Chapters D DAY (JUNE 6 1944) PVT JOHN DAVIS - CANADIAN ARMED FORCES
I waited as the boat I was in got closer and closer to the beach. I was ready for what was about to happen. My gun was loaded and was working properly. I had 3 grenades on my belt. My bayonet was on my gun and secured.
My name is John Davis, I am a Canadian soldier and this is my story.
===
I enlisted on the second of September, 1939. I was bored with my job as a store clerk in downtown Toronto and wanted a change. I didn't know just how much of a change it would turn out to be at this point.
I was told that it would be easy: Go in to Europe, shoot a few Germans and parade through the streets of countries that I had liberated. That was so far away from the reality of what war is, I cant even begin to imagine what type of psychopath would ever tell someone that.
I got on a boat in Newfoundland on the 10th of December 1939. I had gone through just over a month of military training. It was extremely difficult and I was starting to regret enlisting already. Just before I kissed my Mother goodbye and shook hands with my father, My mother told me something
“John, if for some reason you don't come back, I just want you to remember that your father and I both love you more than anything in the world”
“I love you too mom, and you dad” I said nodding at my father
Then it was off to Europe. I was on that boat for 6 days before we arrived in Britain. After that we headed towards France.
I cannot describe the horrors that I experienced in mainland Europe.
The trenches alone were enough to be considered a human rights abuse. They were filthy, full of rats, the food we ate everyday tasted like vomit and there were fleas. Oh yes the fleas, They were everywhere. No matter how well you cleaned yourself; the little buggers were there again the very next minute. After 5 days in the trenches I was covered, head to toe in flea bites.
And then there was the actual fighting
I fought my first battle sometime in February of 1940. I still cant seem to recall where it was. It didn't really matter anyways. I want to put the war as far behind me as I possibly can.
I jumped out of the trench with the rest of my squad at 5 AM. We were all very nervous but quite confident as we had been told that the war would be over in a matter of months and each battle would be easy and a safe victory for the Allies.
Whoever told us that was very mistaken.
That battle was the most emotionally damaging thing that every happened to me, ever. My best friend was killed, Right in front of my eyes. I saw the bullet plunge into the side of his head.
I killed only 1 man in that battle. I didn't know how hard It would be to kill another man. I presumed that you just aim your gun and pull the trigger, easy as that.
It wasn't easy.
I aimed my gun and tried to pull the trigger. I hesitated for a few seconds. It was almost like there was some invisible force preventing me from pulling the trigger. I tried and tried but my finger just wouldn't touch the trigger. The man that I was aiming at turned towards me and, seeing that I was about to shoot him aimed his gun at me.
I pulled the trigger.
Time slowed down for a moment and I almost saw the bullet moving towards him. It struck him in the chest, Killing him instantly.
The battle was a Canadian victory. Afterwards my squad and I scoured the field as we advanced into the German's trenches, carrying away the remains of Canadian solders and looting the remains of German solders. I walked by the man I had killed.
I searched his pockets and in his front left pocket I found a photo. It was of him. He was in a Nazi military uniform and standing in front of a blue house. A woman, who I presumed to be his wife stood to his left. There were 2 children standing in front of him, 1 girl and 1 boy. They both looked to be no more than 8 years old. All of them were smiling happily and the man looked quite proud.
I had taken the life of another man, and not just a man but also a father. 2 children would now have to grow up without a dad. Saying that I felt horrible was an understatement.
I developed shell shock after that incident and it slowly escalated. I couldn't sleep and I cowered at even the slightest bang.
My squad's doctor suggested that I get 3 hours of extra sleep every day and signed a form allowing me to sleep in until 9 AM every day (Everybody else got up at 6 AM). Although it was nice, The extra sleep did absolutely nothing about my shell shock.
The rest of the war up to this point was just as bad if not worse. 2 of my closest friends died, 1 of them right in front of me. I was finding life unbearable. I still am unsure of how I held onto my sanity all the way until this day.
===
The boat neared the beach. I had been told that the Germans had no Idea that we were coming. I was also told to keep quiet, as the element of surprise was our one big advantage today.
The boat hit solid ground.
The front door slowly opened downwards, making a splash as it hit the water.
My squad and I jumped into the water.
Then all hell broke loose.
Bullets whizzed all around me. Within 10 seconds about a quarter of my squad was dead or injured. I trudged forward. There was no way I could turn back. I remember my lieutenants words.
“IF YOU SEE ANY MAN TURN AROUND AND FACE YOU, THEN YOU RAISE YOUR GUN AND YOU SHOOT THEM DEAD!”
Shells started exploding around me. I saw a machine gunner up on the hill, he was the one thing stopping us from getting up on the beaches. I raised my gun and fired.
I had been practising my aim. My squad had built a makeshift shooting range in one of the trenches we overtook. The bullet hit its mark. The roar of a German machine gun died.
I paused for a second and my mind flashed back to that man that I had killed in my first battle. This always happened after I killed someone. The picture I remember especially. I had kept it in my pocket, I couldn't throw it away. It served as a reminder of how much of a monster I was. I saw his proud face and his 2 children's smiling faces. I tried to push it out of my mind but it stayed.
“CHARGE” I heard my lieutenant shout
Hundreds of men rushed up onto the beach. Swarming like ants they took down the few Germans on the beach with ease. I stayed back and picked off a German soldier on the top of a hill. My bullet went right into the desired target and the picture flashed into my mind again.
The whole operation was going as planned. We took control of the beach. My squad and I started to move up the beach towards the more heavily fortified areas. All seemed to be going well. There had been no gunfire for about half a minute.
Then someone got back on the machine gun.
All I heard was a series of bangs as my teammates and friends all dropped dead around me. I tried to duck down, but it was useless. There was nothing to shield myself with but the corpses that had once been my friends.
Then I got hit.
At first I didn't notice it. I was under too much stress to notice. I fired a few shots at a large squad of Germans coming over the hill. I glimpsed down at my chest and saw blood gushing out. I fell down on the beach and everything went black.
I don't know how much time passed by, but some point later I saw someone from my squad hovering over top of me.
“We got a live one here!” He shouted
Immediately I saw men that I recognized as medics hovering over me. They yelled instructions at each other but I was too dazed at this point to make out what they were saying. I saw a man carrying a stretcher over to me. Then I blacked out again.
Again I don't know how much time passed by but I woke up once more. This time though, I wasn't in a hospital like I expected. I was lying on the ground again and I looked up to see several buildings. I heard screaming around me. I felt my body being lifted into the air. Then I blacked out again.
I woke up once more. This time In a hospital. I cringed with pain. My chest felt like it had been sliced open. I looked down at myself. My uniform had been taken off and I was wearing a simple hospital gown. Looking under the gown and at my chest, I saw a large mass of bandages.
I sighed with relief, knowing that I hadn't died. I was safe now. I remembered that soldier hovering over top of me. I was sure that he was in a Canadian uniform, So I cant be a prisoner of war.
I could be discharged, go home to Toronto, and surprise my parents. I can just imagine the look on my mother and father's faces, Seeing me as I walk in the front door of her Toronto home. No more rats, no more fleas, no more fighting, no more guns, no more war. I smiled thinking of this.
I looked at the room around me. Something was not right. It looked like a normal hospital room. But it was much... brighter. It somehow didn't look like real life. Maybe I was given drugs to numb the pain and they were making me hallucinate? Then another possibility entered my mind.
Maybe I actually had died. This certainly didn't look like anything on earth. Was I in heaven? No, of course not. If there was a heaven I was certainly not in it. I had killed more people than I can count in all those years of that damn war; There's no way I could be in heaven after that.
I heard footsteps outside of the room. Immediately I tensed up, my heart rate went through the roof and I looked for my gun.
My shell shock had not worn off, In fact it had gotten worse as the war dragged on. Then I remembered that I was in a hospital. The people here are trying to save me, not kill me. My heart was still beating at a mile a minute but I managed to calm myself down.
The footsteps got closer and closer to the room until finally someone, or should I say something stepped into the room.
I rubbed my eyes. Standing in front of me was a bright green horse, or pony. It was much smaller than most horses. And it was... very, very strange looking, to say the least. It was perfectly green, from head to toe. The only other mark on it was what looked like a picture of some sort of monitor on it's flank.
“Hey! Its awake!” I heard him yell at someone outside the door
Talking horses? The drugs I got must really be messing with my mind.
I must of looked extremely confused and frightened because the next thing I know the horse is standing next to me.
“Its OK, were gonna get you fixed up, You'll be alright” he said soothingly
I was still extremely confused. Best to ask simple things first.
“Where.... Where am I?” I asked
A look of shock appeared on the horse's face
“You can talk?” he said, astonished
“Yes of course” I said
He was silent for a few seconds
“Who are you? What are you?” He asked
“My name is John Davis, I am a Canadian soldier. Who are you and where am I?”
“I am Doctor Stable, You are in Ponyville hospital”
Ponyville?? Right now I am thinking that one of 3 things could be going on. 1. Drugs are making me hallucinate. 2. I am dreaming. 3. I have died.
I prayed that the answer was either 1 or 2.
“So, your name is John, but... What are you?” Dr. Stable asked
“I am a Human”
“Human? We don't have those here in Equestria.”
Equestria? If that's a place on Earth then I've never heard of it.
“You are a pony, Right?” I asked
“Well, I'm a unicorn, one of the three main types of ponies” he said, pointing to his forehead
I noticed a large horn where he was pointing. I must have been too surprised to notice it when he stepped in the room.
“We have ponies where I come from” I said
“Really?” Dr. Stable looked intrigued
“Yes, but they don't talk, look much different than you and are much larger”
A confused look appeared on Dr. Stable's face.
“Where exactly are you from?” he asked
“Well, I am from a planet called Earth...”
I spent the next 10 minutes explaining all about Earth. How it rotates on an axis, how the moon orbits around it and how countries and governments work on Earth.
Dr. Stable seemed confused
“I have never heard of a place even close to what you just described.” he said
So I really wasn't on Earth, or at least it wasn't likely. I needed to get more info on where I was currently.
“Could you tell me about this world?” I asked
“Yes, of course” he replied
Dr. Stable then described where I was. It turns out that I was in a moderately small town called Ponyville. This town was in a large region called Equestria that was ruled by 2 princesses, Celestia and Luna. The dominant species here were ponies.
Dr. Stable then opened the blinds in my hospital room.
“This is Ponyville” he said, motioning out the window
I looked out the window, everything seemed so... peaceful. Everybody, or should I say everypony was smiling and laughing, nobody was fighting. There were no guns, there was no war. This seemed like the type of place I could get used to.
Just before Dr. Stable could say more, a strong looking orange pony with a blond mane stepped in the room. She had a picture of 3 apples on her flank.
“John, This is Applejack, the pony that saved your life yesterday” Said Dr. Stable
“Aw shucks doctor, ah will help any critter in need if I see one” Applejack said in a southern sounding accent
“Well it's nice to meet you Applejack” I said
Applejack gasped
“Ya talk?” she said
“Why is everybody so amazed by the fact that I talk?” I asked
“Well its just not every day that we see some new critter like you that talks” she said
“I do talk, anyways what happened yesterday? How did I get here?” I asked
“I was just walkin' toward a friends house when all of a sudden I see you fallin' from the sky”
“Falling from the sky?” I asked
“Yep, You were goin' at a pretty high speed”
This was getting weirder and weirder by the minute. Falling from the sky?
“Ah tried to catch ya but even these kickers couldn't get to ya in time” She said pointing to her back legs with one of her hooves.
“Ya flew into the ground, and when the dust cleared I saw ya just lyin' there. You looked like ya were in pretty bad shape. I saw your eyes open for a sec, so I knew ya were alive”
“I do remember seeing buildings above me for a few seconds, then being lifted up into the air.”
“Well I'll be, Ya really were awake” Applejack said
“So then you carried me to the hospital?”
“Yep, sure did, I ran ya into the front doors and Dr. Stable here was able to patch you up in time”
“John? Where did that wound come from? It was pretty bad, almost fatal.” Said Doctor stable
I remembered back to the beach, the machine gun, the blood, my dead friends and shuddered.
“I'd rather not talk about it.” I said
“OK, thats fine” said a worried sounding Dr. Stable
“Sugarcube, You ain't got to hold yer feelings in with me. Just tell me what happened.” Said Applejack
I sighed, maybe talking about this would make the whole thing better.
“First I should tell you a bit about where I come from.”
I spent the next 10 minutes telling Applejack everything that I had told Dr. Stable about Earth.
She had her jaw to the floor when I was done.
“So you're telling me that ya are from a different world??” She Said
“I guess so.” I replied
I wondered why I was so calm. I was in a different world, I could be light years away from home was not panicking or worried about it at all.
Then I realized why.
For the past 6 years I had been shot at, forced to kill other people and made to live in a filthy rat infested trench. I hated life and had almost shot myself at one point. Simply put, my life was miserable. But so far Ponyville was looking to be... Well, the exact opposite of that. I was in a peaceful world where the peopl- I mean ponies, seemed quite nice and weren't trying to kill me. I liked it here and wasn't all that willing to go back to that nightmare called war.
“But where did that wound come from?” asked Dr. Stable
“Well... My world is currently in a large war that I am involved in. I was hit in the chest by a machine gun, I blacked out and then I ended up here” I said
“Whats a gun?” They both asked
“Its a device that shoots small pointed projectiles called bullets at very high speeds. It's used for killing other people.”
They both gasped.
“We don't have anything like that here in Ponyville.” said Dr. Stable
I smiled, Ponyville was really sounding like a place that I could settle into for a little while.
“No guns? That's certainly a good thing.” I said
“Ya, Ill say” Said Applejack
“Well I know somepony who might be able to help you with this. Her name's Twilight, she's a real brainiac and might know somethin' about how you got here.” said Applejack
“Well that sounds good? When can I talk to her?” I said
“Woah woah woah, You've just been admitted to the hospital and you're in pretty bad shape, I'd say that you stay here for at least 2 week to recover, and no more visitors until then.” Said Dr. Stable
As much as I wanted to go explore this new world, I knew Dr. Stable was right.
“Alright, I'll stay as long as I need to recover” I said
“Good, Now you need some rest, staying awake for long periods of time might not be that good for you with a wound like that” said Dr. Stable
“Right then, We'd better leave ya alone” Said Applejack
“Alright, I'll see you guys soon”
Dr. Stable turned off the light and closed the blinds.
“G'night then John” Applejack said as she stepped out the door with Dr. Stable
I couldn't fall asleep. There were just too many thing going through my mind.
I racked my brain for about half an hour but couldn't think of anything about other worlds or colorful ponies. Eventually I just fell asleep. Getting some rest might help me recover and I was tired anyways.
The next few days went by alright. I was told to get as much sleep as possible to help me recover. Dr. Stable had me drink various medicines. He told me that they were formulated to work with ponies and he wasn't sure that they would work with humans.
They worked.
Every time I drank one, The wound always seemed to get smaller and smaller as well as hurt less.
After 1 week the wound was completely gone. I was quite surprised as it would have taken much longer than 7 days to recover from a wound like that on Earth. Dr. Stable seemed surprised too. He said that normally takes about 2-3 months to recover from a wound that severe. I stayed in the hospital for 2 more days, Doctor Stable came in on the second day with a huge smile on his face.
“John, great news, You've made a full recovery and can now leave the hospital”
“Thats great!” I said “But, where do I go now?”
Doctor stable looked confused
“What do you mean?” he asked
“Well, I'm the only human in this world and I barley know anypony here. Is there a place that I can stay at?”
I had gotten used to saying anypony instead of anybody while I was at the hospital.
“Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you, Applejack has agreed to let you stay at her house while you're in Ponyville”
I smiled, that Applejack was something else.
“Well that's great, Is she here now?”
My question was answered when Applejack stepped into the door of my hospital room.
“Well howdy! I heard that ya had recovered so I decided to lend ya a hoof while ya are in Ponyville”
“Dr. Stable already told me. Thanks Applejack, I really appreciate your help.”
“No problem at all, Now are ya gonna get out of that there bed?”
I went to step out of my hospital bed but stopped. I was wearing only a hospital gown. What would I wear for clothes? They certainly didn't sell clothes for humans here.
“Doctor, Did you save the clothes that I had on when I arrived here?” I asked
“Yes actually, We washed them and patched up the hole in your shirt. But why would you need them? They look very heavy and it's a hot day today”
“Well you see, in your society, clothes seem to be optional. Thats not the case where I come from.”
“But you're in Equestria now so it doesn't matter.” said Dr. Stable
“I'd just feel more comfortable if I was wearing them, Walking around with no clothes on would be very awkward for me.” I said
“Well alright, I can go get them from the laundry room.” He said
Dr. Stable left the room for a few minutes and when he returned, he was carrying my military uniform. He had my pants, shirt, jacket, shoes and helmet.
“Alright here you go” He said, handing me my clothes
“OK, Ill get changed then”
Applejack and Dr. Stable just stood there.
“Umm, Could you please leave the room while I change?” I said
“Why?” asked Applejack
“It's just not considered normal to see somebody with no clothes on where I come from.” I said
They both looked confused but left the room. I changed into my outfit. I didn't wear my helmet because of how uncomfortable it was, and it wasn't like I was going to be needing a war helmet in this peaceful looking world anyways. I stepped out of the room.
“Ok, I'm ready”
“Alright, Follow me then, Ill take ya on the grand tour of Ponyville” Said Applejack
Applejack started to walk down the hallway, just before I followed her I turned to Dr. Stable.
“Listen, Doctor, I just wanted to thank you for what you did to save me, I would have been dead if it wasn't for you.”
“Just another day on the job.” said Dr. Stable sarcastically.
“I bet you don't see humans every day on the job” I said
“That is true.”
We both laughed
“Well I sincerely wish you the best in Ponyville and I hope that you can find a way back to your own world.”
“Thanks Doctor” I said
And with that I followed Applejack out the front doors of the hospital and into Ponyville.
Twilight Sparkle rushed around her library franticly. Her assistant Spike came down the stairs.
“Twilight, You've been at this for awhile now, get some sleep” he said
“No, I have to find out what that thing was and where it is now”
“Twilight listen, it's been 12 days, I haven't heard of anypony else seeing it since then”
“But it still could be found and if that happens, I'm in big trouble” She said while flipping through a textbook with her magic
“Twilight looked at the picture of the creature falling from the sky that she had taken with her photoshoot spell 12 days ago. The creature was a light color and only had a small amount of fur on the top of it's head. It was wearing a dark green clothing over all of it's body and a dark green helmet. It seemed that it walked around on 2 legs instead of 4 and It had a very severe looking wound on it's chest. The ponies who saw it had all ran away when it landed and could not provide her with any more information about it. All they told her was that when they came back, the creature was gone.
Twilight couldn't tell anybody about this. The magic that she had used to bring the creature here was extremely powerful and only the most experienced of unicorns were allowed to use it. If the princess found out about her using this type of magic, then she would receive a very harsh punishment. Word of this creature was already spreading throughout Ponyville and it wouldn't be long before someone associated this strange creature with her.
===
I walked out the front doors of the hospital. Dr. Stable was right, It was quite hot today.
“Alrighty then, do ya want to go on a full tour of Ponyville or head straight to Twilight's place” Said Applejack
It was a tough decision, Do I want to learn how I got here immediately or have a look at this new world? I decided to go on a tour.
“I think Ill take the tour.” I said
“Alright then, right this way.”
Applejack walked away from the hospital and I followed. After about a minute, we walked by a group of 5 ponies eating breakfast at a restaurant. They all to tensed up when they saw me. I could tell that they were quite scared. They had every reason to be scared, I was quite larger than most ponies and then there's also the fact that they have never seen a human before. I decided to try to talk to them.
“Mornin'” I said to them
They all seemed to calm down after I spoke to them. 2 of them gave me a quick nod and then went back to eating.
Applejack and I toured the city for the next 45 minutes. I received several nervous glances from ponies as I was walking by, but I just tried to smile and say good morning whenever I could. We were walking by a café when my stomach growled.
“Ah think somepony's hungry” said Applejack
I smiled
“I didn't have any breakfast at the hospital today.” I replied
“Say no more, were going into this here café, It's a great place for breakfast”
“Alright then”
Applejack and I walked into the restaurant. I got a nervous glance from the waiter but he said nothing. Applejack and I were sitting on the patio when a light blue pony with wings and a rainbow colored mane flew up to us. She had a picture of a cloud and lightning on her flank. Using what I learned from Dr. Stable, I identified her as a Pegasus.
The blue pony landed in front of me and stared at me.
“Who are you and what are you doing with my friend?” She said rather viciously
“Well I-” I began
“I'm not afraid of you!, I could fight you! Put em up pal!” she said, raising her hooves
“Woah there Rainbow, this is John, he's a human” Said Applejack
“What's a human”
Applejack explained to the blue pony about how I had got here and where I was from.
The blue pony stood still for about 10 seconds, then she turned to me.
“Sorry for being so rude to you, It's just, you know I thought you were a monster or something”
“Hey, no harm done, do you want to join us for breakfast?” I asked, trying to be polite
“Sure, my name's Rainbow Dash by the way. You can call me Dash though” She said
Rainbow dash sat down at the table as the waiter brought menus.
All I had to eat in the hospital were carrots and other vegetables. I was hoping for some meat but was disappointed when I saw the menu, hay fries, daisy sandwich and lots of vegetables. I was just about to ask Applejack where the meat was when I remembered something.
Ponies are herbivores, so it makes sense that there is no meat on the menu. I would have scared them if I asked for meat. Probably best that I didn't.
“Hey John, what do humans eat anyways?” asked Applejack
Darn, the exact question I was trying to avoid.
“Fruits, Vegetables and well... meat”
A look of horror appeared on both of the pony's faces.
“I knew it, I knew that he was a monster!” said Rainbow Dash, Jumping out of her chair and pointing at me
“Is that really true, do ya eat like.... Ponies?” asked Applejack
“No no no, Please calm down. Meat is only a small part of a humans diet. We DO NOT eat ponies and we can also live on a diet of only fruits and vegetables.”
Rainbow Dash sat back down, eying me suspiciously. The waiter came back just as she sat down.
“May I take your orders?” He asked
“Ill get the hay fries and a side of carrots.” Said Applejack
“Ill get the daisy sandwich” Said Rainbow Dash
“Ill have the vegetable plate” I said
The waiter took our menus and left.
“Just a vegetable plate? You should have gotten the daisy sandwich, best food ever.” said Rainbow Dash
I laughed
“Whats so funny?” asked Rainbow Dash
“Oh, its just that humans don't eat daisies” I replied
“Really? You should try one, there great!”
I laughed again
“I think I'll pass on that one Dash” I said
Rainbow Dash then asked me questions about Earth with Applejack occasionally speaking. After 10 minutes the waiter returned with our food. The vegetable plate consisted of carrots, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower. It was actually quite tasty, Much better than the food we ate in the trenches.
Rainbow Dash continued to ask me questions while she was eating and I answered all of them. We finished our food and the waiter brought us the bill.
“I'm payin'” said Applejack
“Gee thanks” Rainbow Dash and I both said
“Normal I would offer to pay, but I don't have any money.” I said, slightly embarrassed
“Hey, ya just fell out of the sky and ya were in the hospital for 12 days, of course ya don't have any cash.”
“Well I owe you one. What type of currency do you use here anyways?”
“We use bits.” said Applejack, holding up a gold colored coin.
Applejack paid the bill and we all stepped out of the restaurant.
“So where to now? Twilight's house?” I asked
“Yep, hey Rainbow were goin' to Twilight's house to find out more about how John came here. ya wanna come?”
“Gee, I really would, but the weather factory has rain planned for tomorrow and I gotta get prepared.” Said Rainbow Dash
“Wait, weather factory?” I interrupted
“Yes silly, how do you control the weather on Earth?” asked Rainbow Dash
“We don't”
Rainbow Dash seemed confused
“Your world is sounding stranger and stranger to me all the time.” She said as she flew off
Applejack turned to me.
“Don't mind that Rainbow, She's just a tad bit hard on newcomers like yourself” Said Applejack
“It's alright, I'm sure humans would act even worse if talking ponies came to Earth”
Applejack chuckled.
“Well we'd best be goin'”
Applejack walked away from the restaurant and I followed. While we were walking I decided to ask Applejack something I hadn't understood since I came here.
“Applejack what are those pictures on everypony's flanks?” I asked
“Oh, yer talkin' about cutie marks.” she replied
“Cutie marks?”
“Yep, they appear when a pony finds out their special talent.”
“You mean something that their good at?”
“Yep, or sometin' that sets them apart from other ponies, I got mine when I realized that I belonged at Sweet Apple Acres and not in the city.” Said Applejack, pointing to the picture of 3 apples on her flank
“Oh, I see”
We walked for about 10 more minutes before approaching a large tree with windows and a door.
“This is Twilight's house?” I asked, surprised
“Yep, sure is, Whats the matter?”
“Oh nothing, People just don't live in trees on Earth.”
We both walked up to the front door of the house. Applejack knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Said a sleepy sounding voice inside
“Its me, Applejack. Twi can we talk for a bit? I got sometin' I wanna show ya.” Applejack asked
“Alright, Give me a second” the voice replied
The door opened and I looked down to see a purple unicorn that I assumed was Twilight staring up at me.
“AHHHHHHHH, IT'S HERE!” she screamed
Then Twilight fainted.
Applejack and I stared down at Twilight.
“Well ah certainly have never seen Twilight do that before” said a surprised Applejack
“Lets take her inside” I said
Applejack and I both carried Twilight into her house and placed her down on the carpet.
“She looks pretty tired” said Applejack
I looked down at Twilight and noticed that there were large bags under her eyes. I remembered how sleepy her voice sounded when she answered Applejack's knock at the door.
“Gee she must have been up for awhile.” I said
“Ill say” replied Applejack
I looked around her house. It was basically a library. Shelves full of books covered the walls and there were scrolls of paper everywhere. There was a large staircase winding up the inside of the tree.
I heard footsteps and looked up. I saw a small purple dragon walking down the staircase.
“Hey Twilight, what happened? I heard you yell at somet-” He stopped mid sentence
“AHHHHHH IT'S HERE! THE MONSTER!” he yelled
The dragon ran up the stairs and I heard a door slam.
“Who was that?” I asked
“Thats Spike. He's Twi's Assistant” said Applejack
“Well he certainly isn't pleased to see me.”
“Don't you worry, I'll go talk to him”
Applejack walked up the stairs.
I noticed Twilight lying on the floor, sleeping. She looked quite uncomfortable. There were some blankets in one corner of the room so I picked them up and threw them over her.
“There you go, that should be much better” I said quietly
I decided to have a look around the library while Applejack was talking to Spike. I walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a book at random: The Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide.
I began to read it
The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful tool known to Ponykind. They consist of the following 6 elements: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic. There is rumored to be a 7th element but nothing is known about it.
I continued reading. The book was quite interesting. The elements of harmony were a sort of weapon, used to ward off evil. There was 1 pony to represent each element and when the elements were active they would destroy all sources of evil nearby. After a few minutes of reading, I put the book back and continued looking around.
I walked up to a table and was surprised to find a picture of myself... falling from the sky. I was in my full military uniform and you could clearly see a large wound on my chest. But... How did Twilight get this picture? Did she know who I was?
My thinking was interrupted when Applejack shouted down the stairs.
“Alright John, Spike's agreed to talk to ya” said Applejack
“OK, I'm coming up”
I walked up the stairs to see more books, neatly arranged alphabetically on large shelves. In one corner of the room I saw Applejack and Spike. I walked up to them.
“H- H- Hello” stammered Spike
“Listen, there's no reason to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you.” I said
“But, You're the monster that Twilight accidentally brought into Equestria.”
“Wait, what? Twilight brought me here?”
“Yep, She told me not to tell anypony but... She was playing around with some sort of powerful magic that somehow brought you here. For the last 12 days she has gone with almost no sleep, trying to find you and send you back to wherever it is that you came from” said Spike
“Well that certainly explains a few things.” I said
“Where did you come from?” asked Spike
“It's a long story, Ill tell you when Twilight wakes up so I don't have to repeat it”
“Twilight is asleep?” Spike asked
“She screamed and collapsed when she saw me. She's asleep on the carpet downstairs.”
“Well she's probably going to be asleep for several more hours seeing as how long she was up for.” said Spike
“We'd best be goin' anyways, ah'm gonna introduce John to Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity” said Applejack
“Alright, when should I expect you two back here tomorrow?”
“How bout' tomorrow at noon. I got some applebuckin' to do in the mornin'”
“OK, tomorrow at noon, sounds good. I'll see you two then.”
“Alright, I'll See ya tomorrow then” said Applejack as she walked down the stairs
“Bye Spike” I said as I followed Applejack
“Bye John” replied Spike
I followed Applejack out the front door of Twilight's house.
“Where to now?” I asked
“Ah've got a few ponies Ah'd like ya to meet.”
“OK then, lets get going”
We walked through town for a few minutes before approaching a large circular building. It was mainly pink and blue. Whoever had designed it had covered it with small decorative features that made the building look quite fancy.
We stepped up to the door of the building.
“This is the carousal boutique. My friend Rarity lives and works here. She's the best designer in Ponyville” said Applejack
“What does she design?”
“Clothes mainly. Hey, maybe she could make some for ya.”
“That would be nice, this uniform is getting uncomfortable.”
We walked up to the front door of the boutique and Applejack knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” said a British sounding voice
“It's Applejack. Ah got someone that I'd like ya to meet.”
The door opened to reveal a beautiful looking white pony with a blue mane. She stared at me with a look of confusion on her face.
“Oh my... Who and what are you?” she said, looking at me
“My name is John. I am from Earth.” I said
“Earth?”
“It's a different world”
“But... how did you end up here?”
“I'm not exactly sure yet, but Twilight used some sort of special magic that made me fall into this world”
A look of shock appeared on Rarity's face.
“Rarity, it's a long story. He's gonna' be explanin' everythin' to to Twilight at noon tommorow at her house. Why don't ya come then?” Said Applejack
“Well I am in a bit of a rush here, I have several outfits to finish but I will try to get to Twilight's house tomorrow.”
“Alright, We'll see ya tomorrow then.”
Applejack started to walk off and I followed
“Umm, It was nice meeting you.” said Rarity
“Same to you.” I replied
Applejack and I walked away from Rarity's boutique.
“Where to now?” I asked
“Were goin' to another friend's house. Her name's Fluttershy. She's a very sweet, kind pony but she's very shy.”
We walked for about half an hour until we came to a small cottage just outside of Ponyville.
“Alright, this here is Fluttershy's house.” said Applejack
Applejack stepped up to the front door of the cottage and knocked.
“Wh- Who is it?” said a shy sounding voice
“It's me, Applejack. Hey open the door will ya? Ah've got someone to introduce you to.”
“Alright, just a second” the voice replied
The door slowly opened to reveal a yellow pegasus pony with a long pink mane. She looked incredibly shy. There was something about her presence that made me feel much calmer.
“Hi, my name's John. You must be Fluttershy” I said
“Yes, thats me... Umm what are you. I- if you don't mind me asking”
“I am a human. I live in another world but was somehow sent here by magic 12 days ago”
“Oh my, you poor thing. You must be incredibly homesick, I've never heard of humans before”
“Well sometimes a bit. But I have to say, this place is a lot nicer than my world at the moment”
Applejack eyed me suspiciously. She had always seemed curious about the war but hadn't asked me anything about it since that time in the hospital 12 days ago.
“Well that's nice, I- I'm glad that you like it here.” she stammered
“John's gonna be explanin' everythin' to Twilight tomorrow at noon. Ya should come to her place then.” said Applejack
“A- Alright, I think I could manage to stop by then”
“Great! I'll see ya then Fluttershy.” said Applejack
“Nice meeting you Fluttershy.” I said
“Y- Yes, You too” she replied
I then followed Applejack in the direction of Ponyville.
“Where are we going now?” I asked
“Were gonna meet another pony. Her name's Pinkie Pie. She's very... Energetic to say the least” said Applejack
We walked back into Ponyville and after awhile we approached a large building that looked like a cake. It had a large brown roof outlined in white icing. There was also a tall, mostly pink tower protruding from the roof. The tower had a large cupcake with 3 candles on top of it.
I stood, astounded at this strange building.
“What's wrong?” asked Applejack
“It's just that this is a very... unique looking building. I've never seen anything even close to this on Earth.” I said
“Well this here is Sugarcube Corner. It's the finest bakery in Ponyville and also happens to be where Pinkie Pie lives.”
“Oh, does Pinkie Pie own the place?” I asked
“No, Mr. and Mrs. Cake own it, Pinkie is just lives and works there.”
We walked up to the front door of Sugarcube Corner. Applejack knocked on the door. The door was answered by a Pink pony with curly hair.
“OHMYGOSHANEWPERSONI'MPINKIEPIENICETOMEETYOUWHAT'SYOURNAME?”
“Umm could you repeat that, slower?” I said
“Oh OK sorry, I'm Pinkie Pie, What's your name?”
“I'm John, Nice to meet you.”
Pinkie Pie didn't seem to care that I was a human; I liked this.
“Pinkie, John's a human. He came here from another world. Were just goin' around tellin everypony to come to Twilight's house tomorrow at noon. John's gonna be explanin' everything then.” said Applejack
“Oh alright, I'll be there.”
Pinkie Pie then closed the door and I heard scampering inside.
“Well you're right Applejack; She sure is energetic.”
Applejack chuckled.
“That's just Pinkie being Pinkie.” she said
“So is that Everypony you wanted me to meet?”
“Yep, Now we'd best be heading home, It's gettin' late.”
“OK, Where do you live?”
“Why Sweet Apple Acres of course. It's just outside of town, Follow me”
I followed Applejack. After about 20 minutes of walking, we approached a large red house that looked like a barn. It was surrounded by apple trees.
“So is this where you live?” I asked
“Yep, along with my family, I'll introduce them to ya when we're inside.”
We walked up to the front door of the house. Applejack unlocked the door and entered; I followed.
The inside of the house was quite simple. There was a large dining table and a kitchen complete with a stove and sink.
“My family is probably already sleepin'. I'll introduce ya to them tomorrow.”
“Alright then. Umm, where am I sleeping?” I asked
“I fixed up a spot for ya out in the barn. Come, I'll show ya.”
Applejack led me around the back of the house to a small red barn. The inside of the barn was very clean, it was almost like a house. In one corner Applejack had put down some blankets and a pillow.
“Alrighty, this is the place. How do ya like it?” she asked
“It's great. Much better than anything I slept in during the war.” I said
Applejack glanced at me with a look of suspicion and I knew I had made a mistake.
“Listen sugarcube, ya said somethin' about a war in the hospital. Could ya explain more about it to me? Sometimes it just helps to talk about these things.”
I sighed. Applejack was right, maybe if I just talked about the war things would get better. However, I didn't want to bring the horrors of war into this peaceful world.
“Alright I'll tell you, but be warned, war is an awful thing.”
I then told Applejack everything I knew about the war. How it started, who Hitler was, what type of weapons were used, the conditions that we were forced to live in. I also told several personal stories about seeing friends die on the battlefield and I told her what happened on D Day.
Applejack just started at me with her eyes wide open when I was done.
“I told you that it was going to be awful.” I said
“Ya- Ya killed other people.” stuttered Applejack
“Trust me, it wasn't easy, and if I hadn't killed those men, I would be dead.”
We both sat in silence for about a minute.
“Ah don't mean to offend or anythin' but you're world sounds mighty awful.”
“In it's current state, yes. Humans just don't seem to be able to get along. There's always some person that will disagree with another person causing thousands of people to die.”
There was silence for another minute.
“Well, I'd best be goin' to sleep now. Since ya didn't get any dinner I left some apples next to your bed.” said Applejack,
“Thanks” I said
Applejack walked out of the barn, with a look of shock and horror on her face.
I sighed. Explaining that was horrible.
I walked over to the bed that Applejack had made for me and lied down, I took a bite out of one of the Apples from the basket, hoping that some food would cheer me up.
It did.
The apple was delicious. It was easily the best apple that I had ever tasted. I quickly ate the rest of the apples and reminded myself to thank Applejack for them later.
I put my head down on the pillow and within seconds I was fast asleep.
Sorry for the wait on this chapter (Writer's Block). I'm going to be away on a camping trip from Aug. 26 – Sept. 1 so there won't be any new chapter's then, however I will bring some paper and a few pencils to start work on chapter 6. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for all the support :)
I awoke to the sound of rain outside. I stood up, stretched and stuck my head outside the barn door.
It was absolutely pouring outside. Dirt had turned to mud and the trees were all dripping with water. The sky was completely grey and there was not a speck of sunlight to be seen. I assumed that this was the work of the weather factory that Rainbow Dash had mentioned yesterday, whatever that happened to be.
I heard footsteps, or should I say, hoofsteps approaching the barn. Curiosity got the better of me and, even though the rain was pelting down outside; I stepped outside.
I saw a large red pony that was about my height. He seemed surprised when he saw me but he wasn't in complete shock like most other ponies. I introduced myself.
“Hi, I'm John. You must be a member of Applejack's family.” I said
“Eeeyup, I'm Big Macintosh. Applejack told me about you. A Human right?”
“That's me.”
“Well I'm just starting work for the day.”
“Can I help?”
“Eeeyup, we need to fill these baskets with apples and store them in the barn by the end of the day. Can you applebuck?”
“Applebuck?”
“Ya know, kick a tree and the apples fall off.”
Kicking a tree to make apples fall off? Seems pretty improbable but then again, I am in a world full of colorful talking ponies. I walked up to the nearest apple tree and kicked it with all my might. Instead of ending up with apples; I ended up with a sore foot.
Big Macintosh chuckled.
“Well maybe ya can help me carry apples instead.”
“I can do that. Lets get started.”
I picked up one of the baskets that Big Macintosh showed me and placed it beside a tree; Big Macintosh kicked the tree and I was amazed to see every single apple fall off and land in the basket.
For the next 2 hours I lifted baskets full of apples around. It was quite easy as I had always had quite a bit of strength in my arms and the baskets of apples seemed quite a bit lighter than they would be on Earth. The rain was still pelting down and to say that I got soaked would be an understatement.
After 2 hours all the baskets were filled with apples and neatly stacked in the barn. Big Macintosh and I were also both soaked to the bone.
===
Applejack stepped out of her bed and yawned. She gotten barley any rest and was still half asleep as she groggily walked down the stairs of her house and out the door to start work on the farm. She normally worked all day but today she had made arrangements with Big Macintosh to only work until 11:00 so that she would have time to take John to Twilight's house.
Applejack stepped out the front door of her house and noticed that it was raining quite heavily.
“This is the worst possible day for the weather factory to plan a storm. Ah really just want to go back to bed.” She said, as she stepped into the pouring rain
===
“Well gee, That usually takes all day. It was good having your help John.”
“Glad I could help out.”
Just then a sleepy looking Applejack stepped around the side of the barn.
“John, you're already up. Is there anyway you could help Big Mac and I out on the farm a bit? Please?” She asked, almost begging
“He already did sis. All the apples are in baskets and stacked.”
Applejack walked up to the barn and looked inside.
“Well I'll be darned, that normally takes all day, thanks a lot John!”
“No problem, It was the least I could do for all of your help, and for lunch yesterday.”
“Well thanks anyways. Hey, have ya had breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Ya've done all this hard work with no breakfast? We've got to get you some grub! Anything in particular that ya'd like?”
“Actually, just a few of those apples that you gave me last night would be nice; They were absolutely delicious.”
“Alright then, help yourself” said Applejack, motioning towards the apples stacked inside the barn
“Thanks” I said, heading for the buckets of apples
I ate apples for the next 15 minutes; I must have eaten about 10. They were easily the best apples that I had ever tasted; I just couldn't resist eating one after another.
“Woah there sugarcube, you're gonna make yourself sick eating like that.”
“I guess you're right, but I have to say Applejack; Those were the best apples that I have ever tasted.”
Applejack beamed.
“Well we do have the finest apples in all of Equestria here at sweet apple acres.”
After eating a few more apples, Applejack decided to introduce me to the 2 other members of her household. We walked back around to the main building and in the front door. Sitting at a table inside was an older looking green pony and a small young looking yellow pony.
“Oh boy, is this the critter that ya were talkin' about Applejack? Is it? Is it?” said the younger looking pony.
“John, this is my grandmother, Granny Smith and my sister, Applebloom.”
“It's nice to meet you both.” I said
“WOAH! Applejack you didn't tell me that could talk! This is SOOOOO cool, I can't wait to show Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo” said Applebloom, bouncing up and down
“Well, it looks like somepony has quite a bit of energy.” I said
Applejack laughed.
“Yep, that's my sister alright.”
Granny Smith turned to Applejack and I, looking surprised. It then occurred to me that she had just noticed us.
“Ohhhh, Applejack, This must be that critter that ya were yammerin' on all week about.”
“Yep, this here is John” Applejack said, nodding towards me
“Well it's nice to meet you John. Where are you from?” asked Granny Smith
“I'm from a planet called Earth.”
“Planet? Earth? Never heard of it.”
“OHHHH COOL, a secret land! I can't wait to rub this in Diamond Tiara's face! What's Earth like John??” asked Applebloom, jumping up and down
“Currently, not too nice.”
“Really? How so?”
I studied the floor.
“I'd rather not talk about it.”
I noticed Applejack shoot Applebloom a look that said, “I'll explain it later.”
“Well we'd best be heading off now. John and I have some business at Twilight's house.” said Applejack
“Alright, I'll see you two later.” said Granny Smith as I stepped out the door with Applejack
“Bye John!” yelled Applebloom, waving at me
Applejack and I walked through Ponyville towards Twilight's house. It was still pouring with rain and we got soaked on the way. We reached Twilight's house after about 20 minutes of dodging puddles and trying to find places under the cover of buildings to walk.
“Now John, ya should probably step out of the way, we don't want an incident with Twilight like yesterday.”
“Good idea.” I said, stepping out of the way of the door
Applejack knocked at the door, it was answered by Twilight.
“Oh, Applejack. its you. Umm do you have....”
“Yep, He's right here.” said Applejack
I stepped in front of Twilight.
Twilight didn't seem scared at all, In fact, she seemed relieved. Spike must have explained everything to her. But what was she relieved about?
“So you're the creature from a different dimension....” Said Twilight
A different dimension? I had no idea where Equestria was relative to Earth, but a different dimension?! I was starting to get a bit scared.
Twilight seemed to see the worry in my expression.
“Don't worry, I'll explain everything. Please, come inside; You two seem pretty soaked and It's not too hard to guess why.” Twilight grinned
I walked into Twilight's house to see that all the ponies that we had invited were there, sitting around a table. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash was also there, she must have heard about the meeting from some other pony.
“Hello everypony.” I said
All of the ponies gave me a nod except for Rainbow Dash, who eyed me suspiciously.
Twilight took a seat and motioned for Applejack and I to do the same.
“So, I bet everypony here is wondering about- Sorry, what's you're name again?” she asked me
“It's John, John Davis.” I said
“I bet everypony is wondering about John.”
Everybody nodded their heads in agreement.
“Well here's how he got here.”
Sorry for the massive wait on this chapter everypony. School has really been cutting into my writing time. But don't worry, I'm not going to abandon this story. Chapters will come slower now but this story will have an ending.
-Anoymousperson123
A Whole Different Pair of Eyes
June 7 1944 Pvt. William Hartley – Canadian Armed Forces – Medical Division
David Smith, Check. Joesph Elder, Check. Allen Rouse, Check, John Davis, Che- What?
Pvt. William Hartley stared at the empty stretcher in front of him, puzzled. He double checked the number on the stretcher with the number on his clipboard. Yep, a man named John Davis was supposed to be in this cot. But where had he gone? This section of the medical tent was reserved for the most serious of injuries. People who ended up in here couldn't just stand up and walk away.
William approached the lieutenant in charge of the hospital tent. He was a tall and intimidating man who preferred to get straight to the point in conversations.
“Sir, We have a missing patient over in the serious injury ward.”
“Impossible, nobody ever goes missing from there. He's either dead or someone screwed up the paperwork” Said the lieutenant
“Really sir, a man named John Davis is supposed to be in cot number eighteen, He's not there.”
The lieutenant took a puff on his cigar.
“Alright, let me see.”
William showed the lieutenant the list of patients and the empty stretcher.
“Well this is unusual.” He said
The lieutenant took another puff on his cigar before speaking up.
“Private, mark this John Davis down as a casualty. As far as you know, he's dead, a victim of German machine gun fire.”
“But sir, standard procedure is to-”
“To hell with standard procedure! This is war and I outrank you! Now do as I tell you.”
“Yes sir” replied Pvt. Hartley
===
“And now you're here.” Said Twilight
I stopped for a second to reflect on what Twilight had just said. Apparently, Twilight had been experimenting with something called “Inter Dimensional Travel Magic” (Whatever that might happen to be). She had accidentally opened a portal between her dimension and my dimension. My body had fallen through that portal sometime after I got shot.
Something clicked in my brain at that moment. It was as if I was seeing things with a whole different set of eyes.
“Umm, Dave? Ya alright there? You're lookin' a bit funny.” Asked Applejack
“I'm in a fairy tail world full of talking neon horses and unicorns. My home is god knows how many light years away and for some reason I have accepted this as normal for the past few weeks. So to answer your question, No; I'm anything but alright. In fact, I'd actually prefer to go back to the hellish nightmare that I came from.”
All of the ponies stared at me.
“What's a god?” asked Pinkie pie
“I, I need to get some air.” I said
I stepped out the door of the tree that I was in and started running as fast as my legs would take me.
===
June 15th 1944 - Toronto Ontario – Davis Household
Markus Davis walked in front of his upper class Toronto home and opened the mailbox.
“Bills, bills, bills.”
He stopped and stared at a particular letter. It was in an envelope affixed with the Canadian Army's logo.
Markus rushed inside to his wife, Shelly.
“Shell! I've got a letter from John.”
“Oh my, let me see.” Said Shelly Davis, as she walked down the house's main staircase
The two parents sat down at their kitchen table; Markus opened the letter. As he read it, the look of happiness on his face slowly evolved into something much different.
“Is everything alright?” Asked Shelly
“Shell?”
“Yes dear?”
Markus swallowed.
“He's gone; We've lost our son.”