Chapters John pov
Date December 16, 1944
James answered the radio as I loaded a magazine.
"This is birds nest."
I readied my Springfield as he listened.
"Got it. Bird nest out."
I looked at James.
"Get ready. Kraut's mobile infirmary is moving around this area. A supply runner is coming with some extra sidearm and rifle ammo just in case."
I nodded as I pulled back away from the snowbank. "Hell, I have plenty already."
"What?"
I smirked as I pulled my backpack out of the dugout. I pulled it over and patted the overstuffed bag. He grabbed it and tried to pull it over and dragged it over.
"The hell man!?"
He opened the bag and looked shocked as he pulled out an ammo can.
"What the hell!? How the fuck did you get four ammo cans?"
I laughed as I chambered a round. "I ran out of ammo and was down to just my forty-five in Anzio. The captain of our battalion respects my skill and when I asked him if I could extra ammo. He had more sent as well as food seeing as we are the farthest from camp."
"But, isn't this too much for you to carry?"
I nodded as I looked at the road. "No, kid most of the time I'm staying in or around the same area as I shoot and move. I'll have them set up with extra forty-five ammo. In the spare bag on my side. I keep an extra fourty rounds in loaded magazines."
"Damn man."
I laughed before I heard footsteps. We both got ready in case it wasn't our supply runner. He got his M1 ready, and I pulled out my colt.
"Flash!"
I smiled before I holstered my piece. I stood up and got out of the dugout. "Thunder!" I smiled as I saw the runner coming up with a bag over his shoulder. I walked over, snow crushing under my boots.
"Thanks, your here a hell of a lot sooner than I was expecting."
"Captain sent me to a few nearby forward dugouts. If one of you can hel…."
A shot rang out, and the man in from of me dropped with a hole in his chest. I sprinted back into my dugout. I grabbed my rifle and saw my spotter with his head in the fucking open. "Pull your fucking head in!" I was too late. The back of his neck was blown out, and he fell forward. "FUCK!" I grabbed my bag and his ammo bandoliers. I quickly threw them all on my back and grabbed his rifle.
“Vorauszahlung! Vorauszahlung!”
I quickly got out of my dugout to the sounds of gunfire. 'His truck or bike shouldn't be far.' I raced down the hill. 'Fuck why did I agree to be one of the first sharpshooters in this post!' I got to the dirt road and saw his jeep. 'Damn! I knew I should've stayed at came.' I got to the jeep and got behind it.
"Boom!"
A mortar slammed down as they started over the hill. I slammed a grand clip in and started firing. "What the hell is going on? The ardennes was supposed to be our resting time from the front?!" I shoot two more rushing germans. I took shots as I threw the gear into the back of the jeep. 'I need to get to the forward camp and get word out about this attack.' I emptied the M1 and jumped into the jeep with guns raining around me.
"Halt!"
The jeep roared to life and rushed down the worn-down road. I saw a wall of snow, and a bridge we hadn't blown up. The gunfire was still heavy, but I was a hell of a lot better off. I raced across the bridge and headed for the tunnel cut into the hill. As I rode into the tunnel, I looked at the light on the other side, but something was wrong. I saw a green field on the other side.
Twilight pov
I smiled as I looked up at my latest project. My magic viewing mirror was powering up, and the gathered ponies in the field were excited to see what would show from the other side. As we watched, an image showed up. We saw a metal box moving down a dirt road with real urgency.
"Um, Twilight. Is this what we are suppose to be seeing?"
I could hear what sounded like small explosions.
"What is going on?"
I quickly walked over to the safety line with my friends and the reports. As the box turned, I saw a strange creature holding onto a wheel. I could make out the color of its clothes. They were a brown, almost sand color.
"Um, is it getting closer?"
I nodded, and we all started to back up as it turned, coming straight for the mirror. "Everypony run!" We all ran away as the thing smashed through the mirror, breaking. The thing roared. It turned and went crazy around the field. The guards that came to guard the princesses got in front of the crowd, but the creature inside the box didn't move.
"Is that blood?"
I looked at Applejack, then looked closer. She was right blood was on the front of the creature. I gave it a good look too. It had a uniform on with a helmet of some kind. It kind of looked like the new model's princess Luna was trying to get her night-guards
"Do you think it is hurt? They maybe that's why it was going crazy out their."
"What!?"
I looked at Fluttershy before she flew over the guards and the creature. We quickly ran over to her as she looked at it. We reached her as she got her hands on it. It grunted as she moved it back, and its head fell back. It had a huge red spot on its face with a bad nose bleed. Its skin was pale, with some blonde hair under the helmet.
"Is it alive Flutters?"
I looked at Rainbow and sighed as I looked back at Fluttershy as she got the helmet off. She grabbed the sides of its head. I looked around as its eyes opened and closed.
"I think it may be concussed."
Fluttershy opened the coat ignoring the blood, and I saw it had a flat chest. "Okay, so it's a male."
"Augh."
He seemed to be coming out of it, and once he started to come around, he moved fast. He started to fight and shoved Fluttershy away. He started trying to get something off his side.
John pov
I came out of the fog and felt someone trying to get my coat off. I came around quick feeling that. I shoved whoever was on me as hard as I could. My vision was still foggy as I reached down to get my colt. Someone grabbed me and pulled me from the jeep. I got slammed to the ground and heard someone yelling in a strong southern accent.
"Don't move you varmint!"
"Not happening, Kraut!" I got my hand free and grabbed a throat as more hands grabbed me. My eyesight cleared, and I looked up at the strangest sight in my life. I had my hand around the throat of a horse's neck. But the body was human, and they were bright green. I let her go and tried to back up. The hands let me go, and I slammed back into the tire. "THE HELL IS GOING!?"
"Down!"
I ducked, and another one with some armor flew over my head, knocking the others to the ground. I jumped up and pulled out the M1 from the back of the jeep and slammed a clip in. I pointed it into the face of the armored horse. "You move, and I'll blow you fucking head off!"
"Um…"
I looked to the side and saw these things surrounding me. I stopped then I noticed more details. All but the ones on the ground were female. "Wait, you're not in combat wear. Are you civilians?" That seemed to get the armored one's attention.
"Yes! Yes, they are civilians."
I took a few more deep breaths as I looked at him. I nodded before pushing the side button in and pulled back on the action. The ammo flew out. I threw the Garand back into the jeep again. I put my hands up as I looked at him. 'Outnumbered best to play smart.' He stood up and looked at me with a bit more relaxed look.
"Will you back up?"
I back away with my hands up. "Sorry, didn't realize I was in a civilian sector. I just had a whole battalion of Kraut at my back shooting to kill. Now, can someone please explain what the fuck is going on?" He nodded as he seemed to realize I didn't want to fight.
"Well, you just broke through a prototype magic viewing mirror. But, I have to ask are you a guard or a soldier?"
The other guards, I guess, come close to me. "Yes, I'm a newly graduated Sergeant with the US third armies 28th rifle division, reckon sniper." The Stallion, I think, quickly stiffed as he looked at him.
"Your an nco!?"
I nodded, and the other seem to relax. I dropped my arms as I talked with him.
"Well, all this is, but we need to talk." I blinked and turned to see two huge mares? One was bigger than the other. She had a white coat of fur with a green, blue, and purple mane. It looked like it was following in its own wind. She had on a golden dress with a fucking crown on. A large necklace rested around her neck with a large gem in the center. Her eyes were a mix of pink and, I think, light purple.
"Sir are you okay?"
I looked at the smaller one. She was a dark blue with a light blue dress on. Her mane was like the night sky and did the same as the other mares. Her eyes were blue, but the most strange thing was they both had horns and wings. "Ya, just wondering how the hell this all happened."
"Would you like to talk about it?"
I laughed as I looked at the marble-colored mare. "Um, not really I just watched two of my squad mates get killed and now I'm wondering if I've been killed." I walked over and sat back on the jeep's driver seat.
"Um Sir."
I looked over at a purple mare, and she had a horn but no wings. "Ya?" She cleared her throat before she walked over to me and held a hand out.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle and um your name?"
I snorted and laughed a little. 'Fuck it.' I grabbed her hand and shook it. "John Asher. But, call me John or Johnny like my friends used to call me." She smiled, and I looked at the green-eyed mare. I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked at her. "Sorry about the grab and shove." She laughed before she pointed to a cream-colored mare.
"You shoved her but apology accepted."
John pov
I looked at the mare, and she looked at me, scared. "I'm sorry miss." She epped then blushed as she looked away from me. "I guess I have to spend every night with a gun in hand."
"What is a gun?"
I looked at Twilight, and she had a notebook and a fucking quill. "That's a bit of a long explanation." She smiled as she inched closer.
"I'm more then happy to listen. Knowledge from another world just fell into our laps."
I blinked and laughed before I nodded. "Okay, okay. Hell when in Rome. Do you have somewhere we can go and sit down? Hard metal sucks to sit on for a few hours." She nodded, and the others all sighed, but the white one smiled.
"Ya my tree house!"
I shrugged and started the engine up. They all jumped back, but I laughed as I sat straight in my seat. "Here, get in the other seat. If you can give me directions, I can take us there. I can take two more if they don't mind sitting on the back.
"Dibs!"
A mare with blue fur and a rainbow mane jumped in the back. The mare I grabbed jumped onto the other side. A Pinke mare looked upset as she looked at us. I laughed before I got her attention. "You see those big cans on the side?" I pointed back to the two extra gas cans I knew were full.
"What about them?"
I smiled as I looked at her. "Those are gas cans, fuel for this jeep. I can drive anyone else who wants to ride around later." She smiled, and a few of the guards also looked happy. I waved, and they backed away. I shifted into gear as Twilight spoke.
"We need to get turned around and head town."
I nodded as I got us turned around. "Oh, and don't mess with the guns or the cans back there."
"Guns? Do you mean these wooden things?"
"Ya, and please don't step on the longer one with a long black pipe on the top." We down out of the field. "It's called a sniper rifle. It's what I use when I'm out in a forward position. When we get stopped I'll explain how it works."
"Take a left that at the quill and paper store. Keep an eye out for foals."
"Got it." I drove up to the building and turned into the town.
"Oh and were ponies if you couldn't tell."
I nodded as I kept my eyes on the road ignoring the stares. 'Just like riding through battle ruined town.'
"When we get to the end of the street turn left."
"So, you want to know about my guns, right? Fair warning I'm going to have to explain at least a dozen other things after that." She laughed as I saw a tree with a fucking door, windows, and a balcony." Well damn. A literal treehouse. Never seen something like this before." I pulled up to it, and they got off. I killed the engine and got out, taking the key with me. I opened the chest pocket and dropped it in.
"Hey do we need to take these?"
I looked at the blue mare as she pointed to my guns. "Ya, You guys go into the house I need to get everything off this jeep. There's enough ammo to take a damn large town over."
"Here I'll give you a hand."
I looked at the orange mare and nodded. "Thanks miss?" She smiled and held a hand out to me.
"Applejack Apple."
I smiled and shook her hand.
"And I'm Rainbow Dash Equestria fastest flyer!"
I nodded as I grabbed both rifles and my bag of ammo. I set the ammo bag on the ground and then put my arm through the strap. I held my m1 in hand and then grabbed the ammo bag. I lifted it over my shoulder.
"Holy buck!"
I saw Rainbow trying to lift a nearly full crate of 45 ammo. "I'll get that Rainbow. Get the loss cans like Applejack." She nodded and left the crate be. Twilight opened the door for me, and I walked in.
"You can leave those over by the couch. And the rest can go with it if you don't mind."
I nodded and set them down next to the couch, and I heard someone upstairs. 'Keep the colt, John.' I walked back out and was surprised to see the other mares. The Pinkie one was already sitting in the passenger seat. I blinked as I looked at her. She smiled as she looked back at me.
"Can we go for a ride now?"
I laughed and nodded my head before I grabbed the crate. "Later miss." I lifted the crate and walked into the house. They followed me in, and I sat on the crate next to the bag.
"What are in these cans?"
I looked back at Twilight and the blue mare as they looked at the cans. I opened my side back and pulled out a forty-five magazine. I held it out to them. "This is what is inside. Don't heat it at all I'll explain it once I'm done moving all the ammo. I have one more crate of m1 ammo and a box of grenades."
"Grenades?"
"You guys haven't been to war I guess?" All but the Blue and white one nodded. "Well damn. This could take all night." Twilight smiled, but the other looked exhausted by the idea. I walked back out and stopped when I saw a guard holding a grenade with his finger in a pin. "Stop!" The guards jumped. I grabbed the grenades in the guard's hand. She was looking over it, and I grabbed her shoulder.
"Yes?"
"I don't think you want to lose your arm if that little bomb in your hand goes off." The guards around us backed up. Her eyes shrank, and she slowly sat the grenades on the jeep. She quickly walked away from the jeep, and I grabbed the grenades. I put it back into the crate and pulled the cover off the last two crates. I saw a few cans of Springfield ammo. "Ah hell ya."
"What's hell?"
I jumped and grabbed my forty-five and looked down at a small lizard. I blinked as I looked down at the little guy from the voice. I sighed and nodded as I lifted the crate of grenades. "That is something I'm not getting into."
"Why?"
I groaned as I walked through the door. "Little man, that is so much ground to cover don't want to start that conversation."
"Oh they come out!"
I saw Twilight had gotten a round out of the magazine. I nodded before I walked back out and quickly threw the extra cans in the last crate. I saw another bag near the seats and grabbed it. I pulled it over and opened the back to see another forty-five. But it was in pieces. I smirked and nodded as I set it in the crate.
"What's in the bag?"
I looked over my shoulder and saw the little guy again. A gun I needed to be put back to gather, and I'm hoping it has all the pieces." I walked back in, seeing the girls looking at a bullet. I smiled as I watched them study the bullets. I set the crate down and grabbed the bag.
"What do you have there?"
I looked up and saw a guard in purple armor. "This is another one of the guns that uses that round."
"Another?"
I looked to my left and saw the little man again. I laughed as I finished laying out the parts and smiled, seeing all the parts. I started to gun the guard together.
"Johnny!"
I threw my hands up, throwing the spring and barrel up. The barrel fell, hitting a purple-haired mare. She yelped and looked at us as I glared at the pink mare who snuck up on me. I took a deep breath as I looked at the purple-haired mare. "Miss, first I'd like to say sorry about that I didn't mean to throw that."
"Your fine darling. Pinkie has a very bad habit of just popping up."
I nodded, and she reached down and picked the barrel up, and another guard grabbed the spring. She threw the barrel over, and I caught it, and the guard threw my spring.
"So what about you doing?"
I looked up and saw Twilight. I sighed and moved over from the middle of the couch. "Come on, I can explain what this weapon is and the history while I put this back together." Twilight rushed through them, and she had the book and quill. She sat down beside me and looked at her. She was a little shorter than me. She had a figure a lot of women would kill for. Her breast were large and round same as her hips and ass.
"So what is this weapon called?"
"This is a US-made nineteen-eleven the name is because this semi-auto pistol was adopted by the united states army in the year nineteen-eleven. By the beginning of world war I this became the standard battlefield sidearm. more than sixty-eight thousand pistols were in service and the huge demand for this pistol led to becoming the favorite of any soldier, marine, or navy soiler."
"World war l?"
"I'll get into that later. As I was saying. The pistol performed so well during WW1 that there were no huge changes made to its design. Now, as for the round. The forty-five round is a sub-sonic round that travels at eight hundred and thirty feet per second."
"WHAT!?"
Rainbow yelled and ran over with the bullet in hand. She held it up and pointed at it.
"This thing can go that fast!?"
I nodded and smiled as I started to talk again. "It's a heavy firepower round made to put down anything I point this gun at. Say I was to shoot you or someone else with. Depending on where and how I hit you it's instant death from the sheer fire. This would be what I call point-blank rage. If I shot you it would be like swinging a twenty-pound sledgehammer at a soaking wet piece of paper."
"Ton of power for a little thing."
I looked at Applejack as I finished putting the thing together. I pulled the slide back and smiled at the sound of the hammer locking into place. I pulled the trigger and listened to the sweet click. I smiled and set the pistol down on the table.
"Can we have that?"
I looked at the blue mare as she looked at the gun. "Sorry but no. That stays with me until know you all a lot better. If I am able to set up an area you are free to come and fire it off all you want. I got plenty of ammo."
"Can I try shooting it too?"
I looked at Twilight as she looked up from her book. "Warning to you both if you hold it wrong you can break your wrist."
"Then how do you use this thing?"
I looked at the blue mare again. "Start with two hands and get used to it. Personally, I'd rather start anyone with a rifle like my two." I pointed to my two. "I have both an M1 Grand and a modified Springfield sniper rifle."
"Switch would you say is easier to learn with?"
I hummed as I leaned back into the couch, loving how soft this couch was. I crossed my arms as I answered. "I'd say Springfield would be the better option. Scope or no scope, it's a well-built and sturdy rifle good for starter shooters."
"Can we ask about the rifles next?"
The blue one had a bit of a strange way of talking. "Sure. The Springfield was the former main battle rifle from nineteen-o-three to nineteen-thirty-six. Once the M1 became the new battle rifle, the Springfields role was made into snipers." I could see Twilight writing down everything I said. 'Damn girl, what are you, a Historian?"
John pov two days later
I drove down the street with Twilight in the passenger seat, Spike riding in the back, reading a comic. I stopped before the city hall and let her and Spike off. I hummed as I leaned back into my seat, waiting for them. Twilight and Spike loved riding in the jeep.
“Hey Johnny!”
I jumped and grabbed at my colt. I sighed as I looked at Pinkie Pie. “Will you stop that?!” She laughed as she sat in the passenger seat.
“Sorry Johnny.”
I sighed and rested my hands on the steering wheel. “So what did you need?” She smiled as she looked at the town hall.
“What is Twilight doing? It’s a Tuesday she usually only comes to the town hall on Friday.”
“We’ll it doesn’t feel right sitting in her house without contributing to the house funds.”
“Oh?”
She gave me a puzzled look. “What?”
“Almost all stallions live off mares so it’s nice to hear you say that.”
I blinked as I looked at her. “You can’t be telling me the truth? Stallions make mares be the breadwinner of the house?” She nodded as she looked at me.
“Well, mare out number stallions isn’t that the same where your from?”
“No. for the majority men are the breadwinner of the family. And what do you mean mares out number stallions?”
“I can explain that.”
I turned my head and saw Twilight with Spike, still reading his comic book walking down the steps. “We can talk about that later. Did the mayor have anything?” She smiled and pulled a few sheets of paper from her side bag.
“Do you care about hunting down a predator attacking the local livestock? Or maybe helping in construction or repairing buildings in town?”
“I got the ammo to use to take care of the predator. For now, let me take you two home, and I’ll get my Springfield and M1 for safety.” She smiled and nodded as she walked around the jeep. She moved her skirt back and sat down in the seat.
“I wish these seats were better patted.”
“Ya, but that’s how these were made. This was meant to be a short-run supply dropper and deliver officers to different areas of field camps.”
“Do you think the guards could use these things?”
I started up the jeep and put it into gear. “I don’t see why not. But, most of the time officers tried to keep them near their posts and hang onto them.”
“Oh? I guess officers are the same in any armored force.”
I nodded as I drove back down the road. “Ya, but my captain wasn’t so bad. He respected skill not social class or rank.” I turned the corner and saw a few guards posted outside Twilight’s house.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna must me back.”
“So they just come around as they want. Hell, they art just like the king of England.”
“Humans have royalty too?”
I pulled up to the door as she asked. “Well, to a point that’s a little complicated to explain at the moment.”
“Sargent!”
I looked and saw the guards from the other day. I smiled as I pulled up alongside the guards. The new guards all looked at the jeep and me. Twilight and Spike got out of the jeep, and one of the new guards walked up. His armor was purple with gold trim.
“So you the guy a lot of the guards were talking about.”
I smiled as I got out of the jeep and walked around to him, and I saw that we were the same height. I smiled and held my hand out to him. “Sargent John Asher. Your name sir?” He smiled and then took his helmet off before taking my hand.
“Shining Armor Capitan of the guard and Twilight’s older brother.”
I smiled as we let each other’s hands go. “Nice to meet you, Shining Armor.”
He laughed and waved his hand.
“Captain Armor if you don’t mind.”
I nodded before I crossed my arms as I looked at him. “Alright captain.” He nodded before he looked behind me.
“So, this is the jeep Princesses Celestia and Luna were talking about. Think we could take a drive?”
I nodded before I waved him over to the seat. He climbed into the and took his seat as I got into mine. I started up the engine and then put it in drive. I started to drive forward. “You know I got that little hint Captain Armor. But, I’m a United States soldier, not one of your guards.”
“So you don’t see the authority of the princess guards.”
I laughed as I turned right. “Oh no, I see it and I recognise the authority of the princess and rank. But, I won’t be ordered but someone who I didn’t know or trust. Would you go to another country and placed yourself under the command of another officer you don’t know.”
“Fair point. I see your point.”
I turned another corner and sighed as I leaned back into my seat. “Besides, I have no interest in making trouble in a civilian sector.”
“It’s good to hear that. What about life with my sister?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, she keeps me awake at night asking me all kinds of questions about my world. Or asking to take one of my guns apart.” He laughed awkwardly before he looked away.
“Ya, my sister does go over the top when it comes to learning new things.”
I nodded as we turned the corner. “All that is okay but I would love not to be up all night.”
“I understa…”
BANG!
I grabbed Shining and threw us both down; as low as I could, I pulled my colt out and looked around. “The fuck did that shot come from!” I looked up and saw a guard come walking out holding her ears. “Oh shit.”
“What!?”
I jumped out of the jeep and ran over to the door. I saw a guard holding her thigh right in the middle of her thigh guard. I rushed over and dropped to my knees. “Did it graze or penetrate?!”
“I don’t know but it burns!”
I grabbed her hand and moved it. I smiled, seeing a graze a little deep, but she’d scar up. “Damn. Okay, someone help me get this off, and I need badges and disinfectant!”
“I’ll get the first aid bag!”
A guard rushed out as another guard helped me get her thigh guard off.
“I’m so sorry!”
I looked up and saw Twilight with my other colt at her hoofs. I glared up at her, and she looked away as I looked at her. “You and I are going to have a long talk Twilight. I told you to leave the damn guns alone!”
“Oh buck!”
I looked back down and saw some pieces of the bullet had broken off. “Fuck the bullet split up. She could have metal in her thigh she needs to get to a hospital.”
“We got her.”
I looked up, and Luna put a hand on her shoulder. In a flash, they were gone, and I blinked before I looked at Celestia. She had a frown on her face before she looked away from me and to Twilight.”
“Twilight I believe he did tell you not to mess with these weapons. Why did you take one?”
She was talking like a mother scolding her child. But, it seemed more like controlled yelling. I let her stumble over her words as I reached over and grabbed the colt off the floor. “With her, that close you got lucky you didn’t kill her.” I stood up and slipped the colt into my belt near my main colt.
“I didn’t know it would fire. I just wanted to know what would happen when I heated up the gun.”
I sighed and nodded my head before I looked at Celestia. “Do you think I could get a large lockable chest?”
“You’ll have it in a day. As well as the only key.”
“Thank you, Princess. It is safe to leave you to chew her out. I have a hunt to get too.”
“Good luck.”
I nodded, then walked over to the basement and opened the door. I walked down the steps trying to think back to my early hunting days. I grabbed my Springfield and slung it over my shoulder. I also grabbed my pack and opened it, then stopped. I had a can of ammo missing. I sighed before grabbing my ammo belt and going back up the steps. I walked into Twilight, getting yelled at by Luna. I walked over and tapped Luna’s shoulder. She stopped her yell as she looked back at me.
“Yes John?”
“I have a can of ammo missing.”
Her eye twitched before she looked back at Twilight. She laughed before looking away from us.
“I may have sent it to the royal research labs.”
I took a deep breath and nodded before I nodded. “You know if you’d asked I would have let you have a damn can. I need to keep a good count on my ammo since I can’t get more now.”
“Sorry, but I did send a letter asking to see if they would make more after studying them.”
I sighed and nodded before pulling a stripper clip from my belt. I saw that look in Twilight’s eyes when she saw this. “It’s a stripper clip before you ask. It’s used to hold ammo, and once I pull the bolt out I can set it then use my thumb to load the bullets.” I then did as I explained and slammed the bolt shut, throwing the clip away.
“Spike get that!”
Twilight quickly spoke, and Spike blinked as he looked up from his book. He started to move before I reached down and grabbed it. “I can reuse these, so no.” She frowned, and I walked over to the door. “I’ll be back in a day or two.”
“Days?”
I looked at Shining and nodded. “I’ll dig into a hill if I can or find a nice tree. I may also do some subsistence hunting humans need meat or we get sick fast.” He nodded and waved his hands. Two guards walked over and then looked back at me.
“I hope you understand I can’t just let you run around armed after what just happened.”
“Not again.”
I laughed and nodded before I opened the door. “You to decide who sits in the back and who’s upfront.” I walked out, and I heard the two start about the jeep. I set my rifle on the seats and then grabbed one of the gas cans. The tank was half empty, and I wanted it full.
“Damn it!”
A mare walked out with a smile on her face. I laughed as I opened the gas tank and then took the lid off the can.
“Your people use gas too?”
I looked up at the mare. “Ya, how do you know about gas?”
“I’m from Manehatten. We have more then a few gas burners in the city.”
“Well, good to hear I can get more gas as I need it.” I finished filling the tank and capped the can. “Are you my shotgun rider?” She smiled before she nodded, grabbed my Springfield, and jumped into the passenger seat.
“Damn, these seats don’t have much in the way of padding.”
“Ha, no they don’t. They weren’t built for comfort they were built for military use.” I set the can back onto the side.
“So do I just sit in the back?”
I looked up at the stallion who was with her partner. “Ya, so but no padding back there.” He sighed, then nodded, got into the back, and seemed to relax as best he could. “Hell, this thing beats having to walk everywhere.”
“That is nice.”
I laughed, got into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. “Hell tell you two what. A predator hunts at dust the most you two want to learn to drive?”
“YA!”
“Sure!”
I laughed as I drove down the street before I pulled the letter out of my coat. I said I was going to the Apple family farm. ‘Wait apple is it Applejack’s place?’ I slipped the paper back into my jacket and pulled out a copy of Twilight’s town map. I turned right and started out of the town.
“Your name was John right?”
“Ya, John Asher Sargent.”
“So you’re a soldier fight where with the first see battle?”
“I just graduated before joining the Army. I was part of two main battle divisions. I fount in Italy in the fifteenth division. Then they ask for volunteers for a big push to take back northern France. I volunteer as a unit sniper. I figured to get me out of the damn mountains at all the Nazis around. tell you what Italians they go down easy Nazis that’s a whole nother thing.”
“What’s a Nazi?”
I looked over at the mare with a deep frown on my face. “Probably the greatest evil of my life. We walked through whole towns that have been depopulated because of them Italy. They were threatening to kill their own allies cuz I didn’t want to fight anymore. Haven for children at fight sometimes then no older than twelve.”
“No bucking way seriously?”
“I am man. They realize they weren’t going to win the war so they just throwing everything at us now. I didn’t enjoy fighting against those men but when it really comes down to it it’s your life or theirs. I will not be killed because I can’t pull a trigger but it makes it damn hard when you see that.”
“So what was the other division you fought in?”
“I transferred over to the third Army I got placed in the twenty-eight division. Our first big objecte was to take the beaches of Normandy. More than half of us who set foot on that beach didn’t survive. I was one of the lucky ones I made it through.”
“Damn, that is really bucking brutal.”
I nodded as we rode up the apple farm. The gat was just big enough for the jeep to go through. I drove through and looked around at the farm. I saw some ponies walking around, and I smiled, seeing Applejack with a larger red stallion. We pulled up infront of the house, and a little girl and an older mare looked at me from the front porch.
“Oh so this is the biggest orchard in equestria.”
“Really?”
I looked at Applejack as she walked over with a bucket of apples in her arms. “These guard was say this is the biggest orchard in Equestria.” A pride-filled smile crossed her face, same with the stallion.
“He’d be right we do have the biggest orchard in equestria. One of the oldest too.”
I laughed before the mare held my rifle out. I took it and then stood from the jeep, the guards following. “Where are the attacks happening?” Applejack handed the stallion the buckets.
“It’s next to the east fields. We have a cattle pasture near the forest.”
I nodded, then walked over and pulled off the shovel. “Can one of you get the ax?”
“Here I got it.”
Applejack walked over and pulled the ax off the side of the jeep.
“Are you going to build something sonny?”
I turned around, and I saw the older mare starting to walk over, leaning on her walking stick. I quickly shouldered my gun before I walked over to her. “Wait there please.” She stopped before stepping off the porch.
“Sonny?”
I started to walk over to her. “This is your home miss you’d need but call over to me and I’ll come too you as quick as I can miss.” The older mare smiled before she nodded and walked back over to a chair a few steps away. I walked up as she relaxed back into her seat; the young girl beside her.
“Well Sonny, do you plan to build something?”
I smiled as I looked at her. “With permission, I’d like to dig and build a dugout.” She looked at me, a little confused.
“What is a dugout, sonny?
“It’s sometimes called a earth lodge a form of underground shelter and rest for both troops and officers. Occupants of dugouts would eat their meals, arrange meetings, and often make their beds there. But, what I need is a small one.” She rocked as she looked at me.
“How big?”
I hummed, then looked back at the two guards as they talked with Applejack. I rubbed my chin and then looked back at the grandmother. I looked at the porch and nodded as I looked back at her. “Maybe a half or more as large this porch. I will be rebarring it one the predators are dealt with.”
“No, you can leave it.”
I blinked as I looked at her. “Miss?”
“We’ve needed some storge near that field for a while now.”
She looked behind me and then spoke up.
“Applejack! Come here.”
I looked back as Applejack came walking over. She smiled at me, and I nodded before we looked back at her.
“Granny?”
“Applejack I want you to go with these as an extra set of hands. Get another shovel and a pick-ax.”
“Sure granny.”
Applejack punched my arm, a smile on her face before she walked off. I laughed and hefted my rifle strap on my shoulder. “If that is the case, I’ll build it as sturdy as I can. Maybe a room for a small bed.”
“Do what you need to sonny.”
I nodded before I heard metal hitting metal. I turned my head and saw Applejack climbing into the jeep's passenger seat. I shrugged as the guards jumped into the back of the jeep. I held my rifle out to Applejack, and she took it, holding it for me.
“So, you’re going to use this to stop whatever cridder is attack our livestock?”
“Ya, those two are staying with me because Twilight decided to play with one of my guns.”
“Oh buck, is everypony okay?”
I sighed before I nodded as we drove into the trees. “No, she fired a round and close range punched into her armor. She got lucky as the punch was shallow and she only got a little metal in her leg.”
“Which gun?”
I tapped my colt, and she gasped.
“That little thing did that much damage!?”
I nodded before for pointed for me to take a right at a small y in the road. I made the turn before I responded. “I told you all that this gun could do real damage.”
“Ya, you did.”
