his boot through the mud, searching through each puddle and pile for anything. Like Seal, he ended up finding only bullet casings. No blood, no changeling goo, or even any bits of meat. Any of that would indicate that a fight had happened, but as it stood the weapons had just been fired, it appeared at nothing.

Walker slid his rifle over his shoulder and bent down, cracking open an ammo case next to another .50 cal. It was full, not a single belt had been taken out. With a curious expression on his face he checked the gun, dripping with moisture from the rain. He carefully counted the rounds, and found that only seven had been fired. Celestia peaked over his shoulder.

“What are you thinking Cornelius?” she asked.

He didn’t reply. He instead grabbed a fallen rifle, mud clogging its action. That didn’t matter, and Walker removed the magazine, wiping it clean so he could count the ammo left inside. Only seven rounds were gone. He dropped the partially spent magazine into the open ammo box and stood up, his mind working. Into the radio he said;

“Seal I need you to check all the weapons you find, report to me how many rounds are missing.”

He received two clicks in reply again. Celestia had a concerned expression on her face.

“What is it? What does the number seven mean?”

Walker chewed his cheek.

“I don’t know, but both of these weapons only fired seven rounds. One is a semi-automatic, while the other is a machine gun. Even if they fired for the exact same amount of time, they should both have different amounts of ammunition left. Firing seven rounds off is an intentional action.”

Her face shifted, becoming grim with understanding.

“Almost as if they were told to only fire seven rounds.”

“Exactly, and no commander I know would give that an order like that during open conflict.”

The radio crackled and Seal’s voice came over it.

“Colonel I keep finding them with only seven rounds gone. All of them, every single rifle and machine gun; I even found a side arm with seven rounds fired.”

Walker nodded; his theory confirmed. To everyone he said,

“Keep your eyes up and stay in pairs. Something compromised this position without anyone knowing. I think they were controlled into firing seven rounds, almost as if a test of that control. I don’t want the same thing happening here.”

Celestia frowned.

“Perhaps we should withdraw Cornelius. My best ponies have been working on methods to counter changeling mind-control techniques. My helmet, as well as Captain Armor’s have been shielded, but you and your men are exposed.”

Walker shook his head and shouldered his rifle.

“We don’t know if whoever did this is still here. We need to find out so we can take them out. We’ll leave once we find some trace of the command staff.”

She looked like she wanted to protest, but Celestia stayed silent, nodding in agreement. Walker stepped away from the sandbag wall and began walking toward the building. Celestia walked just a bit closer, her eyes scanning the surrounding forest.

As they approached the front doors, Seal and the rest of the men met with them. Everyone had their eyes out and their ears in as Walker began to speak.

“Alright, here’s the play. Seal take your Delta boys around the left side; I’ll go with Princess Celestia and Captain Armor around the right. The rest of you stay here and keep an eye out. Collect all of the weapons and ammunition you can find and load it up. When we return we’ll see about going inside.”

Everyone nodded in response. As they began to move away, Walker added;

“Seal give a whistle when we meet around back. I want to be sure it’s you.”

The man nodded; then he and his men moved off. Walker motioned for Celestia and Armor to follow him. As they approached the corner of the building, Walker held his hand up, peaking his head out around the side. When he saw nothing, he pushed off the wall.

“Come on, let’s take a look.” He said simply.

Walker kept close to the building, staying just far enough away that the tin roof wouldn’t drip on him as he walked. Celestia and Shining Armor followed, though a bit more spread out. All three walked slowly, scanning everything for signs of life, the building, the mud, the trees. All empty. The wind stirred the treetops, a whistling sound rising through the air as it did so. The grey clouds above them shot across the sky. Walker had a strong hunch it would be raining again soon.

“I don’t mean to sound cliché,” Armor said, his nose twitching, “but isn’t it just a bit too quiet out here?”

Walker nodded.

“It is. I haven’t heard anything but us and the wind since we got here. No birds, bugs, woodland creatures. Nothing’s moving out there; like something drove them away.”

Armor shivered.

“It almost feels like the Everfree forest out here, except for the quiet.”

Walker looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in question at Celestia.

“Everfree forest?”

She nodded, her eyes looking at the clouds.

“Yes, the Everfree is an area in Equestria much more consistent with your world than our own. It is a place where no magic can control the weather, and untamed creatures roam its depths. It is a wild and dangerous place.”

Walker chuckled and faced forward once again.

“Wild and dangerous huh? Must be truly horrible to be without magic.”

“I apologize Cornelius, your world is likely beautiful, and humanity seems to do well enough without magic.”

Walker shook his head as he poked a pile of debris apart with his boot.

“No apology needed Celestia, I’d love some magic these days. Make it sunny and a nice 74 degrees with no humidity. It would be positively peachy. The best weather control we have is to make it rain, and that only works sometimes.”

She looked at him curiously.

“You have methods for weather control?”

Walker shrugged.

“More or less. We’ve gotten really good at predicting it, as long as you don’t listen to the local weatherman. We can tell you almost down to the minute when it’s going to rain and where. That tech is at worst a few years off from being spot on 100% of the time. Actual control of the weather is a bit more… experimental.”

“Fascinating, what technology allows this?” she asked.

“For prediction? A series of advanced satellites and analytic instruments that read the air to find out where moisture is going and which way the wind is blowing. In terms of weather creation, we take either a plane, or in some places an artillery piece and seed clouds to encourage rain. It works sometimes, I’ll give it that.”

Celestia smiled.

“Still, to accomplish even that without some magic is unheard of in Equestria. Humanity must be quite innovative if it can do such wonders.”

Walker shrugged, his eyes drifting to the approaching corner of the building.

“Sometimes it pays to be the smartest guy in the room. As a species, we are an awful competitive bunch.”

He raised his rifle to is shoulder and the three slowed as they approached it. In a repeat of the first corner, Walker hugged close to the wall before poking his head around. He saw a group of men walking and gave them a whistle. Seal whistled in return and waved. Walker gave him a thumbs up before turning on his radio.

“Alright, rally around front. Let’s see about going inside.”

Walker dipped back from the corner and the three repeated their walk, remaining in silence on the way back to the front of the building. As they turned the corner and the vehicles came back into view, Celestia asked;

“Cornelius, if you don’t mind me asking, is it common to know so much about weather prediction?”

“Nope.” Walker said simply.

His men had finished assembling all of the arms and ammunition into the Deuce and now they were all waiting in front of the double doors that made up the building entrance.

“I thought not. Did you do something before your military career?” Celestia asked.

Walker shook his head.

“Not really. I wanted to be a meteorologist when I was a kid. Turns out you need to know a lot of math for the job, so I decided I wanted to be a soldier instead. As it so happens, the US Army requires its officers to be good at math, so it looks like I didn’t dodge that bullet.”

Celestia chuckled.

“No, it would seem that you didn’t. Still, do you regret being a soldier?”

Walker thought for a second, then shook his head.

“No, I don’t think I do. Just like the recruiting posters said, see the world, experience new places. I’ve experienced quite a bit, saw quite a bit too. I liked some countries better than others, though most of them didn’t like us at all. That’s the way of the world, I guess. A guy from one place goes to another and meets a guy who thinks a little different. They either talk it out and separate as friends or start shooting each other. It’s just how it is.”

Walker paused, then turned to Celestia, who was watching him intently.

“Sorry, that got a bit dark. To go back to the original question, no I don’t regret being a soldier. It’s shown me a lot, and it’s helped me make a few new friends along the way,” he finished, inclining his head toward Celestia. She smiled broadly.

“Thank you, Cornelius, I view you as a friend as well. It is funny to think, mere days ago we did not even know each other’s existence, but now we are friends.” Her eyes fell slightly. “If only it were not in such dark circumstances. Who knows how much we could have shared?”

Walker shrugged.

“Probably nothing at all.”

She looked at him in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Let’s pretend you just found your way here, or vice versa we found our way to you; do you think an Army captain is going to deal with first contact? Or is it going to be some scientist seeking information, or some bureaucrat seeking diplomatic relations? If our worlds met in a time of peace, we,” he said, pointing a finger between the two of them, “would likely have never met in our lifetimes. I would probably still be in some far-off desert, while you had the pleasure of wining and dining with DC’s political elite.”

Celestia made a face and stuck out her tongue at the thought.

“I do not know much about your political leaders, but they sound much like the snobby nobles that my sister and I must cope with. They are a greedy and corrupt bunch, good for little. If it were not for their place in diplomatic treaties, I suspect we would have unseated them from power long ago.”

Walker scratched his nose and chuckled.

“Yeah that sounds about right. There are a couple good ones though, men and women who actually want to help people and do the job they were elected for. Unfortunately, they are often butted out of real political discussion.”

“You are a purely democratic society then?” Celestia asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Kind of. Democratic Republic is the proper name. The people elect officials, those officials write the laws. Over time it has gotten messy though. Certain states with more people get more attention while the farm towns get largely ignored. We make do though. It isn’t perfect, but there are plenty of alternatives that are substantially worse.”

“Such as?”

Walker chuckled and looked at her.

“I’m not sure I should tell you. You’re a monarch, or at the very least a dyarch. We overthrew a monarch to be a nation.”

Celestia’s eyebrow raised.

“Were they cruel or unjust?”

Walker shrugged.

“Depends on who you ask. Me personally, I think we were in the right. People shouldn’t be ruled by a central power an ocean away. The power of a nation should come from the home front, where the people are. Staying high and mighty above everyone else leads to corruption, at least among humans. We are a greedy, nasty bunch unfortunately, though we do have our moments.”

Celestia smiled playfully.

“And what of me Cornelius? Do you think my power has corrupted me?”

Walker gave her a deadpan look.

“Are you really asking that? You went out of your way to help us out, a species on a far-off planet with few to no physical similarities. On top of that, you haven’t asked for anything in return. That’s pretty benevolent if you ask me.” He grinned. “Unless your secret plan is to enslave those who are left once all the bugs are gone. Or maybe the bugs were the plan, and that’s how you get us, eager to serve in your hooves like putty.”

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hoof. Before Walker or Shining Armor could stop her, the mud on her feet got on her face, giving her a dripping brown mustache. Walker chuckled loudly when Celestia looked at him in confusion. That chuckling turned to full blown laughter when Shining Armor tried to explain, without laughing himself, what she had done. It took a trot over to the Humvees and a look in a side mirror to see the damage, and then she joined in, giggling at her new “facial hair”.

By the time the trio were done laughing, Seal was walking over to them, tapping Walker on the shoulder to get him to focus. With a few trailing chuckles, Walker fell back into his professional mentality and they moved toward the doors.

“Anything around that side Seal?” Walker asked, trying to prevent his mouth from curling into a smile. Celestia was still giggling, her white fur stained slightly brown.

“Nothing of note. We found the generators, but they looked like they ran out of gas a day or two ago.” Seal replied.

Walker nodded. They approached the gathered men, and Walker was able to finally bring his mind fully into focus.

“Alright, here’s the plan. I need four volunteers to stay out here with the vehicles, preferably those with heavy weapons. They won’t do us a lot of good indoors.”

Four men raised their hands. Walker nodded and continued.

“Good, you’ll remain here. Set your alarms for three hours from now. If we aren’t out by then, I want you to take a Humvee and go back to Romeo. Get Princess Luna. She’ll bring back as many soldiers as she can spare and sweep the place clean.”

The men nodded and then wandered back to the vehicles. Walker scratched his nose.

“Next, we’ll need flashlights on. With the generators out we don’t have power for the facility, and we didn’t have enough night vision optics to go around. We’ll just make do with what we have. Seal, Delta and I will enter first. Sergeant White; you, Princess Celestia and Captain Armor will be second. The rest of you will follow in the rear. This is the formation until I say otherwise. Agreed?”

He got silent nods in response.

“Good. Finally, I have no idea what we’ll find in there, and we’re checking rumors to see if changelings can actually control human minds. Princess Celestia has provided us with as much intel as she has, but we just don’t know what these bugs can do to a human person. The password is Worcestershire sauce, anyone not found to be using the password will be treated as hostile, so remember it well. We all clear?”

More nods. Walker nodded in response.

“Alright, let’s get in and out as fast as possible. I don’t want to be here when night falls. Seal you’re on kicking detail. Everyone set up to breach.”

The humans quickly fell into position on either side of the door, taking out flashlights and fitting them to the end of their rifles as they did so. While momentarily hesitating in confusion, Celestia and Armor quickly found their spots, as the men had left two large holes in the stacking. Walker was on the immediate left door sill. Seal looked to him for confirmation, and he nodded.

“Do it.”

Seal reared back and planted a foot firmly on the left door. It shattered and fell in under the extreme force. Seal was through in an instant, with Walker and the rest of Delta close behind. Walker swept the forward right corner, and upon finding nothing moving, signaled all clear. The call was repeated as the rest of the men found the same. More flashlights flooded into the dark room as everyone else followed. Celestia was distinct in the darkness. Not only was she a pale white, but both her armor and her drawn sword were alight with gold light. Walker had offered a flashlight to the pony, but she had declined, stating that “There is no darkness that can suppress the glow of an Equestrian princess.” Now Walker believed it.

He poked around in the scattered papers on the floor, looking for anything that held obvious importance. Seeing nothing, Walker moved around the secretary desk, searching for blood or any other signs of a struggle. He found nothing, and surprisingly, he found that everything was remarkably neat; as neat as any desk got anyway. Pencils were still in cups, the computers looked intact, even the chairs were tucked away properly. Besides the shards of wood and glass from the broken door, and the occasional stack of papers on the floor, the entry way just looked like it had been packed up for the weekend.

Walker didn’t like that, nor did he like how quiet it was. Outside had been eerie, but inside was positively spooky, bordering on unnatural. He felt like he could hear everyone’s breathing. The air was still, almost lifeless. Walker imagined if he told everyone to hold their breaths, he could hear his own blood moving. He tapped his radio to life.

“Anyone found anything?”

He got a few no’s and no sirs, then Seal spoke up.

“I’ve got a staircase Colonel. Blood on the door too. Looks like the right direction.”

Walker quickly moved back around the secretary desk and weaved his way to Seal. The man was waiting beside a simple door with no window, and if Walker didn’t notice the sign beside it, he would have guessed it was a janitor’s closet. Walker stacked up on the frame, then nodded to the closed door.

“Open it, let’s see where it goes.”

Seal nodded once and then stood back, his flashlight bouncing as he kicked the door down. He rushed in, with Walker hot on his heels, only for a wall of smell to smack him in the face like a ton of bricks. The lights from their rifles exposed enough and Walker staggered back out of the stairwell, clutching his mouth. He stumbled away and made it as far as the secretary’s desk before he emptied his stomach. He coughed a few times as he heaved, felt someone patting him on the back. He looked up from his breakfast to find Celestia staring back, her eyes colored with concern.

Walker opened his mouth to speak, but instead turned away as he wretched again, a bit more of the stench still clinging to his nostrils. He spit in his vomit to try and wash the taste of bile from his mouth.

“Don’t…go…. in there.” He said before breaths. Seal walked out slowly; his face twisted.

Walker swallowed roughly as he tried to recover.

“Sorry everyone.” He said. Seal shook his head.

“Nothin’ to be sorry about Colonel. There ain’t a thing right about that sight there. It doesn’t get better as it goes down either.”

Walker nodded. He fumbled for his canteen, ripping it from his belt as he screwed open the cap. He took a long pull of water, rinsed out his mouth, then spat it on the tile floor. He repeated the action for a second time, though this time he swallowed the water.

Everyone was watching him closely. Walker felt a bit of pressure, and more than a little shame for reacting in such a manner. He put his canteen away and straightened, shouldering his rifle.

“If you have a bandanna or gas mask, I recommend you use it. It’s a horror show in there.”

Walker swallowed roughly as he wiped his mouth. Celestia moved in front of his dazed eyes.

“Are you alright Colonel?” she said, her voice at a whisper.

He nodded, meeting her eyes.

“It’s bad. Really bad. I’ve seen men blown into paste, but I’ve never seen something like that.”

He looked to Seal.

“Is that the only way down?”

The man nodded.

“Without power the elevator won’t work. This staircase is the only one on the floorplan.”

Walker nodded. He flexed his hand a few times, trying to work away the shaking. He swallowed roughly again before he looked up again. All eyes were still on him, though now a few of the men had gas masks and bandannas on their faces.

“I won’t hold it against anyone if you stay up here. If you do, just keep watch, set your alarms for two hours. I’m going down there though; we have to know where Overlord went. Anyone who’s with me… let’s get this over with.”

Nobody moved to stay behind. Walker suspected that would change once they saw what was in the stairwell. As he mentally prepared himself, he looked to Celestia.

“I am coming with you Cornelius. No horrors the changelings can wrought will deter me.” She said firmly, as if guessing his thoughts.

Walker nodded.

“Alright, but be prepared. If you have a spell that blocks off smell, then I’d use it.”

She nodded and her horn lit up. A light bubble appeared around both her and Shining Armor’s muzzles. Walker swallowed a final time and tried to fortify his mind. He took a deep breath and pushed back into the staircase.

This time he didn’t outright panic, but he felt the bile rise in his throat as his light exposed all manner of gore painting the walls. Every single inch of the stairwell was painted with blood, still wet. Pieces of meat slid down the walls, pooling at the bottom of each step. Seal tried his best not to gag when a piece of meat dropped from the ceiling onto his arm. He swatted it away as they both looked up. The ceiling was much worse. Body parts, chains, hooks, and what looked like stretched out muscles decorated the light fixtures like the world’s worst Christmas decorations. Walker swallowed roughly when he saw an arm twitch.

He and Seal moved slowly down the stairs, their lights spiraling about as more men joined them in the stairwell of death. Walker heard the sounds of gagging and choking, even heard one man react as he did, shoving his way out as he threw up from the sights and smells. Seal tapped him on the shoulder, pointing to a second door at the bottom of the short steps. The man didn’t dare open his mouth, none of them wanted to taste any of what they saw.

Walker let him slip past, doing his best not to touch the walls with any part of his body. Seal kicked this door down as well, and then he and Walker pushed into a dark, much colder hallway. Luckily, there was no gore painting the walls here, just cool moisture and silence. Walker let out the breath he had been holding in and doubled over, his hands on his knees as he took in deep gulps of fresher air. He was sweating profusely, the gore evidently still capable of giving off heat. Or maybe it was just the fear he felt in his chest. He prayed that whoever that was, that they had died quickly. Though he seriously doubted it.

Walker was surprised when all but two of the team came through the doorway. They reacted as he and Seal had, stripping away their protection as they tried to get the smell as far away as possible. Seal pushed past everyone and manhandled the door back into place, closing away as much of the stench as he could. Walker nodded gratefully. Sergeant White leaned again the wall next to him, taking deep breaths as he tried to purge his lungs.

“Cook couldn’t take it, so he and Bell stayed behind.” White said. “I thought it best to keep them in a pair.”

Walker nodded and gave him a thumbs up. His eyes scanned the darkness until he found the pair of ponies. Celestia was panting slightly, while Shining Armor was leaning heavily against the wall, his face green and his eyes distant. Walker elbowed White and pointed toward the pony while he grabbed Celestia’s attention.

“Princess? Celestia?” Her wide eyes seemed to gain awareness. She stared at him.

“My apologies Cornelius, that was most… distasteful.”

Walker pointed his thumb at the closed door.

“Do the changelings do that sort of thing often?”

She shook her head.

“No, they do not. In fact, it is the first time I have heard of changelings dismembering their victims at all. Usually if they eat a pony, they place them in pods to make a soup like substance and drink it. It is a vile practice, but this… this was not for food.”

Walker nodded.

“I agree, that was a deterrent. Those bugs really don’t want anyone poking around down here. All it means is that they’re still here. The blood was wet, meaning it was applied recently.”

Walker felt the bile rise in his throat again as the images cropped up in his mind. He shook his head to drive them away. He was going to have nightmares about that staircase for the rest of his life. He imagined that he wouldn’t be the only one.

Walker looked up, saw White whispering in Shining Armor’s ear, the pony slowly calming down. Walker pushed off of the wall, shouldering his rifle. His men looked to him, awaiting his orders as they slowly recovered.

“Let’s get moving. I don’t know about any of you, but I want to be far away from that room.”

He received several nods in return, and his men slowly drifted to their stacking positions. Seal was on point with his Delta operators. Walker followed close behind with White and the ponies. They moved from room to room, kicking down doors and checking for signs of life. Their flashlights cut through the darkness, showing nothing but dust and abandoned workstations.

Walker poked through the paperwork atop one such workstation, seeing if there was any kind of message left behind. Something that indicated where the men that had occupied the building had gone. He really hoped they wouldn’t find another stairway. Walker didn’t want to imagine that all of the men at Overlord had suffered such a brutal fate.

Celestia and Shining Armor remained close at his side, their eyes flitting from corner to corner as they too tried to find traces of life. Occasionally they would bump into Walker, followed by a soft apology. Walker truly didn’t mind, the presence of the ponies acting as calming agent, their bumps a sign that someone was watching his back closely. It worked well to still his frayed nerves.

The radio crackled in his ear.

“Colonel, we found a live one in here.” Seal said.

Walker immediately abandoned his search and moved into the hallway. Two doors down one of the Delta operators pointed into an open doorway. Walker moved past the waiting man, with Celestia and Shining Armor on his heels.

Slipping into the room, he quickly found Seal, kneeling next to a man that had his legs splayed out in front of him. His arms sat limply at his sides and his eyes were staring into nothing. A faint green glow emanated from them, and Walker felt a shiver crawl up his spine at the unnatural sight.

He set his rifle on the ground and crouched down next to Seal, trying to see into the man’s face. His mouth moved as he mumbled something.

“What’s he saying Seal?” Walker asked.

“Can’t tell you Colonel. Whatever it is, he’s been repeating it since we found him. Like a record stuck on repeat. He doesn’t respond to anything, noise, touch, nothing. I really don’t feel like getting too close though, those eyes of his are strange, and not in a good way.”

Walker nodded. He took out a spare flashlight from his belt and clicked it on. He shined it on the man’s uniform, finding his name patch. Then he shined the light on the man’s face.

“Private Stevens? Can you hear me?” he said loudly. He tilted the man’s chin up, wiping away some strange green goo as he tried to look into the man’s eyes. Walker listened closely at the man’s mumbling.

“For the queen…. Protect the queen…. For the queen…. Protect the queen…” the man whispered.

Walker spread apart the man’s half-open eye lids, shining his flashlight to check for reactivity.

“Private, this is Colonel Walker of the First Infantry Division, I need you to speak up if you can hear me.”

The man’s lips stopped moving, and the room fell into an unnerving silence. Seal shifted nervously. Celestia moved just a bit closer, and Walker could almost feel her feathers on his back. He ran the flashlight back and forth slowly over the man’s face.

“Private? Are you in there?”

The man’s mouth moved slowly.

“Walk…er” he said.

Walker nodded, inching closer.

“That’s right Private, I’m Colonel Walker. Can you say your name?”

The man’s eyes seemed to spring to life. They focused on Walker’s face, almost as if they were oblivious to the bright light being shined upon them. A wide grin spread across the man’s face.

“Walker.” He repeated.

Walker nodded slowly.

“That’s right Private, but I need you to say your own name. Once you do, we can work on getting you out of here.”

The man laughed. Loudly. His head snapped back against the wall. Walker shifted on the balls of his feet as the man cackled, filling the room with his unnatural laughter. The man stopped abruptly, his green eyes still on Walker. And then his arms latched on to Walker’s flak vest as he lunged forward, his mouth open like a viper.

A number of things followed. Seal was on his feet in an instant, his rifle pointed at the man’s head. He screamed at the man to stand down, though likely his shouts fell on deaf ears. Walker felt his body freeze up as the man’s face was almost pressed against his, and then he was yanked crudely backward. Flat on his rump, Walker was stunned when Celestia stepped in front of him, her wings flared as she drilled the man into the wall. The man responded by screaming out in unintelligible rage, which quickly changed back into that sickening laughter.

Walker swallowed roughly. His hand scraped across the floor in search of his rifle. He found the strap and yanked it close to his body, taking comfort in its cold plastic and steel exterior. Shining Armor and another man helped him to his feet. They asked if he was okay, but his eyes were fixed on the man, who was still sitting, his mouth wide as he continued to laugh.

“Ah Princess, it is so good to see you again, and you have brought a home welcoming present! I do appreciate it, and if you’ll excuse me, I would very much like to put it to use.”

“Remain silent worm.” Celestia spat at the men. “Your disgusting meddling on this planet is at its end. I will see to that personally.”

The man grinned at her.

“Why so hostile Princess? I am merely seeking out a way to both feed my changelings while also bringing humanity into the wonderful harmony that is the hive! I would have thought you would approve of this goal; for do you not seek to promote harmony amongst all living creatures?”

“We both know that is a blatant misrepresentation of my goals. I seek voluntary harmony, through works of friendship and diplomacy, not through slavery and corruption as you do.” Celestia responded with a growl.

The man laughed at the furious pony.

“I do not think the means matter Princess, more just the end. Unity for all is such a noble goal, my way is just… simpler. Your human compatriots would agree with me, I think.”

His eyes flickered over to Walker, who was wiping his hands on his pants. Celestia looked to Walker as well.

“Cornelius, we should leave. This creature is no longer human, and will only seek to divide us. It will try to affect your mind.”

Walker nodded, but moved forward anyway.

“Maybe, but it also has information, and that’s why we’re here. I won’t take long, and I’ll leave it to your discretion if you think I’m being controlled.”

“Would it help if I agreed to use no magic?” the man laughed. Celestia glared at the man, but Walker obstructed her view of him.

“I’ve got this Celestia, trust me. I only need a minute.”

Her furious eyes softened slightly. She sighed deeply.

“Alright Cornelius, I trust you. Please be quick.” She adjusted herself so she could glare at the smiling man over Walker’s shoulder.

“As for you worm, if you so much as create a spot of light I will see to your demise.”

The man grinned.

“I promise Princess, only words.” He crossed his heart, then let his arms fall to his side. Celestia accepted this and moved back slightly, remaining close enough to yank Walker back again if the man attacked again.

Walker crouched in front of the man again. He got as close as he did before, trying to show that he wasn’t afraid. He felt like it didn’t work. The man grinned widely.

“So, Walker, we finally meet. Face to drone.”

Walker nodded.

“I’m going to assume I am not speaking to Private Stevens, so just who am I talking to and where can I find you?”

The man’s grin widened.

“Eager to join me Captain? I am Queen Mentis, though soon you will simply address me as ‘my queen’.”

Walker smirked.

“Sure, and I’m sure I’ll grow a tail too. No, I’m going to find you so I can shoot you until I am very sure that you are dead. You’ve killed my men, my soldiers, my friends,” he said, his tone becoming angry. “and for that I will make you pay.”

The man scoffed.

“Please Captain, you are a soldier, and this is a war. People die.”

“It’s actually Colonel, and this war is of your making. You started it, but I can assure you that we will finish it.”

The man grinned again.

“I believe you Colonel Walker. Though I imagine it will not be the ending you want.”

The man looked away from Walker, and his eyes scanned the room, trying to match the stares of every human.

“Despite what your leaders believe, this is not a war you will win. You will be part of my hive, or you will meet the same fate as your dear fellows in the stairwell.”

Walker scowled.

“So that was you’re doing.” He said. It was a statement of fact, not a question

The man turned back to him and grinned, tilting his head at an unnatural angle.

“Why yes Colonel, it was. Did you like it?” the man asked with faux innocence.

“It only means that you have strengthened our resolve to see you lose.” Walker replied.

The man grinned in silence. Walker scooted back as he began to cough. Walker watched in horror as the man’s stomach bulged, as if something was shifting inside. Bright green goo poured from the man’s mouth, dripping onto his shirt. Walker heard someone wretch behind him, felt the bile rising his own throat at the sight. He clamped it down though. Seal shifted just a bit closer to the man, his rifle poking into the man’s hair.

“What the hell was that?” he asked.

Celestia was the one who answered.

“That is a sign that he has been implanted. Mentis had made your man into a brood-drone. Her wretched spawn are feeding off of the man as we speak, preparing to hatch. We should be gone from this place before they do.”

Seal looked to Walker.

“Colonel, should I shoot him? I can’t imagine that feels good.”

The man laughed.

“Quite the opposite. It is a pleasurable experience for everyone involved. Why, are you jealous?”

Seal’s face contorted with barely controlled anger and disgust.

“Another word out of you and I put one in your lap before I blow your head off.”

The man laughed.

“Oooh, I like this one. He will make an excellent bodyguard. Definitely a breeding drone.”

Walker rose and grabbed Seal’s arm, preventing the man from pulling the trigger.

“Not yet Captain, we haven’t got we need yet.”

Seal nodded and his rifle moved back slightly, though it did not drop from the man’s head. The man laughed.

“Another Captain? My, you humans certainly know how to make your queen feel respected.”

Walker stood over the man.

“Enough with the chatter. I’m assuming Private Stevens is dead? You killed his mind to make his body a puppet?”

The man smiled and shook his head.

“Not at all Colonel, Stevens is here with me.”

“You’ve yet to tell me where that is.” Walker said, crossing his arms. The man smiled and reached out his arms, as if asking for a hug.

“Come closer Walker, we can find out together. Being a part of the hive is a wonderful thing; so freeing from your mundane lives.”

“Doesn’t look that wonderful to me.” Walker said. “Give me a location so that we can come pay you a personal visit. It will be a blast I’m sure.”

The man smiled, but shook his head.

“I will tell you nothing with these vile ponies nearby. They have already poisoned your mind against me, and nothing I say in their presence will hold any weight. Send them away, then you and I can talk uninterrupted.”

Walker smirked and turned around.

“No, I don’t think I’m going to do that. Seal, kindly put Stevens out of his misery and let’s move on.”

The man behind him laughed.

“A shame Walker. You had such potential.”

Walker froze. He looked to Celestia, who met his eyes, slowly shaking her head. Her eyes pleaded with him to walk away. Walker knew he couldn’t. He turned around, squinting at the man.

“What did you just say?”

The man smiled.

“Nothing at all Walker. I will only speak more if your little “friends” leave.”

Celestia pressed against Walker’s back, whispering in his ear.

“Cornelius please, let us be gone from this place. Mentis seeks only to brainwash you. She will give us nothing, no matter how much we try.”

Walker turned so that the man couldn’t see his mouth move.

“I have to Celestia. So far all we’ve gotten is words. She’s good at sounding important while saying nothing. We need details, information about these bugs and where they are. If she thinks she can corrupt me to be like that thing,” he said throwing his thumb at Stevens bloated body, “then I have to take the risk to see if she’ll make a mistake. So far all we have is some guns and a few bodies. We still don’t know how they took out Overlord. If they can do this kind of thing here, how long is it going to be before they can force us to fight each other?”

Celestia frowned.

“I do not like this. She is a queen; they thrive on lies and deceit. How will you be able to tell when she’s lying?”

Walker cast a glance over his shoulder.

“I won’t, but if I can put on a good enough show she might slip up. It’s a chance, but it’s all we have. We’ve been here for over an hour now and have nothing to show for it. We need a win, and this might just be the random shot in the dark we need to get it.”

Celestia looked into his eyes, as if searching for something. After a second, she sighed and looked away.

“Are all humans so reckless?” she asked.

Walker grinned and nodded.

“Afraid so. It’s how we get so much done. How’s the saying go, “Fortune favors the foolish”?”

Celestia sighed again.

“I feared you would have a saying like that. Alright Cornelius, I trust your judgement. Just….”

She pulled Walker into a hug. Walker was stunned for a moment, then returned the gesture, wrapping an arm around the pony. He could feel a bit of her fur through her body armor; it was incredibly soft, like a kitten run through a dryer. Warm heat seemed to emanate from her as well, driving away the moist cold of the dark basement they found themselves in.

Walker felt a bit sad when it ended, and Celestia seemed to stare at him, sharing his sadness.

“We shall be just outside. If you need any help, please do not be afraid to yell for it.”

Walker nodded. Celestia and Shining Armor slipped out of the room. Walker paused as they left, then he looked to the men who had come inside as well.

“Everyone else out. I want you watching the hallway until I’m done in here.”

Seal shifted nervously.

“You sure about that Colonel? No need to tackle this bug on your own.”

Walker nodded.

“I’m sure, I have a feeling the only real honesty will come out if it’s one on one. Am I wrong?” he asked, looking at the possessed man sitting on the floor. The man smiled and tilted his head.

“That you are Walker. So insightful. I am glad that you were not killed, I believe I can find many uses for that mind of yours.”

Walker nodded toward the door and most of the men left, save for Seal, who didn’t budge. He stared at Walker.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked again. “I don’t know much about the bugs besides where to shoot them, but I definitely don’t think we should be alone with them.”

Walker drew his sidearm and leveled it at Stevens’ glowing eyes.

“Go Captain. I will follow shortly.”

The possessed man grinned, while Seal remained in place for a moment more. He looked Walker up and down before nodding once and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. Silence immediately fell in the small room, and Walker met the possessed man’s eyes.

“I am giving you one minute. I suggest you fill it with words. If the time limit is reached, if I don’t like something you say, or if I feel even a hint of something afoot, I will not hesitate to empty the entire magazine into your stupid bug head. Am I clear?”

The man’s smile widened.

“Of course, Colonel Walker. I only want to talk after all.”

Walker pressed the barrel of the pistol into the man’s forehead.

“Then do so before I get tired of hearing your voice.”

The man laughed.

“Very well Colonel, tell me, would you consider me a friend?”

Walker’s face twisted slightly at the question.

“Are you insane? You kill my men, and then subject my commanders to whatever horror show you have going on here, friend? I wouldn’t piss on you if you were dying of thirst.”

The man chuckled.

“A colorful metaphor Walker, but tell me, would you consider the ponies friends? Particularly Princess Celestia?”

“Sure, why not? They saved our asses and regularly kill bugs like yourself. That’s all I need in a friend these days.”

The man nodded.

“It is a good measure for friendship, no? War can be useful for so many things. Tell me Walker, has she told you much about Equestria?”

Walker shrugged.

“A bit, nothing substantive. If you haven’t noticed we’ve been too busy for idle conversation. Speaking of, you have thirty seconds. Start getting to the point if there is one at all.”

“Patience Colonel Walker, all in good time. As she told you about Equestrian changelings? As she told you about how she dealt with those queens?”

Walker shook his head.

“No, I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. She kills them here; she’d kill them there.”

The man laughed and shook his head.

“No Colonel, not quite. You see, there are still several changeling hives in Equestria, hidden deep underground. And your little “friend” knows all about them and has not acted in anyway against them.”

Walker felt his grip on his sidearm tighten. His eye twitched, whether from stress or anger, he couldn’t tell.

“Why?”

The man looked him in the eye, the green on his face seeming to flash.

“Because she is friends with those queens of course. She even delivers changeling eggs and brood-slaves to them.”

Walker smirked.

“Oh, I get it. Yeah sure, the princess that I have personally witnessed cutting through changelings like copy paper is giving them resources. Sure. And I’m the president of the united states. Right.”

“Your sarcasm is noted and appreciated Walker; I have no doubt your tongue can be put to good use for the hive as well. But I do not lie. She values all life Colonel, even that of changelings. The Equestrian queens have made treaties with the sun princess to encourage peace between their peoples. It is a brilliant move that I only wish I would have thought of first.”

Walker pressed the sidearm forward.

“You are wasting my time with your babbling. Make a point or I’m done with you.”

The man’s eyes flashed.

“I will not tolerate that impatience when you are mine Walker. You will keep your tongue still if you have nothing to say.”

Walker snorted.

“Celestia was right. You’re just lying to try and spread confusion.” He grinned. “Or maybe you’re just buying time to save your skin. Let me be the first to tell you that you failed.”

His finger tightened on the trigger.

“Don’t you want to know what the treaty was about Colonel?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Walker said through gritted teeth. “I know you are lying. This little game of yours is over.”

The man cocked his head.

“Then why are we still talking Walker? I think you want to know more but are simply to cowardly to admit it.”

Walker snarled and his finger almost pulled the trigger then and there. Almost.

“I am not a coward bug. I am not the one hiding behind some sort of mind slave.”

The man grinned.

“I am not hiding Colonel; I am merely biding time as I prepare your welcome party. You humans enjoy parties do you not?”

Walker frowned and took a step back, his arm falling.

“So, it’s a trap then. I was right and you’re just stalling. This is all for nothing.”

The man snorted.

“Of course, it isn’t a trap Colonel. I want you to go deeper into the hive so that we can meet face to face. You will find the way open until my throne room. I believe with a bit of personal contact you and I will become the best of friends. Just like you and “Celestia”.”

Walker’s arm raised again as he stepped forward and pressed his sidearm against the man’s temple.

“Keep her name from your mouth.” He snarled.

The man laughed.

“Such devotion! She truly does have a gift in making loyal followers.”

He licked his lips, his tongue a disgusting black.

“It is to my benefit regardless. Changeling mind control works by replacing a significant figure in one’s life with myself. For you I imagine that is your friend. Very kind of you Walker, preparing yourself like a present for your queen. I do appreciate the gesture.”

Walker growled.

“You said the path was clear to your throne room, where is it?” he said, trying to regain control of the spiraling conversation. “If we’re going to meet, I don’t want to be late.”

The man grinned.

“Continue on your current path, you will find your way to me. Or maybe I shall find you, one never knows what the day can bring. Onto my previous question however, do you want to know why Princess Celestia works with changeling queens? Or are you already so far under her hoof that you don’t care?”

Walker growled again.

“Talk.”

The man smiled.

“It is for those like you Colonel.”

Walker’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Like me? What does that mean?”

“Those that have been converted. Or those like the slave you see before you, who have the blessing of being my carriers for my children. You humans are wonderfully violent creatures, it is in your nature. You will take any and all opportunities to see your enemies driven before you. For Equestrians it is not so, they abhor violence. They instead prefer to be diplomatic, working out problems with their disgusting friendship.”

The man stuck his tongue out in revulsion, as if the word was poisonous. Walker noticed that there was bright green goo on his tongue as well. The man continued.

“Because of this glaring weakness, the Princess usually practices headhunting, searching out and killing queens like myself so that our hives fall into disarray; not to kill the drones after, no, but to take them back to my Equestrian brethren. It is part of their agreement. You see, when we began setting our sights on the wider universe, there was a split. Some queens wanted to remain in place, make alliances with the valueless ponies. To put our differences aside and work together for the betterment of all, they said. I was of a different mind and wished for conquest. The ponies were strong in magic, so we were unable to conquer them, but other planets? Not so. So, I and others took our hives and left. To conquer and claim the universe for the hive.” The man said with a dramatic flair.

“That still doesn’t support your claim that Celestia is actively supporting changelings.” Walker cut in. The man sighed.

“I am getting to that Walker, that rudeness of yours will have to go as well, but that’s for the future. When the strongest changelings left, Celestia followed, fearing our unchecked power, and began a race to save as many planets as we wanted to conquer. She could not guard her ponies and the rest of the universe, however. When she found out that once a queen died, her subjects were as helpless as hatchlings, she decided to “save” the left-over drones. Her soft heart damned her campaign, she overstretched her already thin and meek ponies by trying to contain the abandoned drones; so, she cut a deal with the Equestrian changelings. She would ship them a constant supply of brood-slaves, free mind drones, and eggs, while in exchange they kept active tabs on our expansion as spies, while also promising to not attack her little kingdom. Her conscious clean, she continued to fight us, occasionally successful, but most times not. We have taken planet after planet for the hive, assimilating their populations into drones. No planet has ever lasted more than three hours against us without the Equestrian’s intervening. You should be proud that yours is the first, Walker.” The man grinned and licked his lips. “I am certainly excited about getting my hooves on some fresh humans.”

The man sighed, rolling his neck.

“My fellow queens and I were unfortunately hasty in our attacks, and we had already converted or broken all of the human’s we captured. Such a waste. A mistake I shall not repeat, fear not Walker. You shall be very aware when you are mine.”

Walker’s mind was alight. If any of that was true… did it change anything? Celestia still fought, still killed changelings when they attacked. Did it matter that she saved the left-over changelings if the queen was dead? Surely not all of the bugs could be evil.

The man tilted his head.

“I see you are still conflicted Walker. Tell me though, even if she is right in her quest to preserve life, if she truly thought she was giving these egg sacks mercy, would she not be honest with you about it? If you are truly friends, she should trust you with this knowledge, correct?”

Walker swallowed roughly.

“Shut it. You don’t know a thing about friendship or trust. I’m done listening to you.”

The man nodded in acceptance.

“Of course, Colonel. I shall see you very soon. I am looking forward to your conversion. If you are a good boy and play your cards right, I may even give the lovely princess to you as a sl-“

One shot rang out, momentarily deafening Walker as it went off in the enclosed space. The green light disappeared in the man’s eyes as blood began leaking from the hole in his head. Walker simply stare at the splatter of the blood on the wall for a second. His eyes were only drawn down by motion. The belly of the corpse was roiling, the skin shifting and pulling as something inside tried to make its way out. Walker leveled his sidearm at it and fired until his magazine was empty. The shifting stopped.

Walker closed his eyes, letting his neck fall back as his face pointed at the ceiling. After a moment of silence, Walker dropped the magazine and slowly pushed in a new one. Then, he slid the pistol into its holster. He slid his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed at the door handle, pulling it open.

Everyone stared at him as he exited the room. Walker didn’t meet any of their eyes. He was more content to simply stare at the wall as he gently pulled the door closed behind him. Seal cleared his throat.

“Sir you have a bit of…” he swiped at a spot on his face.

Walker mirrored his motion and his thumb came away wet with blood. He absentmindedly wiped it on his pants, his eyes staring straight ahead while his mind was a million miles away. He only reacted when Celestia tried to move closer. Walker shifted a step back, his eyes finally focusing on something. Her face showed her concern.

“Cornelius, are you alright? What did she say?”

Walker didn’t answer for a moment, trying to choose his words carefully. Anger welled up though, the emotion seemed out of place, almost like it was not his own, but Walker didn’t care. He met her caring eyes with his furious ones.

“Is there something you haven’t told me?” He said, his voice coming out much harsher than he intended it to. She flinched.

“Cornelius, I-…”

“Is there something you have not told me, Princess?” The word seemed to cut her like a knife, especially the way Walker used it. She took a step back, shaking her head. Shining Armor noticed the motion and moved forward, putting himself between the two. Walker glared at the pony but said nothing.

“I do not know of what you speak Cornelius,” Celestia said. “whatever she had told you I can assure you it is untrue.”

Walker smirked, the motion lacking any trace of humor.

“Sure. Yeah, that’s probably right. The bug is trying to push us apart, right?” Walker moved forward a step. “That’s what you said right? That the changelings would try to break our trust in each other? That’s pretty rich, considering there was no trust to begin with.”

“Back off Colonel.” Shining Armor growled. Celestia pushed the pony aside, however.

“Cornelius, of course I trust you. I have said as much several times.” A bit of anger touched her voice as well. “I have even taken steps to prove it.”

Walker nodded and sniffed, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

“That you have, that’s why I am giving you a chance.” He pointed to his watching men. “You’re going to tell them about the treaty you have with the changelings. You’re going to tell them the truth, because if you don’t, we are done. Alliances, friendships, are built on trust, and I have been nothing but honest with you.”

“Colonel that isn-...” Seal started, but Walker cut him off with a raised finger.

“When I want your input Captain, I will ask for it. Now shut it.”

He stared at Celestia. She remained silent, her eyes pleading with him. Walker didn’t budge.

“Well? Are you going to tell them, or will I?” he said.

She sighed and her face fell. It was the first time Walker had ever seen her hair fall. It looked strange when it wasn’t flowing in a nonexistent breeze. A small part of him whispered in his ear that he had cause this. That he was to blame for her suffering. Walker quelled that part, shoving it into the back of his head.

“Yes, I have made treaties with several changeling queens.” Her head raised, and Walker could see tears on her face. “But you must understand! It is the only way to save the lives of the slaves they take! All of those creatures are innocent, they are merely forced into it! The queens of Equestria are different, they value the lives of their subjects. They care for them and treat them as one large family, I did what I did to ensure as little suffering happened as possible.”

Her voice found anger again.

“And I would never ally myself with Mentis and her ilk. They are evil, and I share no doubts that they must be destroyed.”

Walker snorted and shook his head.

“Bold words, but the results say different.”

He began to turn away from her, could see her heart begin to shatter in real time. Until Walker found himself slammed against a wall. Seal glared fiercely at him, pressing his throat with his elbow.

“The hell are you doing Captain?” Walker shouted.

“I’m trying to save your stupid ass before you do something monumentally stupid, sir!” Seal responded with a shout, his voice matching Walker’s in power. Walker tried to break free, tried to look for someone to help him, but nobody moved. Evidently, they agreed with Seal.

“Let go of me Captain, that’s an order!” Walker shouted as he tried to work his arm free.

Seal responded by tightening the pressure on Walker’s throat.

“What has gotten into you Walker? Have the bugs really scrambled your brain so much you can’t see how idiotic this is?”

Walker reared his head back and headbutted Seal in the nose. His grip momentarily loosened, and Walker got an elbow free. He used it to shove Seal off of him. His feet just hit the floor long enough to feel it, then two men grabbed him, shoving him back against the wall as Seal recovered.

“Traitors!” Walker shouted. “The lot of you!”

Seal wiped away some of the blood dripping from his nose. He looked at Walker with disgust.

“I don’t think so Colonel. You talk about trust, but you don’t even trust your own men. I was a damn fool to agree with you when you said we shouldn’t tell them.”

White stepped forward and clamped his hand over Walker’s mouth as Walker struggled against his captors.

“Tell us what?”

Seal managed to staunch his bleeding nose.

“Yesterday when my team and I got in, Colonel Walker and I had a few minutes to speak alone. We mostly talked about standard crap, but one part of it wasn’t.”

Seal looked at Walker who had stopped struggling and was instead glaring hatefully at the man. Seal sighed.

“A few days ago, the US authorized nuclear strikes on civilian targets. For those of us who don’t know what a nuke is, imagine the biggest explosion you’ve ever seen, then multiply that by a hundred. They can vaporize cities in seconds. And we did. We decimated populations. Foreign cities, our own. New York is glass, DC is gone.”

Seal stopped. He signaled the men holding Walker and they let him down slowly, keeping their eyes on him for any sudden moves. Walker didn’t notice, his eyes were on his boots. The normally brown boots were coated with blood and gore. He couldn’t even see the boot itself anymore. An apt metaphor for his hands.

“Why? Why would they do that?” Celestia asked.

“As an act of mercy.” Walker said without looking up. He stared at the floor for a few seconds before looking up. He tried to find someone who would meet his eyes, and only found Celestia.

“That’s what it was. An act of mercy on a massive scale. Better than the alternative, right? Better than becoming one of those things.” He said, pointing to the closed door. His eyes fell again. “It’s just human mercy. They made that call to save lives by ending them. No pain, just a flash and then nothing. Mercy.” He said, his voice dead. He stared at his boots.

Everyone remained silent. Walker smirked.

“Maybe that’s why that bug got to me so well. I’d make the same call, have made the same call really.”

“Cornelius you don’t mean that.” Celestia said.

Walker chuckled.

“But I do, what do you think those shots were? I shot Private Stevens right in the face. Bang, dead. I’d do it again too. I’d want the same done for me.”

Celestia didn’t say anything. Walker could imagine her face but didn’t dare look up to see it. He imagined it was full of horror, and likely disappointment. Walker snorted as he stared at his boots. He tried to scratch the back of his head, but couldn’t quite get his fingers under the helmet.

“Maybe the bug was right. I have a lot more in common with her than I do with you Celestia. I’m a killer, I’m a liar. Seal was correct when he said that I shouldn’t talk about trust. How can I ask for it from you when I can’t even trust the men under my command? What a fucking joke of a commander I shaped up to be.”

He felt shock spread amongst his men. He never swore. At least not while not he was acting like an officer. Was he even an officer anymore? He’d already demonstrated unwillingness to work with both allies and his own soldiers, so was he even worthy of the position? Walker didn’t know, and he remained silent, unwilling to open his mouth in case his inner doubts spread to his fellows.

Walker remained still, didn’t want to move. His mind raced while his body slowly seemed to grow colder. He felt more alone than he ever had before. Cold. He used that feeling like a weapon, cutting at his own emotions as he carved them away. Anger, sadness, guilt. He cut and cut until all that was left was the soldier.

He sighed and brought his eyes up.

“Here’s the play.” He started. He slid up his sleeve and looked at his watch. “We are supposed to meet up top in an hour and a half. That gives us two options, continue, or go back and hope whatever plane comes by, it drops enough ordinance to level the right area to drive the bugs away.”

Walker rolled his tongue in his mouth. It tasted strange, and awful bitter feeling.

“I will leave it to your discretion, but I am going forward. I won’t lie, if you follow me, I cannot promise your safety. It is more than likely a trap.”

He looked at some of the faces, but refused to look over toward Celestia.

“I intend to spring it. I have enough ammunition to do some damage and a fully capable sidearm to use should the worst come to pass.”

He shouldered his rifle and started forward without another word, not waiting to see if anyone followed. As he progressed down the hallway, Walker heard footsteps behind him, and as he paused to kick in a side door, Seal pushed past, silent as he resumed his point position. Walker brutally kicked down the door, sweeping the room in a second.

As he left, Celestia stood waiting outside, her face sorrowful.

“Cornelius I-…”

Walker held up a hand.

“Don’t Princess. Just… don’t.”

She nodded and fell behind him silently. Shining Armor pressed close to her side as they continued forward in silence, and Walker could feel the heat of his glare on his back. He did his best to ignore it. He also tried to ignore the slowly widening hole in his chest. Nobody trusted him now, nobody would even look at him. Seal pushed hard, remaining at the front so that it always seemed like he was entering another room as Walker would approach. The Delta team followed their captain. White stayed near Celestia and Armor, his eyes hard and scanning. Whenever Walker tried to find those eyes however, they would find something else, a dark corner, an abandoned hallway. They were always just out of reach. The rest of his men were simply too far back, and Walker didn’t want to look at the ponies.

So, he took a note from Seal’s book, throwing himself into the work of clearing the building. His foot became sore with the force of each kick. Each door looked more shattered than the last as they passed empty room after empty room. Sweat began to bead across Walker’s brow as they kept going deeper, whether that was from exertion or not, Walker did not know. He didn’t care either. He preferred mindless motion to trying to solve the many problems he would soon have to face.

As they came up to an intersection of hallways, a black shape darted out of the shadows. It froze as the flashlight beams hit it in the face, exposing the changeling to the team of soldiers. Before anyone could open fire, three more appeared beside it, their teeth shining in the white light of their flashlights. Nobody moved.

In one sudden motion, three leapt at the party while the fourth fled down the hallway.

“Contact front!” Seal called out as the Delta team opened fire. The hail of bullets quickly tore through the attacking changelings, but the fourth one was out of range. One of the Delta operators sprinted forward.

“I’ve got him!” he yelled as he took off like a shot. Walker immediately pushed past Seal and the other two, trying to grab the man to stop him.

“Wait!” Walker shouted, sprinting off in hot pursuit. The changeling turned a corner, and the operator followed. A second later, Walker skidded and slammed into the wall, trying to catch his breath as he sped after the man.

“Hold your ground soldier!” he shouted. “There could be trap-…”

Before he could finish his statement, an explosion tore through the building. Walker was thrown from his feet, and he could feel the heat of the blast on his face. He blinked rapidly to get rid of the afterglow of the flash. The Delta operator was gone, a pile of mush in his place. The changeling had also disappeared, likely far enough ahead to avoid the blast. Walker got to his feet, could hear the approach of the rest of the team, but then he felt dust sprinkle on his back. He looked up in time to see a ceiling tile beginning to crumble. The ceiling gave out behind him, so his only option was to run forward.

Walker almost slipped on the puddle of blood left by the Delta man, but he kept running forward, trying to build enough speed to reach the next archway before the whole ceiling gave out at one time. He felt debris hit his back and helmet. The dust began to get in his face, and by extension his mouth and lungs. Walker tried to cover his nose, but it was too late, the dust already clogging up his nostrils.

The archway appeared from the darkness, lit up by his wildly swinging flashlight. Walker put on an extra burst of speed, stumbling only when he felt something heavy impact his helmet, crushing his neck down under its weight. He hit the archway just as the ceiling gave out, sending a billowing cloud of dust into the air, blinding and nearly smothering Walker. He coughed as he waved the dust away from his face, trying to keep more of it from filling his lungs.

The beam from his flashlight barely cut through the cloud, but it did enough to show Walker that the way back was blocked. Beside the pieces of ceiling tile and the foam insulation, there was a mixture of concrete and black dirt blocking the hallway. The explosion had evidently been powerful enough to even bring down the super structure. Walker sighed. All it meant was there was no way for him to dig through that way.

He tapped his radio.

“This is Colonel Walker; can anyone hear me?” he asked.

Silence. Walker sighed again and tried to wave away the dust. It was dispersing, but slowly, and while he didn’t want to stay in it, he also didn’t want to move from this spot in case someone could find their way to him. Walker toggled the radio again, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation coming from the top of his head.

“This is Colonel Cornelius Walker, if you can hear me, please respond.”

As Walker listened to the silence, he tried to adjust his helmet, only for the pain on his scalp to worsen. He unclipped the strap and took off the helmet gently. He laid his rifle on the wall, its light pointing upward so it would provide him with some measure of illumination. He then took the helmet in both hands and turned it over. It quickly became apparent what was causing the pain, as Walker thumbed at a piece of metal shrapnel that was imbedded straight through the helmet’s ballistic material, the tip of the object sticking through just enough to scratch and stab at his head. Walker felt his hair, and his fingers came away red and sticky. He frowned. He inspected the helmet again, and then he grabbed the shrapnel with the idea to pull it free so that the helmet was still usable. The shrapnel didn’t budge. Walker tried yanking harder, but all he succeeded in doing was carving a line across his gloves. With a sigh he dropped the helmet on the ground and scooped up his rifle.

“This is Walker; if anyone can hear me, I’m going to try and find an exit. My helmet took some shrapnel and is no longer viable, so I’m leaving it behind. I have some minor lacerations, but I don’t think I have a concussion. If you can hear this transmission, return to the surface and wait for my arrival. If I don’t make it out in time… Seal knows what to do. Walker out.”

Walker put his back to the blocked hallway and looked down each side of the hall he found himself in. Both were pitch black and the air was dead, giving no sign if a breeze was blowing through. Walker wracked his brain, then pulled out his compass. The building had been to their west, and they had entered the stairwell to the left… which meant if he wanted to try and go back to the main entrance, he would need to go north, which the compass indicated was to his right. Walker clicked it closed and shouldered his rifle, setting off to the right.

He didn’t bother trying to clear every room he passed, it would take far too long. The only thing he could do is sweep the corners and keep moving, relying on dumb luck to keep him from getting ambushed. More than once he thought he heard something crawling, on the ceiling, on the walls, behind the closed doors, but every time he stopped to listen, the only sound he could hear was his own breathing. So, he pressed forward, a bit quicker, his sweeps not quite as precise.

Unbeknownst to Walker, a tall figure watched him carefully as it crept from shadow to shadow, always staying just out of the light of the flashlight. It analyzed his movements, studied his eyes as they shifted in and out of panic. Most of all, the figure smelled the air, taking in deep breaths of his scent, relishing in the taste of determination, tinted with a shade of fear mixed with a touch of guilt. Otherwise known as a perfect cocktail for deception. The figure grinned and slipped ahead, applying a disguise as it crawled through the new tunnels that snaked above the human ceilings.

Walker tried to his still his heart when he heard a crash from up ahead. He had slowly begun moving faster, his careful walk speeding up to a light jog as he tried to make his way back toward the entrance. He didn’t remember the other hallway being this long, and a part of his mind worried that he was actually walking deeper into the complex.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a familiar yellow glow emanating from one of the hallways at the intersection in front of him. He picked up his jog, a slight smile touching his lips at a sign of friendly life. Walker stopped and his rifle snapped up when Celestia slammed into the wall, sprinting toward him, her head looking over her shoulder at a trio of changelings hot on her heals.

Walker waved with one hand and shouted as he tried to grab her attention.

“Celestia! Move to the left! I need a clear shot.” He shouted. Her eyes flicked to him, and she nodded, quickly shifting to the left side of the hallway. Walker held his breath as he aimed at the changelings, hoping that something wouldn’t cause his rounds to stray and hit the pony princess.

He fired three rounds in quick succession, taking down two of the bugs. The third paused at the loud noise and the sudden deaths of its fellows. It stared at Walker as Celestia ran past him, and Walker sighted the bug easily now. He pulled the trigger twice, sending the bug down in a spray of goo. Walker kept his rifle raised as the bug hit the ground, then he counted to ten to make sure that it wasn’t a trick. When none of the changelings moved, he slowly lowered his rifle.

Walker turned to check on Celestia, only to be wrapped in a sudden hug as the pony practically tackled him.

“Colonel! I am so glad to see you! When the trap went off, we got separated and I thought I was alone, and then the changelings showed up and-…”

Walker pushed her back to arm’s length.

“Woah there Celestia, slow down. First, where’s your helmet?”

Her smile fell slightly, and she felt her undecorated head.

“Oh, I lost it and my sword when the ceiling collapsed. A piece of stone fell, knocking it loose.”

Walker nodded, blinking as he accepted the simple explanation. His eyes scanned her body, searching for signs of any injury.

“Second, how did you get caught in the collapse? And where is everyone else? I thought you stayed back with them.”

She shook her head.

“No, I tried to keep up with you, but I was only quick enough to turn the corner as the ceiling fell. I had to blast my way through a wall to escape.”

Walker blinked. He could have sworn he saw her horn glowing green, but it was dark now. He dismissed it, attributing it to his head wound. Her story sounded plausible enough, and it almost explained everything. Walker pointed to the three dead changelings.

“Why were you running from them? I’ve seen you take down hordes of changelings before.”

She shrugged.

“It must be from the ceiling collapse. My magic has been unreliable since I lost my helmet, and my wing-blades are useless in tight spaces. With my sword gone, I had few defenses, so I ran.”

Walker blinked again. Good enough, he thought.

“Alright, are you hurt anywhere?”

Celestia shook her head.

“No Colonel, I am quite alright. Are you unhurt?”

Walker nodded.

“Mostly. I have a little scratch on the top of my head, but otherwise I’m still good to fight. Come on, let’s find the exit and get out of here.”

She smiled and nodded, gesturing for Walker to lead the way. The pair carefully stepped over the leaking changeling corpses and with Walker on point, they continued through the maze of dark corridors. Walker rubbed at his forehead, a migraine quickly forming. He felt like he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. He felt much better with Celestia at his back now. It gave him the confidence to press forward without fear. It also helped that the noises around him had stopped, filled in now with the clopping footfalls to his rear.

Walker blinked as he looked back at Celestia. He felt like he should say something, but didn’t know what.

“Is something wrong Colonel?” she asked when she noticed him staring.

Walker shook his head, his eyes returning forward.

“Nothing at all Celestia. Just feel like it shouldn’t be this quiet.”

“Yes, it is quite still. In the future Colonel, please call me Princess. It will make things simpler.”

Walker blinked, and thoughts he had about that sounding odd dispersing quickly. He nodded, rolling his tongue in his mouth.

“Sure thing Princess.” He replied, the words seeming out of place in his mouth. Walker suppressed that feeling as well, he was sure that Celestia was trying to create emotional distance between them due to the things he said. His mind flashed as his actions of the past hour came back in a rush.

“Celestia…”

“Princess.”

“Right, look, I’m sorry for snapping earlier. It’s just… all of this? It’s a lot for the human mind to take. I’ve been in a few armed conflicts, but nothing that looked like this. I just can’t wrap my head around the enemy. The way they fight… it’s cruel, manipulative. It’s like they can be anywhere and everywhere, and I can’t do a damn thing to stop it. They drive wedges between us like it’s nothing and I… I’m just too weak or too stupid to see it.”

He felt her hoof on his shoulder as they paused.

“Colonel, you are neither weak, nor stupid. I would not have chosen you if you were either. You are a brilliant thinker, as well as a strong leader. Though you may not believe it, you have no need to apologize, and all your transgressions are forgiven.”

Walker sighed.

“But they shouldn’t be.” Walker emphasized. “I haven’t been as focused as I should be; I keep making bad decisions and it’s only through dumb luck that nobody has died yet because of it. I’m weak, and I’m afraid of letting my men down, and of letting you down Celestia. You’re my friend, but I haven’t been a very good one. I keep calling your actions into question, and for that I am truly sorry. You have been nothing but honest with me, I just wish I did the same for you.”

Walker blinked as she turned him around, a frown clear on her face as she stared into his eyes.

“Listen to me Colonel. It shows immense strength that you are willing to admit your failings. The first step to growing is to admit where you are weak. Only by working together as one are we able to destroy are weaknesses, and by extension our enemies.”

Walker looked away, his eyes falling to the darkness of the hallway. He felt the sudden urge to look back to Celestia but ignored it.

“Maybe.” He mumbled in reply. He sighed deeply and stared for a moment before rolling his shoulders.

“Come on, let’s keep moving. We’re running low on time.”

Walker continued forward, with Celestia remaining close behind him. She wasn’t pressing against him, though she was close enough that he could her breath clearly over his own. Walker blinked as the want for her to be closer washed over him. Stubbornly, Walker shoved it away, his mind locking onto the darkness as he searched for any signs of light.

They passed another intersection of hallways, and Walker tensed up as Celestia gasped and fell into him. Catching her with one arm, he spun around her, his rifle looking for targets. When non appeared, Walker relaxed his hold, his eyes quickly scanning over the pony.

“Are you sure you’re alright Celestia?”

She sighed and nodded. Walker blinked as her horn flashed. Were her eyes always green?

“I apologize Colonel, I am just tired. I tripped on the floor. Clumsy me.”

Walker took the spare flashlight from his belt, and cupping the light, he shined it on her face, gently holding her cheek as he looked in her eyes.

“Are you sure? I can do a quick check to make sure you weren’t hurt and just didn’t notice.”

She sighed and pushed his hand away. Her face fell and her hair fell over her eyes.

“I apologize again Colonel; I have been lying to you.”

Walker quickly shifted the flashlight from her face and began sweeping through her hair, looking for any signs of head trauma. Upon finding nothing, he shifted the beam of light to her body, searching for any blood that might indicate a wound.

“Where are you hit Celestia? I’m no medic, but I can get you patched up enough until we can find one.”

She grabbed his hand firmly in her hoof and lowered it as she moved away slightly.

“Rest easy Colonel, I am in no way physically injured.”

Walker looked at her in confusion.

“Then what seems to be the problem Celestia? Have the changelings been trying to affect your thoughts?”

Her face fell as if she was searching for the words in the dark tiles of the floor. She sighed and looked him in the eyes.

“I am…. In love with you.” She said breathlessly.

Walker blinked as his mind struggled to process that statement. It seemed wrong. Like it was completely and utterly untrue and there was nothing in all of reality that would change it. Walker blinked again. They had known each other for what, forty-eight hours? It just didn’t make sense.

Walker stepped forward again and re-ran the flashlight over her head, combing her hair with his fingers as he tried to look for anything that would indicate head trauma. There had to be some sort of swelling or an abrasion. She seemed to push closer, her fur brushing up against his chin.

“Colonel….”

“Just relax Celestia.” He said, trying to shift the light so he could see better. “I need to give you a thorough look over; you may have a concussion.”

She nuzzled against his chest and sighed.

“No Colonel, no concussion. Perhaps it would be better if I just showed you.”

“Show me wh-…”

Her limps clamed firmly on his. Walker blinked at the sensation. He couldn’t tell if it felt horrifyingly wrong, or if it felt absolutely right. He tried to step back, to get some breathing room to think, but Celestia followed, pressing closer as she shoved him against the wall, her lips still pressed against his. Her tongue pressed its way into his mouth, seeming altogether too long as it explored his teeth. Walker didn’t know if it was natural or not for ponies, and he blinked the thought away.

Walker had almost begun to accept it, his eyes beginning to drift closed as he relaxed, until Celestia’s throat bulged in a disturbing manner as familiar green magic crept up it and into his mouth. Walker’s eyes widened and he began to struggle as he felt her tongue hold his down as something large crawled down his throat.

Walker managed to get an arm between them, and with all of his strength he shoved, throwing Celestia against the opposite wall. No, not Celestia, some sort of large changeling. Not-Celestia’s eyes flashed green and she laughed, her kind voice giving way to something much harsher. Walker stuck his fingers in his throat, and he bent over as a mix of bile and goo poured out into a pool of vomit at his feet. He spit as he tried to get the taste from his mouth.

Not-Celestia giggled madly.

“What’s wrong Colonel, not what you expected from your first kiss with a pony?”

Walker felt his hands shaking at his sides. He couldn’t grab his rifle; he didn’t know why. Every time he thought about it, he blinked, and his hands refused to move. Not-Celestia sauntered over to him, pressing herself against his chest as her green eyes looked into his.

“I told you we would meet soon Colonel, and oh my how you have played your part perfectly. Isolating yourself, pushing ahead blindly, just what your queen needs in a servant. Obedient and willing to serve my whims, even if you don’t know it.”

Walker tried to look away, but found that he couldn’t. Instead, he closed his eyes, screwing them as tight as he could as he tried to block those glowing green eyes. Not-Celestia cackled.

“So strong, so resistant. Good, this would be no fun if you didn’t make it challenging. All of your human friends made this far too easy. I want your conversion to last.”

Walker felt her tongue draw itself slowly up his cheek.

“Look at me Walker, look at your queen.”

Walker flexed his hand, trying to think of an out. His rifle wasn’t going to help, even if he could grab it, she was far too close. His hand drifted against the holster of his sidearm. He wrapped his fingers around the grip, could feel the trigger under his finger. She must have been working him over as they walked, but she forgot about the little gun. At such a close range though, it wouldn’t matter.

“Open your eyes Colonel, show me the will power that I lust to steal from you.”

Walker felt his eyelids creep open of their own volition. Not-Celestia smiled as he lost himself in her eyes.

“Good, follow the orders of your queen like a good drone.”

Walker nodded dumbly, playing along as he waited for an opportunity. Any slip ups and he lost completely. The longer he stared into her eyes, however, the less he felt like he should resist. Would it really be so bad? She felt just like Celestia…

Not-Celestia purred and nuzzled his chest again, never breaking eye contact.

“You are a good drone Walker, and you are my drone. You will be by my side forever, always doing my will like a good drone. Soon all of your human friends will be good drones as well, wouldn’t you like that? All of your friends, and you will be a commander over them again. It is merely a change in form Walker. You will still lead the same soldiers, but instead of as a human, you will lead as my good little drone. Won’t that be nice? Isn’t that something you want? To be cared for as my little drone?”

Walker swallowed roughly. His mind kept slipping. He was blinking more and more rapidly, his eyes felt like they were closed as often as they were open. Either way he could still see her eyes, couldn’t look away. Not-Celestia smiled and she used a hoof to pry his lips apart as she slid her tongue back in his mouth. Her throat bulged again, matching the color of her eyes. She was going to put another one of those… things in him. Walker needed to act.

He reared his head back and brought it down with as much force as possible against the base of her horn. She cried out, what looked like a small black egg falling from her mouth as she staggered back. Back in control for a moment, Walker shouted as he crushed it under his boot. He then drew his side arm and gripped it with both hands as he leveled it at her head. Not-Celestia clutched her forehead as she rubbed away the pain, then looked to Walker with a feral grin.

“Very nice Colonel. Such a strong fighter. You will be beautiful at my side.”

“Drop the illusions you psychopath!” Walker shouted. He let his anger override everything. Hopefully it would help him fight her brainwashing. “Show me your real face, then I’ll decide whether I should take you prisoner or execute you like the bug you are.”

Her smile didn’t waver.

“As you wish Colonel. A queen is nothing if not beholden to her subjects.”

Her body disappeared in a flash of green fire, replaced by a changeling with bright green eyes that matched Celestia in height.

“Look upon your queen drone. I am Mentis, Queen of the Changelings, and you are mine now.”

“I am my own man!” Walker shouted back. “Not some drone, and definitely not a damn bug!”

She smiled, taking a step closer.

“Not yet Colonel, but you will be.”

Walker felt bile rise in his throat again, as well as a pressing sensation against his rib cage. He didn’t dare look down as he felt a chill run down his body.

“What did you do?” he asked in horror as his breath began to come in gasps.

Mentis moved closer, staying in front of the barrel of his m9.

“I simply began your conversion Colonel. I do not much care for the old way with the pods. It is far to quick, and there is no time to really savor the conversion. I use that for the standard drones, but for those I wish to keep close? I prefer a more intimate approach.”

She grinned as Walker tried to move away, one of his hands dropping to feel at the wall. He needed to get away. Needed to run from this… thing.

Mentis stopped with the barrel of the pistol just centimeters from her head, uncaring as she stared into Walker’s eyes.

“You feel it, don’t you Colonel? That feeling making its way around your head, begging to be enslaved. You crave my orders just as you crave my attentions. I am not a cruel queen Walker, I will be as close as I need to be for my drones to be happy, all you need to do is put your little weapon down. Then we will be together, as one.”

Walker shook his head, unable to form words of resistance. Why hadn’t he killed her yet? Why was he still hesitating? Walker’s eyes flicked to his shaking hand. Pull the trigger you idiot! DO IT!

Mentis followed his eyes, could almost sense his thoughts. She inched closer.

“If you truly don’t want to be at my side Walker, then do it. You have the choice in your hand. One way lies salvation, a place with the hive, a position forever at my side as my little drone. We shall make many children together drone. So many eggs to spread across the universe.”

She tilted her head and sighed with fake sadness.

“Or, you can pull the trigger. Kill me, but know you will never find happiness in your worthless life. The change has already begun, there is no stopping it. You may escape this place, may even find your precious friends, your mind intact. But they won’t love you now. Nothing will. You will be ostracized by humans, Equestrians, and changelings. You will be a lonely, loveless thing. Every day will be suffering, and in this manner you will die, suffering and alone.”

Mentis smiled broadly.

“Make your choice. If you accept me, accept your new life, tell me what I am to you.”

The shaking in his hand only grew worse. A flood of thoughts rushed his mind all at once. Walker’s eyes screwed shut. Voices seemed to be seeping into his thoughts, yelling at him and pulling him in a million directions.

“Say it Walker, say the words.” Mentis said, her voice firm, knowing her victory was at hand.

Walker felt his mouth move.

“M-my…”

Mentis pressed forward in victory, touching the sidearm in his hand. Her last mistake.

In an act of pure stress filled reflex, Walker pulled the trigger. The 9mm round tore through her head with a loud bang. She seemed shocked by it; Walker was too. And then all of the voices vanished, and his mind closed like a steel trap. He gritted his teeth as he unloaded the side arm into her head, pulling the trigger over and over until all he heard in his battered ears were clicks.

Walker stared at the corpse in front of him, the head reduced to nothing but a pile of goo. Upon her death, the glow in Mentis’ eyes had disappeared, though Walker had a difficult time finding the eyes in the pile of mush that was left. He felt his breath coming faster and faster as his mind began to panic. Then bile rose in his throat and Walker doubled over.

With his arm braced against the wall, Walker emptied his guts, over and over until he was dry heaving. No matter how much he threw up though, he still felt something in his stomach, like it was clinging there. Walker looked at the changeling corpse again as he wiped his mouth. It remained still, dead. Good riddance.

Walker reloaded his sidearm, sliding it into its holster. With one last look at the changeling, Walker shouldered his rifle and moved a few shaky steps away, tapping his earpiece as he moved. When he looked back, he could no longer see the body as it disappeared into the growing darkness left by his retreating flashlight.

Walker swayed slightly as the radio crackled voicelessly in his ear. His head was pounding, and he couldn’t quite get his breathing under control. Sweat began to run down his back as he swallowed roughly. Walker wiped the sweat from his brow as he spoke into his mouthpiece.

“T-this is….”

Walker doubled over again as he felt something shift in his torso. He coughed, foul green goo falling from his mouth. He moaned in pain as his guts felt like they had been turned inside out.

“T-This is Walker. If anyone can hear me…”

His voice trailed off as a deep cough wracked his chest. His eyes streamed tears as he tried to breathe.

“I just got jumped… by… Celestia of all people.” He said. Walker screwed his eyes shut as he tried to focus his mind. “Make sure…” he hacked a glob of phlegm onto the floor. “make sure that you’re with the real one. The changeling looked just like her…”

Walker doubled over again. He couldn’t focus properly.

“I-… I think I’ve been compromised. The bug… kissed me and something went down… I don’t know what. I tried to throw it up, but all I keep getting is nasty goo.”

Walker swallowed; his mouth suddenly dry. His hand scrambled for his canteen as he unscrewed the top and upended the entire thing on his face. Damn was it hot in here.

“T-the, the bug is dead. Mentis I think she said her name was.”

Walker coughed deeply, goo and mucus mixing as he spit onto the floor. He wretched as he tried to speak into the radio again. It was starting to hurt to stand. Walker bit his tongue to give him something to focus on. He tasted blood as he spoke, able to control his body for a moment.

“This is Charlie Whiskey. If you can hear me, then listen up. I want you to leave this place, level it like we planned. Then bring back as many men and ponies as you can and sift through the ashes to make sure there’s nothing left. Other than that, all orders going forward from me are moot. Change the passwords, change the callsigns if you have to. I don’t want anyone getting jumped by a fake me.”

Walker took a deep breath, the pain momentarily subsiding.

“I’m going to stay on this channel for as long as I can. I’ll keep pressing forward, see if I find anything. I am currently registering myself… as combat ineffective.” He said with a sigh. “I’m issuing a steer clear order. Don’t shoot me on sight, but don’t get too close either. I don’t want the same shit happening to you.”

He coughed lightly, his body coming back fully under control as he scanned the dark hallway that stretched before him.

“I’m going to move forward now. I’ll try to maintain radio contact. Walker out.”

Walker rubbed his shoulder as he pushed off the wall. The muscle had suddenly grown tense, and wouldn’t loosen up. Walker shrugged it off. He had to keep moving.

As he moved forward in the nigh total darkness, his head began to ache. Walker rubbed at his forehead to try and ward off the approaching migraine. He felt his stomach shift again, less painfully this time. The longer he walked, the more Walker leaned against the wall. Whether from whatever was happening to his insides, or just from outright exhaustion from the past few hours, his legs began to grow shaky. His vision blurred slightly as the headache built, pressing against the front of his mind.

Unseen in the dark, Walker’s toe tripped on a loose piece of tile. In his distracted state, he wiped out fully, sliding a few inches on his hands and knees. With the sudden change in motion, Walker felt his stomach churn, and he vomited again, more green goo spilling forth from his mouth.

After he finished, Walker leaned tiredly against the wall, fumbling at his radio.

“This is Walker, steer clear is still in effect. I think… I think it might have been some sort of poison; probably designed to make me weak for whatever changelings do to convert someone. It’s got to be, because it’s getting hard to see or walk straight. Not an order, but someone should catalogue the symptoms. If I can give you enough, you may be able to make some kind of antidote for it or something. I have no doubt that I won’t be the last guy to have this happen.”

Walker gritted his teeth as more coughing shook his chest. His spit was turning green now, leaving a clear indication where he had coughed on the floor.

“There’s green stuff coming out of my lungs and stomach.” Walker said as he tried to remain stable while he listed off symptoms. He screwed his eyes shut as he focused. “Lungs feel like they’re on fire, I can’t stop coughing. I’m still me though, or at least I think I am. I don’t know, maybe it’s just some bug flu. Doubt it, but hey.”

He pushed himself up the wall and stumbled forward.

“Christ, I’m going to die down here, aren’t I?” he mumbled. Only after he said it did he realize he was still holding the radio function button. He quickly dropped it and moved on, staying close to the wall for support.

As he approached yet another dark intersection, Walker looked down each hallway, trying to determine which would be the best. As he looked down the one to his right, a pair of blue eyes stared back. Walker’s eyes widened and he fumbled at his rifle as he tried to raise it. The changeling was faster, pouncing on top of him with teeth bared.

Walker felt it clamp onto his flak vest, and he saw stars as the back of his head hit the ground. In a daze, Walker groaned and tried to focus his eyes on the bug tearing at his chest. No, not tearing, just sitting. Not entirely sure he could believe his eyes, Walker rubbed at them. The changeling hissed in his face, but otherwise didn’t react. Walker stared at the bug in shock, his throat dry as he stared at the barely illuminated face of the enemy.

The bug stared back; its teeth bared. Walker felt like he could faintly hear a buzzing but ignored it as anger rose into his mind. The memories of soldiers who had died at the hands of these things flashed before him, and he wildly swung a fist at the changeling’s head.

“Get off of me!” he yelled as the punch connected, driving the bug off his chest. It sat on the ground, momentarily stunned as Walker tried to find his rifle. He tracked it by the flashlight on the end, but as he grabbed it. The changeling pounced again, this time landing on his back. Pinned once more, Walker heard the creature buzzing aggressively in his hear. He growled and drilled it in the nose with his elbow. It tumbled away again, and Walker dragged his rifle to his chest.

As the changeling tried to pounce on him a third time, it was met with a 7.62 round through its eye. The bug collapsed in a puddle of goo that leaked from its now empty eye socket. Walker closed his eyes, content to rest for a second. His heart pounded away, screaming bloody murder in his ears. His chest was beginning to hurt and the heat radiating from his body was becoming unbearable.

Walker rolled over and crawled away from the bug, unable to rise from his hands and knees. His legs just simply refused to support his weight. As he moved away from the corpse, Walker fumbled at his radio.

“Walker… here… head is killing me. I’m sweating buckets, and I can’t walk. I’m…”

He paused to suck in a wheezing breath, why did his lungs feel clogged?

“I’m going to keep moving forward. If you sweep at ground level, you might see me.”

Walker abandoned his dignity as he crawled forward on his hands and knees, his fists clenching tightly as he moved step by agonizing step. His jaw began to ache, and his teeth seemed to get sharper. He bit clean through his tongue at least once, but surprisingly, the action didn’t bother him. Walker simply spat away blood and chunks of meat, running his now slimmer tongue over his teeth. It was an odd sensation, one he elected to ignore as he moved forward.

Walker gave a shout as his head suddenly flared up in pain. It felt like a thousand nails were all being driven into his skull at the same time. He pawed at the sides of his head, trying desperately to make the pain go away. He felt his fingers tear away at his face, but when he checked for blood, he found nothing. Walker attributed it to the poison; it likely contained a powerful hallucinogen, that was why he couldn’t feel his ear in the same place anymore.

All at once the pain stopped, and the hallway fell silent. Walker groaned, struggling to roll off his back. His legs and arms seemed almost the same size now, and he really couldn’t see his hands. At some point in his flailing his rifle had disappeared, but Walker patted his side, taking comfort in the sidearm that remained attached to his leg. While the holster was a bit loose, Walker was just glad to have a familiar piece of equipment close at hand.

Walker found the motivation to roll over and got to his hands and knees. He squinted, was surprised to find that he could see down the hallway now without the aid of his flashlight. Walker grinned; he must be close to an exit. With renewed vigor and energy, Walker walked forward, noticing that his hands and knees felt harder than he remembered, that and he seemed to be crawling taller. He scoffed and dismissed it. Besides the occasionally cough, he felt much better.

Walker almost leapt for joy when he saw a small bit of light at the next intersection. He reached for his earpiece, but found that it was no longer in his ear. Walker slid the radio from his back, and frowned as he struggled to use his hands to manipulate it. In frustration, he clenched his fists and held the mouthpiece between them.

“Walker here. I see a light up ahead, I don’t know if that means I’m dying, or if I finally found an exit. I’m going to check it out, if I don’t respond after this, it’s probably the former.”

Walker felt his emotions rocket from glee to pure depression and back again. He held his head to try and stabilize the wild organ inside, trying to regain control of his mind. The radio crackled in his clenched hands.

“Cornelius? Cornelius please answer.” A female voice said. “This is Big Papa calling for Cornelius Walker.”

Walker fumbled with the radio again.

“Princess? This is Walker.” He giggled. “I found someone that looks just like you.” Walker felt a scowl creep across his face, anger entering his tone. “They’re dead now. Stupid bugs.”

The radio crackled again and Celestia’s voice poured through. Walker smiled as he listened to that voice, had never really appreciated how warm and nice it was.

“Cornelius, listen to me carefully, you said you saw a light?”

He nodded; the motion lost to darkness since he was talking to her through a radio. Walker didn’t care.

“Yes Princess. I’m getting close now, I can feel it!” His tail wagged in happiness. Like a sledgehammer to the chest, his nigh suicidal depression returned as if in response to the hope he felt. “My head really hurts Celestia. I doubt if that light is sunshine it’ll make me feel any better. Better than dying in this damn hole though.”

Concern seeped through the radio as Celestia replied.

“Cornelius, I believe we are close to you. Can you remain where you are?”

Walker shook his head as fear traced up his spine.

“No Princess, I can’t wait, and I don’t want to. I won’t die in a hole Celestia. I won’t die in some bug hole.” Walker felt a press on his head. “I have to keep going forward.”

Walker held his chest as his breath became a wheeze. His voice sounded different.

“I’m going to leave the radio behind. Try to stay light. I’ll break it as best I can.”

As Walker drew the pistol from his holster, the radio crackled.

“Cornelius please stay on the radio! We are close, just hold o-…”

Several shots rang out. The radio crackling a little before it fell silent. Walker didn’t remember how exactly he pulled the trigger, but he knew he did. It didn’t matter, the radio was shot and now he had no use for the sidearm. He dropped it to the side and walked forward. The light quickly grew closer.

Ahead he heard voices.

“I think the shots came from this way! He has to be close.”

Those voices sounded familiar, but Walker couldn’t quite place them. What was the man’s name? Campbell? Walker decided it didn’t matter. They had lights, that meant they weren’t changelings, so Walker sprinted forward. The motion felt a bit more natural now, like he was supposed to run with four limbs rather than two. The voices seemed to grow quieter as he approached, but Walker didn’t care. He was simply eager to be done with this one way or another.

As he got within a few steps of the light, Walker collapsed as a powerful wave of pain wracked his body, sending him tumbling forward. His momentum was more than enough, and slid straight into the lights, hacking his lungs out as he did so.

“Contact front!”

“Kill that bug!”

“Hold! That is Corenlius!”

“That fucking thing is the Colonel?”

“What the hell happened to him? Why is he a bug? Princess what in the fuck is going on here?”

“Remain calm and keep your distance.”

Walker felt a shadow fall over his face, and he cracked an eye as his coughing eased. Celestia and Shining Armor were standing over him, both with their horns alight. Walker could only focus on Celestia though, a small part of his mind whispering that she looked beautiful, that she would be a perfect mate. For a brief moment, Walker smiled.

“Heya Celestia.” He said, a goofy expression on his face. “Password was Worcestershire sauce, right?”

Her smile in reply contained a lot of sadness, and for a second, Walker had no idea why. Then everything was wiped away as he learned a new definition for the word pain.

One single word was repeated endlessly, bouncing around his head, filling it as voices poured in, whispering, talking, yelling, screaming. It was like sticking his mind into a jet engine.

KILL

Walker couldn’t help himself. He clutched the sides of his head and screamed.

*****

Celestia watched the changeling in the tatters of Walker’s uniform writhe, his screams hurting even her well protected ears. For a moment, his eyes had been open, and they were the same steely grey that she had seen every time Cornelius had spoken to her. Unlike so many of her subjects, the human had not averted his gaze during conversation, had only looked away when thinking hard, or when speaking to someone else. Celestia liked that about him, liked that he didn’t fear her because of her position. Now however, all he felt was pain at the mere sight of her. Changeling programming was in their DNA, and it had likely activated as soon as he set his eyes on a pony. Even with the death of his immediate queen, Cornelius could be scooped up by any of the changeling queens on Earth. Even from a great distance they could finish his brainwashing and give him orders. Celestia knew she had to work fast to save the man turned changeling. It would require immense precision to snip the connection at the exact moment when his physical transformation finished, while cutting it before the mental one could be completed. If she cut it too early, he would die an abomination, halfway between both species and in complete agony. If she cut it too late it wouldn’t matter at all.

“Captain, hold him still, this will require my full concentration.”

Shining Armor nodded and pinned the changeling, receiving a headbutt to the muzzle for his efforts. He didn’t budge though, simply enduring as blood poured from his nose. Celestia began to channel the spell as she forced one of Cornelius’s eyes open, watching for the moment.

She heard a shout and Sergeant White strode over, aiming his rifle at the struggling Walker’s head. Celestia broke off her casting and pushed him away.

“What are you doing?” she shouted at the man. He looked at her with rage in his eyes.

“I have my orders Princess. Colonel Walker doesn’t deserve to live like this. It’s what he wanted.”

The rifle snapped back up, and Celestia flared her wings, pushing the man back with a gust of magically conjured breeze. She then immediately grabbed Cornelius’ head in her hooves, prying open his eye as she tried to restart the spell. She still had time…

White snarled at her, and he began walking forward, his rifle aimed at the squirming changeling beneath her legs. Shining Armor screamed at the man to stop, but he was ignored. Celestia looked into Sergeant White’s eyes. She saw a deep pain there, and an even deeper anger. She knew he thought he was doing the right thing, knew that Cornelius had indeed wanted what White intended to give him. Celestia knew she could save him. If he hated her afterword, so be it, but she knew he didn’t have to die. Celestia knew she could convince him that he didn’t want to, even if he was a changeling now. She had to try.

She gritted her teeth, her mind racing as she tried to ward away White while also focusing her magic on the separation spell. Her hoof slipped and Cornelius’ eye slipped closed as he thrashed. Celestia heard the rifle come up…

Seal shoved White aside. The sergeant looked at him with obvious confusion and anger.

“What the fuck are you doing Captain? You know what he said!”

“Shut up Sergeant!” Seal snarled. “This is above your pay grade.”

“Like hell it is.” White growled in return. He looked at Cornelius and Celestia and began to move forward again, only for Seal to shove him back again. White shouted in frustration.

“This isn’t right Captain! He asked us to make sure he wouldn’t become a fucking bug, and now you’re just going to sit by while it happens? Fuck that!”

Seal ignored him and looked to Celestia.

“You’re doing something with that horn of yours, can you save him? Make him human again?”

Celestia grunted as she felt a hoof drill into her side.

“In the mind, yes. I can prevent him from being anything less than the Colonel Walker was in mind and spirit.”

“And his body?”

Celestia couldn’t look away from Cornelius, couldn’t make eye contact with Seal to plead with him. She felt a tear slip free.

“Please Captain, his body is gone, but I know he can still find happiness as he is now. I just need the chance to save his mind.”

Seal nodded.

“Sergeant help Captain Armor hold Colonel Walker still. She needs focus, and she can’t do that while he’s moving like that.”

White glared at him.

“And what happens if she fucks it up and he becomes a bug and tears her throat out? I won’t let that happen Captain!”

Seal grabbed the man by the vest and threw him to the ground next to Walker.

“Just do it Sergeant. I’ll watch Walker.”

Seal leveled the barrel at Walker’s head. White stared at the barrel, then back at Seal. His eyes looked to the two ponies struggling to keep the bucking changeling still. Celestia made eye contact with him, could feel him give as more tears fell free.

“Please.”

White hesitated, his mind working furiously to decide if he should help; then, his mind made up, he nodded firmly and grabbed hold of Walker’s head, freeing Celestia to keep his eyes open. She saw a bit of green creeping in around the edges, but the grey color was still dominant, pushing it back as his mind struggled to reject what his body could not.

“Work fast Princess.” Seal said firmly. “If I see something that isn’t Walker, I’m blowing it straight to hell.”

Celestia nodded and felt the mental connection form between herself and Cornelius. In her mind’s eye she could see the strands of minds creeping in on his as an outside hive tried to establish contact. Celestia burned away the closest ones, counting the seconds as she waited for his body to finish. His horn was growing, but far too slowly.

The strands began to attack her, trying to press in faster to claim Cornelius’ mind. His screams rose in intensity and he began to thrash even harder. His fangs elongated, nearly biting into Sergeant White’s hand. The man swore and grabbed the changeling’s jaw firmly, locking his neck in place. Celestia drew on her reserves of magic as she cut away at the strands. Several wrapped around her mind, but she was easily able to shove them aside, scorching them as she fought like an animal to keep Cornelius’ mind his own.

Her eyes flickered down as the tip of his horn formed, establishing his permanent medium to connect with the hive. His thrashing ceased and a low whimper crept past his lips. The strands all leaped forward at once. Celestia felt her magic flare as she struck.

Chapter 6: ...assistance....needed....

Walker woke up slowly, his mind chugging away as if it operated in a thick fog. He smacked his lips, his throat and mouth incredibly dry. His tongue tasted terrible and felt far too small in his mouth, likely a result of his dehydration. Walker kicked out with each limb, making sure he still had four. When all four responded, he considered it good enough, despite the fact that he couldn’t curl his toes or clench his fingers.

Walker decided it was as good a time as any to try opening his eyes, so he wiped at the crust on his eyelids, then opened them fully. That was a mistake. Walker guessed he had been out for a long time; it was the only reason that the sunlight stabbed into his brain like knives. Walker growled and rubbed at his scorched eyes, keeping them closed as he worked away the pain. Once they seemed back to normal, Walker opened them slowly, learning his lesson from the last time.

Walker cracked open his left eye first, then his right. Squinting so that he could only see out of a slit, he looked at his surroundings. It was definitely outside. Walker sighed and rubbed his eyes as he tried to work them open fully. Though it still hurt some, he could see better now, his eyes getting used to the bright sunlight that streamed through the open tent flap. Walker could tell that it was an Army tent, it was the same ugly green burlap that it always was. He kicked his legs as he looked at the wool blanket laying over his body. He was surprised at how comfortable it was; usually his skin had an adverse reaction to the itchy wool, but right now he was happy to just feel warm.

Other than the cot he was on, the tent was empty save for a nightstand by his bed. Walker’s mood brightened when he saw a jug of water sitting on it with a cup waiting, empty beside the jug. Walker licked his dry lips, and reached for the jug, ready to kill his thirst.

Until he saw his arm, or rather, his hoof.

Walker’s brain fired as it struggled to process what he was looking at. The hoof was black, and filled with holes, yet it didn’t feel strange at all. Walker imagined his fingers and clenched it, the hoof responding by curling. The feeling of the hoof, his hoof curling was too much. Walker screamed.

He flung back the blanket, saw his worst fear come to life. His body was gone, replaced by black chitin that covered the entirety of his torso, as well as his legs, each ending with a hoof, riddled with holes. Walker saw wings, could feel fangs in his mouth. Another rabid scream crept past his lips as his mind began to panic.

A pony, one he didn’t recognize sprinted into the tent. Walker felt his panic rise as he tried to scramble from the cot, his legs flailing. He got nowhere, wasn’t used to moving four limbs to walk. Walker rolled to the side, taking the cot with him as he tried to escape. He couldn’t be near ponies, couldn’t be near anyone. He was a changeling, a bug. He was a danger to everyone, and he needed to leave as soon as possible before he lost his mind, before he attacked them.

The pony was at his side in an instant. Walker tried to scoot away, but found his limbs pinned by the pony as it tried to calm him down. Walker couldn’t hear the words, didn’t want to. He just wanted to run, run faraway and never return. When he couldn’t do that, he did the next best thing, retreating deep into his mind as he tried to cover his eyes, tried to make everything go away.

Unheard to Walker, the pony shouted over his shoulder at a trio of guards that had been stationed near the tent.

“Go and get Phillips the human! Then find Princess Celestia!” he yelled.

The guards nodded briskly and sprinted off, leaving the pony healer to try and comfort the panicking changeling under his hooves.

“Colonel Walker, Colonel Walker can you hear me?” he said, trying to pry the changeling’s hooves away from his head. The pony tried to get a look at Walker’s eyes.

“Colonel I need you to calm down so that I can help you.” The pony said, trying to sound like the human soldiers did. The changeling whimpered and shook his head.

“Go away. I’m a bug. You’ll only get hurt.”

“You’re not going to hurt me Colonel, and I’m not going anywhere. One of your friends is coming, just hold on.”

The pony heard booted footsteps slam the ground as Phillips slid into the tent. The man’s eyes quickly locked on Walker’s flailing form and he was beside the pony within seconds. The man took over the situation instantly.

“Colonel, this is Sergeant Phillips, I need you to calm down immediately.” To the pony he said, “Hold his arms so I can get a look at his eyes.”

“Arms?” the pony asked.

Sergeant Phillips grunted and pointed at the hooves around Walker’s head.

“The hooves damnit!”

The pony sat on the changeling’s lower half while grabbing his hooves, successfully dragging them to the ground. Walker whipped his head back and forth, still trying to escape. Phillips grabbed his head with both hands, stopping the motion. Walker responded by screwing his eyes shut, a whimper escaping his chest. Phillips talked slowly and in a low voice.

“Colonel, I need you to remain calm and still. You are back at Romeo Sierra Alpha; you are currently recovering from your last mission. While I take a look at you, I need you to, in detail, tell me about your last mission. Do you copy?”

Walker froze at the words, then nodded slowly. Panic still raced through his mind, but the voice of someone he had considered a friend calmed him just enough. Phillips slowly released his head and pried open one of Walker’s eyes, grabbing a flashlight from his belt as he looked at.

“Go ahead Colonel. Start at the beginning.”

The changeling swallowed roughly.

“We-… We…..” he stammered.

Phillips let the eye lid drop, and pressed his head against the changeling’s forehead.

“Colonel, breathe, think, talk. This is so I can ensure you’re in the proper state of mind.”

“But I’m not Sergeant,” Walker replied bitterly.

Phillips sighed, gently prying open Walker’s mouth.

“That’s for me to determine Colonel. I’m the medic, I get to conduct the psych evals. Now talk, start after you left camp.”

“We… Seal was driving. Celestia and Shining Armor were in the back seat, and Sergeant White was on the gun,” Walker started.

Phillips nodded, moving away from the teeth as he felt along Walker’s ears.

“Keep going,” he said as he snapped his fingers, causing the ears to flick.

Walker nodded.

“We were on our way to Overlord. The mission was to determine what happened to Overlord and destroy any changeling’s in the area. A mission we failed.”

Phillips scowled and moved lower, feeling along Walker’s neck.

“I didn’t ask you to determine the mission status, I said to list the details of the mission. Continue with the events that happened.”

Walker blinked, his eyes opening fully for the first time since he had seen his hoof.

“Seal was taking the hills too fast. With all the rain the roads turned to muck, and I couldn’t see through my window. I didn’t see anything until we got to Overlord.”

Phillips nodded as he felt lower, tapping on Walker’s chest with his knuckles. Walker had no idea what that was supposed to accomplish, but he continued, feeling marginally better now that he was talking.

“We got out of the vehicles at the front gate. There were no guards, no people at all. Just rifles and emplacements with seven shots fired. It was far too quiet.”

Phillips moved lower, and suddenly; Walker felt embarrassed. He hadn’t noticed before, but he was quite naked. He cleared his throat, drawing Phillips’ eyes up.

“Sergeant, if it wouldn’t be too much of an issue, can we continue this after I get some pants?”

The medic grinned.

“Yes sir, I believe we can. I’ve seen enough anyway. Let’s get you back into bed.”

The pony stood up, freeing Walker’s legs, and Phillips offered a hand, pulling Walker to his feet. All four of them. Though the motion felt weak; his legs hadn’t moved in some time after all, Walker felt like he was already used to walking on all fours. He didn’t like that he felt that way. It was a relief when Phillips helped him onto the cot, allowing Walker to go limp as he laid there, not wanting to use his body.

He looked at Phillips as the man re-tucked the blanket, making sure it was spread all the way up Walker’s torso, so only his forelegs stuck out. Walker stared at the ceiling rather than those black limbs. He swallowed roughly and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see anything.

“Colonel? Are you alright?” Phillips asked.

“No Sergeant, I am the furthest thing from all right,” Walker replied.

He felt tired, and the only thing he wanted to do was escape into the sweet release of sleep. Phillips evidently had other ideas. Walker felt something sharp prod him in the side through the blanket. The first time he ignored it, thinking somebody had accidently bumped into him. The second time he also ignored, though now he recognized it was an intentional act. The third time Walker opened his eyes and glared at the medic.

“What do you want Sergeant?” he asked with an angry tone. The medic prodded him in the side again.

“Just checking for shell softness and nerve damage.” Phillips said, a slight grin on his face as he prodded Walker’s side again. Walker slapped his hand away.

“My side is fine, and I can feel everything like normal, now stop that!”

Walker’s eyes flicked over to the pony, who was rapidly writing something on a sheet of paper. Walker looked back to Phillips.

“What is he doing?” Walker asked.

Phillips didn’t answer, instead moving to stab Walker in the side again. Walker stopped his hand with a hoof, wrapping it around Phillips’ wrist in a firm grip. Walker dragged him down a little so that their eyes were level.

“Stop poking me Sergeant, or I will personally track down every crate of Charms in existence and make you eat them.”

The man grinned broadly.

“I’ll hold you to that sir.”

He didn’t poke Walker again though, so Walker settled back down. Phillips stood up, walking across the tent to grab a stool. He then brought it back and sat down next to Walker’s head. The pony continued watching Walker, his eyes poking up from his paper every few seconds. Walker tried to make him go away with a glare, but it did nothing. Walker snorted and laid his head down. A creeping sensation made its way across his brain. The events of the past couple days began compounding at the front of his mind, the loss of his family, the loss of his company, the loss of his own body. Walker felt overwhelming sadness, accompanied by a deep sense of loss. Walker felt the tears rise to the corners of his eyes, but he pushed them away, bringing forward a cold sensation that numbed his chest.

“What’s the damage Sergeant?” Walker asked.

Phillips shook his head.

“I’m not qualified to say Colonel, that’s probably better left to Princess Celestia.”

Walker snorted.

“Not about me. What’s the situation across the board? Who’s left?”

“Say nothing Sergeant,” The pony hiding behind his paper said.

Walker felt anger rise in his chest and glared at him again. Surprisingly, so did Phillips.

“I’ll tell the Colonel what I damn well please Healer. He’s as much a man as he was before. No green glow, no issues giving orders. There is no evidence that he’s been impacted mentally in any way.”

The pony stuck his stupid eyes out from behind his paper. Walker felt hatred for the pony. He really wanted to smack him upside the head.

“Sergeant, we have been ordered to remain silent about all important subjects until Princess Celestia can confirm what the physical signs are telling us.”

Phillips snorted, looking away from the pony and back to Walker.

“You’ve been ordered maybe, but I’m looking at my commanding officer. Far as I’m concerned, he’s welcome to all the intel he wants.”

Walker felt a bit better at those words. At least one man still held trust in him. The pony tucked the page away, and Walker noticed one of his hooves shift toward a knife at his side.

“Sergeant Phillips, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the tent. The changeling may be-..”

Phillips got to his feet.

“Fuck that, don’t feed me some BS line about mind control. For anyone smart enough to use their eyes, it’s fairly clear the Colonel Walker is still in control of himself. I am too, and unless you intend to use that knife, I want you out of my tent.”

Walker reached out with his hoof, tapping Phillips gently on the arm. The medic’s angry glare turned to him.

“That’s enough Sergeant. If I’m restricted it’s probably for a reason.”

Phillips shook his head.

“That’s bull sir. You’re as human as any of us. I won’t let anyone,” his glare drifted back to the pony, “tell me who I can and can’t trust. Especially not some fuzzball who likely learned to practice medicine from a cereal box.”

The pony bristled visibly.

“I’ll have you know that my special talent is in medicine! I am more than capable enough to study a changeling. Certainly, more than some non-magical monkey.”

Walker flinched at the venom behind the word changeling, while Phillips towered over the pony. The man grabbed him by the collar, and brought them together so that they were nose to muzzle. In a low growl, Phillips said;

“Don’t ever call Colonel Walker a changeling again or I’ll shove that quill so far up your ass that you’ll sprout wings and fly. Now why don’t you use some of that capability of yours and go find Princess Celestia before I show you what a “non-magical monkey” can do with thirty seconds and a pair of fists.”

The pony flinched and fled the tent. Phillips glared after him, then took a deep breath, walking back over to Walker’s bedside. Walker flinched again as the man sat down roughly and sighed.

“Sorry about that Colonel, it’s been a rough couple of days.”

Walker swallowed.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” he asked.

Phillips looked up, ready to protest, but the anger left his eyes and he nodded in agreement.

“Unfortunately so sir. Evidently, most of the ponies didn’t know that she was taking changelings alive and shipping them off to “friendly” queens. When your team came back, with you still out on a stretcher, it brought up a stir, for everyone.”

Walker looked at the ground, a dead expression.

“How bad?” he asked softly.

Phillips sighed again.

“Well, there’s two camps. Princess Celestia, along with Captain Armor and all of our original company are on the side that it’s better to have you alive and a changeling than to be shot. Princess Luna, most of the ponies, and most of the outside boys think you should have been shot on sight. A bug is a bug they say. Needless to say, tensions have been high.”

“They’re right,” Walker said, tears creeping into his eyes once more as his vision blurred. “They should have shot me. I’m a bug now.”

“Sir, that’s not true. You’re still the same man as you were before-…”

“No!” Walker shouted; his sadness being replaced by a brutal flash of anger. “If I was the same man I was before then I should be shot anyway because that means we’ve committed genocide. How many? How many bugs have we killed? How many used to be people? If I’m still human, then what does that make them?”

Walker flopped limply back to the cot. Phillips sighed.

“Sir, I don’t have an answer for that. Princess Celestia explains it better. All I know is that you’re a special case. A bug is still a bug, but you don’t fit the marker. Look it’s… it’s complicated Colonel.”

Walker snorted and flipped over.

“I don’t think so Sergeant. I think it’s very simple. It would have been better if I died.”

Phillips sighed, and Walker felt his hand on his shoulder. Walker shrugged it off, didn’t want to be comforted. He felt the hand drop away. The pair sat in silence for a while, before Phillips slowly got to his feet, placing the stool back in its corner.

“I’ll be close if you need anything Colonel,” Phillips said. Walker didn’t reply, the silence enough to convey how he felt.

Phillips sighed again.

“Sir, I know how this must all feel, how it must hurt, but I refuse to believe the man who looked after us deserves to die because he doesn’t look the same anymore. You stood up for us, and I’ll be damned if I don’t do the same in return.”

Walker stared at the wall of the tent, refused to even look in the man’s direction. He felt tears roll down his cheek. Phillips sighed for a third time.

“Try to rest some Colonel, I’ll try to find the princess.”

Then the man was gone. Walker was alone once more. He wished he told Phillips to close the flap. Every once in a while, someone would walk by, and Walker could see the glares, the hatred. All of it which he deserved. He was the enemy, the thing that had taken so much away. Walker whimpered softly and tried to hide his head in the blanket, closing his eyes as he let sleep claim him.

*****

Walker woke quickly, shoving away at the dreams that had plagued his sleep. He tried to forget, had no wish to remember. The darkness, the voices, that damn laughter… Walker scrambled out of the blanket, panic momentarily overwhelming his need to hide his new body. Walker fell from his cot again, the dirt offering no assistance as he tried to make his way to his feet. Having to deal with four of the suckers now made things far worse. He just couldn’t seem to get on all four at once, couldn’t find his balance.

After the third attempt, someone finally came into his tent, and Walker couldn’t help but try to shy away as they saw his pitiful state. Walker felt himself be lifted into the air. He heard Celestia sigh softly as she set him back on his cot. Walker snagged the blanket and cruelly tugged it back into place, not caring that it left one of his legs exposed. He needed the security of covering his upper half.

Celestia was patient enough to wait for him to get settled, a fact the set Walker on edge. He didn’t want pity, and he certainly didn’t want help. Not from her. Walker pointedly made sure he was facing away from the pony, made sure she saw every part of his back as he turned it against her. Celestia sighed, and Walker watched the stool in the corner float over to her, out his view. Walker heard her sit down, but she didn’t say anything. The silence aggravated him more than anything else.

“Go away Princess, I don’t want to talk to anyone these days,” Walker said, his voice dripping with anger.

“Cornelius please, this isn’t the way to-“

“To what?” Walker asked, his eye peaking over his shoulder. “To grieve? To move on? To live?” He snorted and plopped his head back down. “News flash Princess, not all of us are exactly glad to be alive.”

He heard her sigh a third time.

“Cornelius, just… please listen to me. You shouldn’t waste the life you have, changed though it is. You have so much potential to do so much good.”

Walker snorted again.

“Potential, is that why you kept me alive Princess?” He heard her stiffen, likely stunned that he knew it had been her. “Do you think so little of me Princess? Did you really believe I couldn’t figure it out on my own? There were two ponies with us, and Captain Armor certainly wasn’t going to be saving me, so that just leave you. You, who decided my life was better as a bug.”

Walker sat up, glaring at the pony. He could tell she had been crying, likely due to the strife caused by his very existence. The fur around her eyes was matted, and her magenta eyes held traces of lingering tears. Her mane was disheveled and wasn’t flowing, something that looked strange. Finally, her armor was in a state of disrepair, with stains marring its normally shining surface. Walker didn’t care, he could only feel extreme anger. She didn’t meet his eyes, choosing to instead look at the ground.

“Cornelius, your life is worth living. You are only a changeling in the physical sense. I managed to stop the change before it affected your mind permanently.”

“Permanently,” Walker said with a snarl. “So that means they had their little insect hooks in my head, temporarily right? Tell me Princess, did I kill any of my men during that short term? Perhaps reveal valuable intel to the enemy that got more of my men killed? How much do you think the changeling’s got out of me?” he said with a shout.

She flinched visibly.

“Cornelius, you hurt nobody. You revealed nothing. You are as human in mind as you ever were, and the changelings were able to take nothing from you.”

“Except my body,” Walker replied bitterly.

He laid back down, still facing away from the pony.

“What do you want from me Princess? What haven’t I sacrificed yet that you need from me?”

“Cornelius, this isn’t about that,” Celestia said.

“Isn’t it?” Walker replied. “Because I’m thinking you came here to get me out of bed yeah? Get me out and doing something so I’ll stop moping like a slug. Fat chance of that happening. Nobody out there wants a single thing to do with me, and why should they? I’m the failure human turned failure bug.” Walker glared at the tent wall, trying to prevent the tears from welling up. “I wouldn’t want me either.”

Walker felt a hoof on his shoulder.

“Cornelius, that isn’t true. None of it is. You haven’t failed anybody, and there are still plenty of people, human and pony alike who wish to have you back, myself included. I know you are entitled to your rest, but you are not resting here. If anything, remaining still is simply making things worse.”

Walker looked over his shoulder at Celestia.

“What things?”

She sighed and levitated a thick packet of papers to him. Walker sat up on his cot again, dangling his feet over the edge while he accepted the packet. On the front it read; Side Effects of Forced Conversion by Twilight Sparkle. Walker looked to Celestia.

“When did this get written up?”

“Months ago. My student was studying the effects of partial changes on ponies and gryphons. She is one of the few who knew about my saving of changeling eggs and outcast drones.”

Walker snorted as he flipped open the cover. Inside was a clearly labeled table of contents, on which Walker spotted a subsection labeled; Permanent Emotional and Mental effects. Walker tapped it clearly, his glare rising back to Celestia.

“No permanent effects, huh?”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Walker ignored her, flipping to the designated page. Walker felt his anger rise as he read the words aloud.

“Although some effects dissipate within the first few days of a forced conversion, all subjects report a variety of different emotional and mental symptoms. These include; dramatic mood swings, increased agitation, increased depression, an increase in volume of nightmares, increased emotional vulnerability (particularly with the emotions of embarrassment, and fear) and increased susceptibility to suggestion.”

Walker read the last symptom like a question, looking up to Celestia.

“Just what is that supposed to mean Princess? What, am I going to fall in line to any old order somebody gives me? Did you keep me alive to have a little human-bug puppet?”

Her face rose from the floor in anger. Her eyes seemed to rage like fires.

“Colonel Walker I will not hear that sort of slander. I will not have you or anyone accuse me of manipulating the minds of others for my own gain.” Her voice lost steam and her head drooped again as the anger fled. “Cornelius, please believe me when I say that I only wished to save your life. There is no other ulterior motive than that.”

Walker felt a pang in his chest, but he squashed it. He didn’t want to feel sympathy, especially not for the pony who had robbed him of everything. Walker closed the packet and dropped it onto the nightstand. He slowly curled back into a ball on his cot and rolled over, facing the blank, green wall once more. He could tell she wanted to say more, but she didn’t, choosing to remain silent. Walker felt the tears rise to his eyes.

“Just go Princess,” he said with a whisper. “Just go and leave me for dead. I’ve already made peace with it.”

Celestia sighed deeply, and Walker swore he could hear tears drop, but her voice was as even as always.

“Alright Cornelius. I’ll go, but if you ever need to talk with someone… I am always available. My door shall never close to you. We are friends, and I will not let my friend suffer as you are. I don’t wish to see you throw away your life over a moment like this.”

Walker closed his eyes and sniffled.

“You’re not my friend Princess. A bug can’t have friends. Just leave me alone.”

He could tell the words hurt her, but Celestia said nothing in reply. She rose from the stool and it levitated back to its proper place. Walker watched it as the first tear escaped. He felt a sob well up in his chest as he heard the tent flap open. Part of him wanted to beg her not to leave, while another was glad she was going. Only when the flap fell did the part that wanted her to stay win. His head popped up, but she was gone. Alone now, Walker slumped, tears falling freely as he sobbed, more than aware that he had likely driven away one of his only friends.

*****

He had been awake for quite some time. Walker stared at the tent wall, his eyes dry and dead. He had stopped crying well over an hour ago, and simply felt nothing but soul crushing emptiness since. Taking a long look at his reflection hadn’t helped either. He was in every way shape and form a bug, save for two things of note. His eyes were different from the average changeling’s. It should have given comfort to still have the same eyes, but it didn’t, neither did the mop of hair on top of his head. Why both of those things were the same, Walker didn’t know, and he had no way to find an answer. Not only was he stuck as a bug, he was a bug that shoved away the few people left on the planet that gave half a shit about him. Phillips had tried visiting several times, so had Richardson. Walker dismissed both, saying that he didn’t need them around, didn’t want them around. He hadn’t seen sight of either Sergeant White, nor had he seen Celestia. Walker dismissed White as one of the men that hated him now, but Celestia… he knew he had hurt her. Accusing her of making him a slave, Walker imagined that had cut her more than a little.

So now, he was a bug, and he was alone. A dangerous combo that made Walker wish for a gun.

Walker heard the footsteps behind him, but didn’t so much as move in response. He heard Seal clear his throat, but Walker remained silent, content to stare at the wall for the rest of his life. Seal had other intentions evidently.

“Colonel, it’s time to get up,” he said stiffly. Walker could hear the anger in his voice. He mildly wondered if that anger was directed at him.

Walker didn’t respond. He felt a foot on the edge of the cot.

“Colonel come on. I need you to come with me,” Seal said as he rocked the cot slightly.

Walker snorted.

“Go away Captain. Whatever it is, I am fairly sure that a non-changeling can accomplish the task just fine.”

Seal remained silent for a moment, and when he began to shift, Walker felt satisfied that the man was going away. Then he was on his face, in the dirt, with his cot lying beside him as his blanket fell to the ground. Walker sprang up, getting close in Seal’s face.

“What the hell was that for?” he shouted.

“Respectfully sir, if you’re going to act like a bratty teenager, I am within my power to treat you like one so long as you are not physically injured,” Seal replied, matching Walker’s anger with his own.

Walker felt a growl rise in his throat as his anger built higher, then like a flood, a cold wave of sadness washed it away. Walker felt his shoulders slump and he looked away from Seal. He righted his cot, and dragged the blanket through the dirt, setting it limply on the edge, ignoring the dust it kicked up.

“Let’s just get this over with Captain.”

Seal sighed, breathing out through his nose.

“Right. Let’s go then.”

Walker followed Seal out of the tent, keeping a good three feet away from the man. His eyes faced the dirt, though his ears could hear everything going on around them just fine. Walker felt the glares, could hear the whispers, none of them positive, yet all of them true. The pair approached a mess tent, and Walker noticed that two soldiers, one human and one pony, stood outside. As Walker and Seal got closer, the human moved forward, holding his hand out to stop them.

“Sorry Captain, that thing ain’t coming in the mess hall.” The man glared at Walker, who avoided eye contact, staring at the ground. Seal scoffed.

“And on who’s authority is that little order made Private? Last I checked, Colonel Walker can go wherever he damn well pleases.”

“That thing,” the man said, pointing at Walker, “is not Colonel Walker. Maybe you need your eyes checked Captain, but that is a bug. Bugs don’t have ranks, and bugs don’t get to eat in the mess hall. I suggest you take him elsewhere.”

Walker’s eyes raised when he heard Seal push forward, grabbing the private by the collar.

“Or what Private?” Seal growled in his face. “What are you going to do to stop me. You try to shoot Colonel Walker; I will beat you with your own rifle in front of anyone before throwing you in a stockade. Until someone with more intelligence than Private Law tells me that he is not Colonel Walker, I will continue treating him as Colonel Walker, and Colonel Walker hasn’t eaten in three days.”

Seal shoved the man back.

“So, unless you can provide some actual orders, I suggest you move aside Private.”

The man returned Seal’s glare, but he stepped aside. Seal smirked and walked forward, motioning for Walker to follow. Walker did so, moving a bit closer to Seal, not wanting to be too far from the man that was currently protecting him. Just as Seal opened the tent flap, Walker felt a thick wad of spit hit the back of his head. Seal froze, and turned around, a look of pure rage on his face. As his mouth opened, Walker held up a hoof, silently stopping the man.

Walker took a deep breath as he wiped the spit off his head and onto the ground. Then, he turned around, facing the man that had spit on him. The man was grinning, a look of victory in his eyes. A dark thought flashed across Walker’s mind. An opportunity.

“Private… Law was it?”

The man sneered.

“Keep my name from your mouth bug.”

Walker nodded, taking a step toward the man, who thankfully stood his ground.

“I’ll keep that in mind going forward,” Walker said calmly.

Walker noted where the man’s rifle was, and more importantly where his trigger finger was. The safety was off. Perfect.

In a burst of motion, Walker closed the short distance between them and snatched the rifle barrel, placing it firmly against his forehead. The private’s eyes widened, and he tried to recoil back, but Walker kept the rifle barrel pressed tightly against his head. When Private Law realized that Walker had no intention of doing anything else, he stopped struggling, those his eyes remained wide as he met Walker’s calm gaze.

“Don’t worry Private, nothing is going to happen. At least not to you. I just need a small favor from you.”

Seal shifted behind him.

“Colonel, this isn’t-“

“Shut it Captain,” Walker snarled. “This is just between Private Law and I.”

Walker looked back to the frozen Private. The man looked afraid now. Walker honestly couldn’t tell if that was good or not.

“Private, this is a very simple favor. All I need you to do is to take that marvelous trigger finger of yours, and kill me. It will only take a second.”

The man tried to yank his rifle away again, but Walker held firm. Law’s mouth flapped.

“Sir I-..”

Walker cocked his head.

“Sir? No Private, there is no sir here. You said it yourself, I’m just a bug. I agree wholeheartedly, that’s why I need you to pull the trigger and end this farce. Kill me. Then we all have one less bug to worry about.”

The man yanked again; he looked around for help, but though a small crowd had gathered, nobody helped him escape from the suicidal changeling before him. Walker sighed.

“Private, let’s get this over with. I don’t want to be a bug any longer than you want to look at one. Pull the trigger and let’s get this done.”

The man shook his head.

“Sir, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Yes, you did Private! That’s why I am asking you, no, begging you to do this. I can’t do it myself, especially not after this, I’ll never get hold of a firearm, so please pull the trigger. Put me out of my misery. We both hate that I’m a bug, so we each win if I die. Pull the trigger Private!”

Walker saw tears in the man’s eyes. Eyes. That was the key. Walker smiled.

“Private, I think I know why we are having issues here. I still have normal eyes. I can fix that in a second. Here’s what I’ll do, I close my eyes, and then I look like any other bug, then you shoot me.”

Law shook his head as he tried to scramble free, put Walker patted him on the arm with his free hoof. Walker closed his eyes and smiled.

“Come on Private, do us all a favor and pull the trigger.”

“Sir, I…”

“No hesitation. I’m just another bug. Do it.”

“Sir I can’t…”

“Yes, you can Private,” Walker growled. “It takes one muscle flexing, just one. Do it.”

“Sir-…”

“DO IT!” Walker screamed.

The rifle was ripped away from his grasp in a second. Walker sighed deeply as he heard a pair of wings flap as a heavy body touched down. Walker opened his eyes to see a very pissed looking Celestia towering over him. She didn’t say anything, but neither did he. He had nothing to say.

Walker felt numb internally, once again conflicted if he was glad she intervened, or saddened that it wasn’t over yet. Walker snorted and pushed past Celestia, making his way toward his tent. Law flinched back when Walker walked near him, and the motion caused Walker to stop. He cast a short glare at the man’s rifle.

“Put your safety on Private. You’re a danger to everyone here.”

Walker didn’t wait for the man to acknowledge him, but he thought he heard a click behind him as he walked away. He tuned out everything else as he made his way back to his tent, the glares and the whispers rolling off his deaf ears. He found the green tent as he left it. Walker idly brushed the dust from the blanket before crawling under it as he closed out the sunlight.

Walker sighed when he heard footsteps approach the tent.

“Go away. I’m not in the mood for conversation.”

Walker was surprised when it was Seal who replied instead of Celestia.

“Good, because I’m not here to talk with you, I am here to yell at you. That little performance out there? Unacceptable, I don’t care what happened to you. You just tried to encourage one of your men to shoot you in the head, in front of everyone. I’m not going to leave this tent until I drill it through your skull that your actions have severe consequences. Especially when you pull that kind of stunt.”

Walker growled, poking his head out of the blanket.

“That wasn’t some stunt Captain! How dare you. You don’t care about what happened? Big surprise, because you don’t know what happened, not completely. Tell me Captain Walker, have you been unmade? Have you had someone in your head trying to turn you against the people you would call friend? Have you heard millions of voices, all packed into your head so that it feels like you’ll explode or go insane? Because that’s what happened, Captain,” Walker spat. He grabbed the packet that still sat on his nightstand and threw it at Seal’s feet.

“Go ahead Captain, take a good long look,” Walker said. “I haven’t read much yet, but I can assure you that the physical changes weren’t the only thing that got left behind.”

Walker flopped onto his side, facing away from Seal.

“How long Captain? Will I just snap, maybe kill a few guys in the process? Maybe attack a pony or two? I’d rather take a bullet in the skull than take that chance.”

He heard Seal bend over, brushing the dirt off of the packet before setting back on the nightstand. Walker heard the man open his mouth as he tried to speak his mind, but eventually he gave up, sighing with anger as he turned to leave. Then he laughed.

“I think I’ve figured it out Colonel.”

Walker tried to screw his ears shut, he hated that laugh. It felt unnatural, lacking humor in any way shape or form. Walker put up a small wall of anger to block it out.

“And just what have you figured out Captain?”

“That you’re a coward sir. You know that you could be just as fine as always, but you choose to sit here and isolate yourself. Everyone is looking to you.”

“To see if I recover?” Walker snorted mockingly.

“To see I you don’t,” Seal replied. “The big scare is that horrible what if? What if I get turned into a bug next? You’ve got the eyes of humanity on your shoulders to see if you can get back up again, and so far, you’ve come up short sir. Not because some bullshit bug is still in your head, but because you won’t saddle up and roll with the hand you’ve been dealt. You don’t want to recover sir, and that’s what makes you a coward.”

Walker could almost feel the words embed themselves into his spine. Anger and sadness warred in his chest. Seal was absolutely right. Walker didn’t want to recover. He was still fighting to see if he even wanted to live. The action with the private had been one end of the extreme, played out in front of everyone. Seal’s words about consequences flashed in his head, making Walker sink lower. He pulled the blanket tighter to his chest as he screwed his eyes shut.

Lost in himself, he didn’t notice when Seal grabbed the stool, sitting at his bedside, the informational packet in his hand. It was only when he heard the man flip a page that he realized he was even still there. Walker tried to ignore him, but he felt his ire rise as he heard each page turn. Walker forced away the anger, knew that Seal was intentionally getting under his skin.

Seal began to hum a nothing tune, and Walker’s head shot up in aggravation.

“Captain, if there is nothing else, get out. I don’t need you here.”

Seal looked at him with a blank expression.

“That, sir, is an utter lie, and as I said before, I’m going nowhere before I can get you thinking again. I have all the time in the world, my squad has been assigned to guard duty of significant personnel, and you qualify. If you want me gone, you have a list to complete before I leave.”

“And what is this list?” Walker said through gritted teeth.

Seal smiled smugly.

“I’m glad you asked. First, you are going to walk to the mess tent, three times a day, and eat with Sergeant Phillips and Private Richardson. They will report to me that you eat every scrap of food put in front of you.”

Seal counted the second task on his finger.

“Then, you will pay a visit to Phillips in the medical tent so that he can conduct daily physical examinations. The only way we’re keeping science boys off your back is by Phillips doing routine checks and keeping you in shape, which brings me to number three; you have to do a supervised lap around the base, twice a day to make sure you get your exercise.”

Seal cocked his head and put on a fake pout.

“For your health of course.”

“And the fourth?” Walker growled.

Seal dropped his fingers and leaned forward, his demeanor becoming much more serious.

“The last item is an apology. Not to me, not to the men, but to Princess Celestia. I caught some of what you said to her, and frankly, since you started trying to pull intel from the bug queen, you’ve become an ass. The first three are tasks I’ve been ordered to oversee, but the final one is personal. You’re driving away the people who care about you, and I’m not going to let that happen. You’re going to accept our help whether you like it or not.”

He spread his hands.

“Once you meet these conditions, you’re free to mope all you want, free of mean old Captain Walker.”

“Fuck you,” Walker replied, flipping back onto his side.

Seal sighed and shrugged.

“So be it Colonel. I have all the time in the world to wait. The world moves on, but I will stay right here until you are ready to move with it.”

Seal began flipping through the pages again as Walker stared at the wall. Outside, a cold breeze began to blow.

Author's Note

Been awhile since the last chapter, but here we are!
A forewarning, from this chapter forward in the story, there will be very little combat. It will largely focus on psychological effects and coming to terms with change. While widespread world events will be discussed by the characters, little in the way of physical conflict will occur. Just a warning.

Chapter 7: ...situation...stabilizing...

Walker flopped onto his cot; his ears perked back as he heard Seal sit lightly on his. Three days had passed, and Walker had successfully kept to three parts of the list. Every morning, midday, and evening, he and Seal would walk to the mess tent. Everyone knew to keep well clear, and they encountered no more soldiers, as well as no more spitting. They would then sit at a prearranged table, where Richardson and Phillips were waiting. Most meals they ate in silence, but sometimes the three would chatter, talking about camp life and other equally worthless information. Any time Walker tried to get information about the war outside the camp, Seal shut it down, stating that if Walker wanted to be involved, he had to complete the entire list. Walker eventually learned to eat in silence, never voicing his opinion on anything. He resented the pity he saw in Richardson’s eyes.

After the morning meal would come a morning jog. It wasn’t anything strenuous like a PT run, but it did warm Walker up slightly as they ran around the camp. It also had the added effect of getting him used to moving on four legs rather than two. He still wasn’t adept at getting himself up when he fell, but his new motor functions were slowly improving. The past few days had seen a thick wall of clouds roll overhead, covering the sun and bringing a sharp nip to the night air. Most nights found Walker shivering in his cot, unable to sleep due to a combination of his thoughts and the cold. He was too stubborn to ask for something to wear, so Walker got used to feeling cold and naked. At least his bait and tackle didn’t just dangle around where everyone could see.

By the afternoon, Walker felt drained, but Seal would drag him to medical tent so that Phillips could ask the same dozen questions each day. As he did so, he would take a blood sample, a skin (or was it chitin?) sample, and then a hair sample. When Walker asked about why he still had hair, the medic had no response. It was abnormality according to the information provided by the Equestrians, and it left Phillips scratching his head, especially since it was only a slightly different color from Walker’s human hair.

Once the medical exam was done, and the final meal of the day was over, Walker dragged his feet back to his tent, falling limply onto his cot. Seal always walked beside him, silent. He didn’t even speak when they would pass the tent where Celestia slept; no words of encouragement to fill out the list in its entirety, just a quiet promise to remain at Walker’s side until he did it of his own volition. This silent, watchful presence had two effects on Walker. The first was irritation bordering on rage. If Walker tried to deviate at all from the unofficial schedule, he was met by Seal steering him back on track, blocking him with the line that if he wanted to do something, he had to complete the list. The second effect was gratitude. Despite his best efforts to remain miserable, he was glad to move about, even if it was limited. Seal’s constant presence acted as a guard rail for Walker, a person to lean on when he needed to. Coupled with the routine meals with Richardson and Phillips, Walker felt a semblance of norm return to his life.

It left Walker feeling guilty as he realized why they were doing it, and why he was such an ass for treating them as he did. He just couldn’t quite suppress his anger, nor his sense of loss. He desperately wanted to apologize, but any time he attempted to do so his anger would flare up over something insignificant, or he would spiral into depression, laying on his side, unmoving, for hours. The only silver lining was the Seal didn’t say anything when Walker flew off the handle. He simply took the verbal abuse silently before either pushing Walker forward in an activity, or letting him calm down in bed.

After one such incident late at night, Walker flopped limply into bed, shivering as he felt tears stream down his cheeks once more. Seal sighed deeply, draping Walker’s blanket over him before settling on his own cot. That brought Walker to now, as he listened to Seal’s breathing, waiting for the man to go to sleep. Once it was deep enough, Walker slipped from beneath his blanket, rubbing at his face to wipe away the tears. He shivered as the cold touched his body, it had only gotten progressively colder over the last few days. Despite only being October, the weathermen were already calling for snow. An overall positive as it seemed that changelings couldn’t survive in colder climates, giving fresh opportunities for offensives against the bugs as they retreated south. Walker just wished he knew what the push would be; he hated being left in the dark.

There was only one solution to that, as Seal had made abundantly clear. Walker needed peace before he could act, however. He didn’t need support on the mission he had to embark on. It was one he had to succeed or fail at alone. He crept from the tent silently, doing his best to avoid getting near Seal as the man slept. Despite the dark, Walker could see just fine, something he had his loathsome new body to thank for. Despite their outward appearance, his eyes were much more adept at seeing in low-light than his human eyes had been, and despite himself, Walker was glad for the change. It made things easier, especially now.

He slipped out of the tent flap, his ears pinning themselves to the side of his head as the outside chill hit him in the face. The grey clouds above seemed still, and the camp felt virtually silent, an abnormality for an operational military camp. Walker trotted toward Celestia’s tent as quick as he could without looking odd. He still got glares, and Walker felt exposed without his normal escort. He received no harassment as he went though, so each step made him slightly more confident.

Until he was actually standing in front of the tent that was. Walker gulped nervously as he raised a hoof to knock on the piece of plywood that acted as a way to “knock” on the tent’s entrance. Now that he was standing here, the task seemed impossibly daunting. He had driven her away intentionally, had never taken up her offer to talk, and then had attempted an assisted suicide which she had only barely stopped. That look of anger… Would she even want to talk to him? Would she want to hear an apology, or had he destroyed whatever friendship they had irreparably?

Walker took a deep breath and knocked on the plank, waiting in the cold as he heard somebody stir in the tent. He was surprised when Princess Luna stuck her head out of the tent flap rather than Celestia. She glared at him with cold green eyes.

“What do you want changeling?”

Walker flinched at that. He couldn’t back down though, he had a job to do, even if it hurt.

“I-I was hoping to speak to Celestia,” he stammered fearfully. Luna was staring at him in a way that made him… nervous. Or was it a result of the cold? Walker didn’t know and he shrugged off the extraneous question. Princess Luna’s frown deepened.

“And what makes you think that she would interrupt her busy schedule to talk to the likes of you?” Luna said.

Walker flinched again, cringing under that withering, hateful glare.

“I-… I just thought I should come apologize. I k-know I’ve said some things, b-but I thought sh-she would like to h-hear an apology at least.”

The cold was getting deeper into his body now. Walker couldn’t stop his teeth from chattering, couldn’t keep the stutter from his voice. Luna smirked, then stepped out into the cold, unflinching as she towered to her full height.

“You have nothing to say to my sister changeling. Be gone from this place,” she said firmly.

Walker shivered; but he held his ground.

“S-she said to-to come talk with her,” Walker chattered. “A-and I-… I won’t leave until I’ve said I’m sorry.”

Princess Luna flared her wings out, and Walker couldn’t help but drop down a little, making the pony seem much more intimidating. She bared her teeth as she growled at him, her voice low as she spoke.

“Listen well bug, I care not for your apologies, and neither does Celestia. You have brought strife and disharmony to the lives of everyone here, and you have driven her to new lows I thought she could not reach. Your words mean nothing; not to me, not to Celestia, and not to anyone. You have no friends, you have no family, and you have no value. Whatever falsehoods your former subordinates have made you believe are just that, false. They do not care for you. They will never care for you.”

Walker flinched back, retreating a few steps. Princess Luna followed, stepping carefully as tears began to flow down his cheeks. Walker shook his head and tried to close his ears as she continued.

“You are a worthless, spineless, ugly, hated bug. You will never find happiness in your life, and you will find no solace here. In time, all will see you properly, as the disgusting creature you are. You are a wretch changeling. If you believe you can corrupt my sister, then you are sorely mistaken.”

She rose to her full height, her wings fully spread as she finished.

“Now begone from this place, do not return, or I will personally make you suffer for the rest of your valueless life.”

Walker whimpered softly, before turning on his heels and running away from the blue princess. He ran not toward the safety tent, but toward the latrines, where he knew there was a hole in the fence. An escape. It remained unobserved, and it was the only place Walker knew to run.

He ignored the sensation of pain as the fence scraped his back as he scrambled under the metal chain links and out into the dark trees. As he ran, snow began to fall.

*****

“Who was it Luna?” Celestia asked as her sister came back into their shared tent.

Celestia was laying on her stomach, her eyes gazing deadly at the paperwork before her. She was saddened that Cornelius had not yet decided to pay her a visit, but she knew that he would, given more time. He was proud as a human, and that pride, along with all of his accomplishments, were ripped away when he became something he had fought so hard against. To see a friend brought so low was painful to bear, but Celestia knew that in time, she could get Cornelius back on his feet, get him back to the brave soldier she had known for far too short a time.

Luna laid down gracefully onto her pillow bed.

“Twas nothing sister, merely a guard delivering a report from the gate. A minor disturbance, nothing more.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Celestia asked, concern rising in her voice.

Luna smiled and shook her head.

“Nay ‘Tia, just a simple wrong that needed righting. Nothing to worry about.”

Celestia frowned at the ambiguous language, but she shrugged it off. She trusted her sister completely, even if they sometimes differed in opinion. Celestia didn’t understand her sister’s profound hatred for Cornelius, but she knew that, that too, would fade in time. Luna smiled at her and shifted closer so that they were pressed together, sharing the warmth of each other’s company. Luna rested her head on Celestia’s back.

“Sleep now sister, all will still be well in the morning. There is nothing more to do this night.”

Celestia sighed, resting her chin against the pillows below her.

“Of course, Luna, I just worry is all.”

She felt Luna smile.

“Save the worrying for the ‘morrow sister. Even you need rest.”

Celestia felt a slight smile touch her lips as she nodded silently in agreement, gently pulling her sister closer. Even with the enchantments to their tent, the chill air still touched everything. It would certainly be a cold night.

*****

Seal woke with a start, the dream he had been having shattered as a chill ran up his spine. The man sat up, rubbing his arms fiercely as he tried to ward of the cold of the air. He had gone to sleep warm, with nothing covering his body, but now he definitely needed a blanket. And if he needed something…

Seal looked over to the cot next to him, and was surprised to find it empty. Seal rolled out of his cot and placed a hand on the empty space, finding it very cold, like it had been unoccupied for some time. Seal got to his feet, habitually grabbing his rifle as walked out the tent. His breath came out in a fog as he looked into the night air, colored only with the bright lamps of the camp that made the snow fall dance in the dark.

Seal checked the ground for check for tracks, but found none leading from the tent, meaning Walker had left before it began snowing. Seal checked his watch; 10:30. Dipping back into the tent briefly, Seal came out in a thick jacket. It was only going to get colder, and if Walker was out in it… Seal didn’t think about that, instead focusing his mind to piece together where the man turned changeling went.

Seal started by finding Phillips and Richardson, rousing them from their rest as he threw their tent flaps open widely, letting the vaguely warm air slip out.

“Have either of you seen Walker?” he asked as they sat up, rubbing at their bleary eyes. Phillips was the first to respond.

“Not since dinner. Why? Wasn’t he with you?”

Seal grimaced.

“He was, but he left the tent while I was sleeping. Hasn’t been there in some time.”

Richardson didn’t say anything as he began slipping his boots on. Seal looked at the man in confusion.

“What are you doing Private?”

The man’s eyes glistened in the light as they stared at Seal.

“The Colonel’s missing Captain, you think I’m going to sit around and wait until he’s found? No, all this shit we’ve been doing the last couple days is as real for me as it is for you. He’s been hurting real bad, and I’m thinking he ran off because he tried to finish that list you’ve been pushing at him and something went wrong. You saw those looks he’s been having. He wants to work, and you’ve been locking that down behind one thing.”

Seal nodded. That made a lot of sense. It explained why Walker snuck out, as well as why he hadn’t come back. If he believed that he would be rejected… Phillips followed Richardson’s lead and flipped his leg out, tugging on a pair of pants, followed by his boots and jacket. Seal looked back to Richardson, who was already pulling on his jacket.

“Private, Sergeant, gather as many men as you can that are willing and friendly to Colonel Walker as possible. Hopefully Private Richardson is wrong, but I have a nasty feeling he isn’t. We’ll need a search party, but I only want friendly faces who won’t try to shoot the colonel on sight.”

Richardson nodded as he grabbed his rifle and helmet.

“Where do you want to meet up with us?” he asked.

“By Walker’s tent, we’ll start from there if my lead doesn’t pan out.”

Richardson nodded, and Seal quickly strode from the tent, his pace breaking into a jog as he made his way toward Princess Celestia’s tent. Seal slammed his fist into the tent “knocker” and then barged his way in, not waiting for a response. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both raised their heads as he entered, their expressions drowsy, yet attentive.

“Mhm, what is it Captain?” Princess Luna asked. “Is there an attack?”

Seal shook his head.

“No, I’m looking for Colonel Walker. He hasn’t been in the tent for some time and nobody has seen him. I thought I would check here before sending out a search party.”

Celestia quickly untangled herself from her sister as she got to her feet.

“No, we have only had a guard visit, but Luna took care of it. Do you have any idea why he would run away? I thought he was beginning to show positive signs of recovery.”

Seal nodded as he ran his tongue over his teeth. His eyes were on the blue princess, who was working hard to look nonchalant while also avoiding his eyes.

“He was Princess, in fact, I would even say he had made it to a point where he would come to talk to you. Unless of course, somebody barred his path.”

Princess Celestia followed his eyes to her sister.

“Luna? Did you see Cornelius?”

Princess Luna sniffed and looked toward her sister; her chin high.

“I have not sister. As I said, it twas only a guard reporting a minor disturbance at the front gate.”

Seal smelled BS.

“A disturbance huh? Why don’t you give me the guard’s name Princess? I can check to see if this disturbance is truly minor.”

She looked at him in panic.

“I-I don’t think that’s necessary Captain. You have a search to conduct after all.”

Princess Celestia was now staring at her sister in shock, while Seal was pointedly glaring at the blue pony.

“Luna, what did you do?”

Princess Luna looked at her sister.

“Please Tia, it was for your own good!” she said, her tone desperate. “I merely said what we all believed, and my effort was successful, the waiting danger in our camp is no longer!”

Seal felt the temperature in the tent rise dramatically. Waves of heat seemed to radiate off of Princess Celestia as her fury grew. Seal stepped in before the pony exploded in rage. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she glared at him, but Seal remained firm.

“Princess, we don’t have time for anger. It’s snowing out there, and I went through that packet page by page. If Walker is out there, he could be dead within an hour, and I don’t know how long he’s been gone.”

The anger faded in her eyes, moving from an inferno to a simmer. Seal continued.

“We are working against the clock, and the longer we wait, the farther he gets and the less chance we have of bringing him back alive. I need you to focus on that, and let anger come later.”

Princess Celestia nodded, and Seal took a step back as she began putting on her armor. Seal then turned back to Princess Luna, his anger returning in full force. She flinched under the heat of his glare.

“I-I can make this right!” she said. “Let me help with the search, I can-..”

Seal cut her off with a raised hand.

“The only way you can make this right, is by telling me which way he ran, and then staying out of the way. The search party will consist only of those who still see the man, not the bug, and you have more than proven that you do not.”

Princess Luna’s eyes fell, and Seal could see a tear drop. Princess Celestia crouched near her sister, her armor already on fully.

“Luna, this is a nearly unforgivable act, but one that I will forgive you for if you simply help us save him. Please.”

Princess Luna looked up at her older sister, her eyes tearful. She wrapped her sister in a tight hug, sobbing as she pointed out the tent.

“He ran toward the latrines! I did not seem him leave. Please sister, I am sorry! I did not seek to hurt you, I only sought to keep you safe!”

Princess Celestia sighed, returning the hug as she comforted the sobbing pony. She looked to Seal, and he nodded, departing the tent as he marked where he would go first.

With a whistle, Seal waved over the dozen or so men waiting outside of his tent. They ran over, and fell in line with Seal as he walked quickly toward the latrines. He was surprised to see one face among the group; he hadn’t seen the man in days. Still, he didn’t have time for idle chatter, they had a job to do. Seal turned around, walking backwards as he addressed the men.

“Alright, here’s the situation. Colonel Walker has been driven out by a hostile party. Considering the swiftness of his departure, I would assume he has been emotionally cracked, if not broken entirely. He may not be looking for help, making our job harder. You will have to be looking hard to find him, and as it stands, this may already be a retrieval op. He’s been dangerously exposed to the cold, and there is no telling how far he’s gotten.”

Seal paused, noting the grim expressions facing him.

“That won’t stop us from trying. Should you find him, getting him warm is the number one priority. He’s a bit smaller, so putting him in your jacket should do the trick. Be cautious approaching him, as he may resist help, but be forceful enough and he’ll get over it.”

Seal glanced over his shoulder, saw the latrines fast approaching. He turned back to the men.

“He was last seen running in this direction. One man will remain behind to check each latrine, and then remain here in case Walker comes back. Cook, that’s on you.”

Princess Celestia sprinted into the rear of the group, falling in as Seal continued without a hitch.

“Everyone else will be hopping the fence with me to search outside. Though he hasn’t demonstrated a willingness to do so, he has wings and has the potential to fly. Hoping a fence would be a breeze, and all likelihood, that’s what he did. We’ll conduct a short search in here and then go outside, keeping at the edges of radio range to get a wide pattern. Clear?”

Everyone nodded. Seal spun back around so that he was walking straight again.

“Then let’s get to work.”

*****

Walker shivered violently as he plodded forward, his eyes facing the ground. He had no idea where he was walking to, and he didn’t much care. Luna’s words had cut to his core, confirming every dark thought that he had been slowly pushing at for days. The wind was at a howl now, and snow was plastered to his wings and his hair. Even his tears had begun freezing on his face. Walker pressed on however; he knew he had no place behind him.

Walker stumbled into a clearing, a creek splitting it down the middle. Before he could even approach the flowing water, he fell limply into an already formed snowbank, the cold finally claiming his legs as they became too cold to move. The snow burned against his face, but Walker didn’t care as he curled into a ball, trying his best to stay warm. As he rubbed at his legs, Walker heard someone cackle, the voice piercing through the wind. He weakly lifted his head to see a tall changeling standing there, her green eyes shining in the darkness. Her teeth widened as she noticed Walker staring at her.

“What did I tell you drone? Did I not say you would die, suffering and alone? No friends to speak of? This was the fate I promised you, was it not?” she cackled madly, walking forward until she was pressed against his side.

Walker felt no heat radiate from her body, if anything, he felt colder. Walker pressed deeper into the snow, trying to escape the feeling of her chitinous body pressing against his. She smiled down at him.

“Ah, poor stupid drone. Worthless to any and all. At least at my side you could have been something, but now? Look at you. Cold and alone. Pathetic.”

Walker placed a hoof over his ears as he closed his eyes.

“Go away,” he whimpered. “You’re not real.”

That made her laugh harder.

“Of course I’m not real you simpering idiot! I am merely in your head and that’s what makes this all the worse, doesn’t it?”

She leaned close. Walker could almost feel her sharp teeth on his neck, or was that the biting cold of the snow?

“Despite what anyone tries to make you think, I will always be waiting, always making sure that nobody cares for you. And in truth, my job is already finished, because nobody does. I just wanted your last moments to be suffering.”

Walker whimpered, curling as tightly as he could as she began cackling again. Through his eyelids, Walker thought he saw a flash of light. The changeling’s laughing ceased as Walker cracked open his eyes, searching out the light, a flicker of hope in his chest. The changeling glared down at him.

“Nobody is coming for you Walker. Nobody values you enough.”

Walker shivered as he tried to push himself up, but his numb hooves slipped on the slick ground and he fell on his side into the snowdrift once more. He saw a beam of light cut through the trees, and he weakly tried to raise a forehoof, his voice catching in his throat as the cold seemed to seep deeper. The changeling pressed on his chest, making his heart beat slower.

“Die Walker, do the world a favor and die,” the bug growled. “It is what you want, it is what everyone wants. Just sink back into the snow, and die.”

Walker felt his eyes droop. He couldn’t fight the changeling, she was too strong, and he was so cold. The light moved closer now, and Walker felt it briefly brush over his body. He tried to call out, only managing a squeak as his chest tightened. The changeling on top of him growled, pressing down harder. Walker couldn’t find his breath, could feel a warm sensation creeping up his legs.

“Die damn you! You are an unloved freak!” the changeling shrieked in his ears. “Die!”

The light came back as Walker shifted again, and the changeling disappeared. Walker faintly heard footsteps crunching in the snow as the man approached. He was rolled forcefully out of the snow as his rescuer scooped him up. Walker put up no fight. He couldn’t even feel his legs, or much of his torso.

Suddenly, Walker found himself feeling very warm, the cold disappearing as he was pressed tightly into somebody’s body, their jacket zipping closed behind him. Walker couldn’t work up the effort to be embarrassed, just snuggled closer to the warmth as he smiled happily, his pony-bug instincts taking over while his mind struggled to recover. His ear’s flicked as he heard the man say;

“I’ve got him Captain. Let’s head home.”

Walker cracked open his eyes as he looked at the man that was carrying him like a lost puppy. He was mildly surprised to see that it was Sergeant White, a man that had made a point of avoiding him. White looked down, saw the changeling staring back and put on a fake smile.

“Don’t worry Colonel, we’re going to make sure you’re alright.”

Walker blinked before sinking back against the man’s chest, sighing softly. Despite the fact that he very much shouldn’t be so comfortable being so physically close with one of his soldiers, Walker couldn’t find it within himself to care. Instead, he simply sat, relishing in the heat pouring off the man’s body as he walked briskly, one hand under Walker, keeping him within the jacket.

As his limbs began to warm, Walker shifted slightly, moving to a more comfortable position. When he had been shoved into the jacket, all four of his legs had been pinned against White’s chest, but now, as feeling came back, Walker began to feel slightly cramped. Additionally, the sharp ends of his hooves would occasionally stab into White’s side, making the man grunt. So, to fix both of their discomforts, Walker shifted so that one of his forelegs was free, while the other three wrapped around White’s body loosely, acting as a method by which Walker could hold on. As he adjusted, Walker noticed something missing on White’s jacket sleeve.

Drowsily he asked;

“Sergeant, where is your ring?”

The man seemed startled by the question, and he shifted his shoulder, a sign to Walker that he knew exactly what Walker was talking about.

“What ring sir? I’m not married,” White responded, trying his best not to look down at the changeling sticking out his jacket.

Walker ran his tongue across his teeth, trying not to wince when he almost stabbed it on a fang.

“Sergeant do not play dumb with me. Where is your ring?” He sniffed, sneezing softly.

Walker growled at his pony-like cuteness. He was a soldier damnit, not a puppy.

The man shifted his weight, but remained silent, staring straight ahead as he walked. Walker huffed, thinking how he could pry an answer from the man. He had observed the ponies doing something that seemed effective, and hell, his eyes were still normal, it might be an effective tool if he was going to be stuck looking like a pony-bug.

Walker shifted his head so that it was directly below White’s chin.

“Sergeant look at me,” he said forcefully.

White looked down, and Walker did his best impression of pony-puppy dog eyes, widening them as he produced some tears. On top of that, he stuck out his bottom lip and whimpered softly. White sighed and looked up.

“Sir, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

His voice was unconvincing. His eyes would flick down every few seconds. Walker knew he had him, he just needed to try harder. Imitating a cat, Walker lightly kneaded the man’s chest as he let out a louder whimper, spreading his eyes as wide as possible to sucker the man in.

Walker felt a bit happier when it worked. His tail wagged slightly, as White sighed, looking down at him.

“It’s gone Colonel.” White said, his voice tinged with sadness. “I gave it back to Captain Armor after what happened at Overlord.”

Walker stewed in silence for a moment, his mind still extremely fuzzy. Thinking was a chore right now, but he was sure he could press through, find the issue, and solve it. He looked up at White, then an idea popped into his head.

“Tell me what happened at Overlord Sergeant, when you found me. I don’t remember much.”

White sighed.

“Well, your transmissions had been coming through to us the whole time,” he started. “We tracked your progress, Princess Celestia tracked your conversion. She kept… talking to herself, listing the symptoms over and over as she planned to save you. From the beginning Colonel, she was getting ready to make sure you made it out.”

White sighed again.

“I wish I had her loyalty.”

Walker snorted, leaning into the man’s chest, listening to his heart thud away.

“Sergeant, I have no doubt in my mind that you do. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be carrying me right now. Continue.”

White didn’t look down as he spoke, and Walker knew that he was avoiding looking at Walker. In truth, Walker could relate to that. He still hadn’t looked at himself fully, hadn’t read the packet of symptoms to expect. If he expected to do anything of substance again, he would need to be fully briefed on everything and anything changeling. Perhaps even visit other partial converts to see how they coped. Walker frowned as he thought, listening to White at the same time.

“When you began to sound disorientated, like the changelings were getting to you, I began to prepare for…” White fell silent, and Walker looked up to see tears falling.

Walker cocked his head as he watched the tears stream down White’s face. His mind briefly whispered that the man was crying for a reason. It took his cold addled brain a second to figure out why. When it did, everything clicked, and Walker felt a brief moment of mental clarity.

“You feel guilty for trying to kill me before I turned. That’s why you gave the ring back,” Walker said simply, looking up to White.

The man stopped walking, and Walker felt the man’s chest heave under his hooves. Tears poured down now as a sob escaped White.

“Sir, I gave the ring back because I don’t deserve it. I tried to kill you Colonel, I tried to shoot you when Princess Celestia and Shining Armor said they had a solution, and I was so stupid and couldn’t get it through my head that they might have been right. I was apparently the only one who had an answer, and that answer was to kill you.”

Walker felt a flicker of irritation cut through the haze in his head.

“Sergeant, you had no way of knowing what would happen, and regardless, you didn’t pull the trigger. You are punishing yourself for an action you didn’t commit.”

“Sir, you don’t get it. Shining Armor wouldn’t even look at me. Nobody would. Why should they? I tried to kill you when everyone else said you would be fine.” White shook his head and began walking again. “I’m valueless Colonel. I’m just some idiot who can’t tell who his friends are. That makes me a liability.”

Walker sighed as the words White said drifted through his head, sounding awfully similar to what Walker had said to Celestia. Walker flattened his ears as he heard himself repeat a line she had said to him before he drove her away.

“No Sergeant, you’re merely human. You made a mistake. You shouldn’t let one moment ruin your life.”

White sniffed, wiping away his tears.

“It doesn’t matter sir. What’s done is done. There’s no going back.”

Walker frowned.

“Sergeant, while true, that doesn’t mean there is no going forward. You need to go talk to Shining Armor, and you need to get that ring back.”

White sighed and shook his head, pressing forward.

“No sir. It’s done. I can’t make him happy any more than I could be a good soldier for you. I’ve failed both of you, and nobody wants a failure.”

Walker’s frown deepened as anger began rising to the front of his mind, the fog parting momentarily as the anger built.

“Sergeant, you have failed nobody.”

White snorted.

“Respectfully sir, you’re wrong. I failed you as a Sergeant by failing to follow your orders and by failing to trust your judgement. I failed you and everyone else as a friend by failing to trust anyone. I didn’t listen and it very nearly got you killed. If Captain Walker wasn’t there… you may well have been.”

Walker cocked his head, his ears flopping with the motion.

“Did I die Sergeant?”

White sighed.

“Sir, that’s not the point.”

“Except that it is Sergeant. I already said this, but you are punishing yourself for an action you didn’t commit. If anything was worth punishing, would somebody else not have already begun punishing you?” Walker asked.

“Sir, just because nobody punished me, doesn’t mean I’m free of guilt. I failed and that’s that,” White said firmly, his face setting into a hard grimace as he refused to look down at Walker.

Walker frowned, staring at White’s shoulder as he tried to push his mind to find a solution. The conversation had become cyclical, and therefore, pointless. He needed a solution. As he combed through a well of half-baked ideas, a thought hit him. Why was he talking about this? Everyone still called him Colonel, so that had to mean he had some authority, right? Walker grinned smugly before rotating himself to face outward.

“Sergeant, stop walking forward,” he ordered.

He could feel a confused glance from White, but the man ignored the order.

“Sir, we’re still pretty far from camp, now really isn’t the time.”

Walker raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder at the man.

“I don’t believe I asked Sergeant. Cease your movement and prepare for further orders. If you refuse, I will find a punishment suitable to your crime.”

White slowed to a stop, and Walker could practically feel the confusion emanating from him.

“Sir, my crime?”

Walker raised his nose snootily in the air.

“Insubordination Sergeant, now release me so that I can dress you down properly.”

“Sir, I really don’t think now is th-..” White protested, but Walker cut in, his voice at a shout.

“Now Sergeant! Do not force me to repeat myself!”

White unzipped his jacket in one motion, and Walker was woefully unprepared to catch himself as he fell face first into the snow. He snorted out the wet dust as he immediately regretted his decision to leave the warm comfort of White’s jacket, but he couldn’t show weakness now. He needed to be an officer first, then he could act like a bug-pony. If he didn’t nip this in the bud now, White may well break under the guilt, and that was something Walker wouldn’t allow; bug or not. Walker got to his feet shakily, his legs slightly numb from their compression, but he did his best. He straightened to his full height; a good foot or two shorter than Sergeant White. The man looked down at him in obvious confusion and concern. Walker ran his tongue across his teeth.

“I don’t believe I need to tell you what attention looks like Sergeant,” Walker set firmly, trying to hide his shiver as the cold crept back in.

White snapped to, his arms flat against his body while his eyes stayed forward. Walker pretended to not notice the occasional glance down. He began pacing back and forth, his mind conjuring phantom images of his hands behind his back.

“Sergeant, listen carefully, because I will only give these orders once. You will follow them to the letter. Any less, and I promise you, whatever guilt you may feel now will be immeasurable to the guilt you feel when I dive headfirst into a frozen creek because of your disobedience. A man concerned with self-punishment and guilt is of no use to me, and I will no longer tolerate your shabby performance.”

White looked down at Walker like he was insane. His mouth began to open to speak, but Walker cut that off instantly.

“Remain at attention Sergeant!” Walker shouted.

White stiffened, his eyes remaining forward this time. Walker exhaled deeply, his mind coming online as he laid out his “orders” for White.

“Your first order Sergeant, is to stop feeling guilty.”

The man looked like he wanted to protest, but he wisely didn’t as Walker fixed him with a glare. When the man continued remaining still and silent, Walker grinned lightly and continued.

“This will be the final time I say this; you have nothing to be guilty for. It was the bugs and the bugs alone that did this to me. I don’t blame you, I don’t blame Seal, and I don’t blame Celestia.”

‘Though I have made an ass of myself coming to that conclusion,’ Walker thought.

Continuing, Walker said;

“If there is anyone here to blame Sergeant, it would be me for being so blindly stupid. I fell into every trap placed before me, and for that arrogance, I got my just dessert.”

White’s eyes flickered down.

“Sir I-“

Walker cut him off, hopping into the air to catch the man’s eyes.

“You’ll follow that order Sergeant; because despite what you think, you haven’t failed, neither as a Sergeant nor as a friend. I did not give an express order to shoot me should this,” he said gesturing at his body, “come to pass. I said, “I wished”, and that’s not an order. Second, you didn’t fail as a friend because it turns out that a certain tall white pony might be smart enough to tell when I make a poor decision. A monumental task since I’m never wrong, but she managed to figure it out.”

That brought a small smile to White’s face. Walker felt his heart lift slightly. He knew he was starting to get through, but now he to push hard to ensure it all stuck. Walker paused momentarily as he caught his breath. Being exposed in the cold was having an effect again, and his stupid changeling lungs weren’t helping. Walker lamented the loss of his human lungs, which could talk for hours uninterrupted. He sighed internally, making a note to work on his oratory skills. Back to the task at hand, however.

Walker made sure he caught White’s eyes firmly before he began again. This next part was important, and he needed to convey the power behind the order, even if he likely had no such power. White waited expectantly, and Walker saw a bit of nervousness there as well, likely a result of Walker’s tendency to snap back and forth between emotions. It wasn’t his fault his mind was getting fuzzy again.

“Your second order,” Walker began, “is that you are going to go up to Captain Armor, you are going to tell him about our little discussion here,” Walker jabbed a hoof into White’s chest, “you’re going to tell him everything you told me, and then you’re going to apologize and ask for that ring back.”

White looked like he wanted to protest again, but Walker cut him off once more, waggling a hoof in front of his face.

“Don’t you dare try and wiggle out of this either Sergeant. I’ve watched you two work; you operate like a seagull’s asshole when it’s eaten laxatives. Smoothly.”

White bit his lip as he tried not to smile. Walker grinned.

“These are your orders Sergeant, now you’re going to tell me that you’re going to follow them.” Walker tilted his head to the side, looking out into the darkness. “Or, should you decide not to, I’ll make your guilt real and bolt. I can guarantee that I will be far enough from camp to freeze to death with ease. Then you will have a reason to feel bad.”

Walker spun back around, ignoring the numbness on his face and feet as he looked at White, a smug smile on his face.

“So, what’s it going to be Sergeant? Are we going back together? Or am I going for the coldest jog of the rest of my life?”

The man seemed to think for a second. Walker shivered as a particularly nasty gust of wind blew past, going straight through the holes in his legs. Walker was really beginning to regret coming out here, but he steeled his mind. He needed to persevere, for White’s sake. White looked down at Walker, who stared defiantly back. The man smiled, and Walker could tell the expression was genuine.

“Alright sir, I’ll carry out your orders.”

Walker hopped up and down in victory, a smile on his face. He felt ridiculous doing the motion, but a small part of his brain said that it was a natural happy reaction, so Walker didn’t stop until White held a finger in the air.

“On one condition Colonel.”

Walker froze as he hit the ground, tensed as his eyes narrowed at White. The man’s smile was still present, and Walker had a feeling what the man was going to say.

“Only for the sake of humoring you Sergeant, what is this condition?” Walker asked cautiously.

White spread his hands.

“Sorry sir, but if you’re going to issue orders like those, you’re going to need something similar in return. I know I haven’t been around, but I’ve heard enough. You need to get back up, get back to work. I’ll follow your orders only if I know more will soon follow. Only if you resume your position in its entirety.”

Walker sighed.

“Sergeant, I’m not sure that will be entirely possible. I haven’t made contact with command; I’ve alienated most of the troops… I’ve driven away my friends,” Walker said glumly, looking at the snow beneath his hooves. “Who’s going to want me back now? Nobody, that’s who.”

“Maybe, but how did you say it sir?” White said, gazing mockingly upward as if in deep thought. He snapped his fingers. “Ah yes, “that doesn’t mean there’s no going forward”. Your exact words, sir.”

Walker glared at the man. White shrugged.

“I don’t think I have to point out that I was part of a search party for you sir. That means somebody still cares, and honestly, that’s a good start point.”

The man grinned smugly.

“Besides, if you want to play the guilt trip game, I can take a nice seat against the tree over there. Maybe take off my jacket, let my feet breathe for a minute. It’s so interesting that a human can die from exposure just like a changeling, isn’t it sir?”

White was mocking him. Unfortunately, he was right, and if Walker refused, he would be refusing the same logic he used to bring White back. Walker huffed, throwing a hoof up in defeat.

“Fine!” he shouted into the wind. “I’ll try to get my job back! You win Sergeant! Happy?”

White smiled.

“That I am sir. It’s good to have you back. I think this was just the thing we both needed to get up again.”

Walker shivered violently.

“Let’s not make a habit of it,” He mumbled. His teeth began to chatter again, and now with the crisis past, his mind began to slip once more as the cold crept in from all sides. White said something that Walker didn’t hear. His eyes looked out into the dark, searching for nothing. He felt hypnotized by the snowfall, and he didn’t notice White approach until it was too late.

White grabbed him with both hands, though this time Walker had enough strength and focus to put up a mild fight as he tried to wiggle free.

“Put me down Sergeant! I can walk on my own.”

White stuffed him into his jacket once again, zipping it tightly closed.

“No sir. We’re still almost a mile from camp, and you’re already freezing again. I’m in command until we’re back where it’s warm.”

Walker opened his mouth to protest, but found whatever words he wanted to say consumed by a yawn. Without anything to focus on, the pony-bug instincts he had managed to repress returned in full force. Walker snuggled close to White’s chest as the man began to move again. It didn’t take long for Walker, his mind finally calm, and his body warm, to fall asleep.

Author's Note

Just a note, but I will be editing some of the previous chapters (because boy are they rough.) Nothing significant to the plot his changing, but a multitude of mistakes and style changes are being fixed, so if anyone wishes to read a better version (or point out more mistakes I missed) I welcome you to do so!

Chapter 8: Situation Green

Walker groaned softly as he awoke in a fog. Everything felt fuzzy, and as he tried to crack open his eyes, all he could see was a haze. Someone behind him said something in a male voice, that much he could tell. Piecing together what memory he could, Walker snagged his blanket and pulled it tighter around his body as he shut out the calm yellow light around him. He was likely in his tent, and that meant he was free to curl into a comfortable, warm, ball until he wanted differently.

“Go away Seal, I wanna sleep in today,” he grumbled.

Walker heard what sounded like chuckling, then his changeling nose picked up something very familiar. A shadow crouched down next to his head, and a hand extended with a cup of steaming, wonderful liquid inside.

“Come on Colonel, I know every good army man loves coffee. Poke that pony head of yours out if you want any.

Walker debated the wisdom of doing so, clearly the coffee was brought with intention, but at the same time, it was coffee! Walker stuck only his nose out of his blanket, sniffing the air carefully with his improved nose to ensure it wasn’t a trap. When he confirmed that the liquid was indeed coffee, he reached out with one hoof, trying to grab the cup. He growled softly when Seal moved it away.

“Ah ah ah,” the man said, “you don’t get the cup until I see your head. You can sleep more when we’re done, but we’ve got to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself.”

Walker huffed and sat up, glaring out from beneath his cover at Seal, who only smiled broadly back. Squinting against the light in the tent, Walker pushed his makeshift hood back and glared tiredly at Seal, then he motioned to the cup.

“Well? You saw me, now hand it over.”

Seal rolled his eyes and passed the cup over. Grasping it in his hooves, Walker quickly blew on it and drank a large gulp. Then, out of spite, he ducked back into his blanket and snuggled in, keeping the cup pulled tight against his chest as the blanket fell and blocked out the bright light of the tent. He didn’t know why, but doing so just felt right, like an instinct told him it was the proper thing to do. His usual cot felt softer than normal, and as he snuggled in, he was sure that someone had been kind enough to find a pillow for him to lean against. He'd need to thank them later.

Seal sighed and Walker heard him stand up.

“Colonel… I really don’t know what to say other than this is not very mature of you.”

Walker was surprised when his pillow shifted, giving a warm, and somewhat happy answer.

“It is quite alright Seal; Cornelius is merely adapting to a bit of his biology. The magic I used to preserve his mind adjusted his psyche just slightly. Cornelius is largely unchanged, but he is a bit more of a snuggle bug now, pardon the pun. I required just a bit of pony to preserve his mind and sections of his old body, hence the hair and the pony-esque eyes.”

Walker didn’t particularly like the sound of that, or rather, most of his mind didn’t. A small part sitting near the back whispered that it was natural to want to feel warm and fuzzy. Walker frowned and took a sip at his coffee to wake himself up further. He needed to focus, and the caffeine would help with that. He recognized the voice of his pillow, and he needed to be alert and coherent when he spoke to her. A well thought out apology was out of the question, as he didn’t know what to say without sounding like an ass, sounding like a brown-noser, or breaking into tears. Walker scowled at his coffee cup in thought. He needed to do this right, Celestia was an important ally to humanity, and more personally, she was a friend. Hopefully. Walker prayed he hadn’t screwed the pooch on that yet.

The cuddly part of his mind cooed when Celestia rubbed a wing against his back, and Walker had to drive away the urge to snuggle up next to her. Instead, he downed the rest of his coffee, ignoring the burn as it went down his throat. He then popped his head free of his blanket, blinking rapidly to adjust his eyes to the brighter light of the tent. Seal watched him closely, not out of fear that he would attack, but likely to ensure that Walker hadn’t changed too substantially. Walker was glad that someone was watching for that, and he honestly hoped that if something was too out of the ordinary, the Delta operator would do something about it.

Walker cleared his throat as he turned around, doing his best not to fidget as he met Celestia’s eyes. Her white fur was pristine, and her magenta eyes held nothing but kindness as she waited patiently for him to speak. She was far too good a person to get mixed up with him, but it was already too late for the both of them, and Walker knew he could mend their friendship. He took a deep breath, screwed his eyes shut for a moment, then said.

“Princess, I just wanted to say that I am sorry for how I treated you, and that I would be honored if-…”

“Done,” she said with a wide smile.

Walker frowned at her.

“You didn’t let me finish.”

The alicorn shrugged.

“Indeed I didn’t, but I knew what you would say. You are an honorable man, and despite what you may believe, our friendship has never come under question. It has merely been strained. Your wish to mend that strain shows this as fact, and I, as well as many of your soldiers, welcome your return.”

Walker sighed and looked at the floor.

“I guess that brings us to the second topic of today, do I still have a command? I know some people are willing to trust me, but how many soldiers, man or pony, are willing to follow a changeling into battle?”

Celestia matched his sigh.

“I know not Colonel, but that is not a discussion for now. Captain Seal will continue to maintain the camp in your stead for the time being. While you have made some good progress, you will need to put real effort into being a combat leader again.”

Walker felt himself lift into the air, and he resisted the urge to flail as Celestia lifted him to her side. Put right against her raw fluff, Walker couldn’t resist snuggling against her side as her wing came down, wrapping him completely in warmth. Celestia smiled down at him as he got comfortable, his pony-bug senses overriding anything else. Seal snorted.

“Princess, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go check on some things. This seems… weird.”

Celestia rolled her eyes.

“Nonsense Captain, as I said before, Cornelius is simply adapting to his new body. Since it is a mix of changeling, human, and pony, it will take him some getting used to. This is merely an act that is encouraging the pony side, which in the coming days will be very important.”

Seal rolled his eyes and dipped out of the tent, while Walker looked up at the shining alicorn.

“Why’s that?” he asked, his voice muffled as his snout pressed into her fur.

Celestia smiled down at him.

“Your mind is still stabilizing from the rapid change. Before your trip into the forest, we were encouraging the human portion. You will notice that only your human friends engaged with you, yes? Now we shall handle the other side. With reinforcement on two fronts, and lack of attention on the third, any remaining changeling influence will dissipate. You will be happy to note that upon your mental stabilization, you will be completely immune to any further changeling magic. They won’t even be able to levitate you, let alone change your mind further.”

Walker blinked and let his eyes wander down to her snow-white fur for a moment. That was actually exceptional news. It meant he was an incorruptible soldier. It would take immense effort to remove him, and he would never betray his troops, no matter what happened. The key word was if the stabilization succeeded. He needed to make sure it did. The pony instincts seemed to know that he was going to let them lose, but he did so completely and without fear. If he was a bit more of a hugger, so what? The ponies had proven themselves in combat, and if he was a bit more pony in thought, it was worth it for having surety of mind.

Celestia chuckled as he snuggled deep into her fur. She did nothing to stop his efforts however, and if anything, she encouraged him as she wrapped her hooves around his torso.

“I think somepony has accepted what he is then. I must express my happiness Cornelius; I am glad you were quick to come to this conclusion.”

Walker snorted as he flipped over, staring up at her.

“Had to Princess. If it means perfect confidence in my own mind, I’ll be as much a pony as I need to be. It isn’t like you all are slouches in combat.”

Celestia nodded in agreement.

“True, but still, thank you Cornelius. Thank you for being quick to adapt and for being strong in the face of these changes. I cannot be easy for you.”

“Quick?” Walker echoed. “It took me almost a week, and almost dying, twice I might add, for me to reach this conclusion. I nearly pushed away everyone who still trusts me at the same time too.”

“You may not believe this,” Celestia said, “but that is actually one of the cleanest recoveries from a partial transformation we have ever witnessed. Perhaps it was because I had a personal hoof in intervening on your behalf, but you show strength of will and character to bounce back as you have. Once you have stabilized fully, I shall see no issue putting you back in command where you belong.”

Walker frowned as he stared up at her.

“If it’s your choice. I don’t see whatever chain of command we have left assigning someone who looks like a bug to command anything. I’d be lucky to be taken back on as a private, let alone a colonel.”

Celestia nuzzled the side of his neck, causing him to instinctively return the gesture.

“No matter what happens Cornelius, I want you. You are my friend, and if your government no longer wishes for your service, I shall take you on as a personal advisor.”

Walker sighed.

“Am I really your friend though? I’m fairly sure I said some nasty things that friends aren’t supposed to say to one another.”

Celestia clicked her tongue.

“Perhaps, but you said nothing I didn’t deserve. You had every right to be afraid and paranoid about the world around you, and you were and still are adjusting to a big change Cornelius. You are the first ever human-pony-changeling hybrid, and you seem to forget that two weeks ago, magic did not exist in any capacity in your world. Now, you are involved in a universe spanning war, and have been permanently changed as a result of your personal sacrifices to assist not only your soldiers, but mine as well. A bit of anger is justified I think, and if it makes you feel any better, I will always value our friendship, no matter what words may be said.”

She nuzzled his neck again, then wrapped him tighter in her wings.

“No matter what happens, you will be my little pony from now forward. I shall always vouch for you should the worst happen. I do not think it will, however.”

Walker’s muzzle curled in distaste and he had to resist the urge to spit. It wouldn’t do to ruin Celestia’s blankets. Still, he did not like the childish sounding nature of the alicorn’s words.

“That sounds like something out of a kids show,” Walker said in mild disgust.

Celestia smiled.

“Perhaps, but it is my intention to keep you close at my side. Like it or not, you are at least partially a pony now, and that makes you unofficially a subject of mine.”

She looked up and rested her chin in his hair.

“Of course I shall do my best to ensure that you retain your human citizenship, as well as your position with your people. While I have no issues taking you in as one of mine, I want you to act in your government’s stead. Almost like a foreign advisor in my court, save that this will be in a military circumstance.”

She scowled momentarily.

“I truly do not wish to involve myself with some kind of posturing fool who is looking to make power plays. We are equals in this endeavor, and while you have respected that relationship fully, I do not believe that all humans are so kind and true of heart. It is yet another thing that our species have in common, and while distasteful, at least it brings about brotherhood, and harmony in our similarity.”

Walker grunted in agreement, fully aware of the kind of person she was talking about. Their conversation hit a momentarily lull, and while Walker’s pony instincts went to work snuggling against Celestia, his human mind became wrapped in deep thought. He went over the past few (conscious) days of his life, and he quickly reached the decision that things had gone well. Sure it was going to likely take some getting to used being a pony creature, but he had already started that when he was just interacting with Seal. Walking was already trivial, and the only issue he saw with being more physically affectionate was that it had the potential to become a distraction only if he had no outlet of it. Clearly his soldiers would not be open to such acts, and in truth, neither was he. Walker knew that getting anywhere near his soldiers on a physical level would be dangerous for his command. No, he’d need another solution.

Walker looked up to Celestia, who smiled back down at him.

“Is something amiss Cornelius?”

As she said it, her hoof rubbed across his back, and Walker couldn’t help but lean further into her chest fluff.

“No, not yet at least. I think you’ve noticed I started… encouraging myself to embrace the pony in my head. Whatever it takes to make sure the changelings don’t have their rotten hooks in my head, but what’s going to happen in the future? Clearly ponies do not have nearly the same urges that humans do, how am I going to satiate what is quickly becoming a need for physical contact?”

Celestia smiled.

“Depending on how things play out, I leave myself available to you. Should you ever need someone to talk to, or simply somepony to snuggle up against, I will never turn you away.”

She turned away from him, using her magic to lift the tent flap. A gust of cold wind immediately swept into the tent, causing Walker to shiver. Celestia frowned at the snow as she draped a wing over his shelled body.

“And until this weather lets up, I shall have to personally request you stay near. I will need to keep warmth spells applied on your person constantly, for while the cold is a blessing in our efforts against the hives, you share changeling biology, and even a few minutes of exposure could kill you. That I will not allow.”

She looked down at him and smiled again, those this time it had a playful glint to it.

“Though I suppose that brings up something very important that requires your attention.”

From behind her levitated a large brown box. Walker immediately felt a touch of suspicion. Celestia looked far too happy about the box as she set it before him. Unfortunately, there was no way for Walker to run as she lifted the lid and revealed a far too fuzzy set of clothes, done in bright yellow no less. Walker gave the alicorn a sour look over his shoulder.

“There is no way in hell I am wearing that.”

*****

Walker couldn’t hide his shame in any way shape or form. The horn on his head was so far non-functional, and as such he couldn’t even pretend to be a different pony with some magic… thing. No, with his non-existent connection to any other changelings, he had no experience with using magic, and as such, the horn on his head was purely decorative for the time. The wings could work, but they were being covered by the most obnoxious shade of yellow he had ever seen. And it was just so fuzzy!

“I feel like an idiot,” Walker grumbled as they walked through the snow.

Seal chuckled, walking directly behind Walker.

“Well you look great Colonel. I like the gold, really brings out your eyes.”

Walker glared over his shoulder at the man, who’s grin was unshakable. Walker threw his head back in exasperation, while Celestia simply smiled beside him.

“Cornelius, I assure you that your gift is the most popular winter wear in Equestria these days. I have it on good authority from a designer in Ponyville.”

“Popular for a schoolgirl maybe,” Walker grumbled.

Walker was wearing a bright gold set of socks that stretched all the way up his legs, with a matching vest, hat, and scarf, all extremely fuzzy and designed to keep him warm. While it all succeeded at its job, it also made him look like an absolute child, like someone had let a schoolboy into a military camp. It wasn’t late enough at night for anyone to be sleeping, so he tried to keep his head low as he saw dozens of pony and human soldiers walk by, each staring at the odd trio. Walker flattened his ears against the snickers. He took comfort only in the fact that they no longer openly hated him, but instead saw fit to mock him. Celestia pressed close, and Walker relished in the heat her body gave off. It was like standing out in a sunny field, absorbing sunlight.

“Fear not Cornelius. It will just be you, Seal and I tonight. We shall have a proper uniform for you before we meet with any significant authorities, human or Equestrian.”

They arrived at the command tent, and Celestia parted the flap with her magic, gesturing for Walker to go through first. As he did so, Walker immediately noticed two things. First, the tent was very much occupied, by three humans, as well as Princess Luna. Second, Walker immediately recognized the uniform the man in the center wore. He tried to wordlessly back out of the tent, only for Celestia and Seal to come in behind him, boxing him in. They both also froze in shock. The two parties stared silently at each other, before Seal broke the silence.

“Admiral, it’s uh… I didn’t expect to see you here so soon,” he nervously chuckled.

The man nodded, and his eyes locked onto Walker.

“I thought I would drop in to speak with our close allies,” the man said. “Additionally, effective yesterday, I am now the acting President of the United States. It’s taken some getting used to my subordinates calling me President Smith, or god forbid Mr. President.”

Seal chuckled again, trying to ease the silence. Walker was keenly aware that it didn’t work. Walker looked at Princess Luna, then back to the president. The President, and Walker was wearing something that looked like it had been designed by the most girly girl to have ever graced the universe. He needed an out. He was a changeling! All of Celestia’s comforting words flew out the window, and Walker knew he had best follow suit.

“I’ll… I think I’ll just…go,” he stammered meekly.

He turned around, only to stop in place as President Smith called out.

“Colonel, hold for a moment.”

Walker really wished he hadn’t gotten out of bed today. Celestia stared at him, her look clearly apologetic. Walker slowly turned around, facing Smith.

“Yes Mr. President?” he said quietly.

The man had a playful smirk on his face, and Walker didn’t like it at all. It was the same look Celestia and Princess Luna had when they were messing with someone.

“Son, just what are you wearing?” Smith asked.

Walker tried to hammer out a response, but he couldn’t find the words. His embarrassment was complete. He was a bug-pony, wearing bright, fuzzy clothes, of which the socks were by far the most comfortable, and most embarrassing to wear. Luckily for Walker, Celestia stepped forward, slightly obscuring the stammering changeling from sight.

“My apologies President Smith. It is merely a gift that I gave the good Colonel to protect him from the cold. His body cannot protect itself, just like other changelings, so he needed something extra so that we could talk. If I had known that you would be here early…”

Smith chuckled.

“No need for apologies Princess. This was a surprise visit anyway. I didn’t need the nursemaids back at command chewing me out for flying all the way out here.”

Smith looked over Celestia’s shoulder to where Walker was still frozen on his feet.

“Besides, I think it looks good Colonel. The gold really brings out your eyes.”

Walker’s ears flattened against his head. He heard Seal chuckle, and though he wanted to strike the man, he knew he couldn’t technically hit a subordinate, especially not in front of the president. Celestia cleared her throat, no doubt to draw attention away from him.

“Thank you, President Smith, I think that the designer will be overjoyed to know that her clothes were appreciated. Captain Walker, could you please escort Colonel Walker from the tent? We can finish talking with each other at a later time.”

Walker silently thanked Celestia, and he began to take a step backward, but Smith stopped them again.

“No need for that Princess. Colonel Walker is actually part of the reason I’m here.”

Walker swallowed nervously, felt his wings try to flutter under his vest. He wasn’t ready for this confrontation. He wasn’t ready for any confrontation! Talking with Seal and Celestia was one thing, hell being forcefully dressed by the two was mildly acceptable. But the president seeking him out? No good could come from this. Walker took a deep breath and straightened up, relying on his officers training to try and hide his nerves. He walked out from behind Celestia, standing at his best attention. He briefly thought about trying to remove the hat, as that what was appropriate, but thought better of it; he would only make an even bigger fool of himself as he struggled to use his hooves. Damn fingerless appendages.

“What can I do for you Mr. President,” Walker said, trying to sound confident.

He couldn’t tell if he succeeded.

Smith moved out from behind the table, subtly motioning for the pair of guards at his side to stay back. As he moved closer, Walker felt the need to run, but stood his ground. He was a soldier, if he couldn’t talk to one man, how was he going to get anything done? He had to man up, even though he was just about as far from being a human as possible.

Smith stopped right in front of Walker, close enough that Walker had to look up to meet the man’s eyes. Walker felt Celestia shift at his side, saw Seal nervously thumb at his rifle strap. Smith also noticed the nervous shifting, but he said nothing. Instead, he looked down at Walker, as if he was studying the changeling.

“Tell me Colonel, how do you feel?”

Walker was slightly surprised at the question.

“Physically sir?” he asked.

Smith smirked.

“Physically, mentally, emotionally,” he clarified, waving his hand in a circle. “Just tell me how you’re doing.”

Walker sighed and looked down.

“Honestly sir? Terrible. My body feels both like it’s natural while simultaneously not my own. I’ve treated both my friends and subordinates like dirt. This is the first day I’ve gotten out of bed willingly. I’ve failed my duties and I can’t help but feel like I’ve failed at more than that. I hold no trust for others, and they don’t trust me. Sometimes I feel like things are getting better, while other times I feel like I’m at square one, wanting to die all over again.”

Walker took a deep breath. He stilled his turbulent mind and looked back up, meeting Smith’s eyes.

“Tired Mr. President. I feel tired.”

Smith nodded, biting his cheek as he looked down at Walker. With a click of his tongue, Smith said;

“Colonel let me tell you something. I have a box with me right now. It’s for you of course, but I cannot give this award to a man who believes himself a failure.”

He looked to Celestia, then to Seal.

“I suspect that you two have told him this before. I have no doubt in my mind that you two are his friends. I see the little twitches that tell me you’ll dive in to protect him at a moment’s notice. While I appreciate your loyalty, I’m going to have to ask you to move your hand away from your firearm Captain. You’re making me nervous.”

Seal chuckled weakly and moved his hand into his pocket. It vaguely surprised Walker that the man was willing to go so far to protect him. Attacking the man who had sent him inland, that seemed steep. Still, Walker could see the emotions in Seal’s eyes, could tell that the man would do it if it was needed. Clearly it wasn’t however, as Smith nodded, smiling widely. He crouched down in front of Walker so that they were at eye level with each other. Smith drew a small award box from beneath his jacket.

“Colonel, you have served your country in a capacity that I could not have asked of you. You have sacrificed life, limb, and everything in between to ensure the completion of the mission. You have acted heroically, and if half of the reports I have read are true, you have earned this honor a hundred time over.”

Smith’s eyes drifted down, looking at Walker’s clothes. Walker felt himself flush with embarrassment, though he tried to keep a straight face.

“We’ll have to scrounge you up a new uniform, because while it looks mighty warm, it isn’t exactly your dress blues. We’ll worry about that at the official ceremony though.”

Walker felt a slight smile creep across his face, but worked hard to keep a lid on it. Smith noticed anyway.

“Colonel, before I give you this, I want you to know that you are still human in the eyes of the United States Army. You are still are a Colonel, you still hold your command. I’m going to put in forced leave time for you, but you still have, and will always have a place with us.”

Smith looked to Celestia.

“I read your report, at least as much of it as I understood. I know this is a special case, caused by an immense set of circumstance to come together, and I know that this won’t likely happen again, but that just makes this moment all the more important.”

He looked back to Walker. He opened the award box, and Walker’s eyes widened when he saw the medal waiting inside.

“Colonel, it is my genuine honor as acting President of the United States, to present you with the Congressional Medal of Honor.”

Walker opened his mouth to protest, but Smith cut him off.

“I know what you’re thinking Colonel, I know what you want to say. Whatever speech you have prepared about not being worthy, keep it to yourself. Every single recipient of this medal as the same thoughts, and every single one of them is wrong. You have earned this, and I know that you will carry it proudly.”

Walker felt tears in his eyes.

“Sir, I don’t know what to say.”

Smith smiled. He took one of Walker’s hooves and set the box on it.

“So, don’t say anything Colonel. You’ve earned this. It’s the least I can do to repay you for your service. Besides, this isn’t just for you. We need heroes, need to give everyone a name to look for when they need hope. I’m making one of those names yours Colonel Walker, so that award is yours, you’ve more than paid the price for it. ”

Walker nodded dumbly. He just continued to stare at the gold colored star in his hoof. He gently closed the box and set it on his back. He looked back to Smith.

“Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best to be worthy of it.”

“You already are Colonel,” Smith replied as he got to his feet. “And that leads me into my next reason for arriving on such short notice.”

He moved back to the table. Smith beckoned the three over, and so Walker, Celestia, and Seal joined him and Princess Luna. Celestia stood by her sister, her body tense. Princess Luna sighed and wrote something on a stray piece of paper before sliding it over to Celestia. Celestia read it for a second, then smiled and wrapped a wing around her sister, pulling her close. Both of their eyes flickered over to Walker, then Celestia whispered something in Luna’s ear. The blue pony nodded, and her gaze fell to the table, though Celestia seemed much happier. When Walker shot her a curious glance, she mouthed ‘later’.

Smith cleared his throat, placing a briefcase on the table.

“Now, gentlemen, ladies, I don’t think I need to say that everything in this tent needs to stay here. What we are about to discuss should remain strictly classified. We can brief everyone else after we’ve hammered out the details.”

He unlocked the briefcase and flipped it open, removing several papers and a few sealed envelopes. He looked to Celestia and Princess Luna.

“We’ve already made great progress discussing this, but it’s time to stop discussing and start acting. We’ve taken the toll, and let’s just say I don’t want it getting worse. Lucky for us, we’ve mainly secured the eastern seaboard due to the Colonel here,” He said, looking to Walker. “Colonel, by killing the queen, you put their whole front in the US under stress. We’ve been able to clear out three large hives and force the bugs out of DC. They are currently pushing south to get away from the cold. In response, I have issued an evacuation order for all people south of Kentucky, troops and civilians alike. The more we have protected naturally by winter the better we can prepare when it gets warm again.”

Smith spread out a map, detailing force numbers across the planet. Walker saw more than one country completely blacked out, including India, but ultimately, it looked like the united effort of humanity was holding the changelings back.

“So far, we’ve managed to make contact with all our allied nations. Everyone is regrouping and beginning to apply pressure. I don’t want to be too optimistic, but if we can clear the bugs out at home, then we can start helping our allies out. We’ve already received promised aid from several third world nations in exchange for protection, and I’ve accepted. We are currently using DC as a supply dump. Thousands of volunteers are streaming in. It’s the exact opposite of WWII, instead of us picking a front to help our friends out, they decided we need liberation first so that we can clean up out there.”

Princess Luna cleared her throat.

“It is our belief that the changelings struck your nation the hardest. If we can repel them here, we should be able to repel them anywhere.”

Smith nodded.

“That’s the thought at least. I just hope it holds in practice. Despite our… efforts, India has already become a stronghold for the bugs. The mountains, coupled with the heat and all of the people… They could hole up there for years and we couldn’t shake them loose. I honestly have no idea how to clear them out of there.”

Smith sighed, and shook his head.

“But that isn’t pressing right now. What we are here to determine is how to move forward as one, because no matter how this little war of ours ends, the game has changed forever.”

Everyone nodded in agreement when he looked up. Smith reached into the briefcase, grabbing one of the bulkier envelops.

“This,” he said, tossing it into the middle of the table, “is the plan we came up with. I took most of the suggestions Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna put forth, and added a bit of my own. The finished product is solid to say the least.”

Walker stared at the package for a moment, mildly curious as to what was inside. His ears flicked back and forth when he realized it was silent in the tent. He looked up to find everyone staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

Celestia took the package in her magic and shifted it closer to Walker.

“This is yours Cornelius. President Smith, Luna, and I thought it would be best if you were the one to unveil our joint effort to the world.”

Walker looked back to the envelope, then his eyes looked to Smith, who waved him on. Walker reached out with a hoof, dragging it closer at a snail like pace. As he picked it up in his hooves, Walker glared at the socks he was wearing; his already dull hoof had no way to cut through the sealed envelope. With the fuzzy sock in the way… As Walker glared at the envelope, Seal snatched up.

“Sorry sir, but you’re killing me with the suspense.”

Seal neatly ripped open the top of the envelope before setting it back before Walker. He gave Walker a wink, which Walker returned with a grateful, but silent nod.

Walker decided to abandon the methodical process, and simply upended the envelope, watching as a packet of papers and a beret fell out. Walker looked between the papers and the beret for a moment before deciding to grab the beret. It was a dulled gold color, and seemed a bit larger than the standard Army beret. The patch on the front consisted of a black background, with an image of the Earth in the center. Over that, a human hand was shaking a pony hoof. Walker looked up.

“What is this?” he asked.

Smith smirked.

“That, Colonel, is the first official patch of the United Human-Equestrian Guard. Right now, that guard will only consist of US troops and Equestrians, but in time we hope to include soldiers from all corners in its ranks. It’s a big first step, and we want you to lead it.”

Walker’s ears pinned themselves to the side of his head.

“Me?” he asked dumbfoundedly. He looked to Celestia and Princess Luna, both of whom nodded in affirmation.

“Cornelius, you are incredibly intelligent, and have an immense heart,” Celestia said. “When we began planning this with President Smith, we wanted someone with the best qualities to lead it, as well as someone who can easily see the perspectives of both sides to keep it balanced.”

“Indeed,” Princess Luna continued. The blue pony sighed. “I have been most cruel to you in recent days Colonel Walker, but despite this you have managed to find your way back to make the world a better place for all. You have sacrificed much, and it is only fair that we give you an opportunity to rebuild that which you have lost.”

Walker’s eyes moved to Smith as he nodded in agreement.

“If you think you’re not up for it Colonel, let’s go over the track record. You have the single longest and most productive diplomatic relationship with the Equestrian princesses, you have gathered and resupplied an entire operation that has saved thousands both directly, and indirectly, you have the years of military service and all the experience that comes with those years.” Smith shrugged. “I can’t think of a better man for it.”

Walker set the beret down, his mind working as he hesitated. He stared at his covered hoof, knew what was lurking beneath it. He still couldn’t get the thought that maybe, just maybe there was still some changeling influence lurking deep in his mind. Was he going to be able to effectively lead anyone if he also had that doubt? Should he?

Celestia, noticing his doubtful expression, sighed and moved to his side, draping a wing over his back.

“Cornelius, if you say that you are done; that you have done your duty and served your time, then there is nobody here who will think less of you for declining. I will personally find you a house in Canterlot from which you can live out the rest of your days in peace.”

She paused, then nudged the beret closer.

“But if you think for even a moment that you are not the single best person for this position, then you are sorely mistaken, and I will make sure that every day of your life is occupied by fuzzy socks and Charms until you think better of yourself.”

Seal snickered, and Walker glared at the man. The Delta operator shrugged, and kept his grin wide.

“Don’t look at me sir, I’m paid to go places and shoot stuff. You’re the big thinker here.”

Walker sighed, staring down the beret. He felt Celestia’s fur brush against him, even through the clothing, and he leaned against her a bit, closing his eyes as he took comfort in her presence. They were right of course, and perhaps that knowledge, accompanied by his success with helping White… Yes, he could do it. He was still human, at least mentally. Mostly. He took a little too much comfort in Celestia’s fur, and it took a concentrated effort to not snuggle against her, but that just further erased his doubts. He was in control.

Walker took a deep breath and opened his eyes, his mind finally calm for the first time in days. No more inner turmoil, no more denial of reality. What was, was. He had two of his closest friends at his side and he knew of a few more who would undoubtedly volunteer if he asked them. Walker looked at the beret before looking up to Smith.

Smith looked at him, his face expectant and arms crossed.

“What do you say Colonel?” he asked.

Walker focused as best he could with his mind, staring hard at the beret. Somewhere in his mind, he felt a small connection form, and as he continued to focus, a glow suffused his horn, lifting the beret in the air with his magic, the aura a silver color. He removed the golden knit cap from his head and slowly settled the beret on his head, his horn poking out through a premade hole in the top. Celestia gave him a squeeze of happiness, then Walker looked to Smith.

“I say, let’s get started.”

Author's Note

Oof, not the ending I wanted but... an ending. A bit tacky, and cliche, but the problem with this story was that it originally functioned as a one-shot (the first two chapters to be precise) that ended up running away from me. By the time I hit 50k words, I became at a loss for where I wanted it to go.
Some people have expressed interest in a wider universe, but the simple truth is that I have little plans for such. I will still write the prequel, as well as a few short off-shoots, but ultimately, unless I am suddenly inspired to pick this up again, I'm done with the idea, hence why I left it with an ending, but one that is open to more writing should the desire arise. I'm not nearly as passionate about it as I am other projects, and I currently have no idea what a proper sequel would cover. Clearly it would follow the war between Earth+ Equestria vs. the Changelings, but the conclusion to that conflict seems foregone in my mind, and I can't think of a way to make a compelling story out of that. If someone else has a good idea though, I say go for it. Write away with my blessing, I'd enjoy seeing someone else's spin on the characters.
Simply put, I am glad some people found enjoyment in Echo Sierra Bravo, and I invite you to check out the prequel and the shorts that I will put out in the coming months.
Thanks for all of your support!
-Night