Rain, it was raining again. It wasn't actually unexpected since Stephen and his teammates were in the Blacksea Region of Asia Minor. But this doesn't make the situation any less annoying. The water drops hitting your face, sometimes shots you in the eye and ruin your vision, normally no one would care but now, as they were in a hurry and had no time to waste and no place for any kind of distraction. It was four years now since the war started and things were not getting any better since then. North-west of Europe has already fallen, destroyed by the force of the barrier which grows every moment.

Stephen never understood why they were assigned to this duty: Yes they could stop those barnyard freaks but when it comes to that goddamn barrier, they stood no chance. No human-made thing could get through it: Bullets, missiles, jets, vehicles, even buildings! Those creatures, those colourful horses... Those ponies. What did they ever want from us in the first place? They just appeared in middle of the ocean, opened those bureaus -Conversion Bureaus in full name for the ones who don't know- who got in as a human, got out as a pony. That's what happened at the very beginning. They opened those bureaus to present us a better life. At first, it wasn't actually so bad, In fact it was even great: If someone who has a disease that can not be cured, such as cancer; he was healing instantly! But then... when they got outnumbered, that's when everything became avkward.

First, ponies who remained or came to Earth started to suggest people to join the conversion process, then they started to follow humans they found to convince them to be converted. Then, several attacks occured by the group called PER -Ponification for Earth's Rebirth-, and then everything started: You think bureaus were the beginning? No, everything has just started. After these attacks became more often, organized forces formed up and appeared in cities, using the potion to convert every single human they find. These organized groups became bigger and bigger everyday, and then the truth was learnt: It was Celestia's orders, to convert every human. These organized groups were her armies and they were implementing the orders of hers. Of course, humanity's response didn't wait long: United Nations, or what has left from it; confronted the Equestrian army. The defensive battles succeeded and as a result, United Nations decided to attack Equestria to end this carnage. And then, that bubble showed up, covering every inch of the Island of Equestria: The Barrier. As I said before, no human-made object can trespass the barrier. As if this wasn't an enough problem for humans, the bubble started to grow. Grow and destroy whatever it come across with it. It was Celestia's spell that generating that bubble, and make it get bigger. After years, it almost reached the coastlines of America and Europe.

Celestia's army managed to reach and capture Balkans. However, the barrier hasn't grown that far yet: So UN still had a chance to retake those territories and save people who were suffering there while they still have time. United Nations armed forces were fighting against Equestrians, forcing them to retreat but whenever they succeed, ponies return with more. That was where Stephen Cartwright and his team assgined to: The Southern Balkans Front. It was impossible to reach there from the European borders of Russia, Blacksea was no better either because of the Pegasi threat: So the only way to reach Southern Balkans was the Caucasus to Blacksea coastlines of Turkey.

They were in an armored vehicle, heading through the west, the wheather was rainy and the path they were moving on was a complete mess, no road, no light: Only trees and the mud beneath them. This was making Stephen sick, he hated mud and the condition of the rainy weather was not helping at all "Can't this thing move faster?" he asked with boredom to Sasha, the Russian driver. Sasha was in his twenties from the look of him, probably going to university before the war started and now, he was here: Fighting in the battle. "We are going as fast as we can sir." Stephen actually knew they can't go faster, he was just bored and wanted to talk to someone. He then turned to Cheng to talk but he realized he wasn't conscious: He was asleep, the long journey left the old man tired. The Chinese man seemed too peaceful to wake so Stephen skipped him. Others were not different either. All of the team were sleeping except Sasha and Stephen. Well of course, Sasha cannot sleep since he is the driver but Stephen? It was complete different story, the nightmares he have were not giving him a break. Every single night, even in the most quite and peaceful night, they come find Stephen, and strangle him, cut his breath, torture him until he wakes up. Dark silhouettes were chasing him in an endless tunnel. Even he was tired, he was afraid to sleep; afraid to get caught in his sleep, afraid to die in his sleep, afraid to be lost in his sleep.

A voice was trying to reach him "Colonel Cartwright... Colonel Cartwright? Colonel Cartwright!" Stephen jumped from where he is and looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. "Sir are you alright?" It was Sasha "I was calling for you sir, you couldn't hear me. Is everything alright?"

Stephen rubbed the back of his head and his eyes, he sighed with relief "I'm fine private Baranov" he then realized the vehicle was not moving "Why did we stop?"

"I tried to tell you sir, it seems like we got stuck in the mud." Sasha stepped on the accelaretor to move the vehicle but it didn't work. "I think we should check it out"

Stephen straightened up and got out of the car. Sasha did the same as the Colonel did. He scanned the vehicle from bottom to top: Yes, they were stuck in the mud. "Sasha, wake the others. We will need more hands to get this metal stack working."

"Yes sir." Sasha saluted as he started to wake the team.

While Stephen continued to examine the condition of the vehicle, a sound of rustling caught his ear. He suddenly turned around and looked for the source of the sound. He lowered the tone of his voice "Sasha... Sasha!"

Sasha and Cheng were awake now, he approched to Colonel quietly. "What is it sir?"

"Hand me that rifle over there" he whispered as he pointed to the M416 on the backseat of the vehicle "now!"

Private did as Colonel ordered "One of them?" Sasha asked as he took out his pistol, ready to shoot.

Stephen aimed at the bushes where the rustles came from "It might be." He then whispered to Cheng without changing his position "Cheng, go cover Olivia." Cheng did as the Colonel said and took out his shotgun as he took cover behind the vehicle.

"I thought they couldn't reach the Asia Minor sir?" Sasha whispered anxiously, still keeping his position against the bushes.

The rustling grew closer and closer, all of the team were tightened their grip on their weapons and finally, a four legged creature jumped out of the thicket. It was a white goat. Team waited for something unusual, maybe a spell or a trap? But nothing starnge happened. "Maaa!" Goat got away from them, hopping like nothing happened. Everyone sighed with relief and put their guns down.

Stephen wiped the tear of his forehead "For God's sake..." he chuckled as he leaned on the vehicle. "That was close, wasn't it?" Everyone laughed with relaxation. "Lets get this thing out of that shit."

Author's Note

Alright, so I decided to write a fic with TCB plot and I hope I don't regret it. I don't guarantee anything.