The Final Crusade

by Enfield

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Sad
Length: 136384

What would you do, and how far would you go to protect the ones you love?

James Rogers is just your average sixteen-year-old British immigrant. Moving to the US after living in Southport for ten lonely years he ends up in a friendly town and manages to live happily. James still faces the fact that he has spent most of his life alone, he has friends but he has secrets that he doesn't want to show and secrets that he doesn't even know about himself. All of this changes one fateful day at the gas station when he finds three young girls hiding behind the building, James soon finds out that the girls are the Cutie Mark Crusaders in human form. Lost, scared and clueless to where they are, James makes the choice to take them under his care, but that one decision leads to a mix of love, hope, loss, betrayal, and sacrifice. No matter what though, James made a promise to get the kids home, and he'll keep it until his mission is accomplished.

Author's notes: I'm really glad I finished this story. It's my first fic and the whole thing took me three months to complete and a week to fix all the errors and change the passages that I didn't like. This story here is probably the best thing I have ever written(not to brag or anything), I hope to write sequels to this story if it works out. Hope you enjoy it, because I enjoyed writing it.
One more thing, this is the first story in the Final Crusade Trilogy and the adventures of James Rogers will branch off into other shorter stories. I'll start writing them if this becomes popular enough.
UPDATE: I've decided to heed my friend's advice and divided this up into chapters. Hopefully now it will look even better than it did before.

Published 2012-09-26 06:24:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-14 14:50:29 UTC

Prologue

Prologue

The Final Crusade

By Enfield

My name is James Rogers, this is the story of my last summer vacation on Earth.
I was born in Southport, England. I was well known by my friends and family because of my intelligence, charm, humor and above all, my “talents”. The first talent being that I was able to speak perfect Russian, German, and the accents of the British Isles, the German and Russian was a mystery because my parents were of neither decent. The second talent was that I was an amazing marksman at the age of six and onwards, I was well known after shooting down three tin cans with an air rifle at my cousin’s birthday party, it may not sound like much but the cans were set up at over a hundred feet away and I hit each one with three pellets. The third talent was undoubtedly, the most bizarre. You see I was never the sort of person who would be a trained killer but for some reason I know some sort of martial art, I never had taken one class before. My dad was a black belt in karate and my mother (who I’ll never fully understand) was an expert in kickboxing, as for me I didn’t know how to fight or expect to until I was eight. It all happened that one day in school, I was minding my own business sitting in the back of the room reading a World War II history book when the school thug Manny decided to get some money off of me. I never really carried money on me nor did I ever go near or even look at Manny, but he thought I was loaded and threatened me with a beating if I didn’t give him wanted. After I refused he took the book and tore it apart, I said that I hadn’t finished reading the book and Manny decided to take a swing at me, unto which I blocked his arm, pinned it to the wall, threw Manny to the floor and accidentally broke his arm in the process. After that little incident I was taken down to the Headmasters office and was scolded for my actions, even though they were justified (apart from the broken arm). My father was brought down to the school so he could hear what happened, luckily, he was on my side. But the downside was that I was expelled from the school because of the nature of Manny’s injury, it was that bad his arm had to be in a brace for the rest of his life. For two years I was entirely home schooled by my mother, it was a lonely life. No friends (because they were afraid of me), almost no-one from my family visited me save my uncle, who for a few weeks brought his drinking friends to see me (being the proud uncle of an eight year old who almost tore some kids arm off). Kind of funny how they said when I was old enough to drink they would buy my first round.

By the time I was ten we moved to America, we found a house in a little town in New Jersey, I was nervous for the first month there. I didn’t know about the culture, the school system, or why people drove on the other side of the road. It was the pool party on our street that really helped me get the reputation I once had, within a week I started to like American school, and my new American buddies really like me. Within five years I was pretty much one of the most popular kids in middle and high school, the History teachers were jealous of my war history knowledge, the Russian and German language teachers refused to have me at any of their classes after the first two times. A quick persuasive talk to both of them and I was back in the classes, occasionally showing off and annoying the teachers by answering questions in the wrong languages. Sadly, after a few days, the popularity wore off and I was forgotten, I was lonely but not as much as the years I was living in England. Once I was nearing my sixteenth birthday I was offered a job at a gas station where my parents were good friends with the owner of the place, I started in January after my sixteenth birthday. It was at first rather exiting because of all the exotic, vintage and rare cars that pulled in.

Late in April Iran decided to blockade the Persian Gulf and commence air strikes against British oil tankers and American naval warships. A war broke out between Iran and NATO, and since then prices of gas skyrocketed. The exotic cars and friendly talkative people were replaced with bitter old people, stupid young men, crazy women and a horde of undesirable, unattractive cars. The job excitement then dropped from there on out, my boss became a little irritable until I started bringing in donuts for the mechanics. Soon however, my luck changed, prices went so high people had almost stopped using their cars, so our gas station was mostly filling fuel canisters and lawnmowers. It seemed as if my life would remain relatively normal, and it did until that one day in June. It was that one day that changed everything.

This story here will tell you the story of the three months that went from changing my life, to destroying both it and my family. From the first day where three young girls unexpectedly came into my life, to the last few weeks in which I discovered a horrible secret from my own parents and actions that lead to my inevitable demise. This is not what I wanted to happen to me, but at least I enjoyed my life until then. All old things must come to an end eventually and make way for the new. At least in the end, my final effort was not in vain and above all, successful.
I am James Rogers, and this is my story.

Just An Average Day At Work

The day was hot, humid, and sticky. James Rogers, the stout sixteen-year-old sat on the wall adjacent to the gas pumps and fiddled with his M1911 pistol as he watched the road with his brilliant blue eyes. His friend and co-worker Darryl sat next to him and waited for the cars that would be pulling in. The pumps had not been used en masse since twelve that afternoon, Darryl got up and wandered to the pumps, looked down both ways down the streets, then turned back and sat back down.

“You keep that up maybe one will miraculously appear,” said James holstering his pistol.

“We keep up doing nothing and we’ll be laid off,” replied Darryl, “Okay seriously, put that thing away, you make me nervous.”

“I’m not going to shoot you, or anyone else for that matter,” James said flicking the safety on.

“Last thing we need is a repeat of what happened last time,” said Darryl.
“At least I was there,” said James.

James stopped at stared down the deserted road, he remembered the day like it was yesterday. It was three months ago when a small group of insane people came to get gas and almost ended up robbing the place, James was out back collecting keys from serviced cars when he came across one of the robbers. The man placed a gun against James' forehead, James without hesitation, grabbed the gun, disarmed the robber, and then shot him in the leg. After the first robber was down the second and third came running into the back and opened fire, James shot back and killed both of them. The cops were called soon after and James was labeled a hero for his actions. The man who was shot in the leg was, for some reason, Manny’s dad. After interrogation it was learned that he was on the hunt for James and was planning to kill him, but Manny’s dad was imprisoned for thirty years and was never heard from again.

“You killed two people and shot a man who had been hunting you for eight years,” Darryl said, “I’m glad I was at the deli.”

James chuckled and took out his iPhone, he turned away so Darryl wouldn’t see what he was looking for on the internet. He thumbed through the pages and stopped suddenly.

“Damn,” he said, “No new episodes.”

“Are you looking for that TV show you like?” Darryl asked.

“If you mean the one you won’t understand then yes,” replied James. The front door to the gas station suddenly opened and James quickly locked the phone so no-one would see what he was looking at. The gas station owner, Tony came out of the office. He was holding the usual assortment of bags and papers that he took home with him. James always said that he was hiding a porn magazine in the piles of paper, Darryl searched for it and came up with nothing. Tony looked down at the two attendants and breathed heavily, he had the look that could make your day seem better or worse, depending on the situation. But he was always understanding and friendly and also easily bribed with donuts.

“Alright then,” Tony said adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder, “I’m going now. James you know what to do, Darryl, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Not planning to today anyway,” Darryl retorted with a grin. Tony laughed and walked to his pickup, he stopped and turned around to face James.

“By the way,” he said, “Thanks for the donuts.”

“Anytime,” said James.

As Tony started his pickup and drove off James stood up and headed inside to dump all the trash. Once he got into the mechanic bays he took his phone out again and this time searched on youtube for clips of his new favorite show. That show was none other than the incredibly famous TV show, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. James had heard of the show before through his friend Jason, Jason said that literally everyone was watching it in his school. James said that it seemed like a stupid show about colorful talking horses that embark on epic adventures to solve their social problems and to learn about friendship, but his curiosity could be contained no longer, he started watching it only two months ago and was already loving it.

Once Jason found out he told James that he had been “assimilated” into what was know as “The Herd” and was henceforth a Brony, but he never let anyone else know except for his other Brony friends. After seeing the show James had become even more confident and friendly, along with the fact that his grades in school far surpassed his classmates. James stopped with the clips and started looking in each of the trashcans to see how much he would need to take out, his mood changed from slight happiness to confusion then to annoyance.

“Oh dear god,” he said looking in the biggest trash can in the garage.

“What is it?” Darryl asked poking his head around the corner.
James reached inside the trash can and pulled out a large piece of an engine block.

“What is this?” said James.

“Looks like the cylinder containers of a V8 engine,” said Darryl examining the steel hunk James held.

“I don’t care what it is I’m taking this out first,” James said turning around and proceeding to the dumpster outside. As James carried the engine piece he stopped and looked toward the sky, it was unusually dark for a night in the beginning of June along with the humidity and temperature, but that might have to do with the large number of storm clouds that were looming over the land.

“Better get this done quick so I can shut up the cars,” James said to himself as he struggled to carry the engine piece over to the dumpster. As he dropped it into the relatively empty dumpster he heard something behind him, he quickly span around and drew his pistol and flicked on its attached flashlight. James looked around, he could of swore he heard voices behind him, where they came from he didn’t know.

“Just the wind,” he said holstering the gun and switching off the flashlight. James went back inside to collect the newly filled trash can which Darryl had filled for him.

“Is this all the trash cans?” James asked pointing to the massive drum.

“There’s also Bailey’s but that’s all cardboard and cigarette ends,” replied Darryl.

“Looks like we have customers,” said James looking out the window to the pumps. A pair of Toyota Camrys were sitting at the two pumps by the door.

“You think they want gas?” Darryl asked. James read the fear in his voice.

“If they start anything, remember that I’m second in charge and they’ll have to talk to me,” said James patting the pistol at his side, “If they don’t cooperate, a little .45 will make them think twice.”

James took the trash drum and dragged it outside, it had gotten darker and was much more foggy. James shook his head and lifted the trash drum over his head to dump out the trash. A mix of paper, oil, sand, discarded bottles, and car parts streamed out of the drum and into the dumpster leaving a cloud of dust to engulf James, cursing in Russian he took off his hat revealing his dirty blonde colored and black streaked hair and fanned the dust away. Then there was another strange sound.

James again, span around and drew his pistol. He stopped and listened for it to happen again, it seemed to be coming from behind the massive shipping container. James carefully put his hat back on and slowly advanced on the location of the noise, it happened again and James slowly came up to the corner of the container. James thought that it was some tire thieves that were going to steal the tires from the stacks that lined behind the oil drums.

“You’re not getting away this time,” he said holding the pistol closer to himself and pulling the hammer back.

James rounded the corner and flashed the light onto three young girls, the light seemed to throw them off and they staggered back a few feet to regain their senses. As they did James noticed their unusual appearances. The one on the left was in a casual looking orange t-shirt and purple sweat shorts, but is was her shortly grown and rather messy looking purple hair that made her stand out. The girl in the middle had a similar purple tinge in her hair but there was a light pink that was neatly mixed in, even though it started out straight and neat then to heavy curls, it was so perfect that it looked as if there were separate sections of pink and purple hair, what she was wearing was the most interesting, a sort of white dress with matching socks with lightly colored purple shoes. James knew that it would end up with oil on it. The girl on the right had what looked like farmers overalls and a yellowish t-shirt underneath. Her hair was brushed straight down and red in color, which matched her overalls, there was also a rather large pink bow in her hair. The bow was a more defined pink than the second girl’s hair. James could only assume that she lived on a farm because of the heavy work boots she wore rather than the sneakers that the first girl wore. All of them were about a foot and a half shorter than James. After they managed to shake off the flashlight ambush they looked at James and fearfully backed away, James still had the gun pointed at them and was still looking down the sights. After what seemed like an hour James was the first to speak.

“Who are you and what do you want?” he said sternly.

“We-we don’t know what you mean,” the girl on the right said, she had an almost southern accent, but it sounded as if she had lived for half her life in the northern states and picked up a little of that accent.

“Why were you snooping around the back of the crate?” James asked again.

“We were lost mister, we don’t mean trouble,” the second girl said. Her voice sounded high pitched but calming and fun at the same time there was also a distinct squeak that James heard every few words. James lowered his 1911.

“You’re right,” he said, “You three don’t seem capable of stealing anything of value without being caught, and if you did I bet you would return it.”

“What is that thing you’re holding?” the first girl asked. She sounded like she had lived most her life in a large town with lots of people, her voice contained a mix of curiosity and excitement, something that sounded as if she was willing to try anything, no matter how daft or dangerous it seemed.

“A M1911 .45 caliber pistol,” said James, glad to know that the girls were not after anything, “I’ve had this for a few months now.”

“What’s a pistol?” the southern sounding girl asked.
James was about to reply when a gust of cold wind hit James in the face.

“Unusually cold for a June night,” he said zipping up his hoodie. He looked at the girls standing in front of him shiver from the cold. James suddenly felt sorry for the kids, they had gotten lost and were now looking for their families in the freezing cold wind.

“Come with me,” said James holstering the pistol, “I’ll make sure you’re warm and safe.”

He passed them and motioned for them to follow. The southern girl and the purple haired girl followed James closely, the neatly dressed girl dusted off her dress and started to follow, when she slipped on a patch of loose stones.

“Whoa!” she yelped.
James was quick to act, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up to him.

“Best not to fall down there,” he said, “Heard there’s a snake living in the bushes.”

“Thanks for saving me,” said the girl. James led them to the mechanic bays, the three reacted to the messes made by the mechanics differently which James found rather amusing. The purple haired girl hopped from foot to foot, clambered across the car lift and jumped onto the table next to it, where she span around and sat on the edge of the table. The southern girl walked through the oil and dirt like it wasn’t even there, almost as if she had been around dirty environments her entire life, then again, she had overalls and boots on. The well dressed girl was treating the dirt like it was fire, she carefully walked around it, hopped over it and stopped dead because here was a puddle of oil in front of her. The other two chuckled in good nature as she made her way to the cleanest part of the floor.

“So then,” James said peeking out the window and seeing that Darryl was talking to Ed, who was another coworker, “Might I ask what your names are?”

“You tell us yours first,” said the purple haired girl.

“My name is James Rogers,” said James, “I was born in England and then I moved here to America six years ago.”

“Since you told us your name we’ll tell you ours,” the southern girl said, “My name’s Apple Bloom.”

“I’m Sweetie Bell,” said the well dressed girl.

“And I’m Scootaloo,” said the purple haired girl.

Can This Be Happening?

Almost after the last girl said her name did James' heart, well and truly, stop dead. He knew almost instantaneously that those were the names of the Cutie Mark Crusaders from My Little Pony. Apart from the main six characters, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were James' favorite characters, the way they would try to achieve their cutie marks by any means necessary. But this seemed like it was unreal: Could the real Cutie Mark Crusaders be right in front of him in human form? Were they three girls who took up the appearances and names from the show because they loved them so much? Or could this be a trick set up by Jason or Darryl. James however kept his cool and kept asking questions to see if it really was them.

“Where were you born?” asked James.

“We were born in the land of Equestria,” said Sweetie Bell.

“No seriously, where were you born?” James asked again.

“But that’s where we are from,” said Scootaloo.

“Never heard of it,” said James, he knew he was lying to stop the girls from freaking out if they really were from Equsetria, which was the main setting for the show. If they found out they were characters from a fictional TV show who knows what could happen.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell started groaning and holding their stomachs.

“Hungry?” James asked.

“Kind of,” said Scootaloo.

“We haven’t eaten for several hours,” said Apple Bloom.

“Is there anything to eat?” Sweetie Bell asked.

James looked over at the box of donuts that Scootaloo was sitting next to. He walked over and flipped the lid open, there were still ten donuts left out of the fourteen he brought in.

“Well there goes twelve dollars,” he said with irritation, “Another partially used box.”

“Are those donuts?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.

“Help yourself,” said James. He backed away as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell converged on the box, Scootaloo was already helping herself to a chocolate donut. James was heading out the door when he turned back to the girls.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said, “What I want you to do is stay here, this is for your own safety, you got that?”

The three nodded in response, they couldn’t say anything because they each had a mouthful of donut. James left the girls to enjoy themselves, he went over to Darryl who had just finished talking to Ed.

“Sup James,” said Ed.

“Evening,” James replied.

“I’ll see you later Darryl,” said Ed. Ed started up his pickup and drove off.

“Did I scare him away?” James asked.

“Very funny,” replied Darryl, “By the way, Tony called and said that you don’t have to collect the keys from the cars, there are none.”

“That’s good,” said James.

“Why?” Darryl asked, “I thought you liked collecting the keys from the vintage cars.”

“Wait until you see what I found,” said James.

“What did you find?” asked Darryl.

“You have to see it to believe it,” replied James.

“James, I don’t care if you found another interesting piece of garbage,” said Darryl.

“No no no,” said James leading the way inside, “I found them behind that shipping container.”

“That’s even worse about what you found,” Darryl said, “And who’s they?”

James led Darryl to the mechanic bays where he opened the door and looked to see if the Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were still there eating the donuts.

“This is what I found,” said James pointing to the girls. Whatever Darryl was expecting, it sure wasn’t that.

“What?” was all he managed to say.

“Like I said,” said James, “I found them behind the shipping container.”

Darryl was taken aback, he had expected James to find a turbocharger from an old Corvette or some slightly used NO2 bottles for his truck. He had never expected that James would find anything like this.

“You found them?” Darryl asked.

“Yes,” James said, kind of annoyed that Darryl hadn’t gotten over the shock.

“Why were they back there?” Darryl asked again.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” replied James.

“Is this your friend?” asked Apple Bloom.

“This is Darryl,” said James, “He works with me.”

“I’m gonna go turn the outside lights on,” said Darryl, walking past Sweetie Bell.

“Hey you want this?” Scootaloo asked holding a donut out for Darryl. Darryl looked at it then took it, his mood brightened.

“Thanks kid,” he said taking the donut.

As Darryl shut the back door to the fuse room James looked at Scootaloo.

“That was extraordinarily kind of you,” he said, “Reminds me of myself.”

“I thought he might of needed it,” said Scootaloo. James looked at his watch and then outside where the lights were just coming on.

“Only fifteen minutes until my shift ends,” he said.

“What do you do?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I fill cars with gas, well used to,” said James.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Well before the war with Iran flared up this place used to get cars pulling in for gasoline,” James explained to the three girls, “Now however since the price had gone up, most people don’t really go out in their cars.”

A truck with “Kill all Iranians!” painted on the side drove past the gas station.

“It’s really affected the United States badly,” said James.

“Why did those people go to war with you?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t know,” said James, “Maybe the rulers of Iran thought that they could control the west by cutting of their oil, not a chance. You know the British SBS managed to take out an Iranian battleship which opened the Persian Gulf to NATO forces.”

“But why fight over something like oil?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah,” Sweetie Bell said in agreement, “Why not work out your differences and work together?”

“Because the world doesn’t work like that,” said James, “There are people out there who will kill us because of something that happened over thirty years ago.”

“But we’re safe here right?” Apple Bloom asked fearfully. James sensed the fear in her voice and put his hand on her head, she looked up at his smiling face.

“I’ll make sure of that,” said James, “I promise.”

Apple Bloom smiled back and hugged him, just as she let go Darryl came out the back.

“Where were you?” James asked.

“Trying to get rid of a squirrel,” Darryl said irritably.

“Got away huh?” asked James.

“It’s behind a desk,” said Darryl, “You’re allowed to shoot it if it becomes a problem.”

“Hopefully not, I don’t want to waste bullets,” said James.
Darryl went into the waiting room and sat on one of the stools, James followed. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo went to where James was looking through a pile of magazines.

“Where should we be at?” Apple Bloom asked. James looked around.

“I know,” he said, “Go back through that door and then go through the first one you see and that’ll lead you to the office behind the desk, wait there.”

“First door you see,” repeated Apple Bloom.

“I saw it earlier,” said Sweetie Bell, “I know what he means.”
The three girls followed James' directions and ended up on the other side of the front desk.

“One more thing,” said James, “Don’t touch anything.”

“Ok then,” said Apple Bloom.

For the next several minutes nothing happened at the gas station, it was about six fifty-two before anyone said anything.

“What’s that you’re reading?” Apple Bloom asked James. James looked up from the gun magazine he was reading.

“A firearms magazine,” he replied.

“It’s all he reads,” said Darryl.

“What’s in it?” Scootaloo asked. James span the magazine for them to read.

“Guns,” said James, “Lots and lots of guns.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell looked through the list of pistols while Scootaloo looked over their shoulders, they flipped through the pages until they reached one particular article.

“Fifteen year old British boy receives solid gold AK-47 assault rifle for assisting rebels in overthrowing dictator,” Sweetie Bell read aloud.

“Wait a second,” said Apple Bloom pointing to the picture of the teen holding the rifle into the sky, “That’s you!”

“Sure is,” said James.

“What!?” Darryl said quickly, seizing the magazine and read the article so everyone could hear.

“James Rogers, a fifteen year old British tourist was hailed a hero by the rebels after he gave information that led to the dictators capture and execution. In honor of the rebellion hero, the rebel general gave James a solid gold and fully functional AK-47 assault rifle. James said ‘I wonder if this actually works’ unto which he fired off a few rounds for the crowd, after he arrived back in Philadelphia airport, reporters asked him how he ended up there and how he helped the rebels capture the dictator: James replied saying that his plane was diverted and had to land because of the risk of loyalist anti-aircraft fire. He knew the dictators location after studying the country he said to the rebels that the past rulers of the country would escape by mountain pathways during wars or rebellions. The rebels used this information to find and cut off the dictator on his escape path, after the dictators execution James was given the rifle, which had been looted from the dictators home the previous night.”

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo stared at James.

“You helped end a revolution?” Scootaloo asked.

“Best part is that I still have that gun,” James said, “It’s worth about fifty thousand dollars.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone about this?” Darryl asked.

“I don’t want to make myself any more famous than I am now,” said James.
James looked up at the clock and saw that his shift ended in a few minutes.

“I think I’ll count my takings,” said James. He went over to the cash register and took out some bills from his pocket, he looked at the few twenty dollar bills he had and sighed. James took and envelope out of a box and wrote his name and the amount of money he had made, he then put the money in the envelope and sealed it, then he clutched at his mouth and spit into the trash can.

“Ah! Cut my tongue again,” said James, spitting again.

“Are you alright?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Yeah,” replied James as he tasted for blood, “I’m fine, I just got that feeling that I cut my tongue. I really hate it.”

James put the money into the safe and walked outside, he then went back inside and looked at the three girls, he couldn’t leave them here, Darryl was working until nine and James knew that he wouldn’t take them back to his house, nor would Ed or Tony. James decided to take them in, but how would his parents react to him bringing in three girls that had come from an entirely different world.

“So,” James said slowly, “Do you have anywhere to live?”

“No,” Sweetie Bell said sadly, then sniffed as if she was going to cry.

“We’ve been wandering around for hours,” Scootaloo said putting her hand on Sweetie Bell’s arm, “We asked for help from some people but they all ignored us or didn’t want to.”

“How could someone do that?” James asked.

“People who probably don’t want to have annoyances like us around,” said Apple Bloom. Tears started forming in her eyes, James saw this and leaned over the desk.

“How’s about this?” he said, “Why don’t you live with me? I’ll take good care of you, I promise that you’ll be happy, safe and healthy.”

“Really?” asked Scootaloo, her spirits lifted, “You’ll do that for us?”

“There’s something about you I really like, and you deserve the best. Believe it, with me you’ll get the best of the best,” James said.

“Thank you,” said Sweetie Bell.
Apple Bloom wiped off her eyes and smiled up at James

Welcome To The Rogers Family

Just as James had collected his paycheck from under the magazine, his mother pulled up in a large white SUV. James looked at the girls and told them to follow him.

“Hello James,” his mother said in the same annoying way.

“Don’t do that,” said James going over to the back door of the SUV, “There are others here you know.”

“So how was work?” James' mother asked.

“I’ll tell you on the way back,” James replied pulling a lever on the seat which made it fall forward and open up the back seats.

“Why are you going back there?” his mother asked.

“It’s not for me,” said James going to the front door of the garage, “Please don’t do anything rash.”

James waved at Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo for them to come outside, once they did James said that this would take them back to his house. Scootaloo jumped into the back behind the second row of seats and James clicked the folded seat into place, Apple Bloom clambered past the seat and sat on the other side, Sweetie Bell sat in the seat that had been locked back into place. James' mother was both stunned and confused.

“What’s going on here?” she asked James as he jumped into the front seat.

“Nothing rash,” he repeated looking at his mother.
James' mother looked back at the girls with confusion, the three waved at her.

“Make sure you’ve got your seatbelts on,” James said turning to the girls in the back.

“How do you do that?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“You see that belt with the metal end?” James said pointing out the seatbelts next to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, “Take that and insert it into the clip.”

“I think I know what you mean,” said Scootaloo taking the seatbelt from above her and slotting it into the clip.

“That’s the way you do it,” said James.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were watching Scootaloo use the seatbelt and they both managed to get it around themselves and buckled up.

“Why do we have to wear these?” Apple Bloom asked.

“So that if we hit something you don’t go flying through the windshield,” said James. He then looked at his mother who was still staring at the girls.

“Are you going to drive us home or not?” he said to his dumbfounded mother.

“Yes, lets go then,” she replied quietly.
James' mother started up the car and slowly drove around the gas pumps.

“SEE YA DARRYL!” James yelled out the window of the car. Darryl looked up and waved back, in an instant the SUV was speeding down the road. James had started fiddling with the radio.

“Ads, ads, boring talk, no, static,” he said as he flicked through the stations.

“Who are these kids?” his mother finally said. James leaned back.

“Why don’t you tell her yourself?” he said to the three girls.

“Apple Bloom,” said Apple Bloom.

“Sweetie Bell,” Sweetie Bell said.

“Scootaloo,” said Scootaloo.

“I’ve never heard names like that before,” said James' mother, “Are you from another country?”

“Kind of,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Well I’m Katherine Rogers,” said James' mother, “But you can call me Mrs. Rogers.”

“So where are we heading?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Home,” said James still tuning the radio.

“Ah, finally!” he said. He had managed to find a music playing radio station.

“What is it?” asked Scootaloo.

“Found a decent radio station,” replied James, he stopped to listen to the song, “And the song is in German for some reason.”

“I don’t know what they are saying,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I think that the song is about getting drunk at parties, doing stupid things and then waking up the next morning with a massive hangover,” said James.

“How do you know?” asked Scootaloo.

“I can speak fluent German,” said James, “But no one in my family is of German decent.”

“Now that’s weird,” said Apple Bloom.

“I’ll never know,” said James.

In several minutes Katherine had pulled into the development where James and his family lived.

“Well, here’s our development,” said Katherine.

“So where’s your house?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You’ll see it soon,” said James.

After a few minutes they arrived at James' house, it was a two story house with a large garage. Half brick and half wood covered in a plastic coat, the house showed signs of modification over the years.

“Is this it?” asked Apple Bloom.

“It’s good to be back,” James said unbuckling himself and opening the car door.

“Watch out for the dog,” Katherine said to James as he unlocked the front door.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had gotten out of the car and were behind James, as he opened the door slightly he heard something upstairs.

“Get inside quickly,” James said to the three girls. As they rushed inside James shut the door and stood at the bottom of the stairs, through the darkness he could see a shadow.

“Well come on down, Dart,” he said to the shadow. The shadow then proceeded down the stairs and jumped up on James, as Apple Bloom back away James switched the light on. The shadow was actually a rather large male greyhound. The dog was grey and black striped with a white nose and paws, and it’s front paws were up on James' shoulders.

“Yes I know you missed me,” he said rubbing the dog’s ears, the greyhound’s tail was wagging at an increased pace.

“Is that your dog?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“This is Dart,” said James, “One of the friendliest greyhounds on the planet. We got him a few months ago from a rescue home.”

“Is he safe?” Apple Bloom said cautiously.

“Oh, he’s the best,” said James pushing the dog down from him and stroking its head. By now Dart had seen Apple Bloom and was eager to say hi.

“You wanna say hello Dart?” James said to the ecstatic greyhound who was trying to get out of James' grip.

“Will he attack us?” Scootaloo asked.

“He’ll jump up on you but he means no harm,” replied James letting go of the dog’s collar. Dart went straight towards Apple Bloom and sniffed her, Apple Bloom held her hands up and cringed, she seemed to not like strange dogs. Dart looked up at her and jumped up, Apple Bloom was then looking at the greyhound who was sniffing her face.

“He just wants a hug,” said James.

“Why does he do the jumping thing?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It’s a greyhound way of saying that he really likes you,” said James, “Like I said before he means no harm.”
Apple Bloom relaxed and stroked the dog.

“Hi Dart,” Apple Bloom said, Dart jumped off her and then jumped up on Sweetie Bell who had no problem with him sniffing her neck.

“Stop that,” she giggled, “It feels weird.”

“Hey, what about me?” Scootaloo said, Dart jumped off of Sweetie Bell, jumped up on Scootaloo and panted.

“Ew,” said Scootaloo in a playful manner, “Your dog needs his teeth cleaning.”

“My mother is in charge of that,” James said unlacing his sneakers, “Watch this.”
James went to the other end of the hallway and crouched down.

“Here Dart,” he said, Dart jumped off Scootaloo, bounded over to James and buried his head in James' arms which brought out some “awws” from the girls.

“This is what I love about greys,” said James hugging Dart.

“Will he do the same with us?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sure, just get down to his head level and call him over,” James said. Scootaloo had already dropped down.

“C’mere Dart,” she said, Dart looked at her and trotted over, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell both then got down and hugged Dart. James' mother had then walked through the door.

“I see that Dart is too preoccupied with you lot to say hello to me,” she said, but Dart walked over and rubbed his head on Katherine’s leg.

“Looks like he’s got an itch,” James said. The girls laughed as Dart kept rubbing his head on Katherine’s leg.

“Oh stop, Dart,” said Katherine pushing away Dart, “If you’re going to stay with us you’re going to have to take your shoes off.”

“We don’t want oil and dirt tracking through the house,” said James walking into the other room. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo obliged, they took off their shoes and went into the den where James had collapsed on the couch.

“Finally over,” he said, “My work is done and I have a two hour shift tomorrow.”

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well I had to got to work right after school so I didn’t get a chance to rest,” James said, “Actually I did rest once I was at work, since nothing really showed up.”

“I kind of feel weird walking around without shoes,” Sweetie Bell said.

“You’ll get used to it,” said James taking hold of the TV remote next to him, “Say, how long have you been here?”

“You mean in your world?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes,” James replied.

“We’ve been here for three days,” said Apple Bloom, “Several people helped us but it didn’t work out.”

“They either kicked us out of their homes or dropped us off somewhere and never came back,” said Sweetie Bell.

“How could anyone do something like that to such sweet girls like you?” James asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

“We kind of made a mess of things or did something we shouldn’t have,” said Scootaloo.

“But still, why get rid of you or ditch you on the side of the road?” James said while flicking through the TV channels.

“I thinks it’s because they had other problems to deal with,” said Apple Bloom.
James moved the cushions off the couch and placed them on the floor.

“You are allowed to sit here you know,” he said. Apple Bloom sat on the part of couch nearest to her. Scootaloo took her place next to Apple Bloom leaving Sweetie Bell to snuggle up next to James, James put his arm around her and Sweetie Bell smiled up at him.

“Yes, found it,” said James.

“What did you find?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Top Gear,” replied James.

“What’s that?” asked Scootaloo.

“One of the greatest TV shows on planet Earth,” James said. The group them ended up watching the episode of Top Gear where Jeremy, Richard and James had to cross Vietnam in eight days. Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had never seen Top Gear before but seemed to get most of the jokes made in the show, and they were particularly amazed with the scenery of Vietnam.

“It’s such an amazing place,” said Sweetie Bell.

“With a dark history behind it,” said James.

“Why? What happened?” Apple Bloom asked.

“A rather massive war took place there, something most veterans don’t want to remember,” said James.

“How bad was it?” Scootaloo asked.

“I could show you a famous war movie, but I don’t want you to have nightmares from it,” James said.

“That bad huh?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Worse,” said James.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo deiced to not talk about the history and instead focus on Jeremy Clarkson at a Vietnamese service station eating what he though was dog while his scooter was being repaired.

About halfway through the episode, the door to the garage opened and Dart was heard running to the gate by the door.

“Is that you dad?” James shouted through the closed doors between the den and the kitchen.

“Yes, I’m back,” his dad replied. James hopped up from the couch and ran to his dad.

“Hi there,” he said to his dad.

“Hello James,” his dad replied giving him a quick hug, “How was everything?”

“School; boring as usual, work; a little more interesting,” James said.

“How so?” James' dad asked.

“You have to see what I brought back,” said James.

“Is it another hood ornament?” his dad asked.

“Follow me if you want to see it,” said James leading his father to the den.

“What is it that’s got you all excited?” his dad asked.

James threw open the doors and showed him the three girls sitting on the couch watching Top Gear.

“Um, James?” his dad said.

“Hi,” the girls all said at the same time.

“Pretty neat huh?” James said.

“You found them?” asked James' dad.

“Behind that shipping container,” said James, “Don’t know why they were there though.”

“How old are they?” James' dad asked. James turned to look at Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, he didn’t ask for their ages, even if he did they probably wouldn’t know their human age. James examined them and guessed.

“I thinking either eleven or twelve,” he said, “No older than thirteen if you ask me.”

“You might be right there,” said James' dad, “What are they doing here anyway?”

“I hope you don’t mind this,” said James, “They’re living with us.”
James' dad stopped and looked at him, then James felt himself being pulled back into the kitchen.

“What do you mean that their living with us?” James' dad asked.

“Look dad, they were wandering around the place with nothing to eat and no-one would take them in. I had to bring them home,” said James.

“But the vacations we have planned, will they end up coming with us?” asked James' dad.

“We have the money,” said James, “And they are not staying at a neighbors house while we go on our trips.”

“We don’t have the accommodations for them,” said James' dad.

“There’s the spare room,” said James, “If we find the inflatable bed then one of them can stay in my room.”

“I’m not so sure about this,” said James' dad.

“Come on,” James said going into the den, “It might work out.”
James' dad sighed and followed him into the den, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were enjoying Top Gear a lot.

“I can’t believe they painted that bike pink,” Apple Bloom said.

“James,” said Sweetie Bell, “You’re coming to watch this with us are you?”

“Yes I will,” replied James, he backed up to his dad, “This is my dad here.”
James' dad sighed again and introduced himself.

“I’m Dave Rogers,” Dave said as James sat down back on the couch next to Sweetie Bell.

“Nice to finally meet you,” said Apple Bloom.

“What are your names?” Dave asked.

“My name is Sweetie Bell,” Sweetie Bell said sitting up.

“I’m Scootaloo,” said Scootaloo.

“And I’m Apple Bloom,” said Apple Bloom.

“Strange names,” said Dave.

“They aren’t from around here,” James said quickly. Dave turned to the TV and saw them watching the Top Gear Vietnamese special.

“Showing them Top Gear then?” Dave asked.

“It’s really funny,” said Sweetie Bell.

“The people sound a lot like you,” said Apple Bloom.

“That’s because they’re British as well,” said Dave.

“Is this what you do for fun around here?” Scootaloo asked.

“No, we do other stuff as well,” said James. He then turned to his dad.

“We are going to the range tomorrow right?” James asked.

“What time are you working?” Dave asked.

“Eleven to one,” replied James.

“We can go,” Dave said as he left the room.
James was pleased with the result, he had asked Tony for earlier hours so he could go to the range. Sweetie Bell, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were slightly confused.

“What’s a range?” asked Apple Bloom.

“You’ll see,” said James.

Home From Home

Just before the episode finished James noticed the girls were yawning and having trouble keeping their eyes open.
“Tired are we?” James asked. The girls gave a small nod, James got up and went upstairs to see if his mother had set up the beds.
“Are the beds ready mum?” he asked.
“The spare room bed can hold two of them,” said his mother, “But if you remember, Rod broke the air bed from his idiotic little stunt.”

James knew Rod, an annoying little kid who lived a couple of houses down his street. James met him during the pool party and after a five minute conversation, hated him. Rod was one of the worst kids on the street; he always though he owned the place, never cared about anything other than himself, was obsessed with Webkins even though the sight had been shut down and kept bugging James to play Halo 3 with him. James though that this was nice until he learned that he wasn’t allowed to kill anyone while playing online and that he wasn’t good in 1V1 matches. James from then on refused to socialize with Rod and in an act of revenge for breaking his most treasured ornamental sword, tracked him down in each online game and killed Rod twenty times over.

“I’ve never known anyone stupid enough to think that bursting a fully inflated bed would produce the same results as popping a packet of crisps,” said James.

“This might sound weird but one of them will have to sleep in your bed,” Katherine said.

“So long as they don’t move a lot in the night I’m fine with it,” said James.

“I’ll go tell them,” said Katherine, “You get your bed ready.”
James went into his room and saw Dart looking up at him from his bed.

“No Dart,” said James walking over to the dog, “You can’t sleep here tonight.”
Dart made a huffing noise and stood up, James led Dart to his bed in James' parents' room. After that deed was done James deiced to get a shower while his mother told the girls what was going to happen.

“Alright you three,” Katherine said to the trio as were standing at the bottom of the stairs, “Here’s what is going on: we have a spare bed but only two of you will be able to fit, if we had the inflatable bed then one of you would sleep on that in James' room. Unfortunately because we found it broken you’ll have to sleep in James' bed with him, it may sound strange but rest assured, he’ll probably not even know you are there.”

“So who do we decide who gets the bed?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Can we work this out tomorrow?” said Apple Bloom, “I’m too tired to really care.”

“I’ll sleep in his bed,” said Scootaloo, “I don’t really move much when I’m sleeping.”

As they went upstairs the water had been shut off and then some loud noises came from the bathroom.

“CHYORT!” James shouted a curse in Russian.

“James,” his mother said sternly through the bathroom door, “What did I tell you about cursing?”

“Sorry, bashed my knee on the sink,” said James.

“What did he say?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t know but it sounds bad,” replied Katherine.

Katherine showed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell the spare room, the bed was a double with red sheets and an orange quilt, the walls had a mix of book shelves and bedside tables stacked with book and magazines.

“I like the color,” said Apple Bloom.

“The bed’s real soft,” said Sweetie Bell sitting on the end and pushing down on the mattress.

“Let me see,” said Apple Bloom jumping on it. Seeing the two were satisfied with their sleeping arrangements, Katherine led Scootaloo toward James room. They passed a doorway that was blocked off by a large sheet of plywood.

“What’s behind there?” Scootaloo asked, Katherine ignored her and opened the door.

James was clad in a pair of sport shorts and a t-shirt, he looked up from the book he was reading and slid off his bed.

“A volunteer as tribute?” James asked.

“She chose to since the others were too tired,” his mother replied.

“I don’t blame them,” said James, “Welcome to my bedroom.”

James' bedroom was awash with military gear and books, there a cabinet with a flat screen TV, a small bookshelf that had an iHome sitting on top of it was next to James' bed. The large chest of drawers had several Lego models covering the top, there were a few pictures that were hung on a few walls, above James' bed was the golden AK-47. As Scootaloo slowly walked into the room, James' mother left and James jumped back onto his bed, Scootaloo was amazed with the bedroom, stuff she had never seen before adored the walls and she wanted to know about them all.

“I see you like it in here,” said James hitting the play button on the iHome which then blasted out “Fortunate Son”.
Scootaloo looked at the book James was reading.

“What’s that you got there?” she asked.

“A World War Two history book,” replied James, “You wanna see it?”
Scootaloo sat next to James and read it with him, James recited all the important dates and battles that happened throughout the world war. Scootaloo would constantly ask him about the planes.

“And that one?” she said pointing to one picture.

“That’s a British Supermarine Spitfire, the plane that saved Britain,” James replied, “I’ve been in one, heck I got to fly it.”

“I wish I could fly,” Scootaloo said sadly. James remembered that in Equestria, Scootaloo was a pegasus filly who hadn’t actually flown properly yet. James knew that his dad was a pilot and there was an air show coming up in August, an idea formed in his mind.

“One day you will,” said James holding Scootaloo closer to him. Several minutes passed and James saw Scootaloo was falling asleep, James nudged her awake and she looked up at him.

“I think you should get some sleep,” said James.

“I not tired!” Scootaloo said, “You see? I’m awake and everything, please keep reading about the planes.”
James chuckled as Scootaloo slowly lapsed between falling sleep and jerking awake, as James slid the book back onto the shelf Scootaloo huffed with annoyance.

“Scoot, you’ve been wandering around with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell for the past few days. You will need to sleep sooner or later,” he said.
Scootaloo weakened and agreed to get some sleep, after all she was too worn out to argue any longer. James showed her the side of the bed she was sleeping on, and as Scootaloo dragged herself to her side of the bed, she buried herself under the sheets and fell asleep. James' heart once again stopped dead for a second, he had never seen anything else so peaceful and adorable. James went to switch the lights off and decided to check up on Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell.

“What do you think of him?” Sweetie Bell asked Apple Bloom.

“He’s real nice,” said Apple Bloom.

“I know that,” said Sweetie Bell, “But what if we break something again?”

“Well we’ll make sure we won’t, and he doesn’t seem like someone who’ll throw us out because of one busted plate,” Apple Bloom said and flicked the lamp off next to her.
As she fell asleep Sweetie Bell looked up at the ceiling and wondered what James would do if they broke anything or became a nuisance. Apple Bloom might be right, James would never get rid of them, maybe get a little angry with them but he seems like he would forgive them on the first “sorry”. Sweetie Bell turned the lamp next to her off just before James had peeked through the door to their room.

“So precious,” James said quietly, he shut the door and went back to his room. Careful to not wake Scootaloo he crept up to his side of the bed and slipped under the covers, he though about what he had done, bringing the girls into his home to keep them safe and fed.
“Is this considered fostering?” he thought to himself.
He decided against that because they technically had families, far as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were concerned, as for Scootaloo no-one knew who were her parents. James knew that Rainbow Dash wasn’t in any way related to Scootaloo. James thought about that more but stopped when he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

The Three Life Changers

James woke the next morning with almost no memory of what happened yesterday, he was too distracted by a dream he had that involved him taking the Cutie Mark Crusaders from My Little Pony to live with his family. They were all human and probably aged at twelve, their clothes matched their colors from the show and their voices were exactly the same as well. James looked around his room, stopping briefly to look at the clock on his iHome, it was seven past nine on a Saturday. James remembered he had a two hour shift that started at eleven, he stood up and went to straighten his bed before Dart jumped up on it. James was moving a pillow over when he saw a tint of purple coming from under the sheets, it appeared to move slightly, there was also a mound under the sheets that appeared to be breathing. James then remembered that his dream was actually reality, he had rescued the CMC trio from behind the shipping container at the gas station. He carefully climbed over to see if it truly was Scootaloo. The purple hair was unmistakable because Scootaloo had turned over in the night and James was looking at the back of her head, the orange t-shirt was barely visible but James managed to see it. He moved the sheet and it was pulled away from him with a grunt of irritation coming from Scootaloo. James then remembered that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were sleeping in the spare room. James went to go see if they were still asleep, he carefully proceeded down the hall and opened the door to the spare room, James looked at the bed and saw two masses under all the covers, each mound moved slightly but neither one stirred the other.

James shut the door and then went downstairs, his dad Dave was watching TV in the family room, he was watching a football match in England.

“Any good goals?” James asked his dad.

“Nothing so far,” said his dad not turning around, “Are you getting ready for work?”

“Eat first then get a shower,” said James opening the refrigerator.

After James had eaten, he went back upstairs and went into his room to get his work attire. He had thought of getting changed in the bathroom like he did when anyone else slept over, the only difference was that he would have to get used to it. As he found a shirt Scootaloo woke up and looked at him.

“James,” she said sleepily, “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting ready to go to work again,” James replied pulling his 1911 pistol out from under the bed, “You go back to sleep.”

“Will you be back?” Scootaloo asked.

“I will be back in a couple of hours,” said James carrying his stuff into the bathroom.
A half hour later James was dressed, riding with his dad to the gas station and then dropped off at work.

“Another slow and boring day,” James said as his dad drove off and he stepped inside the gas station. Ed was sitting with his back turned to James, James made a slight coughing noise to announce his presence.

“It better not rain today,” said Ed.

“Skies are clear from here on out,” said James activating his work card and clocking in.

“Darryl said you found some kids behind the shipping crate out back,” Ed said.

“It’s all true,” said James, “I found them and took them in.”

“You have them living in your house?” Ed asked James in a surprised manner.

“I know you wouldn’t,” James said grimly as he sat down.

“How can I?” said Ed, “My parents have to deal with me, and I’ll probably be a bad influence on them.”

“You seen any interesting cars so far?” James asked.

“Nothing like what you describe,” said Ed, “The last car that came in was over an hour ago.”

The next two hours passed with little incident, apart from one insane woman who wanted free gas because she was late for a doctors appointment at an office that didn’t exist. She threatened to run over Ed if he didn’t comply, James helped out by pulling out his 1911 and pulling the hammer back. The woman drove off without getting any gas. After that, the day seemed to be relatively normal. James was inside depositing the thirty dollars he had made in cash into the safe when Ed burst through the front door, James whipped out his pistol.

“Problem?” he asked.

“You wanted me to tell you if there were any interesting cars outside,” said Ed, “Come outside and see this.”
James holstered the gun and followed Ed outside, what ever James was expecting it sure wasn’t a military vehicle.

“Blimy!” James said, he was staring at an LAV-25. The driver opened a hatch and looked out.

“Do you sell diesel?” the man driving asked.

“No,” said Ed. James pulled out his iPhone and walked around the LAV taking pictures of it.

“Where did you get this?” James asked.

“Bought it off said the driver, and with that he drove away.

“I’m getting me one of those,” said James.

“Why?” asked Ed, “Why not a pickup like everyone else?”

“Because I like military vehicles,” replied James, “And you said everyone else has a pickup, I don’t want something that blends in, I want something that stands out.”
Ed went back inside the gas station, James was about to follow when his dad pulled up.

“You done now?” Dave asked.

“It was only a few hours,” said James.

“Have you cashed out?” Dave asked.

“Yes,” replied James pulling out an envelope with his name on it and tossing it onto the passenger seat.

“Is this you pay?” James' dad asked.

“I picked it up a few minutes ago,” replied James opening the door and getting in the car, “Shall we get going now?”

Dave started up the car and drove away, as Ed gave a small wave James retrieved the paycheck from underneath him. Five minutes later James and Dave were back home, as Dave tried to adjust the mirrors James walked inside.

“I’m back!” he shouted after he stepped through the door.

“Hi James,” his mother’s voice drifted from upstairs the sound of Dart then emanated from James' room. As the dog bounded down the stairs to greet James, James heard voices coming from the family room.

“James is back!” he heard Sweetie Bell say.

“He is?” Scootaloo’s voice said.

“Quit lazing about and lets go say hi!” said Apple Bloom who had skidded into the hallway. Apple Bloom ran up to him and threw her arms around him, James was a little confused but returned the hug.

“Unusual behavior,” said James, “When did you get so affectionate?”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell peeked around the hallway and when then saw James they both rushed forward and hugged him as well. James had never experienced something like this, it had happened to him with family members but these girls had only just been here a day and already a bond was beginning to form between James and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“What’s with the hugs?” James asked.

“Because we love you,” said Apple Bloom.

“You’re the nicest person who’s adopted us,” said Scootaloo.

“Adoption?” said James, “I’m just taking care of you until you can go back home.”

“Oh yeah,” said Sweetie Bell, “We’d better make this last then.”

After the group hug James' mother looked down the stairs at James.

“Are you coming up to get the guns from the safe?” Katherine asked James.

“I forgot we were going to the range,” said James running up the stairs. One hour later James, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and James parents were all riding in the SUV to the gun range that James and his family went to. The range was actually a gun shop with a indoor pistol range, James' parents knew all of the store employees and the owners of the shop. As they were nearing the shop James turned to the girls.

“I hope you done mind me saying this but I want to call you by different names,” he said. The three looked at James confusedly.

“What do you mean James?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I like my name,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I know but people around here won't really want to, well, accept your names,” said James, but the real reason was that he was doing this to protect them from any crazed MLP fans that might be at the store, James really didn’t want the girls to find out about their true existence in this world.

“Okay then,” Scootaloo said uneasily, “What do you want to call us?”

“Well then,” said James turning to Apple Bloom, who was sitting across from him, “I was thinking of naming you Abigail, it seems to match your rancher look.”
Apple Bloom thought it over, looked back at Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo and shrugged.

“Why not? It sounds nice,” Apple Bloom said.

“Alright then,” said James twisting around to Sweetie Bell, “For you I thought that the name Samantha was just right.”

“I like it,” said Sweetie Bell, “It still kind of sounds like my real name.”

“And now for you Scootaloo,” said James looking at her, “How’s Susie sound?”

“It sound girly,” replied Scootaloo.

“I’d thought you’d like it,” said James turning around.

“I’m just saying it’s not the name I would choose,” said Scootaloo, “I like it, really I do, I’m just wondering if my new name suits my personality.”
James could read the discomfort and nervousness in her voice.

“I’m guessing you’re afraid I’ll dump you on the streets,” said James.

“No,” said Scootaloo, “Why would you think that?”

“Because I can tell,” said James, “I know that you were abandoned several times and you’re taking precautions in order to avoid that happening again.”

“You’re right James,” said Apple Bloom, “Scoot was worried about your reaction and tried to make it seem like she liked the name so you wouldn’t get mad at her.”
James looked at Scootaloo.

“I would never do a think like that,” he said, he then held out his hand to Scootaloo, “I’ll promise that no matter how angry I get with you, it won't last long and anything I say won't be true.”
Scootaloo took hold of James' hand.

“And I promise to not make too much of a mess, and if I do, I’ll clean it up,” said Scootaloo.

“I’ll promise to make sure that I help you out with what ever you need,” said Sweetie Bell also taking hold of James' hand.
Apple Bloom followed and made her promise.

“I promise to never give up hope on getting home, no matter what happens,” she said.

“Then it’s agreed that we don’t break these promises,” said James gripping the hands of the girls.

“Agreed,” they all said simultaneously.

“We’re here,” said Katherine.

Young Girls, Big Guns

The gun shop parking lot was quieter than usual, but Dave parked in the space furthest away from the door anyway.

“Dad, most of the cars here won’t be moving anyway, why did you park so far away?” James asked.

“You never know if someone will park next to you and scratch the paint,” his father replied. As James retrieved the cases containing the pistols, his mother carried the bag with the ear protectors and safety glasses and his dad carried a plastic binder that was full of papers. As James struggled with a rather large case that contained his dad’s Desert Eagle, Sweetie Bell noticed this and took the two smaller cases that he was carrying in one hand.

“I see you’ve started to keep to your word,” said James adjusting the large case so he could carry it with ease.

“I said I would help you,” said Sweetie Bell.
They got to the front door of the store, Dave held it open and James stumbled inside followed by Sweetie Bell, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Katherine, and finally Dave. Joel, the burly and friendly African American gun mechanic was the first to notice them.

“How’s it going?” he asked James.

“Going good, going good,” said James shaking Joel’s hand, “Finally get to test the Bond Arms pistol we got.”

“You got that a week ago didn’t you?” Joel said to Dave who had just walked over.

“Yes, and we’ve been wanting to see if it really can shoot shotgun shells,” replied Dave.

“Where is it?” said James looking though the cases, “It should have been in the small case with the star on it.

“I have it here,” said Sweetie Bell placing the case on the counter with the rest of the cases, Joel noticed Sweetie Bell, then Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Who are these three?” asked Joel.

“These are the girls I saved,” said James.

“Saved?” asked Joel.

“Long story that I’ll tell later,” said James putting his hand on Sweetie Bell’s head, “This here is Samantha.”

“Hello,” said Sweetie Bell, James then pointed to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“The one on the left is Abigail and the one on the right is Susie,” said James, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo waved and continued looking at the assault rifles.

“Are they here to shoot as well?” Joel asked.

“Why do you think I brought the .22?” replied James.

“I see,” said Joel, “Looks like you’ll need a few extra sets of head gear.”

“You unpack the guns,” James' dad said to James, “We’ve got a few things to take care of.”

“Sure thing,” replied James taking the ear protectors and safety glasses that Joel gave him, “Follow me girls.”

James led the way to a back area of the store, the pistol range was barely occupied and the sound of a 9mm was coming from behind the windows. James unlocked the cases and opened up the one containing his dad’s Desert Eagle, James pulled the gun free of the foam container and pulled back the slide.

“Everything is working,” said James. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo stared at the silver weapon.

“That’s really big,” said Scootaloo.

“That’s because it’s a .50AE pistol,” said James releasing the slide catch and putting the gun back into the case.

“What’s AE stand for?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Action Express,” James replied opening a case which contained a .22 Sig Sauer, “It basically means that it will get the job done in one shot.”

“What kind of job do you mean?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You’ve never stopped asking questions,” said James, “You’ll learn everything soon enough.”

After James had checked all the guns and told the girls to put on their safety gear, his parents joined him and the Crusaders. Dave was carrying a weapon that James recognized.

“You got the Vector?” James asked.

“All here with the ammo we need,” replied James' dad.

“Well let’s get going,” said James taking the larger cases, Sweetie Bell took the gun case that contained a Ruger .357 magnum, Apple Bloom carried the headgear bag and Scootaloo took the ammo for the 1911 and Vector. As they opened the door to the range, the smell of gunpowder and burned paper greeted them, every few seconds a gunshot was heard from the other end of the range. There were a few people here, those who had come to test out their new guns or see if the old ones worked.

“Where are we at?” James asked placing the gun cases on the table behind him.

“Wherever there’s a free spot,” said his mother.

“Choices, choices, choices,” James said sarcastically as he carried the guns to one booth and laid them out in front of him. The collection was set up by size, the Desert Eagle sat on one end and the new Bond Arms multi caliber pistol sat on the other end, James loaded a magazine for his 1911, set up a target and took aim.

“What’s going on?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Seeing if I can improve my aim,” said James.

“Do we watch?” asked Scootaloo.

“You may want to step back,” said James, and with that he fired the first shot and hit the target directly in the chest. Scootaloo jumped back from the shock.

“What was that?” Sweetie Bell said. James turned his head to look at them.

“This is what we do for fun sometimes,” he said, “Nothing like shooting holes in a paper target that can make your day that much better.”
James fired a few more shot and looked back at his parents.

“Are you loading magazines or are you going to stand there watching?” he said.

“We’re making sure that the girls know what’s going on,” Katherine replied.

“Alright then,” said James turning back to the target and emptying the magazine within a few seconds. James took his 1911 magazine to the pile of ammo on the table behind Apple Bloom and loaded more bullets, Dave took a fully loaded magazine for the Desert Eagle and walked past James without his noticing.

“So you load that part up with these?” Apple Bloom asked James as she held up a .45 bullet.

“Sure do,” said James taking the bullet from Apple Bloom and putting it in the magazine.

“Do we get to try this out?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“You will soon enough,” said James, “But I will warn you, this is no joke and these are no toys. One wrong move and you’re dead, but with me around you won’t need to worry about death or personal injury.”

Suddenly the silence was broken by a thundering boom then another and another. James staggered back, his ears were ringing and he was slightly disorientated. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were both clutching their ear protectors, Scootaloo had recovered and had seen the source of the noise, Dave’s Desert Eagle.

“Sorry,” he said, “Did I scare you?”

“Not to mention deafen and disorientate me and the girls,” said James, “You alright Samantha?”

“What? Oh right, yeah I’m fine now,” said Sweetie Bell, forgetting she was renamed Samantha.

“Abigail?” James said to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom shuddered and looked at him.

“I’m okay,” she said.

Dave fired off the last few rounds in the gun and took the magazine to the table to reload. The next hour was a new experience for the Crusaders, they had never shot a gun before but after a little lesson from James they were beginning to hit the target. Every now and then James or Dave would take the Vector and shoot with it, every so often it would jam on James and the girls couldn’t resist laughing as James cursed in Russian and German as he tried to fix it. Soon however, they started to run out of bullets, James had finished off the last magazine of his 1911.

“We’re all out now,” said Katherine.

“Aww, but we were having fun,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Are we really done?” Apple Bloom moaned.

“Not so,” said James looking in the ammo box for the .45 bullets, “There’s one left.”

“I kind of hid it,” said Scootaloo.

“Susie,” said James, “Why did you?”

“Because I wanted to try out that caliber,” said Scootaloo.

“You think you can handle it?” James asked loading the bullet into the gun.

“I’ll do my best,” said Scootaloo.
James handed her the pistol and showed her how to stand properly.

“Deep breaths, keep your grip tight, and lean into it,” James said.

“I can do this,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s the recoil I’m worried about,” said James, “But you seem tough enough to handle it.”

Scootaloo took aim, tightened her grip and fired, the recoil was greater than she had anticipated. She stumbled back and fell over, only to fall right into James who was ready to catch her. Scootaloo looked at the target then looked up at James.

“I told you that the recoil was the worst part,” he said with a grin. Scootaloo then broke into a smile and laughed a little.

“No kidding,” she replied. James helped her back on her feet and took the gun.

“Do you two want to try next time?” he said to Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom.

“No thanks,” said Apple Bloom.

“I’ve seen enough,” said Sweetie Bell.
James chuckled and shut his 1911 back into its case. As he led the three out of the range and back into the shop, Bruce, the store owner was standing at the counter talking with James' parents, he then saw the group come up to the counter.

“So how was you’re first shooting experience?” he asked the three girls.

“Fun,” said Apple Bloom.

“Exciting,” said Sweetie Bell.

“It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Scootaloo.

“Glad to see that you liked it,” said Bruce, he then looked at James, “How did the Bond Arms pistol test out?”

“Very well,” said James taking off his ear protectors, “I took out an entire chunk of the target.”

“James we’re going to be a while, why don’t you go look at the guns?” his mother said.

“I’m not complaining,” said James walking to the section where all the old historic guns were stored. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were just about to follow him when Dave stopped them.

“How would you like to really thank James for bringing you back to our house so you could live there?” he said. The girls grinned and nodded.

“Just remember,” Katherine said quietly, “You can’t tell him until tomorrow.”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo giggled in anticipation. After twenty minutes the girls went over to where James was. James and Joel were going through all the old military rifles.

“SKS,” said James, “Russian manufactured and has a bayonet.”

“I still can’t translate the writing on the side of the ejection port,” said Joel.

“I can read it,” said James, “It says, ‘For the Motherland’.”

“I didn’t know you could read Russian,” said Joel.

“He can speak it too,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I never knew that,” said Joel.

“I didn’t know I could read Russian either,” James said handing the SKS back to Joel.

“What are all these guns?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Relics,” said James.

“We also carry surplus and used military weapons,” said Joel taking a F2000 off the shelf behind him and handing it to James.

“What a nice feel,” said James caressing the assault rifle in his hands.

“It’s got thermal sights too,” said Joel, “Just flick that switch and look down the scope.”
James flicked the switch and looked through the sights.

“Wow!” he said with surprise, “Susie, you’re lit up like a Christmas tree.”

“What?” Scootaloo said, James let her hold the rifle and pointed to the lens which she was meant to look through. Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom and saw only a white figure with her shape.

“What am I looking at?” Scootaloo asked James.

“Thermal vision lights up anything with a heat index,” said Joel, “Makes it easier to aim through smoke or in darkness.”

James and the girls were then looking at each of the different rifles, unfortunately when the time came to go the girls didn’t want to leave but they were coaxed out of their disappointment and soon they were back on the road again.

“That was fun,” said Apple Bloom.

“Can we go again?” Sweetie Bell said cutely.

“Yeah, can we? Pleeeease?” Scootaloo said.

“Another time,” said Katherine. The girls all moaned in disappointment.

“It’s alright,” said James, “Since school is almost over we’ll be able to go more frequently.”

“YAY!” the girls all yelled with joy.

Proof Of Promises

An hour later they were back home and carrying all the guns and safety gear with them, James saw that his dad was carrying a rifle case.

“Did you get that for the M4?” James asked.

“Yes I did,” replied Dave. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo giggled at the response.

“What’s so funny?” James asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” said Apple Bloom.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, James spent most of the day cleaning the guns and watching Destination Truth with the Crusaders. The episodes where the show went to haunted locations sort of scared Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo but James calmed them down and said that nothing like that never happened around here. When James mother had made dinner however, James in a way dreaded this moment.

“What have you cooked up?” James asked.

“Fish and chips, just the way you like it,” said Katherine.

“Lovely,” said James taking his plate and sitting at the table.

“Are you going to eat anything?” Katherine asked the girls.

“Mum I’m not so sure,” James began to speak but was cut off by Apple Bloom.

“It’s alright Mrs. Rogers,” she said, “We’ve had this before.”

“It’s not too bad,” said Scootaloo. James shrugged and began eating.

“They did feed us before,” said Sweetie Bell, “The people who helped us before you.”

“At least James lets us sleep on beds,” Scootaloo said irritably.

“You haven’t slept on beds since you got here?” James asked.

“The best before you picked us up was that one family who let us sleep in the basement on couches,” said Apple Bloom.
James shook his head is disbelief as he sliced up his fries.

“I can’t believe that anyone could just do that to you,” he said.

“We were always scared, wondering if we were ever going to make it back home,” said Sweetie Bell.

“That would explain why you were so worn out when I brought you home,” said James, “You never slept properly.”

“Never did until last night,” said Scootaloo.

After they had eaten James went back to cleaning the guns and the girls went upstairs to get ready for bed. As James was packing away the Glock he noticed that the Crusaders were taking a long time upstairs, he wondered if they were trying to use the shower, he had heard running water but that could have been his mother.

“Should I investigate? Knock on the door and see if I get a response?” James asked Dart, who was lying next to him on the couch. Dart looked at James and sighed. James decided to not look for them unless he heard something abnormal. Several minutes later he heard a loud crash come from upstairs, James grabbed the Glock out of the case and bolted up the stairs, he knew that it wasn’t his parents that broke anything because Dave and Katherine had gone outside and were talking to the neighbors, weapon raised he opened the door to his bedroom and saw Scootaloo looking down, horrified, at a broken lamp. The door had made a squeaking sound and Scootaloo looked up at James with the pistol in hand.

“I’m sorry James!” she said, “It was an accident, I didn’t mean it!”

“What happened?” James asked.

“I was trying to get the lamp to work because I wanted to see if there was anything to read on your bookshelf,” Scootaloo said, “I pulled at the cord and it fell off, I couldn’t catch it and it broke. I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad.”
James knelt down at the broken lamp, it was the old one he got from Blackpool when he used to live in England. The lamp was a glass lighthouse with Blackpool written on the sides of it, James pocketed the gun and looked up at Scootaloo, who was covering her face with her hands.

“I’ve had that since I was four,” said James, “I really liked it.”
James stood up and looked at Scootaloo closer, she had started to cry but was doing an excellent job of holding back her tears.

“I’m really, really sorry,” she said looking down at the floor in disappointment. She though that this was the end, they would be thrown out and forced to live on the streets where they would eventually perish from the elements. James saw the fear and remorse in her eyes.

“Come here,” he said walking over to Scootaloo.

“Please don’t get rid of us,” Scootaloo said, still looking at the broken lamp. James lifted her chin up so she could look up at him.

“I’m not mad, honestly,” he said softly.

“You-You’re not?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nah,” James said wiping her tears away with his thumb, “It didn’t work anyway and I’ve been wanting to get rid of it for a while now.”
Scootaloo’s mood brightened and she hugged him, burying her face in his shirt.

“You’d better not cry and stain my best shirt,” James said jokingly. Scootaloo laughed a little, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell then came into James room, Sweetie Bell’s hair hadn’t dried from her shower and Apple Bloom was missing her bow.

“What happened here?” Apple Bloom asked looking at the broken lamp.

“Forgiveness,” said James putting his arm around Scootaloo, “Forgiveness is what happened.”

“You might want to sweep that glass up,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Best we did,” said James, “I don’t want any of you cutting your feet on this.”

James lifted Scootaloo over the glass and then retrieved a dustpan and brush from the bathroom and swept up the broken glass then dumped it in the trash.

“Good riddance,” he said as he dropped the remainder of the lamp into the bin.

“Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, know this,” James said, the girls listened closely, “I’m not like the other people who threw you out of their home because of one little incident where something broke. I am better than that, so long as you say sorry and don’t lie about it I will completely forgive you for anything.”

“Thank you James,” said Scootaloo. Later that night James had safely put all the guns back in the safe and was upstairs in his room watching Red Dwarf by himself. Scootaloo and Dave then walked through the door to James' room.

“I’ve had a talk with Scootaloo here,” said Dave, “She’s a little shaky from what happened but it was good of you to tell us that she broke that lamp. Even better that she took full responsibility for the accident.”

“I’m proud of you Scoot,” James said getting up and walking over to her, “You’ve matured quite a lot.”

“If you don’t mind I’ll stay in the other room tonight,” said Scootaloo.

“Try not to break anything in there,” said James.

Scootaloo gave a small giggle and left Dave and James.

“Glad to get rid of the lamp?” Dave asked.

“I never really liked it,” said James.

“So which one will be with you tonight?” asked Dave.

“It’s all their choice,” said James, “They pick, not me.”
Just as James finished that sentence Sweetie Bell slipped between them and dove on James' bed.

“Can I be here tonight?” she asked. James and Dave looked at one another.

“How can I say no?” said James.

“I’ll leave you alone then,” said Dave pulling the door to, then opening it again making the door to the bathroom make a squeaking sound.

“Quit that!” James said. Dave sniggered and shut the door.

“Does he do that a lot?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“All the time,” said James shutting the door to the bathroom. He then ran up and jumped back on the bed.

James and Sweetie Bell spent the rest of the night watching Red Dwarf, Sweetie Bell was entertained by the unusual form of comedy. Half way through one episode Sweetie Bell shuffled closer to James.

“James,” she said, “What’s that door lead to?”

“Which one?” James asked looking at her.

“The door covered by plywood, I know there has to be a door behind that,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I don’t know,” said James, “I have asked Mum and Dad but they won’t tell me anything.”

“What do you think is behind there?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” said James.

After the episode finished James was about to get up so he could turn off the ceiling fan when he felt something holding him back, he looked down at Sweetie Bell and saw her cuddled up to him sleeping. James wormed his way out of her grip and switched both the lights and fan off. He looked back and saw the moonlight streaking through the curtains and light up Sweetie Bell’s dress, James was momentarily distracted from the sight but shook it out of his mind and went over to the window and closed the curtains so the moonlight stopped illuminating his room, as he settled down for the night he felt Sweetie Bell involuntary snuggle up to him again, James looked through the darkness and saw that Sweetie Bell was smiling. There seemed to be a sense of security when James was around the girls, probably because he pretty much brought them home and let them live with him. As he looked to the sky he made a silent vow; He would protect the Crusaders, no matter what the situation or outcome was. If it meant his death but their safety, then so be it. James rolled over and fell asleep, his mind still hoping that this wasn’t a very vivid dream.

Exposed Secrets and Shattered Hopes

The next morning James was awoken by movement on the bed, he assumed that Dart had snuck in during the night and had slept on the bed. As he looked up from the pile of sheets covering him he wasn’t expecting to see the Crusaders sitting on his bed.

“You lot are up early,” said James.

“Happy birthday!” they all said. James sat up, a little confused.

“But my birthday was in January,” said James.

“Your parents suggested that we do this,” said Sweetie Bell.

“And to give you this,” said Apple Bloom handing a rifle case to James, “It’s our thanks to you for you taking care of us.”
James took the rifle case and looked at it, there was something inside of it. He then suddenly noticed that it was the same case that his dad bought yesterday, James slowly undid the zip and opened the case. Inside was a British Enfield jungle carbine.

“What is this?” James asked.

“A present,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Your dad bought it a while ago and kept it hidden at the store until they were allowed to sell it to you,” said Scootaloo, “Then after you helped us your mother suggested that we give it to you as a birthday present from us.”

“I don’t know what to say,” said James taking the rifle in hand, “I’ve always wanted one of these.”

“It’s okay,” said Apple Bloom, “We get it.”
James looked at each of the girls.

“Thank you all so much,” he said.

“Group hug!” said Scootaloo diving onto James, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell followed, careful to not land on the rifle. After a few minutes they went downstairs where Katherine had made breakfast for James.

“I hope you’re in the mood for bacon and sausage,” she said.

“Can this day get any better?” said James. Once James had finished his usual morning routine of getting a shower and dressed he went downstairs and saw his mother with the trio about to leave.

“Where are you off to?” asked James.

“I’m going to take the girls out shopping for more clothes,” replied his mother, “They can’t be wearing the same thing everyday.”

“Make sure you get them swimming gear,” said James passing by them, “We are going to North Carolina this summer and the neighbors will probably invite us over to use their pools.”

“Good point James,” said his mother, “What would we do without you?”

“We won’t know, mainly because I’m here right now,” said James.

As they left James took his rifle into the den and switched on the TV and Xbox 360, as he looked through his collection of games he made a realization that he had to make a code while the crusaders were here, three unspoken rules formed into his mind: Rule one, no cursing in English, and to not translate any curses that he said in Russian or German. Rule two, no violent, gory or “M” rated games while the girls were in the same room while he plays the Xbox. Rule three, no more vulgar TV shows unless he was the only person in the house and he would have to supervise the Crusaders on what they were watching, the reason why James set up these rules was that he didn’t want to corrupt the minds of the Crusaders while they lived at his house. He wanted them to remain the same three fillies for when they finally had to go back to their homes. As he inserted his Battlefield Bad Company game into the console he saw that his friend was online and was spamming invites his way.

“Alright!” James said, “I’ll join if it’ll shut you up.”
James put on his headset on and joined his friends. James joined and saw his old friend William was in the party along with his friends Toby, Alex and Nathan.

“Hello James,” said William.

“How’s it going?” said James.

“You haven’t been online for the past few days,” said Toby.

“I’ve been a little busy,” said James, “Something happened to me that seems unbelievable.”

“Why, what happened?” Alex asked.

“You and Toby are still avid fans of that show right?” James said.

“What? My Little Pony? Yeah we still like it,” said Toby.

“Well, what happened to me has to do with that show,” James said.

“You get to star in a future episode or something?” Nathan asked.

“More of a few characters get to star in my life,” replied James.

“I’m still not getting what you are saying James,” said William.
James took a deep breath and decided to just say it.

“I found the Cutie Mark Crusaders at the gas station I work at, I brought them back home and they are now currently living with me,” James said, he stopped ad bit his lip hoping for some verbal response.

“What?” Alex was the first to say.

“You found Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, at the gas station you work at?” Toby asked, “The three fillies?”

“Actually they are human, but still have the same personality, same voice, even their clothes match their colors,” said James.

“I don’t believe this for one second,” said Nathan.

“I’m not even joking about this,” said James, “This is completely serious.”

“I’m agreeing with Nathan on this,” said William, “I won’t believe this until I see proof.”

“I have a vision camera, I can set it up so you can see them,” said James.

“You do that and we’ll go to William’s house and use his Kinect,” said Toby.

“Wait, my house?” William asked, “Why my house?”

“Because your TV is the biggest,” said Alex.

“He’s got a point,” said Toby.

“You might want to get to Williams house now then,” said James looking at his watch, “They’ll probably be back in a couple of hours.”

The party was immediately disbanded leaving only James and William to talk with each other.

“So is it true?” William asked.

“About me finding the CMC and fostering them?” James said as he tore apart buildings with a tank, “It’s all a completely true story.”

“How long have they been living there with you?” asked William.

“Only a couple of days but we already seem to forming a bond,” said James.

“Where are they now?” asked William.

“Out shopping with my mother,” said James.

“Oh, alright then. So what are you playing?” William said trying to change the subject before James got annoyed.

“Bad Company,” James replied, “Still rolling around the golf course looking for more tanks to blow up.”

“Sounds like fun,” said William.

“Always has been, always will be,” said James, “Who Dares Wins.”

After two hours passed Alex, Toby and Nathan were at William’s house waiting for James to set up the camera. Once the camera was set up and an uplink established James stood back to admire his work, he could clearly see the group anxiously sitting on the couch on the other side of the TV.

“Hello there Xbox buddies,” James said waving at them.

“That’s James?” Nathan asked confusedly.

“I was expecting him to be bigger,” said Alex.

“I hope he doesn’t me mind saying that he has the strangest hair color,” said Toby.
James realized what was going on: Alex, Toby and Nathan had never seen James before, this was the first time James has used the vision camera as well.

“No I don’t mind you commenting on my hair,” said James, “Even I’m still confused about why it’s a sort of dusty blonde color.”

“So where are they?” William asked.

“They should be here by now,” said James as he sat down on his couch.

“What’s that next to you?” Alex asked pointing to the TV remote next to James.

“A remote,” James replied sarcastically.

“No I meant the thing next to your foot,” Alex said. James looked at the armrest of the couch and saw his rifle propped up against it.

“My present for the girls for rescuing them,” James said as he picked it up.

“They’ve only been there two days and you already get a gift from them?” William asked.

“Like I said before, we’ve formed a bond,” said James pulling the bolt back.

“Were you making the whole thing up?” Alex asked.

“No I wasn’t,” said James.

“Well where are they then?” Toby asked.

“They should be pulling up on the driveway now,” said James looking out the front window. He could see his mother’s SUV pulling up and the trunk opening.

“They’re here,” said James.

“Outside I’m guessing,” said Nathan.

“Too right,” said James. He watched as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell gather bags being handed to them from Scootaloo.

“They work so well together,” said James.

“The Crusaders?” asked Alex.

“Okay listen here,” James said turning to the TV, “You cannot reference or even mention anything about the show.”

“They don’t know?” asked William.

“I was going to tell them later tonight but for now, no, they don’t know they already exist,” said James.

“So don’t mention the show,” said Alex.

“Please don’t,” said James, “Who knows what’ll happen.”

“Okay then James,” said William.

“Thank you,” said James just as the door to the garage was heard opening, “One more thing, you cannot tell anyone about this, not your friends, not your family, nobody must know.”

“Don’t you mean ‘anypony’?” Alex joked.

“I’m serious, it’s for their safety,” said James, “If the government finds out then only God will know what will happen to me and more importantly, the Crusaders.”

“You really care about them,” said Nathan.

“I would lay down my life for them,” said James, “They have a home to get to.”
Just as the girls were heard James opened the door to the den.

“Hey Crusaders!” he shouted toward the voices, “Would you mind coming in here?”

“Sure thing James,” said Apple Bloom.

“Was that Apple Bloom?” Alex asked.

“Wait and see,” said James walking back into view of the camera. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo entered the den, they didn’t see the TV behind them or James' friends watching them who were stunned at the spectacle.

“How’d it go?” James asked trying to stifle his laughs because Alex and Tony had dropped onto the floor and had shuffled over to the TV to get a better view.

“It was nice,” said Sweetie Bell, “We all got some new stuff.”

“I found this shirt,” said Scootaloo pointing at the shirt she was wearing. The shirt was silver with a P-51 Mustang fighter emblazed on the front which she was wearing over her orange shirt.

“Looks good on you,” said James, he looked at the TV where Toby had knocked the camera on an angle.

“Oh for God’s sake guys,” he said, “You’re all on an awkward angle now.”
Apple Bloom turned toward the TV and saw Toby and Alex backing away and fixing the camera.

“Who are they?” Apple Bloom asked, Nathan made a squeaking sound.

“Is that really them?” Nathan asked.

“These here are the kids who I rescued from behind the gas station,” said James.

“They’re really cute,” said William. Sweetie Bell blushed a little.

“One of the reasons I couldn’t leave them at the station,” said James, “I had to take them in.”

“I would have done the same,” said Toby.

“Ditto,” said Alex.

“Are these your friends?” Scootaloo asked.

“Why don’t you lot introduce yourselves then?” James said to his friends.

“Toby,” said Toby.

“I’m Alex,” said Alex.

“I’m Nathan,” Nathan said.

“And I’m William,” said William, “I’m James oldest friend.”

“Now you girls,” said James.

“My name’s Samantha,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I’m Susie,” said Scootaloo.

“And I’m Abigail,” said Apple Bloom.
James and his friends looked at each one confusedly, James then broke the silence.

“They really have changed my life,” said James.

“James, we’re going to try on our new clothes upstairs,” said Apple Bloom.

“You do that,” said James, “I’m gonna continue talking with these guys.”
Sweetie Bell hugged James just before she left to go upstairs with the other two. James looked back at the TV and shrugged.

“What can I say?” he said, “They really have become attached to me.”

“I’m jealous of you,” said Alex.
James shrugged and picked up the controller.

“I’m going back to my game,” he said, “I’ll stay in the party.”

“One more thing,” William said, “What’s with the name changes?”

“For their safety,” said James, “I don’t want you spreading the word that I found the CMC and have them living at my house.”

James disconnected the camera and ended the video communication. He sat back down on the couch and continued playing Battlefield Bad Company while he listened to Alex and Toby rambling on about what they had just seen. Four hours later James stopped and went upstairs, slightly satisfied that he had proved that he wasn’t lying. But a pang of sadness hit his when he was halfway upstairs, he was going to have to tell them about the show My Little Pony. It would be better this way rather than some mad fan of the show finding them and mentioning it, at least then there was a possibility that it wouldn’t seem as distressing for them. He opened the door to his room and saw them looking through Netflix on his TV, they were all starting at the TV with looks of confusion. James could only guess they had found the show on his instant queue.

“Kids,” he said. The three were taken by surprise.

“Did you know about us before we arrived here?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sadly yes,” said James, but he thought that it was much better if they found out for themselves.

“How long has this been going on?” Scootaloo asked.

“The show? About a year now,” James said sitting between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, “Truth is, you’re famous.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” said Scootaloo, “I’ve always wanted to be famous.”

“I can’t spread the word around that you exist,” said James, “I’m keeping you under the radar for a reason, for your safety.”

“Our safety? What are you talking about?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Look there are people who like you, but there are others who don’t. The stuff I’ve seen, read and what I’ve heard,” James said the stopped and shuddered.

“Like what?” Apple Bloom asked.

“There are some twisted up people out there,” said James, “If those people get a hold of you then, oh God. Even just thinking about it makes me cringe.”

James went over to the wall behind his bed and took down his gold AK-47, he sat back down with the girls and looked at each one of them.

“Those responsible for writing the sickening fan fictions, submitting repulsive videos and drawings and who also support the dark side will, if they get a hold of you, recreate the stories. It will probably end in your deaths,” James said.
The girls looked at one another fearfully.

“Will-will you protect us?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I will sacrifice myself for your safety,” said James gripping the rifle tighter to his chest, “Any harm that comes your way, I will kill everyone who was involved, I made a promise to get you home safely, and I will fulfill it.”

“You’ll keep us safe?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes I will,” said James, “Now come on, let’s forget this little conversation. Do you actually want to see the show that was created?”

“We were reading the descriptions, let’s see if the history is accurate,” Apple Bloom said.

James and the Crusaders ended up watching a few episodes of My Little Pony. James was quite entertained from the reactions of the trio, mainly when one of them shouted, “I never said that!”. James also learned that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell had tried to get their Cutie Marks by trying to find Scootaloo in the Everfree forest among other wacky adventures that hadn’t been made into episodes. After James had switched off the TV he went to take a shower and for the girls to decide on who stays with James for the night.

“So Scootaloo was with him the first night, Sweetie Bell volunteered the second night,” Apple Bloom said counting with her fingers.

“That you means you stay in his room tonight,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Don’t worry, he won’t move much,” said Scootaloo. A high pitched yelp came from the bathroom followed by banging.

“Stop using the bloody sinks!” James' shouting was heard.

“I really hate the showers for that,” said Scootaloo. Later after James had dressed in night attire in the bathroom he walked into his bedroom and saw Apple Bloom looking out the window.

“So they do exist,” he said.

“Who does?” James asked.

“My family,” said Apple Bloom, “They exist both here and back home.”

“Like I said earlier, I’ll make sure you get back to them,” James said, “Don’t let the thought get to you, it’s best to not think about it.”

“How would you know?” Apple Bloom asked with a hint of annoyance.

“Because I have a future planned for me,” said James.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom said turning around.

“I’m going to join the Military Enforcers,” James said. Apple Bloom just looked at him, confused about what he had just said.

“It’s a special branch of the National Guard,” said James, “It’s been a dream of mine to join up since I was ten.”

“Like my sister once said; Just keep following who you are,” said Apple Bloom, she then sighed and looked back outside.

“You should sleep on it,” said James, “It’s what I do and it makes me feel better in the morning.”

“Ok,” Apple Bloom said and climbed up onto the bed, James noticed that she was wearing a flannel nightshirt with what looked like pants made of the same material. He could only assume that she had got it today.

“New gear?” James asked pointing at Apple Bloom’s new look.

“What? Oh yeah, we got it today,” said Apple Bloom, “I think it reminds me of home.”

“Cute,” James said as he pulled the sheets off the bed, as he did he saw something glinting from under the mattress.

“What’s this here?” he said as he rummaged around for the object.

“You find something?” Apple Bloom asked. James finally pulled out a K-Bar combat knife from under the bed and looked at it, a black blade and hilt.

“I’ve been looking for this for about a month,” said James, he glanced back to the dart board behind him and took the knife by the blade and looked at Apple Bloom.

“Bet I can hit the bulls eye,” he said.

“No way you can,” said Apple Bloom. James span around and threw the knife at the target, the blade made a solid thunk as it landed directly in the red of the bulls eye.

“Told you I could,” James said. Apple Bloom smiled up at him.

After James had fallen asleep he kept wondering if there was a way home for the Crusaders, he decided to not think about that while he was trying to sleep. James woke in the middle of the night, as he looked at his clock through blurred eyes he saw that it had just gone one in the morning.

“Cripes,” he said quietly, “This is a first.”
He rolled over and saw that the mass where Apple Bloom would be was missing, James sat bolt upright expecting the door to his room was forced open but it was shut. He relaxed a little and looked over to the foot of his bed where he saw Apple Bloom sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You alright Apple Bloom?” James asked. Apple Bloom just shook her head.

“Well you are honest about being up at one in the morning,” said James, “What’s wrong?”

Apple Bloom sniffed and turned a little toward him.

“I miss my family,” she said.

“I know, I know,” said James shifting over next to her, “I’ll get you home.”

“I really want to see them again,” Apple Bloom said.

“They’re probably just as upset as you are,” said James, “They might have been searching for you for the past week.”

“Wait, then that means that Ponyville wouldn’t have gotten their supply of apples,” Apple Bloom said, she then lowered her face into her hands, “It’s all my fault.”

“Hey, nothing’s your fault,” said James, “They won’t have taken all their time out of working to search for you. They’ll have set up a timeshare thing so that searching and working is evenly distributed.”

“But what if they have forgotten about me?” Apple Bloom said fearfully, “What if they don’t care about my disappearance? What if they think I’m dead?”

“They don’t think any of that!” James said fiercely, “I thought you made a promise that no matter what you wouldn’t give up hope of finding a way home.”
Apple Bloom looked up at James, he could see that she had been crying earlier. James felt a little guilty for speaking so harshly to Apple Bloom.

“I’m sorry,” she said leaning on his arm, she sniffed a couple of time and wiped her face off.

“Come on now,” James said putting his arm around Apple Bloom, “It’s alright, nothing to be upset about.”
Apple Bloom then grabbed James around his chest and held on tightly, she was shaking and making small noises. James knew what she had been through before the Crusaders had ended up at James' house, as he hugged her James thought about how he was going to keep the morale of the girls up. James sighed and looked down at Apple Bloom, who was now tightening her grip around him.

“It’s ok, let it out,” he said quietly. Apple Bloom then burst out crying, James could feel her tears seeping through his shirt.

“Why did this happen?” Apple Bloom sobbed.

“We may never know, but that’s not important,” James said, “It’ll all be fine.”

“I never wanted this,” said Apple Bloom, “Never ever ever.”
James kept rocking her back and forth and hushing her, trying to help her go back to sleep, just listening to Apple Bloom cry was making him sad. He had to find something to distract her.

“If we can’t get you, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo home before our summer holidays starts, do you want to come with us to North Carolina and South Dakota?” James said. Apple Bloom stopped crying and looked up at him.

“You’ll take us places?” she asked.

“I know you’ll like South Dakota, not as much as North Carolina but still, you’ll enjoy it,” James said.

“Thank you James,” Apple Bloom said quietly. James saw that she had worn herself out from crying.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“A little but still homesick,” replied Apple Bloom.

“You’ll feel better in the morning,” said James. As Apple Bloom went back to sleep James looked at his shirt. It looked as if he had been sweating, minus the bad smell, he chuckled and shook his head and lay down to try and get some rest before he had school tomorrow. School, the word rattled around his head like a set of keys in a tumble dryer. He had dreaded the final exams but the days were shortened so there was that. As he drifted off he felt something close around his hand, James looked and saw Apple Bloom’s hand around his, James also saw that she was smiling, happy that James had kept her calm and was going to take her Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo to places she had never been before. There was a feeling of trust and hope that surrounded this particular moment, James thought that what he felt was right. He had taken full responsibility for these girls and he was going to see this through to the end.

Back To School: Pt. 1

Morning came with an alarming thud as a small bird crashed into James window, James was startled awake but Apple Bloom dozed on, still looking happy. James got up dressed and went downstairs without waking anybody, as he prepared and ate his breakfast he thought about what tests he would have today. He shrugged and continued eating his bagel. James' thoughts were interrupted as his dad came downstairs with Dart. Dave wasn’t dressed and Dart looked like he had been sleeping upside down again.

“You’re up early James,” said Dave opening the refrigerator.

“And you both look a mess,” retorted James.

“I heard something coming from your room, sounded like crying,” Dave said.

“Apple Bloom had a nightmare,” said James.

“You manage to calm her down?” his dad asked.

“Wasn’t easy but I did it,” replied James.

“Good job there,” said Dave taking a bowl of cereal over to the table, “I’m quite proud of you for doing that.”

“Try not to wake them,” James said as he deposited his dishes in the sink, “I want to see if I can get home before they wake up.”

“Okay then,” his dad laughed.

James went back upstairs to get himself ready before he left for school, as he came out of the bathroom he saw Apple Bloom lying peacefully on his bed with Dart who had snuck up while James was cleaning his teeth. James grabbed his iPhone from his iHome and left his bedroom, he also checked up on Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo who were also fast asleep. James said goodbye to his mother and left the house and headed for the bus stop. A half hour later James was at school, walking into the gymnasium.

“Just four hours,” he thought, “Just four hours until it’s over.”
James saw the bleachers were extended out from the walls and students were sitting on them, James headed in the direction that he normally headed. Towards his friend Charles who was on the bleachers listening to his music.

“Wonder what stupid things he did this weekend,” James thought as he ascended the bleachers.

“Yo,” Charles said as James sat down next to him.

“No one else arrive yet?” James asked as he looked around the gymnasium.

“You know they arrive later than us,” said Charles.

“Had an LAV pull into the gas station,” James said taking out his phone and showing the pictures he took of it.

“What the hell’s that doing there?” Charles asked, a little disbelieving of what he was looking at.

“Your guess is a good as mine,” James said merrily.
James' other friends, Josh and Binkly came over and sat a row in front of Charles and James.

“The hell is up with you?” Josh asked James.

“Nothing,” James replied as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

“No there is something up,” said Binkly, “You seem more happy than usual.”

By now the rest of James' classmates had sat on the bleacher rows below them, but they went about talking with one another rather than with James.

“Life changing experience,” said James, “Happened at the gas station.”

“An army vehicle pulled in,” Charles said.

“Not that,” said James, “That’s nothing compared to what happened earlier.”

“Well what’s happened then that’s got you all excited?” said Josh.

“I found some kids behind the shipping crate that’s behind the gas station,” James said, “And I’ve taken them in.”

“Bullshit,” said Charles.

“No way you found kids behind a shipping crate in a gas station,” Binkly said.
James sighed and took his phone out again, as he looked for the pictures he took of the Crusaders. Every few seconds he could hear “fuck!” emanating from the group in front of him.

“What a bunch of wankers,” James thought as he looked through the pictures on his phone, “All they ever do is curse and make up stories of them drinking in order to seem cool, glad I won’t have to deal with them for a few months.”

“Ah, right here,” James said once he found a picture and showed it to them.

“The fuck?” Josh said.

“The hell’s up with the middle one’s hair?” Binkly asked.

“Where are they at now?” asked Charles.

“My house,” said James, “They’ve been living with us for a few days now.”

“You have them living at your house?” said Binkly, “Why would you?”

“Because they are currently looking for their families and they would have died from the cold if I hadn’t done anything,” James said taking a good look at the photo.

“So you’re keeping them at your house until their families find out where they are?” Josh asked.

“Yes,” said James, “I took them down to the gun range on Saturday. They enjoyed it.”

“Sounds like shit to me,” said Charles.

“Well they had to go through a bunch of shit before I found them,” said James, “There were people who took them in but they kicked the girls out or left them on the side of the road and never came back for them.”

“Sound rough,” said Binkly.

“It was, one had a nightmare about not getting home,” said James, “Saddest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“You went from some kid who snapped another’s arm to a foster parent in eight years,” said Josh, “Seems like those eight years changed you in a way.”

“It’s called redemption,” said James, “And this is how I’ll success in redeeming myself.”

“Do you know how much of a queer you sound?” said Charles.

“At least I have good morale values, and I speak German and Russian,” James said.

“Whatever,” Charles said as he got up to join the rest of the students at the door so they could get to homeroom. James got up and went the back way that lead out of the school and to a pathway that connected to another part of the building. As he stood at the door to the building section that was the location of his homeroom he wondered why no-one else took this route. The door was opened for him and James proceeded to his homeroom, once he got there he tested the door handle. The door was locked, so James took a paperclip out of his backpack and started working at the keyhole, a ping and a click was heard and James knew that his task was complete. As he opened the door he flicked on the lights and sat down at his desk, James looked over to the white board and read the schedule that was written on it, he had his history and English finals today.

“Not bad,” James though as people swarmed into the classroom. The usual morning that James had in school was pretty much normal, the English final was over in a flash and in the period before history while James was studying, he couldn’t help but notice that some people were craning over others to look at him. James looked at the person next to him, he was staring at James curiously, James started to feel uncomfortable about this.

“Can I help?” he said to the kid next to him.

“Is it true?” the kid asked.

“What is?” James replied having no idea what was going on.

“That you adopted some kids you found,” the kid said.

“Yes,” said James, “Why is that important?”

“Seems strange is all,” said the kid turning back to his textbook.

“I did what I felt was right,” said James going back to his book. A few minutes later some other students came over to his desk.

“You heard as well?” said James not looking up.

“We heard that you had pictures,” said one of the students, James looked up and saw three teenage girls standing in from of him.

“Bloody grapevine,” he thought as he took out his phone and pulled up the pictures and gave the phone to the girls.

“Oh my god look at them,” said the girl holding the phone.

“Aww, they’re so cute,” said a second.

“How old are they?” asked the third.

“About twelve if you ask me,” said James, the girls all “awwed” then. The girl handed the phone back to James.

“What are their names?” she asked.

“From left to right, Susie, Samantha and Abigail,” James said as he looked at the picture on his phone, “They changed my life they did.”

“Why’d you adopt them?” the second girl asked.

“Because if I didn’t then no-one would of,” said James putting the phone away. A forth girl walked over and stood at James' side.

“Come on leave him alone so he can study,” the girl said, “We all have finals and he’s got to do them as well.”
The girls left, waving at James.

“Thank you,” said James, “I thought that they would never leave.”

“But you did tell the truth right?” the girl said standing next to him, “You know about the kids you took in.”

“Yes,” James said through clenched teeth, annoyed about how the word had got around without him knowing.

“You did a really nice thing there,” the girl said.

“It was only right at the time,” said James.

The girl stood up and smiled down at James.

“Okay then,” she said walking away, “Bye James.”
James looked back at her.

“How do you know my name?” he asked, “We’ve never talked to each other before.”

“Two things that travel fast around here are rumors and names,” the girl said, “You are a combination of both.”
James turned back to his book and stared bewildered at the pages, he didn’t know how many people knew of his good deed but he decided to work with it. It could earn him some good attention.

Back To School: Pt. 2

The bell rang and James made his way through the crowd to his history class, as per usual he was the first in class. James sat down and waited for the rest of the class to turn up. James tried to ignore the staring eyes coming from the hallway, several of the students had entered the class, a few of them getting a second glance at James before sitting down. James' friend Jones came through the door, he took a headphone out of his ear.

“How you doing James?” Jones said.

“Doing fine,” replied James, “Judging by how quickly things spread around here I’m guessing that you heard about my little story.”

“I was one of the first to know,” said Jones, “You seriously did what you did?”

“Like I’ve said several times, I had to,” James said. Jones was about to say something else but was interrupted by the history teacher Mr. Cosby. James had always liked history with Mr. Cosby, his name did make it seem like he was the celebrity Bill Cosby but he was just a History teacher with the same last name. Although he might as well be a comedian mainly from his impersonations of US presidents. Mr. Cosby was pretty much one of the most liked teachers in the entire school. As Mr. Cosby strode across the classroom and sat down at his desk he took one look at James.

“Well look who it is,” he said.

“Sorry?” James asked.

“You of course,” said Mr. Cosby, “Taking those kids into your care. Really unusual story.”

“I just did what was right,” said James.

“I would have taken care of them,” said one of the girls in his class.

“Well if they turned up on your doorstep you might of,” James said back to her, “But the people who took them in before I found them had kicked them out of their houses a day later.”

“What are you kidding me?” Mr. Cosby asked, “They just left them to die for no reason?”

“From what they told me yes, rather despicable because they’re good kids,” said James.

“Alright enough of this,” said Mr. Cosby, “You’re all here for one thing, and one thing only. The final exam.”
This announcement stopped everyone from talking. Mr. Cosby then got up and handed everyone a test paper.

“There are one hundred twenty questions on this test, I expect to see each one answered,” he said as he handed James a test.

“Let’s see how quickly I can do this,” James thought.

The test took over forty five minutes for James to complete, and it wasn’t long after that everyone else finished. Mr. Cosby received all the tests before class was finished so he spent the rest of the remainder of the time talking about the war in Iran. Class soon finished after and James then proceeded to the cafeteria.

“Second to last lunch with my friends,” he thought as he looked for the table he usually sat at.
James tossed his bag onto the table and looked for his friends, he expected that he would of heard of the Crusaders living at his house and that they would start asking questions about the girls. A sudden thud on the table caught James off guard, he looked up and saw his friend Carl who was smirking about surprising James.

“Did I scare you?” Carl asked.

“Rather a bit,” said James.

“You weren’t paying attention, I couldn’t resist,” Carl said as he sat down and took out his laptop.

“Well I’m just going to have to keep watch then,” said James seeing his other friends, Molly and Maria walk over. Molly sat down across from James and Maria sat a seat away from Molly.

“Hi,” Molly said casually.

“Morning,” James said as he rummaged for the food he had packed.

“First things first,” said Maria looking at James, “Are the stories true?”

“Yep,” James said taking out a Gatorade and a bag of chips.

“What stories?” Molly asked.

“You haven’t heard?” asked Maria.

“Finally someone who’s clueless,” said James.

“James said that he found three girls at the gas station he works at and he’s got them at his house,” said Carl.

“What?” Molly asked.

“Don’t know how they got there but I felt that I had to take care of them,” said James.

“I heard you have pictures,” Maria said reaching across the table. James got his phone out and gave it to her, Maria looked at the picture with a puzzled look.

“I think I’ve seen them before somewhere,” Maria said.

“Same here,” James lied, his friends were clearly not aware of the show and James wanted to keep it that way. Molly was looking through her Spanish, she then stopped and looked up behind James then ducked back down.

“Oh no,” she groaned.

“What?” James asked, he then felt someone sit to the left of him.

“HEIL ROGERS!” the person sitting next to him said. James crushed the handful of potato chips in his had and looked to the left.

“Shit,” James thought. That person was Bob, the racist, egotistical, all around unlikable twat.

“Why do you always do the same thing every time you sit here?” Molly asked.

“More importantly why is he even here?” James heard Carl say.

“Because he’s German and therefore a Nazi,” said Bob.

“You know I only speak German and the Nazi regime crumbled after 1945,” James said.

“Who cares?” said Bob, James looked over at the three Rivet energy drink cans that Bob had.

“Bloody hell,” James said, “Who can even fathom drinking even one?”

“I can, because I drink whisky and smoke pot,” Bob said chugging one of the cans.

“You don’t drink or smoke,” said Carl.

“Yeah I do,” said Bob, “I get it from the dealer and my mini fridge.”

“You mean the dealer who tried to rob me and ended up paralyzed from the neck down?” James asked coolly.

“No the other one,” said Bob.

“The entire ring was exposed and shut down about four months ago,” said Molly.

“Here’s your phone back,” said Maria handing the phone back to James, but before James could get it Bob snatched it and looked at the picture of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo.

“What the fuck is this?” Bob said with a slight laugh.

“Lives that I saved,” James said with a angry tone.

“So the rumors are true,” Bob said tossing the phone to James.

“I helped them out and made something good of myself,” James said putting the phone away before Bob tried to steal it.

“So they’re living at your house right?” asked Maria.

“Three days and we’ve formed a bond like nothing I’ve experienced,” said James.
Bob snorted and looked at James.

“Are you planning what I’m thinking?” he said.

“Judging by your twisted mind no,” said Carl, not looking up from his laptop.

“James, are you gonna, you know?” Bob said. James stared at him confused.

“What are you trying to say?” he asked.

“Oh god,” Molly said going back to her Spanish notes.

“Are you gonna do it?” Bob said making gestures that James clearly understood.

“I’m warning you Bob,” he said gritting his teeth, “You’d better stop this perverted thought now.”

“I’m just saying that you might be,” said Bob.

“Now you listen here you ignorant piece of shit,” James said hitting the table with his fist, “I am not doing what that sick and psychotic brain of yours thinks I am doing, and if you dare mention it again, I will tear your organs out of that surgery scar of yours and hang you with your intestines. You had better get this message through your fucking head or else I will crush your skull and see if there’s a side to you that’s likeable, but just by looking at you I’m gonna have to dig real deep.”
Bob stared at James, he got up taking the Rivet cans with him and went to the lunch line. James relaxed and turned back to the stunned faces of his friends.

Back To School: Pt. 3

“Say hello to my Hyde,” James said.

“That was the most scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” Carl said.

“That’s something that’ll be stuck in my mind for a long time,” said Molly.

“High five!” Maria said holding up her hand to James.

“Who Dares Wins,” James retorted high fiving Maria.

“Hey James!” a voice was heard from behind, James turned around and saw five teens looking at him.

“Nice going,” one said.

“That douche bag deserves what ever you said,” said a second.

“I’m just making sure he gets the right message about me taking care of those girls,” James said, “Hopefully he’ll get it.”

“So how’s the tests going?” Molly asked.

“History was a doddle,” said James.

“Well you know a lot about History,” said Carl.

“Look out he’s coming back,” said Maria.

“I got more,” Bob said, trying to do a southern accent but sounding like he was about to gag up his lungs.

“I don’t understand how anyone can drink several cans of Rivet and still be alive,” James said as Bob dumped several more cans of Rivet on the table.

“I’ve blacked out a few times and I feel my heart beating faster,” Bob said opening another can.

“I don’t think you should drink that anymore,” said Molly.

“Why?” Bob asked after he drank the can, “It make me feel good.”

“Yeah, then you won’t feel anything at all,” said James.

“You’re British, what do you know?” Bob said.

“More than you,” said Maria.

“Burned,” Carl whispered.
Bob stopped talking and chugged down the energy drinks, as James started looking at the pictures on his phone Maria got his attention.

“James,” she said.

“Hm, what?,” James said looking up.

“Would you do whatever it takes to help those kids and keep them safe?” Maria asked.

“Yes,” said James.

“Even if it completely destroys you?” Maria said.

“Where are you taking this?” James asked.

“I’m just saying that the thing we love the most in life could end it,” Maria said.

“Are you talking weird stuff again?” Molly asked.

“Yes,” Maria cheerfully replied.

Lunch ended several minutes later and the doors were crammed with kids trying to get to the last class of the day. James stood up and shook the stiffness out of his legs.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” said Carl.

“Likewise,” said James.

“I’m not sitting with you anymore,” said Bob dumping the empty cans into his bag and walking away.

“He says that every time we insult him but he’s there again tomorrow,” Carl said.

“Probably because he had no friends,” said James.

“Ha,” Maria said, “James is always right.”

“Don’t the kids with the disabilities have more friends than Bob?” Molly asked.

“Yes, because people are sympathetic toward them,” said James, he then pointed to Bob, “Him however, he has no friends because he’s a psychopath in waiting. No one wants to invite a maniac to a party because he will murder somebody.”

“Domestic terrorist,” said Carl.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said James.
The last class for James was biology, as he walked to the classroom he saw several people watching him, the were muttering and pointing at him. James managed to catch what they were saying.

“That’s the guy,” one said.

“He doesn’t seem like he would do what Bob said he was doing,” said another.

“Oh come on,” a third said, “Who here really believes Bob?”

“No one in the school should,” said James as he walked past them, “You make sure that everyone knows that those girls are in good hands.”

“Everyone would think that in the first place, you’re one of the good people, ” said the first student.

James jostled his was past students and teachers until he made it to his biology class.

“YO ROGERS!” someone said the second James put his foot through the doorway.

“Fuckin’ ’ell!” James said recoiling from shock.

“Nice going,” said Charles. James looked and saw Maxx, one of the students in James' biology class.

“Are you trying to kill me from a heart attack?” James said.

“No, just wanted to do that,” said Maxx.

“You’re a dumbass,” said Franklin, another student in the class said who had just entered the room.

“Charles,” James said, “Why did you spread the story of me?”

“I didn’t do it,” Charles said, “I forgot about it while we were leaving.”

“What about Josh and Binkly?” James asked going over to his desk.

“They wouldn’t anyway,” said Charles, “And neither would these idiots.”

“Slimeball,” said Franklin.

The teachers entered the classroom once James had finished with explaining his story, the male teacher, Mr. Wellington was in charge of the class and was one of the friendliest teachers that James had. The female teacher, Mrs. Horner, was a little more strict but still was rather easygoing so long Maxx and Franklin kept quiet.

“Alright then everyone sit down, we’ve all heard James' story,” Mr. Wellington said. James groaned and hit the desk with his head.

“I though you would like us to talk about it,” said Mrs. Horner, “It’s such a nice story.”

“One that I’m sick of hearing,” said James, “Yes I helped three girls, yes they are living at my house, no Bob is wrong so tell him to shut up and ignore what he says.”

“What did Bob say?” Maxx asked.

“Don’t ask,” said James.

“If James doesn’t want to talk about his story then we can watch Bill Nye,” Mr. Wellington said.

“Don’t say anything!” Charles said.

“No worries,” said James, “Start the DVD then.”
The rest of the class duration consisted of watching Bill Nye the Science Guy and trying to squeeze more information about James' story out of him.

The bell that signaled the end of the day rang and James was one of the first out of the classroom. He quickly made his way to the buses and once he sat down he concealed himself from everyone who was outside, as he was listening to the music on his iPhone he felt someone tapping his head.

“I’m trying to not attract attention,” he said.

“Come on you can still talk to me,” Maria said, Maria was also on James' bus.

“Not for a prolonged period of time,” said James, “I like a little attention but this is too much to handle.”

“Hey you,” said one person from a couple of seats from James.

“What?” James said, “You should have heard the story as well.”

“Do you know Bob?” the student said.

“Who, the idiot who thinks he’s funny because he’s seen Blue Collar comedy tour about eighty times?” James asked.

“He sits with us,” said Maria.

“Well he said that you’d better have something good to clean your house with,” the student said, “I think that he’s planned something. Something for you.”

“Bob plans things?” Maria asked.

“Yeah right,” said James, “What’s he gonna do, dump Rivet over the carpets?”
James and Maria laughed.

“I just wanted to warn you,” said the student.

“Thanks anyway,” James said, “However, if he dares tries to break into my house and do anything to those kids, I will kill him.”

“Well if I were you, I’d check around the outsides of my house,” Maria said slinking down onto her seat. James sighed and looked at his phone, he hadn’t told the Crusaders about emergency calls, or his phone number. But his mother was home and Dart had been trained to attack any hostile intruders, and also Scootaloo knew where James' 1911 was kept. He hoped that he wouldn’t come home to Bob harming the girls and making a clean getaway, if he was there James would chase him down and give him the beating he deserved. Or he could just shoot him, one way or another, Bob would not escape unscathed.

Domestic Terrorism

The bus ride was long and boring, James has successfully concealed himself from the other students in the bus and when his stop came James ran off before anyone could get a second look at him. James took a deep breath once he was off the bus and proceeded to his house as the other students who got off at the same stop, James looked down the street and saw someone running away from him. James assumed that this was Bob and James sprinted to his house, he reached the front door and saw that it had cracks and small traces of blood on the window. James unlocked the door and went inside.

“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo!” he shouted, “Where are you lot?”

“Upstairs!” said Scootaloo. James threw his backpack off and charged up the stairs, he threw the door to his room open and saw the trio sitting on his bed watching TV.

“Hi James,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Are you okay?” Apple Bloom asked, “Something wrong?”
James took a deep breath and spoke.

“Was there anyone at the door earlier?” he asked calmly.

“There was one person, he seemed to be angry about something because he started to punch the door,” said Scootaloo.

“Did he get in?” James asked.

“No,” said Scootaloo, “He gave up after a few minutes and then he put something down by the door. Then he left and I took it.”

“Do you still have it?” James asked.

“Right here,” said Scootaloo, “It looks like some kind of drink and I wanted to give it to you.”
Scootaloo gave James a Rivet energy drink can.

“Is he trying to kill me with this stuff?” James asked. A strange feeling on the other side of the can made James spin it around and look at the back, the back had a pair of wires and a battery taped to it. James looked at the wire and battery pack and wondered what there were for, he then shook the can and heard a rattle come from inside. He suddenly knew what he was holding

“SHIT!” James shouted.

“What?” Apple Bloom said, “What is it?”

“Get on the fucking floor!” James ordered as he tore the K-Bar knife from the dart board and vaulted over the bed, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo all had done as James said and were watching him, scared about what had made James act this way. James ripped the screen apart with the knife and threw the can outside then dropped to the floor. The three minutes that passed felt more like an hour, James looked up and then slowly looked out the window.

“James,” Apple Bloom said.

“Sh,” James said quickly, “Keep quiet.”

“What was that?” Scootaloo asked, terrified about what had just happened.

“That was a bomb, a fucking bomb set up to kill us,” James said, his heart beating fast enough to burst and sweat running down his face. He then turned to Scootaloo.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he said to Scootaloo.

“I don’t know,” she replied, “I’m sorry.”

“You think saying sorry will work?” James said grabbing Scootaloo by the shirt and holding her right up to his face, “Do you know what you just did? You almost killed me and yourself, that was a IED in a frigging soda can! If I had opened that I would be dead! What was going through your mind while you took the can from the front door that was planted by someone who was trying to kill you or me? Huh? What-were-you-thinking?”

Scootaloo stared at James and then started crying, she was scared and she felt that this was the final straw for them, James was going to toss them out and never help them again. James let go of Scootaloo’s shirt and looked at his hands then at Scootaloo.

“What have I done?” he asked himself.
Scootaloo had sunk to the floor and was still crying, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were staring at James, they had never seen that sort of reaction from him before.

“Are you alright?” Sweetie Bell asked James.

“No, no I’m not,” said James, “I’m scared and now I feel like a real arse.”

“Why did you shout at me?” Scootaloo sobbed. James kneeled down next to Scootaloo and made her look up at him.

“Reason being was that I was worried about you and your safety,” James said, “It’s over now. I’ll forgive you like I promised.”
Scootaloo stopped crying and looked out the window and at the knife in James’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“So am I,” replied James dropping the knife. James took Scootaloo’s head in his arms and held her close to his chest.

“It is over now?” Apple Bloom asked still laying on the floor.

“It’s all good now,” James said, “You’re safe now.”
Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom got up and helped comfort Scootaloo.

“Deep breaths,” James said as he lessened his hold on Scootaloo, “It’s alright now.”

“James,” Sweetie Bell said.

“What?” James asked as he let go of Scootaloo.

“The person who dropped that can, I was watching him and he dropped other junk around the house and throw something over the fence,” said Sweetie Bell. James then remembered what Maria had said on the bus.
“Well if I were you, I’d check around the outside of my house,” James heard in his head, he then realized what Sweetie Bell had seen; Bob had tried to plant more soda bombs around the house to blow it up.

“Bugger it!” James said jumping up and running to the door.

“James wait!” Scootaloo said, James span around and saw Scootaloo holding his knife to him, “You might need this.”
James took his knife nodded to Scootaloo and opened the door and ran down the hall.

“Stay away from the windows!” James shouted up the stairs.

James ran to the window that over looked his backyard, there were a couple of cans by the grill, both cans were covered in wires.

“Bob’s really lost his mind,” said James. The front door opened and James whipped around to see who it was, it was his mother who had gotten back from walking Dart with one of the neighbors.

“Hello James,” his mother said.

“Where the hell were you?” James said running over to his mother, “I thought you were home.”

“Why, what’s wrong?” his mother asked.

“Just say away from the windows and call the bomb squad,” James said as he dove past Dart and started looking through the bushes by his house.

James found one of the bombs planted by Bob and he tossed it into the middle of his front yard, as James looked around the side of his house for more explosives he wondered if Bob had done this because of what James had said to him during lunch. It seemed likely because Bob was short tempered and did openly admit that he was legally diagnosed insane, but this was no time to be distracted, James had to find the bombs before they went off. James found two more by the air conditioner and a third by a power box, James then crashed through the fence gate and ran over to the grill where two soda bombs were laying by the propane tanks. James had no other choice, he picked the first can up and tossed it over the fence, James then picked up the second can, he was about to throw it when he realized about Bob’s IQ rating. Bob had an IQ that could be compared to a fly, there was no way that Bob could make a bomb that works. James relaxed and examined the device in his hand.

“There’s no way this’ll work,” James said with a chuckle as he tossed it into the air and caught it. After the third catch there was a click that came from the can, James stopped and held it to his ear, the can was ticking.

“FUCK!” James said. He threw the can away from him and his house but it was too late, the IED exploded several feet away from him, the blast deafened James as he was thrown backwards into the wall of his house which knocked him out.

Fifteen minutes later the police had arrived with the EOD team and worked on finding the bombs and defusing them. James was found and had been awakened by the cops.

“So is he alright?” Katherine asked one police officer.

“We found him unconscious in the back,” the officer said, “He only suffered a few scrapes and a bit of shock.”

“So he’s okay right?” Dave asked who had come back from work to see what had happened.

“He’s over there on the porch but I’d leave him alone for a little bit,” the officer said, “After all he had an explosive almost take his face off.”

James was sitting on the porch bench, he had his knees up under his chin and a bandage around his head. A paramedic came over with a bottle of water and handed it to James.

“You did a brave thing,” the paramedic said, “I’ve never heard of anyone finding and trying to get rid of bombs in order to save lives.”

“Just ask the EOD guys,” James said opening the water bottle, “They do it every day.”
James drank a little water and watched the EOD team pick up the bombs and laugh about what they had been called out for. James just shook his head and looked around the yard, several police cars and a EOD team van blocked up the road, one cop then came over to where James was sitting.

“You claim to know the suspect,” he said, “Am I correct?”

“The bastard told me enough about his life,” said James.

James gave the cop information about Bob, the cop wrote the information on a clipboard and then the radio started crackling and the dispatch was stating that more calls had been made about IEDs being planted around several houses.

“We have a total of twelve calls about explosives,” Dispatch said, “Each caller is saying that the explosives are soda cans.”

“Roger, are they Rivet energy drink cans?” the cop who was sitting next to James asked.

“Confirmed, we have a unit chasing the suspect,” Dispatch said.

“I really hope you get him,” James said.

“We’ll do what we can,” the cop said.

“If he has the nerve to turn up in school tomorrow I’ll make sure that you’ll get the chance to arrest him,” said James. The cop nodded and left, James stood up and tried to get himself steady. He looked through the door to his house and saw one cop with Scootaloo, James went inside to see what they were talking about.

“I hope you know what you did,” the cop said, “You endangered the lives of not only yourself but others as well.”
Scootaloo stared at the floor and nodded.

“It’s alright,” said James, “She didn’t know what it was until I took a closer look at it.”

“She brought an explosive into your house,” the cop said, “The can was fused and filled with metal BBs, it would have killed all of you.”

“If it went off,” said James, “Come on now, let her go. She’s a great kid but she still has a lot to learn.”
Scootaloo looked up at James and gave him a small smile, the cop shrugged and left the house.

“I knew you were innocent from the start,” James said.

“Thanks for helping me out,” Scootaloo replied.

“Where’s Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell at?” James asked.

“I think they’re upstairs,” Scootaloo replied, “They might be hiding from everyone here.”

“Well I’m going up to see if they’re okay,” said James, just as he reached the stairs there was a knock on the door. James looked and saw a news crew standing outside.

“Scoot, you go on up,” James said ushering her up the stairs, “I’ll be up in a bit.”

“Sure,” Scootaloo said, “Should I tell the other’s that you’re okay?”
James nodded as he reached the handle. He opened the door once he heard Scootaloo open the door to his room, the news crew was just finishing setting up the cameras and James found it hard to contain his excitement.

“Holy crap, I’m gonna be on TV!” he thought to himself. He steadied himself and waited for the reporter to address him.

“Yes I am here of the location of the first call of the neighborhood bomb plantings,” the reporter said, “I have here James Rogers, he actually risked his life to save his home and family from the would-be bomber.”

“Those would-be bombs almost killed me,” James said.

“So one did explode?” the reporter asked.

“Knocked me out it did,” said James, “But that was a small price to pay for saving the lives of everyone here.”

“Where was the first bomb found?” the reporter asked.

“Right where you are standing,” replied James.

The interview from then on went smoothly until Sweetie Bell and Dart came bounding down the stairs.

“James!” Sweetie Bell said, “You’re okay.”

“I though you were staying upstairs until this blew over,” said James.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay,” said Sweetie Bell, “Look, Dart came too.”

“I’m sorry but who is this?” the reporter asked. James froze up, he knew that he couldn’t tell the nation who she truly was, but he could make the story better.

“This here is Samantha,” James said, “She’s one of the three girls I rescued after I found them at my place of occupation.”

“One of three?” the reporter asked. James stepped back to the house, turned and shouted up the stairs.

“Hey girls!” he said, “Some people here want to talk to you.”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo thundered down the stairs and then stopped when they saw the camera equipment.

“It’s alright,” said James, “Just a news interview.”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo slowly walked a little closer to James.

“These two are Abigail and Susie,” said James.

“Did you name them or did they tell you?” the reporter asked.

“They told me their names,” said James. The interview then shifted to the story of how James found the Crusaders at the gas station he worked at and that they had been living at his house for the past few days.

“So are you keeping them here until their parents show up to retrieve them?” the reporter asked.

“Yes,” replied James.

“I hope they don’t come for us just yet,” said Apple Bloom.

“And why’s that?” the reporter asked.

“It’s because James said that he and his parents would take us on their vacations with them,” Apple Bloom said.

“That I did, that I did,” James said as he pulled Apple Bloom closer to him.

“Seems like they really have become attached to you,” the reporter said.

“It’s because I give them hope and love,” James said, “Along with food and a proper bed to lie in. They deserve the best and I’ll make sure they’ll get the best.”

“James, you sounded like a real sissy,” Scootaloo said.

“I regret nothing!” James said.

“Well there you have it,” the reporter said, “One story that we never expected to hear.”

“And we’re done,” the camera man said.

“Thanks for your cooperation,” the reporter said, “That other story made everything better.”

“I thought that it sort of connected with this one,” said James.

The news crew left and James led the girls back inside, once he shut the door he slumped against it and slid down to the floor.

“That was close,” said James.

“Why? Would our secret be exposed?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Well I didn’t say anything that would’ve aroused suspicion,” James said.

“It’s fine James, you did a really good job,” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah, come on now, let’s try and relax a little,” James said.

The rest of the day went by smoothly for James and the Crusaders, Dave and Katherine were relived to see that James was back to his usual self. Later that night James planned how he was going to turn in Bob, he thought of an elaborate plan that would guarantee the police an easy arrest.

“Break his arms then his legs,” James said as he scrubbed away the last of the blood from the back of his neck. He looked at himself in the mirror over his sink, some shrapnel had created a scar that ran from under his left eye to underneath his ear lobe. The scar was fairly small and barely noticeable but James thought that it looked good on him, it gave him a feeling of toughness and confidence. James then opened the door to his room and saw Scootaloo sitting on a mattress on the floor.

“Where did this come from?” James asked.

“The people from down the street gave it to us,” Scootaloo said not looking up from the book on fighter jets she was reading.

“I see you’re indulged in that book,” said James leaping up on his bed.

“I wish I could fly one of these,” Scootaloo said.

“My dad’s a pilot,” James said, “He probably can teach you.”

“That sounds cool,” said Scootaloo looking up at James, she then cocked her head to one side in confusion.

“James,” she said, “What are you wearing?”

“Something that I got hand made in Vietnam,” James said, “It’s made of silk, keeps me cool at night.”

“It looks nice,” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah it does,” said James lifting his arm up, “Check out the dragons.”

“Do you travel a lot?” Scootaloo asked.

“Me and my family have touched almost every part of the globe,” said James, “Only last year we went to Australia for a couple of weeks. Best part was I got to meet the Crocodile Hunter and get a picture of him wrestling a crocodile.”
Scootaloo nodded in approval and went back to her book, after several minutes James saw that she had keeled over and was asleep. James shook her awake.

“You seem to fall asleep rather quickly,” he said.

“I know I do, it’s been a long day,” Scootaloo replied setting the book beside her.

“And a particularly terrifying one if that,” said James, “Don’t worry about the nutcase who tried to blow us up, he won’t be trying that again once I’m through with him.”

“Are you going to teach him a lesson?” Scootaloo said.

“I won’t be teaching him how to walk after I’m done with him if that’s what you mean,” James said with a rather evil grin, Scootaloo yawned and rolled over under the sheets of the mattress. James reached up and pulled the light cord.

“Goodnight James,” Scootaloo muttered. James stopped dead, this truly was a first. A cold sweat ran down his neck, he had never said this before but he had to now.

“Goodnight Scootaloo,” said James, “Sleep well.”

School Days

The morning for James was relatively normal for James, he sat up and rubbed his eyes and tried to focus on the clock.

“Six in the morning,” he said, “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this in a few days.”
Some grunting from the bed on the floor caught James' attention.

“You having trouble getting back to sleep?” James asked.

“No,” said Scootaloo, “I barely slept at all.”

“Why don’t you come down and eat something?” James said, “Sometimes it helps me sleep.”
Scootaloo went downstairs and patiently waited for James to get dressed and come downstairs as well. After James had come downstairs and made something for Scootaloo he set about eating what he usually ate for breakfast, which was a bagel.

“I never have used that ‘bagel’ function on the toaster since last time,” said James.

“Why? What happened?” Scootaloo asked with interest.

“Burnt the bagel and almost set fire to the kitchen,” said James, “It was quite funny afterwards.”

After breakfast Scootaloo and James headed back upstairs, James checked on Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, they were both sleeping. James went to clean his teeth when he saw Scootaloo passed out on the bed she was using, James had to stifle his laughs because he didn’t expect his idea to have taken effect so quickly.
The day at school went smoothly for James, he anxiously awaited for the start of lunch. He hadn’t forgotten about Bob and his bombs, James planned to administer his own justice before the police arrived. At lunch James sat at his usual place and greeted Carl as he sat down.

“Hi James,” Carl said.

“Hello,” replied James, “Seen Bob around here?”

“No, why?” Carl asked, James pointed to the scar on his face.

“Did you hear the new story?” James said, “Bob will pay for this.”

“So they were legit bombs?” Carl said examining James' scar.

“I was lucky that the one that did blow up had no shrapnel that could’ve killed me,” said James.

“I knew he would crack and do something like this,” said Carl.
Molly and Maria then came over and sat down.

“How are you doing?” Molly asked.

“The wound had healed and I’m probably more famous than I was before,” James said.

“Nice face scar,” said Maria.

“Thanks,” said James, “Now where is that prat?”

As they sat and ate lunch Carl decided to break the silence.

“Hey, did anyone else’s teacher go nuts?” he asked.

“My Spanish teacher did,” said James, “I’ve never known him to loose his cool like that before.”

“What happened?” Maria asked.

“I’ve known Mr. Bolo to be one of the more friendly, fun loving teachers,” James said, “But something happened to him. It’s like he just lost his marbles or something, kept telling me to speak in an American accent and he also shouted at everyone.”

“Did you try and appease him?” Molly asked.

“Nah, I just insulted him in Russian and answered questions in German,” replied James.

“Awesome,” said Maria.
Later two students came over to the table.

“You James Rogers?” one asked.

“Yes, what do you want?” James asked.

“You know Bob right?” the student asked.

“Where is he?” James said standing up, “I’m guessing he planted bombs at your homes as well.”

“He did but we came to tell you that he’s not here today,” the second student said.

“Damn,” said James, “I’ve been looking forward to intervene, where is he?”

“Dead,” said the first student.

“No point in trying to cheer me up,” James said, “Where is he?”
The first student handed James a newspaper, James saw that he was on the front page with the Crusaders and below that was another article: Neighborhood bomber found dead in home.

“The cops chased him to his house and found him on the floor dead,” the second student said, “You can keep that, we’ve read enough.”
James read the paper articles, stuffed the newspaper into his bag then burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Carl asked.

“He killed himself with energy drinks,” James said, “Pure irony.”

“Let me read it,” Maria said grabbing the newspaper from James' bag, Maria read the article and also laughed.

“How did the energy drinks kill him?” Molly asked.

“It says here that he drunk about thirty within five minutes,” Maria said.

“Shame he didn’t do this earlier in the year,” said Carl.

After lunch James went to his least favorite class; Math.

“God I hate math,” James hissed as he walked through the door. The assistant teacher Ms. Sacco was sitting at the teachers desk reading a book.

“What do you say when you walk in here?” Ms. Sacco said.

“Yes hello,” James said in a pathetic voice, he slumped down on his desk.

“Hear about the bombs in the lakes development?” asked Ms. Sacco.

“Oh yes,” James said seeing that Ms. Sacco hadn’t heard much about it. Just then the two class clowns Pete and Alfred bounded in.

“Monring Sucko,” said Alfred.

“I heard about your story on the news James,” Pete said.

“Yeah, what happened?” Alfred asked.

“This happened,” James said pointing to the scar.

“Wow, that looks badass,” Pete said.

“You got a scar?” Ms. Sacco asked, “How did you do that?”

“You know the story about the bombs? I was the main event for the news crew,” James said.

“What? You had the bombs at your house as well?” said Ms. Sacco.

“Bob planted them around my house, one went off while I was tossing it away from the grill,” James said, “Hence the scar.”

“So you’re okay then?” Ms. Sacco asked.

“Perfectly fine,” said James.

As the math teacher Mrs. Arte walked in followed by the rest of the class the period consisted of James telling everyone what had happened at his house yesterday. Everyone found the story interesting, but as James was telling everyone how Bob had died the editor of the school newspaper and a photographer entered the room.

“James Rogers?” the editor asked.

“Right here,” James said.

“We’re here to give you the student of the year award for your actions of both yesterday and last Friday,” the editor said as the photographer took pictures of them both.

“Eh?” was all that James managed to say before the editor thrust a small trophy into James' hand. The trophy was a metal cup with “Student of the Year” engraved on the front, on the nameplate it read; James Rogers.

“This is fantastic,” said James.

As school ended James boarded the bus and went home, eager to both tell his mother about being student of the year and to get away from all the students wanting a picture with him. The second James stepped off the bus he ran straight for his house and dove through the door, his mother came downstairs to see him laying on his back.

“Good day at school?” Katherine asked.
James held up the trophy.

“Who Dares Wins,” he wheezed.

“What’s that you have there?” his mother asked.

“Student of the year award,” said James getting up from the floor.

“Why did you get that?” his mother asked looking at the trophy.

“It’s a mix of yesterday and what I did for the girls,” said James, “Speaking of which, where are they?”

“Still asleep, they all couldn’t sleep last night for some reason,” said his mother.

“I’m going to put this in my room,” James said as he took off his shoes.

“How about we go to the local café for lunch later?” Katherine suggested.

“Sounds like victory,” said James as he walked upstairs.

James slowly crept to his room and stealthily opened the door, he saw Scootaloo sleeping on her bed, she looked as if she had moved a few times while she was sleeping. James looked up on his bed and saw Dart laying on it. James pointed to the dog in a way of saying for him to keep quiet, he then placed the trophy on his TV cabinet and left his bedroom without making a sound. He went downstairs to see his mother watching CSI while she used her iPad.

“Can you ever do one thing at a time?” James asked.

“Nothing wrong with what I’m doing,” his mother replied.
James sighed and shut the door to the den, he slumped own on the couch and turned on the TV. As he searched for something decent to watch he realized that school ended tomorrow and there were no more tests, James smiled a little from the thought. He eventually found something on the military channel about weapons of the future. An hour later he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, James stood up and hid himself behind the door.

“Where’s James at Mrs. Rogers?” Apple Bloom asked.

“In the den I think,” Katherine replied. James peeked through the crack in the door and watched them come toward the den, he backed against the wall and waited for the Crusaders.

“He must be in there,” he heard Sweetie Bell say.

“Either that or the TV was left on,” Scootaloo said.
Apple Bloom opened the door and looked around the room, she couldn’t see James.

“He’s not here,” Apple Bloom said.

“But Mrs. Rogers said he was,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Well where is he?” said Scootaloo.

As they entered the room looking in front of them James had crept up behind Apple Bloom. Without warning he grabbed Apple Bloom round the middle, pinned her arms to her side and lifted her up a few feet from the floor, Apple Bloom let out a yelp of surprise which made Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo spin around to see what had happened.

“Do you know what time it is?” James said still holding Apple Bloom.

“Put me down,” Apple Bloom said struggling to get out of James' strong grip.

“Alrighty then,” James said setting Apple Bloom down, “Like I said before, do you know what time it is?”

“Twelve forty-five?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“We haven’t slept all night James,” said Scootaloo.

“Well there’s your excuse,” said James going back to the couch.

“At least you didn’t disturb us,” Scootaloo said.

“You kids go and get dressed,” James said, “We’re going out for lunch.”

“Where are we going?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Local café that we really like,” James replied.

An hour later Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were dressed in some of their new clothes and ready to go, the only problem was that Katherine wasn’t ready.

“Every time we want to go out, she always has to get ready last minute,” James said with irritation. Several minutes later, James' mother was driving everyone to the café.

“Is this place any good?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“I’ve always liked it,” said James, “Fantastic food, great service, and it’s close to home.”

“Do they have tables for all of us to fit in?” James' mother asked.

“They’ll improvise,” said James.

“What kind of food do they have there?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It changes every so often,” James said, “I’ll show you what’s the best.”

The trip to the café was short and James pointed it out to the girls. Once they had gone inside the noise of conversation seemed quieter than when they were outside, it then gained volume again as one waiter walked over.

“How many seats?” the waiter asked.

“Five,” said Katherine.
The group was seated and soon after served. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo seemed confused about what was on the menu but James managed to help them each choose something. The meal was awash with conversation, mostly about what had been going on recently at James' school.

“I don’t know what had provoked Mr. Bolo like that,” James said, “But it must have been something major.”

“Why did he scold you anyway?” his mother asked him.

“It was something about my accent that annoyed him,” replied James, “He told me to speak American.”

“What was wrong with him?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Dunno, but he’s never been like that before,” James replied.

After lunch the rest of the day zipped by without any second thought, later that night James introduced the Crusaders to one of his favorite movies; Sherlock Holmes. The movie entertained the Crusaders quite a lot, once it was over James and the girls then went upstairs so they could sleep. James then found that Sweetie Bell had snuck into his bedroom while he was in the bathroom. As James settled down for the night he felt Sweetie Bell creep up onto his bed.

“You know that you can sleep on that bed on the floor,” James said.

“I don’t want to,” Sweetie Bell said, “I feel safer and happier with you.”

“Makes sense but it’s going to be warmer tonight and I don’t like it when it’s hot,” James said.

“Fine,” Sweetie Bell irritably said clambering over him and settling down on the bed on the floor.

“Nothing personal, but I have school tomorrow,” James said, “It’s the last day and I want to be awake for it.”

“Alright James,” Sweetie Bell said not looking at him.

“Don’t be like that Sweetie Bell,” said James.
Sweetie Bell sighed and looked over at him, she then rolled over to look at him.

“I liked sleeping with you,” she said.

“You still are now,” said James, “Same room and everything.”

“Guess your right,” Sweetie Bell said rolling over again, James switched the lights off and pulled the sheets over him. He then remembered he had to do one last thing.

“Goodnight Sweetie Bell,” James said.

“Goodnight James,” Sweetie Bell said. James was literally clenching his teeth in order to keep himself stable, it was the cutest thing he had ever heard.

Last Day Of Hell

The next day James had awoken to Sweetie Bell cuddled up to him in his bed, James laughed a little and tried to get out of her grip.

“No, don’t go,” she moaned quietly.

“I’ll be back later,” James said trying to sit up.

“But I feel lonely,” said Sweetie Bell.

“You’ve got Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to keep you company,” said James.

“I’m not letting go,” Sweetie Bell said.

“You’re gonna have to eventually,” James said.

“No I won’t,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Let go,” James said poking Sweetie Bell in the ribs, she giggled a little and loosened her grip. James poked her again and she giggled once more and loosened her grip enough so James could escape.

“What did you do there?” Sweetie Bell asked rubbing the spot where James had poked her.

“What? A little ticklish are you?” James said as he went into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and saw that Sweetie Bell was prodding the spot where James had poked her.

“How come I’m not getting that tingly feeling?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Because it’s you who’s doing it,” James said, “The reason you reacted when I poked you was because you’re not used to it, it’s natural.”

“Oh, okay then,” Sweetie Bell said.

James left about a half hour later, the Crusaders were all awake by ten. They were watching TV and eating their breakfast when Apple Bloom remembered that they still had to search for their Cutie Marks.

“Are you sure that matters now?” Scootaloo asked, “I don’t think were capable of getting any Cutie Marks while we’re in this world.”

“We can try,” said Apple Bloom.

“But where do we start?” Sweetie Bell asked, “We don’t know where anything that could help is.”

“Maybe we should look around the neighborhood,” said Scootaloo.

“I don’t think we should without James,” Apple Bloom said, “Don’t you remember what he told us about those bad people who might hurt us?”

“I guess we should wait,” Sweetie Bell said.
Just as they were finishing eating Katherine came downstairs.

“Hey girls, how about you come with me so you can meet the people who live on our street?” she asked. The Crusaders looked at one another.

“I don’t know if we should,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Would James allow it?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m sure he’ll make an acceptation,” replied Katherine.

“We might as well,” Apple Bloom said as she stood up.

Later that day after Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had met everyone who lived on the street the Crusaders minds switched from Cutie Marks to the neighbors’ pools. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of James. They saw him open the door, and toss his bag to the side, but there seemed to be something wrong.

“James?” Apple Bloom said, “Are you alright?”
James panted and staggered over to the kitchen sink, he filled up the sink with freezing water and ice cubes from the freezer.

“What are you doing James?” asked Scootaloo.

“Give me a second,” James said as he held out one hand to shush the questions of the girls. He then gulped up a lungful of air and plunged his head into the water and held himself there for several seconds, James then came up took another breath and dunked himself again.

“James!” said Sweetie Bell, “What are you doing?”
James shot up from the water and panted again.

“Worst-day-of-my-life!” he gasped. James then calmed down and went over to the refrigerator and plucked a bottle of water from the stack in the door.

“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t want to talk too much, I’m a little dehydrated,” James said.
Just before anyone could say anything else James' mother came downstairs.

“Why are you all wet James?” she asked.

“The whole bloody school snapped,” James said, “They made us stand outside for four hours.”

“What are you saying?” his mother asked.

“Hold up while I drink this, I haven’t drank anything all day,” James said before he drank the entire water bottle, James breathed a little and explained what had happened.

“For some reason, I don’t know how or why, the principle ordered every single student to the football field and stand in the sun for four hours. It wasn’t until we got outside that we found the humidity was really high, and about an hour later people started to faint and suffer from heat sickness. I don’t know what the teachers were thinking of; they wouldn’t allow anyone to help the others who had fainted and they pepper sprayed students who did try and help others or escape, I was lucky to have that small water bottle in my bag. If I didn’t, I might be dead.”
James stopped and held the sides of his head.

“You okay?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“My head hurts and I kind of feel sick,” James replied.

“How about we go to Rita’s and get some water ice,” said Katherine.

“That’ll help,” said James, “Nothing like water ice to beat the heat.”

One hour later James and the Crusaders were at Ritas, James had gone to a shaded area so he could recover while the girls stayed with Katherine. James was halfway through his water ice when he heard someone call his name, James looked around and saw a few of his school friends walk over to where he was.

“Yo James,” Alfred asked, “What the hell happened today?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” James said as he scooped out another helping of water ice.

“Why did the teachers make us stand outside?” asked Pete.

“Did someone do something stupid?” Jones said.

“No more talking!” James said loudly, “I don’t want to think about it. I just want to get better.”

“Why? What’s up?” Pete asked.

“I’m bloody dehydrated, that’s what’s up,” replied James.

“How would you know? You don’t look it,” Alfred said.

“I took a leak earlier and I clearly knew I was suffering,” James said.

“You can tell by your piss?” Jones asked.

“Well if it’s the same color of root beer then yes,” James said. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell then came over from the car.

“James, your mother said that we have to go now,” Scootaloo said.

“Are these your friends?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Yeah, they are,” James said getting off the wall he was leaning against.

“Are these the kids you helped?” Jones asked.

“Two of them,” James said, “Susie and Samantha are the names of these two, as for Abigail, she’s over by the car.”

“I saw them with you on the news,” Pete said, “Are you going to take them with you on your vacations?”

“Why not? They’ve probably never been anywhere farther than the town they live in,” said James.

“Say James, you want to come on a Avengers Run with us?” Alfred asked.
James clearly knew what an Avengers Run was, students would find the homes of teachers who gave them a hard time during the year and make a mess of their property. James had been on two Runs and each time they were nearly caught or killed, but James always had something funny to say during each defacement of an unlikable teachers house. He looked back at the car and to Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, James sighed and turned back to his friends.

“I’ve got something much more important to take care of,” James said. Pete shrugged and left with Alfred.

“Are you sure? I mean, we’re going to fill the teachers’ cars with foam,” said Jones.

“Judging by the magnitude of what happened today I think the entire school might join you,” James said.

“Okay then,” Jones said, “You take care of those kids now.”

“I have promised to get them home, I will not break it,” said James. Just as Jones was leaving James grabbed him and Jones span around.

“One more thing,” James said, “Defile the grave of the twat know as Bob, he almost killed me and I want to make sure he suffers.”

“I’ll make sure of that,” said Jones, James then went back to the car with Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. James' mother was waiting for James with Apple Bloom.

“Where you taking with your friends?” James' mother asked.

“They wanted to invite me to a get together,” James said.

“Why didn’t you go?” his mother asked James.

“Because I’ve got these girls to take care of, I think they’re a little more important,” James replied.
Katherine started the car as James folded the seats forward so Apple Bloom could get in the back of the car, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo then sat in the seats that were placed back to the original positions. Back home again James went to the den and sank down on the couch, he was still tired from standing in the sun.

“Now the summer really starts,” he said.

The Beginning Of Summer Vacation

Two days into the summer holiday the temperature had started to pick up, it had reached one hundred and three during the one day that James was working. For three hours James was standing outside in the heat and humidity, there was also a new guy at the gas station and James was working with him for the first time, as he was standing outside waiting for cars his phone started ringing.

“Can you handle yourself for a few minutes Terry?” James said to the new pump attendant.

“Nothing’s here,” Terry replied. James went inside and took his phone out, it was his mother calling him.

“Hello mother, what is it?” James said.

“I was just calling to tell you that Diane had opened up her pool and she said you and Seth can use it,” Katherine said. James was pleased to hear this.

“Fantastic,” said James, Seth was James' only friend who currently lived on the same street. Diane was Seth’s mother and Katherine’s friend. James then suddenly remembered Seth’s annoying little brothers.

“Before you go can I ask if the other two will be involved,” said James.

“Who? Dean and Chip?” James' mother asked, “No they both have a baseball game to go to. Why do you ask?”

“You know why,” James replied, “Remember to come and get me at two.”
James hung up and went back outside, Tony was just passing him when he stopped James.

“James, I just remembered, can you take out the trash in the bays?” Tony asked.
James looked toward the trash cans, they didn’t seem full and Terry could handle a few cars.

“Sure,” said James, “See if my trick will still work.”

“If it does then we’ll be swamped by cars,” Tony said going inside.

“What trick are you talking about?” Terry asked James.

“When ever I’m going to take out trash several cars show up,” replied James, “It’ll be less than what it used to be but it might work.”

Several minutes later James emerged from the back of the shop, he was coated in muck.

“Look, I’m a walking grease stain!” he said to his mother who had just pulled in to pick him up.

“Have you signed out and everything?” Katherine asked.

“It’s all good,” James said, “Ed just came in after I got back from the dumpster.”
James hopped into the car and waved at Terry who was now introducing himself to Ed.
Once James was home he bolted up the stairs and retrieved his swimming trunks.

“Hi James!” Apple Bloom said as he was rummaging through his closet, James was taken by surprise and he fell into the wall.

“Don’t scare me like that,” James said rubbing the side of his head.

“Sorry,” said Apple Bloom, she then saw the large beach towel and swimming trunks under James' arm, James noticed this as well.

“Going swimming,” said James as he put his 1911 back into the case.

“Can I come?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t see why not,” James said, “You did get swimming gear when you went shopping?”

“I think we all did,” replied Apple Bloom. James dropped his stuff on the bed and ran downstairs to find his mother.

“Mum, can the girls come?” James said once he found her.

“They might as well,” Katherine said, “Can you take them? I have to go out.”

“You’re going with Diane aren’t you?” James said slyly.

“Yes I am,” Katherine said, “By the way, Jenson won’t be at the house so it’ll just be you and Seth.”

“That’s perfect,” said James.
James then went back upstairs to change into his swimming gear, once he exited the bathroom he saw Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell standing in his room.

“What are you doing in here?” James asked them both.

“We’re waiting for you to leave so we can change,” Sweetie Bell said.

“So I’m thinking that one of you will use the bathroom while the other uses my room,” said James.

“Scoot is in the spare room,” said Apple Bloom.

“Okay then,” James said as he pick up his towel for his bed and left his room, “Keep the doors locked and curtains shut, I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
Just before he descended the stairs he knocked on the spare room door.

“You alright in there Scootaloo?” he said.

“I’m fine,” came the response, James heard the locks to the bathroom and his bedroom click shut. James then went downstairs and into the family room as he waited for the girls. Once the Crusaders had finished changing they went downstairs and found James tugging at the sleeves of his shirt.

“Getting too short on me now,” he muttered, he turned and saw the girls standing behind him, “Ah you’re done, wow you look amazing in those.”
James was commenting on the swimming apparel of the girls, Scootaloo had what looked like an orange and purple wet suit that had been shortened and separated into shorts and a t-shirt. Apple Bloom had the standard two piece bathing suit, ironically it had a floral pattern rather than what James had predicted to be an apple based pattern. Sweetie Bell’s swim suit looked rather like the dress she first wore when James had found her and the other two behind the shipping crate.

“Well yours matches your shirt,” Apple Bloom said.
James looked down at his swimming trucks, white and black colored urban camo pattern, he did see that it matched his gray shirt.

“Right you are,” James said, “Come on now, I’ve got to spray this sunscreen on you.”

“What’s it for?” Scootaloo asked.

“Keeps the sun from burning your skin from exposure to UV rays,” said James.

“Is that bad?” Sweetie Bell asked. James lifted up his shirt and placed his arm next to his stomach, his lower arm and hand were darker than the skin on his torso.

“Over time you will get sunburn, which is painful,” James said as he opened the door to the garage, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo followed James. James pressed a button to open the garage door, once the door had opened enough a gust of hot air hit all four of them.

“Cor, what a scorcher,” James said as he picked up the sun screen can.

“How hot is it?” Sweetie Bell asked wiping the sweat off her forehead.

“One hundred and four,” James said as he shook the can, “Hottest since three years ago, that was an interesting summer; People’s shoes melting, air conditioners exploding, a couple trees spontaneously combusted.”

“So how does this stuff work?” Scootaloo asked as she placed her towel off to the side.

“It just keeps the sun off of you for a bit,” James said, “Now hold your arms out and keep still.”

Scootaloo did as James instructed her to, she held her breath as James sprayed her arms, hands, legs, feet, the back of her neck and her ears. He then repeated the same thing with Sweetie Bell, ignoring her protests of the sunscreen being cold and her hair being hardened by it. James had to use a decent amount on Apple Bloom because her sides, shoulders, back and stomach were exposed to the sun, Apple Bloom had a hard time keeping still because she was getting impatient form James having to stop and shake the can every few seconds. After the Crusaders were coated in sunscreen James covered himself with the sunscreen, he sprayed himself without taking his t-shirt off. Just as he finished he noticed that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were missing.

“Where have the others got to?” James asked Scootaloo.

“Apple Bloom went to get a shirt and Sweetie Bell went to find those sneakers she got,” Scootaloo replied.

“You’d best get some shoes on as well,” said James as he slipped his feet into a pair of sneakers, “The roads will be too hot to walk barefoot on.”
Scootaloo shrugged and put on a pair of sandals. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell came back into the garage after a few minutes of waiting, Sweetie Bell’s sneakers were brand new and James saw she hadn’t bothered to put any socks on, Apple Bloom had found a t-shirt and was wearing her boots, also without socks.

“Are we ready then?” James said as he grabbed the bag that contained his towel and a change of clothes.

“Ready,” said Apple Bloom.

“I’ve got everything,” Sweetie Bell said as she checked the bag she was carrying.

“Can we go now?” Scootaloo said impatiently.

“Well come on then,” James said motioning the girls to follow. James walked into the sun and immediately backed into the shade of the garage.

“Okay then,” he said, “It’s a little hotter than earlier.”

“It doesn’t look too hot,” Apple Bloom said.

“Why don’t you stand outside and find out,” said James.
Apple Bloom stepped outside, she stood in the sun for a few seconds, then she raced back behind James.

“You were right,” she said, “It’s hot out there.”

“We only have to go down to then end of the street,” said James.

“I have an idea,” Scootaloo said, “Why don’t we move from tree to tree so that we get shade?”
James stood dumbfounded at the edge of the garage, he hadn’t thought of that.

“That might just work,” James said, “Follow me.”

Several minutes of shifting from shaded areas paid off, James and the Crusaders were eventually walking down the street to Seth’s house. As they passed one house, Sweetie Bell noticed two small dogs behind a wire fence.

“Puppies!” she squeaked. James looked over to the two dogs and glared at them.

“Get behind me,” he said reaching into a pocket on the bag he was carrying.
The two dogs then started snarling at the Crusaders, James pulled a small pistol out of his bag and gripped it tightly.

“You dare come after these kids and I will mount your heads on my wall!” James shouted to the dogs which had started barking at him.

“What’s up with them?” Scootaloo asked, “They’re scary.”

“The family that got them have no idea about what they truly own,” said James, “Those little pests have attacked me twice, I had every right to kick them but that stupid family threatened to have us evicted because of those evil little monsters that they defend.”

“What happened afterwards?” asked Apple Bloom, picking up the pace so she could catch up.

“Every few weeks I get my revenge, whenever they set up those tents in their backyard, I go and fill them with bugs,” James said, “It’s mainly whenever I get my hands on a hornets nest.”
James put the pistol away and unshed the girls to walk faster lest the devil dogs escape.

They soon reached Seth’s house, James knocked on the door and put his ear to the wood. He could hear a scraping sound and someone walking over to the door.

“Open the door!” shouted James.

“No, not until you tell me the password,” the person behind the door said.

“You open the door or I will come in through the window and tear your skull out of your nose,” James said. The door was unlocked and opened, standing before James was his good friend Seth. Seth was a couple of years younger than James but the two got on very well together, Seth was shorter than James and had blonder hair than him. Seth was one of James' first friends when he moved to the US, the two had a lot of similarities and were always easygoing with each other.

“You change the secret greeting every time you come here,” Seth said, he was struggling to keep hold of a large golden Labrador.

“It’s so Rod can’t follow us,” said James stepping inside the house. Seth looked behind him and saw the Crusaders.

“So are these the actual kids you helped?” asked Seth.

“Abigail, Samantha and Susie,” said James, “Come on you three, no point standing in the heat when we have a pool all to ourselves.”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo followed James into Seth’s house and were then greeted by the Labrador.

“I see that Dune had taken a liking into you,” Seth said.

“He’s really friendly, just like Dart,” said James.
Apple Bloom was still uneasy about other dogs but she had almost warmed up to Dune after he looked up at her and sniffed her boots.

“So where is everyone else?” James asked Seth.

“They left only ten minutes ago,” replied Seth as he watched the Crusaders play with Dune.

“Nice,” said James, “Show the way to the oasis.”

Seth guided James and the Crusaders to the backyard where a small in ground pool shimmered in the sun, a chest high chain link fence surrounding the concrete confines of the pool prevented Dune from jumping into the pool. The pool shimmered in the sunlight that managed to penetrate the canopy of trees that shaded most of the backyard, the mere sight of the cool water was overwhelming.

“So how cold is the water?” James asked Seth.
Seth opened the gate and went over to the pool and put his hand into the water, then without hesitation Seth shed his shirt and jumped into the pool. He surfaced again after a few seconds and pushed his hair back.

“It’s alright,” said Seth.

“I want something a little more accurate than that, Seth,” James said as he knelt down next to Seth at the edge of the pool.

“Why don’t you find out for yourself?” Seth said as he grabbed James' arm. Before James could react Seth yanked his arm and pulled him into the pool, James was under the water struggling to get himself upright, once he did he swam up to the surface.

“You absolute pillock!” James shouted and splashed water over Seth, “You didn’t wait until I took off my shoes.”

“You wanted to find out the temperature of the pool,” Seth retorted.

“Yeah well thanks for putting a literal dampener on my new clothes,” James replied as he tossed his shirt and shoes onto a lawn chair next to the pool. James looked up at the Crusaders who had all shed their shoes as well and were looking uneasy.

“Are you coming in or not?” James asked them.

“We kind of forgot how to swim,” Apple Bloom said as she tossed the shirt she wore over her bathing suit aside. James and Seth looked at one another.

“I seriously didn’t know,” said James.

“Seems kind of pointless bringing them here,” Seth replied.

“Can you teach us?” Sweetie Bell asked, “It’ll probably refresh our memory.”
James turned back to Seth and gave him a “Should we?” look. Seth huffed and nodded.

“They might pick it up in a few minutes,” James said as he climbed out of the pool.

“Hopefully before Chip and Dean get back,” Seth muttered.

“They won’t be back for a few hours,” said James.

After James coxed the Crusaders out of their nervousness he guided them to the shallow end of the pool to see if they could swim, luck prevailed when the Crusaders managed to swim from one side of the pool to the other. Once they regained their memories on how to swim Seth, James and the Crusaders ended up playing in the clear, cool water. The girls found James and Seth’s tricks to be amazing and when James picked up Scootaloo and threw her into the water Scootaloo couldn’t resist asking him to do it again. Seth enjoyed pushing James into the pool when he wasn’t looking, but James had the strength to lift Seth off the ground and drop him into the pool. Soon after they all stopped to rest.

“So how did you find these kids anyway?” Seth asked.

“It’s an interesting story, I found them behind a shipping crate at the gas station I work at,” James replied.

“What were they doing back there?” asked Seth.

“We were hiding,” Apple Bloom said. James turned to Apple Bloom.

“Hiding?” he asked, “Who were you hiding from?”

“You, we were watching you while we were hiding,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Why were you hiding from me?” James asked.

“It because we saw something in you, something that we thought could help us,” Scootaloo asked.

“How did you end up there?” asked Seth.

“We had been wandering around for a couple of days, we didn’t know what we came across but it was open and we thought we could sleep in there,” Scootaloo said.

“You would have rather slept in a dirty garage bay than a couch in someone’s house?” James asked.

“We would of, until you helped us and let us stay at your house,” Apple Bloom said.
James was touched once he heard that, he really had helped the Crusaders and it seemed as if a part of him had been reborn.

“I always knew that you would do something for someone else,” Seth said to James.

“It was only right,” replied James, “But it’s entirely their choice to stay with me or to try and live with another family.”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo looked at one another and nodded.

“We choose to stay with you,” said Apple Bloom.

“We wouldn’t have never made it without you James,” said Sweetie Bell.

“You’re like the brother I never had,” said Scootaloo.

An hour later James, Seth and the Crusaders were worn out and were tired from playing in the pool, they got out and dried off, James had found a spare shirt in his bag since his shoes and shirt hadn’t dried. Seth led everyone back inside where they ended up lounging on the two couches watching TV. Their relaxation session was interrupted by an unexpected arrival, a short person had skidded into the room wearing a ski mask and wielding a large gun.

“Everyone down! This is a robbery!” the person said in a rather high pitched voice. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo span around and saw the person pointing the gun at them. As for James and Seth, they really couldn’t care less about what was happening because they knew what was going on.

“Go away,” James said sternly.

“Do as I say or die!” said the person.

“I thought I locked that door,” said Seth.

“I picked your door lock,” the person said.

“Get out Rod!” James said standing up and facing the assailant.

“You don’t know me,” said the person.

“We know it’s you Rod,” said Seth.

“NO!” Rod shouted pulling off his ski mask, “How did you know?”

“The mask for starters,” James said, “No home invader uses a Star Wars branded ski mask.”

“You really are dumb Rod,” said Seth, “Now you probably have just done the dumbest thing in your life.”

“My plan is not dumb!” Rod said, “You are!”

“Go away,” said James, Rod then pointed his gun at James' head.

“This is an air gun, the bullet in here can easily kill you,” said Rod.

“Put it down,” James said as he backed away.

“I won’t have to use it unless you be my friend forever,” said Rod. James had his hands up but then dropped them to his sides when he heard Rod’s demands.

“No,” said James, “Why do you always try and make me your friend through threats and intimidation. Don’t you get it? I will never be your friend, ever.”

“Then you die,” Rod said taking the safety off. Just as he did a loud click was heard, Rod looked to the couch and saw Scootaloo pointing James' pistol at him.

“You heard what James said,” said Scootaloo, “Now leave.”
Rod dropped his gun and raced out of the house, Scootaloo had frozen in place along with James standing stunned next to her.

“Wow,” Seth breathed.
Scootaloo dropped the pistol which James recovered and disarmed before he put it back in his bag.

“That was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen,” said James.

“Was it right?” Scootaloo asked.

“You did the right thing there,” said James, “I wondered if you would help me when I needed it and you proved that.”

“We would have too!” Sweetie Bell protested.

“I know you and Abigail would have helped me if you were in the right situation,” James said.

“Look here,” said Seth as he picked up the gun that Rod was using, “It’s only an Airsoft gun.”
James took the gun from Seth and took the magazine out of it.

“I should have known,” James said, “It wasn’t loaded.”

“So you just did all that for nothing?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sadly yes,” replied James.

An hour later after Rod had tried to threaten James and invade Seth’s house, James decided to leave before Chip and Dean returned. He didn’t want the Crusaders mixing with those two in case Chip or Dean end up physically attacking them in order to be funny. Seth was allowed to keep the Airsoft gun so that Rod wouldn’t try and use it again. As they were walking down the street, Rod was standing in his bedroom window taunting James.

“Try and get me now!” Rod jeered at James.

“You leave us alone and I’ll do the same,” James shouted back.

“I’m never going to leave you alone until you be my friend!” Rod shouted.

“You’re a danger and a menace, Rod,” James said, “Give up your pointless quest.”

“I will get you James!” said Rod, “I’ll get you and your little friends too!”

“Stop butchering famous quotes!” James shouted back at Rod. Once James and the Crusaders got back home James got the girls inside and locked the door. The phone then started ringing and James picked it up and saw it was his mother.

“Yes what is it?” James asked.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” said Katharine.

“We all had fun,” said James.

“Make sure you shower off the chlorine and sunscreen later,” said Katherine, “I’m going to put all of your swimming stuff in the wash once I get back.”

“When will you be back?” James asked his mother.

“In a half hour,” replied Katherine. She then hung up and James put the phone down as well. James thought about what his mother had said and decided to get the shower out of the way rather than smell of a public pool and feel as if was covered in flour. As James started up the stairs he heard someone follow him, he looked behind him and saw Apple Bloom behind him.

“What are you up to?” James asked her.

“I’m going to change,” Apple Bloom replied, “I don’t like wearing this anymore.”

“Well if you are going back to normal clothes then you’ll have to shower first, gets all the muck off of you,” James said as he ascended up the stairs.

First Flight

Later that afternoon, James came out of his room after he had showered and gotten some fresh clothes to wear. James went downstairs to the den where he was met by the sight of Dart and the Crusaders all taking up the couch. The Crusaders were all showered and dressed in clean clothes.

“Where am I supposed to sit?” James said with irritation.

“Between me and Sweetie Bell,” said Scootaloo, James squeezed between them and saw Dart resting his head in Apple Bloom’s lap.

“You really have got used to him,” said James.

“He’s really calm and friendly,” Apple Bloom said as she stroked the dog. The front door then clicked and opened, Dart looked up and dove off the couch.

“More room for me,” said Sweetie Bell as she shuffled over in the empty void where Dart was once lying.

“You back mother?” James asked.

“Yes and I bring good news,” his mother replied.

“Please be that we can go to South Dakota,” James thought to himself.

“The first bit of the good news is that we can go to South Dakota,” said Katherine, “We've even got the same house that we had last time.”

“That’s fantastic,” said James, “What’s part two?”

His mother tossed a letter to James, the letter landed on the table in front of him and James picked it up. The letter was from the National Guard and it was addressed to James Rogers.

“Probably a recruitment letter,” James said as he tore it open and read it, “I might join up if I can’t become an En-”
James stopped suddenly, he then held the paper closer to his face and read it again.

“This cannot be right,” he said.

“We went through a lot of trouble in order to give this letter to you,” said Katherine.

“What is it James?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“It’s an approval letter,” said James, “I’m going to be an Enforcer.”

“That’s great!” said Apple Bloom.

“It’s not just great, it’s downright impossible to get one of these letters,” James said he then looked at his mother, “How did you get this for me?”

“Me and your father have our ways,” Katherine said. James shot up and dove over the table, he then slid across the floor and ended up hugging his mother.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” he said, “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

“What about us?” Scootaloo asked irritably.

“Okay second best,” James said letting go of his mother, “You guys are still the first.”

“You asked why you didn’t get much for your birthday, this is why,” said Katherine.

“You’ve made one happy kid even happier,” said James, “When do I start the initiation?”

“That’s the one problem with this,” Katherine said, “You can’t do the initiation.”

“Why?” James asked, “I’m old enough and I can handle a gun.”

“Reason being is that the Enforcer base hasn’t been built yet,” said Katherine, “It will be completed in August.”

“So long as we have our vacations I can wait,” James said.

A week later Dave was going flying and James had decided to come along to pass the time while his mother helped Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell pack cases for the trip to North Carolina, James had just come back inside to retrieve his flight helmet and his dad’s headset when Scootaloo came downstairs.

“Hi James, are you going somewhere?” she asked.

“Yes I’m going out,” James stopped himself for a minute, this was too perfect. Scootaloo; the flightless pegasus would finally experience what it would like to be in the sky, for the first time she would technically be flying.

“Wait here,” said James. He bolted out of the house and ran to his dad in his Mercedes.

“You have everything?” Dave asked.

“Yes,” replied James, “Also, can Scootaloo come with us?”
Dave looked at James then to Scootaloo who was standing behind the screen door.

“Why does she want to come?” Dave asked.

“Because she’s always wanted to fly, she never had the chance before until now,” James said.

“She wants to fly?” asked Dave.

“It’s a perfect time to show her what it’s like to fly,” said James, “But I want to keep this a surprise.”
Dave looked to Scootaloo and back to James.

“Lucky thing I brought the spare headset,” Dave said, “She can come, but only if she’s packed her bags.”
James nodded and went back to the house, Scootaloo was leaning against the wall until she saw James approach.

“I was going to ask where you were going until you ran away,” Scootaloo said.

“Why don’t you come with us then?” James asked.

“I can come?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.

“Only if you packed everything in your bags,” said James.

“I finished several minutes ago,” said Scootaloo.

“Come on then, lets go have fun,” said James.
Scootaloo got in the seat behind Dave, as she was squeezing behind the drivers seat James leaned over to his dad.

“Remember that you can’t mention anything about what we’re doing,” James whispered to his dad. His dad winked and nodded.

Driving to the airport where Dave flew planes took some time, but before they got there James pulled a scarf from his flight bag and handed it to Scootaloo.

“Here, you’re going to have to blindfold yourself,” said James.

“Why?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well it’s that would ruin a perfectly planned surprise if you didn’t,” James replied.
Scootaloo started giggling, she stopped and wrapped the scarf around her face.

“How’s this?” she asked James.

“Perfect,” James replied as he looked through the mirror to see that Scootaloo had blindfolded herself.

Dave pulled the car into the airport and stepped out of the car and helped Scootaloo get out from the back seat. James opened the truck and retrieved his and his dad’s flight bag.

“You alright Susie?” James asked as he pulled his flight helmet from the car.

“I can’t see anything,” replied Scootaloo.

“Don’t worry,” said Dave, “I’ll guide you.”
Dave guided Scootaloo to the plane, the aircraft was a Cessna four seater that Dave had been flying for the past five years. James took hold of Scootaloo’s hand and Dave opened up the cockpit for her to clamber in the back.

“Where am I?” Scootaloo asked.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” replied James as he tossed the bags into the seat next to Scootaloo, “Don’t remove that blindfold until I say to.”
Dave and James then were performing the pre-flight checks, as they were checking the plane they constantly heard questions referring to what Dave was saying.

“What’s a gyroscope?” Scootaloo asked after Dave had took his spot in the pilots seat and James had claimed the co-pilots seat.

“It’s a device that keeps us stable,” James replied plugging in his helmet communication wires into the dashboard. He then took the spare headset, plugged that in and stuck it on Scootaloo’s head.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Communication gear,” replied Dave, “Clear forward!”
Dave turned the ignition key and the plane roared into life, Scootaloo was a little scared but James said to not worry. The plane then rolled onto the runway and stopped at one end.

“Everything checks out, clear for takeoff,” Dave said as he looked at the instrument dials.

“Full throttle!” James said and gunned it down the runway.
James pulled back on the joystick and the Cessna rose into the sky. The sky was barely clouded and rather sunny, the city of Philadelphia could be seen from their altitude, miles upon miles of trees coated the land below them, several gaps between the trees indicated housing developments.

“Now for the best part,” James whispered to his dad, James turned around to see Scootaloo trying to figure out where she was.

“Where are we James?” she asked as she felt around the cabin.

“Why don’t you take off your blindfold and see?” replied James.
Scootaloo pulled her blindfold off and looked around the plane, outside she could only see blue and a bit of glint from the sun.

“This is boring,” Scootaloo said.

“Why not look outside?” James said. Scootaloo then shifted closer to the window, looking outside she saw nothing but trees and sky, Scootaloo then realized what was happening.

“Am I flying?” she asked.

“Welcome to the sky,” James said.

“I’m flying,” Scootaloo said, “I’m actually flying!”

“Settle down,” said Dave, “You shouldn’t get so excited, it could have some unfortunate consequences.”

Scootaloo calmed down and admired the scenery, but she still could not believe she was actually in the air for the first time in her life. A half hour later of flying around, Dave guided the plane in for landing, they touched down with little trouble. As James guided the plane back to it’s parking spot Scootaloo was bugging Dave and James to go back up into the air.

“Come on,” she whined, “Why can’t we go again?”

“Two reasons,” Dave said turning the plane off, which shuddered to a halt, “One problem is that we’re almost out of fuel and the second is that there’s no one to give us any.”
Scootaloo huffed and slumped back into her seat.

“No need to be like that,” James said as he took off his helmet, “We can always go again.”

“Can I ask something?” Scootaloo said.

“Go ahead,” replied James.

“Why were you flying over roads and stuff?” Scootaloo said.

“We were seeing if there were any road works that we have to avoid for tomorrow,” Dave said.

“It’s an ingenious idea, because I though of it,” James said, still gloating while he opened the door. James took all of the flight gear and led Scootaloo back to the car, Dave had gone inside the office to fill out flight related papers and to pay for using the plane.

“So James, can you fly planes?” Scootaloo asked.

“Only small planes like the Cessna and the Spitfire we own,” James replied as he tossed the bags and headgear into the trunk, he saw the confusion on Scootaloo’s face.

“Spitfire?” she repeated, “Like the one in the book?”

“Exactly the same,” said James, “It belonged to my great grandfather who let us have it through his will.”

“Where do you keep it?” Scootaloo asked. James turned her to look at a hangar that was at the far side of the runway, it was smaller than the other hangars and painted a distinct green.

“She sits in there,” James said, “Had to bring the plane across the Atlantic piece by piece when we got it. Now it sits in there, waiting for me to take it back up into the big blue.”

“When did you get so poetic?” asked Scootaloo.

“It happens sometimes,” James replied, “Right then, we’ll wait here for dad then get back home so that we can ready up for the trip.”

Once they got back home James made way for his bedroom so he could check if he had everything for the trip, he barely noticed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell who looked rather annoyed as he passed them. Scootaloo however, saw them both glaring directly at her.

“What’s up?” Scootaloo asked.

“Where did you go?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I was with James,” said Scootaloo, “We went-”

“Why did you go without us?” Sweetie Bell interrupted, “We always stick together.”

“You don’t understand!” Scootaloo said, “I was flying for the first time in my life.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell dropped their gaze.

“You were flying?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I sure was, well I was in the sky,” Scootaloo said.

“What was it like?” Apple Bloom asked.

“A bit boring if you ask me,” James said as he thundered down the stairs, “You wait until we get my old kite up and running.”

“Your old kite?” said Sweetie Bell.

“James had an old Spitfire plane that he can fly,” Scootaloo said.

“That sound cool!” Sweetie Bell said.

“Well if we are done with the topic of flying I’m going to spend my afternoon doing my usual lazy routine,” said James. And with that he drifted into the den and toiled away the hours by playing Portal 2. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo accompanied James as he played one of his favorite games. The night came quicker than expected, Sweetie Bell managed to claim the spare bed in James' room before Apple Bloom or Scootaloo could. This turned out to be an advantage because James was told to wake everyone at four in the morning so they could be on the road before the traffic clotted up the highway. Apple Bloom seemed capable of waking up at this time because she had done it three times last week, she could wake up Scootaloo while James used his alarm clock in order for him and Sweetie Bell to wake up, as a failsafe James selected one particular song on his iHome alarm that would guarantee a wake-up.

To The Outer Banks

The next morning the alarm turned on. It started out quiet then blasted out the beginning bass solo of the song “Woman” by Wolfmother. This took James and Sweetie Bell by surprise.

“Soddin’ hell!” James said as he pulled the K-bar knife from under his mattress and lunged at the source of the music, he was about to stab the alarm clock when he gained his senses and stopped with the blade over his head.

“What is that noise?” asked Sweetie Bell as she covered her ears with a pillow.

“My alarm, but I didn’t set the volume so high,” said James. He hit the off button and then heard the door squeak.

“Who goes there?” James said gripping the knife tighter.

“Only us,” Apple Bloom sniggered, Scootaloo was behind her muffling her laughter.

“Did you have anything to do with my alarm?” James asked.

“I snuck in and turned up the volume,” said Apple Bloom.

“I made sure that you wouldn’t wake up while Apple Bloom messed with your clock,” Scootaloo said, “I held a pillow over your ears.”

“You pair of sneaky buggers,” James chuckled.

“Don’t do that again,” Sweetie Bell said, pretending to be annoyed.

“No promises,” Apple Bloom replied.

A half hour later James managed to be dressed and was downstairs before anyone else, the Crusaders came downstairs a few minutes later.

“Why are you here?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Looking for water,” replied James.

“Why water?” Scootaloo asked.

“You know that dry feeling on the back of your tongue? It’ll only get worse,” James said as he tossed a water bottle to each one of them.

“When do we eat?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“There’s a diner that my dad found,” James replied as he slung his bag over his back, “We can get a decent breakfast there.”
The Crusaders all grabbed their bags and were about to go out to the car when James stopped them. James looked up the stairs up to his parents' bedroom, he looked rather miffed.

“They told us to be up before the sun rose and they haven’t moved,” James said, “Why has it always been like this?”

“I’m guessing that you’re ready before your parents are most of the time,” said Apple Bloom.

“All of the time,” James said as he went to the door of his parents bedroom and loudly banged on the door.

“What?” came a distance voice.

“You bloody well know what,” said James, “Get a move on!”

An hour later Katherine and Dave were finally up, dressed and in the car. They were clueless of what they had said to James last night and weren’t too pleased about being woken up.

“Look James we’re sorry,” Dave was saying as he drove, “We forgot about everything.”

“How can you forget our vacation?” asked James.

“You know us,” said Katherine, “We forget things sometimes.”

“Sometimes too much,” James replied.

The car eventually stopped at a diner, one of the classic chrome looking ones. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were amazed at the sight of the building, the food as well impressed and satisfied them. Halfway through breakfast Sweetie Bell wondered how long the ride to North Carolina would be.

“James,” she said, “How long is the car ride to where we are going?”
James swallowed the mouthful of waffle he was eating and counted to himself.

“Ten hours,” he said, “Eleven if we hit traffic.”
The Crusaders all stared at him in disbelief.

“Ten hours?” said Scootaloo.

“That’s like, forever,” said Apple Bloom.

“It’s not too bad,” said James, “There are multiple ways of passing the time.”

“How did you pass the time?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Sleep, watch movies, look at the scenery as it passes by,” said James, “It was rather boring because I was mostly by myself.”

“Well you’ve got company now,” said Scootaloo.

“Indeed I do,” said James.

The next few hours were dull but sped by because James had brought a large cache of DVDs and CDs to pass the time. Not much got in the way, but halfway there they stopped at the Chesapeake bay bridge so they could stretch their legs and get out the stiffness. The sight of the bay was breathtaking, ships and boats dotted the sea and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. However, as James was coming out of the bathroom he overheard something disturbing.

“Can it be them?” one voice said.

“No it can’t,” said another.

“It has to be the Crusaders,” the first voice said. James stopped and looked to the owners of the voice, one of them was rather large with the worst hair James had ever seen, the second was thin and wearing a set of ragged clothes that looked too big for him. James tried to sneak past them when the larger person saw him and called him over.

“Hey you,” the large person said, “Look at this.”
James causally strode over and looked out the window.

“You see those kids there?” the large person said pointing to the Crusaders, James nodded.

“We think they are the Cutie Mark Crusaders from My Little Pony,” the thin person said.

“Bollocks,” James thought to himself, “These two could be those mad Bronies I always try and avoid.”

“What do you think?” the large Brony asked James.
James, being a quick thinker, immediately answered the large Brony’s question, in Russian.

“Yes, they are the Crusaders,” James said in fluent Russian, “They’ve been living with me for the past month.”
The two Bronies stared at James, they had no idea what he was saying.

“Um, yeah, what you said,” the thin Brony replied.

“Do you know what he’s saying?” the large Brony asked his friend, the thin Brony shook his head.

“I would allow you meet them but you might bring something up that I won’t approve of,” said James.

“Is that so?” the large Brony asked, still confused and clueless.

“You’re going to get a rather interesting surprise,” James said, he pointed to the two Bronies, his eyes, then back outside.

“You want us to watch something?” the thin person asked.
James nodded and headed outside, he walked over to the Crusaders who were watching people fish off the dock.

“Hi James,” Sweetie Bell said.

“How’s it going?” James replied messing up Sweetie Bell’s hair, “You enjoying yourselves?”

“It’s a really nice place,” said Apple Bloom.

“Are those warships in the distance?” Scootaloo asked as she looked at a distant destroyer through a pair of binoculars.
James turned around and saw the two Bronies in the window, mouths agape at what they were looking at. James nodded to the Crusaders and pointed at himself giving the clear message that they were living with him, the Bronies then started arguing with each other.

“Who are those two?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Friendly people,” replied James, “Let’s get back on the road.”

Another three hours of driving later James was pointing out landmarks that helped him keep track of the distance they had traveled. The Crusaders weren’t paying attention because they had become bored of the ride, James could sense this.

“How much longer now?” said Sweetie Bell.

“Hopefully just a half hour,” Dave replied.

“I’ve never been so bored before,” said Apple Bloom.

“How do you think I felt before you three ended up with us?” James said as he watched cars pull into farmers markets.

“You must have been real bored,” said Scootaloo.

“Intensely bored,” replied James, “I could chew through steel I was that bored.”

“I’m gonna sleep the rest of the way,” said Scootaloo, “See if time goes any faster.”
James still stared out the window, the trip was almost over. Scootaloo was trying to sleep and Apple Bloom decided to do the same thing, after a few minutes the two had fallen asleep leaving James and Sweetie Bell to wait out the last several miles awake.

“So how are you liking it here?” James asked.

“Boring,” said Sweetie Bell.

“No I meant living with us,” said James.

“Oh sorry,” Sweetie Bell replied, “I thought you meant what’s happening now. Yeah, I really like living with you guys.”

“Do you think the others like living with us as well?” James asked looking back at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo who were sleeping behind James.

“I know they enjoy it as well,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I do have to ask however,” said James, “How did you end up here?”
Sweetie Bell sighed and turned to face James, he could see that Sweetie Bell didn’t want to talk about it but felt like she had to say something.

“I really can’t remember much,” she said, “What I can remember is a bright light, a lot of pain and a burning feeling. Next thing was that we were lying in some field and that we looked like we do now.”

“What happened afterward?” James asked, eager to find out more.

“Well the first family that found us were farmers or something,” said Sweetie Bell, “Apple Bloom managed to convince them to help us, but after two nights they disappeared. We don’t know what happened but we decided to find somewhere else to stay, after we wandered down a road we were helped by some old people, they were really friendly and they did take care of us. But staying with them was cut short when Scootaloo accidentally broke something that meant a lot to them, after shouting at us they tossed us out and didn’t even open the door once it started raining. After that we then were helped by several families who either abandoned us or kicked us out, we wouldn’t have made it without you. Thank you.”
James again felt his heart stop, he truly had done something he was proud of and it might have changed his life. The only thing now was to assure Sweetie Bell that she would get home eventually.

“You’re welcome,” James said as he put his hand on Sweetie Bell’s shoulder, “I’m doing this for you, you know. My life has been greatly improved by your arrival, I feel as if I’ve done something good not just for myself, but for someone else as well.”
Sweetie Bell smiled and continued to look out the window.

“We’re here,” said Dave. Sweetie Bell reached over to try and wake up Scootaloo when James stopped her.

“Leave them, I’ve got an idea,” he said.

“Why?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Revenge for this morning,” James replied pulling out a CD.

Summer Getaway

Another hour later Dave had the keys to the beach house they were staying at, as Dave and Katherine took a few bags up to the house James and Sweetie Bell formulated a plan.

“The volume’s all the way up,” Sweetie Bell said.

“I’m thinking track four will suffice,” James said as he readied himself, “You might want to stand back.”
James held his finger on the play button and waited for his parents to enter the house, once they did he pressed play and covered his ears. A few seconds of waiting paid off, the radio blasted out a heavy guitar solo which startled Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, they panicked for a second then stopped once they saw James sitting in the drivers seat facing them and waving. James then turned off the music.

“What was that for?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Revenge for this morning,” James replied, “I like to get even.”

“Yeah but that was louder than your alarm,” Scootaloo said. James shrugged in response.

“Sometimes I will admit I take it a little too far,” said James.

“Can we see the house now?” Sweetie Bell said as she pulled her bag out of the car.

“Yes, lets see it,” said James.

James and the Crusaders joined Katherine and Dave as they took a tour of the house. It was two floors and fairly new, Dave commented on there being no spiders in the cupboard and no ants under the grouting. Sweetie Bell asked James about the spiders and James replied with the story of how last year they had a house that was old, musty, infested with insects and arachnids, and above all, had no proper functioning shower. They were really fortunate to get this house, James was drawn to the pool table and plasma TV downstairs. Assigning the rooms was no problem, there were four bedrooms that everyone picked, Katherine and Dave got the largest of the four because it had a queen size double bed, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell chose to share a room the had two separate single beds, Scootaloo found a nice small bedroom that had it’s own bathroom, as for James, he took the second largest room in the house. After a little exploration, James found out that there was an outside shower and a storage shed stocked with boogie boards and a pile of beach chairs.

“We really hit the jackpot,” James thought shutting the door to the shed. He went back inside to his parents just going out of the door.

“Where are you going?” asked James.

“We’re going shopping for food and basic essentials,” said Dave.

“While were gone why not show the girls the beach?” Katherine said. James nodded and turned to the Crusaders, who were watching the weather news on TV.

“What’s a hurricane James?” Apple Bloom asked. James looked at the TV, a small hurricane was forming off the coast of Cuba and predicted to come up the east coast.

“It’s a massive storm,” replied James, “Don’t worry about that one, it’ll probably dissipate before it hits us.”

“Where have your parents gone?” Scootaloo asked.

“Shopping,” James said, “Hey, why don’t you come and take a look at the beach?”

“Beach?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Have you never been on a beach before?” asked James.

“No,” said Apple Bloom.

“Well come on then,” James said going to the back door that led to the beach, “Also you won’t need any shoes or socks, you’ll just end up with sand in them.”
Sweetie Bell, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo pulled off their socks and followed James to the walkway that went over the dunes, once they reached sand James kneeled down and grabbed a handful.

“Not hot,” he said, “Perfect for today.”

“What is that?” Scootaloo pointed to the sky, James looked up and saw two F-18s cruising over the coast.

“Just some military jets guarding the coast,” James said walking onto the beach, “I’m going to see of the tide is out, you can come too.”
The Crusaders stood at the end of the walkway, barefoot and uneasy about this new environment. Scootaloo’s bravery overcame her shyness and she took a step into the sand, she stopped and looked down at the ground, she pushed a bit of the sand around with her toes and walked a few more feet in the sand.

“Hey, you have to try walking in this,” Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, “It feels weird but really nice at the same time.”
Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom both stepped of the walkway and after overcoming the strange sensation joined Scootaloo.

“I feel like we’re going to have a good time here,” said Apple Bloom.

“Let’s find out more about this place,” Scootaloo said as she walked over next to James.
James was looking up and down the coast, as the Crusaders walked over to him he stopped and looked over his shoulder at them.

“It seems like we might have chosen a good house this time,” he said looking back out to the ocean, “No more splinters in my feet and no more rubbish in the sand.”

“What are you looking for?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Riptides,” replied James, “A sort of effect of all the waves hitting the surf, if you’re not careful they can drag you out to sea. Lucky for us there appear to be none around here.”

“It’s really nice here,” Apple Bloom said inching closer to James.

“It always has been,” said James. James and the Crusaders stood at the end of the beach and let the water come up around their ankles and recede back, James saw after a while that the sun was slowly beginning to set. He pulled his feet free of the sand and helped out the Crusaders before leading them back to the house, later that night Katherine opened to the door to James' room and found the Crusaders sitting on his bed with him while they watched TV with him.

“Come on you three,” Katherine said, “You all get to bed.”
The Crusaders moaned a little but left James' room.

“Night James,” Scootaloo said as she left and shut the door behind her.

“They really like you,” said Katherine.

“It would be the flipside if they saved me,” James replied.

“You mean that you would have taken a liking into them if they took care of you?” asked Katherine.

“Yes,” said James. His mother left and James bedded down for the night, he was excited about the upcoming week. He wondered about what they were going to do for the next seven days, James hoped that they would take the jeep tours around the dunes.

The next morning Katherine had used Skype to contact the rest of the family over in England, they were impressed about James becoming an Enforcer and liked the house that James and his parents were using.

“And down here we have a pool table,” Katherine was taking the laptop around the house for a tour for the rest of the family to see.

“It looks better than the old one,” James' grandmother was saying.

“At least there are no spiders,” Katherine said as she reached for the door handle, she stopped and listened a little closer, there was music and conversation faintly drifting through the door.

“Is there someone in there?” James' uncle asked.

“It might be James playing pool,” Katherine said. She opened the door and saw James playing pool as Scootaloo watched, Apple Bloom was flicking through magazines and Sweetie Bell had control of the plasma TV. James was showing off his tricks until he saw his mother standing in the doorway.

“Hello,” James said, “What’s with the laptop?”

“I’ve Skyped uncle Isaac,” his mother replied spinning the laptop around.

“Hi James,” uncle Isaac said.

“Gosh, you’ve gotten bigger,” said James' grandmother.

“Hi Nan, uncle Isaac,” said James, “Where’s auntie Cher at?”

“She’s at the farm with the kids,” Uncle Isaac said.

“Farm?” Apple Bloom said looking up from the magazine.

“Who’s that there?” asked Nan, James looked back at Apple Bloom the back to the laptop.

“That’s Abigail,” said James, “She’s one of the kids I rescued when I was at work.”

“You rescued her?” Uncle Isaac asked, “And the other two were rescued by you as well?”

“Yep, Samantha and Susie,” said James, “What? Did mum not tell you?”

“No, I didn’t,” said Katherine.

“Well then,” James said “Girls, meet my family.”

“Hi there,” Apple Bloom said.

“Nice to meet you,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Are you all the way back in England?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes we are,” said Nan.

“Why are you all the way over there?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“My dad was offered a job over here and he took it,” James replied, “They still live over there and we sometimes visit them.”

“Sounds like this is the only way you can see them,” said Apple Bloom.
The conversation with the rest of James' family continued for several more minutes, then James' cousin Kelly was seen in the back of frame.

“Is that Kelly back there I see?” James said.

“Hi James,” Kelly replied coming into focus, “Who are these kids?”

“Didn’t you hear? These are the kids I rescued,” said James.

“Aw, they’re so cute,” Kelly said.

“I know that,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Can’t get enough of the complements can you?” James said.

“I really love the purple haired one,” Kelly said, Scootaloo blushed a little.

“We do have names,” said Apple Bloom, “I’m Abigail.”

“I’m Samantha,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I’m Susie,” said Scootaloo.

“Nice names,” said Kelly, “So how are you liking James taking care of you?”

“We love it!” said Sweetie Bell.

“Yeah, James is going to take us to the beach later,” said Scootaloo.

“Well I hope you have fun,” said Kelly, “Bye James.”
James waved back and returned to his pool game. A few hours later James and the Crusaders were on the beach, for James, this was a new experience because there was no garbage in the sand or large jellyfish colonies that turned up in the waves. The Crusaders had their first encounter with the ocean as they played in it with James, they found it entertaining when a wave caught James off-guard and sent him sprawling to the ground. James would then pretend to not notice large waves until it was right behind him, he did this purely for the entertainment of the Crusaders.

The day sped by, they got back to the beach house late after eating out a restaurant. James was worn out and when he got to his room he collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, the faces of Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom entered his view.

“Are you okay?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Six hours on the beach and two hours eating out,” said James, “It couldn’t be better.”

“Better than last time you came?” Apple Bloom asked. James lifted his head up.

“Oh yeah,” he said, “Sure was better.”

Later that night everyone had gone to bed, everyone except for James. He stayed awake and looked through brochures looking for a place for them to got to while they stayed at North Carolina. James compiled a list in his head; it seemed like that they might be able to go to Kittyhawk tomorrow, followed up by Mini-Golfing and dining out again. As for the rest of the week, he’ll just have to make it up as he goes along.

Life On The Beachside

The next few days were classified as “the best ever” by the Crusaders, James had taken them to Roanoke Island and down to the other end of the Outer Banks, there was also the day when James and the Crusaders ended up having dolphins swimming around them while they were in the sea. One day after everything had settled down, James was sitting a beach chair reading a book when he looked up and saw Apple Bloom walking over to him.

“Something wrong?” James asked.

“Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo found some weird slimy thing in the water,” replied Apple Bloom. James stood up and dropped the book into the chair.

“It’s probably a bloody jellyfish,” said James walking over to the two girls, “They don’t have any stinging ones around here but I still have to stop them just in case.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell were wading around in one spot obviously looking for something, James walked up to them and they stopped.

“Come on now,” James said, “Don’t try and search for it.”

“But it was so cool,” said Scootaloo.

“What was it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“A jellyfish,” replied James, “It might be a stinging one since it’s breeding season.”

“I didn’t feel anything,” said Scootaloo.

“Something brushed across the top of my foot but that was it,” said Sweetie Bell.
James couldn’t afford any risks, the tide was picking up and there were entire colonies of jellyfish showing up, most being carried by the tide.

“Let’s get out of the water before we get swamped,” James said gently pushing Apple Bloom out of the water. Scootaloo huffed and followed Apple Bloom, James was just out of the water when he heard a yelp of surprise come from Sweetie Bell.

“What’s the matter, were you stung?” James asked.

“I don’t know,” Sweetie Bell replied, “But my foot hurts and now I’m afraid of these things.”
James walked over to help her, she was limping a little bit. James span around and knelt down with his back facing her.

“I’ll carry you,” James said, “You shouldn’t move that leg around too much.”

“Thanks James,” Sweetie Bell said as she jumped up and held her arms around James' neck. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked a little annoyed.

“How come she gets carried back to the house?” Scootaloo said.

“Because she’s injured and I don’t want anything to get worse,” James replied.

“Why can’t she walk?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It’s because of the venom,” replied James, “I have to neutralize it while it’s still isolated, any movement could make everything worse.”

James got Sweetie Bell inside and managed to extract the poison and heal Sweetie Bell’s foot before it got any worse. As James was putting a bandage around the stung area James' parents came in from the front door.

“Great news everyone,” Dave said.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You remember those Jeep tours that we took last year James?” Katherine asked.

“Yes,” James replied helping Sweetie Bell off of the kitchen counter, “What about it?”

“We’ve managed to get two Jeeps so everyone can go!” Katherine said.

“That’s right,” said Dave, “Three of us can go in one jeep each.”

“When do we go?” James asked.

“Once you lot get ready we can go now,” said Dave.

The Crusaders couldn’t believe that they were about to go on a tour of the dunes in Jeeps. James was a little concerned about Sweetie Bell’s condition but she assured him that she was fine, the tour guide took the group outside where several other people were mounting up in jeeps and waiting to go.

“Everyone ready to go?” the guide asked the group he was guiding.

“We’re still trying to get this jeep started,” said another tour guide as he was attempting to start a haggard old jeep with four collage students inside it.

Several minutes of hasty repairs later the jeeps were all rolling toward the dunes. Dave, James and Scootaloo were in one jeep and Katherine, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom were inside the second jeep. As they drove onto the beach Scootaloo couldn’t help but wonder why they were taking a tour of the dunes.

“James,” she said over the roar of engines, “What are we doing on these tours anyway?”

“We look for wild horses and see if any dunes have migrated over the years,” replied James.

“Wild horses?” Scootaloo asked, “There are horses here?”

“Sure have been,” said James.

The tour of the dunes was a little uneventful until the tour group had reached a stopping point near a large housing complex in the middle of the dunes, several horses were wandering around the building eating the grass that came out of the sand. The tour group dismounted to get a better look.

“As we see here the horses are grazing near this house,” the tour guide said, for a cool looking guy, he did sound rather boring to James. As he thumbed through the songs on his iPhone some commotion tore his attention away from his phone. He looked up and saw the Crusaders with the horses right next to them.

“What just happened?” James asked the tour guide.

“The horses just stopped eating and walked over to them,” the tour guide replied, “Never seen that before.”

“Same here,” said James, “The horses usually retreat into the dunes.”
The group watched as the Crusaders stroked the horses and appear to communicate with them.

“What are you three up to?” James asked.

“We’re just seeing the horses James,” said Sweetie Bell.

“They remind us so much of home,” said Apple Bloom. James could help but wonder if there was some sort of connection between the Crusaders and the horses, it sounded silly the idea that the Crusaders could communicate with the animals but James had to accept the fact the Crusaders were ponies themselves at one point.
Once James and the Crusaders got back to the jeep garage Dave and Katherine quickly ushered them back to their SUV and they drove off without another word.

“Let’s not speak of this ever again,” James said. Everyone agreed, mainly because interaction with the wild horses was illegal and the Crusaders had pretty much broken that law. Dave stopped at a large shopping area and Katherine decided to go out shopping. James couldn’t agree more, as they got out of the car James gave twenty dollars each to the Crusaders.

“Spend it wisely,” said James, “This is my own money I’m giving you and I don’t want it wasted.”

“Thanks James!” the Crusaders all said simultaneously.

“You’re giving them some money to spend?” Dave asked.

“I don’t want to look like I’m getting everything while these kids get nothing,” James replied, “You know I’m a good person.”

“Alright, you can be in charge of them while we go off by ourselves,” Katherine said to James as she and Dave walked away.

“Don’t get separated,” said Dave.

“I’ll make sure we won’t,” said James, he then turned to the Crusaders, “Where to first girls?”
Apple Bloom suggested a store that sold beach trinkets to start at and James eventually took them to several stores, the spree ended in a stop to an ice-cream shop. As they sat outside eating ice cream that James had bought them James' parents found them.

“How’s it going for you four?” asked Dave.

“We got some neat stuff,” said Sweetie Bell showing them a seashell necklace the she bought, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had also bought seashell necklaces.

“Sounds like you had a good time,” said Katherine.

“We sure did,” Apple Bloom said wiping chocolate off her face.

“So how about we go to the other Mini-Golf course? The one with the massive waterfall that you liked the look of,” Dave said. James and the Crusaders nodded, soon they were at that course and enjoying it quite a lot. However at the eleventh hole, Sweetie Bell started complaining of pain in the foot that was stung by a jellyfish.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Apple Bloom asked Sweetie Bell.

“I’m okay,” replied Sweetie Bell, “It’s just that my foot really hurts.”

“Don’t stress yourself over it,” James said as he lined up a putt, “No seriously, stress makes the pain worse.”
Sweetie Bell shrugged off the pain and tried to enjoy herself. James had a hard time trying to score anything decent, Apple Bloom could be classified a master because of her score and Scootaloo managed to have her ball return to her after she hit, it bounced around the course and ended up at her foot. Once they finished their game Dave and Katherine took them back to the house so that James could check if Sweetie Bell’s sting was any worse.

Night Of Nightmares

A day had passed and Sweetie Bell seemed to be alright, James and the Crusaders had walked roughly seven miles and there were no complaints that emerged from Sweetie Bell. James and the Crusaders were in for a surprise when Katherine had booked for them to use jet-skis, once they found the place where they would be riding the jet-skis Dave took Apple Bloom while Katherine took Sweetie Bell, James had Scootaloo on the back of his jet-ski and they spent most of the time zooming around the other two jet-skis and trying to send waves over them. After that they ended up touring most of the Outer Banks in the SUV and by walking around the towns, once they got back it had become late and the wind had picked up, James and the Crusaders were so worn out from the day’s activities that they went to bed without another word. As the night grew, so did the wind, every now and then James would be awaken by the wind and waves battering the dunes, James assumed that this was caused by the hurricane and that they were catching the end of the storm. But James hoped that this wouldn’t last too long, he and his family would go back to New Jersey in two days and he was both glad and somewhat upset about leaving, he had shown the Crusaders the wonders of the Outer Banks and soon they would leave it forever.

“You know what,” he said to the empty room, “The last two days won’t be easy for the girls, but by God I’ll make them the best!”

James fell asleep a half hour later. James didn’t know how long he had been asleep but was stirred awake by a loud crash, he heard the wind outside whistling and the waves roaring onto the beach. James knew what was happening, the house was right in the path of the hurricane.

“Ah piss,” James said as he dove out of his bed and ran to his window. Looking out into the darkness he could just see debris and sand being blown around by the wind, he hoped that it would pass without causing too much damage to the house and leaving the car untouched. As James looked around out the window he saw something flying around and then flying toward his window. James had little time to react but he ducked before the object smashed through his window and battered his bedroom door, James looked up and saw there was glass all over the floor and the wind was now howling from outside.

“I’ve got to get everyone out of this house,” James thought as he rolled over the broken glass to retrieve his shoes. James pulled his shoes out from under the bed and slipped them on, he ran to the door as he brushed glass off of himself.

“Apple Bloom! Sweetie Bell! Scootaloo!” James yelled as he tried to dislodge the wooden beam that had smashed through his window and had now become jammed between the door and the wall. James furiously pulled at the beam hoping that it would move just enough for him to squeeze through and get everyone to a safe place.
James gave up and decided to risk going outside to reach the others. He ran to the screen door and tried to force it open, then the whole room shook and dropped a few feet, James lost his balance and fell onto the floor. He got up and looked around for what now had his room listing downward, before he had a second to react the room dropped again, James figured out that this part of the house was about to collapse. He ran back to the screen door and tried to open it, just as he succeeded the room started to crumble, James was thrown backwards away from the screen into the wall. Dazed from the impact James staggered to the door, he reached it and then the whole room then finally collapsed, James fell to the ground and was knocked out cold by a light fixture.

After what felt like several hours James woke up, through blurred eyes he could see daylight creeping though the blinds. James rolled over and felt a sharp pain run through his left arm, James wondered if he broke it when he was slammed into the wall. He prodded his arm and let out a yell, it didn’t seem broken but probably was cracked and badly bruised. As James clambered over the rubble of what was once his room he heard voices coming from outside, it wasn’t his parents but it sounded friendly.

“We heard something, is there anyone here?” came a voice.

“Hey!” James yelled, “I’m in here!”

“We got someone!” said a second voice, “It sounds like a kid!”

“Can you help?” James said.

“Sure thing we can,” said the first voice.

“Who are you people?” James asked as he looked through the window. He saw a few people who were in military uniform.

“We’re National Guard,” said a soldier, “We’re here to help.”

“Thank God,” James said as he cleared away some wreckage so he could see out the window better.

“Are you injured?” the soldier asked.

“Just my arm,” replied James.

“Can you give me your name?” the soldier asked.

“James Rogers,” said James, “What about yours?”

“Corporal Rickter,” said the soldier, “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just trying to keep things friendly,” said James.

“Ready with the digger,” a soldier said.

“Kid, get back from the wall,” Rickter said as he backed away. James obliged and watched as a small digger plow it’s way through his wall and three National Guard soldiers enter through the hole.

“You okay?” one soldier asked.

“Better now that I have a little help,” said James. The soldiers took James out of the ruined building and over to an ambulance where a paramedic cleaned the blood off of James' head and patch up other cuts and scratches.

“So you were in that room when the support beams collapsed?” the paramedic asked.

“Sure was scary,” said James, “Glad it’s over though.”
Some commotion coming from the National Guard soldiers got James' attention. Two soldiers had found his parents.

“They keep saying that there are others in the house but it’s too risky to go in,” said a soldier.

“Sir we are here to aide those in need,” said another soldier.

“Who are the others that the two adults claim are in the house?” the first solder asked.

“Three girls aged at twelve, physical description of them is a little unusual but they said we’ll know them when we see them,” the second soldier said as he showed the first a picture. Something inside James' head clicked back into place, he knew who the soldiers were taking about. The Crusaders were still trapped in the ruined remains of the house. The house had collapsed somewhat and the only standing part was the area that was supported by the shed and garage, James jumped up and ran over to the soldiers.

“Should we search?” said the first soldier.

“You damn well should,” said James.

“Who let the civvie in?” the first soldier asked.

“I was in that house when it fell,” James said, “There are kids in there, they are under my protection. You have to search for them.”

“On who’s order?” the second soldier asked.

“On mine,” James said, “I’m an Enforcer and I am ordering you to search that house!”

The two soldiers looked at James them back to one another.

“I don’t believe that,” the first soldier said, “But I’m letting you lead the search anyway, you seem determined that there are others in the building.”

“And I won’t stop until I find each one of them,” said James.

James led four soldiers to the front door of the house. James tried opening the door but it was jammed shut, the soldiers each tried opening the door but failed.

“How are we getting in there?” one soldier asked.

“If one door does not open, another will,” James said, he then punched through a window.

“That’s a window,” said another soldier.

“I still got us inside,” said James, “Now get inside and search.”
The soldiers followed James' orders and searched the remains of the house. Several minutes later James called the girls using their fake names.

“Abigail! Samantha! Susie!” he yelled, “Where are you?”

“Help me!” came a response, it was Apple Bloom.

“Get moving!” James said to the soldiers. They ran to the location of the voice and searched the ruins of a bedroom, one soldier found Apple Bloom trapped under a cabinet.

“Hey, you’ll be okay,” the soldier said taking Apple Bloom’s hand in his, “Found her!”
James and the other soldiers helped move the cabinet off of Apple Bloom and get her to a paramedic outside, they then search for Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo.

“Anyone in here?” a soldier said.

“Over here!” Sweetie Bell yelled. James was the first to reach her, Sweetie Bell was hanging onto a pipe that was suspended over a ten foot drop over jagged rubble.

“How long have you been hanging here?” James asked.

“Two hours,” Sweetie Bell replied, “Help me up!”
Two soldiers grabbed Sweetie Bell’s arms and hoisted her up to level ground. As she was taken to the ambulance James and the remaining two soldiers looked for Scootaloo.

“Where is she at?” James said as he looked in a closet.

“We’ve called her name several times with no result,” said a soldier, “What if she isn’t in here?”

“I know she is, I can feel it,” said James.

“Over here,” said the other soldier, James looked down the ruined hallway that was lit by the soldier’s flashlight. He could see something just down at the other end.

“What is that?” the first soldier asked.

“I’m expecting the worse right now,” James said while he proceeded down the hall.
James and the soldiers carefully walked down the hall and reached the strange mass, it was Scootaloo lying on the floor, unconscious and bleeding heavily from a gash on her head.

“No,” James said quietly dropping to his knees.

“Shit,” said the first soldier, “This isn’t good.”

“No no no,” James said taking Scootaloo’s head in his arms.

“She’s got a big head wound,” the second soldier said as he took out a first aid kit.

“Scoot,” James said, “Can you hear me?”

“Is she still breathing?” the first soldier asked.
James felt for a pulse and listened for her breaths, there was life still in her.

“Thank you God,” James said as the second soldier wrapped a bandage around Scootaloo’s head.

“Is Scoot her nickname?” the soldier asked as he wiped some of the blood off of Scootaloo’s face.

“Yeah,” James said, “I think she’s unconscious. Can I have your canteen?”
The second soldier gave James his canteen, James undid the top and pored some water in Scootaloo’s face. James got the result he was hoping for, Scootaloo spluttered and coughed as she was revived.

“It works,” said James.

“That’s unusual,” said the first soldier.

“Where am I?” Scootaloo asked.

“Let’s get you outside first,” James said picking her up. Grunting a little from the strain on his cracked arm James carried Scootaloo out of the house and to a paramedic, James was setting her down when he was approached by Rickter.

“Nice going there,” said Rickter.

“I promised that I would protect these girls to the end,” said James.

“And it looks as if you fulfilled that promise,” Rickter said.

“It’s not over yet,” James said.

New Friends

Several hours later James and the Crusaders were transported to a hospital where they were treated for their injuries. James' arm wasn’t broken but had been cracked in a few places, his arm was placed in a splint and James was instructed to refrain from excessive use for the next two weeks. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell only suffered cuts and bruises, Scootaloo however had been hit in the head by a vase and her head was cut open but she didn’t need stitches. After talking with the Crusaders James learned that they had heard the wooden beam smash through the window and they had panicked from it thinking the house had exploded. They searched for a way out but ended up being trapped, lost, scared and hurt, but they forgave James and thanked him for saving them.
Dave and Katherine arrived an hour later to pick them up and to take them to another beach house while the roads were being cleared.

“So where are we staying at?” James asked.

“A family very kindly let us stay with them until the roads are clear and we can go home,” said Katherine.

“Kind of ironic if you think about it,” James whispered to the Crusaders.

“These people are very nice to help us,” Dave said, “Let’s return the favor and be polite and friendly to them.”

“Let’s just hope this doesn’t become a repeat of what happened last time,” James said.

“What happened last time?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It’s kind of a long story,” said Dave.

“I though that we wouldn’t speak of that again,” James said.

“Why don’t you tell them?” Katherine said. The Crusaders leaned closer to James, eager to find out what had happened before. James sighed and decided to tell the girls.

“Well to make a long and rather disturbing story short, we stayed with a family for a few days and it went rather well, badly. They were unclean, rude and had no common sense that I could find,” James stopped a little as he dug through his subconscious looking for the rest of the memories, “Now if I remember correctly they really hated us in a way we couldn’t understand which might of explained why they stuck me in an unfurnished basement to sleep in. It was really dirty in there, never cleaned once.”

“How did you deal with it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I took the car keys and slept in the car for the night,” James replied.

“We ran off after the second day,” said Katherine.

“You ran away?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“The food that they cooked for us the next morning really put us off,” James said.

“Is this the address?” Dave asked. He pulled into the driveway of a rather large house, it was undamaged from the storm and looked bigger than the house that James and his family were staying in.

“Blimy that’s huge,” said James.

“This is the place,” Katherine said, “Everyone take what’s left of the luggage.”
James looked over to the pitiful amount of luggage that was salvaged from the wreck of the house, the rest was all destroyed. At least most of James' gear had been in bags under his bed when the storm hit.

“These people are really lucky they weren’t affected by the storm,” said Apple Bloom.

“Lucky?” James said, “Nothing happened to the house.”

As they walked up the stairs to the front door the entire family of the house were waiting for them.

“Hello,” said the father, “The Rogers I presume?”

“Thank you for doing this,” said Dave shaking the man’s hand.

“It’s the least we can do,” said the mother of the family.

“I’m Dave,” Dave said introducing himself, “This is my wife Katherine and my son James.”

“Nice to meet you,” Katherine said.

“Thank you for helping us,” James said in German, “Let us know if there’s anyway we can pay you back.”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo sniggered as the kindly family stared at James in amazement.

“Who are the girls?” the father asked, “Daughters of yours?”

“No, not exactly,” said Dave.

“We technically in a way adopted them,” James said, switching back to English, “It’s because of what I did which caused them to be in my care.”

“You really are a good family,” the father said, “Anyway we are the Morgans, I’m John, this is my wife Debra.”

“Hello,” said Debra.

“And these are my kids, Jacob, Sally, Billy and Wilma,” John said. The four kids all waved, Jacob was the oldest by far because of his height and the fact that he had noticeable chin stubble. Sally and Billy were about the same age as James, Wilma looked the youngest but still was older than the Crusaders.

“Oh do forgive us for keeping you out here so long,” John said taking one of the bags from the front porch, “Let us show you around.”

“Not a problem,” said Dave. The Morgans led Dave and Katherine around the house leaving James and the Crusaders standing in the living room.

“These people are nice,” Apple Bloom said.

“Just as long as we don’t mess anything up,” said Scootaloo.
James began dragging the bags deeper into the house, he stopped when he saw a particularly interesting book.

“What’s that you have there?” Sweetie Bell asked James.

“Looks like some sort of religious book,” James said as he flicked through the pages, “Can’t tell which one though.”

“James,” Apple Bloom said grabbing his attention, “The bag zipper is jammed.”
James picked the bag up and tried to open it, after a few minutes struggling with it he opened up his bag and took out his combat knife. As he was cutting the zipper free of the bag Billy entered the room.

“We’ve shown your parents around the house and they say that you can sleep in here tonight if you want,” Billy said, he then saw James, “What is he doing?”

“The bag zipper got jammed and he’s opening it,” replied Apple Bloom.

“I can’t get this last bit,” James said.

“Need any help?” asked Billy.
With a grunt and a burst of adrenaline James sliced through the bag. Billy stood amazed as James slid the knife back into it’s hilt and dropped it into the bag.
“Got it,” said James.
“So what now?” Sweetie Bell asked.
“Well we get to know some more about you over dinner,” said Billy “I hope you like steak.”

Dinner was a bit of a surprise for James, Dave, Katherine and the Crusaders. They didn’t expect to find a table crammed with different dishes, James attempted to try as much as possible. The Crusaders were a bit more direct with what they wanted choosing what was familiar to them.

“Where are you from then?” John asked Dave while they ate.

“We came from England,” Dave replied, “Then we moved here six years ago.”

“Sounds like you had an opportunity to come here,” Debra said.

“It was a job opportunity,” said Dave, “I really though that it would be better and it was.”

“How about you James?” John asked, “Do you like it here?”

“Yes,” replied James, “I’m not letting a hurricane dampen my spirits.”

The dinner conversation then switched to the Roger’s family history and what they had been doing over the summer. James was asked on how he could speak fluent German, James and Dave tried their best to explain that James for some reason just picked it up one day years ago and the next managed to speak in Russian for an entire day. Later that night after everyone had settled down and were now in their rooms James got to know a little more about Billy’s family.

“So you and your family are immigrants from Canada?” James asked as he stuffed his bag full of the remainder of his clothes.

“Yes, we came here to have a nice change of scenery,” Billy replied, “Sometimes we help out as volunteers at animal and homeless shelters a lot.”

“That’s nice, so I’m guessing that you were going to help people out after the hurricane hit,” James said.

“What we were going to do originally was help clear the debris,” Billy said, “We then saw that you and your family had lost your house and we wanted to help you.”

“How did you find out about us?” asked James.

“We got in touch with the disaster relief people and they gave us a list of people who were staying for vacations and were about to leave,” replied Billy.

“So you’re letting us stay her until the roads are clear,” James said, “Very kind of you, kind of like what I’m doing.”

“Why?” asked Billy, “What do you mean?”

“You know those girls who were with my family?” James asked. Billy nodded in reply.

“They aren’t my sisters or cousins, they were just three kids who were lost and scared,” said James, “I’m taking care of them until I can get them back to their families.”

“You’re one kind person,” said Billy.

“I help others sometimes but this was totally different,” James said.

“Shame you have to leave tomorrow,” said Billy, “Me and my family are going to the animal shelter to help the injured animals.”

“I would come if I didn’t have to leave so soon,” said James.

“Well I guess you and your family will leave before I wake up,” Billy said as he left, “I’m going to bed, hope you and the girls had a nice time before the storm hit.”

“We sure did,” said James, “Who dares wins.”
James set us his bed on the couch, it seemed like a good idea until James tried to get comfortable on the leather “L” shaped couch in his sleeping bag.

“What did they stuff this with?” James said as he shifted from one side of the lumpy couch to the other. James found a tag underneath one of the cushions and discovered that the couch was stuffed with a sort of sand based substitute, it was meant to mimic lying on a beach.

“Lying on a beach my arse,” James whispered.

After several minutes of trying to shape the couch so he could get some comfort James heard something coming from the hallway.

“Who goes there?” said James as he reached for the lamp and turned it on.

“It’s only me,” said Scootaloo. Scootaloo was holding a blanket and still had the bandage around her head, James didn’t know if she was previously sleeping in a spare room or in one of the rooms of the Morgans.

“What’s up?” asked James.

“I was sleeping in a room by myself,” Scootaloo said, “But I had a bad dream and I’m kind of scared. I’m still afraid that last night might repeat itself.”

“It’s alright,” James said, “I still feel a little uneasy but the storm has passed and we’re safe now.”

“I know but I don’t want to be alone anymore,” said Scootaloo, she walked a little closer and took a deep breath, “Can I sleep here with you?”

“Sure,” said James. Scootaloo lay down next to him and tossed the blanket over her, in the light of the lamp James could see absolute terror in her eyes. Scootaloo had probably experienced the most terrifying night of her life, James was going to make sure that her and the Crusaders would recover from the psychological trauma over the next week.

As the night dragged on James slept peacefully with Scootaloo resting her head on his arm, the morning sun rose over a land that had mostly recovered from disaster. James tried to get the sun out of his face but ended up rolling off of the couch and onto the floor.

“Well I’m awake now so there’s that,” James thought. Standing up he saw that Scootaloo had rolled over and had her back to the windows. James strolled over to the kitchen and was surprised to find Jacob there.

“Good morning James,” Jacob said as he placed dishes on the kitchen table.
“Morning,” James said as he rubbed the back of his head, “What are you doing up so early?”

“I always set the table for breakfast,” Jacob replied, “Sleep well?”

“Dropped off to sleep then dropped off the end of the couch,” James said, Jacob laughed a little.

“Shame you have to leave without trying our home made pancakes,” said Jacob.

“We have to beat the refugees to the highway,” James said.

“I saw that one of the girls you are taking care of decided to sleep with you,” said Jacob.

“She’s been through too much,” James said, “She and the other two are going to need to recover from the hurricane.”

“I’m guessing you have a way?” asked Jacob.

“Whatever it takes,” replied James.
Scootaloo’s weary voice drifted through to the kitchen, James and Jacob went to investigate.

“Is she dreaming?” Jacob asked.

“I think so,” James replied inching his way closer to Scootaloo.

“No, no more,” Scootaloo whispered. James and Jacob looked at each other then back to Scootaloo.

“What’s she going on about?” said James.

“Argh, no more,” Scootaloo said a little louder, “Stop the storm. James? Where are you?”

“It’s alright Susie,” James said shaking her awake, “I’m here.”
Scootaloo shifted over and saw James crouched next to her.

“Was I talking?” she asked.

“It’s quite common during a nightmare,” said James.

“What were you dreaming about?” Jacob said with a slight laugh.

“Last night,” Scootaloo replied.

“Remember that it’s over,” James said softly.

Gifts From The Storm

After Dave and Katherine had woken up Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, James Jacob and Billy packed the car while John and Debra said farewell to James' parents.

“You really should stay with us next year,” said Debra.

“Billy and Jacob always enjoy having a friend to play with, and James gets on well with them,” said John.

“If we can manage it next year we will pick a house close to yours,” said Dave.

“Well we hope you have a safe trip back,” Debra said.

Dave and Katherine left the house and started up the car, James and the Crusaders boarded the car and then were driving back to the highway. Driving upstate back home was a little tricky for them, the hurricanes wrath had damaged a good part of the Chesapeake bay bridge. Once they were clear of the bridge the level of destruction became less and less as they drover further up to New Jersey, as James neared home he saw that the storm hadn’t affected the town too much. Once they got back home James took notice of the several boxes on the front porch.

“What’s all that?” James asked as he jumped out of the car.

“Don’t know,” said Dave.
James walked over to the boxes, they weren’t very big or eye catching. A while envelope caught James' attention he seized it and tore it open.

“What’s it say?” Katherine asked.

“It’s from the Red Cross but delivered by the National Guard,” James replied, “Says here that they took their time to help us by getting us the stuff we lost.”

“That’s nice of them,” Dave said.

“There’s also something here about the Enforcers and that one of those boxes is meant for me,” James added.

“Here it is,” Sweetie Bell said handing James a box. James took the box, it had his name printed on the top and “Government Property” written on the side.

“Wonder what lies inside,” James said as Katherine opened the door to the house. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Dave took the cases inside and James with the help of Sweetie Bell took the cardboard boxes inside.

“Looks as if the neighbors brought the mail in for us,” said Katherine. James sifted through the pile of mail and took the firearms and video game magazines into the den with him. The Crusaders followed James to see what the box contained.

“Are you going to open it?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I’m going to have to be careful in case it contains something fragile,” James said as he picked a large steak knife to slice the tape open with.

“What do you think is in there?” Scootaloo asked.

“I have no idea,” replied James, “Let’s find out.”
James cut the tape and opened up the box a letter sat on top of a foam covering whatever lay inside. The letter also had James' name on it, James tore it open and pulled out a piece of neatly folded paper.

“Dear James,” it read, “I have sent this letter with your Enforcer gear so I can tell you that I see you as one of the best future National Guard members. You have got what it takes to be a Marine but you choose to stay home and protect it from the many enemies of America, that is what it greatly looked upon for any Guard members and more importantly, Enforcers. I hope that you and those girls live your lives well from this day forward, may God be with you no matter what. Sincerely, Corporal Rickter. P.S. I found a little something while sifting through the rubble of your beach house and put it in the envelope, I think you know who they belong to.”
James took the envelope from the table and looked inside it, inside were three seashell necklaces.

“I think these are yours, girls,” said James. He took the necklaces out of the envelope and held them out for the Crusaders. The Crusaders were in disbelief, they took the necklaces and stared at them.

“We thought we had lost these,” Apple Bloom said.

“Well someone found them,” said James, “Now let’s see what the box holds for me.”
James removed the foam covering, underneath was a black Enforcer uniform. James took out the top half of the uniform and held it over himself, his name was printed on the left breast above one of the pockets. He then took the rest of the uniform out of the box, black boots and a beret completed the set.

“Wow, I can’t wait to try this on,” James said as he neatly folded the uniform back into the box.

“I can already see you in it,” Sweetie Bell said.

“James,” his mother called from the kitchen, “There’s another parcel for you.”
James went into the kitchen and saw a much smaller box sitting on the table. James took another knife and cut the box open, inside was something he never expected to get but it was sitting right there in front of him.

“What is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“A bayonet,” James replied as he took it out of the box, “Who got me this?”
The bayonet was about a foot long with a wooden grip and a ring that protruded out of the top of the grip. James had no idea what it could be for.

“I’m going to have to look this up to see what gun it goes on,” said James.

“Here’s a piece of paper I found in the box,” said Apple Bloom. James took the paper and read it, it described which gun the bayonet was for. The bayonet was for the Enfield Jungle Carbine.

“Well this is a tad unusual,” said James.

“Why?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Two things, one is that I had no idea that the Jungle Carbine was capable of having a bayonet attachment and two is that even if I did know there’s no way I could get one,” James replied. He slid the bayonet into a sheaf that was in the box, James had no idea how he got this and neither did his parents.

When Donald Trump Attacks

One full day had passed since James and his family returned from the Outer Banks, James' arm was still in a splint and very prone to pain from overuse. He didn’t let this stop him from doing his usual duties around the house, made easier because of the Crusaders. As he was relaxing on the couch after a mile long walk with Dart the phone rang.

“Forth time this hour,” James muttered with irritation.
James picked it up and looked to see who was calling him, it was his boss Tony.

“Strange of him to call our house,” James said, “Hello?”

“Ah James,” came Tony’s voice, “Glad I could reach you, how was your vacation?”

“Alright until that hurricane hit,” said James.

“Yes I heard about that, unlucky you got caught in it,” Tony said, James was a little skeptical about Tony’s tone, it was unusually calm and pleasant, Tony was usually a little gruff and had a professional feel to it.

“Might I ask why you’re calling?” asked James.

“Well I got a call from a doctor who said that your arm is broken and in a splint,” Tony said.

“Cracked and in a splint as a precaution,” James said, “I don’t want it actually breaking.”

“Well I’m just stalling,” Tony said, “I’m calling to tell you that you’ve been replaced.”
James stopped and immediately wanted to know what was going on.

“What?” James said, his tone shifted from casual to dark in an instant, “Are you laying me off?”

“Well since you put it that way, yes,” Tony replied.

“And why have you done so?” asked James.

“It’s because of your arm,” said Tony, “I can’t have pump attendants have the arm they use the most broken but still be working, I’ll look bad.”

“You’re firing me for your reputation?” James said.

“That and the replacements are much more efficient,” Tony replied.

“What replacements are you talking about?” asked James.

“People who I’ve hired who’ll work cheaper,” Tony said.

“Who are they?” James said slamming his fist on the counter, “Dammit I want answers!”

“The matter has been discussed,” Tony said, “Your leave pay has been deposited into your account, your service has been appreciated, goodbye James.”

“Don’t you hang up,” James said, “I’m still capable of work, it was my left arm that was cracked.”

“Good day to you,” said Tony, then there was a beep then a dial tone.

“That good for nothing prat,” James said through clenched teeth. James' blood was boiling and adrenalin was coursing through his body, without even knowing it he was slowly crushing the phone in his hand. With a short yell of rage he snapped the phone in half, he was still breathing heavily when he saw the two separate parts of the phone sitting on the floor, small red droplets fell from his hand onto the floor.

“Bloody marvelous,” James said turning around, he stopped when he saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo standing behind the door to the den. James sighed and walked over to the cabinet where the medical supplies were kept.

“How much did you hear?” asked James.

“All of it,” said Apple Bloom.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” James said reaching for the first aid box.

“It’s okay, we understand,” said Sweetie Bell.
James took hold of the first aid box with his left hand and let it fall into his right, a piercing pain shot through his hand, he cried out and dropped the box. James gripped his wrist and looked at the palm of his hand, it was bloody and had a large piece of plastic sticking out of the middle of his hand. James sank to the floor still staring at what he had done to himself.

“James!” Scootaloo’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

“Oh my God,” James said only in breaths.

“Are you okay?” Sweetie Bell said crouching down nest to James.

“Get it out! Get it out now!” James shouted still gripping his hand.
Sweetie Bell took hold of the plastic in James' hand and yanked it out of his palm, James recoiled then calmed down. Apple Bloom grabbed the first aid kit from the counter and opened it up.

“Thank you for that,” said James.

“I didn’t know what else to do,” replied Sweetie Bell.

“You did the right thing is what you did,” James said as he took some sterile gauze from the first aid box and wiped the blood from his hand.

“You okay now?” Scootaloo asked James.

“I’m fine now, thanks for your concern,” James said trying to wrap a bandage around his hand, Apple Bloom helped him out.

Several minutes later James had cleaned up both his hand and the broken phone that was sitting on the floor, James settled back down on the couch with the Crusaders all taking place around him. Later that afternoon Dave and Katherine walked through the front door, Dart jumped up from the couch and ran off to greet his owners, James too jumped up, he couldn’t tell his parents that he crushed the phone.

“If they ask the phone exploded,” James said to the Crusaders pointing at his hand.

“Why not tell them what really happened?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because they’ll what an explanation if they find out what I did,” said James.

“But my sister said that honesty is the best policy,” said Apple Bloom.

“I agree to that but sometimes it’s best to lie,” James said, “Remember that you heard a bang and saw the phone in bits after you went to investigate.”
Katherine entered the den and saw James with the Crusaders sitting around him.

“Hi James, hi girls” she said.

“Hello mother,” said James, “Back from shopping?”

“Why is your hand all bandaged up?” Katherine asked.

“The phone battery exploded,” Scootaloo said, “James was holding it when it exploded.”

“It still hurts,” said James.

“How did it blow up?” asked Katherine.

“Don’t know,” said James, “Maybe it was because you use it so much.”

“I do not use the phone a lot!” Katherine said sternly.

“That phone call you did to your friend lasted over an hour,” retorted James.

“It did not,” said Katherine.

“It said sixty eight minutes in the phone records,” James said.

“I’m going to bring the shopping in,” Katherine said.

James involuntarily got up and went to help his mother out, for some reason the Crusaders all went to help out as well. Once night fell the news that Dave had on told of the amount of damage to Cuba and parts of Florida but very few fatalities were reported, it seemed as if the storm was merely one that broke buildings rather than inflict major damage. James went upstairs to his room in order to unpack whatever was recovered from the wreckage of the beach house, all was left of his stuff was a couple of books, his wallet, his iPhone, two shirts, a pair of pants, a handful of money and the small kite he bought. James sighed and started putting all of his belongings away, it had been one hell of a week for him and the Crusaders, they had all enjoyed it until the night the hurricane hit. James hoped that South Dakota wouldn’t have any hidden terrors for him and the Crusaders, the worst he could think of would be one of the biblical rainstorms that sometimes hit the ranch that they would be staying at. He decided to not worry about it and get some sleep, after all he didn’t need to get up early for his job, he no longer had one.

Sickness Sets In

The next morning James woke up a little earlier than he expected but he remembered, no job to pester his morning. He looked up at his alarm clock and saw the time was seven thirty, he would have to be at his place of former occupation in an hour if he still had to. James saw Apple Bloom sleeping peacefully on the inflatable bed that was on the floor, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep.

“James!” Scootaloo was heard from the hallway, James sat up and looked toward the door. Apple Bloom turned to see what was going on, the door then burst open and Scootaloo slid into the room.

“James,” she said, “You gotta come now!”

“What? What’s wrong?” James said getting up.

“It’s Sweetie Bell, something’s wrong with her,” said Scootaloo.

“What’s wrong?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It’s like she’s on fire,” Scootaloo said, “Her head is really hot and she doesn’t look too good.”
James got up and went down to the spare room with Scootaloo. The door was slightly ajar and moaning was emanating from the bedroom, James went inside and saw Sweetie Bell lying on her side and groaning in discomfort. James slowly walked over to Sweetie Bell but Scootaloo was already at her side.

“Sweetie Bell,” Scootaloo said.

“Scootaloo, did you get James?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It’s alright, I’m here,” James said, Sweetie Bell rolled onto her other side so James could see her face, all the color was drained from her face and sweat was dripping down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong with me?” she said weakly.

“Might be a fever,” James said placing the back of his hand against Sweetie Bell’s forehead, her temperature was easily over one hundred. Katherine and Apple Bloom then came into the spare room wondering what was going on.

“What’s up with her?” Katherine asked.

“Fever probably,” said James, “See if we can get her downstairs so she can eat something.”

James and Apple Bloom helped Sweetie Bell out of the bed and got her downstairs in the den and had her lie on the couch. As James went to fetch water from the fridge Apple Bloom and Scootaloo accompanied Sweetie Bell.

“It’s not just my head that hurts, everything does,” said Sweetie Bell.

“When did this start?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Last night,” said Sweetie Bell, “It just happened slowly.”

“You were really hot, I could feel it,” said Scootaloo.

“How did I get a fever?” Sweetie Bell asked the other two.

“Probably from the stress of the hurricane and that your immune system doesn’t have the antibodies to fight off the infections that we have here,” James said as he walked into the den with a handful of water bottles. He handed Sweetie Bell one and told her to drink, James then turned his attention to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Did you ever get sick at home?” James asked them.

“I got the cutie pox once,” said Apple Bloom, “But that was my own fault.”

“I did get sick with a cold once,” said Scootaloo, “But I recovered in a few days.”

“A few days?” James asked, “Last cold I got I was fine the next day.”

“I was younger then,” said Scootaloo.

“Did your family help you?” asked James.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said looking away, “They did.”
James got the feeling that something was a little peculiar with Scootaloo, but when Sweetie Bell tugged on his shirt he forgot about it.

“James,” she whined, “Can you turn the TV on?”
James turned the TV on and gave Sweetie Bell the remote, but she thrust it back into his hand in an instant.

“I don’t know if what I pick will be approved by you,” Sweetie Bell said with a smile.
James took the remote and sat down next to Sweetie Bell, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo left the den and headed back up the stairs.

“We’re going back to sleep for a few hours James,” Apple Bloom said.

“See you in a bit,” said James, “I’m going to stay here with Sweetie Bell.”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo left Sweetie Bell and James, Dart came downstairs after the other two Crusaders went upstairs. Sweetie Bell gave up some space so Dart could jump up on the couch with them, an hour later Sweetie Bell said that she was hungry and James said that he was just starting to get a little peckish himself. He got some breakfast for him and Sweetie Bell then sank down next to her on the couch again.

“I’m hoping you recover in a day,” James said, “But just as a precaution I’m going to see if mum can take you to the doctors to get you checked out.”

“Will it hurt?” Sweetie Bell asked fearfully.

“Only if you have to give a blood sample,” said James, “Don’t worry, I promise that I’ll be by your side if they have to.”

“Thanks for the support,” said Sweetie Bell.

Katherine later called the doctors and then took James and the Crusaders to the doctors. Once they got there a nurse took Sweetie Bell into the back, for three long hours James had no idea what was going on. As he paced up and down the waiting room Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were using James' iPhone to watch Top Gear, which they had grown a fondness for.

“How much longer until we get a diagnostic of the situation?” James finally blurted out.

“We’ll get one soon,” Katherine said not looking up from the magazine she was reading, “Just wait a little while longer.”

“We’ve been here for three hours,” said Scootaloo.

“Three hours too long,” James muttered.

“These things take a while,” said Katherine.

“Are we ever going to see Samantha?” Apple Bloom said breaking her gaze from the phone.

“Soon,” James said, “Not much longer now.”

Just as James finished his sentence the doctor came out of the back of the waiting room. He was still looking at his clipboard, flicking through the papers on it.

“Well doc, is she okay?” James asked.

“She’s fine, the fever is just a reaction to the jellyfish poison that we discovered to be in her system,” the Doctor said.

“You drew blood?” James asked.

“No, physical evidence of the sting location was noticeable,” the Doctor said, “We are still going to have to take some deoxygenated blood out of her for tests.”

“Did you tell her that?” asked James.

“Yes, which is why I’m here to see if you’ll accompany her during the blood extraction,” said the Doctor.

“Lead the way,” said James.
The Doctor led James out of the back of the waiting rooms to the room where Sweetie Bell was, the Doctor opened the door and let James enter first. Sweetie Bell was on an examination table, she sat up when she heard the door open.

“I told you that I would be here for you,” said James.

“The nurse should be here with the equipment shortly,” the Doctor said, “Before I leave I thought you might want to see what I found.”
The Doctor pointed to Sweetie Bell’s foot where she had been stung. Sweetie Bell had been instructed by the Doctor to remove her shoes and socks. What James saw he couldn’t believe, her veins were bulging out and covering her entire foot and halfway up her leg, what made it even stranger was that the veins were all silver.

“What the hell is this?” James asked pointing his finger very close to Sweetie Bell’s foot. Sweetie Bell gave a small cry of pain and James pulled his had back.

“Bugger me,” he said, “Sorry Samantha.”

“Yes we learned about the sensitivity after we had her remove her footwear,” the Doctor said, “I’ll be back to draw blood, you should keep her calm.”
The Doctor left leaving Sweetie Bell and James alone in the examination room. James felt a little bad about triggering Sweetie Bell’s painful reaction.

“Sorry about that,” James said, “I’ve just never seen this before.”

“My leg hurts more than ever,” said Sweetie Bell.

“It’s okay, you’ll recover,” James said.
Sweetie Bell cheered up a little, but then remembered that she was going to have her blood drawn.

“James,” she said, “What does it mean to draw blood?”

“Well they take a needle, stick it in a vein in your arm then take out some blood,” James said as he demonstrated with gestures. Sweetie Bell shifted uncomfortably and looked at the door.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“Only if you don’t breath and tense up,” James replied, “I’ll instruct you what to do.”

“Have you had blood drawn before?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“The closest were immunization shots,” said James, “This could be much more different.”

The nurse who would be extracting the blood came in through the door way followed by the doctor. As the nurse attached an airtight hypodermic needle to a small device the doctor wrapped a large rubber band around Sweetie Bell’s arm.

“Just relax and it’ll be over quickly,” the nurse said lowering the needle closer to Sweetie Bell’s arm.

“What’s attached to the needle?” James asked.

“A vacuum,” the Doctor said, “It will make sure we get deoxygenated blood.”
Sweetie Bell grabbed James' hand and squeezed it.

“Now hold your arm out and then we can get this over with,” the nurse said.

“Look away and keep breathing,” said James. Sweetie Bell followed James' instructions and prepared for the worst. The needle vacuum clicked on, a small sucking then a hiss came from the needle hypo and then it clicked off, the nurse then inserted the needle into an exposed vein. Sweetie Bell made a very little squeak of pain and gripped James' hand tighter.

“Keep calm,” James said, “Should be over soon.”

“My god,” the nurse said.

“This is very unusual,” said the Doctor.

“What is?” James asked looking up.

“The blood we extracted,” the Doctor said, “It’s like liquid silver.”
The nurse took the needle out of Sweetie Bell’s arm and placed a gauze wrap over the needle wound. The Doctor took the blood sample and examined it closely.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said.

“This is weird,” said James, “Are you sure you didn’t take out the venom instead?”

“I’m sure of it,” the Doctor said.

“I’m done patching up the area of extraction,” the nurse said, “Shall I take the equipment as well?”

“Take the sample as well and keep it airtight,” the Doctor said.
The nurse obliged and took the blood drawing tools out of the examination room, the nurse stopped just outside the door.

“By the way, you are one brave little girl,” the nurse said.

“Thank you,” Sweetie Bell said with a cute squeak at the end, James thought that he broke one of his teeth when he clenched them together.

“Cutest thing ever!” he thought to himself.
The nurse left leaving the Doctor with James and Sweetie Bell.

“Well we gave her the anti-venom and drew blood for tests,” the Doctor said as Sweetie Bell put her shoes and socks back on, “Best treatment now is for her to rest and drink plenty of fluids.”

“She’ll recover?” James asked.

“Within a couple of days she will,” the Doctor said. He led the two back into the waiting room where Katherine was talking to the receptionists, she stopped when she saw James and Sweetie Bell.

“So is she alright?” Katherine asked.

“She’s fine now,” the Doctor said, “I’ve already told your son here about what the treatment is.”

“Bed rest and plenty of fluids,” James repeated.

“Did the blood drawing hurt?” Apple Bloom asked.

“A little,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Here, for all of you,” the Doctor said holding out lollipops. The Crusaders took them and left the office with Katherine and James.

“One more thing,” James said stopping as he was halfway out of the door, “You, Doctor, have some sort of accent that I recognize, might I ask what it is?”

“Scottish,” the Doctor replied.

“Knew it,” James said with a smile, he waved and caught up to Katherine and the Crusaders.

“I feel as if I’ve seen that Doctor before,” Katherine said.

“He has a very distinct Scottish accent,” said James as he helped Sweetie Bell into the back of the car then clambered in as well.

“Why are you back there?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m making sure Sweetie Bell is okay,” said James.

“Can I be in the front seat?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No it isn’t safe for you,” said Katherine. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both protested but were silenced by James.

“Can you two keep it down? You know Sweetie Bell isn’t feeling well,” he said. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked a little guilty.

“Sorry Sweetie Bell,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s okay,” Sweetie Bell said, “I’m feeling really tired, can we get home now?”

Trust and Freindship

Katherine started up the car and drove James and the Crusaders home, once they got home Scootaloo and Apple Bloom helped Sweetie Bell out of the car and then let James take over helping her into the house. Katherine said to James that she was going shopping for more food and would be back in an hour, she also said that Dart would only have to be taken out in the back to run around because of Sweetie Bell’s condition.

“Good thing I only have to take him out in the back,” said James, “I can’t leave you like this, Sweetie Bell.”

“Should I go find Dart?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Get him out of the crate and bring him to the sunroom,” James said. He led Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo to the back porch, several deck chairs and a glass table sat in front of a massive barbeque. James was particularly proud of his backyard, he had helped his mother and father with cleaning it out and having the entire yard redone, they had to do this after they got Dart because of the mess the dog made from digging holes in the lawn, after some time that problem was solved.

“What’s up with the grass?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s Astroturf,” James replied.

“What’s Astroturf?” Sweetie Bell said sitting down on a folding chair.

“To put it as basically as I can, it’s fake grass,” said James.

“Why do you want fake grass?” Scootaloo asked. James heard Dart scrambling around inside on the wood floor.

“The reason will be out here shortly,” James said.
Dart shot through the door and made headway for a concealed part of the backyard, Apple Bloom came out of the house brushing herself off.

“I got hairs all over me,” she said.

“He does shed a lot for some reason,” said James, “Sheds anymore and he’ll be bald.”
The Crusaders laughed at what the sight of a bald greyhound might look like, James went to search for Dart in the back followed by Scootaloo.

“Is he back there?” Scootaloo asked.

“Should be,” James said, “Dart! Come here.”
Dart trotted out of the shadows and walked right past James.

“Dart,” James said, “Do you wanna play?”
The dog stopped and span around, Scootaloo only had just seen the soccer ball under James' foot that he was moving around to get Dart’s attention.

“You can play with Dart?” Scootaloo asked.

“He may be lazy but when he’s up he will want to play with you,” said James, “If I can I’ll see if I can make him run around the yard.”

James booted the ball across the yard and Dart went sprinting after it, Scootaloo was amazed of the speed the Dart had, she followed James as he chased Dart and tried to get the ball away from him. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell watched as James kicked the ball around for Dart and then try to get it away from him, Scootaloo joined in and gave the soccer ball an astounding kick. Dart ran after it then dropped it and started sprinting around the yard.

“Keep out of his way,” James said, “You do not want a greyhound hitting you at high speed.”
The Crusaders watched Dart race around the yard, they had never seen a greyhound at its top speed. But the spectacle didn’t last long, Dart stopped halfway through a run and stood by the door panting heavily. James let Dart into the house and helped Sweetie Bell back inside as well, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom followed him as well not wanting to stay out in the heat any longer. James set Sweetie Bell back down on the den couch and tended to her every need, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo helped also mainly because she was their friend and they took care of one another.

Once night fell Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both went upstairs to bed, as for Sweetie Bell, James thought that it would be best if she slept the next couple of nights on the couch since he didn’t want her moving around on her bad leg too much. As James went to fetch a blanket and a pillow for Sweetie Bell Katherine checked up on her.

“Has James been taking care of you?” she asked.

“James, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have all been taking care of me,” Sweetie Bell said.

“James had been doing a great job of keeping you all happy,” said Katherine.

“He’s the best,” said Sweetie Bell.

“So you’ll be sleeping on the couch for a few night according to James,” Katherine said.

“James didn’t want me walking around a lot,” Sweetie Bell said. James came back with both a light blanket and a large pillow for Sweetie Bell.

“I took the liberty of giving you the best of all the spare pillows,” James said handing the pillow to Sweetie Bell.

“Well up to bed with you then,” Katherine said.

“I’m not a kid anymore, I’m sixteen now,” James said walking out of the room.

“James, wait!” Sweetie Bell said.

“Need something else?” James asked.

“Can you sleep here?” Sweetie Bell asked, “I don’t like being alone at night.”
James looked at his mother and backed up into the den.

“If you say no to this then I’ll lose all trust and love toward you,” James said mockingly.

“If it’s what she wants,” Katherine said.

“I said I’ll give her what she needs and she wants someone to keep her company,” James said, “Tell the others where I’m at.”
Katherine left and dimmed the lights, James checked all the blinds and switched on a small light in the kitchen.

“Thanks for staying in here with me,” Sweetie Bell said to James.

“It’s the least I can do for you,” he replied shutting the door to the den.

“How long until I’m better?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Two or three days,” replied James.

“I don’t like this weird stiff feeling,” Sweetie Bell complained.

“You’ve done well to overcome it,” said James.

“Yeah I suppose,” Sweetie Bell said with a yawn.

“Tired?” asked James, Sweetie Bell nodded in response. James settled down beside her, luckily the blanket had a sheet stuck to it so James used the sheet and rested his head on his arm. He tried to sleep but felt something being pushed under his head, he looked up and saw Sweetie Bell was pushing a part of her pillow under his head.

“Is this because I’ve been taking care of you?” James asked. Sweetie Bell nodded and smiled. James looked at her again and though about something.

“Sweetie Bell?” he said, “Do you think now after all that’s happened so far, are we all friends?”

“Do you mean that you, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and me are all friends now?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Yes,” James replied, “You phrased it better than me.”

“Yes, we are friends,” Sweetie Bell said, “Best friends forever.”
James felt both happy and proud, but he also was beginning to regret the day when the Crusaders would finally have to go back home to Ponyville. James remembered reading a book with a similarity of what was going on, it was something about a guy who took care of a kid that he found in a box or something then after fifteen years some people show up claiming that they own the child and the guy never sees that kid ever again. James couldn’t remember the name of the story but it did make him shed a couple of tears because of the sad ending. James decided to not think about the Crusaders going back home until the end of the summer.

Aggressive Defence

The next morning was relatively normal, Sweetie Bell had recovered a little and Katherine was out on the back porch Skyping the rest of the family. She then thought that she would take the laptop around the house to show everyone over in England what their house looked like.

“And here’s the den,” Katherine said taking the laptop to the den. She opened the door to James dressed in his new Enforcer gear and Sweetie Bell sleeping on the couch, James waved at Katherine and pointed to Sweetie Bell.

“Keep quiet,” James hissed, “She took some more medicine and fell asleep.”

“Is Samantha alright?” Nan asked.

“No she isn’t,” replied Katherine, “She got stung by a jellyfish in North Carolina and it didn’t go well.”

“She getting better though,” James said, “The veins and swelling went down yesterday.”

“Where was she stung?” Uncle Isaac asked.

“On her foot,” said Katherine, “Show them James.”
James looked up at his mother and shook his head in disgust.

“No,” he said, “No I’m not going to do that. Shame on you wanting to see this poor girl’s ailment for you amusement, you leave now.”
Katherine backed up and shut the door to the den, James looked down at Sweetie Bell, she was still asleep and looking rather happy. It was only few more days until she would be back up on her feet again.

Another day passed and James had begun to trust the Crusaders in going out of the house by themselves, after all he didn’t want to be fiercely protecting them every second of the day. More good news came in the form of James' hand and arm fully healing before expectations. July 4th celebrations started and James couldn’t let the Crusaders miss anything, Debra and Seth had brought sparklers for the Crusaders to use and James helped the neighbors set off a barrage of fireworks. The Crusaders had the best day and night of their lives. July 5th and James was still making sure that Sweetie Bell, although fully recovered, was in perfect health, her foot was now better and she no longer felt tired, sore or hot. Debra called James and asked if she could have her fire lighter that she loaned to Katherine yesterday, James sent Scootaloo out because she could make a short trip up the street even shorter by running.

“Is all the swelling gone now?” James asked Sweetie Bell.

“Yes,” Sweetie Bell replied, “You’ve asked twenty times in the past four hours.”

“Just making sure,” said James.

“You really care about us,” Apple Bloom said, “Why do you care so much?”

“Because I want to make sure that you’re alright when you get home,” said James.

“Doesn’t hurt to care a lot about someone,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I’ll do anything for you three,” said James.
Just then the front door swung open, James turned and saw Scootaloo standing in the doorway.

“Hey Scoot,” James said, “Did you give Debra the firelighter back?”
Scootaloo gave a loud sniff in response, James clearly knew something was wrong.

“Something up?” James asked. Scootaloo ran over and buried herself in James then started crying.

“Hang on, what happened?” James asked shuffling down so he could try to calm Scootaloo down.

“Scoot,” Apple Bloom said, “What’s up?”
Scootaloo said something but was crying too hard and she spoke too fast for anyone to understand.

“Say again, I didn’t catch that,” said James.

“That kid hit me,” she said through raking sobs.

“Which kid?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“The one from the house next to the old people,” Scootaloo said, “That kid, he hit me and stole my necklace.”

“Rod?” James said grimly, he felt Scootaloo nod.
James let go of Scootaloo and had Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell calm her down as he went upstairs. When he came down again he was dressed in his Enforcer gear and pulling on a pair of black leather gloves. James opened the screen door and looked down the street.

“Where are you going?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I’m going to have a little chat with Rod,” James said, “I’ll be back in a bit.”

He shut the door and marched his way down to the Zecomecks house where Rod lived. Once James reached the front door he literately started hammering it.

“Open up!” James yelled.

“Oh hi James,” Rod said mockingly through the door, “Here to fight me because of that girl?”

“I’m not here to fight you,” James said fiercely, “I’m here to kick your ass.”

“Good luck getting through the door,” Rod said and walked off laughing.

James wasn’t going to give up now, he was so close to his goal. He was going to make sure that Rod was going to get what was coming to him, but first he was going to have to find a way inside. Close examination of the door revealed the hinge and door handle screws were exposed and easily accessible. If only he had a screwdriver. James miraculously stood on one as he was searching for an open window.

“This’ll work,” he said placing it into the screws and finding it to be a perfect fit.

Several minutes later James had successfully removed the hinge screws and the outside door handle. James once again knocked on the door and Rod showed up.

“You still can’t get in here,” said Rod. James gave a rather nasty looking smile and gently pushed the door with one finger, the door teetered then fell to the floor. Rod now went from being cocky to downright terrified.

“Now where was I?” James said walking inside, Rod still stood frozen in fear as James replaced the door and turned back to Rod.

“I didn’t mean it,” Rod stammered out.

“Yeah right,” James said striding over to him.

“Look I don’t want any trouble,” Rod said slowly backing away.

“You should of thought about that before you hit that girl,” James said.

Rod turned to run but James grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, James span Rod around and punched him in the middle of his face several times. James then lifted him up and threw Rod onto the kitchen table which snapped in half, Rod got up and rushed at James swinging his fists around, James blocked the attack, grabbed Rod’s head and kneed him in the face. Rod flew back from the impact and landed on the broken table, James hosted him up again and hurled him over the banister to the living room in which a sickening crunch was heard as Rod landed on the hard floor. James leaped over the banister and was a little surprised to find that he hadn’t landed on Rod. He looked around and then saw Rod running at him with a metal baseball bat, James kept his cool and dodged each swing, James blocked one hard swing with his arm which almost broke it. James staggered back a foot and rubbed the bruise.

“Give up?” Rod said wiping blood from his nose.

“You should have finished me,” James said, unto which he delivered a powerful side kick to Rod’s neck. Rod dropped the bat and grabbed his throat, James seized his head and again gave Rod a powerful knee to the face. James felt something like one of Rod’s eyes exploded as his knee connected with his head. Once more James had a hold of Rod and then charged him into a wall, James then started battering Rod until he sank to the floor.

“Now you leave those kids alone,” said James, “If you dare try and hurt them again in any way I will come back and finish the job.”
James walked back to the door and removed it so he could leave.

“What the matter?” came a sort of damaged and slurred voice, “Can’t be the better person?”

James span around and saw Rod limping over, James had to end this now before anyone suspected anything. James sprinted over to Rod and gave him the most painful kick to his groin. Rod dropped and hunched over moaning, James rubbed his shin against the back of his leg.

“It’s over Rod,” said James, “I’ll always be the better person, no matter what happens.”

James turned back around and saw the seashell necklace hanging on a hook mounted to the wall, James grabbed it, went outside and placed the door back into it’s hinge. James sighed and walked back down the street. He opened the door once he got home and saw that Scootaloo hadn’t moved from her spot when she told James what had happened, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were still trying to comfort her. Apple Bloom was the first to see James.

“Did you talk to him?” she asked.

“Sure did,” James said happily, “And I don’t think he’ll trouble you again.”

“You did it?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“He’s taken care of,” said James, “Also I managed to get something from him.”
James held the necklace out for Scootaloo to see, once she saw it she stopped crying and looked up at James.

“I take good care of my friends,” said James. Scootaloo took the necklace then hugged James, James couldn’t help but return it.

“Thank you so much dad,” Scootaloo said quietly. James was taken by surprise a little when he heard that.

“Did you just say ‘dad’?” he asked.

“No I said thanks for that,” Scootaloo said.

“I thought you said dad as well,” Apple Bloom said.

“It might of sounded like it because you didn’t hear me,” said Scootaloo, sounding irritated..

“Well it’s official now,” James said, “I’m going to have to teach you CQC.”
The Crusaders were a little confused.

“What’s CQC?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Close Quarter Combat,” replied James, “Something that I should teach you now after what Rod did.”

“How will it help us?” Apple Bloom asked.

“With a little training I can have you kill a person with almost no effort,” James said, “But for now I’ll just teach you strikes, grabs, holds and escape techniques if you want.”

Scootaloo immediately said yes, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell had no choice but to have James teach them one of the most deadly fighting styles known to man. The following day James took the Crusaders outside to the backyard because of the fake grass being softer and that no-one would see them.

“First thing to teach you is the origin of this kind of fighting style and who used it,” James said.

“Where did it come from?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Soviet Russian Spetsnaz commandos,” said James.

“Who were they?” Scootaloo asked.

“Communist commandos trained to kill through the most intense training,” James said, “Now all I need to show you what I’ll be teaching you is a volunteer.”

After a few minutes Scootaloo stepped forward, James instructed her to stand in front of him.

“Is this going to hurt?” she asked.

“Trust me, it won’t hurt too much,” James said, “Now charge at me.”
Scootaloo did as James said, she charged forward at him. James sidestepped and grabbed hold of her arm then in one motion put her in an arm lock and pinned her to the ground.

“This move is pretty easy once you get the hang of it,” James said letting Scootaloo get up.

“I hope this all pays off,” Scootaloo said.

Vengence

After several days it pretty much did, the Crusaders all knew CQC and could execute moves pretty well. Apple Bloom Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were evaluated after all the training, Scootaloo had exceeded expectations and was taught a few other moves because she had amazing balance and coordination. James also decided to teach the Crusaders basic first aid that he learned in school, he did this just in case one of them got hurt and he wasn’t around to help. The day after evaluation James trusted Scootaloo with going down the street once more to deliver misplaced mail to one of the neighborhood residents. She had gave the mail to the right people and was on her way back to James' house when some clanking caught her attention, Scootaloo span around and saw Rod hobbling his way over to her. Rod was in a traction brace because of the damage that he received from James, his legs were in braces and his head fixed in place.

“So the girly come back for more,” Rod said, his vocal chords were also damaged from when James kicked him in the throat, his voice sounded slurred and somewhat deep but with spit bubbling around in his mouth.

“Go away,” Scootaloo said.

“Aw, someone scared?” Rod taunted, he was still the same stupid person like he always had been. Rod clearly didn’t learn to back off as James had warned him to.

“No,” said Scootaloo, “I’m not scared of you.”

“This time I’m going to make sure that James never finds out about what I did,” said Rod hobbling over to Scootaloo.

“Don’t push me,” she said sternly.

“What are you gonna do? Get James?” Rod said, “I’m not scared of him.”

“I said go away,” Scootaloo said as she backed away. Rod lunged forward and grabbed hold of her arm, Scootaloo sprung into action taking a hold of Rod’s arm and escaping his grasp then she threw him to the tarmac.

“Stay away from me!” Scootaloo said. Rod struggled to get up.

“So you learned a little something,” Rod said, “But I’m an orange belt in karate so I know more.”

Rod tried to kick Scootaloo but she knocked him back. Rod grabbed her shirt but Scootaloo grabbed him and threw him over her shoulder and slammed him into the ground. Rod looked up at Scootaloo and cowered.

“Stay down if you know what’s good for you,” Scootaloo said fiercely. She then left a more crippled Rod in the street and went back to the house. She went inside and headed for the den, eager to tell James what had happened. James was in the den with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell showing them his dad’s M4 carbine.

“This is what I hate about most assault rifles,” he said fumbling around with the gun, “You have to take it apart in order to clean it.”

“James!” Scootaloo said loudly.

“Hi there,” James said, “Did you do as I asked?”

“I sure did,” Scootaloo said.

“And judging by your messed up clothes and the fact you’re out of breath means that you’ve done a little something extra,” said James.

“That Rod kid tried to hurt me again,” Scootaloo said. James pulled the charging handle on the rifle and gripped it tighter.

“I told him to stay away from you three,” said James.

“It’s okay James, I took care of it,” Scootaloo said. James dropped his gaze and stared at Scootaloo.

“You managed to fend him off?” he asked.

“He won’t bother us again,” said Scootaloo, proud of what she did.

“You got rid of him?” asked Apple Bloom. Scootaloo nodded, James stood up and walked over to Scootaloo.

“I really think this deserves something special,” said James, “You wait until I find the perfect day.”

Tally-Ho

The month of July seemed to be nothing but endless rain and humidity that was unbearable to be in. But one day was the perfect summers day, there were no clouds in the sky, the temperature was perfect and there was no humidity or wind. James picked this particular day to see if his Spitfire was in flying shape, Dave took James and the Crusaders to the flying club airport where Dave and James learned to fly. The hanger that held the Spitfire sat on the other side of the airport, James took the Crusaders down to the hangar while Dave filled out forms in the club office. James unlocked the door to the hangar and switched on the lights. The lights took some time to power on, once they did, light flooded the hangar and revealed a Mark II Supermarine Spitfire.

The plane was a two seater training aircraft with the classic camouflage and decals. The propeller had five props and the wings still had holes where the guns were mounted.

“Here she is,” James said running his hand across the wing.

“Why did you bring us here?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“So you can see what I can fly,” said James, he dropped his flight bag and started to examine the front of the plane.

“So you’re going to fly this today for us?” asked Apple Bloom.

“That and something else,” James said turning to face the Crusaders, “One of you has always wanted to experience flight, they did once and now because of what one of you did a while ago I’m going to let you fly with me.”

“Wait,” Scootaloo said pointing at herself, “You mean me?”

“You’ve earned it,” James said, “So, are you coming?”
Scootaloo couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Take me with you,” she said over and over again as she jumped up and down.

“I will, I will,” James chuckled, “First I wanted to show you the modifications we had to fit to the plane.”

Scootaloo moaned but followed James as he showed the modifications that were fitted to the Spitfire. James explained that the plane had to be up to federal standards in order to be allowed to fly, the plane cockpit was fitted with a modern GPS and radar along with improved communication. The engine had been improved so it could fly at greater speeds and fly at higher altitudes, James also pointed out the larger fuel tank that was fitted, new tires were fitted as well.

“So is that all?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Come on, I want to fly already,” Scootaloo whined.

“There are a few more things I want to show you,” James said walking under one of the wing tips, “Do you see these here?”
James was pointing to a series of small red cubes inserted into the wing. The Crusaders each looked at them closely.

“What are they?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Flares,” said James, “Each one is a cluster of three.”

“Why do you need flares?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Just in case a missile comes after me,” James said, “One set of flares dumped and I’m free.”

“How will you know if there’s a missile chasing you?” Scootaloo asked, a little unbelieving of what James had fitted to the plane.

“I had a defensive sensor system installed along with a targeting system that replaced the old gun sights,” James said.

“Wait,” Apple Bloom said, “This thing is armed?”

“Four machine guns and two cannons,” said James, “All of which are fully functional but unloaded for now. There’s also a smoke dispenser that I wanted fitted in case I end up at an airshow.”

“Come on lets go,” Scootaloo said, a little annoyed because she knew that James was deliberately stalling.

“Alright I’ve kept you here long enough,” James said, “Let’s wheel this out of here and set it up in the open.

James and the Crusaders managed to pull the Spitfire out of the hangar and park it out on the grass next to the runway. As James preformed the preflight checks Dave came back from the office.

“Have you seen it up close?” Dave asked.

“How old is it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Older than my dad if that’s what you’re asking,” said James. The Crusaders laughed a little.

“Very funny,” said Dave.

“Can we get this over with?” Scootaloo asked, “I’m starting to get bored.”

“Almost done,” said James.

After several minutes James had the Spitfire ready for takeoff, he helped Scootaloo into the rear seat and then clambered into the pilots seat himself. As Scootaloo strapped herself in James handed her a headset, as she put it on she couldn’t help but notice James wrapping a long white scarf around his neck.

“What are you doing?” Scootaloo asked.

“Making sure I stay warm,” James said strapping on his helmet, “You’re fine but I always get a draft hitting me when I fly over a thousand feet.”

“What do I have to do back here?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sit back and enjoy the ride,” James said, he then switched to a banter accent “Chocks away!”

James started the engine and the Spitfire roared into life, releasing the brakes James steered the plane onto the runway. He lined the plane up in the middle of the runway and tried to get a better look of the landing strip.

“I have no idea how much tarmac is in front of me,” James said, “Never mind, I’ll make do with what I’ve got.”

“Can we take off?” Scootaloo asked.

“I might get a little bumpy but yes,” said James.
James pushed the throttle to the max, once he gained enough speed the plane leveled out and he saw that the runway was about to end.

“Here we go!” he said pulling the stick back. The Spitfire slowly raised off the ground and then ascended into the sky. James retracted the landing gear and turned the plane around.

“I need to say this now Scootaloo,” James said, “If you feel a little airsick tell me and I’ll ease up a bit and try to fly as straight as I can. Also if you feel as if you can’t keep your lunch down there are a few bags in the pocket to the right of you.”

“Thanks James,” Scootaloo said, “But why are you telling me this?”

“Because of this!” said James. He pulled the joystick back and then had the plane turn sharply to the left, Scootaloo was screaming, James could tell that it wasn’t screaming because she was scared but excited. James knew that he was probably make Scootaloo a little queasy but she would thank him later, he then leveled the Spitfire out.

“You okay back there?” he asked.

“Again!” Scootaloo shouted, “I want to tell Rainbow Dash about this.”

“You can tell her you pulled off a barrel roll,” said James, and with that he had the plane spin several times, he stopped and pulled off a few more tricks. Scootaloo couldn’t have been happier, she told James all of Rainbow Dash’s tricks and James recreated them as he flew. After a while James stopped so he could recover from the dizziness, he also checked up on Scootaloo who had grown quiet.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“You’re the best,” said Scootaloo.

“You’re a little quiet,” said James, “You feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Scootaloo, “Just a little glad that you’re not doing any more tricks.”

“How’s about we do a flyover of the club?” James asked, “You can see all the planes from up here.”

“Sure, I bet Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell will want to see this,” said Scootaloo.
James flew over the flying club and circled the area looking for his dad with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell.

“Over there by the building,” said Scootaloo.
James span the plane around and banked to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell waving up at them, Scootaloo waved back and James responded with a British salute. James flipped the Spitfire over and gave a small wave to his dad then flipped the plane back upright and flew around the airport so he could land.

After the landing James and Dave put the Spitfire away in the hangar, James realized that Scootaloo was still in the back. James clambered up the wing to get her out as Dave locked the main doors to the hangar.

“Are you okay?” asked James.

“Never been better,” Scootaloo said.

“Come on, we have to go now,” James said helping Scootaloo out of the cockpit.

“I’m done with flying for a few days,” said Scootaloo, “Those were some amazing tricks you pulled off.”

“Let’s save this conversation for later, I need to lie down,” said James.

He and Scootaloo left the hangar and James locked the door when they were outside. James felt a little dizzy from his flying but he was getting used to it, Scootaloo on the other hand looked a little green but perfectly happy. After a long and careful drive James and the Crusaders were back home and once James was through the door he went to his room and collapsed on his bed. Scootaloo followed and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell couldn’t resist joining them. It had been a long and exciting day for Scootaloo, she felt a little guilt because Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell didn’t get a chance to be in the plane.

“Hey James,” Scootaloo said, “Why not next time you take Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell in your Spitfire?”

“Great idea Scootaloo,” said James, “How about it, kids?”

“I don’t really like flying,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I did have one experience flying,” said Apple Bloom, “It didn’t end well.”

“Aw really?” James said.

“Thanks for the offer though,” said Apple Bloom.
James shrugged and lay back and let the Crusaders use his TV. James sat there with them wondering how they would get back to Equestria. But a few more problems arose; Had they forgotten where they came from? Would they be willing to go if they were able to get back? What would Rarity and Applejack think of him for taking in their little sisters but exposing them to extreme danger such as the bombs and the hurricane? James told himself to not think about it until that day arrived, that is, if it did.

Crossing The States

The last few weeks of July were miserable or unbearable, constant rain and sweltering humidity tormented the east coast and another hurricane had rolled through the south of America. But this didn’t stop James and the Crusaders from making the most of it. New movies were released, the neighbors’ pools were always open and the gun range had a new experience to it every time they went. One day after the Crusaders got a chance to shoot the pistols once more they found James at the counter with Dave purchasing ammo.

“Are we going back to shoot again?” Scootaloo asked, her shirt had specks of gunpowder on it.

“No, this is a little different,” said James.

“So why are you buying more bullets?” asked Apple Bloom.

“For our safety,” said James, “We’re going up to South Dakota later this week remember?”

“So what’s with the weird box?” Sweetie Bell asked. James pulled out a .357 round out of the box, it was a normal looking round until James pointed out the bullet itself. The bullet had a sharp point and made was of steel.

“This here can kill bears,” said James.

“Bears?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yep, had a nasty run-in with one once,” said James.

“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked.

“We were riding horses around the Black Hills and a grizzly came out of the brush,” James said, “Scared us and spooked the horses, the guide had a rifle with these rounds and he killed it.”

“Why did he kill it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“If he didn’t I might be dead,” said James.
Dave purchased the bullets and took them from James, Katherine collected a couple of the guns, James and the Crusaders helped out with carrying some of the gear to the car and back home.

The end of the week came faster than expected, James had only just finished packing up the Winchester repeater that they always took with them since the grizzly bear tried to kill them when he heard that the car was packed and everyone was ready to go to the airport. The airport that James’ family used for long trips was much bigger than the flying club.

“Welcome to Philadelphia international airport,” said James.
The Crusaders stared out of the window at the massive airport, they had never seen anything like this before. As Dave drove around looking for a parking spot the Crusaders asked James more about what they were about to enter.

“Is this how you get around in this world?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes it is,” said James, “It’s a hub of activity and travel, which reminds me, stick together alright? I don’t want you getting lost.”

“Are there a lot of people here?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Hundreds,” said James, “Stay with us, if you do get lost don’t move from where you are. It’s easier to find you then.”

“What can we expect in here?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Tight security, long lines and even longer waiting time,” said James, “And that’s before we pass the security checkpoints.”
The Crusaders all looked at one another then back outside, James assured them he would tell them what to do. After a half hour they made it inside the terminal, the place was brand new and unusually quiet in the ticket lines.

“This could go easier than I expected,” said James.

The wait for the tickets and depositing the large bulky baggage was much shorter than James and his family had ever experienced. The wait to pass security was, as usual, painfully long. The security guard checked the passports for James’ family and the new passports that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo acquired only last week. The long wait through the checkpoint wasn’t helped by Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo complaining that their feet were cold, they had chosen to wear sandals and were walking barefoot on the cold tile floor while James and Apple Bloom wore sneakers and had socks on. After they made it through security, James found the gate that had their flight, all was left was an agonizing wait until boarding.

“How long until we can get on?” Apple Bloom asked.

“About five hours,” said James. Scootaloo huffed and sunk down in her seat.

“How about we find somewhere to eat?” asked Katherine.

“A good idea since I can’t stand airplane food,” said James.

“Is it that bad?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“I would rather starve than eat on a plane,” said James.

Dave found a decent restaurant for them to eat at. While eating in the restaurant James and Katherine entertained the Crusaders with stories of his rather bonkers Uncle Norbert, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo enjoyed hearing the misadventures and said that a few of them sounded like adventures they had done themselves. Almost six hours later the plane was ready for boarding, after jostling their way through other passengers on the plane James and the Crusaders found their seats.

“I’m here by the window,” James said, “Abigail, you’re next to me and my dad, you two get to sit opposite with mum.”
Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo sat down in their seats while Katherine and Dave stuffed bags in the overhead bin. As James made himself comfortable in his seat, Apple Bloom sat down next to him.

“James,” she said, “How long will we be flying in here?”

“Six hours I think,” said James.

“How do we pass the time?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I usually sleep,” said James, “But I’m going to wait until we’re airborne.”

“Why’s that?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Because I usually need a drink before I sleep,” James said taking out a Skymall magazine.

The plane was eventually up and flying, James was idly flicking through the magazine when the drinks cart came down the aisle.

“Can I get you anything?” the stewardess asked.

“Just water for us please,” Dave said. As the stewardess got James, Apple Bloom and Dave water Dave handed James a small plastic tube.

“What’s that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Dramamine,” said James, “I always have this when flying long distance.”

“What is it for?” asked Apple Bloom.

“It’s a motion sickness pill that helps you sleep,” Dave replied, “You can have one if you want.”
Apple Bloom watched James take one and drink the entire cup of water he had, Apple Bloom nudged him and pointed to the plastic vial.

“You want one too?” James asked.

“I’ll get bored without someone to talk to,” Apple Bloom replied.
James chuckled and gave her one, he then rolled over in his seat and fell asleep. Apple Bloom looked at the pill in her hand, she wasn’t sure if this was safe for her to take. Then again, she was starting to feel a little dizzy. Apple Bloom decided to take the Dramamine so she could at least sleep the hours away. She swallowed the pill and drank her water, then drowsiness slowly started to affect her, Apple Bloom didn’t know what was happening but tried to let sleep take over, soon she fell asleep and wondered what they would do in South Dakota.

After what seemed like a few minutes Apple Bloom slowly started to wake up, she could hear and feel something but she didn’t know what it was.

“Wakey wakey,” James’ voice came, Apple Bloom opened her eyes and saw James gently shaking her awake.

“Hey there kiddo,” James said, “Sleep well?”

“Are we there yet?” asked Apple Bloom.

“We touched down a few minutes ago,” said James, “Come on, we’re getting off this thing.”
Apple Bloom unbuckled herself and stood up, a thumping headache and a dry throat followed.

“Ow,” she said, “Why does my head hurt?”

“Just a small side effect of the Dramamine,” said James, “I’m a little dehydrated myself. Let’s get into the airport and get some water.”
James helped Apple Bloom grab her bag and follow Dave. The flight crew waved them off the plane and James led everyone to the main gate.

“Welcome to Rapid City,” said James.

Rapid City airport was much smaller than Philadelphia’s airport so finding baggage claim was easy, once all the bags were accounted for Dave led everyone outside to the SUV that they would be using.

“It that ours?” James asked once he saw it.

“We had to since we brought the girls along,” said Dave.
The SUV was almost twice the size of Katherine’s SUV, Dave opened up the trunk and started putting bags in the back, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo clambered in and examined the vehicle.

“It’s much bigger than last year,” James said as he struggled to get a large case in the back, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo helped him pull it in.

“I know, but it’s going to be better on those dirt roads,” replied Dave.

“At least we have that,” said James.

“So where are we going first?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“You’re going to like this,” said James, “We’re going to stay at a ranch.”

“A ranch?” Apple Bloom asked. She sounded a little surprised but somewhat excited.

“Same one we’ve been at for the past three years,” said James, “You’re going to like it there.”

“Alright now everyone in,” said Dave, “We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

The trip through Rapid City and the Back Hills looked the same to James and his family, as for the Crusaders they could not stop looking outside the car. South Dakota was a new place to them and they wanted to see every last bit of it. The road soon left the sights of the hills and the car ended up in Hill City, a much smaller town that James, Dave and Katherine used for shopping and eating out.

“This is one nice place,” said Apple Bloom.

“Wait until we get to the ranch,” said James.

“I can’t wait,” said Apple Bloom.

“You’re really excited about this ranch,” said Sweetie Bell.

“It’ll help remind me of home, help make sure I don’t forget,” Apple Bloom said.

Yet Another Home From Home

As Dave drove onward to the ranch, James started asking the Crusaders where they wanted to go. He mentioned all the places he had been to for the past three years; Deadwood, Keystone, the nuclear missile launch facility, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse memorial, and a couple of abandoned gold mines. As James had predicted, they wanted to go to each place mentioned.

“Are we able to?” James asked his mother.

“I think we can pull it off,” replied Katherine.

“We’re here,” said Dave.
They had finally arrived at the ranch, a large piece of land with several houses and a large barn sat ahead of them. Apple Bloom tried to get a better look out of the front if the car but was pushed back into her seat by James.

“Relax, we’ll get a better look at the place in a bit,” he said.

“This is our house,” said Katherine, she pointed out a large cabin in the middle of the line of homes. The cabin was the same one James’ family had used for the past three years, but before they could go inside they had to get the key from the ranch owners.

“So are these people nice?” Sweetie Bell asked as they made their way to the administration building.

“Nicest people I’ve ever met,” said James.

“Once we get the key we can unpack,” said Katherine.
As everyone went inside James pulled Apple Bloom aside.

“Listen,” he said, “The ranch owners are nice people but you can’t mention your home to them.”

“Why? We might get to know one another better,” said Apple Bloom.

“I don’t want our secret to be compromised,” said James, “Keep to yourself and don’t mention Ponyville. Also there is someone here who does look a lot like your sister so don’t blurt anything out.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” Apple Bloom said, a little annoyed that James was trying to keep her safe, not because she was sick of it but because she thought James took protecting them too far. She was glad James was doing everything he could to keep her, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo safe but she wanted James to back down a little from time to time.
The owner of the ranch was already talking to Dave and Katherine. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had become a little shy but were happy to see James and Apple Bloom walking through the door.

“And here’s James now,” said Dave.

“Glad to see you’re still sticking around,” said the owner, “So, are you going to introduce me to your little friends?”

“This is Abigail,” James said pulling Apple Bloom closer to him, “And their names are Samantha and Susie.”

“Just so you know, I’m Samantha,” said Sweetie Bell.

“And I’m Susie,” said Scootaloo, “Hope that James didn’t confuse you.”

“None at all,” said the ranch owner, “Anyways, I’m Doc.”

Doc was a living example of what a ranch owner should look like; the typical rancher outfit, a large cowboy hat, beard and mustache combo, real cowboy boots and a holster at his side. James had always liked Doc, both he and Doc would scout out horse riding trails before the main group arrived to make sure it was safe. That task became more of a job after a bear somehow got past them two years ago, the near death experience led Dave to buy a Winchester repeater so James could at least some protection.

“This here’s the strangest bunch of kids I’ve ever seen,” Doc said looking at each one of the Crusaders, “Now from what your folks told me was that their families are on some sort of business trip and you’re taking care of them.”
James looked a little confused at first but then realized it was the perfect alibi.

“Yep, that’s right,” said James, “Little Abigail here lives on a farm herself.”

“Oh really?” said Doc, “What kind of farm?”

“Produce,” said James.

“And boy do we grow a lot of apples,” said Apple Bloom.

“Where’s your farm at?” asked Doc.

“Somewhere in New York,” said James.

“Good place,” said Doc, “Anyway, here’s the key to your cabin, it’s exactly the same as you left it.”

“Thank you Doc,” said Dave, “When is the next horse riding tour?”

“Some time next week,” said Doc, “A few fires happened last month and we’re helping the forest rangers clear up the place.”

“We’ve got enough places to go in order to kill time,” said James.
Doc waved to them as they left. While Dave and Katherine went to see the new stables James led the Crusaders to the horses.

“Here are the horses,” said James.

“Wow,” the Crusaders all breathed. Several large stallions and mares wandered around inside the pen, one brown and white horse trotted over to James.

“Hey there Remington,” James said. The horse responded with a small whinny.

“You know this horse?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I’ve been riding Remington for the past three years,” James said as he stroked the horse, “He knows me and I know him. We’ve connected in a way.”

“He’s really nice,” said Apple Bloom.

“One of the best horses in the ranch,” said James, he turned around and saw his parents waking back to the car with one of the ranch hands “We’d best get back to the car now.”

Dave and Katherine took James and the Crusaders back to the cabin, once they got to it James jumped out of the car took the key and ran to the door.

“Are you coming to help?” Dave asked.

“Let’s get the door open first,” said James.

“I hope there are enough beds for us all,” said Apple Bloom.

“Not to worry,” said James, “It’ll most likely be the same setup as last year.”
James opened the door to the cabin and looked inside, the Crusaders were all behind him waiting to go inside.

“Welcome to our home from home,” said James.
The cabin was in perfect shape, two floors and three separate rooms. The upstairs floor only had two beds and a small TV, the bathroom was small but well equipped, both the kitchen and living room were combined and the first room James stepped into, he looked around and saw the same map of the state affixed to the wall. As James walked around the living room he examined every last picture and appliance.

“Yep,” he said, “Just like we remember.”

James went back to the SUV and helped his parents carry cases out and take them to the cabin while the Crusaders investigated the cabin for themselves. They looked in each room and upstairs as they decided on what to do during their vacation.

“First thing’s first,” said Apple Bloom, “Who gets what room?”

“I want to be upstairs,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Same here,” said Scootaloo, “I don’t like sleeping alone.”

“Fine then,” said Apple Bloom, “I’ll take that room there.”
Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo ran upstairs leaving Apple Bloom to see the room she had picked by herself. Apple Bloom walked into the bedroom and looked around, the bed was a decent size double bed, it seemed to take up most of the room however but that didn’t bother Apple Bloom. She pulled off her boots and climbed up on the bed, eager to test how soft it was. As Apple Bloom was jumping up and down on the bed the door opened and she dropped down to a sitting position.

“Alright, I’ll keep the gun in my room,” James’ voice was heard, Apple Bloom relaxed because she knew James wouldn’t mind her jumping on the bed. James entered the room with a rifle case in his hand, he stopped when he saw Apple Bloom sitting on the bed.

“What are you doing in here?” James asked.

“Just trying out the bed,” said Apple Bloom, “Why? What are you doing in here?”

“This is my bedroom,” James said with a slight laugh.

“Oh, really?” Apple Bloom said, she had no idea that this was James’ room.

“Nice in here isn’t it?” James said as he set down the rifle and sat on the bed next to her, “Same room I’ve used for the past three years.”

“The bed’s real soft,” said Apple Bloom, “I like this room.”

“Well this had been my favorite room for the past three years you know,” said James.

“Aww,” Apple Bloom moaned, “Can I be in here? Please?”
James looked at her and Apple Bloom responded with one of her classic cute looks. James tried to resist but couldn’t look away, Apple Bloom’s face was too cute looking to resist.

“Alright,” he sighed, “You can stay here.”

“Really?” Apple Bloom said.

“If you didn’t give me that look I would have had you sleep in the spare room but I couldn’t resist giving in,” James said.

“I can change anyone with that look,” said Apple Bloom. James chuckled and stood up.

“Like I said, you can stay in here,” he said taking the rifle as he left, “Just don’t try that look on me again.”

“No promises,” said Apple Bloom.

After every last case was unpacked and everyone settled into the cabin Dave and Katherine decided to go down to Hill City in order to stock up on food and to see if there was anywhere to eat later. Hill City was yet another adventure for the Crusaders, a place like this may have been new to the girls but for some reason they knew where to find certain stores even though they had never been in Hill City before. Once shopping was taken care of and another few hours had passed, the family found a nice place to eat at for the night.

“It’s really nice of you bringing us here,” Apple Bloom said to James’ parents.

“Well James insisted,” said Dave, “And we thought that you might like this place as well.”

“At least now if we have to fly anywhere you three are set,” said James, “Three passports in less than two days. How we pulled that off I’ll never know.”

“Considering that most of their personal information is wrong,” Katherine said in a whisper.

“I’m more impressed that the people didn’t ask us anything about the girls,” James said quietly.

“So where are we going tomorrow?” Sweetie Bell asked, the current conversation was making her uneasy.

“It’s your choice,” said James, he took a handful of brochures out of his mother’s bag and gave them to the Crusaders.

“You find a place and we’ll take you there tomorrow,” said Dave.
The Crusaders sifted through the pile of brochures and after what seemed like an hour, they found a place.

“Can we go here?” Apple Bloom asked handing James one brochure. James read it, it was a brochure for a goldmine museum, a one hundred twenty old mine with interactive exhibits and a gold panning area, best part was that it wasn’t far from the ranch. James gave the brochure to his parents and they nodded.

“Why not?” said Katherine, “Maybe you might get something to take home with you.”

“Like what?” asked Scootaloo.

“Real gold,” said James.

Shiny Things

The look on the Crusaders’ faces sealed the deal. The next day after they got breakfast at the administration building with the ranch owners, the family was soon driving down to the goldmine. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell couldn’t believe that they might get real gold after they try and pan for it, Scootaloo couldn’t care less for the gold but rather wanted to see if her special talent was mining or panning. The gold mine soon came into sight, it was rather concealed behind the hill and bushes but it was obvious that it was a mine at one point.

“So what do we do now?” Apple Bloom asked once they entered the museum.

“Look around, learn something, then pan for gold,” James said as he jumped out of the car, “See if I can actually get something this year.”
The owners of the museum were a cheery lot, they gave a guided tour of the various areas of the mine and showed them some old machinery. The Crusaders enjoyed using the old mining tools, experiencing how simple machinery could make moving heavy carts easier and seeing actual gold dug up on display. But what they had been looking forward to the most was the gold panning.

“Okay then,” the tour guide said, “Now you get to pan for gold yourself.”

“I wonder if this’ll be the day I got something,” James said.

“Three years and still you get nothin’,” the tour guide said.
James nodded, and looked down at the stream that was used for gold panning.

“Since you’ve been here more than these girls you can get started,” said the tour guide.

James was handed a pan and a small shovel and he headed off behind the mineshaft out of view. The Crusaders were taken to a large gazebo made of wood and sheet metal, Dave and Katherine left the Crusaders with the tour guide and one of the panning instructors. The Crusaders listened closely and watched carefully as the instructor showed them how to pan, after they got the hang of it the Crusaders were given pans and told to dig in the dirt pile and put some in the pan. Once they did that they carried the dirt filled pans to the stream where they could here the irritated shouts of James, they soon saw him sitting in the stream talking to another tour guide. As Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo neared the river James and the tour guide saw them approach.

“You took your time,” said James.

“New comers eh?” the tour guide said, “Alrighty then, you kids take your shoes off and come on down.”

“It’s not that bad,” said James, “The water’s fine.”
The Crusaders took their shoes and socks off and stepped into the stream, but Sweetie Bell squealed and they jumped back out.

“You lied James, the water’s freezing!” Sweetie Bell said. James cackled a little.

“Yeah but it’s fine once you get used to it,” he said while he examined the pebbles in his pan.
Apple Bloom stepped in again and sat down next to James.

“I really hope this pays off,” she said.

“We may never know,” said James.

The next twenty minutes consisted of a mix of questions asked by the Crusaders and annoyed shouts that came from James. The tour guide mostly made small talk with Dave and Katherine at a bench overlooking the stream as the panning instructor checked James and the Crusaders. After some time, James’ efforts and patience had paid off.

“Hey hey!” he said, “I think I got something!”
The instructor looked at the small flake of gold on James’ finger, it wasn’t bigger than a grain of sand but it was clear that James had managed to get real gold after three years of panning here.

“It’s not too big but it’s bigger than most I’ve seen,” said the instructor. He gave James a small tube shaped like a pill container and James dropped the gold in it.

“I see that you still give people a little gold to take with them,” James said as he examined it.

“I’m guessing that you have about three of these now?” the instructor asked. James nodded and gave the tube back to him and continued panning.

“I’ve got some gold too!” Sweetie Bell said.

“How big?” James asked, not looking up from the water filled pan.
Sweetie Bell plucked the gold nugget out of the pan and held it up to the sun.

“Sweet Jesus,” the instructor said. James looked up and saw the gold the Sweetie Bell had.

“Bloody hell,” James said getting up and wading over to Sweetie Bell, “How did you get a piece that big?”
The gold nugget was the size of a small stone, James had never seen anything like it before. The instructor was agape from what he was looking at.

“That’s bigger than any piece of gold I’ve seen recovered in this stream,” he said.

“Nice going Samantha!” Scootaloo said giving Sweetie Bell a playful punch on the arm.

“You really have a gift with stuff like this,” said Apple Bloom.

“I can’t wait to show my sister this,” said Sweetie Bell, dropping the gold in a tube.

“Why can’t this stuff happen to me?” James said jokingly as he messed up Sweetie Bell’s hair.

After the panning James took the Crusaders back to the car with Sweetie Bell’s gold nugget in Katherine’s bag. James had one hell of a time trying to tell the tour guide that the gold nugget was Sweetie Bell’s and that she wanted to use it.

“So how was it?” James asked the Crusaders.

“Real fun,” said Scootaloo.

“I liked it a lot,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Me too, I should of picked a dryer place to pan though,” said Apple Bloom. James could see what she meant, her pants were wet around the ankles but drying fast.

“Well at least I got something this time,” said James.

“Overshadowed by the gold I got,” said Sweetie Bell. James could only laugh along with the Crusaders, he was impressed by the gold nugget Sweetie Bell had managed to get from gold panning but he chose to forget about it.

So Many Places, Such Little Time

The next few days in South Dakota got better and better for the Crusaders, they had been taken to Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorial and were now in Keystone. James had taken them round the old historic section of Keystone and was now taking them to the more modern shopping area of the town.

“It’s really nice here,” said Apple Bloom.

“Remind you of anywhere?” James asked.

“Kind of reminds me of home,” said Sweetie Bell, “But with more stores and stuff.”

“So then should we get something to eat?” Dave asked.

“Let’s see if we can get in that restaurant that was all saloon themed,” said Katherine.

“I’m in,” said James.

“Same,” said Scootaloo.

“I like the sound of where we’re going,” said Sweetie Bell.
James’ parents directed them where to go, as they were walking down the path to the shopping area they passed another family, James and his parents barely had time to exchange looks when the other family passed them and disappeared into a store.

“Oh my god,” James said.

“Did you see them?” said Katherine.

“What about them?” asked Apple Bloom.

“That was one of those diehard tourist families I see every now and then,” said James, “They all wear the same shirts and carry their weird souvenirs everywhere with them.”

“We try and avoid becoming one of them,” said Dave.

“I bet we looked like the craziest family they’ve ever seen,” said James. He was fairly right about that opinion, James had chosen this day to wear his Enforcer uniform while Apple Bloom had on her new rancher outfit along with a cowboy hat she bought, Scootaloo’s new leather biker jacket and leather pants were normal looking but it was her hair was what really stood out on her, mix that with Sweetie Bell’s new hiking gear that she got a couple of days ago and they as well be one of the most unusual families touring South Dakota. Still, they found nothing wrong with how they looked. James and the Crusaders wanted to stand out, they did this so that they could find one another if they got lost. They eventually got to the restaurant and managed to get a table. James was sitting between Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell chugging down sarsaparilla, Apple Bloom was too busy reading a poster on the wall next to her to notice that people were staring at them.

“James, I’m getting a little uneasy,” Scootaloo whispered.

“Just focus on us and you’ll get over it,” said James.

“Why does this hat have a net around it?” Sweetie Bell asked as she looked at her new hat with confusion.
“I think it’s to repel bugs,” said Katherine. Sweetie Bell shrugged and stuck the hat back on her head.
James was looking though the menu when he felt a tug on his sleeve, he looked over his shoulder and saw a seven-year-old boy standing behind him.

“Excuse me,” the kid said, “Are you a soldier?”

“In a way yes,” said James.

“Cool! Can I get a picture with you?” the kid asked.
James looked at his parents who nodded at him.

“I don’t see why not?” said James getting up, “I can spare a few minutes.”

The boy ran over to his dad and his dad picked a camera off of the table. Once the kid had his picture with James the actors of the stage comedy of the show walked over to James’ table, this soon led to a chain of pictures being taken of James and the Crusaders with a mix of friendly bikers, off duty soldiers, the actors, various tourists and kids. Once that little ordeal was over and Dave was driving the family back to the ranch James and the Crusaders couldn’t help laughing and looking at all the pictures that were taken.

“I can’t believe that actually happened,” said Apple Bloom.

“It’s weird I know but everyone was nice about it,” said James.

“Maybe next time we should be a little more casually dressed,” said Katherine.

“Nice of those bikers to compliment my hair,” said Scootaloo.

“Are we going home now?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Might as well,” said Dave, “We’ll probably go out again later to eat.”

The last few days of their vacation in South Dakota were looming ever closer, however James wanted to go to the Nuclear Missile Launch facility and one of the decommissioned silos for their last trip out. There was one problem, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo didn’t see what was so exciting about an old rocket launch control room or a missile. Along with that the drive would be more than four hours to get there.

“Come on girls, I’ve been wanting to go for years,” James said trying to get the Crusaders to come along.

“I don’t see what so exciting about where you want to go,” said Apple Bloom.

“It’s a former symbol of power,” said James, “I’ve waited three years to get in the launch control room and this year I might.”

“What’s so great about it anyway?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s underground, and it’s like being in a secret base,” said James.

“You mean like those old James Bond movies you showed us?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Exactly,” said James. The Crusaders all agreed to go after they heard that.

The drive was not what the Crusaders had been looking forward to, nothing but vast bleakness was all that they could see for mile after mile. James knew what it felt like and knew when they were getting close, he used the Wall Drug billboards to keep track of how close they were getting.

“Fifty eight,” James said, he was counting the signs to pass the time.

“Why did they build this place in the middle of no-where?” asked Scootaloo.

“For safety and concealment,” said James, “I hope this is worth the trip.”

“It’d better be,” said Apple Bloom.

Another hour passed and everyone had become bored. Dave and Katherine hadn’t thought ahead and not brought any CDs, James had the Hunger Games trilogy sitting on his lap and had just started the second book, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo made up a game to pass the time and Sweetie Bell tried to sleep. But James could see out of the corner of his eye that Sweetie Bell wasn’t getting much luck.

“I hate sleeping in this car,” she said.

“Well, what usually helps you sleep?” James asked not looking away from his book.

“I remember years ago when I was really young, my sister would sing me to sleep,” Sweetie Bell said, James picked up on what she wanted.

“No I’m not singing for you,” he said.

“Please?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“No,” said James taking out his iPhone and a pair of earphones, “Here, you can use this.”
Sweetie Bell took the earphones and put them in her ears, she then leaned over to see the music collection that James had.

“Listen to this,” James said, “This used to put me to sleep after a hard day.”
James hit the play button and the phone started playing Greensleeves, Sweetie Bell started to drift off to sleep. Soon she was fast asleep, James took the earphones out of her ears and put the phone back into his pocket.

“You’re like a miracle worker,” said Apple Bloom, “You always manage to get her or us to sleep with ease.”

“A little bit of compassion is what makes it work,” said James.

“Sounding sappy again,” said Scootaloo.

“I’ve really got to watch what I say sometimes,” said James.

“So, are we stopping anywhere?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Probably at Wall Drug,” said James.

“What’s so special about it anyway?” Scootaloo asked.

“The only thing we figured out is that it’s a real big store in the middle of nowhere,” said Dave.

“Is that it?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s all we’ve worked out,” said James.

An hour and twenty Wall Drug billboards later they finally arrived at the legendary Wall Drug, James had only been here twice and it seemed different to him each time.

“And now the bloody parking lot has been moved,” James said as they pulled in.
Sweetie Bell woke up and looked around.

“Where are we?” she asked wearily.

“Wall Drug,” said Dave.

“What’s that then?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Well let’s find out,” James said getting out of the car.
Wall Drug was just as James expected, packed and very difficult to navigate. Dave eventually found a store that they could all use, as James searched the books for something else to read the Crusaders were trying to find out what made this place so famous.

“Anything?” Apple Bloom asked the other two.

“I can’t find anything,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Is there a computer around here?” Scootaloo asked.

After fruitlessly searching among brochures, wall plaques and books the Crusaders gave up, it would seem as the mystery of Wall Drug wouldn’t be solved.

“Hey girls,” James said, “Find anything you like?”

“No,” said Sweetie Bell, “We couldn’t figure out what made Wall Drug famous.”

“Never mind then. Come on, we’re going now, these books are way too expensive,” James said.
The Crusaders left the store with James and went back to the SUV where Dave and Katherine were waiting for them.

“Did you get anything?” Dave asked them as they got in the car.

“If I did then I would be broke,” replied James.

“Expensive?” said Katherine.

“Sadly yes,” said James.

The family left Wall Drug and headed out to the Missile Launch Facility. James was anticipating their arrival while the Crusaders couldn’t help but be curious about what they were going to. After what felt like an hour they finally arrived at the Launch Control building. There wasn’t much to look at, just an ordinary looking house with razor wire fences surrounding it and a few satellite dishes.

“It this it?” Scootaloo asked as James and the Crusaders stepped out of the car.

“Not much,” said James, “Wait until we get inside.”
Dave and Katherine took the lead and eventually after a few minutes waiting the ranger who was leading the tours arrived out of the building.

“Hello and welcome to Delta One launch control,” the ranger said, “I’ll be leading the tour, follow me and don’t hesitate to ask any questions.”
The tour went through the entire upper level of the building, the base had accommodations for several people along with control of several missiles. Apple Bloom Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had no idea why the base was built of what purpose the missiles served.

“So what are the missile for?” Apple Bloom asked the ranger.

“The missiles were build to protect the US from the Soviet Union,” said the ranger, “The Minute Man II missiles were capable of reaching Moscow in less than an hour if launched.”

“And then what?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well then the missiles destroy Moscow,” said the ranger, “Now, shall we move on to the launch control?”
The Crusaders stood confused at what they had just heard, as the ranger led the tour group to the elevator that led to Launch control the Crusaders squeezed in next to James.

“James,” Apple Bloom said, “Why didn’t you tell us what the missiles were for?”

“Because I wanted you to find out for yourselves,” said James.

“How can a rocket destroy an entire city?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s made easy by one hundred megatons of nuclear power,” said James.

“Nuclear missiles?” asked Sweetie Bell, James nodded.

The elevator stopped and the ranger lead the tour group out of the elevator and to a massive steel door, the door was clearly made to keep people out or in whatever lay behind it. There was a rather humorous painting on the door of a pizza box with a missile on it, the side of the box read, “Thirty minutes and less or your next one’s free!”. James couldn’t help taking a picture of it.

“And here we have Missile Control,” said the ranger.
The Launch Control room sat suspended over a hole in a large concrete room, James eagerly stepped inside and listened intently to the ranger. The Crusaders as well were a little excited to be in the Launch Control room, it was like being in a secret bunker of sorts.

“It’s not very big is it?” James asked.

“It’s only meant for two people,” said the ranger.

“How did people live in here?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It wasn’t easy but they managed to,” said the ranger.

“Sounds fun,” said Scootaloo.

Once the tour was over James, his parents and the Crusaders made their way back to the SUV. The Crusaders were pleased that they managed to see what a nuclear bunker was like, soon they got to see the missile that could destroy a city. The missile was sealed up in a silo but there was a glass cover taking place of the larger steel door that was now partially hidden in the ground. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had no idea of the missile’s destructive power. James wandered around the silo reading about what the missile silo contained and how it was operated. Soon, Dave called James and the Crusaders back to the SUV so they could go back to the ranch.

A Classic Movie And Fattening Snacks

Darkness had fallen once they got back, James had enough of traveling and wanted to rest. Dave and Katherine left James and the Crusaders in the house as they went to the administration building to see a show that was put on every year. James couldn’t be bothered to go, he was too tired and just wanted to lie down for a little bit. The Crusaders noticed that the TV upstairs where Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell were sleeping had a DVD player attached and it was working.

“Can we watch a movie James?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Can we, pleeease?” Scootaloo said.

“Sure,” said James, “I think there’re a few DVDs around here somewhere.”

“I’ll help you James,” said Apple Bloom. James and Apple Bloom looked for the DVDs downstairs while Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo did the same upstairs. After a few minutes looking Apple Bloom found a movie.

“What is it?” James asked.

“It’s called ‘Casablanca’,” said Apple Bloom, she looked up at James, “Ever heard of it?”

“This is a true classic,” said James, “I’ve always wanted to see this.”

“You find something?” Sweetie Bell asked leaning over the banister.

“Casablanca,” said James holding up the box.

“You wanna watch it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sounds good to me,” said Scootaloo. James ran up the stairs followed closely by Apple Bloom.

“So what’s the movie about?” Scootaloo asked.

“Not sure,” said James, “But I’ve heard it was really good, seems like this might still be in black and white.”

“Wait, there’s no color?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It’s a really old movie,” said James.

“This should be interesting,” said Apple Bloom.

“Shouldn’t we have snacks or something?” Scootaloo asked. James looked at her then to the TV.

“Quick, to the refrigerator!” he said.

The Crusaders and James made headway for the food downstairs, once they were stock piled with food they carried it all back upstairs. James found a small table to put all the food on. James and the Crusaders took up the bed that lay opposite from the TV, as James started the movie the Crusaders started eating some of the food.

“Save it for later,” said James, “We’ve still got to start this.”

Two hours later the movie finished. James was biting his lip just to stop himself from shedding tears, it probably was the most amazing movie he ever saw. He drank a soda to keep himself stable and looked at the Crusaders, Sweetie Bell had fallen asleep on his shoulder, Scootaloo had curled up into a ball and was also sleeping, Apple Bloom was trying to stay awake but James could see that she was struggling.

“Neat movie huh?” James asked Apple Bloom.

“Really touching,” said Apple Bloom, “Should we clean up now?”

“I’ll do that, you get to bed,” James said as he gently moved Sweetie Bell off his arm.

“I’ll just take some stuff down,” said Apple Bloom.

“Just don’t drop anything,” said James. Apple Bloom took several empty bowls that were filled with garbage, James stayed upstairs and carried Scootaloo over to her bed and tucked her in. He then did the same for Sweetie Bell and then carried the rest of the rubbish downstairs, James dumped the trash and then saw Apple Bloom asleep on the couch.

“Couldn’t make it?” asked James.

“Carry me,” Apple Bloom said sleepily as she held her arms up to James. James chuckled and picked her up, he carried her to her room and set her down on the bed. James didn’t know why but he felt a presence of trust and acceptance after he tucked Apple Bloom in her bed. James chose to stay up until his parents came home, as he sat in his room waiting for their arrival James heard something coming from outside. James looked out of the window but saw only a dark field and head running water coming from the stream.

“Could of sworn I heard something creeping around the house,” James said going back to reading his book.

Several minutes later he heard another noise, this one sounded like footsteps wandering around the concrete barbecue patio at the side of the house. James grabbed his Winchester, loaded it with the steel bear hunting rounds and went to the front door. James carefully crept over to the side of the cabin with his repeater aimed and ready, he hoped to see what or who was sneaking around before he assumed the worst and fired. James came up to the patio, he never made a sound because his feet were bare and the grass was soft. James peeked around the corner and saw two silhouettes trying to look in the window to Apple Bloom’s room, James had to intervene. He rounded the corner with his weapon raised.

“Who goes there?” James said pointing the Winchester at the two figures. The two figures said something in a language that James couldn’t understand then backed away.

“Don’t bloody move,” said James, “All I want to know is what you’re up to.”
The two figures back away some more, threw down a bag filled with a powder then ran off into the darkness. James flew through the dust and tried to get a better look at the intruders, all he saw was their unusual looking clothes. James shook his head and went back inside the cabin, he unloaded the Winchester and went back into his room. James set the bullets down on the cabinet and placed the repeater back into the closet. Soon James’ parents came back from the show at the administration building.

“We’re back,” said Dave.

“Good, now keep quiet, the girls are sleeping.” said James.

“They fell asleep?” Katherine asked.

“They were after the movie finished,” said James.

“What movie did you watch?” Dave asked.

“Casablanca,” said James.
Dave and Katherine retired to their room but James stopped them before they could shut the door.

“One more thing,” James said, “Did you see anyone wandering around here when you were driving up?”

“No,” said his dad.

James huffed and shut the door to his room, he realized that in two days he would be going home. Lucky there was still a barrier between summer and the new school year, August was coming up and even though there were no more vacations planned there was still the air show and the Enforcer trials to look forward to. But before James and his family would leave they booked a trail ride on the horses with Doc, this is what Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had been looking forward to, they had never ridden a horse before. James thought that this was a little ironic, the Crusaders in a way were ponies themselves and they were going to be riding pretty much their own species. James wondered if they remembered being ponies or if they forgot about everything about where they came from. He hoped that if the Crusaders did forget about their homes in Equsetria, that the trail rides would help them remember. James fell asleep and dreamed of the day when the Crusaders returned home, but something didn’t seem right with the dream. James looked at himself and saw nothing but blood covering every inch of his body, he also felt piercing pain searing across his chest. James was a little confused about why we had his Enfield carbine in hand. Several corpses of soldiers and spend bullet casings littered the floor of a forest. He then heard Scootaloo shouting for him to look out, James span around and saw a soldier with a shotgun pointed at his face, the soldier’s face melted and all was left was the skull. Before James could react the soldier fired and James woke up, sweating and breathing fast. He felt for the lamp switch and flicked it on, James looked at his hands and then felt around his face in case he was bleeding, he had no idea what the dream could be about or what it could mean but it did scare James a little. But he turned the lamp off and tried to get back to sleep.

The Cavalry Goes Forth

The Cavalry Goes Forth

James was woken by the faint light of the sun peeking through the curtains, James sighed in relief that this was his last day in South Dakota and that he would be going home. He rolled over and saw Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom crouched down on the other side of the bed watching him.

“Morning you two,” said James.

“You sound funny when you sleep,” said Sweetie Bell.

“How long have you been in here?” James asked.

“About five minutes,” said Apple Bloom.

“So are you getting up or not?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Nah, I though I might just sleep this last day away,” James said sarcastically. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell looked at each other and nodded.

“We hoped you would say that,” said Apple Bloom. Sweetie Bell ran around the bed to James and started prodding him in the ribs, Apple Bloom joined in a few seconds later.

“Come on, get up,” said Sweetie Bell.

“No!” James said trying to be mad but failing because he was laughing too much.

“You’re gonna have to eventually,” said Apple Bloom.

“Okay okay,” James said sitting up, “I’m up, see?”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell stepped back from him as James got out of the bed. Scootaloo then leaned into the room from behind the door.

“Is he up?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah, we did it,” said Sweetie Bell.

“We don’t have to use the backup plan,” said Apple Bloom.

“And the back up was to have Scootaloo jump on me?” James asked.

“Yeah pretty much,” said Scootaloo.

“Very funny,” said James. He stood up and dizziness took over, James sank back down on the bed.

“Are you okay?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I’m fine,” James said, “Just stood up too fast.”

“Well lets hope it doesn’t continue,” said Scootaloo, she then handed James the Winchester. James took it from Scootaloo and cocked it a couple of times to check if it was empty.

“Hey James,” Sweetie Bell said.

“Yes?” James replied looking up at her.

“Last night had I dream and you were in it,” said Sweetie Bell.

“That’s weird,” said Apple Bloom, “I dreamed about him as well, you and Scootaloo were in it.”

“Same here,” said Scootaloo, “But it was really weird.”
James looked at each of the girls and set the repeater against the wall.

“This is weird,” said James.

“Why?” asked Scootaloo.

“Because I was dreaming about you three last night,” replied James, “I dreamt about the day you went back home.”

“That’s what I was dreaming about,” said Apple Bloom.

“Me too,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I was dreaming about the same thing as well,” said Scootaloo.

“Stuff like this doesn’t happen often,” said James, “Something like this must mean something.”

“But like what?” Apple Bloom asked.

“We can only wait,” said James.

A few hours later James’ parents had taken James and the Crusaders to Hill City so they could pass the time before they headed out on the trail ride. James was in an old store that was stocked with weapons while the Crusaders and James’ parents wandered around the town.

“So this is a real Mauser C96?” James asked as he held the real gun.

“Sure is,” said the shop owner, “My brother got it in Normandy.”

“During the actual landings?” asked James.

“Omaha beach,” said the shop owner, “Said he found it in a bunker.”

“Nice find,” said James handing the gun back to the shop owner. James looked out the window and saw his parents waiting for him, he headed outside where the weather was about to take a turn for the worst.

“Find anything interesting?” Dave asked.

“Just some nice guns but nothing I could take,” replied James.

“We should head back to the ranch now,” said Katherine, “There’s a storm coming.”

“Good idea,” said James, “I don’t want to be caught in another downpour.”

“Does it rain that bad around here?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It floods every time it rains,” said James.

Back at the cabin, James sat in his room with his laptop watching one of the several DVDs he brought. Outside the rain had started and it was hammering the ranch, fortunately the trail ride wasn’t until later in the evening. As James switched between looking out of the window and watching the DVDs on his laptop the door opened.

“Bored are you?” asked James. The Crusaders then entered his room.

“There’s nothing to do around here,” said Apple Bloom.

“I had that same problem as well,” said James.

“The TV won’t work, the board games are all broken, there isn’t anything to read and we can’t go outside,” said Scootaloo.

“Lucky I have my laptop and several DVDs,” said James.

“Can we watch them with you?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Well we won’t be going anywhere for the next few hours so yes, you can,” said James. The Crusaders gathered around James’ collection of DVDs, James said that they could pick one that they each liked and James would play it for them. Apple Bloom found Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo liked the look of it and James took out the DVD he was watching and replaced it with the movie.

“I will warn you,” he said, “It might be a little scary for you but I’m hoping that you’ll like it.”

“Nothing will scare us,” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah, we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” said Sweetie Bell.

“We can deal with anything,” said Apple Bloom.

“Which reminds me,” said James, “You haven’t been doing a lot of crusading, why is that?”
The Crusaders looked at each other.

“Truth is we’ve been too occupied with the summer,” said Apple Bloom.

“You’ve kept us both entertained and safe so much we never have any time to find our special talents,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I don’t think you’re capable of getting Cutie Marks in this dimension,” said James.

“How do you get Cutie Marks then?” Scootaloo asked.

“Simple, you don’t,” said James, “The closest you can get is a tattoo but that’s painful and expensive.”

“Do you have a tattoo?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“No, and I don’t plan on getting one until I’m in the Enforcers,” said James hitting the play button on his laptop.

The rain outlasted the movie, James was beginning to get a little annoyed about the weather. If it didn’t stop then the trail ride would be called off, James had hoped that it stop raining by the time they had to leave. The Crusaders selected another movie and James put it on for them, he watched with them while he cleaned his repeater and practiced one-handed reloading. The rain did eventually stop, and James’ parents called him and the Crusaders to get ready before they left. James ushered the Crusaders out of his room so he could change into something that would keep him warm on the windy mountains. Once he was ready, James took the Winchester and went outside to wait for everyone else. Apple Bloom as the first to join him outside then followed by Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, they had all chosen longer pants and thick jackets to wear. Dave and Katherine soon exited the house and started up the car. Within minutes they arrived at the stables, James was a little excited that he would be riding Remington again, the Crusaders couldn’t believe that they would be riding horses for the first time in their lives. James once again had to smother his laughs after listening to the girls talk about what they might be doing, where they could end up and how far they were going.

“So then,” James said once he got control of himself, “Who knows how to ride a pony?”

“Is it easy?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It’s sort of like riding a bike, it’s easy and you never forget,” James said.

“How long does this take?” Scootaloo asked.

“No more than an hour or two,” said James, “Depends if we watch the sunset or not.”

James led the Crusaders to the stables and waited for the trail guides to show up, Dave and Katherine were looking at a map of the trails on the wall. Soon Doc came out from behind the stables and directed a few other people to the back of the stable so they could get saddled up, once he saw James and the Crusaders Doc walked over to them.

“So you decided to come,” said Doc.

“We waited until the last day,” said James, “Thought it might bring better memories.”

“So then, who want’s to go first?” Doc asked.

“I might since I have to show the girls how to mount a horse,” said James.

“Alright,” said Doc, “Let me bring out Remington.”
James’ horse Remington was led out of a stable and brought to James. James and Remington trusted one another, James was able to hop up on Remington with little effort. James guided Remington over to the Crusaders, he looked down at them and pointed to the barn.

“You’re going to need helmets,” said James.

“He’s right,” said Doc, “It’s for your own safety.”
Scootaloo found a helmet in seconds and strapped it on and was given a black horse named Midnight, after Sweetie Bell found a helmet that fitted she went outside, her horse, named Blazer, had a sleek white stripe that cut through his brown coat. James realized that Apple Bloom was taking a long time in picking out a helmet.

“You okay in there?” James shouted through the open door of the barn.

“I’ll be out in a second,” said Apple Bloom. She came out of the barn a few seconds later wearing a helmet that looked a size too big for her and wrapping something up and putting it in her pocket.

“What took you so long?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I had to take my bow out so the helmet would fit,” said Apple Bloom, “It’s smaller than it looks.”

“Well come on then,” said James, “Lets find a horse for you.”
Doc went into the back of the stables and brought out a white and brown horse that looked a lot like Remington.

“I’ve never seen this horse before,” said James.

“We’ve been keeping Springfield in the back mainly because we use him the most,” said Doc. Apple Bloom was helped up onto Springfield and led to the rest of the tour group, Remington backed up to Springfield and the two horses leaned against one another.

“I think these two are brothers,” said Apple Bloom.

“Makes sense in a way,” said James, “Looks like Remington and is named
Springfield.”

Dave and Katherine were on their horses talking to some of the other people who were going on the trail ride. James rode over to Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo and had them go in front of him. Doc then mounted up on a brown spotted white horse and led the trail riders out of the corral and onto the trails. The ride through the forest was rather uneventful and boring to the Crusaders, James however had his Winchester in hand and was looking everywhere in case a bear so something else jumped out from behind the bushes. They stopped in the middle of a burned forest on top of a large hill, James took out a pair of binoculars and looked toward the Black Hills, the Crusaders rode over to James as he looked across the landscape.

“James, we’re bored,” said Scootaloo.

“I thought you would like this,” said James.

“Yeah but there’s nothing here,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Well we’ll be back home by tomorrow,” said James, “There’s still stuff to do before the summer ends.”

“So what can we do now?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Look around, enjoy the scenery. If it didn’t rain so much we probably would have stopped to make camp for an hour or so.” said James, but rustling from behind him caught his attention. Doc heard it as well and he rode over to James with his revolver drawn. James aimed his Winchester toward the bushes and called out whatever was hiding in there.

“All right come out!” James said, “We know you’re back there!”

“Come out into the open!” said Doc. More rustling was heard and one person stepped out of the bushes, from the apparel James could tell that he was Native American. The native was holding a bow in one hand and a bone knife in the other. James kept his grip tight and his gun aimed at the native in case he turned hostile.

“What are you doing on our land?” The native asked.

“Your land?” Doc asked.

“We settled her a week ago and you’re already trespassing,” said the native.

“We’re just trail riding,” said James, “We had no idea that your tribe settled around here.”

“So if you’re being reasonable then why do you have the guns pointed at me?” the native asked.

“As a precaution,” said James.

“I think we can lower them now,” said Doc. He holstered his revolver and James slung his Winchester over his back.

“Well this is interesting,” said James, “I’ve always wanted to see a Native American tribesman.”

“You are not hostile?” the native asked.

“No,” replied Doc.

“Then why are you armed?” the native asked.

“Mainly it’s because I had a run-in with a bear,” said James.

“Since you are friends I want to invite you to join our tribe for something to eat,” said the native, “Come, follow me.”

“Well I don’t know about you lot but I’m going to be polite and accept,” said James as he followed the native, “You should come too.”

“Should we?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I’m going so I can tell these guys that we come through here often,” said Doc.

“This might be interesting,” said Dave.

“Well lets go,” said Katherine.

Improving Relations

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom agreed with James’ parents, they wanted to see a Native American tribe, Sweetie Bell didn’t hesitate to join them. The other trail guide and the other people who were riding horses left them and went back to the ranch. Doc and James’ family caught up with James and the native. The native led them through some trees and told them to dismount their horses and follow on foot.

“Don’t get separated and keep close to me and Doc,” James said to the Crusaders as he got down from Remington.

“I hope this is a friendly tribe,” said Doc.

“They probably are, all we have to do is not seem hostile to them.” said James.

“Sounds easy,” said Scootaloo.

“This is so cool,” said Sweetie Bell, “We get to meet a Native American tribe.”

“What is a Native American tribe?” Apple Bloom asked quietly.

“People who have lived here for hundreds of years,” said James, “Leave the talking to us.”

The finally reached the tribe village after hiking through dense bushes. The tribe village was a mix of large teepees and small tents, James took not of the rather large fire burning in the middle of a circle of teepees, they had something planned. The native guide led James, Doc, the Crusaders and James’ parents to the fire, one native stood up from behind the fire and walked over to them, James in the fire light the native was wearing a large headdress made of feathers. He had the be the Chieftain.

“Roaring Thunder, why have you brought these outsiders into our home?” the Chieftain asked. His voice was booming across the forest but James sensed kindness.

“They were just riding around our land Chief,” said Roaring Thunder, “They didn’t know we were here.”

“Are they friends?” the Chieftain asked.

“Yes, they may be armed but they are friends,” said Roaring Thunder.

“Very well,” said the Chieftain, “Outsiders, welcome to our tribe, I am Chief Golden Lightning.”

“James Rogers,” said James. He looked down and saw the Crusaders all huddled behind him, James was so fascinated he didn’t notice the Crusaders had hidden behind him.

“Go on,” James said softly to the girls, “Tell them your names.”

“We are all friends, no harm shall come to you,” said Chief Golden Lightning.

Apple Bloom let go of James and stepped forward. She looked nervously at the Natives but bravely stood tall.

“My name is Abigail,” said Apple Bloom. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo stepped out from behind James, impressed with Apple Bloom’s bravery.

“I’m Samantha,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I’m Susie,” said Scootaloo.

“Are these girls your sisters?” asked Roaring Thunder.

“Not really,” said James, “I found them one day and decided to take them in until their parents found them.”

“His voice sounds different to ours,” said a tribesman.

“Well yes it does because I wasn’t born in this country,” said James.

“Where were you born then?” Chief Golden Lightning asked.

“Great Britain,” said James. Some murmuring broke out through the crowd of tribes people, the Chief hushed them.

“You were from the land of the settlers?” Golden Lightning asked.

“Born and raised,” said James.
The Chief turned to several other tribesmen and had a discussion in a language James couldn’t understand. Golden Lightning turned back to James.

“You may stay for a while,” said the Chief, “Come and join us at the fire.”

James and Doc followed Golden Lightning to the fire, the Crusaders had again gathered up against James and were watching each tribesman carefully. Doc took the lead and started explaining that he was here in order to learn more about the tribe so he could tell the rest of the trail guides about the Native American tribe. Dave and Katherine were more interested in commenting about how the tribe got on without modern conveniences. Once they reached the fire the Crusaders eased up a little when they saw other kids their age around the fire staring curiously at them, James did see a few other kids his age but thought that they wouldn’t be able to understand English.

“Come friends of the outside, you may eat with us and hear stories of our past,” the Chief said.

“Sounds interesting,” said James.

James sat down next to the Chief and the Crusaders took their place next to James, Doc sat opposite to the Chief with James’ parents with Roaring Thunder. James had no idea what to expect, he had never been in a Native American tribe before but he had studied several different tribes in school but had never actually met any Native Americans before. All James could remember about any Native American tribe was that they always had a peace pipe. He had no idea if this tribe had one but he had to be ready for anything. Chief Golden Lighting introduced James and his family to the tribe, James couldn’t tell what they were saying but it sounded a lot like the Russian language that he could fluently speak. As James got to know some people of the tribe he saw two boys who looked like the shadows that were behind the cabin last night, they turned out to be the Chief’s sons and were just exploring when they saw James taking care of the Crusaders. James didn’t hold anything against them.

A few of the tribe elders sat across the fire, James was a little curious about the stories that the elders were going to tell. The Crusaders were excited to be in a tribe, they hadn’t seen anyone to live successfully by living off the land and making their own clothes and homes.

“Isn’t this cool?” Apple Bloom said to James.

“It’s a first I’ll say,” said James, “This is something my history teacher won’t believe.”

“So what happens now?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Maybe they’ll tell us those stories,” said Scootaloo.

“Before you learn of our past you must first prove you are friends,” said the Chief passing James a long decorated pipe.

“Oh wow,” James said somewhat surprised, “An actual peace pipe.”

“Looks nice,” said Sweetie Bell.

“The young ones cannot use the peace pipe,” said Golden Lightning, “We know that they are friends, but they have not reached the age.”

“I don’t mind,” said Apple Bloom, she took her bow out of her pocket and wrapped it around her hand. One native girl saw Apple Bloom’s hand and got her attention. Apple Bloom looked over to the native girl.

“What, what about my bow?” Apple Bloom asked the native girl.

“She says that she can help you put it on if you want,” said Golden Lightning.

“You can help?” Apple Bloom asked the girl, the girl nodded in reply. As the girl helped Apple Bloom with putting the bow back in her hair James looked uneasy about the pipe.

“Something wrong?” the Chief asked.

“Just a little unsure what I’m about to do,” said James.

“It’s perfectly safe,” said the Chief, “All you do is breath.”

James shrugged and sucked on the peace pipe, he handed it back to the Chief who gave it to Roaring Thunder who sucked on the pipe for a good ten seconds. James felt a little light headed and was coughing up smoke, Sweetie Bell looked over to James and saw in the firelight that his face had gone bright red.

“Are you alright James?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“No,” James wheezed, “What the hell was that stuff?”

“It is our sacred herb,” said Golden Lightning, “We use it to greet outsiders or for when a boy becomes a man.”

“Well you sure know how to celebrate stuff,” said James. His coughs turned into hacking and spluttering, Dave wondered if his son was alright.

“Excuse me, but is he alright?” Dave asked.

“Yes, most people are like this when they first experience our sacred herb,” said Golden Lightning.

“Yes but will he be okay?” Katherine asked as she was handed the peace pipe.

“He will be fine,” said Golden Lightning.

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” James said trying to stand up.

“You don’t look fine,” said Scootaloo.

“You’re right, I’m not,” James said, he then fell over backwards and started laughing, “I’m really not in control of myself.”

“The effects should wear off in an hour or so,” said Roaring Thunder.

“How are you feeling?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Comfortable,” said James, “And rather hungry.”

“So do you want to hear the stories of our past?” Chief Golden Lightning asked.

The Crusaders eagerly leaned forward as the elders told them stories of their past and Native American legends. James however was still on his back staring at the stars, he shut his eyes for a few minutes, James knew he was never going to be able to get up without help. He thought that the effect of the herb would wear off quicker if he tried to sleep it off. He drifted off and pictured the stories in his mind, halfway through a legend of the horses of the Back Hills some shouting and a few short screams broke James’ slumber, he sat up and saw through his blurred eyes several tribe warriors pointing bows at a tree.

“Did I miss something?” James asked.

“It’s that eagle again,” said the Chief.

“Eagle?” James asked.

“Some really big bird came down and stole our food,” said Scootaloo.

“I must be dreaming or something,” said James.

“Well that cursed eagle is terrorizing our village again,” said Golden Lightning.

“What’s the story on that thing?” Doc asked.

“The eagle has been following our tribe for the past several years,” said the Chief, “It has been stealing food from us, destroying our homes and threatening to steal our newly born children.”

“So kill it,” said James.

“We can’t,” said Roaring Thunder, “It escapes our arrows.”

The eagle screeched and flew over the camp fire again, the warriors fired their bows only to shout in anger that the bird had dodged each arrow and was now sitting high in a tree eating the food it stole.

“If only we had a way to stop it,” said Golden Lightning.

“If someone does kill it, they will be able to get a feather to aid them in times of great trouble,” said an Elder.
A loud bang startled everyone the eagle fell from the tree and landed on the ground, the warriors looked to the source of the noise.

“There, problem solved,” said James, he was holding his Winchester. The barrel had a trail of smoke coming from it.
The Chief and the Elders couldn’t believe what had happened. Their troublesome eagle had been killed.

“Quick,” said an Elder, “You must take one feather from it’s tail. Take more than one and you will be cursed.”

James managed to stand up and stagger over to the eagle. He plucked a large feather out of the eagle’s tail and went back to the Elder.

“So what can this do for me?” James asked.

“That feather you must keep with you at all times,” said the Elder, “For that feather will protect you and guide you through trouble. If you burn it, the spirit of the Eagle will assist you in whatever you ask for, but it will no longer protect you.”

“A blessed feather from an eagle I killed,” said James, “What an interesting night this has been.”

Doc said that they had to go back to the ranch because the horses had to go back in the stables, Roaring Thunder led James, his parents, Doc and the Crusaders back to the horses. The entire tribe followed and bid them farewell, the Crusaders waved back and James mounted his horse.

“Thanks for the gift,” he said.

“Thank you for helping me with my bow,” said Apple Bloom.

“No no, thank you for getting rid of that eagle,” said Chief Golden Lightning, “You have saved our tribe.”

“Will our paths cross again with you, James Rogers?” an Elder asked.

“Probably not,” replied James, “But if it does I hope you will remember me.”

“We shall remember,” said the Chief, “Good luck in life friend.”

The Initiation

The Initiation

As they were driving to the Enforcer Compound James could barely contain his excitement, but was also incredibly nervous. He had no idea what Enforcer training would be like but he had read enough and he learned it was tough and unforgiving but James had the mental capabilities to deal with it. Once they reached the Compound James tried to calm himself down before he presented himself to his superiors, he didn’t want to look weak in case there were other Enforcers waiting to prove themselves.
James jumped out of the car once it was parked near the front gate. He approached the guard, the guard stepped in front of him and his mother.

“State your name and ID number,” the guard said.

“James Rogers, 1485523,” James said.

“Cleared for entry,” said the guard. James entered the Compound followed by his mother, the Crusaders and a soldier who led the way to the main building. The lobby of the main building was rather normal looking for a military base; pictures adorned the wall, several models of battleships and tanks sat in glass cases, there were two door leading out of the lobby. James saw one door open and stood to attention when two officers walked in.

“James Rogers?” one officer asked.

“Sir, yes sir,” James said saluting the officers.

“At ease,” said the second officer, “So you want to be an Enforcer? You’re a little young for a soldier.”

“I wanted to join because I wanted to make use of my skills, sir,” James said.

“How old are you?” the first officer asked.

“Sixteen, sir,” replied James.

“He’s confident,” said the first officer.

“Is this your family?” the second officer asked.

“Yes sir,” said James.

“Katherine Rogers,” James’ mother said shaking the hands of the officers, “I’m so proud of my son being a soldier.”

“Who are the children who are with you?” the first officer asked.

“Sir, these are my cousins Abigail, Samantha and Susie,” James said.

“They sure look like interesting characters,” said the first officer.

“Well if we’re done here you can follow me,” the second officer said. He led James through one of the doors and into a waiting room filled with Enforcer recruits. James, just by looking at the other recruits could tell he was the youngest recruit. A few other Enforcers walked over to him, they had both rank pins and medals on their uniform.

“So what do we have here?” one Enforcer asked.

“A kid who has a death wish,” said a second.

“I’m just as good as you are,” said James.

“Well the Enforcers don’t have kids around here unless they’re really good,” said a third Enforcer.

“Why am I here then?” James asked. The Enforcers were stumped, they wandered off after a few seconds. Another Enforcer walked up to James, he was much older than anyone else in the room and appeared to have more campaign ribbons and medals than the officers.

“I like soldiers with smarts,” the Enforcer said, “Makes for wins in the field.”

“Thank you, sir,” said James.

“Sorry I forgot to introduce myself,” the Enforcer said, “Petty Officer Campbell Jones. I monitor the proving grounds.”

“James Rogers, sir,” said James, “When do we start, sir?”
Jones chuckled and slapped James on the back.

“I like you kid, you’ve got what it takes,” he said. Jones then saw James’ mother and the Crusaders sitting on a few chairs. James noticed what he was looking at.

“Sir, they are my mother and my cousins,” James said.

“Strange hair color,” said Jones, “Did they dye it like that?”

“Yes sir,” replied James, “Do you want to meet them?”

“That will not be necessary,” said Jones, “You sit with them until your name is called then you go to the Proving ground.”

Jones left the waiting room and James went to sit with his mother and the Crusaders. Names were called and recruits and their families joined them as they disappeared behind a large door with “Proving Ground” printed above it. The hours passed by and more recruits were called to the Proving Ground, James was starting to get impatient.

“When are they going to call me?” he asked.

“How long have we been here?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Three hours,” Scootaloo moaned.

“Can’t be long now,” said Sweetie Bell, “There’s no-one left.”
James looked up and saw that Sweetie Bell was right, there was only him left to call.

“James Rogers, 1485523 report to the Proving Grounds,” the intercom said.

“Finally,” James said as he stood up and dropped the magazine he was reading.

“Do we come as well?” Katherine asked.

“Yes,” said James.

James led the way through the door, they entered a long hallway and proceeded down it until they came to another two doors and a guard post, the guard told Katherine and the Crusaders to go through the door which led to the observation booth and James to go through the other door and to suit up. James went through the door he was instructed to enter and he ended up in a locker room, he was by himself and only one locker was unopened. The locker had his name on it, James opened it and took the combat gear that was inside. The combat gear was black just like his uniform, the helmet had a visor attached to it and looked as if there was communication gear installed inside it. The armor looked heavy but once James put it on he could barely notice any weight gain, the pants and boots didn’t look special but they were neatly pressed and well made. After James donned his combat gear he left the locker room and entered an armory, assault rifles, carbines, pistols and shotguns coated the walls. There were several empty spaces where the other recruits had taken weapons, James saw that there were very few assault rifles and shotguns, he deduced that the recruits had taken the heavier weapons rather than take what would be useful. James took a Beretta M9 and an M4A1 carbine and left the armory, he then was in a dark room lit by a single bulb that hung over an ammo crate.

“Load up and be ready to deploy,” said a voice, James thought it was an intercom and that the voice was Officer Jones. James took several magazines and stood in front of the doors to the Proving Ground.

“Okay Private Rogers listen up,” Jones’ voice boomed, “Your mission is to infiltrate the enemy outpost and neutralize all hostiles. Once you deploy you are to take out all hostiles outside then move inside the building where you will use close combat weapons and clear out the building, then move outside and you will engage four more hostiles in Close Quarter Combat. Once all four hostiles are taken care of you are to head to the extraction point. You will be using live rounds so exercise caution. Your examination score will we evaluated by how many hits you receive and how efficient your shots are on target. The fastest time holder is Private Hector, four minutes and fifty eight seconds. Break this and you’ll get extra points. Good luck.”

James stood ready and shouldered his carbine, a buzzer sounded and the doors flew open. James ran to cover and got ready to open fire, he peeked over the wall and saw a few targets sitting in the open, he stood up and shot each one in the eye once. He moved up and then bullets flew his way, James dove behind a crate and looked around for the shooter, there was a sniper on the roof, it was another target but this one was like an automated turret. James ducked again as bullets exploded in front of him and hit the wall, James span around and fired two shots at the sniper, hitting the target in the face. James looked in each of the house’s windows and saw no more guards. As he moved to the front door he saw the targets were ballistics gel shaped like people and filled with fake bones and organs, James then saw that the bullets that the sniper was firing were actually paintballs, it made sense about why the officer was saying stuff about deducting points for being hit. James moved into the building, it looked like a mansion rather than a military base, James put it out of his mind and shot a target through one ear, the bullet blew through the target and flew into another target’s head. James was proud of that shot, he pulled out his M9 and shot a target that was hiding behind a corner before he went into a mock living room with several automated targets with machine guns pointing at him. James rolled and fired at the target closest to him, then James was pinned down by enemy fire. The targets had him pinned behind a table, James dove out of cover and was pushing himself around on the floor while he shot back at the targets. Each one of the targets received no more than three bullets each and stopped firing after the first hit. James cleared out the building shortly after the targets had been hit, he let the house out of the back door and was ambushed by four men wearing ninja outfits, James thought that this was a little unbelievable but before he could pull out his pistol he was disarmed in a flash and left with no weapons. James had to fight off the ninjas, but they had weapons of their own and all James had was his CQC knowledge. He then realized that CQC was all he needed, he could beat his attackers.

The first ninja flew at him with a pair of tonfas, James blocked them and knocked the attacker out, the second ninja was sporting a nunchuk, James had to time his counterattack just right, he dodged the weapon and kicked the ninja in the face sending him sprawling in front of the third ninja. The third ninja swung a staff at James, James jumped back and then leaped forward and disarmed the attacker, he then broke the staff over the ninja’s head and tripped him up. James turned to face the final ninja, this one had a ninjato sword.

“You shall suffer,” the ninja said.

“Drop the weapon,” said James.

“Never, you are the enemy and you shall die!” the ninja said. He lunged at James, James was still holding the two broken halves of the staff. He used them to block each swing and thrust of the sword, James knew the sword was real and could easily sever an arm or a leg, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. James just barely dodged the sword when the ninja caught him off guard and kicked James in the chest, he flew back a few feet and dropped the staff halves. James tried to get up but the ninja had pinned him to the floor.

“Any last words?” the ninja asked holding the sword high above his head. James looked around for something to help him with, he looked up and saw the observation booth with the Crusaders watching James, their noses pressed against the glass. James felt that he was about to let both himself and the Crusaders down. The ninja saw what James was looking at.

“Aw, some of your sisters came to watch you die?” the ninja asked, “Shame they have to see this.”

“Yeah, shame for you,” James said slyly. The ninja looked down at James and was hit in the face by a pair of goggles, James kicked the ninja, disarmed him and knocked him out. James retrieved the goggles he had taken off his helmet and attached them back on his helmet once more. While the ninja had been distracted, James had whipped them off his helmet and pulled on the strap until he had a makeshift slingshot that he used to hit the ninja in the face.

James retrieved his weapons and left the Proving Ground, he had to deposit his weapons and ammo on a table before he was allowed to leave. James left the Proving Ground and entered a dark room, the lights suddenly flared on and applause followed.

“Well done there kid,” said a voice. James blinked through the light and saw all the other recruits and a few officers were congratulating his run.

“Best show so far today,” said one officer.

“Nice moves you used in there,” said a recruit.

“It was nothing,” James replied.

“The precision of those shots,” said an officer, “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“I’m just a good shot is all,” said James.

“Well I have your time here,” said Officer Jones, “Five minutes and three seconds.”

“So close,” James said.

“But I have to award points for the mix of shot precision and adaptive combat tactics,” Jones said, “You excelled at the gauntlet.”

“So what does that mean?” James asked.

“Congratulations James Rogers,” said Jones, “Welcome to the Enforcers.”

Total Victory

James has to admire the spirit of the Crusaders, they never gave up on their quest to get their Cutie Marks. He liked that about them, it reminded him of when he tried out for the school talent show by playing the guitar solo from The Beatles song “Let It Be”, he didn’t make it past the auditions. But after that he never gave up on his other personal goals. The biggest one by far was getting the Crusaders back home to Equestria.

“We’re here,” Katherine said.
James and the Crusaders looked out of the window. Dave and Busters was built in an old ship loading building, the sign for the place hung outside and an old fashion revolving door stood as the entrance. Once they parked James almost leapt from the car, he waited for his mother and the Crusaders to exit the car before he urged them to the door. They climbed the stairs and were standing before the front desk of the restaurant.

“Hello there and welcome to Dave and Busters,” the receptionist said.

“Table for five please,” said Katherine.

“I’m sorry but his outfit doesn’t match our dress code,” the receptionist said, she was referring to James’ Enforcer combat gear. James had been here several times and there was never a dress code in place before. But as he was trying to remember if there had been patrons with funky clothing that might have caused this dress code policy James hatched a plan, and his combat gear was perfect.

“What about this?” he asked.

“You have to leave,” said the receptionist.
James slammed his hands on the counter.

“Dammit I didn’t just risk my life for this country in order for a receptionist to tell me I can’t wear my combat gear in public!” he said.

“It’s not allowed in here,” the receptionist said.

“You see this scar?” James said pointing to the scar on his face, “That was caused by a methed up gangster who took a shot at me, this is what your tax dollars do for this country, keep people safe.”

“Fine,” the receptionist said, “Take any seat you want.”
She left through a door marked “staff only” and left a victorious James to pick a table. He found a booth under a small canopy and sat down, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom sat next to him while Sweetie Bell and Katherine sat opposite them. As they waited for the menus to arrive James couldn’t help laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That receptionist bought everything,” James replied, “Me risking my life in a mission against meth addicts, ha!”

“I never knew that there was a dress code in place,” said Katherine.

“Times change, mum,” James said taking off his helmet and setting it on the table, Scootaloo seized it and jammed it on her head, it was a bit big for her.

“I’m James Rogers,” she said in a deep voice.

“Very funny,” James chuckled, “It sort of suits you.”

“Can I try it on?” Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo handed it to her, Apple Bloom put it on and it fell over her eyes, she pushed it out of her eyes and looked over to James.

“How do I look?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Like a true soldier,” said James.

A waiter with menus and water arrived at their table after Apple Bloom gave James his helmet back. Before the waiter passed the menus he took a long look at James.

“Active service?” the waiter asked.

“Yes,” replied James.

“Well then you guys get a thirty percent discount on the eat and play combo,” said the waiter.

“I like this system,” said James.

“So what can I get you to drink for a start?” the waiter asked.

James, his mother and the Crusaders ordered their food along with drinks and it arrived to them within a half hour. James was a little skeptical about the excellent service but remembered that he was wearing military attire which might have something to do with it.

“I’ve only just noticed the ceiling fans are all connected by belts,” Apple Bloom said.

“The most ingenuous idea ever,” said James, “One power box per twenty fans to save money.”

“Neat idea,” said Scootaloo.

“So where is the arcade you were telling us about?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Right behind that wall,” James said pointing to a massive mirror.

“When can we go into the arcade?” Scootaloo asked.

“After we’ve had something to eat,” replied James.

“Has anyone seen this dessert menu?” Apple Bloom asked as she read the dessert menu.

“It looks good,” said Sweetie Bell, “I think I can wait for a little while longer.”

“I want the cake,” said Scootaloo.

“I think I’ve earned my share,” said James.

Once James and the Crusaders were finished eating James took them to the arcade. He led them to a hallway that was concealed behind the mirror wall, they then entered the arcade. The arcade was massive, well over fifty machines and games sat in the room being used by other people holding large cups that were overflowing with tickets. The Crusaders were so amazed from the sight they didn’t notice James take three cards out of his front pocket. He gave one to each of the Crusaders.

“Those are good for several uses on the token machines,” James said, “Stick together and don’t leave here without me. If you need me I’ll be over at the shooter games.”

“I think we’ll be able to find you,” said Apple Bloom.

“Okay then,” James said as he took out his own card, “Once you’re done come and find me and we can pool our tickets.”

“Why should we do that?” asked Scootaloo.

“Because we might be able to get something good that we can all use,” said James.

“Sounds like good plan,” said Apple Bloom.

“Let’s go over there first,” said Sweetie Bell, pointing to a set of strange looking games. James let them go enjoy themselves, he decided to go and try out the new arcade rail shooter that he saw on his way in.

James was enjoying himself, he had won several hundred tickets from playing a couple of games and beating the high score, he also won about two hundred tickets after he mastered the air combat simulator. As he was wandering around the arcade looking for more machines to run dry he bumped into Scootaloo.

“Hey there Susie,” said James.

“Hi James,” Scootaloo replied, she was clutching a large paper cup with tickets streaming out of it.

“When did you win all this?” James asked taking a stand of the tickets in his hand.

“Won it on some weird dancing game,” said Scootaloo, “I was actually coming to find you so I could show you.”

“Lead the way,” said James. Scootaloo lead James to the middle of the arcade where a large DDR machine had been set up, there were two kids using the machine dancing to the newly released song “Poker Face” and about six other kids watching. James had never seen this machine before.

“This is new,” said James.

“I was using it a few seconds ago,” said Scootaloo, “Abigail and Samantha are over there by the kids who taught me how to use it.”
James walked over to the kids, their age ranged from being the same age as the Crusaders to well into their early twenties. One of the kids, about James’ age, span around when James and Scootaloo approached.

“Scoot,” he said, “Who’s this kid?”

“Oh, this is James,” said Scootaloo, “He’s been taking care of me, Bell and Bloom for the past few months.”

“Alright then,” said the kid.
James pulled Scootaloo aside after the kid turned back to watch his friends on the machine.

“Did you girls tell them your real names?” James asked Scootaloo quietly.

“No, we’re not that forgetful,” said Scootaloo, “We had to use our real names so that we could tell where we were on the game scoreboards. Our real names were too long so we shortened them.”

“Bloody amazing plan,” said James. He went over to the kids, they were dressed up like they were from a “Step it Up” movie.

“So is the newbie dancing for us?” one kid asked.

“Don’t look like a dancer,” said another.

“What is he wearing?” a third asked.

“What never seen an Enforcer before?” James asked.

“Enforcer?” on of the kids asked.

“Shouldn’t have brought it up,” James thought to himself.

“Are you going to try this out James?” Scootaloo asked.

“Wait, what?” James said.

“Yeah,” said one kid, “Lets see if that army gear can stand up to our stuff.”

“I highly doubt your bandanna can block a bullet,” said James.

“He means that they want you to dance,” Scootaloo whispered to James.

James tried to refuse but was pushed up on the machine by a few of the older kids. It had been a long time since James had played DDR, he had done only one song for a full five days and he mastered it. But that was an older model of the game and James was pretty sure that this edition wouldn’t have his song. As James lightly stood on the arrows Scootaloo jumped on the platform next to him.

“So James,” Scootaloo asked, “What song do you want to do?”

“I can pick?” James asked as he used a joystick on the machine to cycle through the songs.

“Sure, I can do any of these.” Scootaloo said confidently.
James looked through the massive list of songs, he barely knew any of the songs or the artists. He ignored the dancing kids’ suggestions of songs. James then struck gold, he had found his song.

“They have it,” James said.

“What song?” Scootaloo asked.
James tossed his ticket cup to Apple Bloom and pointed to the song at the very bottom of the list, the kids gathered around the screen to see the song.

“Eiffel 65’s song ‘Blue’?” one of the older kids asked.

“Both a classic and one of my favorites,” said James.

“That’s expert level,” said another kid, “None of us have ever got above fifty percent before.”

“Bet I could pull it off,” said James.

“No one can,” said one of the kids.

“All I can do is try,” James said.

“Well good luck then,” said the older kid.
James nodded and turned to Scootaloo.

“You with me on this?” he asked.

“Like I said,” said Scootaloo, “I can beat any song here.”

“Time to put that to the test,” James said hitting the start button.

The song started out slow, nothing appeared on-screen for a few seconds. Just as James was starting to wonder if this was expert as a joke an onslaught of arrows shot up from the bottom of the screen.

“Here we go!” James shouted.
He and Scootaloo started stomping on the platform in order to get as many points as possible. Scootaloo surprised James in a way, she could dance. James focused on the screen and hit all the arrows that appeared, Scootaloo was doing just as good according to the score. About halfway through the song James had seen through a reflection that they had attracted quite a crowd of onlookers, one part of the song had no arrows and James had a real crowd pleasing move in mind.

“Scoot!” he shouted “Grab my arm!”
Scootaloo did so and James span themselves around and Scootaloo ended up standing on James’ platform and James was on Scootaloo’s platform. Then the arrows started up again. James and Scootaloo hammered the platform and kept scoring until the song was over and the game finished.

Cheers broke out, they had done it. James and Scootaloo had scored one hundred percent completion, James turned around and saw everyone cheering and clapping, there was one guy who had a camera and was recording. James pulled Scootaloo closer to himself.

“Take a bow,” he said, “They’ll love it.”
James and Scootaloo bowed and waved to the crowd. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were cheering the loudest. James hopped down from the platform and retrieved his ticket cup from Sweetie Bell, who had taken it from Apple Bloom so Apple Bloom could cheer James and Scootaloo on.

“Don’t forget your tickets!” one onlooker shouted, James turned around and saw Scootaloo threading tickets through her hands.

“We’re rich!” she shouted.

“How many did we win?” James asked as he folded them up and tried to put them in his cup, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell came over to help. After they each had taken a part of the incredibly long strand of tickets the dancers lifted them up on their shoulders. All James and Scootaloo could do was wave in victory.

“I really think you’d earn your mark if you were back home,” James shouted over to Scootaloo.

“I know but this is awesome!” Scootaloo said.

Prize Of War

The kids let James and the Crusaders down, they each shook their hands and wandered off, eager to tell their other friends about what they had just seen. After James had grabbed a few ticket cups and stuffed them full of tickets, James led the Crusaders to the massive room that was stocked with winnable prizes. The prize room however was blocked by a pair of barriers and a woman behind a desk with a large tub and a ticket counter.

“All tickets in here please,” she said.
James and the Crusaders dumped the several cups worth of tickets into the tub. The ticket woman seemed surprised to see such an amount. Nevertheless, she started feeding the tickets in the counter and kept track of the number that showed up on a screen.

“This might take some time,” she said.

“Yeah, we know,” said James.

“Where did you win all these?” the ticket woman asked.

“On that dancing game,” said Scootaloo, “Me and James beat a super hard song.”

“One hundred percent completion,” said James.

“Which song?” the ticket woman asked as she started feeding another bundle of tickets into the machine.

“Blue by Eiffel 65,” James said, “I mastered that one.”

“Don’t forget about me,” said Scootaloo.

“I don’t think I will,” replied James.

The ticket counter ate up over ten thousand tickets by the time it was done, the ticket woman then asked for a play card and James handed her his. She took the card and scanned the tickets into it.

“Here you are,” she said, “You now have fifteen thousand five hundred and sixty tickets on your card.”
James was lost for words. Fifteen thousand tickets? He never knew how much he had on that card, James had only been to Dave and Busters three times and he didn’t remember getting five thousand five hundred sixty tickets at one time. James then remembered that he found a massive cup of tickets on his first trip to the arcade, the other times must have been when he got lucky at the big games and the one contest he won. James turned around to see the reactions of the Crusaders. Scootaloo’s jaw had dropped and it looked as if it was dislocated, Sweetie Bell had almost fainted but Apple Bloom caught her, as for Apple Bloom, she was a little more focused on trying to keep Sweetie Bell upright. James turned back to the ticket lady and took his card.

“Fif-fifteen thousand?” he stammered as he looked at the card.

“Unbelievable isn’t it?” the ticket woman asked, “You’re not the first to act like this.”

“So now what do we do?” Sweetie Bell asked after she regained her balance.

“Go forth and see of we can’t get anything,” James said as he entered the prize room. Scootaloo followed James, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell jogged to catch up. They entered the prize room and then stuck to James like glue, the Crusaders had no idea what James was doing, or what he was muttering as he pointed to various objects.

“No, no, nope,” James was listing on what he shouldn’t get or didn’t need, this continued for a few seconds before he stopped in front of a glass case. James examined the case and then stood back and nodded in admiration.

“What about this?” he asked.

The Crusaders looked at what the glass case contained, inside were two rather valuable prizes. One was an old fashioned jukebox, but this one was modified to take modern music players and CDs, this was priced at fourteen thousand tickets and looked rather cumbersome. The other prize was a flat screen plasma TV, this was priced at fifteen thousand tickets and seemed like it was fragile and sort of long. James was a little bit unsure if he needed a jukebox, but then again he had a flat screen in his room and in the den. The jukebox sounded nice but James had no idea where to put it, he could put it in the Spitfire hangar but that defeated the purpose of getting it because he would never use it, also it would freeze in the winter.

“What one do you like?” Sweetie Bell asked Apple Bloom.

“I like that old jukebox,” Apple Bloom replied.

“No get the TV,” said Scootaloo, “That way we can have our own TV in our room.”

“Good idea Susie” said Apple Bloom.

“Can we get the TV?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“No,” James said sternly. The Crusaders looked at him, confused.

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I though we could get what we want,” said Scootaloo.

“It’s not practical,” said James, “You’ll be going home in several weeks and I don’t want to waste tickets.”

“What can we get then?” Sweetie Bell asked, she sounded irritated. James turned to face her and drew breath to speak, he stopped when he saw something hanging from the ceiling behind Scootaloo.

“How about that?” he asked.

The Crusaders span around and looked up to what James was pointing to, it was a two person dune buggy. Scootaloo turned back to James.

“That?” she asked.

“We might just have enough for it,” James said as he walked over to the buggy. A single sign hung off of one of the wheels, James took hold of the sign and read it.

“Ah bloody hell,” James said in German, he pushed the sign away and walked back to the Crusaders.

“What’s up?” Apple Bloom asked.
James sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s twenty thousand five hundred tickets,” James said, “We’ll never get that.”

“Sure we can!” Scootaloo said, “All we have to do is keep trying.”

“Yeah, I agree,” said Sweetie Bell, “We didn’t come here to leave empty handed.”

“How are we going to get five thousand tickets in under an hour?” James asked as he looked at his watch.

“Easy,” said Apple Bloom, “The same way you got those tickets earlier.”
James caught on with what Apple Bloom was trying to tell him. The DDR machine had just been reloaded with tickets and this was his only chance to get that dune buggy. Scootaloo agreed to play the game one more time, after all she wanted the buggy as much as James. James and the Crusaders ran over to the machine just as the man with the huge rolls of tickets left. Scootaloo readied herself as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell ran off to find more ticket cups, James searched for another song that he was good at.

“I can’t find a bloody thing,” said James.

“Keep looking,” said Scootaloo.
James search for an agonizing five minutes then gave up. Nothing was on the list that he recognized, also he couldn’t play the last song because it said that it was “locked out” which meant he could play it, but there would be no tickets for completion.

“I’ve never even heard of these artists,” James said as he stepped off the game, he sighed and wandered back toward the exit.

“Hey James, wait!” Scootaloo said. James span around and saw Scootaloo pointing to the screen.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I found another song by that band you like,” said Scootaloo.
James looked at the screen and saw the same group but a different song, and this one wasn’t locked out.

“What would I do without you?” James asked.

“Give up?” Scootaloo asked mockingly, James chuckled and selected the song. Just before it started Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell returned with a few ticket cups.

“We found some,” said Apple Bloom.

“What took you guys so long?” asked Scootaloo.

“We had to scavenge these cups,” said Sweetie Bell, “There aren’t anymore left.”

“Well lets fill these up as well,” said James.

He and Scootaloo stood ready as the game started up again, once more James and Scootaloo mastered the song with one hundred percent completion. Once they did, James and Scootaloo cleared the game machine before anyone else had a chance to try and play the game, James and Scootaloo had pretty much ran the machine dry of tickets. Holding three cups overflowing with tickets, James and the Crusaders went back to the ticket woman to cash in the tickets.

“I’m back,” James said.

“I see,” said the ticket woman, “And you’ve got more tickets.”

“We managed to win on that dancing game again,” said Scootaloo.
James dumped the tickets in the tub again and the ticket woman fed the tickets into the machine. Once more James had to wait for the machine to count all the tickets at an annoyingly slow pace. After what felt like two hours to James and the Crusaders the ticket woman asked James for his play card and she put the newly acquired tickets on the card.

“You now have twenty thousand six hundred and ninety tickets,” the ticket woman said.
“Just what I needed,” said James, “Follow me, girls!”

He and the Crusaders went back into the massive prize room so they could get a better look at what they were going to end up getting with the tickets. The buggy sat where it was when James first got a glimpse of it, he took the card once more and checked it in case it had an extra zero on it. He relaxed when it read twenty thousand five hundred exactly. James took off his helmet and looked up at the contraption. The buggy had a two-stoke engine and a rather large, open air interior, James looked at the card once more and flipped it over, there was more information on the buggy; apparently it’s engine could put out more power than a moped and was capable of reaching thirty miles an hour. James wondered when he might need to go that fast, or why he would want to. The buggy had a compartment that could hold luggage, a little strange but it could come in handy, there was also a headlight and a brake light that were fitted. James hoped that he wouldn’t have to build the whole thing from scratch like a kit car, he might have help from his dad and the Crusaders but it would be a pain to assemble the thing like a Lego model.
James also realized that the buggy was no bigger than a fairground go-kart but powered by gasoline rather than electricity. James was still reading the card that hung from the wheel when Sweetie Bell tugged on his uniform to get his attention.

“What?” James asked.

“You remember that jukebox you liked?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“What about it?” James replied.

“It’s gone,” said Sweetie Bell.
James sighed and looked toward the glass case which held the jukebox.

“I knew that it would be gone if I didn’t get it,” he said.

“Never mind,” said Sweetie Bell, “We’re going to get this instead.”

“I really think this’ll be better in every possible aspect,” said James.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo returned a few seconds later with the person who managed the prize room. James watched as the employee walked over to him, occasionally glancing around the room to look at all the expensive prizes that coated the walls.

“This is what we want,” Scootaloo said to the prize manager.

“Okay then,” the prize manager said, “Give me a few minutes to fish out the box in the back, I’m kind of new at this.”
He ran off to the back of the building and returned a few seconds later with a clipboard and a co-worker.

“You’re in luck today,” the prize manager said, “We have just one left in storage, after that there won’t be any more for at least four months.”

“Best we get this now,” said James.

“Can we take it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Do you have a sufficient number tickets?” the co-worker asked.
James gave his game card to the prize manager, the prize manager scanned it in a small machine on the clipboard. He then handed James the clipboard and told him to sign it, James did so and he was handed back his card. The prize manager then directed James and the Crusaders to the back of the prize room where the box containing his buggy was being kept. James followed him and he ended up in a small room behind the arcade, the box was sitting there in the dim light of the room.

“It’s a bit bigger than I expected,” James said as he walked around the box, which was twice the size of the buggy.

“Well good luck getting it out of here,” the prize manager said.

“You won’t help us?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Nope, I’ve got my own part of this place to run,” the prize manager said. He left with the co-worker.

“I didn’t know that the buggy was only twenty thousand tickets,” the co-worker said as he walked out of the room leaving James and the Crusaders with a heavy box and no help.

“So now what?” Scootaloo asked.

“Simple, we get it out of here,” said James.

“But how can we carry this?” asked Sweetie Bell asked.

“We can try,” said Apple Bloom.

“No point in giving up,” James said as he tried to lift up a part of the box. He grunted with the strain and put it back down. James shook his head and walked around the box.

“Would be nice if you helped,” he said.

“How can we?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Try and lift it,” said James.

The Crusaders and James took hold of the box and lifted it up, they almost dropped it but they managed to carry it out of the back room and through the arcade. James wished that the people in the arcade would stop staring at them. Just as James and the Crusaders put the box down to figure out how they would get this down to the car a friendly passerby decided to help.

“Hey there soldier,” the passerby said, “Need help?”

“Yes, thanks,” James panted.
The passerby helped James and the Crusaders carry the box through the arcade and out toward the front door.

“Are you an Enforcer?” the passerby asked.

“Yep,” James grunted, “Passed the intuition only a few hours ago.”

“Nice work,” said the passerby.

“What’s your name?” asked James.

“Bill Hellion,” said the passerby, “What’s yours?”

“James Rogers,” said James.

“And the kids?” Bill asked.

“Abigail, Samantha and Susie,” said James, “They’re under my care temporarily.”
Bill, James and the Crusaders set the box down in front of the front desk to the restaurant.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘temporarily’?” Bill asked.

“James is fostering us for a while until we can got back to our families,” said Apple Bloom.

“It’s sort of complicated to explain,” said James.

“I know how you feel,” said Bill, “I got adopted by the Hellion family when I was ten, Hellion isn’t my last name.”

“What is it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“That’s the thing, I don’t remember,” Bill said.
James’ mother came out of the restaurant, once she saw James with the massive box she came over to see what James and the girls had won.

“What did you four get?” Katherine asked.

“A buggy!” said Scootaloo.

“We can drive this you know,” said Apple Bloom.

“But why did you want this?” Katherine asked, she then looked to Bill.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“This is Bill, he helped us carry the thing out of the arcade,” James said.

“Nice to meet you,” Bill said.

“Thanks for helping us,” said Sweetie Bell.

“No problem,” said Bill, “I can help you get this to your car then I have to get back to my airbase.”
Scootaloo heard ‘airbase’ and wondered if Bill was in the Air Force.

“Are you a pilot?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m part of the special forces branch of the Air National Guard,” said Bill, “I’m a Reaper.”

“Reaper?” James asked.

“Basically the Enforcers of the sky,” said Bill.

“What do you fly?” James asked.

“F-18 Superhornets,” said Bill.

“I’ve always wanted to go in a fighter jet,” said Scootaloo.

“Same here,” said James.

“Can you fly?” Bill asked.

“Only a Spitfire but that’s about it,” said James.

“I’ve always wanted to fly,” said Scootaloo.
Bill stroked his chin and nodded.

“I have a little idea,” he said, “Do you have clearance to the Enforcer Compound firing range?”

“Why yes I do,” said James.

“How does this sound? You take me in there as a guest and let me try out my new guns and you and one of these kids get to ride in the back of me and my wingman’s jets,” Bill said. Scootaloo couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she grabbed James by the arm and pulled him closer to her.

“Accept the deal!” Scootaloo said excitedly. James pulled his arm out of Scootaloo’s grasp.

“Sure,” James said, “I’ll help you out.”

“Good thing we see eye to eye on this,” said Bill.

The Speed Of Insanity

James kept to his side of the deal he made with Bill, with his clearance he managed to get Bill into the firing range. Turns out that this was a great time for the Crusaders to tag along, Bill had several military grade assault weapons and James was eager to try each one out. The Crusaders all enjoyed using the weapons and James became for familiar with each gun every time he used it. After a few hours teaching the Crusaders on how to use assault rifles James had become tired and the ammo stack was all used up. James’ father came to pick him and the Crusaders up. Dave was pleased to hear that James had passed the intuition and was an Enforcer, he wasn’t pleased that James had brought home a buggy from Dave and Busters. James had gotten it three days ago and he never had the chance to open it.

Morning dawned and the sky was clear. Apple Bloom shielded her face from the sunlight, She rolled over to try and get under the shade of the bookshelf that sat by James’ bed. Apple Bloom sat up and tried to get a look at the clock. Eleven thirty. She had overslept again. Apple Bloom didn’t care however, she didn’t have any jobs to do like when she was on the farm back home. Apple Bloom sighed and stood up from the rather deflated airbed, she stretched the stiffness out of her joints and looked over to James’ bed. It was empty and just made, Apple Bloom could only guess that James had got up before her and snuck out for some reason. James didn’t have a job anymore nor had James invited any friends over. Apple Bloom decided to investigate, after all, she didn’t want to get into any trouble.
Apple Bloom went downstairs after she went into the spare room and roused Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. She told the other two that James was up and somewhere in the house, Sweetie Bell devised the plan to go and search for him. Scootaloo said that they should start downstairs in the den where James usually was. As the Crusaders started down the stairs they heard muffled noises coming from the direction of the kitchen.

“What do you think that is?” Scootaloo asked.

“I hope it’s just that washing machine again,” said Apple Bloom.

“It sound like it’s coming from the garage,” said Sweetie Bell.
The Crusaders carefully went down toward the garage, once they were at the door they slowly opened into peek inside. James was in the garage with his dad trying to assemble the buggy.

“I don’t know why you got this, James,” Dave said.

“Because I can use it to practice driving,” said James as he tried to fit a wheel on the buggy.

“Are you sure this is what they had hanging from the ceiling at Dave and Busters?” Dave asked.

“Now that most of it is assembled I can see something strange about it,” James replied, “I don’t remember the showroom buggy having this massive plastic bin in the back.”

“Hi James,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hey there Apple Bloom,” James said. He turned around, oil coated his shirt and grease was on his hands. The Crusaders had no idea how he managed that but they did know what was going on.

“Are you trying to build the buggy?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah but there’s bit of a problem,” said Dave.

“It’s not the same model as the buggy we saw,” James said.

“Why? What do you mean?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well for starters the buggy we saw had a two-stroke engine, this has a four-stroke,” James said.

“What’s the difference?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“The difference it that the two-stroke can go up to thirty,” Dave said, “This can reach fifty.”

“Not that I’ll ever go that fast,” said James.

“Well let’s get the thing built so we can try it out,” Dave said.

“Do you need help?” Apple Bloom asked.

“We could use it,” said James.

“Okay then,” said Dave, “You girls get something to eat and get dressed and you can help.”

“Make sure you get something that you won’t mind getting dirty,” James said.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo did as they were told and reported to James an hour later in the garage, he and his Dad had already assembled most of the buggy but the Crusaders arrived to help with the final touches. Mainly the lights, the seats, and attaching the wheels. A long two hours of toiling away and the buggy was nearing completion, James had taken notice of Apple Bloom’s handiwork. She was good at building things, James wondered if she had been doing this since a very early age. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell were not as good as Apple Bloom but they were a great help at holding the buggy steady as James attached a part to the buggy.
Soon, the buggy was complete, and James didn’t know what to say.

“This isn’t like the one in the arcade at all,” he said.

“Did the one at the arcade have these orange lights?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I don’t remember indicators, or these massive exhausts,” said James.

“Is this right?” Apple Bloom asked.
James was trying to figure out what they had just assembled, Scootaloo called James over to the box that contained the buggy.

“Look what I found,” Scootaloo said, she was holding a smaller box that contained electrical equipment. James opened it and a large box with an aerial slid out.

“Is this a radio?” he asked. The contraption was a foot long and had several different gauges and knobs that covered it, there was also a red button and what looked like a steering wheel on it. James had a faint idea on what it might be, but he had to try it out before it was confirmed. There was another aerial that came out of the buggy as well, James had fitted that without second thought. Dave filled the tank of the buggy with gasoline and Apple Bloom opened the garage door.
James took the key to the buggy and inserted it into the ignition, he then pressed the button on the box and the engine started.

“Oh yeah,” James said, “I have to drive this.”

He hopped into the drivers seat and checked the steering, it was working. Apple Bloom had done a great job of attaching the steering vain and the pedals. James revved the engine and it rattled the windows, thanks to the two exhausts the buggy sounded like a turbo charged V6. James slowly drove the buggy out of the garage and to the end of the drive where he got ready to see what the top speed was. James got himself ready and was about to stomp on the accelerator when Scootaloo jumped into the passenger seat.

“Come on, lets go!” Scootaloo said.

“No, I need to test this out first,” James said.

“Aw, please?” Scootaloo said.

“Be careful!” James’ dad shouted over the engine.

“I don’t think this will be safe,” said James.

“But I-,” Scootaloo stopped and sulked a little, James couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. Scootaloo always had been a speed freak and she was pretty good on a bike and skateboards and she still was trying to achieve her Cutie Mark.

“It’s okay,” James said, “We can work this out.”

“How can we, James?” asked Scootaloo.

“Easy,” James said, “Like this!”
He stomped on the accelerator and the buggy shot forward. James was shooting down the street at over thirty miles an hour. Scootaloo was once again screaming with excitement, James couldn’t help but let out yells of joy as he power slid around corners and gunned it down the road. James skidded around the corner and screeched to a halt in front of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Dave.

“That was fun,” James said, “Who wants to go next?”

Scootaloo got out and let Sweetie Bell in the passenger seat of the buggy. James once again shot off into the distance and did a lap around the block, Sweetie Bell had never been in such a fast vehicle before nor had she ever screamed so loud every time James drove down the straight roads at thirty. James repeated the lap with Apple Bloom, at first she was a little scared but after James managed to drift around the corner she started enjoying the drive as well. James pulled the buggy up to the drive and turned it off. Apple Bloom got out and sat down next to Sweetie Bell.

“I’m so glad we got this,” James said as he climbed out and leaned against the roll bar.

“It does go like the clappers,” said Dave, “But the one thing that’s nagging me, it’s the box that Scoot recovered.”

“I think I know what that is,” James said. He took the box from his dad and pressed the button again. The buggy started and James slowly pushed a small lever on the box forward, the buggy started to go down the street. James pushed the lever even more and the buggy was going down the street even faster.

“It’s a remote,” James said, “This box is a remote control.”

“This thing is remote controlled?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Either that or it’s possessed,” said James.

“Well this is strange,” said Dave.

“Get the manual,” said James. Dave went back into the garage and fetched the manual out of the box, James took it from his dad and looked closer at the name of the buggy. The name of the buggy was the Ecstasy 550 Motorized Cooler.

“A cooler,” James said, “We got a bloody drinks cooler with a four-stroke.”

“Tell me again why you got this?” Dave asked.

“I didn’t know it would be this,” said James.

“The box didn’t have any pictures or names on it,” said Apple Bloom.

“We though we were getting the buggy that was in the arcade,” said Scootaloo.

“Well we can’t let some small mistake set us back,” said James, “We got something that was better.”
Dave couldn’t argue with that, he was always paranoid every time James went to Dave and Busters because he would always think that James would bring back something useless that would break in a few days. This time however James had brought back a buggy that was also a cooler.

The Crusaders were all pleased with what they had helped James get, after all, if they hadn’t pooled their tickets then they probably would be stuck with something they didn’t want or nothing at all. James owed his thanks to the Crusaders for helping him, Scootaloo especially because she helped James find his favorite songs and beat them alongside him as they played the game.

“So when can we try this out again?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I think we can test the cooler carrying function at the upcoming air show,” said James.

“When will that be?” Scootaloo asked.

“Right after Bill takes us up into the sky,” replied James.

Screaming In Superhornets

One week later and two days prior to the air show Bill came over to the Rogers residence to guide the way to the Reapers airbase. After several unusual turns and a drive through a forest, Bill turned a corner concealed by bushes and drove toward a massive vine covered gate. They had reached the Reapers airbase.

“This place is big,” said Apple Bloom.

“I bet the airfield is hidden behind the hangar,” James said.
James and the Crusaders were the first to step out of the car and follow Bill into the barracks. Dave and Katherine followed shortly after. The barracks looked a lot like the Enforcer Compound, but there were more pictures of planes rather than tanks and soldiers. James felt sort of confused but Bill led him and his family into a back room. He then stopped to talk to James.

“Only you and one other person can come,” Bill said, “It’s all I’m allowed.”
James looked back to the Crusaders. Apple Bloom shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, Sweetie Bell bit her lower lip and rubbed her arm, Scootaloo was looking rather excited and was grasping her hands tightly.

“I’m gonna choose her,” James said pointing toward Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom let out a small “eep” and Scootaloo switched from excitement to disappointment.

“The farmer girl?” Bill asked.

“No, the one with the mad purple hair,” said James.

“Susie?” Bill asked. James nodded in reply.
Scootaloo ran forward and hugged James tightly around his chest.

“Thank you!” she said loudly.

“Hang on there Scoot,” James muttered, “We haven’t even got to the jets yet.”

“Before you go up you’re going to have to go through a physical and a safety lecture,” Bill said.

“Why?” Scootaloo asked as she let go of James.

“It’s for your own safety,” said Bill, “Jets are a little different than prop planes.”

“When do we start?” James asked.

Bill led James and Scootaloo to a medical waiting room where medics would do their physicals and see if they were healthy enough for flight. Bill said that they would be taken into separate rooms where both blood pressure and height would be checked before examination of their spines would take place to check for any bends. A medic took Scootaloo into one room and after a few minutes James was taken into another room by another medic. James had both his blood pressure and height checked, James made small talk with the medic to figure out why his height was being recorded. The medic said that it was to check if he had lost any height after the flight and that James’ spine had to be straight or the slightest turn would cripple him for life.
James was let out of the medical bay after several minutes and Scootaloo followed soon after. Bill then took them to a briefing room where there was another pilot sitting on a table.

“James, Susie, this is Charles,” Bill said, “We call him Foxtrot.”

“How you kids doing?” Charles said as he shook both James’ and Scootlaoo’s hand.

“Doing fine,” said James, “I gather that this is the health and safety portion of our pre-fight?”

“Sure is,” said Charles. Scootaloo groaned a little but she sat down to listen.
Charles explained that both James and Scootaloo would be experiencing extreme speeds and G-forces. He went on to explain the different parts in the cockpit and ejection precautions. An hour later Charles leaned closer to James and Scootaloo.

“This is a little something we do for our guests to prove they were with us,” Charles said, “If you can withstand nine gees then you’ll get a golden pin. How does that sound?”

“Nine?” James asked.

“Yep, nine or nothin’ is the motto we use,” said Charles.

“What’s nine gees?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nine times your body weight,” James said, “It’s what’ll be crushing you on tight turns.”

“If you want to back out you can,” Charles said.
Scootaloo thought it over.

“No,” she said, “I’m not giving up that easily.”
James was impressed with Scootaloo’s enthusiasm.

“Count me in too,” said James, “I want this to be in my summer vacation report.”

“Okay then,” Charles said, “Just go through there and get suited up.”

“Wait, we have our own flight suits?” James asked.

“Suits and helmets,” said Charles.

“Come on James!” Scootaloo said tugging at his arm. James got up and let Scootaloo drag him to the rooms where they would suit up for flight. They both got separate rooms to change in, several minutes later they came out in black flight suits and holding black flight helmets. James looked on the back of his and saw his name printed on the back. His name was also stitched to the suit.

“I’m definitely going to wear this at the next Halloween party I get invited to,” James though to himself.

“How do I look?” Scootaloo asked. James looked at her in her flight suit, it was a little big for her but it suited her perfectly. Scootaloo’s fake name was stitched to her suit as well, James could also see her fake name printed on the back of the helmet.
“Rainbow Dash is going to be so jealous when I show this to her,” Scootaloo said as she tried to put her helmet on. She was struggling a little with the chin strap.

“Let me help you,” James said.
James took the helmet and undid the straps, then he slid it on her head.

“There you go,” he said.

“What? I can’t hear you,” said Scootaloo.

“You can hear me can’t you?” James asked. Scootaloo nodded.

“So where do we go now?” asked Scootaloo.

Bill and Charles showed up a few seconds later.

“Bad news,” Bill said, “The jets need to have repair work done on them.”

“What?” Scootaloo asked.

“We forgot to tell you that we had to fly through a storm a few days back and the planes got a little buffeted,” said Charles.

“Where are you going on this?” James asked.

“The jets will be fixed in an hour or two,” said Bill, “In the meantime it’s better this way so you can eat something.”

“Any reason why?” James asked.

“No reason,” said Bill, “We thought that you two might be hungry.”

“I am,” said Scootaloo.

Bill and Charles led James and Scootaloo down to the canteen, James wondered what food wouldn’t make him vomit during the flight. He knew it was inevitable and he hated it, but James hoped he could hold it in until they landed.

“So,” James said, “Any advice on what we should eat?”

“Peanut butter,” said Bill.

“Why’s that?” James asked.

“Tastes the same either way it enters your mouth,” said Bill.
Scootaloo giggled a little but James seemed a little disbelieving.

“You’re not serious?” James said.
Bill shot him a glance.

“Oh my god you are,” said James, “Where do you keep it stashed?”

In the canteen, James and Scootaloo were scarfing down peanut butter. The canteen was mostly empty, Bill and Charles were talking with another pilot and there were two cooks talking and making food behind the counter. After several minutes and two tubs of peanut butter, James dropped the spoon he was eating with.

“I swear I’m going to make myself sick just by eating this junk,” he said.

“It’s not too bad,” said Scootaloo. James could tell she was lying, each time she ate a mouthful she cringed and swallowed.

“All we can hope for now is that the jets are running,” said James.

“Ugggh, I hate this stuff,” Scootaloo said as she pushed the peanut butter away, she looked on her legs and saw two grey pieces of paper attached to her calves.

“What are these?” Scootaloo asked James.

“Airsickness bags,” James said, “Just in case we do feel ill. I hope we don’t have to use them in the jets.”
Bill and Charles came over to their table.

“Great news,” said Bill, “The jets are ready.”

“So we can go now?” Scootaloo asked.

“Follow us,” said Charles.

Bill and Charles led James and Scootaloo to the tarmac where the F-18 sat. The jets were black as night and looked very fearsome. James wondered if they were used more on night missions rather than day. The black paint would stand out on a clear day.

“Okay then,” Bill said, “Here’s how we’re going to do this, James is with me. Susie, Charles will be your pilot.”

“Take care of her,” James said.

“I will,” said Charles.

Bill took James over to his F-18 and helped him into the cockpit. James wasn’t familiar with the weapons systems but the navigation computer was lot like the one in his Spitfire. James looked around to see every last little piece of the jet, most he recognized from his books but there were a few buttons that he had never seen before.

“What’s this red button?” James asked, pointing to a rather large red button on the joystick.

“The button that fires the nukes,” Bill replied as he climbed into his seat. James’ hand snapped back and Bill chuckled.

“Just kidding,” said Bill, “But seriously, don’t press anything.”

“Tell me the ropes of this bird,” said James.
Bill then explained the different buttons that James would be using. From the oxygen unit to the ejector handle, James listened closely to each word that Bill said, one button could be the difference between life and death.

“Now did you get all that?” Bill asked.

“Every last word,” said James.

“One more thing,” said Bill, “Since we’re going to break nine gees I’m going to warn you prior. I’m going to say ‘here we go’ slowly, after I say ‘go’ you’re going to have to hold your breath to support you.”

“I know this, I read a lot,” said James.

Bill started up the jet and guided it down to the runway, Charles had done the same also and was behind Bill. The jet rumbled as the afterburners kicked in for a few seconds. James felt a rush of adrenaline surge through him. He wondered how Scootaloo was faring in the other jet.

“Okay then, ready for takeoff,” Bill said.
Bill’s F-18 rolled onto the runway and aligned for the takeoff run. Bill pushed the throttle to max and engaged the afterburners, the plane screamed down the runway and then soared into the sky, James was so amazed he forget to attach his breathing unit. He realized it wasn’t on and he stuck it onto his face and flipped the shades on his helmet down. The jet swayed from side to side as Bill waited for Charles to join him, in the meantime he checked up on James.

“Are you okay?” Bill asked.

“We’re quite high up aren’t we?” James asked.

“Just ten thousand feet,” said Bill.

“Higher than I’ve been in my Spitfire,” said James.

“What’s the most g-force you’ve generated in that plane?” Bill asked.

“No more than two and a half,” said James.
Charles’ jet then flew next to them, James could see Scootaloo in the back looking around the cockpit canopy.

“Reaper one this is Reaper two, do you read?” Charles’ voice came.

“I read you Reaper two,” said Bill, “How about we do some tricks for the kids?”

“Acknowledged,” said Charles. He then speared off to the right and vanished behind a cloud.

“Will they be okay?” James asked.

“They’ll be fine,” said Bill, “Want to do a barrel roll?”

“Sure,” said James. But he instantly regretted it when the jet started rolling around incredibly fast. James was rather dizzy when Bill stopped.

“How was that?” Bill asked.

“I don’t know,” said James, “Which way is up again?”

“More tricks?” Bill asked.

“Impress me,” James said without thinking.

For almost an hour Bill was darting around the sky performing both combat maneuvers and tricks used in air shows. James had never been so dizzy and excited at the same time, soon Bill leveled the jet out and flew straight.

“How was that?” Bill asked.

“Greatest thing I’ve ever experienced,” said James. He watched Charles and Scootaloo pull up next to them.

“Reaper two, Reaper two. Shall we break the nine mark?” Bill asked Charles.

“Sure thing Reaper one,” Bill replied, “I’m at bingo fuel anyway.”

“Alright James, prepare yourself,” Bill said. James gripped the side bars on the canopy.

“Here.”
James started breathing quickly and heavily.

“We.”
He wondered which way the jet would swing, hopefully upward so that he didn’t get sick.

“GO!”
Bill pulled back on the stick and the F-18 shot higher into the sky, James had sucked in as much air as he possibly could. The jet was screaming upward towards the sun, James was finding a crushing pain on his chest. He could barely move, most of his body was being held back by an unseen force. Under his mask and his helmet, James had gritted his teeth and his eyes were watering, he wondered how much more punishment his body could take. James feared for Scootaloo, she wasn’t as well built as James but she didn’t weigh much. He hoped that she would be okay after this. Bill then stalled the jet and it fell backwards and then nose dived. James found his breath and used the oxygen unit to suck up more air, he also felt lighter than before.

“How was that?” Bill asked.

“Oh…My…God!” James said between breaths. Bill laughed a little.

“Are we, are we canceling out gravity?” James asked.

“Sure are in zero gravity,” said Bill, “We do this and then level out.”

“Is Susie okay?” James asked Bill.

“Reaper two, is the girl okay?” Bill asked.

“She’s fine,” said Charles, “She wouldn’t stop screaming as we swung around you.”

“She will do that,” James muttered.

“Okay then,” said Bill, “Coming in for landing.”

The jets landed without a problem, James was then starting to feel a little dizzy after they parked up and got out of the jets.

“The bathroom is over there,” said Bill, reading the look on James’ face.

Another Small Achivement

Several minutes after gagging up his lunch of pure peanut butter, James was sitting outside the bathrooms. He felt awful but the worst part was over, James drank from the cup of water he had in his hand, he stood up and stretched the stiffness out of his legs then walked over to the other bathroom door. James knocked lightly on the door.

“You okay in there Scootaloo?” he asked. The only response was loud retching and coughs that made James feel sick to his stomach.

“What’s happening to me?” a panicked Scootaloo answered.

“It’s okay,” said James, “It’s perfectly normal, just ride it out.”

“Oh this really sucks,” said Scootaloo. She then vomited and spat out some residue.

“Once you’re done come on out and get some water,” said James.

“Wait! Don’t leave me here alone!” Scootaloo said.

“I’m staying here until you’re done,” said James.

“You know what’s funny?” Scootaloo asked James.

“What?” James replied, he wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

“They were right about the peanut butter thing,” said Scootaloo, “It does taste the same either way.”
James moaned and laughed at what Scootaloo had said, but she was right.

“I never want to touch another jar of peanut butter ever again,” James retorted.

“I don’t want to go in another jet ever again,” said Scootaloo.

“Well we managed to crack nine gees,” said a familiar voice.
James span around and saw Bill walking over to him.

“Done with the bathrooms?” he asked.

“Hold up,” Scootaloo said through the door. There was running water for a few minutes then the door unlocked, Scootaloo stepped out wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“So we did it?” James asked Bill as he handed Scootaloo a cup of water.

“Nine and a half to be precise,” said Bill.

“We both withstood nine gees?” asked Scootaloo.
Bill knelt down and attached a golden pin to her collar, he did the same with James.

“Congratulations,” Bill said, “You both did well in the gunner seat.”

James looked at the pin on his collar, it was gold with a hooded skull and two crossed scythes underneath the skull. It looked rather fearsome and striking at the same time, James liked it and he could see that Scootaloo was pleased with what she had achieved.

“I have to show this to the others,” Scootaloo said.

“I’m with you on that,” said James.
Bill took James and Scootaloo to the waiting room where James’ mother, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were waiting for them. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were a little annoyed that Scootaloo had gotten a gold pin, James said that they could go up next if they could take the punishment of nine gees. Sweetie Bell asked what that would feel like and James replied by picking her up and squeezing her in a tight bear hug, Sweetie Bell managed to get out of James’ crushing hug and James said that it was like that, but she wouldn’t be able to move. Scootaloo mentioned all the peanut butter they had to eat and Apple Bloom decided to back down from the offer.

“Shall we head home now?” Katherine asked.

“More than happy to,” said James.

“By the way, you can keep those flight suits and helmets,” Bill said.

“Thank you!” Scootaloo said.

“It’s nothing really,” said Bill.

“I hope we’ll be working together in the future at some point,” said James.

“I’ll keep the skies clear while you keep them missile free,” Bill said.

“Will do,” said James.

Onward To The Airshow

The day of the air show soon came. James had gotten up earlier that he usually did in order to take the seats, pedals, gear leaver and steering wheel out of the buggy and fit in a plastic bin that would hold the cooler steady as he drove it around on the beach. As he was checking the oil the Crusaders entered the garage, they were all rubbing their eyes and yawning.

“Hi girls,” James said as he filled the fuel tank up.

“When do we get going?” asked Apple Bloom.

“In about an hour,” said James, “You did get some breakfast and are all dressed right?”

“Did all that,” said Scootaloo.

“Your mother told us to wear swimming gear,” said Sweetie Bell.

“She told me as well, but I’m not going in the ocean,” said James.

“Why not, James?” Scootaloo asked.

“The beach we are going to is probably the biggest ashtray and dumping ground in the world,” said James, “I had one bad experience, I don’t want a repeat.”

“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It sort of involved the ocean and about twenty metric tons of garbage and medical waste,” said James.

“They dump garbage in the water?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It is New Jersey,” said James, “It’s okay for me to say all this because it’s true and I live here.”

“Ew,” said Scootaloo, “When was that?”

“Only two years ago,” said James.

James’ dad opened the door to the garage from the outside. There were several bags and beach chairs sitting by the car. James wheeled the buggy outside and, with Dave’s help, attached it to the roof of the SUV. The Crusaders helped as well, packing in some of the bags and one rather large cooler in the back of the car. After waiting for several minutes, Katherine then came out of the house, she had been trying to put Dart in a cage until they got back. Soon, everyone was in the car and riding down to the beach where the air show was taking place.

Sadly, Dave had forgotten to fill the SUV up for the trip. So they pulled into the gas station of James’ former occupation, there were several beat up Buicks that contained old people. Two unfamiliar gas attendants walked out of the building and went to serve the Buicks, James had to find out about the two new guys. He went into the building and was relieved to see Darryl and Ed in one of the bays.

“Hi guys,” James said.

“I never thought that you would come here again after Tony fired you,” Darryl said.

“Who are the two newbies?” asked James.

“Their names are Burt and Bart,” said Ed, “I’m not joking, those are their names.”

“And I’m guessing they aren’t very good at this job?” James asked.

“They’ve asked me three times to break a twenty for them just in one hour,” Darryl said.

“So Laurel and Hardy replaced me then?” James asked.
Darryl nodded. Ed however was looking out the window of the bay, he was trying to see the Buggy on the SUV.

“James, what the hell is that?” he asked.

“The Ecstasy 550,” replied James, “I won it a couple of weeks ago.”

“Is it fast?” Darryl asked.

“I got up to thirty but it can reach fifty,” said James.

“That thing looks sick,” said Ed.

“I’m testing the remote control later today,” said James, “I would show it to you here but I don’t want the hassle of taking it down.”

“Can you show it to us later?” Darryl asked.

“I’ll bring it around when Tony is here, just to annoy him,” James said.

James then went into the office and rummaged around the desk until he found the drawer that contained the paychecks. James looked at each one until he found three that were his, one was pay for the week before he left for North Carolina, the second was one from the day where he forgot to pick up his pay. James found the third to be rather interesting, the envelope was heavy and seemed thick. He decided to wait until he got home before he opened the paychecks. James went back to the SUV, got in and then Dave started driving down to the beach.

While they made their way to the beach James was fiddling with the remote control for the buggy, seeing if there was anything he missed.

“So what’s going to be at the air show?” Scootaloo asked. She was sitting next to James watching him toy with the remote.

“I have the schedule here,” said Dave.

“Can I see it?” Scootaloo asked. Dave gave her the paper with the schedule of the air show, Scootaloo then gave it to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell.

“What’s a Thunderbird?” Apple Bloom asked.

“The air demonstration team of the US air force,” said James.

“So are they like the Wonderbolts?” asked Scootaloo.

“Kind of, only louder,” said James.

After an hour of driving they finally made it to the beach, or at least the spot where the beach was located. James looked up and down the strait and saw that the only buildings that were large and glimmering were the casino hotels that stood above the massive boardwalk. Once a parking spot was found James and Dave took the buggy off of the roof of the SUV and set it down a few feet away from the trunk, James did some last minute checks on the buggy while Dave fitted the cooler in the newly fitted compartment. The Crusaders were amazed that the buggy’s cabin could double as a drink carrier. James started the buggy up and drove it around the parking lot a couple of times, he stopped it and then span it around to the ramp onto the boardwalk. The Crusaders and James’ parents took some bags and chairs, leaving James with the parasol and a small shovel.

“Can’t forget my E-tool,” said James. He strapped it to his waist and took the E-tool out of its holder.

“So that’s some sort of military shovel?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Very good Abigail,” said Dave, “I see James has been teaching you a lot.”

“I do my best,” said James.

Dave and Katherine started to make their way up to the boardwalk with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell was following them when she turned around and saw James stuff something under his shirt. He then started the buggy up again and drove it up the ramp.

“What was that thing you had?” Sweetie Bell asked.
All James did was put a finger to his lips and then faced forward, motioning Sweetie Bell to keep up. James took the lead and he drove his buggy toward a large walkway that went over the dunes. He stopped just before the walkway started and shook his head.

“Too small,” he said to his parents, “We’ll have to find one of the larger on-ramps.”
James backed the buggy up and tried to look for another ramp but as he turned around to see if there was one, he ended up walking right into a cop.

“Sorry, didn’t see you there,” James said.

“You know that you can’t have this on here,” the cop said.
James had no idea what he was talking about.

“Can’t have what?” he asked.

“The buggy,” said the cop, “No motorized vehicles are allowed on the boardwalk.”

“When did that take effect?” James asked.

“You’re violating ordinance 34738-D,” the cop said, “I’m going to have to conf-”
But before the cop could finish his sentence a patrol car pulled up next to him. The window went down and another cop leaned out the window.

“Hey there Rick,” the cop said, “I’m getting donuts, you want any?”
The other cop had his back to the car and James had to do everything in his power to stop himself from laughing out loud. The cop was seething and the other cop in the car had no idea what had happened three minutes prior.

“Is that an Ecstasy 550?” the cop in the car asked.

“Sure is,” replied James, “I had the cooler attachment fitted before I came here.”

“Nice,” said the cop, “So do you want anything Rick?”
The other cop turned to his buddy and leaned down on the window.

“Get six donuts and two large coffees,” the cop said.

“Okay then,” said the other cop. He drove off down the boardwalk, leaving his buddy with James.

“Go on then,” James said, “I know you were just about to tell a funny joke.”

“I forgot the punch line,” the cop said. He then went in the direction of his buddy.

“Ironic and hypocritical,” James said, “That was too close.”

James managed to find his parents and the Crusaders standing next to a large ramp. James guided the buggy up the ramp and onto the sand, he gunned the engine for a second so that he could get it onto the more firm sand to avoid the buggy getting stuck. This annoyed some people on the beach. James slowly drove the buggy around the sunbathers while his parents and the Crusaders followed closely behind, James’ maneuvering skills were excelling as he carefully drove between tents, parasols, beach towels and a mix of annoyed and impressed beachgoers.

“Now all we have to do is find a place to set all this down,” Katherine said.

“Ah no,” James though, “The Crusaders aren’t going to like this.”

Katherine and Dave then spent the next several minutes choosing a ideal spot to set the chairs down, the only problem was that they chose another spot right after everything had been set down. The Crusaders were getting annoyed because of this and James couldn’t help but agree with every complaint they uttered.

“How long now?” Apple Bloom moaned.

“The bloody show will be over by the time we find a spot,” said James.
Katherine finally found a spot where they could set everything up, the Crusaders dropped everything they were carrying and set up a few chairs. James parked his buggy under the parasol his dad had set up, he wanted it there so that the engine wouldn’t absorb too much heat and probably explode. As Dave set the beach blankets down a lifeguard came over.

“You better not cause any trouble with that,” the lifeguard said.

“I turned it off and I’m not turning it on until the show is over,” James replied.

“James,” Scootaloo whined, “There’s tape and signs near the water.”

“They said we’re not allowed in,” said Sweetie Bell.

“What gives?” James asked.

“Some sort of boat dumped a cargo hold’s worth of medical waste and sewage,” the lifeguard said, “No one is allowed in.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the water is radioactive as well,” James said.

“You enjoy the show anyway,” the lifeguard said as he walked away. The Crusaders then went over to James.

“Now what?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well there’s the show and the sand,” James said.

“When doe’s it start?” Dave asked.

“In a few minutes,” said James.

“What’s up first?” Scootaloo asked.

Before James could answer a squadron of F-16s screamed past, followed by a massive KC-135R tanker plane. James settled down on the chair closest to the buggy and the Crusaders sat on the blanket in front of James. Dave had a pair of binoculars and saw scanning the sky for any more jets. Katherine was too occupied with the phone, James found out who she was talking to a few minutes later. Seth and his family joined James’ family.

“Hey there,” Diane said to Katherine.

“Good of you to join us,” said Katherine. Seth walked over to James, James stood up to greet his friend and to show off his buggy.

“Hi James,” said Seth.

“I really am glad you turned up,” James said, he looked over to Jenson then Diane, Chip and Dean were nowhere to be seen.

“They’re with my grandparents,” said Seth.

“Hi Seth,” Scootaloo said.

“Hi,” Seth replied, he then turned back to James.

“Hey, you want to go in the sea?” he asked.

“It’s full of medical waste,” Apple Bloom said as she watched a AT-6 perform tricks in the sky.

“Wait, we can’t go in?” Seth asked.

“No, and I didn’t want to anyway,” said Sweetie Bell, “The water smells funny.”

“There you have it,” James said, “You can go and catch a nasty genital disease if you want.”

“No thanks,” Seth laughed, he pointed to the buggy, “Tell me about this.”

“Wow! B-16 bombers!” Scootaloo said.

James went on to explain how he won the buggy at Dave and Busters with the Crusaders help. Seth was impressed with the buggy and it’s ability to carry drinks, he go a soda out of the cooler and was amazed that the engine hadn’t melted the ice in the cooler.

“Can you use this on roads?” Seth asked.

“Funny enough, yes,” James said, “I looked it up and you can drive this on the roads.”

“James look!” Apple Bloom said, “There’s a Spitfire like yours up there!”
James sank down on his seat and Seth sat next to him.

“Shall we shut up and watch the show?” James asked. Seth nodded in reply.

Crowd Pleasers

The air show was quite a good spectacle for James, as for the Crusaders, they were loving every second that passed, every jet that flew by. James couldn’t help laughing every time the Crusaders got surprised by a jet that shot over the beach. A whole air force worth of planes and helicopters flew over the beach and across the boardwalk, Scootaloo had no trouble identifying each plane that showed up. James was just mentioning to Seth how he met the Native Americans in South Dakota when all of a sudden, the sky went quiet.

“Hey,” Scootaloo said, “Where are all the jets?”

“Maybe they got lost,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Nah, I bet they’re refueling,” said Apple Bloom.

“Wrong,” said James, “It’s the surprise demonstration.”

“How do you know?” Scootaloo asked.

“I read the schedule,” said James.
The schedule paper was sitting in the cup holder, Seth looked a little confused.

“A surprise demonstration?” he said, “What do you think it is?”

“Could be anything,” James said, “Remember the F-35 from last year?”

“Oh yeah, the one that could hover and stuff,” Seth said.

“That was here last year?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“The best aircraft so far,” said Seth.

“I still think the B-2 was the best,” said James.

“Was that the stealth bomber?” asked Scootaloo.

“Yes it was,” said James.

“I think I see something!” Jenson shouted, pointing to one end of the beach.

James stood up and looked toward the speck on the horizon. Something was coming, but he couldn’t tell what it was. It looked like an F-16 or an M-5. James was about to take out his binoculars for a better look when the jet roared down the beach and ascended into the sky.

“What was that?” James said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that jet before,” said Seth.

“Did anyone see how fast that was going?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That plane was loud,” said Sweetie Bell.
James looked into the sky and saw the jet dive down and make another flyover of the beach. The jet was flying at a slower speed but was still making the parasols flap in the wind.

“It’s a Eurofighter Typhoon,” said James.

“Is that what it is?” Scootaloo asked.

“Did they bring that from Europe?” Seth asked.

“Must of because there aren’t any Eurofighters around here,” said James.

“Look at it fly,” said Sweetie Bell.

“This is the coolest plane ever,” said Apple Bloom.

James, Seth and the Crusaders watched as the Eurofighter dove and rolled over the beach. It truly was an amazing sight, James was rather pleased about the Typhoon being in the air show. Aside from the Supermarine Spitfire, the Eurofighter Typhoon was one of James’ favorite military planes. James knew he would never be in one, but just seeing one here in action satisfied him enough.

“What a sight,” he said.
The fighter barreled over the beach and glided out of sight. The Crusaders were all standing up, trying to get sight of it again. James knew that it was gone but he knew that his parents had taken several pictures of it.

“It’s gone,” James said as he rummaged in the cooler.

“That was so cool!” said Scootaloo.

“That was only the surprise demonstration,” James said, “There’s still the Thunderbirds to look forward to.”

“When are they coming?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Soon, just you wait,” James said as he tossed a soda to each of the Crusaders.

Almost a half hour passed before anything showed up. James was wondering if the show’s final act was going to make an appearance.

“Are the Thunderbirds going to show up?” James asked.

“Doesn’t look like they will,” said Seth.
James looked over to Diane and Jenson, they had already packed up their beach chairs and parasol. Dave and Katherine had done the same as well.

“Such a shame,” Katherine said.

“I know,” said Jenson, “Good thing this is free or I’d want my money back.”

“Come on you lot, we’re leaving,” said Dave.
The Crusaders were reluctant to go but they went to follow James’ parents and Seth, James however was having trouble starting the buggy.

“Work you piece of scrap,” he said.

Just before James figured out what was making the buggy not start he heard a distinct rumbling coming from behind the tall buildings. James span around and saw six jets flying toward the ocean. James hoped that it was the legendary Thunderbirds. James waved at his parents to get their attention, luckily his dad saw him and stopped everyone from leaving. The roar of the Thunderbirds made them look into the sky. The Crusaders ran back over to James.

“It it them?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It sure is,” replied James.

“I really like their planes,” said Scootaloo.

“Where can we sit to watch this?” asked Apple Bloom.
The Crusaders ended up sitting on the buggy with James. As for James’ parents and Seth’s parents, they decided to stay where they were. Seth and James sat on the front of the buggy while the Crusaders sat on the roof and side. The five of them watched the jets shoot around over the beach. Nearly ten minutes passed before anyone said anything.

“Almost gave up waiting,” said Seth.

“Good thing my buggy stalled,” James replied as he tapped the front bumper.

“Look at them go,” said Scootaloo.

“They can do a lot more,” James said. He turned around to talk a little more directly to the Crusaders, then caught sight of one of the jets creeping up on them.

“Hey!” Apple Bloom shouted over the roar of the jets, “Why are there only five?”

“You’ll see,” replied James.
The Crusaders had no idea what James was talking about until the sixth jet screamed overhead startling the Crusaders. Out of instinct, the Crusaders dove behind James and looked up into the sky, hoping another jet wouldn’t scare them. James could only laugh and assure the Crusaders that it was okay. Soon, the Thunderbirds finished their flyby and vanished into the distance. Once the jets were gone James started the buggy and drove it to the ramp. The Crusaders got off and after brushing the sand off their feet, pulled their shoes on and followed James and his parents to the SUV. Dave and James hoisted the buggy up onto the roof and James got into the SUV with the Crusaders.

“So how was it?” James asked.

“I loved it!” said Scootaloo.

“It was fun,” said Apple Bloom.

“When is the next one?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Next year,” said James. The Crusaders moaned but James said that if he can, he might be able to see if he can bring them and their families over next time.

“How does that sound?” James said, “You might be able to bring your families next time.”

“That sounds great!” said Sweetie Bell.

“My sister would think it’s cool,” said Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, uh, my brother might like this as well,” Scootaloo said, James sensed uneasiness in her voice. Ever since the start he had the feeling that Scootaloo was hiding something from him. James decided to not look into it until she brought it up, he might say something that could upset Scootaloo.

On the way home James noticed Apple Bloom was trying to scratch her back, but was having no luck.

“Are you okay?” James asked.

“It’s nothing,” said Apple Bloom, “I’m just itchy is all.”

“Same here, but it’s my arms,” said Sweetie Bell.

“My feet kind of itch as well,” said Scootaloo.

“It might be the sand,” said James, “Don’t worry, we can all take showers when we get back.”

“Me first!” said Apple Bloom.

True Friendship

True Friendship

Dave drove back to the house, as James and his dad were putting the buggy in the garage, James was a little concerned about the strange irritation on his face. It was mostly around his cheeks and chin but his dad hadn’t said anything, that could be accounted for because James was wearing his hat. James went to the front door and saw the Crusaders all trying to scrape off their skin. James saw that Apple Bloom’s back was bright red, it was the same for Sweetie Bell’s arms and Scootaloo’s feet.

“Why does it hurt and itch at the same time?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because it’s sunburn,” said James.

“I remember you telling us about that,” said Apple Bloom, “Is this what it is?”

“Yes, and it isn’t pleasant,” said James.

“James, it hurts,” Sweetie Bell said.

“It’s okay, there’s some stuff that can help,” James said.

The door to his house was opened earlier by Katherine, James went inside first and kicked off his shoes, sending sand over the floor. He muttered in irritation then tossed his hat into the basket behind him and looked at his face in the mirror.

“WHOA!” he yelled with shock and jumped backwards.

“What? What is it?” Apple Bloom said.

“I got sunburn as well,” said James, “Look at me!”
Scootaloo got a glimpse of his face.

“He looks like a beetroot,” she giggled.

“Lemme see! Lemme see!” Apple Bloom said as she pushed her way to look at James.

“Very funny,” James said turning to the Crusaders, “You lot have your laughs and get showers.”

Sweetie Bell cracked up and went upstairs, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo then followed. James went to the medical cabinet and looked for the sunburn ointment. He found some strange looking blue slime in a bottle that, once he put on his face, stopped the burning sensation. James sighed in relief and rubbed the goop on his burns. James looked at the bottle and saw it was a rather new brand of sunburn ointment, but the name was rather hard to pronounce.

“Don’t know what it’s called and I don’t care,” he said, “The girls will be begging me for this.”
James sat downstairs in the den until he heard the Crusaders thunder down the stairs, he then stood up and went to the stairs so he could shower off the dirt and sand he picked up.

“James, where’s the sunburn stuff?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You’ll get it in a bit,” said James, “I’m going to have to help you with this, I don’t want you going mad with it.”

“How long will you be?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Just a few minutes,” James replied.
James had his shower and halfway through getting dressed, there was pounding on the door, it was Scootaloo.

“James,” she said, “When will you be down?”

“Give me time Scootaloo,” James replied.

“Okay, but Dart kept standing on my foot and it really hurt,” Scootaloo said.

“Just let him up on the couch and he’ll fall asleep,” James said as he pulled on a shirt. He heard Scootaloo leave, James sighed and slapped more ointment on his face. It stung for a second then a cooling sensation ran over his cheeks. James then went downstairs to give some to the Crusaders.

“Okay, who had it worst?” he said.
Apple Bloom showed his her upper back, it was entirely red and when James put his hand on the burn, Apple Bloom yelped and got away. Sweetie Bell’s arms were red as well, and some heat was radiating off of her burns, Scootaloo had sunburn on the tops of her feet, James could just see the what caused the sunscreen to fail, it was the sand that had rubbed it off. James decided to help Apple Bloom first, he gave some of the ointment to Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo so they could apply it themselves.

“Okay then Apple Bloom,” he said, “Keep still and you’ll clear up.”

“Does this stuff work?” Sweetie Bell asked as she prodded the goo with her finger.
Scootaloo had rubbed some of the ointment on her foot and she gave a relieved sigh.

“Yeah, it works,” she said.
Sweetie Bell shrugged and rubbed it on her arm and smiled when the burning sensation stopped. James had rubbed some of the ointment on Apple Bloom and she thanked him for helping her.

“Hey James,” Sweetie Bell said, “You have sunburn on your neck.”

“I do?” James replied.

“Here, let me help you,” Sweetie Bell said. She got some ointment and rubbed it on James’ neck, James sighed and gave Sweetie Bell a one armed hug as a thanks. He was glad that he helped the Crusaders out and they did the same for him. But it also made him sad in a way, for the Crusaders would soon be back home where they belong and James might never see them again. All James could do now was make the days last.

Fun With Fire

Within a day, James and Crusaders had recovered from their sunburn and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. One morning Scootaloo woke up and found that James’ bed was empty and only just made, she got up and went downstairs to find out where James was. Scootaloo went into the den and was surprised that it was empty. She wandered around the house and found that Dave and Katherine were nowhere to be found. Scootaloo read the time on the clock, it was only ten forty five, James would only be just getting up or would still be asleep. Scootaloo ran back upstairs to wake Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom to see if they knew where James was.

“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell,” Scootaloo said shaking them awake, “Have you seen James?”

“No I haven’t,” Apple Bloom groaned.

“What time is it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Almost eleven,” said Scootaloo.

“That’s no big deal,” said Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Bell sat up and looked toward the window.

“Can anyone else hear music?” she asked.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could hear something. The Crusaders decided to investigate the source of the music, Apple Bloom just wanted it to stop so she could get back to sleep. The Crusaders crept downstairs and went toward the garage, the music was getting louder with each step toward it. Scootaloo slowly opened the door and looked out.

“What can you see?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“The garage doors are open, but that’s about it,” Scootaloo replied.

“I’m going back to sleep,” said Apple Bloom.

A strange whoosh and crackling made her freeze in her tracks, the noise was coming from outside along with the music. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo slowly went into the garage and toward the open door, Apple Bloom followed them, eager to see what the noise was. They peered around the open door and saw someone standing on the driveway, the person was wearing thick overalls, a strange looking welders mask, and they had a fuel tank on their back and what looked like a long metal stick with a shower head end in their hand. The Crusaders backed away, but Apple Bloom knocked over a bike which crashed into a lawnmower. The figure span around with the strange device raised to his head level. Scootaloo peeked around the corner, the person saw her and lowered the metal device. He cocked his head to one side and reached for the backpack.

“What are you doing up so early?” a familiar voice asked.

“James?” Scootaloo said to the figure.

“In the flesh,” James replied flipping the mask visor up, it was him, but there was some speculation abut what he was doing.

“What’s that thing you have?” Apple Bloom asked.

“A weed burner,” said James, “Mum and dad bought it only an hour ago and they tasked me with testing it out by clearing out the drive.”

“That thing burns weeds?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Best thing my parents have ever tasked me to do,” James said as he flipped the mask back down over his face, “Watch.”

James looked on the drive for any weeds that had grown in between the cracks of the driveway, he found a good sized patch of moss and a dandelion poking out of a hole in the drive. James held the torch over the plant and squeezed the trigger, a jet of fire burned the plant and caused it to combust and disintegrate. James then torched a large clump of grass and some ivy.

“See,” he said turning around, “It does what it’s designed to.”

“Can I use it?” Apple Bloom said.

“No you can’t,” James said sternly, “This is no toy, this is a civilian flamethrower. Not only can it set plants on fire but it can set you on fire as well if you’re not careful.”

“But we use your guns,” Scootaloo said, “You let us use those every time we go to the gun range.”

“That’s different,” said James, “You can be trusted with the guns but the weed burner is something that I have to do alone.”

“Can we help you at least?” Sweetie Bell asked.
James stood still for a second and mulled over ideas in his mind.

“Yes you can,” he said, “Once my parents get back from walking the dog, can you take him in the back and play with him until I’m done?”

“We can do that,” said Apple Bloom.

“Okay then,” said James, “You kids get dressed, and wait up until my parents get back from the walk before you eat, they bought donuts for all of us.”

The Crusaders ran back inside when they heard the last part of James’ sentence. James chuckled and went back to his weed burning. He hummed The Rolling Stones song “Paint it Black” as he set fire to a part of the lawn and stomped it out, James looked through the screen door to see the Crusaders sitting at the table, waiting for Dave and Katherine to return.

“They’re such cute kids,” James thought, “I hope they get home before the school year starts, I do not want to put them in a public school. God only knows what could happen.”
Dave and Katherine returned with the donuts, Dart was more than happy to greet the Crusaders by jumping up on each one to get a loving ear rub from them. The Crusaders were halfway through eating when James came through the garage door.

“So how was it?” Dave asked.

“It was okay,” said James, “The burner’s going to have to be replaced by the end of the month, and the fuel supply needs to be refilled.”

“Did you get all the weeds?” asked Katherine.

“Burned each one to a crisp,” said James, “So, do I get a donut?”
James did get a donut for his efforts, which he took into the den to eat. James was overly pleased with this month, he had be become an Enforcer, he got an Ecstasy 550 buggy. He made a new friend and got to ride in the gunner seat of an F-18, and now, he has his own weed burner. James hoped that soon, the month would get better for both him and the Crusaders.

Crash

A few days later James decided to drive around his development in his buggy, reason why was because he was bored and he hadn’t got any new games for his Xbox 360 and his mother was taking the Crusaders shopping, but Scootaloo didn’t want to go.

“No, I’m not going,” she said.

“Come on Scoot,” Apple Bloom said.

“We’re only clothes shopping, what so bad about it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It’s boring and I don’t like it,” replied Scootaloo, “I want to stay here with James.”

“Well if you want to stay you can,” said Katherine.

“It’s okay Scootaloo,” said Apple Bloom, “We’ll try and bring you something.”

“Thanks you guys,” said Scootaloo.

“Make sure you two take care of the dog,” Katherine said as she closed the front door behind her.

Katherine, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell piled into the car and left, Scootaloo watched them out of the window until they turned the corner and disappeared from sight. She went to the garage where James was refitting the buggy’s seats and steering wheel.

“Hi James,” Scootaloo said.

“Hey there Scootaloo,” James said cheerily.

“So, what are you gonna do today?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m going to drive this buggy around the neighborhood at full tilt,” said James.

“Oh okay,” said Scootaloo. James dropped his tools back into the toolbox and looked at Scootaloo.

“Seriously, what’s up with you? You don’t sound as happy as you usually are.” he said.

“Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell went shopping with your mother,” said Scootaloo, “I didn’t what to go at first but now I kind of do.”

“Lonely?” James asked. Scootaloo nodded.

“Well no problem,” James said opening the garage door, “You can follow me around the development if you want.”

“But aren’t we supposed to take care of Dart?” asked Scootaloo.

“That lazy bugger is still asleep on my bed,” said James, “We’ll be back by the time he wants to go out.”

“Can I ride in the buggy with you?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sadly no,” said James, “I haven’t fitted the passenger seatbelts yet. You can ride behind me on one of my old bikes if you want.”

“What kind of bike?” asked Scootaloo.

James went over to the mound of bicycles and plucked a small BMX bike out of the pile, it had a nice looking black frame and spokes that were attached to the wheels. It looked as if it hadn’t been used in years.

“This was mine when I was eleven,” James said setting down next to Scootaloo, “I haven’t used it since.”
Scootaloo picked the bike up and held it.

“It’s real nice,” she said.

“Best part was that it was quite cheap,” said James, “I got it for only thirty dollars.”

“So I’m just going to ride behind you?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yep, also I want you to wear these,” James said, he handed Scootaloo a helmet with elbow and knee pads.

“I have some of these at home,” said Scootaloo.

“Well then you know that you have to wear them,” said James.

James climbed into the buggy and started it up, Scootaloo strapped the pads and helmet on and rode up next to James. James pulled on a helmet of his own and checked to see if Scootaloo had on her safety gear, he was pleased that Scootaloo had her helmet and pads on, but not really happy with her choice of footwear.

“Scoot,” James said, “Why are you wearing those flip flops?”
James shuddered after saying the last two words, he hated the flip flop. He thought that it was the most useless type of shoe ever manufactured, and it made a noise he absolutely hated. James wished that his mother would stop wearing her flip flops and get some sneakers.

“These?” said Scootaloo, “I’m just trying them out.”

“I hope for the last time,” James said.

“Can we go now?” Scootaloo asked.

James slowly drove the buggy out of the garage and onto the street, Scootaloo followed close behind. James then gunned it down the street and drifted to a halt at the end of the road, Scootaloo pedaled furiously in order to catch up. James drove around the development with Scootaloo behind him, he felt somewhat relaxed and at ease as he explored the development, James occasionally checked back to see if Scootaloo was still behind him. James circled around the development once more and stopped at the end of the street that led to his house, Scootaloo pulled up next to him.

“Scootaloo I’m going to see how fast this thing can go,” he said, “Keep up if you can.”

“Okay James,” Scootaloo replied.

James revved the engine and shot off down the street. He came up to a turn and skidded around it, James was leaning with the buggy as it drifted around the corner. Then the buggy’s back wheel jolted and James skidded out of control.

“What the hell?” James said, he span the buggy around and shut off the engine. James got out and looked at the wheel that had received the blow of what ever was on the road. The back of the buggy sagged at the one wheel, James examined the suspension and saw that the spring had collapsed from impact.

The buggy was still drivable but getting a replacement spring would cost dearly. James wondered what it was that he hit that caused the collapse of the suspension. He tried to lift the sagging part of the buggy up but gave up when it yielded no result. Irritated about the botched spring, James went to see what it was that he ran over. Just as James got into the buggy and start it, he heard a crash and cries of pain.

“Scootaloo!” he shouted. James started the buggy and span the buggy around to find Scootaloo. He screeched to a halt in front of the wreckage of Scootaloo ad the bike. Scootaloo was cut up badly and the bike was in pieces. James jumped out of the buggy and ran over to her.

“Scoot, are you okay?” he asked.

“No,” said Scootaloo. Her leg was trapped under a part of the bike and her poor choice of footwear had become tangled in the bike chain.

“Lets get you up,” said James. He pulled the bike off of Scootaloo and tossed the frame off the road.

“What did I hit?” Scootaloo asked. James looked behind her and saw a piece of metal piping laying in the street, he picked that up and tossed it off to the side as well.

“I’m going to get us back home and get you fixed up,” James said as he picked up Scootaloo and carried her to the buggy.

“What about the bike and my shoes?” Scootaloo asked.

“Forget the bike,” said James, “You’re bleeding everywhere, just keep pressure on the worse cuts and I can patch you up.”
James set Scootaloo in the passenger seat of the buggy then he went back to the remains of the bike. He picked up the heap and tossed it onto a pile of trash on the side of the road.

“Now I see why it was so cheap,” James said.

He got back into the buggy and shot off down the street back to his house, once there, he carefully drove the buggy into the garage and stopped it. The he shut the doors and carried Scootaloo to the kitchen, James set Scootaloo down on the counter and retrieved the medical supplies out of the cupboard. He got out a mix of bandages, medical tape, gauze and antibiotics. James carefully took Scootaloo’s elbow and knee pads off and checked the cuts and scrapes she got from the fall. The left side of her was scraped up the most, there were cuts from her foot to her cheek, the right side of her wasn’t so bad but there were a few small cut from where she had landed on the bike.

“Is it bad?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nothing major that I can’t fix,” James replied as he got a gauze pad and wiped some blood off her leg. He did this for some time before he applied the antibiotics.

“Hold still, this might sting a little,” James said.
He rubbed a little on the cuts, Scootaloo gritted her teeth then relaxed as it went away.

“How does this help?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well it’ll stop an infection from forming,” said James.
Scootaloo sighed and let James place a bandage on her leg. As James patched up Scootaloo’s wounds, Dart came downstairs and looked up at Scootaloo and whined.

“What’s up with him?” Scootaloo asked.

“He offering sympathy,” said James, “He knows when you’re sick or injured and he’ll sit by you until you recover.”
Dart went into the den and lay down on the floor. James then turned his attention to the small gash on the sole of Scootaloo’s right foot.

“Good thing I carried you here,” he said, “This cut here could’ve turned nasty if you walked on it.”

What happens when a cut gets infected?” Scootaloo asked.

“First off it starts to sting, then it changes to a rather nasty color, followed by something that I really don’t want to bring up,” James said. He picked out another strip of gauze and coated it with the antibiotic ointment.

“It’s okay,” Scootaloo said, “You don’t have to do much to it.”

“I’m not having you walk around the house and leaving a trail of blood,” said James, “Now hold your foot still.”
James carefully wiped the blood that was dripping from the gash, no sooner had the gauze touched her foot, Scootaloo shifted a little.

“Yes it might sting a little,” James said.
James then found some cotton to clean the ointment off with, he wiped some off of the sole of her foot and Scootaloo jolted and giggled a little.

“H-hey,” she said pulling her foot back toward her, “That tickles a little.”

“It’s only natural,” said James.

“Yeah but it really tickles for me,” said Scootaloo.

“Well try not to move,” James said as he pinned her ankle to the counter, “I’ve still got to clean off the dried blood and wrap a bandage around your foot.”

“Just don’t make it tickle again,” said Scootaloo.

“No promises, I’m doing this so you don’t get sick,” said James.

He went back to trying to clean off her foot, Scootaloo was laughing harder with every passing minute. James was starting to get a little irritated because Scootaloo was trying to escape his hold on her ankle, several minutes later James had the bandage around her foot, Scootaloo stopped laughing and looked at James’ medical expertise. He clearly knew what he was doing, every last scrape and cut was disinfected and covered with a bandage, James washed off his hands and helped Scootaloo down from the counter.

“You took some time with that last cut,” said Scootaloo.

“I would have done it sooner if you hadn’t been kicking so much,” said James.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that I was ticklish,” Scootaloo said.

“What I’m glad about is that you’re okay,” said James.

“How long until all this heals?” asked Scootaloo.

“It might take a couple of days,” said James.

“I hope you aren’t mad at me for breaking your bike,” Scootaloo said.

“I would be if you were okay,” said James giving Scootaloo a hug, “But you are much more important and I can’t stay mad at any of you.”

Scootaloo smiled and sank down on the couch in the den, Dart almost instantly jumped up and lay down next to her. James sat down next to Scootaloo and held her close to him, he was somewhat proud of himself for patching up Scootaloo after her crash, Scootaloo cuddled up closer to James and handed him the remote. James and Scootaloo ended up watching Top Gear until Katherine, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell came home.

“Is that Top Gear I hear?” Sweetie Bell said.

“Sure is,” said Scootaloo.

“You kids go and say hi then,” said Katherine.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell burst through the den doors and stopped instantly when they saw Scootaloo covered in bandages.

“Whoa Scoot,” Apple Bloom said, “What happened to you?”

“She hit a pipe in the road and fell off her bike,” said James.

“Is she okay?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I’m fine now,” said Scootaloo, “James did a great job fixing me up.”

“Who fell off a bike?” Katherine said as she walked into the den.

“Scootaloo did, but she’s okay now,” said James.

“Aw, poor thing,” Katherine said as she went over to Scootaloo and sat down.

“James did a good job with patching up my cuts,” said Scootaloo.

“And he did do a very good job,” said Katherine, “I’m impressed James, where did you learn all this?”

“I take the time to read through the first aid books they have in school,” said James.

Katherine gave Scootaloo a quick hug then departed to take inventory of her shopping, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell sat down on the couch and watched Top Gear with James and Scootaloo.

“The patch up job you did here is much better than my sister,” said Apple Bloom.

“You get hurt a lot on the farm?” James asked. Apple Bloom nodded, Sweetie Bell was poking a bit of gauze that stuck out from underneath some medical tape.

“I think my sister had some of this stuff,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Keep track of it in case you need it,” said James.

“James,” Scootaloo said, “How long will I have these bandages on me?”

“Like I said earlier, just a couple of days,” said James.

Operation "Air Raid"

In a manner of speaking, James was right. Two days later Scootaloo was fully healed and back to her usual self. James was pleased to see that Scootaloo hadn’t let the bike crash slow her down, as a result of Dart sleeping next to her from the past two nights Scootaloo had become somewhat attached to him. Dart soon became attached to the Crusaders and the Crusaders were really interacting and playing with him more. James liked this because soon, they could take him on walks and play with him in the backyard more often.

A week later James got a phone call, it was from his commander. He told James that a dangerous gang of drug makers had taken refuge in a hotel and James’ team was to observe the gang and then move in to apprehend or terminate the drug makers. This was James’ first mission as an Enforcer, James left his house with his dad. But before he left the Crusaders each hugged him and told him to stay safe and to promise to come back home. James then was gone.

Six hours passed and there was no news about the gang being broadcasted, James’ parents were worried about James, but nowhere near as worried as the Crusaders. They feared about what would happen if James didn’t come back and then they would have to leave without seeing him one last time, the mere though of this brought tears to the Crusaders’ eyes. They were beginning to think that James wasn’t coming back when a thundering crash rung through the house.

“I’m baaack!” James yelled.
The Crusaders raced toward the front door and saw James standing in the doorway, he had an M4 carbine slung over his shoulder and a small bag in his hand.

“Are you going to say ‘hello’ or not?” James asked. Scootaloo ran forward and threw her arms around him, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom followed. James returned the hugs and didn’t let go.

“We though you weren’t coming back,” said Apple Bloom.

“I though I wouldn’t be as well,” said James.

“Was it scary?” Scootaloo asked.

“It was more of a joke,” said James.

“Why? What happened?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“I’ll tell you once mum and dad get here,” said James.
Dave and Katherine then came into the hallway.

“Hi James,” Dave said hugging James once the Crusaders got out of the way.

“How was it?” Katherine asked.

“Rather boring,” said James.

“Why was it boring?” Dave asked.

“Before I say anything I must say that the FBI is probably the most irritating organization in the US,” James said.

“Did they have something to do with the mission?” said Katherine.

“Let’s just say they never let their dogs off the leash until they think everything is going how they want it,” said James.

“So what happened then?” Dave asked.

“Can it wait until dinner? I’m quite famished.” said James.

Dave started up the grill outside and James took the time to help his dad out while the Crusaders helped Katherine and played with Dart. Once Dave had the food cooking on the grill he tried to get more information about what James had been doing for the past several hours on his first mission.

“So James,” he said, “What happened while you were on your little mission?”

“Bugger all,” replied James.

“Anything interesting happen?” his dad asked.

“I found something that I was allowed to take,” said James, “A spoil of war, if you will.”

“What did you get?” Dave asked.

“What I got is this bag and everything in it,” said James.

“Are you going to show everyone once we sit down?” said Dave.

“There’s a little something for everyone here,” said James.

Soon after all the food was cooked, Katherine made the choice for everyone to sit on the back porch. Everything was there and it was close to the grill. James was halfway through a cheeseburger when his mother wanted to talk to him.

“So James,” she said, “How was your first mission?”
James swallowed the lump of burger and looked over to his mother.

“Boring,” he said.

“How was it boring?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“All we did for six hours was sit in the hotel opposite and just watch the gang make drugs,” said James.

“You sat in a hotel room for six hours?” Scootaloo asked.

“I wasn’t in any danger,” said James.
The Crusaders looked rather relieved after James made that statement.

“Anyway,” James continued, “Me and the squad sat in the top floor and waited for the FBI to show up, once they did they didn’t give us the order to engage. They said that they were going to wait until the drug makers had lowered their sense of security and then we would rappel into their room and take it over. Sadly, these guys were professionals and we sat with our sniper rifles trained on their window. But before we got the chance to shoot they drew the curtains and we had no idea what they were up to, pretty much couldn’t tell if they were trying to escape or they had the feeling that someone was watching. After about another hour we were sent up to the roof, the zip lines were set up and we rode the lines into their room.”

“Wow,” Scootaloo said, “That sounded so cool!”

“Well it would be if I wasn’t flying over twenty stories into a room full of heavily armed drug dealers,” said James.

“What happened next? Apple Bloom asked.

“Needless to say I was quite surprised at what I saw after I landed in the room,” said James, “All of the gang were dead. Dead from overdose.”

“They took all the drugs they made?” asked Dave.

“I would have been really annoyed if I wasn’t laughing at how ironic the deaths were,” said James.
“Were you the first in the room?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I was and I was the first to report the situation, and get a little something,” James said as he picked the backpack up for the floor.

“What’s in there?” Apple Bloom asked.
James took the bag and dumped the contents on the table, there was a mix of knifes, guns, ammo, jewelry, and a large wine bottle.

“This here is for you mother,” James said handing the bottle to his mother, “From what I can tell it’s very old and expensive.”

“Thank you James,” Katherine replied taking the bottle and reading the label.

“Dad I knew that you broke your watch a few weeks ago, so I got you this one,” said James. The watch was a Rolex with a multiple functions, from a flight computer to a barometer the watch was very valuable and rather rare according to James.

“Now for myself I claimed these guns,” James said as he pulled an Uzi out of the bag.

“Good thing the safe is large,” said Dave as he strapped the watch on his wrist.

“Hey, what about us?” Sweetie Bell said.

“I didn’t forget you three,” James said, “All the jewelry is yours.”

The Crusaders took some necklaces and rings from the pile, Sweetie Bell looked rather happy whereas Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were just glad they had got something from James.

“Where did you get all this?” Katherine asked.

“Well I didn’t find all of it on the table,” James replied.

“What do you mean?” Dave asked.

“The watch I found on the leader’s wrist,” said James.

“You took this from a corpse?” his dad asked.

“I didn’t take it then one of the guys would have,” James said.

“The other Enforcers took stuff?” Katherine asked.

“Everything but the bodies and the drugs,” said James, “We evenly distributed the loot.”

“What did the other Enforcers take?” Sweetie Bell asked as she put on a long gold necklace.
James tapped the table with a small pistol as he thought.

“Well I think Hector took the wallets of the dead gang members, Biff looted the hotel room safe and got some gold rings, Jed was the luckiest because he found the money stash,” James said as he counted off his squad members, “Ricky got the AK-74s and Adam basically just took the free soaps and coffee from the hotel rooms.”

“Why did he do that?” Dave asked.

“Maybe it was because he has too much stuff from the Gulf War,” said James, “Probably was short on caffeine and shampoo.”

“He sounds funny,” said Scootaloo.

“Adam really is a good soldier,” said James, “Kept us entertained while we stalked out the druggies.”

An hour later James was sitting in the den with his laptop next to him, the Crusaders crept in while he wasn’t looking. James however saw them out of the corner of his eye and let them sneak up on him.

“Whatca up to James?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Nothing much,” said James, “Just keeping up to my hobby.”

“What is your hobby?” Scootaloo asked.

“I do computer animation and video editing in my free time,” said James spinning the laptop to the Crusaders so they could see what he had created. It didn’t look like much, just a few tanks rolling through a desert.

“I know it isn’t much but I have improved the dust trail effect,” said James.

“Wait, you made all this?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Just this alone took me about three weeks,” said James.

“Have you done anything else?” Scootaloo asked.

“I did an entire space battle if you want to see that,” said James.

“Can we see it?” Apple Bloom asked.

James pulled up the file that had the starship battle, two massive armadas of starships clashed in a different solar system. As the Crusaders watched the amazing work of James Rogers take place, James got up and opened up the cabinet that contained his Xbox games. He rifled through the lot until he found the game he based the animation off of.

“This,” he said holding the box up, “Was what inspired me to make that little movie.”

“Are you going to play it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Sure am,” said James, “I’m going to see if there are any more ships I can try and replicate.”
James let the Crusaders play the movies that he made on his laptop. James then told the Crusaders how he got into CGI and video editing, he told the girls on how it started in a game called “Garry’s Mod” and a copy of Sony Vegas and soon, James was making short funny movies and posting them on YouTube. It then snowballed into proper animation and eventual CGI. As the Crusaders looked up his videos on YouTube, Scootaloo saw something rather interesting in one of the related videos.

“Hey James look at this,” she said.
James took the laptop and looked at the video name, ‘Soldier and young street dancer master DDR’.

“I have a very distinct feeling about this,” James said.

He clicked on the link and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, it was him and Scootaloo playing DDR on the day James became an Enforcer. James rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t imagining this. Scootaloo leaned closer to the screen.

“James,” she said, “We’re famous.”

“Very famous according to the view count,” James said.

“How many views are there?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well over fifteen million,” said James.

He and the Crusaders watched the video until it ended with James and Scootaloo bowing for the crowd. James leaned back and scratched the side of his head, he couldn’t believe he was famous on the internet. He decided to not show himself in public in uniform unless he was on a mission for the Enforcers. Also he didn’t want to have Scootaloo draw any attention to herself in case someone recognized her, but James would be by her side from now on for her safety and to ward off the mad fans. James, in order to shake Scootaloo off of her fame, showed the Crusaders the video editing and stop motion animation he did when he was twelve. The Crusaders were amazed at James’ talent with a computer and some animation programs.

“If you were in Equestira then you would probably have an animation Cutie Mark,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Nah, this isn’t my true potential,” James said.

“What is then?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That’s the thing,” said James, “I don’t know what I am good at.”

Who Are You?

Two weeks before school started James was woken up particularly early in the morning. As he rolled around trying to see who was waking him up he was a little surprised to find his dad opening the curtains to his room.

“Dad,” James said groggily, “What’s going on?”

“We have to be somewhere early,” Dave said, “Get dressed and get something small to eat.”

“Where are we going?” James asked.

“We all have to have blood drawn for tests,” said Dave. He stepped over Sweetie Bell just as she woke up.

“Wha-what’s going on?” she asked.

“Well we have to go out and get blood drawn for tests,” James said.

“No, no I don’t want to do that again,” Sweetie Bell said as she cowered under the blankets.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to,” said Dave.
Sweetie Bell relaxed and sat up.

“So can we come?” she asked.

“No, we only have the Mercedes remember?” said Dave. He was right, the SUV was at a repair shop because the back door had somehow become jammed and it refused to open.

James went into the bathroom, and dressed in the most incognito shirt and shorts he had. Only three days ago he was mobbed by people trying to get a picture of him because of the video, lucky for him James’ Enforcer squad mates were nearby and they managed to drive off the mob. But it wasn’t the mobs that was making James uneasy, it was the place where he was going to have blood drawn.

James didn’t like the place, he had only been there twice and each visit creeped him out. The people who ran the place were very friendly but the fact that the interior had no sort of warm, welcoming look to it made James feel that everyone there had some dark secret past. James left the bathroom rubbing his arm, he knew the needle was going into the vein in his arm and he didn’t like the though of it. James checked up on Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in the spare room, they were still fast asleep. It had been two days since Scootaloo fell off the bike but she had healed abnormally quickly. The following morning after Scootaloo had suffered the crash and James patched her up, she came downstairs ripping the bandages off the wounds and James was surprised that they had healed overnight. He slowly shut the door and went downstairs to get himself ready. James managed to find his favorite hat and grab the car keys from the counter, he took a small bottle of juice and a granola bar from the pantry and headed for the car. Just as James stepped out the door he remembered that the Crusaders were going to be by themselves for a few hours. James turned back and went inside to find his parents, fortunately he found them in the hallway.

“Mum, dad,” James said, “Are we leaving the girls behind?”

“They don’t need to come with us for this,” said Dave.

“Yes, but are they going to be here by themselves?” James asked.

“No we hired someone to take care of them,” Katherine replied.

“Who did you get?” James asked.

Just then there was a knock on the door. James whipped around and saw Jessica, the girl from down the street, standing at the door. James started to tense up, he had a small liking toward Jessica, but he didn’t want to admit it to her until he could find a way to stand out from everyone else.

“Well get the door for her,” James’ mother said.
James slowly went to the door and opened it for Jessica, he stood there in complete silence as he took a good look at Jessica. Her hair was somewhat like his but darker, she was about the same height as James and she had the same sense of humor, James was just waiting for the opportune moment when he would tell her about how he felt about her. Better yet would be if Jessica told him that she liked him, James would be rather relieved, then he would relay the same thing back to her.

“So are you going to let me in?” Jessica said, snapping James out of his daze.

“Sorry, thought I saw something behind you,” James lied, he didn’t want her to suspect anything.

“So your parents called me about taking care of a few kids,” said Jessica.

“Yep, they’re upstairs, asleep,” James said.

“I didn’t know you had any cousins,” Jessica said.

“Well, they aren’t my cousins,” said James.

“What, did you take them off the streets?” Jessica joked.
James’ mood shifted a little, even though Jessica was joking he still was feeling rather defensive about the Crusaders.

“Yes,” James said, “Yes I actually took them into my care after I found them.”
Jessica was both surprised and confused.

“James, we’ll be waiting in the car,” said Katherine. James’ parents left James and Jessica in the hallway.

“So, you actually took the kids in because they were homeless?” Jessica asked.

“Not homeless, just lost and scared,” James replied.

“Will they be any trouble?” Jessica asked.

“Oh no,” James said, “They are perfect little girls, they might be a little shy and confused at first but they will warm up to you eventually. Make sure that you tell them where I am and why you’re here.”

“Anything else to tell me about them?” Jessica asked.

“They will fill you in once they get over their shyness,” said James, “Just let them know you’re a friend and call me if anything goes wrong.”

James walked out of the door, Jessica shut it behind him but James blocked the door with his foot and leaned back.

“One more thing,” he said, “There’s a 1911 under my bed in a case and it is loaded.”

“Should I keep that away from the girls?” Jessica asked.

“No, if anything goes wrong I want you to give it to Susie,” James said, “She knows how to use it.”

James pulled his foot free from the door and got into the car with his parents, he hoped that the Crusaders would understand what was going on and that they would trust Jessica. James felt that it was best since she only lived down the street and her parents were very good friends with his. Dave and Katherine had told the Crusaders James’ cell phone number in case they didn’t know what was happening. The one thing that was bugging James was his empty stomach, his dad hadn’t told him why he had to basically starve himself this morning. It probably had to do with the blood tests and that on the way back they would get donuts. All James could do for now was relax and wait for the arrival at the doctors office.

The doctors office was located in a plaza, which didn’t ease James’ nerves. He shakily got out of the car, steadied himself and followed his parents. James slowly entered the building, it was exactly the same as the two other times he had been here. He sat down and looked over to the door and his parents who were talking to the receptionist.
Several minutes passed and James’ phone started ringing, he was relieved to see it was his home phone that was calling, it was either Jessica or the Crusaders.

“Hello,” James said, “Who is this?”

“James!” Scootaloo said.

“What is it Scoot?” James asked calmly.

“James there’s someone here who says she’s taking care of us until you get back,” Scootaloo said, she sounded uneasy.

“It’s okay,” James said kindly, “Jessica is very friendly and the most trustworthy friend I have on the street.”

“So, so she’s just here until you get back?” Scootaloo asked, sounding as she had relaxed a little.

“Yes, but she’ll take good care of you, I promise,” James said.

“Just be back soon okay?” Scootaloo said.

“I will, I will,” said James. He hung up and leaned back in the chair.

“James Rogers?” A doctor said.
James stood up and went over to the doctor, he turned to get one last look at his parents before the door shut behind him.

“Hang on,” James said, “I thought that they were getting blood drawn too.”

“They did but that was a week ago,” the doctor said.

The doctor led James to a room and instructed his to sit in a large plastic seat. James did so and shifted uneasily as he tried to get comfy on the cold chair.

“So have you ever had this done before?” The doctor asked as he wrapped a rubber band around James’ arm.

“I helped keep someone calm as they had their blood taken out,” James replied.

“A sibling?” the doctor asked.

“In a way yes,” said James.

The doctor dropped a small table in front of James and placed an assortment of devices and needles in front of him, every passing second felt like hell for James. The doctor attached a particularly long needle to a large vial.

“Just relax and we can get this over with,” the doctor said.

“The needle’s pretty big,” James said.

“That because we got a new blood scanner that can read your DNA in a matter of minutes,” the doctor said. James, after hearing this, became interested.

“Ooh wow,” he said, “Can we use it after the extraction?”

“That’s why you’re here,” the doctor asked, “Not only is it for school but you’re the first person to have it tested on your blood.”

“Come on, the needle is beginning to freak me out a little,” said James.

The doctor inserted the needle into James’ arm and pulled out a great amount of blood. James clenched his hand into a fist and tightened his grip on the chair, after the needle was removed James’ arm was bandaged and the doctor took the blood vial to the machine. The scanner looked like a centrifuge mixed with a computer microscope. James wondered how it might work, he watched as the doctor took the blood sample and insert it into the machine, the machine clicked on and whirred. James watched as the computer started to power on and display a flurry of information. He wasn’t particularly interested in medical science but James was rather impressed with the technology in the building, which after some time started to feel more like a medical laboratory.
The doctor pressed a few keys and a long strand of paper came out of the side of the machine. He examined it and stopped. He adjusted his glasses and read the paper again.

“What is it doc? That new machine bring new problems?” James asked.

The doctor ignored James and pressed a button on the machine and it started up again and spat out another piece of paper. The doctor took the newly printed paper and read it.

“No, no surely this isn’t right,” the doctor said.

“What?” James asked, a little scared now, “Do I have some sort of rare disease or blood defect from my parents?”

“Which parents?” the doctor asked.

“What do you mean which parents?” James asked, “My birth parents of course.”

“If you’re talking about the people who were with you as you came in then no,” he doctor said.

James had become suddenly confused, he had no idea what the machine had scanned in his blood that had the doctor questioning if his parents in the lobby were really his parents.

“What do you mean when you say ‘no’?” he asked.

“This might be difficult for you to understand, but you have four birth parents, and your current parents' genetic code does not show up in the database,” the doctor said.

“Impossible,” James said, “I know for a fact that’s it’s biologically impossible to have for birth parents.”

“And who told you that?” the doctor asked.
James stopped and though for a minute, he then remembered that it was his dad that told him that no person could be born from more than two birth parents. If what the doctor had told James was proven true, then what secrets could James’ parents be hiding from him?

“I’ve got to ask my parents about this,” James said, moving the table out of the way so he could get up.

“I have the DNA code papers for your mother and father,” the doctor said, “I’ll also come with you so that they know that you’re not making this up.”

“Let’s get this over with,” said James.

He and the doctor walked out of the lab and into the lobby, where his parents were sitting in plastic chairs reading magazines. James’ mother was the first to see James and the doctor.

“James, you were a while,” Katherine said, she saw the disbelieve on James’ face, “What? What’s wrong?”

“What have you been hiding from me for the past sixteen years?” James asked, arms folded across his chest and head tilted to one side.

“What are you talking about?” Dave asked, a little irritated with James’ attitude.

“I think the real question is this, who are you?” said James.

“I’m your father,” Dave said.

“Not according to this little test, tell them doc,” James said.

The doctor drew a deep breath and held up the papers.

“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole twenty years of being a doctor,” he said, “This DNA coding paper proves that James Rogers is not the product of Dave and Katherine Rogers.”

“No,” Dave said grabbing James, “No he’s our son, we raised him and he’s been our son ever since.”

“Then how come I’ve never seen my own birth certificate?” James asked. Dave stuttered and looked to his wife, who was just as defeated as he was. He shook his head and looked back to James.

“Look James,” he sighed, “Me and your mother, we’ve been hiding something from you for a long time now and I think it’s best we come out with it now.”

James took a step back from his supposed father and looked him dead in the eyes. Dave sighed once more and broke contact with James, knowing that what he was going to say would tear the family apart forever.

“James,” Dave said, “You weren’t born from your mother, you were bred in a test tube.”
James was not ready to hear that, as he watched the line between him and his parents degrade he could only think about trying to turn this situation around so he and his supposed parents could live together happily.

“Wow,” he said, “I was born in a laboratory?”
Dave looked at the boy who was once his son, and he was relieved to see that he was laughing and joking like he always had been.

“You don’t care?” Dave asked.

“No, not at all. This is actually something amazing,” said James, “I was a successful experiment.”

“But this still doesn’t explain the four different DNA codes the computer found,” the doctor said, but he was ignored by James and his parents.

“Tell me this,” James said, “How come there are no pictures of me in the hospital as a baby?”

“You grew too fast for the doctors to put you inside me. The rate of growth was unpredicted and rather amazing,” Katherine said.

“That’s why the only pictures of you at the hospital are at the exit when we left,” Dave said.

“It all make perfect sense now,” James said, he then hesitated for a moment and then threw his arms around his mother and father, “I love you both.”

“Excuse me,” the doctor said. James jumped a little, he forgot that the doctor was there behind them.

“Like I said before, this doesn’t explain the four DNA codes that we found, nor does it confirm that you are his true parents,” he said.

“I don’t care who they are,” James said, “They’ve put up with me for the past sixteen years and I don’t give a toss if they made me or not.”

Dave ruffled James’ hair and Katherine kissed his cheek. The doctor sighed and handed James the DNA coding papers and told him that he could solve the puzzle if he wanted to, James took the papers and looked at each of the dots and dashes that marked traits and genes. The doctor said that the blood sample taken from James would be analyzed and the final results would be forwarded to him and his family.

The minutes passed and James and his parents were in the car heading back, James was flicking through the DNA code papers and looking at himself in the reflection of the window, so far he had gathered that his dusty blond and black streaked hair wasn’t passed down through in any possible way, for starters his dad had a silvery look to his hair and his mother was a brunette. As James looked through the papers he saw his Dad’s hand on the steering wheel, it was tensed up and the veins were popping out if the back of his hand. James guessed that he was keeping a tight and enraged grip on the steering wheel. That’s when the realization hit him, his parents had been keeping his true birth a secret for some reason, and now that truth was exposed. James knew that he was treading on hallowed ground, this little intervention wasn’t going to end well at some point, James feared for when that would be, and if it would change his life and his family forever.

The Beginning Of The End

After several minutes of complete silence, James decided to break the ice. But he chose to change the subject rather than to keep pressing on about his actual birth.

“So,” he said, “Are we stopping somewhere to get breakfast or are we going home?”

“We’re going straight home,” said Dave.

“Oh, I thought we were getting something to eat because we didn’t earlier,” said James.

“We have food at home, you can get something there,” Katherine said.

“That’s fine,” said James, “I was just wondering if we were going to bring the Crusaders something back.”

“They can manage,” said Dave, sounding more angry with each passing word, “All they have been eating is donuts for the past few days, they can stop for a few days.”

“Okay then,” James said, slinking back in his seat.

Dave steered the car rather quickly into the house drive and accelerated up the drive until he stopped sharply in front of the garage door, James had never seen his dad drive like that before. He was worried in a way, James really didn’t want to shatter his family relationship, he had happily lived with his parents for the past sixteen years and for it all to come to a grinding halt now would be the worst thing to happen to him. Dave opened the door to the garage up and James got out of the car and went inside.

“We’re back!” he shouted once he made it into the living room.

“Hi James,” Jessica said from the living room. Mad scrambling was heard and James found Dart trying to jump over the gate between the laundry room and the garage. James stepped into the living room and stroked Dart as he passed him.

“So where are the girls at?” James asked.

“In the den watching something,” said Jessica.

“How were they?” James asked, “Any trouble?”

“No, they were perfect little angels,” said Jessica.

“Good,” James said, he leaned a little closer to Jessica, “Try not to annoy my dad, I found out something about my life and he’s not in a good mood.”

“What did you find out?” Jessica asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it, it’s too unusual to speak about,” James said.

James went onto the den where, as usual, the Crusaders were watching Top Gear. Apple Bloom was the first to see James.

“Hey James,” she said.

“How’s your morning going?” James asked.

“It’s okay,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Where were you?” Scootaloo asked.

“At the doctors, getting blood taken out of me,” James replied.

“Is that what the papers under your arm are for?” Sweetie Bell asked.
James had almost forgotten the papers, he took them out from under his arm and sat down next to the Crusaders. The Crusaders leaned closer to see what the paper had on it.

“It’s funny how you find out things about your family with just a bit of paper,” James said. He read them the DNA codes and explained what the marks on it meant, the Crusaders eventually got the picture that James wasn’t the offspring of his parents and that James was born in a test tube.

“That doesn’t sound right,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I know but it’s strange how the doctor said I have four birth parents,” James said, “Looks as if science can do anything with the right funding.”

“But who are the four birth parents?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know,” said James.
Jessica came in just a few seconds later.

“Okay I’m going back home now,” she said, “Bye you three.”
The Crusaders jumped up, ran over to Jessica and hugged her, Jessica returned the hugs.

“I was right wasn’t I?” James said.

“They were fine after you talked to them,” Jessica said.

“Will you be back?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Maybe,” said Jessica. The Crusaders let go and Jessica left, James sighed and went back to examining the papers.

“She’s really nice,” Scootaloo said.

“Did you eat anything?’ James asked.

“Yeah, we were hoping you would bring something back,” said Apple Bloom.

“We couldn’t this time,” said James.

“Aw, why?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Well we got held up and there’s food here,” said James. He felt his stomach growl, he remembered tat he didn’t have any breakfast and the time had gone by so fast it was nearly lunch. He decided to make himself something to eat.

“There is one thing I want to ask you girls,” James said as he rummaged through the pantry, “How come you lot haven’t got dressed yet?”
The Crusaders were still in their pajamas when James found them in the den. It seemed as if the Crusaders weren’t too bothered about getting ready for the day.

“We just didn’t want to today,” said Sweetie Bell.
James laughed as he found a box of Weeatabix, just as he set it down the door to the garage opened and his parents stepped inside. They ignored Dart as the dog ran around them, hoping to get some attention.

“Girls,” Dave said rather loudly, “Why haven’t you dressed yet?”

“Oh, are we going somewhere?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No, just get dressed,” said Dave. The Crusaders didn’t object, they ran upstairs, afraid of Dave’s tone. James had undoubtedly, lit a fuse he could not put out. James now grew more cautious about what he would say and do from now on in order to avoid anything that could possibly ruin his life.

Two Crushed Dreams

Two days had passed since Dave and Katherine told James about his birth, but they were still withholding the information regarding who the four birth parents were. James decided to not ask his parents about it anymore and decided to find out for himself. As he was sitting in the sunroom reading the DNA coding papers and trying to trace the results on the internet he heard the sunroom door open. James looked up and saw Scootaloo with a letter.

“I’m guessing that’s for me,” James said.

“It has your name on for a reason,” said Scootaloo.

James took the letter from Scootaloo and looked at the front. The letter was from the Enforcer HQ in Washington D.C., James had no idea what it was for but he hoped that it wasn’t a letter asking for all the stuff he got from his first mission back.
James tore it open and read it, he sank back into the wicker sofa and skimmed the letter. James then stopped and sat bolt upright.

“What the hell is this?” he said.

“Something wrong?” Scootaloo asked.

“Listen to this, ‘Because of the actions of operation “Air Raid” the Enforcer program had been disbanded,’” said James, “‘Had Team one of the Enforcers, led by Petty Officer Campbell Jones, not looted the bodies and the room of the suspected drug dealers then there would be no cause of termination for the whole Enforcer program. This includes the Reapers and the Vikings. As gratitude for your service you are hereby allowed to keep both your uniform and any medals, ribbons or rewards, weapons and vehicles however, are to be returned to the nearest military base.’ ”
James sank back into the sofa and lowered his face into his hands.

“I can’t believe this actually happened,” James said, “My dream, crushed before my eyes.”

“It’s okay James,” Scootaloo said sitting next to him.

“No,” James replied, “No it isn’t okay, I just spent six years of leaning and training myself for the intuition and then after I pass and succeed on my first mission, it get wiped from my life.”

“Why don’t you join the regular military? It’ll work out for you eventually,” said Scootaloo.

James sighed once again, he looked up and at Scootaloo. James knew that she was only just trying to keep him happy, Scootaloo leaned on James’ arm and James pulled her closer to him.

“Thanks,” he said, “I really need this.”

“You helped me out, I want to return the favor,” said Scootaloo.

James didn’t let his termination as an Enforcer keep him down. After a couple hours he was back to being himself, he was playing with Dart in the backyard with the Crusaders. The Crusaders were trying to keep a ball away from Dart. James stopped so he could fetch his ringing cell phone from the table, he saw that is was just another useless fake contest call. James dropped the phone into his pocket and saw his parents staring at him through the kitchen window. James gave a friendly, playful wave, his parents responded by shutting the window blind.

“Rather unfriendly of them,” James thought. He went back to playing keep-away with the dog.

Later that night, both Dart and Apple Bloom had chosen to stay in James’ room for the night. James was feeling a lot better after the Crusaders helped him get over the termination. As Dart leapt up onto his bed and rested his head on James’ leg, James felt much happier. He loved Dart a lot and Dart had become attached to James and the Crusaders. The dog had been James’ home company and friend to the Crusaders. Ever since they got him from a rescue home several months ago, Dart had slowly become a part of the family.
In the night James felt the dog stand up and walk around on the bed, Dart then jumped off the bed and walked over to the door. James saw the door open and the dog trotted out.

“Make sure you take him out back, mum,” James said wearily, he then fell asleep.

The next morning James rolled over and ended up crushing Sweetie Bell. She yelped and James sprang awake.

“Bloody hell Sweetie Bell,” he said, “What are you doing in here?”

“I had a bad dream,” Sweetie Bell said.

“Next time wake me up before you do something like that,” James said. He sat up and saw Scootaloo resting her head on his feet.

“Lemme guess, you had a nightmare too?” said James.

“Yep,” Scootaloo said.
James pulled his feet free and went downstairs with the Crusaders following him. He saw his parents’ door was shut and locked as usual. James slid down the banister and skidded to a halt in front of the front door. He jogged to the kitchen and found a fresh box of Belgian Waffles.

“Who want’s one of these?” James said.

“We do, we do!” the Crusaders shouted.

As James was toasting the waffles he noticed something outside, the bushes where Dart’s bathroom was hidden had been torn apart and the back gate was open. James’ parents came down a few minutes later.

“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Rogers,” Sweetie Bell said.
Dave snorted in reply and Katherine didn’t respond.

“Say, did you take the dog out of my room last night?” James asked.

“Yes I did,” Katherine said.

“Where is Dart?” Scootaloo asked.

“I let him out and he managed to get past the fence,” said Katherine.
James almost choked on a piece of waffle, he swallowed it after he managed to gag it up.

“What!?” he said, “What do you mean he got out?!”

“The back gate wasn’t locked and Dart ran out, we couldn’t catch him,” Dave said.

“Dart is missing?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yes,” said Dave.

“My god,” James said, “I’ve got to find him!”

James shimmied past Sweetie Bell and bolted upstairs. A half hour later he came downstairs fully dressed in hunting gear, James had his 1911 at his side and a small backpack on. He ran out of the front door and into the garage. James started up the buggy, opened the garage door and shot off down the street. The Crusaders watched him go.
Later that day it started to rain. The Crusaders were becoming worried for both Dart and James, they hoped that one would find the other and then they would both come home. The hours passed and still there was no sight of James or Dart, James’ parents really didn’t seem to care for some reason. Dave and Katherine left the house to go shopping, leaving the Crusaders alone in the house, this made them more worried.

“Where is James?” Scootaloo finally said after an hour of nothing.

“I don’t know but I hope he’s okay,” said Apple Bloom.

“Is this our fault?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“James won’t blame this on us,” Apple Bloom said fearfully, “Will he?”

The Crusaders looked at one another, they had no idea how James would react once he got home, hopefully he would have Dart with him. The noise of the garage opening signaled James’ arrival, the Crusaders rushed to the garage and saw the lights of the buggy roll into the garage. The rain had picked up since earlier. The buggy stopped and James got out. In the light of the garage they could see that James was sopping wet and shivering, the look on his face indicated that there was no luck in finding Dart.

“I tried,” James said through chattering teeth, “I drove around for almost four hours and I couldn’t find him.

“It’s okay James,” Sweetie Bell said. James tossed his soaked hunting jacket off to the side and shivered.

“I really should have fitted a roof an that thing,” James said.
He sat down on a cooler and pulled his boots off, he went to the open door and pored a large amount of water from them outside.

“I can’t believe he escaped,” James said sadly.

“We’re here for you,” said Apple Bloom.

“I know you are,” James said, “Thanks.”
He took a towel from the basket in the laundry room and dried himself off.

“Where’s mum and dad?” James asked.

“They left an hour ago,” said Scootaloo.

“Why did they do that?” James asked as he wringed out his socks.

“We don’t know,” said Sweetie Bell.

James was beginning to suspect that his parents might have something to do with Dart’s disappearance. He went upstairs to change into something dry, as he did he wondered if the discovery of his birth might have something to do with his parents’ changed moods. James was beginning to feel less of a son to them and more like a pawn for something much bigger than a test tube baby. He didn’t want to lose the family that loved him nor did he want a family that had lied to him for the past sixteen years. James hoped that he could fix everything somehow before school started.

The Ultimate Betrayal

Slowly as the days passed by Dave and Katherine had been going out more than usual but they barely came back with groceries or anything of interest. Apple Bloom told James that the cases that they used for the summer vacation to South Dakota were missing from the spare room. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo reported to James that in the night, they would hear Dave and Katherine talking on hushed voices and that James was mentioned each night. James had to find out what was going on and try and put a stop to the breaking apart of the family. He found his mother and father at the front door.

“Mum,” James said, “Are you off shopping, because we’re running out of food.”

“No we’re not shopping, you can do that,” Katherine said bitterly.

“I don’t have a license or a car yet,” James said.

“You have that scrappy little buggy that you weren’t supposed to get,” said Dave.
James sighed.

“Look, I know that for the past week you’ve been much more sullen and angry about telling the truth of my actual birth, but it’s okay, I don’t care,” said James.

“That’s all you’ve done for us,” Dave said, “You haven’t cared one little bit about us, it been those girls. You’ve forgotten about us and you chose those brats over me and your mother.”

“What about the past sixteen years I’ve lived with you?” James asked, “What about all the good times we had?”

“What good times?” said Katherine, “I was sick of you after the first year, you’re lucky we didn’t kill you.”

“What?” James asked, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Oh great one,” Dave said, “Now the little shit knows that we tried to off him when he was a baby.”

“You tried to kill me?” James asked.

“Tried and failed,” said Katherine, “Your Nan and Grandfather loved you so much that we couldn’t do it without them suspecting anything.”

“Why? Why do you want to kill me?!” James asked.

“Reason is that we really didn’t want a freak in the family, you weren’t even meant to be bred so successfully. It’s a shame that those people who donated their cells created something that ended up a living human,” Dave said.

“So there were four birth parents,” James said, “What then, was the point?”

“Well we wanted a child at first but we didn’t want to do anything,” Dave said, “We got a hold of your uncle, who knows a company that can make test tube babies and we told them what we wanted. We wanted a girl at first but my wife wanted a son, so we decided to have a child that was ‘special’ in the good way. The people who we met a while ago all chipped in to help us out, sadly after you were created we had a realization that a child would not improve our life. After you got into our life we couldn’t go anywhere as much as we used to. It’s sad really to go to Tuscany and never be able to go again. Yes we went to Tuscany before you were born and now because of you we can’t go again. I hope you’re happy you ruined our life.”

James was becoming more and more damaged as he took every last word his parents told him. The past sixteen years had been great for him, but James remembered several things in his life that didn’t make sense.

“Wait, so the time I helped overthrow a dictator was staged?” he asked.

“No, we were trying to get a car bomb to kill you,” said Katherine, “You somehow got on the good side of the rebels and you helped them out and you got that AK-47 for a thank you. Same goes for the time Manny tried to kill you, we paid him to snap your neck but you managed to break his arm. We also tipped off his dad and told him that we wanted you dead, shame you are good with a pistol. We though that you were finally salvageable, but no, you were not.”

“So had my entire life been controlled by you two?” James asked.

“Right down to the dog’s disappearance,” said Dave.

“Those kids were never meant to happen however,” Katherine said, “I don’t know what made me allow you to bring them back. Why I didn’t call some orphanage in the first place I’ll never know, but now I’ll never have to deal with them again.”

James was about to cry, his own mother an father have tried to have him killed for the past sixteen years, the people he had loved as his parents, had lied to him and had never tried to love him back. How did this all come to be, why did his mother and father have him born in a tube then send him to a country where there was a revolution to die? What had he done to his parents in order for them to want him dead? James didn’t want this, he didn’t deserve this, all he wanted was to become an Enforcer and impress his family. Now it seem as if he should’ve blown his head off with his Enfield in order to get a smile from them. James wanted to have a loving family himself when he was older, but now, this family didn’t love him back.

“Mum, dad, please don’t do this,” he said.

“It’s over James,” Dave said.

“Don’t leave me like this!” James shouted.

“Do I give a shit what you think?” Dave asked.

“We can work this all out,” said James, “Jut give me another three years until I join the army and you can forget about me.”

“I’m not putting up with you for another ten seconds,” said Katherine as she walked out the door.

“MUM!” James shouted, he lunged for the door but was stopped by Dave’s fist. Dave hit James right in the middle of his face sending James sprawling on the floor.

“You’re lucky I don’t have a gun on me,” Dave said.

“Yeah,” James said holding his bloody nose, “If you did I’d blow your fucking face off.”

Dave stomped on James’ chest and spat on him before leaving and slamming the door behind him, James crawled over to the door and watched his parents drive away in the SUV, which was loaded with cases. James sank down and finally broke into tears.

“God fucking dammit!” he shouted hitting the door. James sank down to the floor and wept, he did this for five minutes before he opened his eyes. When he did he saw three pairs of feet standing in front of him.

“Are you okay?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“You heard everything didn’t you?” James asked.

“Each word said,” said Scootaloo.

“You should have ran,” James said, “Ran while you had the chance. You know what? Run now, run away and find somewhere else to live. There’s nothing left for you here. Get what ever you want and go.”

“James?” Apple Bloom asked as she watched him pick himself up.

“Go…now,” James said sternly. He went upstairs an locked himself in his room, smashing two mirrors and a few family pictures along the way, the Crusaders winced at each shattering pane of glass. James sank down on his bad and cried again, he had nothing left to live for, his dream had been crushed, he had no job, Dart had vanished and his own parents had tried to kill him for the past sixteen years. James then heard knocking on his door.

“James,” Scootaloo said, “Are you okay?”

“Go away!” James shouted, “I told you to get out!”

“James, please come out,” Apple Bloom said.

“Get lost!” James said as he pulled his 1911 out from under his bed and pointed it toward the door.

“We can’t go anywhere else James,” Sweetie Bell said.

“I said fuck off!” James yelled. He fired a round into the ceiling, running was heard. James lowered the gun and looked at himself in the mirror. James fired four rounds into the mirror and then three into the TV, he threw the gun at the window and collapsed on the bed and broke down again.

Nothing Left To Live For...Or Is There?

James lay on his bed and cried for an hour before he wore himself out and buried himself under a pillow. James stayed under the pillow, trying to find something in his mind that might bring him happiness. All he could see was the betrayal of his parents and himself dying over and over again with his entire family laughing as the bodies piled up. James needed to find someone to help him now more than ever.

“James?” a familiarly squeaky voice asked.
James pulled the pillow off his face and found Sweetie Bell standing next to his bed.

“What do you want?” James asked, bitter and angry about everything.
Sweetie Bell stood there and said nothing, James was getting more and more annoyed.

“You’re here for something, what is it?” James sat up and asked.
Sweetie Bell threw her arms around James and started crying. James didn’t know what to do at first, but he slowly put his arms around her.

“Please stop being like this,” she sobbed.

“How can I?” James asked, “I’ve lost everything.”

“Please stop being angry,” Sweetie Bell said.

“How am I supposed to stop?” James said, tears slowly forming, “I’ve lost my job, my dog, my dream and my family. I have nothing left!”

“You still have us,” said Sweetie Bell.
James looked up and saw Apple Bloom and Scootaloo standing in the doorway. They carefully walked over to James, once they were next to him they hugged him as well.

“You’re right,” James said, “There is still something left for me in this bleak little world.”

“We love you James,” said Apple Bloom.

“All of us, no matter what,” said Scootaloo.
James could feel the tears in his eyes, but they were tears of joy.

“I love you kids too,” James said.

They let go of each other and stared into each others eyes, Scootaloo then handed something to James, it was his 1911. James sighed and released the slide.

“I’m sorry for taking a shot at you,” he said, “I just wanted to be alone for a bit.”

“It’s okay,” said Scootaloo as she wiped the tears off James, “We forgive you.”
James hugged the Crusaders once more and went downstairs. He headed for the freezer and grabbed a tub of vanilla ice cream, then he tore the top off and put the tub in the microwave and set it for a few minutes. Once it was ready James took the tub and drank the melted ice cream. The Crusaders watched James as he drank the ice cream.

“What are you doing?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I only do this when I’m really depressed,” said James, he took another gulp of melted ice cream and then dropped the tub in the bin.

“Feel better?” Apple Bloom asked.
James nodded as he wiped the ice cream off his face with his hand.

“Much better,” said James.

“I think you should sleep a little,” said Scootaloo.

“I was planning on that,” James said as he went upstairs, “Don’t bother me.”
James went into his room and fell asleep. He woke up a few hours later with Scootaloo sitting on the end of his bed.

“What are you doing?” James chuckled.

“Keeping an eye on you, just in case,” said Scootaloo.
James sat up and hugged Scootaloo, the Crusaders had managed to keep James sane and happy even after the most traumatic thing that ever happened to him.

“What do we do now?” Scootaloo asked.

“Survive,” said James.

“What do you mean by ‘survive’?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well we’ve got to make it until I can get you home,” James said.

“I hope we have enough food,” said Scootaloo.
James tapped his chin as he formulated a plan. He knew that there wasn’t enough food to last him and the Crusaders for any longer than three days. But then James realized that he could help the Crusaders if they helped him out with getting supplies from the neighbors.

The next day James was downstairs in the garage with the Crusaders. They had spent the past night and morning practicing their act in order to obtain food from the only people who James fully trusted, Seth’s family.

“Okay, do we know what to do?” James asked.

“We cry and look scared while you hold your arm to make it seem as if it’s broken,” Apple Bloom said.

“Good thing you didn’t clean off your bloody nose,” said Scootaloo. James still had a dried stream of blood running down his face from his nose.

“Alright then, one last practice run,” James said. The Crusaders huddled around him and Sweetie Bell managed to make herself cry.

“Please help us,” she said through tears, “James’ parents left us with nothing and we’re running out of food.”

“I need enough to keep the girls alive,” James said, “Can you please help us until we can get help from the authorities?”
James sighed and looked down at the Crusaders.

“I think we’re ready,” James said.

Abandonment

James opened the garage door and he led the Crusaders out and down the street to Seth’s house. As James gave the Crusaders instructions he noticed that there were very few cars in the driveways of the houses. Normally there were about three or four cars per driveway but there were only six cars on the whole street. James had a funny feeling about what was going on.

“This is unusual,” he said, “I’ve never seen the street this deserted before.”

“Maybe people are on vacations,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Yes, but all at the same time? I think not,” James said.

“Do you hear anything?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t hear anything,” said Apple Bloom.

“It is quiet yes,” said James, “I don’t even hear the hedge trimmers or chainsaws that people use around here.”

James managed to lead the Crusaders to Seth’s house. James was a little skeptical about if his only trustworthy buddy was home. James knocked on the front door and waited. A few seconds later James knocked again, he put his ear to the door and listened for Dune to run up to the door.

“Where’s the dog at?” James asked. He jiggled the door handle and the door swung open.

“Was that meant to happen?” Scootaloo asked.
James shook his head and peered inside.

“Seth?” he shouted, “Diane? Jenson? Anyone?”

“I don’t think anyone is in,” said Sweetie Bell.

James stepped inside the house and looked around, if there was anyone in Seth’s in the house they would understand why James was here. Until they see the Crusaders holding on to him crying and James’ bloodied nose.

“Anyone in?” James shouted. There was no response.

“What do we do now?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Search for food, figure out where everyone went, that sort of thing,” James said.

“Isn’t this considered stealing?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I’ll leave them a note explaining everything,” said James.

“Where should we start searching?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well we can divide up into two pairs and search the house,” James said, “You can choose who you want with you.”

“I’m with James,” Scootaloo said almost immediately.

“If it’s okay with you two,” James said.

“I don’t mind,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Same,” said Apple Bloom.

James went to investigate upstairs for any clues as to where everyone went while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell searched for food in the kitchen. Scootaloo went to search the spare room while James rummaged around in Seth’s room.

“Find anything?” James asked.

“No, just a bunch of busted up toys and stuff,” Scootaloo replied.

“Not a single thing to help us,” James said, “There has to be a note or something.”
James started pulling things at random out from under the bed, he stopped for a second as he tried to figure out where any sort of hiding place Seth would dream up to might be when Scootaloo came into the room holding a piece of paper.

“Hey James, look at this,” she said. James got the paper from her and read it. The paper was a letter. It said that in the night FBI agents came to their door and told them that there was a crazed serial killer and rapist in the area and they had to evacuate so they could locate the madman. James knew this was a lie because it was only yesterday when his traitorous parents decided to leave him and the Crusaders for dead. The letter also mentioned about one of the neighbors hearing gunfire at James’ house and the fact that there was something strange going on with the Rogers family. James huffed and tossed the letter onto the desk, he then went to find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell.

“Anything?” James asked once he found them in the garage.

“Not a single soda can,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Where can we get food now?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well we have enough for at least three days,” said James, “The best idea now would be to search the other houses but I’m going to need the keys for the houses.”

“You have keys for the houses on the streets?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Just a couple,” said James.

An hour later James and the Crusaders had managed to find a few houses that contained food, sadly it still wasn’t enough and half of the food they found had expired. James was a little frustrated but he put it out of his mind when he found a watermelon in one of the neighbors backyards. James took it outside and mounted it on a large stool, he then went upstairs and cracked open the gun safe, which hadn’t been emptied by Dave. James found his Enfield carbine and the bayonet for the gun and took them both outside. The Crusaders watched as James affixed the bayonet to the rifle. James took one look at the watermelon, and then skewered it. He threw the melon to the ground and stabbed it several more times before he jumped on it.

“I feel better now,” he said.

“Is that the first time you’ve used the bayonet?” Scootaloo asked.

“This is the first time I’ve used it to see if it can gut a watermelon,” James said.

“Are you going to train yourself to use it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I’ll try to once the food problem is sorted,” James replied.

Crime Of Self-Defence

Two days and several more watermelons later James decided to find his Emergency Escape box. James had stashed two boxes and several keys in the house in case something like this happened, he had almost forgotten where the boxes were when he found the larger box in the garage and the map with the box and key locations on it inside a shotgun shell. James was rummaging around in his crawlspace in order to find the first key that unlocked a box in his bedroom, after almost slicing his hand on a rusty pipe he found the key hanging from a section of piping under the living room. He came out from the crawlspace and dusted himself off. James was particularly pleased with his escape plan and how he had planted everything around the house in case something was stolen. James was about to shut up the crawlspace door when he saw that the front door to the house was wide open. James shut up the crawlspace, went to the den and retrieved his 1911 from under the couch and went outside. What he saw he couldn’t believe, there were three police cars and six cops by them, two were standing by the rear car looking around and making calls, two more were searching the house from across the road while one sat on the hood of the first car. James then saw the sixth cop trying to force someone into the middle car, it was Scootaloo.

“Hey! What are doing?” James shouted. The cops saw him and drew their pistols, James dove behind the bush and pulled his gun out as well.

“Come out with your hands up!” one of the cops shouted.

“Tell me what you’re up to!” James yelled back.

“We have our orders,” another cop shouted.

“What order is that?” James asked.

“James!” Scootaloo shouted, “James! Help me!”

“Let the girls go!” James ordered.

“We’re not here to negotiate,” a cop said, “We are here to take the girls away.”

“And where would that be?” James asked as he parted the bush so he could see if Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were in the back of a car, he then saw Scootaloo in handcuffs.

“Hey! Take those cuffs off her!” James yelled.

“Can’t do that, she’ll escape,” a cop said.

“Let the girls go, now!” James said.

“Show yourself!” a cop shouted.
James slowly stood up with his 1911 ready, the cops tensed up and aimed at James.

“Drop the gun!” a cop shouted.

“Let the kids go!” James yelled back.
One of the cops slowly went to the truck of one car, James saw this and pointed his weapon at him.

“Don’t even think about it,” James said.

A shot rang out and James heard the bullet whiz past his ear, instinctually James returned fire and killed each of the cops. James stood with his smoking 1911 for a few seconds then his senses returned to him.

“Oh my god,” he whispered, dropping his gun and sinking to his knees.

“James!” Scootaloo yelled as she ran over to him, James stood up and ran over to her. He grabbed her and held on.

“What have I done?” he said.

He stood there holding Scootaloo for a few minutes staring at what he had just done, James couldn’t believe that he just killed six cops. The only settling thing was that he did so in self defense and it was more of a reaction rather than him actually doing it.

“James these things are hurting me,” Scootaloo said as she tried to pull her hands free of the cuffs. James picked up his pistol and used a bullet to shoot the lock off.

“Where’s Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom?” James asked.

“In that car,” said Scootaloo. She sat on the grass and rubbed her wrists, James went to the car that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were in and opened the door. He pulled Sweetie Bell out first and, using a key he found on one of the bodies, unlocked her handcuffs. James noticed a few bruises on Sweetie Bell, but when he went to get Apple Bloom his entire body burned with fury. Apple Bloom had been pepper sprayed.

“Those bastards!” James shouted in Russian.
He pulled Apple Bloom from the car and examined her face, she had been shot with pepper spray and she was still suffering.

“I can’t breath!” she said.

“Apple Bloom, can you hear me?” James said.

“Help me,” she said, Apple Bloom then coughed up a lump of mucus that almost made James sick. James got the handcuffs off her and tried to see if he could help her.

“Scoot, get one of the gallons of water we have!” he said.
Scootaloo jumped up and ran to the garage, Sweetie Bell sat next to Apple Bloom and held her hand.

“Why did they do this?” James asked.

“I don’t know,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Did they hurt you?” James asked Sweetie Bell.

“They dragged us out of the house, Scootaloo kept fighting them and Apple Bloom kicked one of those people,” Sweetie Bell said.

“They wouldn’t pepper spray any kid who kicks them,” James said, “There must be another reason behind this.”

“I can’t see anything!” said Apple Bloom.

“It’s okay,” James said, “I’m here.”
Scootaloo retuned with a gallon of water, James tore the top off and told Apple Bloom what he was going to do. Apple Bloom begged James to get the stuff off her, James emptied the whole gallon on Apple Bloom’s face and helped her wipe the pepper spray residue off. Once they did, Apple Bloom sat up and rubbed her eyes, saw James and hugged him.

“You okay now?” James asked.

“Better now,” said Apple Bloom, “Why did they do that? Why did they shoot that stuff into my eyes?”

“I don’t care why, that’s police brutality that was,” said James.

“So now what?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well it isn’t safe staying at this house anymore,” James said, “We have to relocate.”
The Crusaders looked up at James.

“Relocate to where?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Anywhere but here,” James replied.

He told the Crusaders to pack up as much as they could into separate backpacks at to hide in the attic until James had hidden the cop cars and found the Escape Box. James found a nice hidden driveway and house at the end of the street for him to conceal the cars and bodies. Just before he yanked out the car batteries and the radios he opened up the trunks of each car and took the weapons that were stashed inside, James also took the side arms and ammo from the bodies and stuffed the guns in a large duffle bag that was inside the trunk. James then went back to the house and dropped the bag on the couch and told the Crusaders to come out of hiding. Apple Bloom said to James she had found some sort of box in James’ room. James followed Apple Bloom and she showed him the box that was resting on his bed.

The box was no bigger than a shoebox but James had stashed something in it and hidden the box for a reason. The Crusaders gathered around James as he took the key from his pocket and opened the box with it. Inside was five hundred dollars in cash, a passport, two more keys and a revolver speed loader with .38 rounds.

“Is this it?” Sweetie Bell asked as she picked up the money.

“There is another box,” James said, “I just have to get it first.”

James left his room and was about to head downstairs when he saw the plywood covering the door opposite his room. James stopped and looked at it, there wasn’t much to look at, just a sheet of plywood covering a door. But James realized that the door must be hiding something. He backed up and charged into the plywood, the wood snapped and the door was busted off its hinges. James picked himself up and saw the secret that was hiding in his house.

Who I Truly Am

The walls were covered in papers and two tables had dust covered computers sitting in them. James had no idea what this was all for, until he picked up a scrap of paper from the desk. On it was his picture, above that it read; Experiment 101.

“What the hell?” James said to himself. He read the paper a little more then moved onto another piece. It was still about him. James was flicking through the papers when the Crusaders walked in.

“What’s in here?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s real dusty,” said Sweetie Bell.

“James, was that you who broke the door?” asked Apple Bloom.
James didn’t respond, he was still focused on the papers in front of him.

“This is much bigger than I though,” said James, “I’m more than just a test tube baby.”

“What are talking about James?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Listen to this,” James said, “Experiment 101 has all the signs of the Dominate Trait Acceleration experiment being a success, the only downside is that we are able to tell that he’s going to physically show these traits in terms of hair and eye color as well as the possibly to speak a few different languages. If we could reverse this we would but I think that 101 might object. We give thanks to the people who gave their reproductive cells in order for 101 to grow, it is a shame that experiments 1-100 all died and therefore, failed. As for 101, whoever his parents are, I hope they are taking good care of him.”
A second paper had the donors of the reproductive cells. It was this paper that explained everything about James and his unusual traits. One of the four was a Russian man who was ex-KGB agent and current GRU operative, the second was a German who was a sniper in GSG-9, the two female egg cell donors were part of MI6 and related to James’ grandfather. James never knew that his grandfather was a part of MI6 but he didn’t know he had aunts in MI6, it seem ridiculous but James now knew why his parents wanted him dead; He was capable of anything.

James huffed and dropped the papers. He sat on the desk and rubbed his brow, he had no idea about his life and now it seemed as if he was nothing more a science fair project.
He stood up and looked at the computers. In those computers was everything about James when he was being bred. The papers had every last scrap of info about James on them, James then realized what he must do in order to forget everything.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to the Crusaders. They looked at one another and were a little surprised when James got back with a couple of metal bats, a sledge hammer, and a large crowbar.

“What are you going to do?” Scootaloo asked. James said nothing but he handed her the crowbar, he then gave Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom the bats.

“It’s not a case of what am I going to do, it’s what we’re going to do,” James said, and with that he smashed one of the hard drives. The Crusaders caught on and soon they were smashing everything in the room with James and enjoying it. After all the computers were crushed by James’ sledge hammer, he took the tools from them and went downstairs, he retuned a few minutes later with the weed burner.

“Now for the papers,” said James.
James broke the windows open and ushered the Crusaders out of the room so he could set fire to the papers. After James vented the room, he started up his weed burner and set the papers on fire. Several minutes later James emerged from the room, blacked from smoke and out of breath.
“Tis done,” James said.

An hour later James had showered and dressed in fresh clothes. He went downstairs with the keys from his box jingling in his hand. James was glad that his past had been erased from his life, now all he had to do was fix up his future. James found the second box in the garage, this box was about the side of a small safe, James took the box into the family room and opened it up. He took out the contents of the box. The box contained an extra one thousand dollars in cash, immigration papers to enter Cuba, a set of keys and a small .38 revolver and more ammo. James packed this into a small bag with the contents of the first box. He hoped that the Crusaders had packed themselves some clothes and were ready to leave the house, it wouldn’t be easy for them but James had to do this in order to throw off anyone who might be searching for them.

After packing his bags, James sat on the couch looking through the contents of the duffle bag that was full of weapons. James had grabbed his Enfield and his 1911 and was keeping them on him rather than packing them away in the bag with the carbines and shotguns. James had also recovered body armor from the trunks of the cop cars, he hoped that he would never have to wear it but he would have to size it down for the Crusaders. James heard the Crusaders coming down the stairs and he stood up to address his plan to them. Once they were downstairs James saw that they looked miserable and rather unhappy that they had to abandon what was, quite literally, their home. James didn’t like it either but the lies and deception of his life and his family kept him wanting to put it all behind him.

“Okay, does everyone have what they want?” James asked.

“We got everything,” said Apple Bloom.

“I know it’s going to be hard to ditch this house but we have to,” said James.

“I don’t want to go,” Scootaloo said.

“I don’t either but if we stay then they might come again, except in force,” said James.

“So where can we go?” asked Sweetie Bell.
James sighed and slung the duffle bag on his back.

“There is one house I can think of that no-one will think of looking in,” James said.

“Which house?” Scootaloo asked.

“The Zecomecks,” said James.

“Why there?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Because the last place people will look for us is in a house where Rod lives,” James said, “We know that he hates us but he’s not there. It would be too perfect.”

The Escape

The Crusaders agreed that it would be a good idea. Just as James opened the door, his cell phone rang. James took it out of his pocket and looked at it, he didn’t know the number but he answered anyway.

“Hello?” James asked casually.

“James Rogers is it?” a dark and unsettling voice asked.

“Who is this?” James asked.

“I’m with the FBI, that’s all I’m telling you,” the voice said.

“So you’re an agent?” James asked, “How do you know my name?”

“Don’t you remember operation ‘Air Raid’?” the agent asked, “I was in charge.”

“Agent West,” James said, “Nice to see you’re still delaying every last thing you do, when was the last time you crapped on someone’s life?”

“Don’t joke with me James,” said Agent West.

“What do you want?” James asked.

“Simple,” said Agent West, “I want the girls.”
James was about to say no but he let Agent West continue.

“We know who those kids truly are, we have proof the one known as ‘Sweetie Bell’ has an interesting blood type. We want them so we can find out if there is a way to get into their world so we can see what it’s like there.”

“Don’t play that innocent crap with me, West,” said James, “I know you’re planning something so why don’t you spill it, all of it.”
Agent West sighed and continued with the truth.

“We have reason to believe that there is a tyrannical system of government, and we want to establish democracy,” said Agent West.

“You’re going to invade Equsetria?” James asked.

“Something like that yes,” Agent West said.

“And what do the girls have to do with this?” asked James.

“Easy little thing and rather funny if you think about it,” said Agent West, “What we are going to do once we get a hold of them, is perform medical experiments on them. By doing this we might be able to open up a wormhole and pour through so we can overthrow the rulers of Equestria and start up a new system of American democracy for that land so it can be peaceful.”

“You do know that it isn’t the government’s problem,” said James.

“Also the Department of Defense had reason to believe that there are WMDs in Equestria that they will use against the U.S.,” Agent West added.

“You’re not getting the kids,” said James.

“Do you want to know something James?” Agent West asked, “When I want something I take it, when I don’t get what I want, I take it.”

“And when someone wants something that I have I don’t let them have it,” said James.

“Very well then James,” said Agent West, “I’ll make sure that once we get you and the girls, you get a front row seat of us tearing them apart. And also, there will be no anesthetics so you get to hear their screams.”

“You’re a sick person, West,” James said.

“I will kill you afterward, and it will be slow and painful,” said Agent West.

“The last sound you will hear now will be the last sound you’ll ever hear if you ever come near these kids,” James said as he pulled out this 1911. He then threw his phone into the lawn and shot it. James turned to the Crusaders.

“We have to go now,” he said. The Crusaders reluctantly followed him to the Zecomecks house, James led them to the garage door. James found the keypad that opened the door and he punched in a few numbers.

“Do you know the code?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I’ve taken care of their dog a few times,” said James, “I think I know it.”

James typed in another code and the door then rose into the garage, James led the Crusaders inside first before he yanked the keypad out of the wall and shut the door with a switch on the inside of the garage. James then went into the living room of the house, he looked at the bird cage which at one point contained a parrot, but it was empty. The Crusaders followed him inside and looked around nervously.

“Is anyone in?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“No, they wouldn’t leave the bird here by itself,” said James, he looked under the bird cage and saw that the dog cage was empty and missing the food bowls.
James gave a quick sigh of relief and dropped both his backpack and the duffle bag on the couch and sank down next to them.

“So, are we safe?” Scootaloo asked.

“Only for a short time,” James replied.

“At least we have the pool!” Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo ran to the door while James stood up and looked over towards it. Apple Bloom couldn’t have bought up a better distraction, James was glad that the Zecomecks pool was still uncovered. He had chosen the best house on the block; it was the last place anyone would look for him, there was a stockpile of food and drinks in the garage, the pool was usable and best of all, there was plenty of junk to barricade the doors.

Once the doors had been blocked and the food all taken into the living room, James went through the contents of his Emergency Escape boxes, he took the .38 and span the cylinder a couple of times. As he checked the money and the passport, the Crusaders came downstairs after they went to see which rooms they would be staying in.

“What’s so important about the boxes?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s something I whipped up when I was fourteen,” replied James, “I made this in case I was framed for something like a high profile murder or anything like what’s happening now. My plan is to escape the U.S. and try and live in Cuba until everything has settled.”

“But why did you have a gun in the box?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Just in case I couldn’t get mine,” James replied.

Bad Dreams and Helicopters

A day in hiding at the Zecomecks house paid off. The FBI had raided James’ house and then Seth’s house, after they came back empty handed they left. James watched the entire thing from the roof of the Zecomecks house with his rifle in hand in case they tried to raid his safe haven. James came down from the roof through a door in the attic, he dropped down right next to Sweetie Bell who was going into the master bedroom.

“Chose where you wanted to sleep?” James asked her.

“Me and Apple Bloom are using the bigger bedroom, Scootaloo chose the spare room,” Sweetie Bell replied.

“Good thing I’m downstairs,” said James, “I would rather contract some nasty disease than sleep in Rod’s room. Actually that might be possible if I did.”
Sweetie Bell giggled and went into the master bedroom, James shut the trapdoor to the attic and headed downstairs, where he found Scootaloo looking through the duffle bag of guns that had been laid out on the table.

“What are you doing?” James asked Scootaloo.

“Oh nothing,” Scootaloo replied, “I’m just looking.”

“Like what I got?” James asked, he did feel a pang of guilt for how he acquired the weapons, but he did what he had to for the safety of the Crusaders.

“It’s a nice little collection,” said Scootaloo.

“I know,” James said, “Come on now, you get some sleep.”

“But where will you be sleeping?” Scootaloo asked as he turned to face James.

“Down here, with a loaded shotgun,” said James, “I want to be here in case they find us.”

“Okay, goodnight James,” Scootaloo said as she went upstairs. About halfway up she heard James pump a shotgun, she shuddered and continued upstairs. It really had taken a turn for the worst for James and the Crusaders, from a set of homemade IEDs to the FBI trying to kill them. James had to get the girls back home as soon as possible, but first he had to work out a plan.

The next dawn woke James up before anyone else, he got up and opened the curtains and blinds to the back of the house, he had left the curtains at the front of the house closed in order to fool anyone looking for them. As James heard the Crusaders wake up he decided to see if there was anything that he could cook up for breakfast. He managed to make pancakes for the Crusaders just as they came downstairs.

“Morning girls,” James said cheerfully. No response came from the Crusaders. James turned around and saw them all cowering behind him.

“Is something wrong?” James asked as he reached or the shotgun.

“Oh James, is was horrible!” Sweetie Bell said.

“What?” James asked as he walked over to them.
The Crusaders all grabbed hold of James and started crying.

“We all had the same bad dream,” said Apple Bloom.

“What was it?” James asked.

“It was in a big metal room,” said Scootaloo, “We were all side by side but stuck on these tables. We couldn’t move, and then, it happened.”
Scootaloo started shaking with fear, James knelt down so he was at eye level with her.

“What happened?” James asked, “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
Scootaloo tightened her grip on James and looked at him.

“These people came in, they had knifes,” she said, “Then-then they cut us open. We screamed at them to stop but they kept pulling bits of us out, the clamps on the tables stopped us from escaping. We couldn’t stop the people and then a hole opened up in the wall and we watched soldiers kill our families, then we woke up.”
James held on the Crusaders, he knew that they had dreamt of the plans that Agent West had for them. James was not going to let that happen to them.

“It’s okay, it was only a dream,” James said, “Just try and forget about it.”

The Crusaders nodded and sniffed at the air.

“Do I smell something?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I made you breakfast,” James said, glad they might have forgotten their nightmares.

“What did you make?” Scootaloo asked.

“Pancakes,” said James, “They might be a little burnt but it’s the best I can do.”

“I’m glad you made something,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Come on, I’m ready to chow down,” said Apple Bloom.
James served them the pancakes, James turned out to be a good cook after all. He was pleased to see that the Crusaders were more occupied with the food than the horrible and gruesome dreams they had last night. James hoped that he would never dream something like that ever. After breakfast the Crusaders came downstairs dressed in their swimming attire, James could only guess what they wanted to do.

“Okay,” he said, “You can go swimming.”

“YAY!” the Crusaders yelled with joy, they ran out to the pool and jumped in,

James followed them outside and sat on one of the chairs as he cleaned his Enfield carbine. Two hours of playing in the pool had worn out the Crusaders, they were jus stepping out of the pool when James stood up and looked up and around. Something had him spooked.

“Get back in the water,” he said.

“But we’re tired and we want to come out,” said Scootaloo.

“No time!” James said as he hid his Enfield under the table.

“Why do you want us in the water?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“Just get to the deep end and hide under the waterline,” James said as he pulled his shoes and socks off.

The Crusaders did as James told them to, they went back into the deep end of the pool and waited for James to dive under the water before they did so themselves. A few seconds later a low flying helicopter zoomed overhead and vanished behind the tree line. James and the Crusaders surfaced a second later.

“Safe,” said James.

“Why-did-you-do-that?” Apple Bloom asked as she gasped for breath.

“I had to hold you under because you kept trying to break the surface,” James replied.

“Was the helicopter looking for us?” asked Scootaloo.

“Probably,” said James.

He clambered out of the pool and looked in the direction of the helicopter, once he was sure that it left James helped the Crusaders out of pool. James grabbed his rifle and his shoes from under the table and ran inside, he pulled the Crusaders inside. James and the Crusaders toweled off and dressed in normal clothes, out of paranoia James ended up wearing a bulletproof vest and a holster with his 1911 in it.

Plan of Evasion

Plan of Evasion

During the next few days, James became more and more paranoid and jumpy. Each day James would be looking out of the window and pacing around the house. The Crusaders noticed this because they found out that James would be startled by loud sudden noises and he spent more time with his rifle trained on the front door than with the Crusaders. Eventually James would have night terrors with ended with him on the roof of the house aiming his rifle down the road, one day after James had had been found in the shed in the backyard making a set of booby traps he went inside to set them up at the doors and windows. As he was arming the traps upstairs he heard something from downstairs, it sounded like music, James went downstairs to investigate. He stopped about halfway down the hallway and listened closely, the music had something else to it, there was singing as well. James leaned closer to the corner of the hallway and listened closely to the singing, he peeked around the corner and saw Sweetie Bell sitting on the floor singing as she went through her bag. James crept up on her and listened to her, James had never heard anything as beautiful as Sweetie Bell singing since he heard her sing in the TV show. James leaned against the couch as she sang, the fear and paranoia slowly being leeched from his body as Sweetie Bell sang. After she was done she picked up her bag, turned around and jumped back in surprise when she saw James.

“Don’t scare me like that!” she said.

“Well don’t lead me downstairs with your singing,” James retorted.

“You heard?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“And I loved every bit of it,” James replied.

“Thanks,” said Sweetie Bell. She carried her bag over to the table and went outside to play with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. James took it upstairs into her room and set it down on her bed, he took a good look outside and watched the Crusaders play catch with one another. Feeling rather lonely and bored, James went outside to play with them.

“Hey kids,” he said once he got outside.

“Hi James,” said Apple Bloom.

“Do you want to play with us?” Scootaloo asked.

“Why not? It might make me forget everything that happened the past week,” James said.

He spent the next hour playing catch with a rather large ball, Scootaloo seemed to catch it no matter which direction it went, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell occasionally crashed into one another as they tried to get the ball. James caught it at one point and the Crusaders tackled him for a bit of fun. As they were lying on the grass laughing and joking, James looked up and saw something unusual in the sky. He sat up and tried to focus on the UFO. James gave up and went to fetch a pair of binoculars from the house, he returned with a rather powerful pair and he looked back up at the UFO.

“Oh that’s really sneaky of them,” James said.

The UFO was a UAV Predator Drone.

“I have to admire them there,” said James, “I never expected a UAV to be scoping us out.”
The Crusaders saw the UAV as well, they had seen the Predator Drone on a few documentaries and they knew what it was capable of. They hid behind James and watched it glide across the sky.

“There is only one thing I have to ask,” said James, “How long has it been watching us?”
James and the Crusaders watched the Drone as it circled around them and then flew away, they could’ve ran inside but James knew that the minute he saw it was too late.

“Okay then, get your bags packed again,” James said.

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You saw that drone didn’t you?” said James, “It’s probably been watching us for days and there might be Government Agents on the way here.”

“But I like it here,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I know you do,” James said, “But I don’t want you to end up on an operating table being ripped apart.”

“So where can we go?” Scootaloo asked.

“To the airport where my dad’s Cessna is,” said James, “Lucky the immigration papers will get us all into Cuba.”

“When do we leave?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“As soon as you’re ready,” said James as he went inside.

An hour later James had donned his Enforcer uniform and a bulletproof vest, he had also made some smaller vests for the Crusaders to wear. Just as James had loaded his Enfield and his 1911 Scootaloo came over to him.

“Um, James, we can’t open the door,” she said.

“We’re not using the door,” said James.

“Then how are we meant to get out?” asked Scootaloo.

“Through the roof,” said James.

“How do we get down?” Scootaloo said.

“You’ll see,” said James.

What Have I Done?

James led the Crusaders up onto the roof of the house, he looked toward the sky to see if there were any more UAVs. Luckily there wasn’t, so James explained what was the plan from here on out would be. The plan was to escape the development through the adjacent golf course and then sneak through the woodlands until they reached the flying club, where, as James predicted, would be closed so he would be able to get a Cessna and fly his way down to Florida then pass the Bermuda Triangle which would cover their tracks, then they would land or fake a crash landing in Cuba in order to start a new life and to see if the Crusaders were able to get home. The only part of the plan that James hadn’t really thought through was the plan on getting off the roof of the house.

“Now to find a way down,” James said as he looked for a pipe or a wire that he could climb down the side of the house with. There wasn’t a wire or a section of piping that could support James or the Crusaders, but there was one way down that seemed like it could work.

“We have to jump,” said James.

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Into the pool,” James added, “If we land in the deep end it might help us in our escape.”
He backed up a few feet and held his rifle case that contained a few guns and his Enfield close to his chest.

“Listen,” said James, “If this idea doesn’t work then I want you to break any one of the windows in the back and run away, just keep going and hope your families find you first.”

“Okay,” Sweetie Bell said, she didn’t like the idea of jumping off the roof of a house and trying to land in a pool but there was no other way out.

“Right, see you down there, I hope,” James said. He stepped back and sprinted to the end of the house and leapt off, he flew a good several feet before hitting the water. James surfaced a few seconds later, he was wet and out of breath but the plan had worked.

“Throw down your stuff first then jump!” he shouted to the Crusaders. The Crusaders tossed down their bags to James and then one by one, jumped off the roof of the house and landed in the deep end of the pool. James pulled them out and led them over to a gate in the fence.

“Here,” he said pulling a few small pistols out of the rifle case and giving one to each of the Crusaders, he then took out his Enfield and his 1911 and threw the rifle case over the fence.

“Why are you giving us these?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked at the .38 revolver that James had in his box.

“Just in case you get caught,” James said, he wringed out his beret and opened the
gate. He led the Crusaders out thought the woods and they ran toward the golf course. James had told the Crusaders that walking on foot to the flying club would take a few days. They stopped at one point to try and get themselves dry, as they sat in the sun James reached into his bag and pulled out a small radio and an iPod. He turned the radio on and tuned it to the news station, James was trying to figure out what the government might be up to.
“And now back to our top story,” the newsreader said.
James and the Crusaders leaned closer to the radio.

“For anyone who’s been listening in for the past few days you will know about the disbandment of the Enforcer program,” the newsreader said, “The Enforcer program has now been replaced by the Guardian program and according to various sources, the former Enforcers are not too happy about that.”

“That’s right Burt,” a second newsreader said, “And it seem as if a former Enforcer had resorted to terrorism and kidnapping. The Enforcer know as James Rogers has been kidnapping three young girls and building weapons in a shed.”

“I’m not a terrorist,” James said, “They’re planting that on me to make it sound like I’m the bad guy!”

“We know you’re not the bad guy,” said Scootaloo, “You never were.”

“But why accuse me of all this?” said James, “All I did was shoot a few people, and it wasn’t even my fault.”
“What we have here as well is interesting,” the news reader said, “There are reports of former Enforcers, Reapers and Vikings all banding together and fighting the newly formed Guardians. There are entire battles raging all across the US, all US forces that are abroad are to return home to fight the Enforcers and restore peace.”

James turned off the radio and put it back into his bag, there was a massive chance that there was a price on his head the capture of the Crusaders. Now that the sun had begun to set it would be easier to move and find a place to rest until James planned out their next move. James and the Crusaders continued trekking through a forest until they found a abandoned house that would serve as a safe haven until morning. Darkness had really set in and James was glad that the house had no electricity in it, he didn’t want to arouse any curious Guardians to his hiding place. He spent the next few minutes trying to find decent places for the Crusaders to sleep, once he found a bedroom with three beds he ordered the Crusaders to get some sleep while he locked all the doors and kept watch. James sat in the room next to the Crusaders listening to them fall asleep, he looked out the window and saw the lights of cars from a few miles away pass the window. James focused on what sounded like machine gun fire and explosions, America was in another Civil War, but this one was a bit more personal. The Enforcers and the Guardians were fighting each other, James had no idea why, it might have to do with the fact that the Enforcers had been replaced after so much time and effort had been put into the program. But one horrific fact still clung to the front of James’ brain, the Enforcers were disbanded after operation “Air Raid” because of him suggesting to the Squad that they each take something as a reward for their success, it was because of operation “Air Raid” the Enforcers had been disbanded, James had caused the next Civil War.

A mix of guilt, remorse and hindsight hit James, he only wanted to prove to his parents that he was capable of doing great things, but that didn’t matter now that his parents had abandoned him for good. James now had two options of what to do with himself if the Crusaders got back home before they escaped to Cuba, James could either go to Cuba by himself, or find his Enforcer squad and fight to the death against the Guardians.

Enemy Of Friends

Morning dawned and the Crusaders looked rather refreshed, James had only got a couple of hours of sleep but he was able to function normally. He unpacked a small bag and gave the Crusaders some food to keep them going, a fog had descended over the land and James sought this to his advantage. He and the Crusaders were able to sneak through the woods and make up for the time they lost when they had to wait for their clothes to dry. James spotted a store and immediately regretted wearing his Enforcer uniform, he had no idea if the Enforcers controlled the area around here. But risking his safety was nothing compared to the other problem that he had, James had packed food but he accidentally left it behind at the Zecomecks house when he saw the UAV. James had the Crusaders hide behind the store with his rifle while he went inside to buy food. James had a pair of sunglasses which he used to hide his identity. James stowed inside and hid behind one of the aisles, he grabbed as much food and drinks as he could and then went to the teller. The teller was cheery but rather dim, he said to James that he had no idea what was going on and that he had never heard of the Enforcers or the Guardians. After a short conversation and a bribe, James walked out of the store with enough food to last him and the Crusaders for at least seven days.

James and the Crusaders continued walking in the general direction for the flying club. But after seven hours they had to stop. They had come across a small town, and a massive battle was going on within it.

“Well that just bloody great,” James said over the gunfire.

“Now what do we do?” Sweetie Bell asked.
James huffed and tried to see who was fighting who. As he guessed, it was the Enforcers fighting the Guardians. He then looked back down the road they just came.

“We have to go around the town,” James said finally, “It will cost us time but it’s better than walking into a war zone.”

The Crusaders moaned but they followed James as he led them around the town and into the woods. Several more hours of walking ended up with James in the middle of a field. He had no idea which way the flying club was. James searched the sky for any sort of light aircraft but all he could see were jets in pitched dogfights and supply planes dropping cargo and tanks. Tanks. James now had a bigger threat to deal with, not only were there Federal agents and soldiers chasing him, but he might end up trying to escape a tank. James didn’t dare mention the tanks to the Crusaders because they would surely panic and run away, if they did there was the chance that they could be killed or captured. The only help James had was an old flight map and a compass, he stood in one spot and span around a few times until he found the general direction of the flying club.

“This way,” James said to the Crusaders.

“How do you know?” Apple Bloom asked as she jogged to catch up to James.

“I can’t use the roads but I can use the radio towers,” said James.

“How can you tell which tower is which?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s how they’re grouped and which direction they’re in,” James replied.

“I don’t like walking across this field,” said Sweetie Bell.

“I don’t want to either but it’s the only option,” said James.

They walked across the field, every explosion that happened in the sky make James shudder. He had his Enfield in hand but what good would that do against an F-16 or an F-18? James took the lead and helped the girls over a ditch that sat next to a road, he looked up and saw a jet flying over them, then it turned and flew at them.

“Get in the trench!” James shouted. He dove into the ditch and pulled the Crusaders in with him. The jet screamed overhead and turned away, James looked up and around. The jet was on an attack run and bearing down on James again. James ducked as the jet unleashed a hail of cannon fire, the road exploded as the rounds hit it, then the jet turned again. Scootaloo started to run but James pulled her back into the ditch.

“It’s no use,” James said, “That jet will keep machine gunning us until we’re dead or it runs out of ammo.

“It’s not the gun I’m worried about,” Scootaloo said, her eyes were full of horror as she watched the jet steer around again. James watched the jet in Scootaloo’s eyes then realized what she was going to run from.

“Everyone up and run!” he shouted.

“What? What is it?” Apple Bloom asked fearfully.

“Missiles!” James shouted, “It’s going to use laser guided missiles to bomb us!”

The Crusaders didn’t miss a beat, they were up and sprinting to evade the missile that was bearing down on them. James was the fastest runner but he stayed behind the Crusaders to absorb the blast wave, it hit him faster than he expected. James was thrown forward and he landed between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell. James jumped up and let the adrenaline fuel his escape, the jet roared overhead and circled again for the kill shot. James tried to turn his head to see it but the jet was right behind him. James braced himself for the missile hit, but instead of hearing the missile impacting behind him, he heard a loud boom and an even louder explosion. James stopped and span around, a black M1 Abrams tank was on the road and the jet was falling from the sky in pieces after being blown up by the tank’s main gun. James watched as the turret turned to the front and the top hatch opened. The Crusaders stopped running and they joined James at he tank.

“WHOOO!” said a voice from inside the tank, “WE KILLED A JET!”
Cheers erupted from the tank and the tank gunner pulled himself up to look at the hulk of jet that sit by the tank.

“Nice kill,” James said.

“We saw the jet and decided to see it the guided shell would track a jet,” said the gunner.

“Anyway,” James said, “Thanks for the assist.”

“No problem,” the gunner said turning to face James. The satisfied smile on the gunner’s face dropped when he saw James and the Crusaders.

“YOU!” the gunner shouted, “You’re the cause of all this!”

“Fuck, this isn’t good,” James thought.

“It was you and that squad that caused the termination of the Enforcers!” the gunner yelled at James.

“I’m on your side!” James said.

“If you were on our side you would’ve stuck to your orders and not looted that room!” the tank gunner shouted, “You caused this war! You have betrayed your country and the Enforcers!”

The tank gunner then grabbed the .50 cal machine gun and pointed it at James. James aimed his Enfield and fired at the gunner, hitting him in the face and making his head explode.

“Run!” he said to the Crusaders. With that in mind the Crusaders and James ran to the nearest forest, the tank started up and gave chase. James never had a tank chase him before and he hoped that this would be the only time it would happen. As they sprinted to the woods James noticed that the tank’s guns were aimed at them, but none were firing.

“Why isn’t it shooting us?” Scootaloo shouted to James.

“Might be because I killed the gunner,” said James.

They reached the forest just as the tank was about to crush James, the armored beast toppled a few trees then got stuck on a few larger trees. James looked back and saw a second hatch open and the tank driver pull the body of the gunner out of the machine gun turret.

“I’m going to kill you for everything!” the diver shouted as he let loose a hail of bullets. James dove between the trees until he heard the gun jam and the driver scream with rage. The scream sent chills down his spine and almost made him trip on a log. James and the Crusaders didn’t stop running until they were sure that they had evaded the tank and any more jets. They stopped under a cluster of trees that still had a few leaves, James took inventory of the bags they had left. The backpack that contained the tent had been lost as well and the bag that contained a large amount of food, the bag that had all the Crusaders’ clothes had been ripped apart by a pair of .50 cal rounds so now all the Crusaders had to wear were the clothes that James found them in on the first day he met them.

“Well we’re stuffed,” James said as he tried to ration the food out to the Crusaders.

“No jokes about food,” Sweetie Bell moaned.

“That wasn’t a joke,” James said.

“Where can we sleep?” Scootaloo asked as she rubbed her arms and legs. The temperature had dropped since the day James’ parents ditched him. James knew he couldn’t answer that without the Crusaders all moaning.

“I don’t know,” James said as he took small sips out of a water bottle.

“I’m cold,” said Apple Bloom.

“Me too,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Huddle up,” James said, “It’ll work until I can build a campfire.”

The Crusaders all gathered up into a mass and tried to keep warm while James searched for wood, he knew that once more his safety would be at risk but what choice did he have? The Crusaders were freezing and he wanted to get them home safe and sound. James managed to get one going after several attempts, the Crusaders all gathered around it and drank in its warmth. James sat back against a tree and watched the explosions of artillery shells pound a small town to rubble. Tears formed in his eyes as he took in what the tank driver and gunner said, James looked at the patches on his uniform. He ran his fingers down the patch on his right arm. The tank gunner’s last sentence spoke repeated itself in his mind.

“You have betrayed your country and the Enforcers!”
James rubbed the patch again.

“You have betrayed your country and the Enforcers!”
James curled his fingers around the edges of the patch. Now only one word rang in his mind.

“Betrayed!”

“Betrayed!”

“BETRAYED!”
James sank his fingernails around the stitching and he yanked the patch off his arm leaving a piece of blank black fabric on his arm where it used to be. James then did the same for the patch on his left arm then the ones on his chest and the emblem on his beret. He left the name tag on his uniform however, he at least wanted to be identified after he was killed. James took the patches to the fire and dropped them into the flames.
“I didn’t betray my country, it turned on me,” he said, “Who Dares Wins.”

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Mesures

James sank down next to the Crusaders and lay back on the ground. He looked at his watch, school should’ve started yesterday but the civil war might had the opening delayed until it quieted down. James hoped that his school would be in Enforcer territory, he wondered if eventually it would be safe to return to the US and be a part of the school security team. But then he remembered that the Enforcers had a bloodlust for him and decided to stay in Cuba until the US reset itself and forgot about him. But could James have a nice peaceful life after what had happened to him? He was probably suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and he didn’t know it yet. As the Crusaders slept he turned the radio on, turns out the Enforcers and the Guardians were both looking for James and the Crusaders but they said that their deaths would not end the war. There was also a draft going on for both sides, James felt sorry for his friends who now had to kill one another because of what he did. He tried to not let that got to him as he fell asleep.

The next day James had roused the Crusaders and they were off in the direction of the airfield. James had to kill both Enforcers and Guardians that got in his way, in order to stop himself from going nuts he carved each kill into a .50 cal shell casing that he found. One thing that scared James was when the Crusaders got separated from him and then he heard gunfire, running to find the source he saw that the Crusaders were trying to hold off a pair of Guardians with their guns, James rescued them and told them that they did a great job. They traveled for an entire day and then stopped to rest for the night in another wooded area, the thing that put James as ease was the fact that the woods were much thicker than the one they hid from the tank in. James sat down under a large willow tree and took the .50 cal shell casing out of his pocket.

“Thirty nine,” he said as he read the tally marks he made on it, “I’ve killed thirty nine people.”

“That’s good,” said Apple Bloom.

“No it isn’t,” James said as he tucked it back into his pocket, “I’ve been killing both Enforcers and Guardians. People who I should be working with.”

“How long until we make it?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m not entirely sure,” James said, he knew he was lying, he had actually gotten him and the girls lost. Several of the key radio towers were blown up and James had been lying the whole time as they blundered around the county, they might as well be in another state. He had to lie so the Crusaders wouldn’t turn on him, not that they would but James didn’t want to take any chances.

As he set up another campfire he hunted for any berry bushes that would help them, James and the Crusaders had gone through the food in less than a day and they were down to just a few water bottles and a four bags of chips, luckily James found a few dead Guardians with full canteens and MREs. James pulled the MREs out and took only the chips and candy, he left the rest behind because he didn’t want to eat the nasty meals ever. After the Crusaders ate and found a nice spot to sleep James stoked the fire and looked up in the sky, a few jets flew overhead but they didn’t attack, possibly because of the thickness of the woods. James saw the Crusaders in the firelight, they had all huddled together again and were asleep. He didn’t want to let them know how bleak their situation was but James didn’t want them to think all is lost. James stared off into the woods and wondered where the flying club was, a hawk flew overhead and glided onto a tree. James thought that it was an eagle, then something hit him.

“The feather!” James exclaimed in his head. Ever since he killed the eagle on his trip to South Dakota, James had kept the feather on him at all times. James pulled the feather out of his sock, there was a brief ticking sensation as he pulled it out from under his foot but he managed to get it out undamaged. James remembered that he had to burn it in order for the Spirit of the Eagle to help guide him to wherever he wanted to go. James wasn’t one for relying on spirits to help him but he had no choice now. The fire had died out but James was capable of starting it up again, he stood the feather up in the pile of wood and lit the fire once more. He waited for the feather to catch fire, once it did it burst into a fire ball and then diminished, James wasn’t sure what to do next but he had to try something.

“I’m not sure how to start a summoning,” he said, James took a deep breath and tried to summon the Eagle’s spirit, “Spirit of the Eagle, I give you this offering in exchange for guidance. As you can see, I’m trying to get these girls back home. My family and my squad have betrayed me, I have nothing left but to get these kids back to their families and to escape this country. I hope you can point me in the direction of my former dad’s Cessna plane at the flying club we go to often so I can escape with the girls or find a way to get them back before I do. So I ask once more, can you help us?”

Nothing happened, the fire died and James was left in the freezing cold. James had a good mind to stomp out the fire when he heard a familiar sound. He looked around and listened for the noise, he then realized what it was.
It was a Spitfire.

James jumped up and looked around for the plane, he couldn’t see it but there was no mistaking the drone of the engine. James found a tree and he ended up climbing it to se which way the Spitfire was flying, he saw something in the sky that was illuminated by the moon but he wasn’t sure if it was the Spitfire but once again the unmistakable drone was heard. James watched it as it flew overhead and then turned to his right, the plane then descended behind the trees and the drone was muffled out by the sound of jets and gunfire.

“Thank you,” James said to the empty night. He climbed back down and sat under the willow tree with the Crusaders. He sat down with his back on the tree trunk, even though he was wearing his uniform James still shivered from the night air. His breath rose every time he sighed. James pulled his knees under his chin and tried to sleep, he shivered and tried to pull his beret over his ears, he shut his eyes and then felt something moving his arm. James opened his eyes and saw Scootaloo resting her head on his chest, Sweetie Bell had wedged her legs under his and Apple Bloom had her head on his feet. James knew that the last few days of summer had been hard for the Crusaders but it had even been harder for him, he had lost everything in the past three weeks. James was on the verge of a major physiological breakdown, he hoped he wouldn’t end up like Bob, an idiot with a passion for being unlikable and a thirst for Rivet energy drinks. James knew that he would rather kill himself than become someone like Bob, it wouldn’t matter anyway because he had nothing left to live for anyway, almost nothing.

Night Of Regret

The following morning James had gotten up before the Crusaders and he led the way to the airport, they came across several Enforcer and Guardian patrols but they hid each time. They managed to find a wrecked out building to rest for a moment. James counted all the ammo they had left, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo had used up all of their ammo and their guns had to be hidden. James on the other hand had plenty of ammo for his 1911 but only thirty rounds left for the Enfield. James could make the rounds count but he was at a loss if the Crusaders ever got separated from him, they had no protection, aside from the bulletproof vests, and if they were captured then they would surely die.

“Which way is the airfield?” Scootaloo asked.

“Just over the hill if I’m right,” James said.

“And if you’re not right?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I can use the hill to scout out the area,” James replied.

“That works,” said Sweetie Bell.

James and the Crusaders had to travel slow because the fighting had intensified over the past two days and the occasional artillery barrage slowed them down. Sometimes as they traveled, James would have flashbacks of his entire life leading up to this point, he mostly ignored them thinking they were a symptom of going nuts. As James and the Crusaders hid in a drainage pipe waiting for an air strike to pass James tried to remember the good time he had in his life, and if he could ever scavenge happiness from his memory. While he recollected his life he pulled out his iPod and checked to see if it had been fully synched on his computer, he flicked through the songs and was glad to see that every episode of Top Gear had successfully been downloaded into his iPod. James over the months had seen rather humorous similarities between the CMC and the hosts of Top Gear, the only standing difference was that the Crusaders were trying to achieve Cutie Marks whereas the hosts of Top Gear were just trying to be funny. The roars of the jets and the explosions of the bombs passed after thirty minutes, James was the first to leave the pipe and check for soldiers.

“Clear,” he said. The Crusaders followed James closely, the smoke from the bombs had coated the ground and obscured vision, but James knew which way they were going. Each of the Crusaders held onto James as he made his way through the smoke, soon however it started to get dark.

“Are we there yet?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t know,” James said.

“Which way is the airfield?” Scootaloo asked.

“Just through this forest and across the airstrip,” said James, “I hope we can pull this off.”

They passed through the forest and came across the airstrip, James was rather glad they made it but a little annoyed that the Guardians had made it there as well, it seemed as if they were just sweeping the buildings for Enforcers. James had the Crusaders hide behind a cluster of bushes.

“Bloody hell, they might be looking for us,” James said.

“Can they see us?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I think the bushes can hide us,” said Scootaloo.

“I wish I wasn’t wearing this dress,” Sweetie Bell said.

“The rest of the clothes were destroyed, remember?” said James.
The Guardians searched the buildings and then left, then they headed for the hangars. James ducked back behind the bushes.

“Looks as if we might have to stay here until they leave for good,” said James.

“How long will that be?” Scootaloo asked.

“It could be all night,” James said.

James and the Crusaders picked a rather large tree to rest under until the Guardians left. James kept watch as the Crusaders slept, he had a funny feeling that this might be the last time he ever sees the Crusaders, James looked back at them, they had taken up sleeping in one big pile to keep warm for the past few nights. James usually slept alone and with his rifle at his side in case of a night ambush, but it seemed as the Guardians were too occupied with the hangars and the last Enforcers that James saw were more than five miles away. James sat back and tried to watch both the Crusaders and the Guardians, he didn’t want either to leave his sight, James was starting to regret everything that had happened over the past few weeks but he never regretted helping the Crusaders. James was proud of what he had done for the girls, from just taking them in to vacations to helping them through the war zones. James really didn’t want them to be in this situation but James didn’t want them to end up dead or in a government medical facility being experimented on. He had been through a lot in just a short time, James hoped that he could forget all of this and start up a new life, all James wanted to be was a soldier tasked with protected the place he lived, now that his home had rejected him he had nothing left to live for, James could escape to Cuba but he didn’t know Spanish. He never hoped to use the box and now that he had, he was beginning to regret ever thinking of it.
The Guardians left the airstrip and once James was sure that they were gone, lit a fire and tried to keep the Crusaders warm until morning. The night was cold and the moon was shadowed by the smoke from the fires that raged in the cities, the insects had been replaced by gunfire and shooting stars turned out to be rockets and jets.

“Well I’ve really done it,” James thought, “This is all my fault, if I had just kept to myself and not looted I would probably be home in my nice warm bed with my TV on watching one of my favorite TV shows. Now because of something that didn’t seem to matter, I’m now a wanted man with three girls who I helped three months ago.”
James shivered and wiped a tear off his face as he thought of his family back in the UK. He hoped that his mother and father hadn’t made up any lies, James doubted it because Dave and Katherine drove away from the house rather fast and they took a very hard turn. It was like they were running from something, but if they were running from James they would have ran out of the house than tell him the truth then hit him in the face. Then James realized why, they were running from everything they had done for James, not from him, they did say that they had tried to kill him for the past sixteen years.

As James tried to drift off to sleep he felt the Crusaders snuggle up to him again to keep warm. James kicked some dirt over the fire to put it out, he looked out toward the airstrip and saw the planes sitting in the moonlight hoping that the one he was going to fly was fueled and ready to help him and the Crusaders escape. If the Crusaders had gone back home then James could’ve used his Spitfire to escape the US, with that plane he would at least have some defense against missiles and helicopters. James held the Crusaders closer to him and fell asleep, hoping that morning would bring new light and a way out of everything.

The Rift Opens

James tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light that was shining through his eyes. He had no idea if it was morning or not but he knew that the light was too bright to be the sun or a flashlight. James faced away from the light, fixed his bayonet to the Enfield and turned back to the bright light. James had no idea what he was looking at but he was able to see that it was a ball of light suspended a foot above the ground and no more than ten feet away, James still had to try and shield his face from the light, this might be a hallucination brought on from lack of sleep but the light had dropped in intensity.

“James,” Apple Bloom said, “What it that light?”

“Stay behind me,” James said.
Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo were both woken up by the bright light and they too hid behind James.

“What is it?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“It looks like the San Francisco Lights but much closer,” said James.

“Are we dreaming?” Scootaloo asked. James jabbed himself with the bayonet point. He felt it and if he was dreaming he would wake up.

“Hey, its stopped moving,” Apple Bloom said.

James aimed his rifle at the ball of light and loaded a round into the firing chamber. The light stopped pulsating and it grew steady. James had no idea what to expect, he hoped that it wasn’t going to end up like the movie “Knowing”, but then again, he wanted to get the Crusaders away from the US government no matter what. Once the light stopped spinning, James thought he heard garbled voices.

“I must be out of my mind,” he thought. The voices kept speaking, James wasn’t sure if the Crusaders could hear the voices but it was driving him insane.

“Shut up!” he yelled, James fired a round into the air and pointed the gun back at the light.

“Well he’s not too friendly,” said a voice, it was a little less garbled and muffled. Apple Bloom stepped out from behind James.

“Applejack?” she said to the light.

“Sis, sis is that you?” the voice that Apple Bloom recognized said. Apple Bloom took a step toward the light and James pulled her back by her bulletproof vest.

“Don’t go into the light,” he said.

“But it’s my sister,” Apple Bloom said.

“We might be going mad,” said James, “I just want to say that now.”

“We’re not going insane!” Apple Bloom said as she pulled herself out of James’ grip.

“It could be nerve gas,” said James.

“I don’t think it is,” said Sweetie Bell.

“Sweetie Bell? Sweetie Bell are you there too?” another voice from the light asked.

“Rarity!” said Sweetie Bell.

“Gah! More voices!” James said.

“Are you okay?” a third said.

“No I’m not,” James said to the light, he had given up on staying normal, “I’m just going through the most traumatic and painful three weeks of my life.”

“Have you been sleeping?” another voice asked, this one was barely audible but sounded kind and calming, this however didn’t settle James.

“No, because I don’t want to wake up with an M-16 down my gullet,” James said, not taking his rifle off the light.

“What are you doing out here then?” one of the voices asked.

“I’m not saying anything else until I can see you,” said James, “I know you’re behind that light, show yourself or I will start shooting.”

“Okay okay just chill out,” said a rather irritated voice. Scootaloo grabbed James’ uniform.

“I swear that was Rainbow Dash’s voice,” she said in a whisper.

“Really? Because I don’t remember anything about who you three are talking about,” James said as he tried to use his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his face.

The light intensified again and James was blinded as it burned his eyes, he staggered a little bit before being brought to his senses in front of what was undoubtedly a wormhole.

“I am going nuts,” he said in a whimper.

On the other side of the wormhole, six colorful ponies stood in a lush countryside. The land was untouched by civilization or war, the land looked peaceful. James lowered the rifle and stared through the wormhole at the ponies, he couldn’t help but feel as if he remembered their looks from somewhere.

“Apple Bloom, how did you get so dirty?” an orange looking pony with a cowboy hat asked. James’ mood shifted from fear to annoyance.

“I just got them through a war zone and you’re asking how she got so dirty,” James said, he held up his arms, “Look at me, I almost got blown up!”

“Righttt,” a purple pony said, James looked closer to the pony and realized it had a horn, the same could be said for the white pony.

“Unicorns,” James said as he threw up his arms and looked to the sky, “Bloody fantastic! Now I’m seeing unicorns, am I tripping out? No, it just so happens that they’re right in front of me like they usually are!”
The Crusaders looked at James and realized that he had lost his mind. James looked back to the wormhole and then span around in disbelieve.

“And there are pegasi here as well!” he said, “Maybe there could be dragons as well.”

“We do have dragons!” said a pink pony.
James had dropped his Enfield when he saw the ponies, he went over to it, reloaded, and stuck the barrel under his chin.

“I’ve had enough, okay?” he said, “I’ve been through too much and I’m getting sick of one crazy instance after another. My life had taken a turn for the worst and now, I’ve become well and truly sick of it.”

James found the trigger with his thumb, but before he fired Scootaloo kicked him in the side of his knee, grabbed the rifle and smashed the side of the rifle butt across James’ face. James flew to the ground and Scootaloo took his 1911 from him. James got up, holding the side of his face that had been battered and he looked back at the Crusaders.

“You’re not crazy alright?” Scootaloo said in a rather harsh and commanding tone, “You never were crazy and you’re life hasn’t take a turn for the worst! Don’t go insane on us now James, we need you now more than ever.”
James wiped the blood off his face and took in every word that Scootaloo said. He pulled himself up off the ground, walked over to Scootaloo, looked at her and hugged her.

“Thanks,” he said, “I needed that.”

“I know you’re not sick of life, you just need time to get better,” Scootaloo said.

“Mental scars take longer to heal,” said James.

“I’m sorry but what’s going on?” the purple unicorn asked.

“More to the point is who the crazy guy is,” said a blue pegasus.

“James Rogers,” James said, “Ex-Enforcer and Guardian of these kids.”
The six ponies looked at James with approving faces.

“I’m sorry I went a little nuts there,” James said as he let go of Scootaloo, “I’ve just been through the worst three weeks of my life.”

“What happened?” a yellow pegasus asked.

“And where did you get that uniform so dirty?” the white unicorn asked.
James ignored the unicorn and went to answer the pegasus.

“It started when I discovered that my parents tried to kill me for sixteen years,” James said, he then started to get choked up as he tried to continue, “Sixteen years of lies and attempted murders, now everyone is after me, but, I-”
James sank down to one knee and hid his face behind his hand, he was trying to not cry again but he couldn’t hold back the few tears that escaped. Sweetie Bell, feeling bad for James, hugged him around his neck, James took her hand in his.

“Sweetie Bell, you’ll get all dirty,” the white unicorn said.

“He’s lost everything in his life, can’t you think of anything nicer to say?” Sweetie Bell hissed.

“I understand that he needs love,” said the yellow unicorn.

“So long as you don’t stab me in the back,” James replied.

“He does have love,” said Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, from us,” said Scootaloo.
James got a hold of himself and he stood up, he wiped his face off and smiled at the ponies.

“They’re right,” he said, “Three months and we’re almost family, we’ve been through the worst times and we pulled through.”

“But I’m your family Sweetie Bell,” the white unicorn said.

“It’s only temporary,” said Sweetie Bell.

“You’re still my sister AJ,” said Apple Bloom.

“I just realized we didn’t tell him our names!” the pink pony said.

“I know who you are Pinkie Pie,” said James. The pink pony switched from excited to being really shocked and surprised.

“How do you know her name?” the blue pegasus asked.

“I remember all your names now, yours especially Rainbow Dash,” James said as he took his rifle and pistol from Scootaloo.

“Can you name us all?” the purple unicorn asked.

“Sure I can,” James said, “Starting from left to right, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.”

“How did you know?” Fluttershy asked.

“I bet the girls told you,” Applejack said.

“No,” said James, “Truth is, you’re famous here.”
The ponies looked at one another, confused about what James had told them.

“So tell me James,” Twilight said, “How are we famous here?”

“It all started on TV,” James replied.

“We’re all on a TV show!” Sweetie Bell said.

“I think you’ve been with the human too long,” Rarity said.

“She’s not joking,” said James, “You seriously are a part of a TV show.”

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash said, “Prove it.”

James pulled his iPod out of his back pocket and thumbed through the TV shows he had, he knew that he had gotten the first two seasons of MLP on his iPod because he lost a bet with Jason. James found the first episode in the series and faced the iPod toward the wormhole, he tried to get as close to the wormhole as he possibly could. As the six watched the first several minutes of the episode they became more and more baffled.

“This actually happened to us,” said Fluttershy.

“I remember everything as well,” said Twilight. James slid the iPod back into his pocket.

“Proved it,” he said.
James and the six ponies stared at each other in silence for three minutes before anyone said anything.

“Guess you humans aren’t as violent as we expected,” said Twilight.

“You lot do have fans by the way,” James said, “Each of you is loved and admired.”

“Wow, I have fans!” Pinkie Pie said rather enthusiastically.

“Hey, can we come through to your world? I want to be famous again,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said James.

“Why? There are humans out there who think I’m amazing, what’s so bad about it?” Rarity asked.

“It’s more of the fact that there are fans, but there are some who take things a little too far,” James said, “I’ve seen some messed up stuff about you, all fake of course, but still messed up.”

“He’s not lying,” Scootaloo said, “There are people here who might try to kill you.”

“Which is why I’ve been taking care of the Crusaders,” said James.

“And this is when we go home,” said Apple Bloom.

“Sadly yes,” James said, “It’s better this way, I can at lest have a fighting chance against the jets because I have my Spitfire.”

“Come on Apple Bloom, you don’t belong there, you belong here,” Applejack said.

“Go on,” James said.

Apple Bloom took a step forward closer to the wormhole, she slowly reached out to touch it when James called out to her again.

“I don’t think you’ll need that vest,” he said. Apple Bloom looked down and saw that she was still wearing her bulletproof vest.

“Oh yeah,” Apple Bloom chuckled, “I guess I don’t need it.”
She pulled the vest over her head and went to hand it to James, she gave it to James and looked up at him.

“Guess we go our separate ways now,” Apple Bloom said.

“Just how it is,” James said. Apple Bloom threw her arms around James for the last time.

“I’m gonna miss you, James,” she said.

“Same here,” James replied, “But you’ll still remember me right?”

“I’ll never forget you,” Apple Bloom said.

“I know you won’t,” said James, “I’ll walk you to the rift.”

James and Apple Bloom both went to the wormhole, Applejack had taken up the front of the group on the other side. Apple Bloom let go of James’ arm and stepped forward, the wormhole absorbed her and an even brighter light shone in James’ face, once his sight had been restored he saw Apple Bloom on the other side of the wormhole back in her filly form, and hugging her sister.

“You’re next Sweetie Bell,” James said.
Sweetie Bell gave James her bulletproof vest and stepped forward to the wormhole. She hugged James once more and stepped though, James was blinded and saw Sweetie Bell with Rarity, he could see the similarities between Sweetie Bell and her older sister.

“Can I ask what that strange piece of clothing is?” Rarity asked James.

“Kevlar,” James said as he pulled a slab out of the vest, “I can toss it though the rift if you want.”

“What can it be used for?” Rarity asked.

“Protective clothing,” James replied.

“I don’t think I can use that for anything,” Rarity said.

“Very well,” said James, “Alright Scootaloo, your turn.”

“I’m not going,” Scootaloo said.

“Um, why not?” James asked as he went over to her.

“Because I want to stay here with you,” Scootaloo said.

“Scoot, you can’t stay here,” James said, “I can’t risk you getting in the hands of the government or having you die.”

“We can both run,” Scootaloo said, “We can both run away to Cuba, be happy and safe.”

“No,” James said, “It’s not going to work, I can’t let you stay here, you have a home you have a family.”

“Are you sure?” Scootaloo asked. James turned to the wormhole and looked for Scootaloo’s family.

“Maybe they don’t know that you’re being brought home,” James said.

“I don’t have a family!” Scootaloo said.

These five words hit James right in the stomach, he knew that over the months Scootaloo was hiding something from him and now he knew what it was, Scootaloo had no family.

“You’re an orphan?” James asked.

“I never knew my parents,” Scootaloo said, tears forming in her eyes, “I’ve been living in a box for my entire life and surviving by helping ponies out around town in exchange for food and money.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” James asked her.

“Because I didn’t wan to look weak in front of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell,” Scootaloo said.

“You never told them did you?” asked James asked.

“No,” Scootaloo said. James knelt down so she could look him in the face.

“I don’t think you were weak,” he said.

“Why?” Scootaloo asked, “What make you think I’m not weak?”

“You’ve broke nine gees,” James said, “You mastered CQC, you’re probably the best shot in the CMC, you’ve been in a Spitfire and you helped me when I needed it.”

“I guess there’s that,” Scootaloo said.

“Even though you think you have nothing, you still have your little achievements to cling onto,” James said.

“I still don’t want to leave,” Scootaloo said, “You’re like my family.”

“You have to go,” James said.

“But why now?” Scootaloo said, “Why do I have to leave? I don’t want to.”

“Look if you don’t go now you’ll regret it, probably not now, or tomorrow but you will eventually and that will stick with you for the rest of your life,” James said.

“But I’ll never be able to fly,” said Scootaloo.

“Sure you will,” James said, “We’ll always be pilots.”

Scootaloo hugged James and started crying, James didn’t cry but he held her tightly to his chest. James had almost been her father and brother, to Scootaloo, this was almost like what James went through when his parents left him, but James was hugging her instead of forcing her to go through the rift.

“Ready?” he asked her. He felt Scootaloo nod. He walked her over to the wormhole and took the bulletproof vest from her, Scootaloo looked up at James one last time and went to step though the wormhole.

“Contact sighted in the woods!” a shout came.

Last Stand

James span around and looked for the source of the voice, to his left he saw a Guardian charge at him. James pulled out his Enfield and shot the soldier in the face, the entire right side of his face exploded. Scootaloo came out from the left side of James to see what he had shot at, then more soldiers came into the forest.

“Man down!” one soldier shouted.

“I can see him!” another said.

“Open fire!” a third shouted.
James pushed Scootaloo behind him, just as he brought his arm out from behind he back it felt as if it had exploded. James yelled out in pain as he dropped his rifle and looked at his arm, blood oozed out of a single bullet wound that was on his arm. He felt his bone split and shatter, James gripped his arm in hopes of putting the broken halves back together.

“James?” Scootaloo asked. James didn’t respond, he picked up Scootaloo and threw her through the rift. He then picked up his rifle, cycled a round and aimed toward the Guardians.

“I’m right here!” he yelled.

James fired toward the soldiers, each hit resulted in an instant kill. James was halfway through reloading when three soldiers dropped dead. James looked to the right and saw Enforcers coming his way.

“This is the end,” he thought, “This is my final stand.”

The rest of the Guardians took notice of the Enforcers and shot at them, the Enforcers had the advantage of cover but they were still losing as many men as the Guardians. As the two factions shot at each other, soldiers from both sides converged on James, fortunately James had donned the Crusaders bulletproof vests and it created a barrier of Kevlar that was almost an inch thick. James fired at each and every soldier that came his way, he could feel bullets impacting on his chest but they were hitting the barrier of Kevlar so none were able to get through to his chest. Each time he loaded ten rounds into his gun it felt like an eternity. Just as James loaded his last ten rounds a third group of soldiers came into the fray with their guns blazing, Enforcers and Guardians fell along with the newcomers, but no matter how many were killed more joined the fight. Another bullet landed in the left side of James’ pelvis, almost bringing him to the ground. The shriek that came from behind him made James spin around.

“What the hell are you doing keeping that portal open?” he yelled to Twilight.

“It’s on a time delay,” replied Twilight.
James’ right shoulder exploded as a 5.56 mm round tore its way through muscle and bone. James was so pumped up by adrenaline it only felt like a sharp rock had just pierced his skin, he span back around and took aim at the newcomers. He newcomers were all dressed in a mix of blue and black and wearing ski masks, James almost mistook them for Enforcers but their combat style was much different, as was their commander who was wearing a three piece suit. James realized who it was.

“Agent West,” he said, he fired at Agent West but he ended up hitting a federal agent instead. James knew that they were federal agents but he had killed so many US soldiers he didn’t care who he hit so long as they didn’t get to the wormhole.

“Kill that kid!” West shouted as he shot at James with his M4.
James held his ground and fired at West, West was able to dodge most of the rounds but he couldn’t prevent them from hitting and killing his agents. James kept up the fire until he was out of ammo for his rifle, he pulled it over his shoulder and was hit in the side by a stray bullet, it managed to get through his armor and flesh and exit out his abdomen. James screamed as he pulled out his 1911 and fired at everything that moved. James’ reloading speed had doubled and he was blazing away at each and every soldier that came into sight. His accuracy had dropped because James was bleeding badly from two exit wounds made by the bullets that blasted through his soft tissue. James was down to one magazine for his pistol, he loaded it and killed seven soldiers, he then pointed toward Agent West.

“Now you’ll get what you deserve,” James muttered.

“James!” Scootaloo shouted, “Look out!”
James instinctively pointed his gun to the right and saw an Enforcer with a shotgun no more than twelve feet away. But James hesitated as he looked at the face of the soldier.

“Rickter?” James said.
Rickter only response was the pull of the shotgun’s trigger.

A loud boom and a large flash disoriented James as the pellets struck the side of his torso and his arm. It felt as if his internal organs were being ripped apart by the shot, James flew back and involuntarily fired his pistol. The bullet flew out of the muzzle, past a pair of agents who opened fire on Rickter, through a bush and ended hitting Agent West directly between his eyes. West toppled in front of his soldiers and lay still, face down in the mud.

The shotgun blast had sent James flying, the last round expended from his 1911 had killed Agent West but James was flying backwards and he didn’t see his last kill fall to the Earth. Time slowed down as he flew backwards, James could just see the flashes of weapons and hear shouts of soldiers, just as he blacked out he flew through the wormhole and landed on his back in front of the Crusaders, a bright light flashed thought his eyelids and a loud bang signaled the wormhole had been sealed.

Don't Leave Us

The Crusaders looked in horror as their savoir was lying in front of them bleeding out. James had only impacted the ground three seconds ago and a massive pool of blood was seeping out from under him.

“James?” Scootaloo said.

“Is he okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“What’s this red stuff?” Pinkie Pie asked, she reached out to tough it but Scootaloo swatted her hoof away.

“Don’t touch him!” she yelled to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie backed up and rubbed her hoof.

“James! James, can you hear me?!” Apple Bloom yelled.

Sacrificing hygiene for humanity Scootaloo stepped into the blood puddle and tried to assess the severity of James’ wounds. It didn’t look good, he was been peppered by the shotgun blast and his arms had almost come out of their sockets. The wound on his abdomen caused by the stray bullet had torn a massive gaping hole in his side. James’ left arm was over his head and the wound was lying in the dirt. Scootaloo had tears streaming down her face as he shook him, trying to wake him up.

“Can we help him?” Apple Bloom asked as she stood by James’ head.
Scootaloo looked at James and tried to think, she didn’t want James to die in his own blood and in pain, which was shown on his face.

“Didn’t James teach us first aid?” Sweetie Bell asked. Scootaloo looked up at Apple Bloom.

“Keep pressure on his wounds,” she said to Apple Bloom, Apple Bloom pushed down on the wound on James’ shoulder. Scootaloo then faced Sweetie Bell.

“Get something that can plug him up,” Scootaloo said, “You said your sister had something like gauze.”

“Okay!” Sweetie Bell said, she ran to her sisters house to look for anything that could be used as gauze. As for Scootaloo, she gave herself the most important task of keeping James alive;
Making sure his heart didn’t fail.

Scootaloo was trying to perform CPR on James as he lay in front of her, Scootaloo had been taught when she was a human so she couldn’t interlock her hoofs together, but she didn’t let that stop her from pushing down on James’ sternum in an effort to keep his heart beating. She preformed CPR for almost five minutes before she stopped and put her ear to his chest. Scootaloo could barely hear James’ heartbeat, when she took her head of James’ chest the left side of her face was coated in blood. Scootaloo kept trying to revive James but each push on his weakened heart caused blood to seep out of his wounds.

“Where’s Sweetie Bell?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m here!” Sweetie Bell shouted, she was carrying several lumps of a white fabric, “I found this.”
Scootaloo grabbed it from Sweetie Bell and covered James’ shotgun wound. The fabric turned from white to crimson in an instant.

“Sweetie Bell, that was my best cotton,” Rarity said.

“Not now,” Sweetie Bell said, “We have more important matters to deal with.”
Apple Bloom took some of the cotton and covered James’ other wounds, she had his blood on him but Apple Bloom didn’t care, none of the Crusaders did.

Scootaloo went back to CPR while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell tried to patch James up before he bled to death. James had become deathly white from the loss of blood and might have even gone into shock, Scootaloo however kept trying to stabilize James. As the Crusaders tried to help James the other six just stood back and watched the Crusaders try and bring James back to life.

Almost ten minutes passed since Sweetie Bell brought the cotton to help coat James’ wounds, and now Scootaloo had become frustrated and upset.

“Live! Why won’t you live?!” she shouted as she pushed down even harder on James’ heart. Twilight finally stepped forward.

“I don’t think he made it,” she said softly.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell accepted that they had lost James, they went back to their sisters, Apple Bloom still looked at the body of her savior and best friend while Sweetie Bell stood by Rarity with her head hanging low. Scootaloo was still trying to bring James back, she was pushing down on him, trying to keep his heart going.

“Scoot,” Twilight said, “He’s gone.”

“No!” Scootaloo said, “He’s not dead! He’s got too big a heart to die on us!”

“Come on Scootaloo, you tried,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I’m not going to leave him!” Scootaloo said, tears were dripping from her face onto James, she held onto his vest and started to cry.

“Come on,” Twilight said, she was starting to sound choked up herself, “I think it’s best we leave him here.”

The six left James lying on the ground, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell looked away from James and walked with their sisters, Scootaloo was still crying as she tried to wake James up, Rainbow Dash picked Scootaloo up by her tail and dragged her away from James. Scootaloo screamed protests at Rainbow Dash but she broke down and cried for losing James. His blood still caked the Crusaders’ legs and bodies. They left James and walked down the road, Scootaloo was on Rainbow Dash’s back crying while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell walked mournfully next to their sisters. Then a distinct click caught Scootaloo’s attention, she stopped crying and looked over to James, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Twilight did as well, but they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
James was sitting up pointing his 1911 over at them.

Last Words

“Are you going to help me or finish me off?” he said in a voice that was both shaky and weak. He collapsed and dropped his pistol.

“James!” Scootaloo yelled. She jumped off of Rainbow Dash and ran over to James’ side, hoping he was still alive. He was hyperventilating and trying to keep the makeshift bandages on his bullet wounds, he looked up at Scootaloo and smiled.

“Who Dares Wins?” he wheezed.

“You do, you always have won,” Scootaloo said. By now, the six ponies and the rest of the Crusaders had ran over to witness James living through extreme bodily damage.

“He’s alive!” Apple Bloom said.

“You’re medical geniuses,” said James.

“Dash, get a doctor here now!” Twilight said.

“On it!” Rainbow Dash said. She flew off leaving a rainbow trail streaking behind her.

“So she can do it,” James said weakly.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“No,” James said, “It feels as if my internal organs have been turned to mush.”

“He’s not as healthy looking as earlier,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Thanks for the update,” James replied. He then coughed up blood and spat it out.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Rarity said.

“At lest I’m not dead yet,” James said.

“Shh, keep quiet,” Scootaloo said.

James lifted his good arm up and held Scootaloo’s face, she put her hoof over his hand and pressed it tighter to her face.

“Funny,” James said, “You kids are a lot cuter like this.”

“Apple Bloom has always been like this,” said Applejack, “Too cute to handle.”
James lifted his arm up from his chest, it was soaked in his own blood. He knew that his only hope of living was a blood transfer and an operation to get all the lead out of him.

“Looks like my parents finally get what they wanted, me dead,” he said.

“No!” Scootaloo said, “You’re not going to die, you will beat your parents. You will live.”

“That the thing Scoot,” James said, “I don’t think I will.”
Pinkie Pie burst out crying and Fluttershy’s ears drooped down in sadness, Twilight walked over to James and sat as close as she could get to him without sitting in his blood.

“You’ve done a brave thing, taking care of these three fillies,” she said, “I really hope there is someway I can help you.”

“You want to help me?” James asked, “Then get as much of that magic of yours and try to heal me.”

“I can’t do that alone,” Twilight said, “Maybe Princess Celestia can help.”
James grabbed her leg and pulled Twilight next to his face.

“Listen closely,” James said, “I don’t care how who you bring in to help, I don’t care what you have to do, just make sure that I live, or at the very least, keep me safe and comfy when I die.”

“I’m not letting you die!” Scootaloo said.

“I know I know,” James said quietly, “The sad part is that you might not succeed.”

“I don’t want to be alone,” said Scootaloo.

“You never will be,” James said.

His breaths were getting shorter and weaker, James then clutched at his heart and started to convulse, his grip tightening on his chest. His legs were twitching violently and he was cringing in pain.

“James? James!” Scootaloo said as she tried to hold him steady.

“Don’t…let…go,” James wheezed. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell held onto James as he drew his last breath.

“Scoot,” he said, Scootaloo leaned closer to James, “Live for me will you? Just live your life, it’ll work out.”

He then exhaled and became still, the hand on Scootaloo’s face slipped from her hold and landed on the blood soaked ground and didn’t move another inch. The Crusaders stood before their fallen friend in silence, Rarity and Applejack took their sisters aside and let Fluttershy take Scootaloo away.

“No,” she said, “Why did he have to be the one to die?”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy said, even though she was shedding tears she was still able to keep her voice stable, “You helped him as much as you could.”
Rainbow Dash zoomed into the picture with a doctor and a nurse following behind her, who were both ponies as well.

“Oh, am I too late?” Rainbow Dash asked as she landed, Scootaloo ran over to her and threw herself at Dash’s feet.

“What is this thing?” the doctor asked.

“He’s a human, he was blasted through the rift I opened,” Twilight said.

“Is the human male or female?” the nurse asked, not letting the sight of James unseat her professionalism.

“His name is James,” Scootaloo said.

“Can you help him?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I don’t know if I can,” the doctor said he then turned to the nurse, “Nurse Redheart, you see if you can see what we’re working with.”

The nurse, now beginning to become a little unsettled at examining James, walked over to him and first took some of the blood in her hoof.

“What’s this leaking from under him?” Nurse Redheart asked.

“That’s his blood,” Apple Bloom said, “You’re not the first one to stand in it.”

“This is…blood?” Nurse Redheart asked, she wiped the blood off on the grass and went back to seeing how badly James was hurt. She removed some of the makeshift gauze that was covering James’ shotgun wound and her face turned green.

“I’ll be back in a second,” Nurse Redheart said as she backed away. Nurse Redheart then ran off and dove behind a bush, but that didn’t hide the fact that she was being sick.

“This is beyond my expertise,” the doctor said as he lifted up James’ arm and set it back down again.

“Can you at least try?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know how to treat something like this,” the doctor said, “He’s got bits of metal stuck in his body, that I can remove, but these little balls have ripped him apart from the inside.”

“At least try, he’d do the same for anyone of us,” Apple Bloom said.

“We would,” Nurse Redheart said as she emerged from the bushes, “But we don’t know if he’s still alive.”
Sweetie Bell went over to James and pressed her ear to his chest.

“What are you doing Sweetie Bell?” Rarity asked.

Sweetie Bell shushed her and tried to listen for any sign of life. Sweetie Bell wiped the blood off her face and listened for James’ heartbeat, it was there, but it was very weak.

“He’s alive, but barely,” Sweetie Bell said, “If you help him now he might live.”

“Nurse Redheart, get the patient up and to the hospital,” the doctor said. The doctor and Nurse Redheart picked James up and carried him to the hospital, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Pinkie Pie went to help the doctor. Scootaloo tried to grab and hold James’ hand one last time before he was whisked away but she only managed to hold his blood soaked fingers for a split second before she lost hold of him, she stopped and watched as the five carted him away.

“Take care of him,” Scootaloo said.

A Chance To Live

Twilight stood at the foot of James’ bed with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They had just seen James’ operation results; He had lost almost seventy percent of his blood, the buckshot that was extracted had shredded his left lung and his pancreas, the bullet in his right arm had hit a crack in the bone and made the bone split in half, he was suffering from a trace amount of blood poisoning and was currently in a coma. Twilight looked over to the heartbeat monitor, even though she couldn’t tell how many beats a minute a human heart did, she knew that James’ was too low. He was at least breathing, but the padding over what remained of his uniform hid most of the breaths.

“Why are we even here?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Because I want to see if there’s a way to help him,” Twilight responded.

“I wish I could get to know him more,” Pinkie Pie said, “He seems like a cool guy.”
Twilight looked back at Rainbow Dash, expecting her to say something but Rainbow Dash shot her a glance.

“This is no time for anything, I’m showing respect for this kid,” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight stood up and went over to the bedside table with the stuff that the doctors took from James before the operation. All that was on the table was James’ bloodstained 1911, his iPod, his peppered wallet and a pair of broken sunglasses.

“Funny,” Twilight said as she picked up the gun with her magic, “I’ve never seen something like this before.”

“Wonder how it works,” Pinkie Pie said as she joined Twilight.

“I don’t know, maybe James would,” Twilight said as she looked at James, small traces of blood seeped through the bed sheets.

The door to James’ room opened, Twilight put the gun back on the table and went over to the doctor.

“Well doctor, can you save him?” she asked.

“Well the good news is that I can stop the blood poisoning but sadly, he will die,” the doctor said.

“You can’t help him?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“He’s dying from blood loss,” the doctor said, “We can do a blood transfer but his blood type doesn’t exist here. If he was one of us we could help him, if we gave him any of our blood it will kill him.”
Rainbow Dash sighed and looked over to Twilight.

“Looks like all we can do now is make sure he dies the way he wants to,” she said.
Twilight lowered her head and sighed, Pinkie Pie gave her a comforting pat on the back.

“You still have to admire the Crusaders,” she said, “I’ll be surprised if they don’t get a Cutie Mark from trying to help James.”

The sound of running from the hallway made Twilight look up, Scootaloo and Fluttershy were at the door, Scootaloo ran in while Fluttershy walked over to Twilight.

“She wanted to see him, I-I couldn’t bear to see her so upset,” Fluttershy said.

“Scootaloo has every right to be upset,” Twilight said as she watched Scootaloo pull a stool over to the side of James’ bed.

Scootaloo stood on the edge of James bed and looked at him, she didn’t care if the others were watching what she does, she wanted to see James one last time to thank him. She took his hand and placed his 1911 in the palm of his hand, then she reached back and pulled something out from under her wing. It was a blue feather.

“I don’t know if you can hear me but I want you to have this,” Scootaloo said to James, “Rainbow Dash gave it to me and I’ve treasured it ever since. I want you to have this as thanks from me, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom for taking care of us. We really had a good time with you, I know if you were awake you would try and apologize for the last few weeks but you don’t have to, it was never your fault.”
Scootaloo sighed and wiped a few tears off her face.

“I’m sorry I lied to you about my life, but I didn’t want you to go overboard with trying to make me happy,” she continued, “You did a good enough job to keep us all happy, we really loved going on vacation with you. Me, I really was glad to be flying not once, but three times in three different aircraft. I hope you get what you want now, peace. Just make sure you tell your grandfather that we said hi.”

By now Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash had gathered up behind Scootaloo. She pretended to not notice them. She took the feather and placed it in James’ open hand and laid his hand on his chest, Scootaloo then leaned down and kissed James on the cheek.

“Who Dares Wins,” she whispered in his ear.

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stood in silence as Scootaloo stood next to James on the stool, tears dripped from her face and landed on the sheets. Rainbow Dash put her front leg around Scootaloo and held her close to her chest. Twilight shed a few tears as well, she was glad that she wasn’t alone. More footsteps from the hallway made her look to the door. She wasn’t expecting the next guest.

“Pri-Princess Celestia,” Twilight said.

“Hello there my fateful student,” the Princess said, “I got your letter yesterday about something that popped up, what was-…ohh.”
Princess Celestia saw James on the hospital bed with Scootaloo at his side. Celestia walked over to the group.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“This is what I was telling you about in the letter,” Twilight said, “I thought it would be better for you to see for yourself.”

“Well I’m glad you sent me that letter,” Princess Celestia said, she looked at the bandages that covered James, “What’s wrong with this creature? It looks as if he’s been attacked.”

“He was shot,” Scootaloo said, her voice cracking from trying to not cry, “He was trying to protect us and this is how he ended up.”

“He gave his life to protect you?” Princess Celestia asked.

“He was, in a way, protecting Equstria from invasion,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, the humans that were trying to get to us were all scary looking,” Rainbow Dash added.

Celestia looked at James then to the Enfield that was sitting on the wall next to his bed, the princess pulled it over to her with her magic and examined the weapon.

“What is this strange object?” she asked as she spun it around in the air.

“According to the Crusaders it’s called a Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine,” Twilight said, “From what I’ve seen, it’s made to kill.”

“How can this kill anypony?” Princess Celestia asked as she looked down the barrel.

“Don’t do that,” Scootaloo said, “James told us to never do that unless the bolt is back.”
Princess Celestia put the gun back against the wall and went to look at James up close.

“He seems rather unwell,” she said.

“The doctor said that he won’t make it,” Rainbow Dash said, “James is dying of blood loss.”

“The doc said that if he had our blood type he could be saved,” said Pinkie Pie. Princess Celestia cocked her head to one side and looked to Twilight.

“Twilight,” she said, “Is there such a spell?”

“There could be,” Twilight replied.

“Can you help him?” Scootaloo asked.

“We might be able to,” Princess Celestia said, “However, I think you should leave, you’ve done enough.”

Scootaloo nodded and left with Fluttershy, Fluttershy had been keeping Scootaloo calm with songs and stories while Rainbow Dash helped out with James.

“Should we use the Elements?” Twilight asked Celestia.

“No, this is more personal,” Celestia replied.
Twilight and Princess Celestia’s horns glowed as they focused their magic on one spell, one spell that could save James’ life and change it at the same time. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both left, they didn’t want to disturb Celestia and Twilight with their spell.

“Ready Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia asked.

“Ready,” Twilight responded.
They leaned forward and then the room was bathed in a bright purple and green light.

An Awkward Awakening

James was still in the void of blackness. He felt rather stiff and weak, there was a faint light that was shining through his eyelids. He slowly opened them and saw the light on the ceiling, James then sat up and gasped for air.

“Am I alive?” he asked himself though heavy breaths.

James’ vision was blurred but he was more or less able to see that he was in a hospital room. An empty IV stood next to his bed, and the heartbeat monitor sat next to it. James rubbed his arms and legs, stiff from being immobile for an unknown amount of time. He felt rather dizzy from trying to move around but he rubbed the sides of his head, James noticed that his hands were very stiff he tried to rub his eyes with his fingers, that’s when James realized something disturbing, he had no fingers.

“Gah!” he said as he backed his way up the wall. He looked at his arms, all that he had were flat stumps instead of hands.

“What’s going on?” James asked as he pulled the sheets off him. He got another nasty shock from his appearance, his entire body was a dark brown color and his legs matched his arms, no feet and only stumps where they should be.

James leapt down from the bed and ran over to the mirror, he stumbled and fell a few times before he reached the mirror. James looked into it and recoiled in absolute horror, he was no longer a human, he had been transformed into a pony.

“Bleedin’ hell!” he yelled as he fell to the floor and pushed himself to the bedside table. He noticed that he also had a tail when he was pushing himself across the floor James grabbed his 1911 and held it close to his chest, he tried to stand up on three legs but he almost fell over. James heard the door open and he pointed his gun over toward the door.

“Hi James!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounded through the door.

“What have you done to me?” James asked.

“You’re really funny,” Pinkie Pie said with a laugh.

“Why am I like this?” James barked at Pinkie Pie.

“Twilight will explain everything to you,” Pinkie Pie replied, “You’re shaking a lot, are you okay?”
James’ arm that was holding the 1911 was shaking, he calmed down and lowered the gun.

“Where is Twilight?” he asked, “I want to know what’s going on.”
Pinkie Pie stuck her head out of the door and shouted to Twilight that James had woken up. Twilight and Rainbow Dash entered a few seconds later.

“I see you’ve made a nice recovery,” Twilight said to James.

“Yeah I did,” James said, “I’ve also had my entire physical anatomy changed but I’ll get over it.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Twilight said.

“How long was I out for?” James asked.

“About four days,” Twilight said, “We turned you into one of us the day after the operation.”
James nodded and changed the subject.

“I suppose you have a good reason for explaining this,” James said as he held up his front leg that was holding his 1911, he shook his hoof and looked at the gun.

“How the hell am I able to hold this?” he asked “I have no fingers.”

“Well it’s easy,” Rainbow Dash said as she took hold of a book on the table, “See?”

“How do you do that?” James asked.

“Just think of it as you would normally do it as a human,” Twilight said.
James walked over to the table and tried to drop the gun, all he did was think of dropping it, and it fell onto the table.

“This might take time to get used to,” he said as he picked the gun up and dropped it several times.

“Anyway, the reason why you’re an earth pony is because we didn’t have any of you’re human blood type,” Twilight said, James stopped trying to pick up various objects and let Twilight continue, “If we hadn’t changed you, you might have died and none of us could bear the guilt and the Crusaders couldn’t deal with such a loss.”
James could feel his ears sag from sadness, he kind of liked how his ears did that.

“Anything else to tell me?” James asked.

“Only your appearance,” Twilight said.

James went back to the mirror, now over the initial shock he was able to see himself much more clearly. He was still the same dark brown color, although he had no idea how that came to be. James got a little closer to the mirror and looked at the mane that replaced his hair, James was particularly glad that it still had the appearance and color of his hair, a dusty blonde with a few dark streaks running from one side of his head to the other diagonally, the pattern and color matched his tail as well. He also had the same bright blue eyes, the scars and bullet wounds were gone. James was fully healed.

“At least I’ve still got my looks,” James said.

“And your humor,” Pinkie Pie added.
James chuckled a little and tuned to Twilight.

“So tell me Twilight, why am I this color?” he asked.

“I think it had something to do with that Enfield,” Twilight replied. James went over to his Enfield and picked it up, he held the frame of his rifle next to his arm. The color was an exact match, a dark brown color.

“Looks like you done everything for me,” James said.

“Almost,” Twilight said as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sniggered behind her. James looked at them, rather confused.

“What do you mean almost?” he asked.

“You don’t have a Cutie Mark,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing to James’ flank.
James looked at where she was pointing and saw noting but the same brown color.

“And the problem with that is what exactly?” James asked.

“All of us have Cutie Marks,” Pinkie Pie said as she showed James hers.

“Is this supposed to be natural for ponies around my age?” James said, he then realized something, “Wait, how old am I?”

“That’s something else I need to tell you about your transformation,” Twilight said, “Your age has been doubled as a pony but we worked out that if you turn back human you’ll stay the same age you were.”

“So I’m thirty-two years old?” James asked with surprise.

“Yes,” said Twilight.

“Can we got out of this place?” asked Rainbow Dash, “I really don’t like it here.”

“Let me grab my stuff,” James said as he trotted to the cupboard that contained his belongings.

James opened the cupboard up and retrieved the small bag he had on when he was shot, inside was his holster, his knife, and his blood soaked beret. Hanging in the cupboard was his torn apart uniform and body armor.

“Did you get that off me after you transformed me?” James asked.

“The doctor took it off you after you were turned into a pony,” Twilight said.

James took his uniform and crammed it into the bag along with the armor, he had put on his holster had slid the knife into the sheath. James managed to put on the holster and have it cover his bare flank, he then slung the Enfield over his shoulder and used the butt of the gun to cover the other flank, by utilizing the weapons he was able to disguise the fact that he had no Cutie Mark. After a few compliments from Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, he holstered his 1911 and joined them at the door. Just before he left he saw the blue feather that Scootaloo gave him, James slid it between his holster and belt and left the room. Twilight helped out with checking James out of the hospital.

“I’m impressed you’ve adapted to walking on four legs so quickly,” Twilight said as they left.

“Anything else you want to tell me about why I’m like this?” James asked.

Confrontation And Forgivness

Twilight went on to explain how her and Princess Celestia had decided to help him out of sympathy of Scootaloo and the guilt and they felt for James’ final moments as the person who protected the Crusaders. She went on to explain that after James had been transformed Celestia said that it was also a thank-you for stopping Equsetria from being invaded. James had no clue why they would go to such trouble to save him.

“Why though?” asked James, “Why did you decide to help me?”

“Because there was something about you that we liked,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Princess Celestia said that she had never heard of such feats that you accomplished,” Pinkie Pie said.

“You know about the set-up that ended in a dictators downfall?” James asked.

“We know some stuff about you,” Twilight said.

“And we always take care of our friends,” Rainbow Dash said.
James opened his mouth to continue but he saw Rarity and Applejack galloping their way over to him.

“Are they here to see how I’m doing as well?” James asked.

“I don’t think they look too happy,” said Rainbow Dash.

“There he is!” James heard Applejack shout.

“She’s annoyed about something,” James thought, “And it’s going to involve me.”

Applejack and Rarity skidded to a halt in front of James.

“What in the hay is your problem?” Applejack said.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” Rarity said.

“No,” said James, “No I don’t know what I’ve done so why don’t you tell me?”

“Have you seen the state of my little sister?” Applejack asked.

“No. How is she anyway?” James said.

“She’s depressed,” Applejack said.

“Same goes for Sweetie Bell,” said Rarity, “She’s refusing to do anything now because of you.”
James was starting to get irritated, he had put his life on the line for their sisters and Applejack and Rarity seemed to forgotten who brought them home safe and sound.

“Don’t pin this all on me,” James said.

“Oh I will pin this on you, James,” Applejack said, “You’re lucky I haven’t brought Big Macintosh with me.”

“He only says two words,” James said.

“But he’s a lot more aggressive than you would think,” Applejack said.

“I think you should’ve brought him as well,” Rarity said, “See if he understands his barbaric human ways.”

“Applejack, Rarity, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Twilight said, Applejack and Rarity ignored her and stepped closer to James.

“You’ve done nothing for our sisters, you’re a menace to them,” Applejack said.

“I’ve done way more for them than you two have ever done in your entire lives,” James said rather angrily. Applejack was then right up in James’ face looking him in the eyes.

“You know I’m the best apple bucker around here,” she said.

Without a moments hesitation James pulled his knife from his belt and held the tip at Applejack’s throat.

“Do you know that I know a hundred ways to kill a person?” James asked, his teeth gritted and eyes burning with fury. Applejack backed away from James and rubbed her neck.

“So what have you done for our sisters?” Applejack asked.

“The night when Apple Bloom had a major physiological breakdown,” James said, “She was worried that she would never get home and I comforted her and got her back to sleep. The day when Sweetie Bell got stung by a jellyfish and had to go to the doctors and get a blood extraction, I held her hand the whole time. Those kids have become attached to me like no other, you know why? Because I was a complete stranger who wanted to do something good for someone else. I protected them until the end.”

Applejack sighed and dropped her gaze, Rarity followed suit and rubbed the back of her head. Applejack walked over to James and held out a hoof.

“I’m sorry about snapping at you, you did more than I hoped,” she said, “Friends?”
James put the knife back in his belt and looked uneasy about acceptance, but he took her hoof and shook.

“Friends,” he said with a nod.

“I would like to apologize as well,” Rarity said, “I’ve just been really worried for Sweetie Bell.”

“I think I know what’s wrong,” James said.

“You do?” Applejack asked.

“They don’t know I’m alive,” James said.

James, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash did a tour of the town while they looked for the Crusaders. They stopped at several different places so the townsfolk could introduce themselves to James, James was more than happy to meet anyone who walked up to him. He did do a bit of showing off with his knife skill when he helped some fillies and colts with cutting a massive watermelon. Just after they introduced James to Cheerilee and the Cakes at the schoolhouse they found the Crusaders sitting on some tree stumps sulking, James was lucky to come up from behind them.

“Just wait here,” he told the others.

What are you going to do?” Applejack asked.

“I’m not going to scare them but give them a nice shock,” James replied.
He trotted over to the kids and listened to what they were saying.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Sweetie Bell said.

“We tried,” Apple Bloom said, “My sister says that these things happen.”

“What? Your best friends getting blown apart and dying in front of you?” Scootaloo said.

“The blood,” Sweetie Bell whispered.

“We did what we could,” Scootaloo said, “He’s in a better place now.”

“I wish I could say good bye to him,” Apple Bloom said.
James trotted over and stopped behind them.

“How ye’ little lasses doing?” James asked in a Scottish accent.

“Not well,” Sweetie Bell said.

“Why, what’s the problem?” James asked.

“Our friend died four days ago,” Scootaloo said.

“Ach, what a shame,” James said, “Shouldn’t you kids be bawling your wee eyes out?”

“I did that for three days straight,” Apple Bloom said.

“Was there something that he always said?” James asked.

“It was some famous quote,” Scootaloo said, “But I don’t remember it.”

“Was it something like ‘Who Dares Wins’?” James said in his regular voice.

The Crusaders froze after the last three words, they slowly looked behind them at the owner of the voice.

“James?” Scootaloo asked.

“Did you miss me?” James replied.

The Crusaders almost jumped on James when they realized that their friend and protector was alive and well. They jumped up and hugged James, crying that he was okay.

“I thought you were dead,” Scootaloo said.

“Well I’m not now,” James retorted.

“James, why are you an earth pony?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Simple,” said James, “I would be dead if I wasn’t.”

An Unrefusable Offer

James, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and the Crusaders followed Celestia. Dart stuck next to Fluttershy. They walked through the town and across a bridge until they came to a small house outside of the town.

“So, is your idea in here or something?” James asked.

“Just before I continue, are there any problems with your new form?” Celestia asked.

“Only one,” James said as he took the Enfield off his flank, “I don’t have one of these so called Cutie Marks.”
James took the rifle and held onto it so Celestia could see James’ markless flanks. The group went silent, making James rather annoyed.

“Yes I know, I don’t have one.” he said, “But if you can turn me into one of you then how come you didn’t give me a mark?”

“I think the real question is where did this come from?” Twilight said as she pointed to James’ flank. James twisted his head to look and saw something on his hindquarters.

“What’s that?” he said as he tried to look at it.

“A Cutie Mark,” Pinkie Pie said.

“If it is then what does it mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.

James managed to see the mark on his flank, it didn’t look much. It was a red cross that had a white outline and a four lines that extended out of the corners of the cross, the horizontal line on the cross was longer but thinner than the vertical line. James didn’t know that this had accumulated on him without his noticing.

“When did this happen?” James asked.

“I don’t see how this represents your special talent,” Twilight said.

“How come he got his Cutie Mark before us?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I’ll figure it out eventually,” said James, he turned back to Celestia, “So why did you lead us here?”

“It’s something else for you, in return for your debt,” the Princess replied.
James looked at the house and then to Celestia.

“Where is it?” he asked.

“You were looking at it,” Celestia said.

James looked back at the house and realized what Celestia meant, this house was his.

“No way,” said James, “But why are you giving me this house?”

“James Rogers,” the Princess said, “You asked me how you could repay me for saving your life, this is what I propose; I want you to safeguard Ponyville.”

“What?” James stammered.

“If you accept you get this house, everything in it, and the entire property,” Celestia said.

“Let me see inside first,” James said.
The Princess unlocked the door and opened it for James. James stepped inside and looked around the place, there was a large living room with a massive fireplace and several couches and chairs.

“This is nice,” James said.

“It gets better,” said Celestia, “I’ve brought some items over from your world that stimulated you and made you happy.”
James locked onto the 78 inch plasma TV that was sitting on a large cabinet, a white box lay next to the TV.

“Is there electricity here?” James asked.

“Equetria does have a decent size amount of electric power, but it’s not much compared to what you’re used to,” Celestia said, “I don’t know what anything here is, could you show me what each one of these devices are?”

James was more than happy to talk Celestia through the various components that were attached to the TV, from the DVD player to James’ Xbox 360, James went through everything and explained what they were used for. He then turned his attention to a small cupboard that sat on a wall adjacent to the TV, James opened the doors and found that it was stocked with DVDs and Xbox games.

“I’m guessing that the devices use these to operate,” Celestia said.

“It’s the mother load,” said James.
Celestia laughed a little from James’ comment, the Crusaders, Twilight and her friends came into the house just a few seconds later.

“This place is nice,” said Twilight. Dart went over to the couch and jumped up on it, he walked in a circle, lay down, and fell asleep.

“Oh, is he allowed to do that?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, he did that back in my old house,” James said as he looked through the DVD collection, “Hey Crusaders, come here.”

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.
James pulled out a DVD with his mouth and held the corner of the box in his mouth, the Crusaders read what was on the box.

“TOP GEAR!” they yelled.

“It’s also the British version,” James said once he put it back.

“What’s Top Gear?” Twilight asked.

“Only the greatest TV show in James’ world,” said Scootaloo.

“He showed it to us on the day he rescued us,” said Sweetie Bell, “We really like it.”

“Go seasons one through fifteen here,” James said as he shut the cupboard.

“Can we watch it sometime?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Maybe,” said James.

Celestia continued with the tour of the house, she showed James the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. James found a large bedroom which he claimed for his own, the main reason was because it had a nice bathroom on suite and a large bookcase that was full of books along with James’ iHome that sat on the bedside table. Celestia then took him thought the kitchen and to a door that was next to the back door.

“So where does this lead?” James asked.

“You’ll see,” said Celestia. She led him down some stairs and into a dark room.

“Ooh lovely, I’ve always wanted a dark room to hide in,” James said sarcastically.
Celestia flicked on the light, which blinded James for a second but once he was able to see, he saw what the room really was; it was an armory stocked with guns and various other weapons. James was lost for words, he had never expected this, the three walls were covered with guns, the center of the room had more weapon racks that almost made it impossible for Celestia to pass them and show James something on the other side of the room.

“There’s also this that you might like,” Celestia said, “From what I understand, you humans call it a ‘panic room’.”

James looked at the lead manhole cover, it was an entrance to something big like a bunker but James didn’t want to go down it just yet, he wanted to see the rest of the place before he decided to explore the Panic Room.

“Can I ask you something Princess?” James said.

“Very well,” Celestia said.

“I just want to know what the system of government for Equstria is,” James said.

“Well I’m sure you know that I’m the ruler,” Celestia said, “I have my land set up so everypony is equal no matter where they stand.”

“Sounds like one of my world’s government systems,” said James.

Celestia then took James and the group outside to the backyard, two more structures stood in the back, one was obviously a shed while the other looked like a small storage hangar.

“Why is this here?” James asked, “It’s a little out of place.”

“We know that you left a few prized possessions behind,” said Celestia, “We decided to bring them over for you.”

“So what do you have in here?” James asked.
Celestia opened the doors to the hangar and Twilight wheeled a large object out of the darkness. James couldn’t believe what he was looking at.

“You brought my Spitfire here?” he asked.

“We heard you were a good flyer,” said Rainbow Dash.

James walked up to his Spitfire and put a hoof on the prop, he looked down the side and saw that the ID letters were “WDW”, it was truly his. James walked around it, taking in everything to make sure it was positively his. He then hopped up onto the wing and looked into the cockpit. James opened it up and saw his flight helmet sitting on the seat, he couldn’t resist.

“Everyone get back!” James shouted as he jumped into the cockpit.

“Is he going to fly that?” Applejack asked.

“He said to get back,” said Pinkie Pie, “Should we listen?”

James put his rifle in the back seat and strapped his helmet on, he turned the planes electronics on and was glad that they still worked. As Celestia, Twilight and the Crusaders stood back next to Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy. James checked to see if the planes flaps where working, once he confirmed that they did he turned on the engine.

“Chocks away!” he shouted, he let the brakes off and rolled down to a large piece of flat land where he could take off. James gunned it and rose into the sky.

The group looked at James as he flew over the house and around the skies. Just for fun, James tried to pull off a few tricks and managed to succeed. Even though he didn’t have and fingers or opposable thumbs, James was able to easily pilot the aircraft, he did a few barrel rolls and a flyby over Ponyville. The drone of the engine was enough to bring the residents outside to see what was overhead. James flew around the town a few times and went back to land on the field where he took off. He landed and came to a halt in front of the house, James opened up the canopy and jumped out.

“I’ve still got it,” he said.

“Looks like you’re still a great pilot,” Scootaloo said.

“I always was bloody fantastic,” James replied.

“Hey look,” Pinkie Pie said, “Your Cutie Mark had changed.”

James looked at his Cutie Mark and saw that six blue triangles and four red lines had taken place in the empty white spaces.

“What is it?” Rarity asked. James knew what it was.

“Why have I got the Union Jack on my flanks?” he asked.

“What’s the Union Jack, James?” Twilight asked.

“It’s the British flag,” James replied, “But why would this be on me?”
No-one had any idea why James’ Cutie Mark was the British flag. The Crusaders suggested that it had to do with his nationality but James dismissed it. James went back to thanking Celestia for helping him out. But Celestia still wanted to know what James wanted to do with his life, she couldn’t make the choices for him.

“So James,” she said, “Do you want to stay and protect Ponyville and Equestria? It’s a big responsibility but you seem capable of handling it.”

“And if a say no?” asked James.

“Then we change you back into a human and send you back to your world,” Celestia said, “You’ll have the scars from the bullet wounds but you’ll still live and you can go back.”

James looked at the Spitfire, the shed and his new home that was stashed with everything he ever wanted. He also had been tasked with the job of keeping Ponyville safe and he had the tools for the job, but he did have a life that he wanted to rebuild. He looked at the Crusaders, who were staring at him and nervously biting their lips, as for the other six, they were waiting with bated breath for James’ decision.

“You know what?” he said, “I’ve been through the most hectic four weeks of my life, I’ve lost everything and now I got it all back. My life is still back on earth, shattered and lonely. I want to start over and fix it, but now, I know what’s best for me and I’ve made my conclusion. I’m staying here.”

“Really?” Sweetie Bell said, “You’ll stay here?”

“I’ve got nothing left for me back on earth,” said James, “I think that I can now start anew with everything you gave me.”
The Crusaders rushed forward to hug James, he embraced the girls as Celestia walked over to James and patted him on the back.

“I’m glad that you’ve decided to stay,” said Celestia.

“It’s for the best,” James replied, “And don’t you worry, I’ll keep this place safe.”

“Before I go I just want you know a few things so you’ll fit in,” Celestia said.

“What is it?” James asked.

“For starters, I want you to know that you must now say anypony instead of your usual language,” Celestia said.

“I can do that,” said James.

“The second is about your name,” the Princess said, “I really don’t think you should use it here, I want you to change it if that’s alright with you.”

“I’ll figure one out, don’t you worry,” James said.

“The last is to do with your new duty, I know that the world that you lived in is trying to invade Equsetria,” said Celestia, “If times are bad and the threat seems inevitable I want you to go back to your world and try and stop it.”

“I will serve both princess and kingdom,” James said, “When battle is called I will be the first to answer.”

“Very good,” the princess said, “I must go now, you have a nice time, commander.”
James was caught off guard at the last word.

“Hang on, when did I make commander?” he asked.

“Simple, when you saved this land,” Celestia said, and with a flap of her wings, she was off. James still confused at why he was a commander, but a commander to what?

“Well this turned out stranger than I thought,” he said.

“Why did Celestia make you a commander?” Twilight asked.

“And what are you commander of?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’ll figure that out later,” James said he turned back to the house, he finally had a place to live and a new task that the Princess gave him. He was really happy that he now had a new life to start up, he had everything and more, James was, for the first time in his life, truly happy.

A Disturbing Discovery

“I’m really glad you’re staying James,” Twilight said.

“I am too, but I still don’t have a job, not since I was replaced in my last one,” James said.

“If you want I’ll let you help me and my family out on Sweet Apple Acres during apple buck season as a thanks for taking care of Apple Bloom,” said Applejack.

“You mean it?” James asked.

“We always could use help,” Applejack said.

“And I’ll fix up your uniform if you want as my thanks,” Rarity said.

“Thank you both,” James said, “I’ll give you my uniform once I get the blood out.”

“It’s nice that we got you, James,” said Rainbow Dash, “And I think we owe it all to you, Twilight.”

Twilight was trying to get Dash to shut up but James heard what she said and grew rather suspicious.

“What do you meant you owe it all to Twilight?” he asked rather harshly.

“Girls, how about you go to your tree house and see if it need fixing,” Applejack said.

“But we want to stay here,” Sweetie Bell said.

“Let the big ponies talk,” Applejack said.

“I am a big pony,” Apple Bloom protested.

“Listen to your sister,” James said, “I need to get things settled here.”
The Crusaders shrugged and ran off down the road, leaving James to confront the six. He waited until the Crusaders were out of sight before he said anything.

“What in Celestia’s name are you talking about?” James asked, rather impressed that he had adapted a sentence to fit in Equestria.
The six stammered several different sentences, Applejack didn’t say much but James knew that she would ever lie.

“Twilight, um,” she said, James looked her in the eye and reached for his pistol, “Twilight why don’t you tell him?”

The four agreed with Applejack, leaving Twilight to explain what Rainbow Dash meant. She sighed and stepped forward.

“The Crusaders ended up in your world because of me,” she said, “It was my fault.”

“Continue,” James said, he now had his pistol in hoof, ready to squeeze information out of Twilight.

“The girls had been causing trouble,” said Twilight, “They had been to each of us to see if they could get a Cutie Mark, but they had been, well, annoying. They were breaking things and getting in the way of our work.”

“It’s true,” said Pinkie, “They came to Sugar Cube Corner and covered the entire store in cake batter, it took me three hours to clean it up.”

“They scared all the animals I was taking care of,” said Fluttershy.

“I missed seeing the Wonderbolts,” said Rainbow Dash.

“They wrecked my designs,” said Rarity.

“And they managed to make the barn doors fall off,” said Applejack.

“So they ended up at Twilight’s place?” James asked, “And where do you, Twilight Sparkle, come into play?”

“I was trying to learn new spells,” Twilight said, “But they never kept quiet long enough for me to concentrate, I ended up losing my temper and cast a spell without knowing it.”

“What was the spell?” James asked.

“Trans-dimensional teleportation,” Twilight replied, “I didn’t know until later.”

“How much later?” James asked slowly.

“Two days later,” said Twilight.

“To be honest, none of us cared until the day after they disappeared,” Applejack said.

“How long were they missing for?” asked James.

“Here? About two weeks,” Twilight said, “At first we didn’t know where they went and we didn’t care, but we regret it.”

“You make me sick,” James said harshly, “You’re telling me that you put those kids on earth without knowing it and you didn’t care? You six are despicable for even saying that.”

“Look we didn’t mean it,” Twilight said quickly.

“That still doesn’t hide the fact that you placed them on the most hostile planet in my universe and didn’t care?” James said dryly, “You’re lucky that they ended up with me, otherwise, they would be dead or worse.”

“We’re sorry okay?” Rainbow Dash said defensively. James pulled out his gun and aimed it towards the group. He pulled the trigger and the weapon clicked.

“That’s your only warning,” he said, “And before any of you say anything, I will still work for you, Applejack if you and everypony else can cough up a proper apology for both me and the Crusaders.”

“You want us to just say sorry?” Rarity asked.

“I’m going to give you until the day ends to give me and the girls an apology and an explanation in front of us all, or I will be forced to take action,” James said as he backed up into his house, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to wash off the blood from both me, and my gun. Meet us at the Crusaders tree house at anytime, I’ll talk to them first then you do what I told you and it’ll work out.”

“You’ll forgive us?” Fluttershy asked.

“I will, and I think the girls will as well,” James said with a kindly smile, “Just make sure that you let me explain what you’re going to do first.”

First Day In Equestria

James shut the door behind him and watched as the six walked off to try and figure out what they were going to say to the Crusaders. As he tried to think up something to say, James went and explored the rest of the house, only on the first sweep he found an office with a computer and a workbench. James decided to use the office for his job in protecting Equestira and making video diaries until he figured out how to type and write without the use of fingers. The panic room was almost fifty feet down underground and was no bigger than the area of the house, the bunker could accommodate twelve beings, human or pony. James also made a nice discovery in his new bedroom just after Dart had jumped up on his bed. James’ golden AK-47 was hidden under the covers and wrapped in paper, he took it downstairs and mounted it over the fireplace mantelpiece, it was still loaded, ready to be used at moments notice. James’ shed was about the size of the smaller spare room and full of boxes that contained junk useless to anyone but James. James, being British, was able to make a set of night vision goggles that worked. It was rooted in James’ blood to tinker with things and make useful items using nothing but a shed and a pile of salvageable junk. After James had completed his little project he went to see if they could see through the darkness of the hangar. He looked around and found a large workbench and tools, spare parts for the plane and several massive crates of machinegun and cannon ammo. His Ecstasy 550 buggy was hidden in the back of the hangar where James discovered a small room and a jukebox that looked a lot like the one in Dave and Busters. James then went back to his house and showered off the dry blood that had stuck to him, he didn’t know how much had stuck to him after he managed to survive but there was at least half a cups worth of dry blood on him. He scrubbed it all off and then found his holster and his Enfield sitting on the side of the sink once he got out.

James went to meet Twilight and the others before he went to talk to the Crusaders. James went to explain everything first then he let Twilight explain her side of the story. The Crusaders listened as Twilight gave them the details of what happened to them after Twilight cast her spell and made the Crusaders end up on earth. She also went to explain that after they figured out where they ended up, they watched them until the last few weeks. After all was said the Crusaders took everything very well by forgiving Twilight and saying sorry for what they did. Pinkie Pie, being Pinkie, said that she had prepared something special for James but didn’t tell him what it was. She led them to Sugar Cube Corner where a massive party was thrown for James in honor of his arrival and recovery. The party lasted for almost six hours before it ended. James trotted home, only marred by several presents and cakes given to him by the partygoers.

Dusk slowly was coming and a storm was going to follow. Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh were checking the trees on their land for any apples they missed, they wanted to get them down before the storm hit. As Applejack and Apple Bloom went toward a grove of trees Applejack broke the silence.

“You glad that your friend is staying here?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, he’s the best,” replied Apple Bloom.

“I wonder why he wasn’t here today helping us,” said Applejack.

“He said that he was going through the weapons in the armory,” Apple Bloom said as she looked up into the trees. She then saw something out of the ordinary and called her sister over.

“What is it Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked.

“There’s something big hanging from the trees,” said Apple Bloom. Applejack looked up and saw what Apple Bloom was seeing, but she knew what it was.

“Now why is there a watermelon hanging from a tree?” Applejack asked, “Hey Big Mac, take a look at this.”

Big Macintosh walked over and saw the watermelon and cocked his head to one side.

“Why’s that up there?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Did you do this Big Mac?” Applejack asked.

“Nope,” said Big Macintosh.

“Watermelons don’t grow from trees, right?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh.
A thundering boom echoed across the forest and the watermelon exploded. The three were taken by surprise.

“What was that?” Applejack asked.

“Holy doolie!” a shout said.

“Who’s out there?” Applejack said.
James gave running over the hill and skidded to a halt in front of her.

“Hi there,” he said rather calmly, “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
James had a large rifle slung over his back and a small SMG strapped to his waist.

“What’s that?” Apple Bloom asked James.

“It’s an Armalite AR50 sniper rifle,” James said as he pulled the bolt back and took the .50 caliber cartage out of the gun, “The smaller gun here is a PP2000.”

“Was that in your armory?” Applejack asked.

“I’ve been testing all the weapons out,” James said. He heard the sound of running approach him from behind, without hesitation James span around and drew his PP2000, but he lowered it when he saw Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity running out the hill.

“Did anypony else here that explosion?” Twilight asked between heavy breaths.

“That was me, sorry if I scared you,” James said.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Fluttershy said.

“What is that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“A really powerful sniper rifle,” said James, he blew some gunpowder off the muzzle, “Here, take a hold of it.”
Rainbow Dash took it and almost fell over from the weight of the gun.

“I see you’re wearing one of your new designs that I made,” Rarity said. Rarity had made James several different combat based clothing articles, James was currently wearing his BlackOps outfit; an entirely black getup with a ski mask and several pouches for ammo and supplies.

“And I would like to thank you for doing a great job,” James said, “It’ll help with nighttime operations and it’s rather snug as for everything else you made, I haven’t tried the others on but I think it’ll be just as I hoped.”

“Hey look,” Apple Bloom said, “James has got something else on his Cutie Mark.”

New Body, New Mark, New Name, New Life

James was the first to try and see what Apple Bloom had seen. There was something else added to his sides, they looked like black swords or clubs above and below the flag but once James got a closer look he saw what they really were, they were Mk. 4 Lee Enfield rifles. The left side of the rifle above the flag was pointed toward James’ front and the right side of the gun that was below the flag was pointed in the opposite direction, the weapons were flipped instead of being mirrored.

“Hello, what do we have here?” he asked.

“Looks like another Cutie Mark or the rest of your current one,” Twilight said.

“Has this happened before?” James asked.

“Cutie Marks have been known to appear over a duration of time rather than an instant,” said Twilight.

“What does it mean though?” James asked as he walked in a circle, “It it to do with who I am or what I am?”

“Look James,” Twilight said, she stopped and sighed, “I can probably help you figure out your Cutie Mark but I really wish you would change your name to fit Equestria.”

“I’ve been thinking of name that might work but I think I might be able to make one from this mark here,” said James.

“How about ‘Rifle Flag’?” Pinkie asked.

“Or Union Lee?” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“No, no that sounds silly,” James said. He sat and rubbed his chin for a few minutes as he mulled it over, occasionally shifting glances between his Cutie Mark and the oncoming storm. He stood up, looked at his mark one more and came up with a name.

“How’s Brit Enfield sound?” he asked.

“Sounds cool,” said Rainbow Dash.

“So where did the name come from?” Twilight asked.

“Simple,” James said, “I chose to mix both of what’s on my mark, you see where I’m going? British flag and Enfield rifles, all I did was shorten British to Brit and use Enfield as a last name.”

“Good idea you came up with there,” said Applejack, “You like the sound of James’ new name Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh.

“So what does the Cutie Mark represent?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well I’ve had a jolly good think and I think I’m come up with an answer,” said James, “The Union jack represents who I truly am, a smart, lovable, funny British fellow. The guns represent what I’ve always been, a soldier, a protector of the innocent and the newest addition to the Equestrian Guard. From now on, I shall be known as Brit Enfield, Guardian and Enforcer of Equestria.”

“It plays out nice,” said Twilight, “We’ll tell everypony to call you Brit Enfield from now on.”

The newly named Brit Enfield pulled another .50 cal round out, loaded his sniper and fired a round into the sky.

“Long live Celestia!” Enfield shouted.

“We’d best get inside,” Applejack said, “That’s a mean storm coming our way.”

“Good thing too,” said Fluttershy, “I need some rain for the frogs.”

“I might have brought good old British weather with me,” Enfield said.

“Oh, I wanted to give you this as well, um, Enfield,” Pinkie Pie said.
“It’s okay if you call me Brit, Enfield or both,” Enfield said, “I’ll know you’re talking to me. So what do you have?”
Pinkie handed Enfield a few newspapers, one was from Equestria while the other two were from earth. Enfield was going to ask where Pinkie got the earth newspapers but he backed down realizing that Pinkie was capable of anything.
This should be a nice little something to read, thanks Pinkie” Enfield said as he rolled up the papers and stuffed them in a duffle bag, “See you lot tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you ‘round,” Applejack said.

What's Going On In Earth

Enfield saluted Applejack and ran to his house. The storm hit just as he shut the door behind him, Enfield didn’t really want to go out again so he made himself some hot chocolate and retrieved the newspapers. The Equestrian newspaper was rather interesting to Enfield, he had never read a newspaper before but he felt as if he should read this one. He unfolded it and saw that it had only been published today, and Enfield’s old name was on the front cover.

“James Rogers becomes new resident of Ponyville and the new commander of the Ponyville based Equestrian Guard,” the headline read. Enfield took the newspaper and set it down on the kitchen table, eager to read more.

He read the paper and found out why he was the commander of the Ponyville forces, Celestia had heard of him defending the rift way until he was blasted through it by Rickter. It was because of this Celestia decided to trust him with military operations and his own section of Equestria to protect. Enfield wanted to take a machinegun outside and fire off a hundred rounds in celebration but he didn’t want to waste ammo. Enfield read on and found out that the story of him taking care of the Crusaders had spread all over the kingdom. He was now famous for his kindness and sheer determination of getting the Crusaders home. The other two earthen newspapers were from his county and the city of Philadelphia. Enfield saw that the newspapers were dated two weeks into the future, he wondered if time was slower here or the different dimensions had a different time passage and that Earths was faster. He once again saw his name on the front page but it was overshadowed by the Enforcer/Guardian war which was still going strong. Enfield found out that the government had confirmed that he was dead even thought they didn’t find his body. Enfield shook his head as he went to the second newspaper, he had to look through it to find anything about him. He found a small article with a picture of a helmet mounted on an assault rifle and a bayonet hanging from the trigger. Enfield looked at the picture and found out that it was his jungle carbine bayonet that he lost.

“Friends, family and admirers of Ex-Enforcer and terrorist James Rogers construct memorial in his honor.”
Enfield ignored the terrorist part because he knew he wasn’t one. What he did was justified and the government was trying to cover it up. Enfield read on and discovered that Jessica was the ringleader in setting up the memorial, he felt a pang of sadness when he read this part because he felt like he never got to tell Jessica how he truly felt about her. Now because of his transformation, he could never see her again. Enfield’s family also mourned his death and disowned his former parents, vowing to never speak to them again. Enfield read the rest of the papers while he drank his hot chocolate, once he finished with the papers he took the comics out of the earthen newspapers and tossed them in the fire, he left the Equestrian newspaper on the table and proceeded to strip and clean his sniper rifle. Enfield was rather pleased when he found the entire box series of Monty Pythons Flying Circus on DVD, he couldn’t stand to work in silence.

Still Being James

Halfway through re-assembling the sniper rifle, Enfield heard knocking on his front door. It started out as light tapping but then became frantic banging.

“Aright, alright, I can hear you,” Enfield said as he went to the door.
He opened up the door and was greeted by Rarity and Sweetie Bell. They were both slightly wet and the umbrella that Rarity had was of no use in the rain, which had now turned from a drizzle to a downpour.

“Hi Enfield,” said Rarity.

“Good to hear my new name,” Enfield said, “What brings you here?”

“Well we were on our way home and the rain picked up,” Rarity said, “Thing is that we came here to ask if you had another umbrella we could borrow.”

“You might as well come in, no point in standing out there while I search in here,” said Enfield.

“Thanks,” Sweetie Bell said as she stepped inside, “So you changed your name?”

“Brit Enfield,” Enfield said, “I thought of it after the last of my Mark appeared.”

“Wow, it looks so cool,” Sweetie Bell said as her sister came in.

“I have to say you keep your house very tidy,” Rarity said.

“It’s my house, I have to take care of it,” Enfield said, “Now where’s that umbrella?”
Enfield went upstairs to find his umbrella stock, he said to Sweetie Bell and Rarity that they were free to take a look around but to not disturb the disassembled rifle on the table. He came down a few minutes later with an umbrella in his mouth.

“Got one,” he said in a slightly muffled voice.
He gave it to Sweetie Bell and saw Rarity staring at his golden AK-47. Enfield managed to see the fascination in Rarity’s eyes as she looked upon it.

“Amazing isn’t it?” Enfield asked, “It’s all real gold you know.”

“It’s beautiful,” Rarity said.

“I’m just going to say that I got this as a present from now on,” Enfield said as he took it down from the wall.

“I must make something that will match that,” said Rarity, “Could I use it for something?”

“Sadly no,” Enfield said, “It’s still a loaded and functional weapon and I don’t want you hurting anypony with it. However, I can give you pictures of it if that’s any help.”
Rarity agreed and let Enfield know that he would be getting something new to match the AK-47. He led Rarity and Sweetie Bell to the door and said good-bye as they opened up their umbrellas and ran to the town.

“Bye Enfield!” Sweetie Bell shouted to him as she ran across the bridge. Enfield waved once more and went back inside to assemble his rifle.

Brit Enfield had put the guns back into the armory and sealed the steel door that he discovered hiding in the wall. He then went into the kitchen for something to eat and to feed Dart, who had come downstairs to keep Enfield company.

“Turns out were living in a monarchy ruled communist doctrine,” Enfield said to Dart, “It doesn’t seem as bad as the USSR, maybe this government actually works.”
Enfield put the food down for Dart and then went to get himself some apples. He then looked out of the window.

“Rain’s picked up since Rarity and Sweetie Bell were here,” Enfield said. He washed off the apples and was about to slice them up when movement outside in his backyard caught his eye. He went to his office and found a pair of binoculars. Enfield went to the kitchen window and looked through them at what he saw. It appeared to be a strange looking animal hiding under a bush, Enfield focused the binoculars and then saw who it was.

“Scootaloo?” he said, “What’s she doing out there?”
Enfield grabbed his coat and an umbrella and ran outside. He went over to the bush where Scootaloo had taken shelter, she was all wet and her hooves were all muddy. She didn’t see Enfield walk over.

“Hey there,” he said, Scootaloo looked up and saw Enfield behind her, “What are you doing out here?”
Scootaloo huffed and walked closer to Enfield.

“I’m lost James,” she said, Scootaloo didn’t know that James had changed his name, “I got lost while looking for berries to eat and then this storm hit.”
A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder followed. Enfield put the umbrella on Scootaloo’s back, she looked at him.

“Come on, I’m not letting you freeze out here,” Enfield said, “And it’s not James anymore, it’s Brit. Brit Enfield.”

Brit led Scootaloo back to his house and let her inside once she got the mud off her hooves. Scootaloo stood in the kitchen and shivered, she had been out in the storm for a while because she was sopping wet, her mane, wings and tail had small trickles of water seeping out of them. Enfield ran off upstairs and came back down a few minutes later with a large towel.

“Here,” he said handing it to Scootaloo, “Dry yourself off and get warm in the front room, I have the fire going.”

“Thanks Enfield,” Scootaloo said, wrapping the towel around her and going into the front room.

Enfield tossed his coat aside and went to see if Scootaloo was okay, he peeked around the corner and saw that she was still shivering even though she had dried herself off and was wearing to towel around her like a hooded robe. Feeling bad for her, Enfield made Scootaloo some hot chocolate and brought it to her.

“Here,” said Enfield, “You might as well warm yourself up with this.”
Scootaloo took the mug from him and looked curiously at it.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Hot chocolate,” said Enfield, “Ever had it before?”

“Once but it was bitter and flavorless,” said Scootaloo.

“I made this with warm milk,” Enfield said.
Scootaloo took a sip and smiled, satisfied and happy.

“You’re right, this is good,” Scootaloo said. She moved over so Enfield could sit down next to her.

“I have some cooking abilities but it doesn’t hold a candle to my shooting,” he said.

“At least you can get food half the time,” Scootaloo said with a hint of despondence. Enfield suddenly felt guilty for his last comment.

“Jeez, I’m sorry Scoot, I didn’t mean it,” he said.

“I know you didn’t,” Scootaloo said. She drank the rest of the hot chocolate and set the mug down on the table, she then took the damp towel off her head and gave it to Enfield.

“Aw, don’t be like that,” Enfield said.

“No it’s okay,” Scootaloo said, “I just need to get back to…um.”

She stopped and lowered her head, Enfield knew that he had upset her and he felt rather bad for doing so. Another loud clap of thunder and Scootaloo jumped, her ears flat against her head in downright fear. Enfield sighed and walked up to her.

“Look, I’m sorry for what I said but one thing’s for sure; you are not going out in that storm,” he said.

“But my stuff, in my…err, home,” Scootaloo said hesitatingly.

“Leave it for tomorrow,” Enfield said, “You can stay here the night.”
Scootaloo’s eyes lit up and her ears shot back upright.

“You mean it?” she asked, “I get to have a bed?”

“You had one for the past three months,” said Enfield. Scootaloo dove at him and landed at his feet.

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Scootaloo said.

“Calm down there,” said Enfield, “You go and choose a room to sleep in, I’ll be up in a minute.”

Scootaloo ran upstairs to pick one of the spare rooms to sleep in. Enfield chuckled as he tided up the front room. He went upstairs to see if Scootaloo had picked herself a room. He found her in the larger spare room trying to weigh up how she would keep asleep as the thunder had gotten louder in the past hour.

“Chose a room?” Enfield asked.

“This one is really big,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s got a bathroom with a shower if you want to clean yourself up,” said Enfield. He moved to the side to let Dart into the room so he could greet Scootaloo.

“Where have you been?” Scootaloo asked Dart as she stroked the dog’s head.

“Asleep,” said Enfield, “He might sleep with you tonight if that’s okay.”

“I’m fine with it, I like company,” said Scootaloo.

“Alright then, don’t stay up too late,” Enfield said. He turned to leave the room.

“Brit, wait!” Scootaloo said as she ran up to him, Enfield span around as Scootaloo jumped up and hugged him, “Thanks for letting me stay here for the night.”

“It’s nothing, I just want to help you out,” Enfield said as her squeezed her closer to his chest, “Sleep well kiddo.”

The Problem With Storms

Enfield let go of Scootaloo and shut the door behind him and went to get some sleep. He felt rather good by letting Scootaloo spend the night at his house rather than in the box that she usually slept in. He wondered why no-one had done anything about it earlier but he was too tired to think anymore, the hot chocolate and fuzzy feeling he had was slowly making him more sleepy.

Several hours into the night and the storm sounded as if it would never let up. Enfield had woken up a few times but he fell asleep a second later. One particularly loud bang startled Enfield so much he grabbed his 1911, thinking that someone was shooting at his house. The flashlight beam on the gun swept across the room, Enfield lowered the gun and rubbed the side of his head.

“Just the storm, Brit,” he whispered. Enfield switched off the flashlight and turned on the lamp, he looked toward the door and saw Scootaloo standing in the hallway. Enfield climbed out of the bed.

“You okay there?” he asked.

“No,” Scootaloo said.

“You want to sit and talk about it?” Enfield asked patting the end of the bed. Scootaloo shifted nervously and slowly walked over.

“Well, truth is, I’m scared of storms,” she said. A flash of lightning and thunder followed, Scootaloo yelped and ran straight to Enfield and grabbed hold of him. Enfield could feel her tremble, he put his front legs around her and hugged her.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, “You’re safe in here.”

“I can’t get back to sleep like this,” Scootaloo said. Enfield held her head tighter to his chest.

“Just listen to my heartbeat,” he said, “Focus on that and you’ll be asleep in no time.”

Scootaloo pressed her ear to Enfield’s chest and shut her eyes, Enfield sat and waited for her to fall asleep. He felt much more calm now and he could feel Scootaloo’s breathing slow and relax. Soon, she was asleep. Enfield carried her back to the spare room and set her down gently on the bed. Enfield pulled the covers over her and set the blue feather that she gave to him on the bedside table. He then kissed Scootaloo on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams Scootaloo,” he whispered.
Enfield left her room and went back to his. He stopped about halfway down the hall, his expression changed from pleased to utter disgust. He furrowed his brow and scratched it in frustration.

“I cannot believe I just said that,” he said to himself.

Following Secrets And Forming Ideas

The next morning Scootaloo was woken up by Dart clambering over her. She was a little weary but well rested. Scootaloo wondered what had happened last night, she sat up and looked around the room, she was still in the spare room of Enfield’s house. Outside, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. She looked on the bedside table and saw her prized blue feather sitting on it, Scootaloo took it and went downstairs to find Enfield and thank him for letting her stay. She walked down the stairs and stopped when she saw Enfield at the front door, it was open and he was talking to someone.

“The water level is that bad huh?” Enfield said.

“Yes sir,” an unseen pony said, “We’ve been trying to figure out how to drain half the town. So far we’ve had no luck.”

“Did you isolate the flood waters?” Enfield asked.

“Yes sir we did,” said the pony.

“What’s the predicted temperature going to be for today?” Enfield asked.

“About eighty nine sir,” the pony replied, “But how will this help us?”

“Lift the barriers and spread the water around the town, or at least get it in the fields,” Enfield said, “The water will evaporate eventually, the only downside is the humidity.”

“You want us to re-direct the flood waters around the town in order to thin it out so it’ll evaporate?” the pony asked.

“You’re a pegasus, you should know,” Enfield said.

“Yes sir, and again sorry to bother you,” the pony said.

“No problem, now hop to it!” said Enfield. The pegasus flew away just as Scootaloo walked over to Enfield, Enfield sensed Scootaloo next to him.

“Who was that?” Scootaloo asked.

“One of the royal guards posted in Ponyville,” said Enfield, “He was telling me that a small part of the town got flooded.”

“That happens around here sometimes,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s nothing major,” said Enfield, “Do you want something to eat? Derpy brought me muffins yesterday.”

Scootaloo at first refused but smelled the muffins in the oven and felt her mouth water. Within seconds, Scootaloo was sitting with Enfield eating blueberry muffins while Enfield cleaned an M60.

“I knew you would like those muffins,” Enfield said, “Derpy insisted I have some of those but I’m not too much of a blueberry sort.”
Scootaloo just nodded in agreement, she then cocked her head to one side in a questioning manner.

“It’s an M60 machinegun,” Enfield said, “I found this under my bed for some reason, probably because I was going to clean it.”
Scootaloo gave a muffled laugh and swallowed the rest of the muffin.

“Sounds like you forget things sometimes,” she said.

“Only if there’s something bigger that pops up,” Enfield said.
Scootaloo made and excuse to leave and Enfield let her, rather reluctantly. She went over to the front door and opened it, the storm had left massive puddles in its wake but they were spread out.

“Well, see ya, I guess,” Scootaloo said.

“Hang on there Scoot,” Enfield said, he trotted over with a small bag in his mouth. Scootaloo took it and opened it up, inside was some money, a bottle of water and some food.

“Why are you giving me this?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because I want you to have it,” said Enfield, “You really need something to help you out and I don’t want you to walk out with nothing.”

“Thanks Enfield,” Scootaloo said. She left without another word.

Brit was curious about where Scootaloo actually lived. Feeling rather sad and helpless for letting Scootaloo walk away to go and live in the box she called home. He went upstairs, found a gillie suit and put it on. He took his 1911 and screwed a silencer on the end of the barrel, he wasn’t going to use it, he felt like it was appropriate and that it matched his gillie suit. Enfield found his night vision goggles and strapped them to his head. Once he was suited up he went downstairs to track Scootaloo, but he stopped when he saw something sitting on the Xbox, Enfield went over to it and picked it up. The box was the case to the new “Far Cry” game. A wave of excitement hit him when he picked it up, but then Enfield remembered why he was suited up, he had to solve the mystery of where Scootaloo truly lived. Brit set the box back down and ran out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

It took him three hours to find Scootaloo in the bedlam of a flooded Ponyville, the Royal Guards had taken Enfield’s advice and had tried to thin the amount of water in the town. He dove between bushes and boxes to avoid being spotted. As he sneaked his way around the town he finally found Scootaloo. She was dumping what looked like a bag of garbage into a dumpster, Enfield watched as she went to the front door of a house, knock on it and then receive money from a cheery and pleased looking pony. Scootaloo said something and then ran off, Enfield following in the shadows.

He tracked Scootaloo’s every move, from helping ponies with jobs to attempting to fly. Enfield watched as she jumped off a rock and try and fly, her wings were flapping faster than a hummingbird but she wasn’t getting any lift. Scootaloo crashed to the ground, got up and dusted herself off. Enfield really wanted to go over there and say something kind and encouraging but he stayed put because he didn’t want to blow his cover. As Brit followed her back into town, he felt rather sinister from being undetected for so long, if he was on earth living his old life, he would have tried to get into the SAS. He felt invisible, he felt like a ghost, no-one knew where he was.

“Hi there Mr. Enfield!” a loud and ecstatic voice said from behind him.
Enfield span around, grabbed Pinkie Pie, covered her mouth over and pulled her behind him in the bush.

“Shush,” he hissed, “Do you want to get me spotted?”
Pinkie said something but Enfield kept her silent as he looked through the bush. Scootaloo had heard Pinkie Pie and was looking in his direction, she then shook her head and walked away. Enfield breathed a sigh of relief and let go of Pinkie.

“Whatca doin’?” Pinkie asked.

“Look, it’s not open to the matter of discussion,” said Enfield.

“You’re doing something fun, I know it,” said Pinkie.

“This is important,” Enfield said as he tried to figure out where Scootaloo went.

“Can I join in?” Pinkie asked.

“Pinkie, this isn’t the best time,” Enfield said, he stopped and tried to figure out an excuse to get rid of Pinkie, his mind then came up with the perfect thing to say.

“Are you going to tell me what you are doing?” Pinkie asked.

“Sure, I can tell you,” Enfield said, he then added, “But once I do I will have to kill you. It’s a top secret assignment.”
Pinkie looked at Enfield, surprised about what he said, but she went back to her usual self.

“Okey dokey,” she said and hopped off down the street.

It took Enfield another hour to locate Scootaloo. He did find her wandering around a rather dark and shady part of town. Enfield drew his silenced 1911 and slowly followed Scootaloo, she had no idea that Enfield was following but from what it looked like, she knew this part of the town very well.

“I hope she doesn’t run into trouble,” Enfield said quietly.

He followed closely behind her and trained his gun on anything that came too close to her. Enfield kept pace until she rounded a corner into an archway, he wondered if Scootaloo lived there. Sneaking up around the corner, he used a small mirror to peek around the bend. There was a single light illuminating the alleyway, there were a few trash cans and bags of garbage sitting by them. Enfield shifted to the other side of the archway and managed to see Scootaloo, she was pulling something out of a large, soggy cardboard box. It appeared to be a tattered blanket, in the light, Enfield could see that it was dripping with water and falling apart. Scootaloo balled it up and tossed it against the trash cans in frustration. She then started pulling out small amounts of food and tossing that out as well, she flipped the box over so that the wet part was now the ceiling rather than the barrier between Scootaloo and the ground. Scootaloo crawled inside and pulled one of the flaps shut. Enfield withdrew and sank against the wall. His eyes were filling with tears, he wiped them off and looked around the corner again.

“No kid deserves that,” he whispered, “Especially Scootaloo, she should not be living like that.”
Enfield crept up on the box and listened closely.

“Guess I’m gonna starve again,” he heard Scootaloo say.

“Who’s she talking to?” Enfield thought, “Oh wait, probably an imaginary friend to keep her company. That’s so upsetting, she has an imaginary friend because of her loneliness. I know how that feels.”

“I don’t know how I look so healthy either, but I know that I’ve lost weight since I got back,” Scootaloo said, she paused and then continued, “Yeah I’m also gonna freeze tonight, the last blanket was ruined by the storm.”

“My God,” Enfield thought.

“Why me? Why is my life like this? I didn’t do anything to deserve this,” Scootaloo said, her voice sounding like she was about to cry.

“No Scootaloo, you don’t deserve any of this,” Enfield thought, “I really feel bad now for giving you a place to stay and then having you come back to the life you have here. I didn’t know that you were living like this, I wish I could help you somehow.”

Enfield then knew how he could help her through the night and the morning. Without a moments hesitation he ran back to his house, collected a blanket, a packet of blueberries and some water and then ran back to the alleyway where Scootaloo had taken shelter. He sat behind a crate and waited for Scootaloo to fall asleep. Once Enfield could hear the soft but heavy breathing of Scootaloo in her slumber he crept up to the box. He opened the flap and through his NVGs, saw Scootaloo sleeping but shivering from the cold that had just set in. Enfield really wanted to find some way of helping her even more but this would have to do until he figured something else out. He placed the blueberries and water next to Scootaloo and tossed the blanket over her, she felt it and pulled it up under her chin. Scootaloo gave a happy sigh and rolled over, completely oblivious to what just happened. Enfield backed out of the box and then ran for home, his mind still fixated on helping Scootaloo.

Brit ran through the town, feeling remorseful and guilty, but he stopped for a second to catch his breath. Once he knew that he was close to home he slowed to a walk and crossed the bridge outside of Ponyville. Enfield then ran into Applejack as he neared his house.

“Howdy there Enfield, what’s that you’re wearing there?” Applejack said, pointing to Enfield’s night vision goggles.

“Just something I made in my spare time,” Enfield replied. He was glad he had the goggles over his face, he didn’t want Applejack to see his tears.

“You okay there?” Applejack asked, “You sound a little upset about something.”

“It just that I’m glad I’m alive,” Enfield lied, “I can’t believe that only a week ago I was lying on the road bleeding to death and you guys fixed me up and gave me a place to live.”

“Aw shucks, it was nothing,” Applejack said, “Say, can you help us out tomorrow morning? We found more apple trees that need to be harvested.”

“Sure I can help,” Enfield said, “I need a little extra on the side.”

“Okay then, I’ll show you how to apple buck tomorrow,” said Applejack.

Enfield waved and then sprinted back home. He slammed the door shut and locked it, he stood against the door for a few minutes until an idea hit him that would help Scootaloo and himself out. Enfield was greeted by Dart but he pushed past him and ran to the bookcase upstairs, hoping to find what he was looking for. He found one law book and flicked through the pages, he then read some of it and slid it back into his book case.

After a shower, Enfield went to the window and looked outside. A mist had descended over Ponyville and the temperature had dropped several degrees. Enfield felt really bad for Scootaloo, but once he managed to get more money from helping Applejack, he would be able to make things right. Enfield climbed up into his bed, a little nervous about his new job of helping Applejack out but extremely afraid that his plan might not work.

Fixing Lives

“Just sign here, here and here,” said the pony across the table from Enfield as he pointed to lines on a large document. Enfield inserted a pen into his writing contraption and wrote his signature on the paper. It wasn’t like writing with his human hand but it was close enough.

“I must say, Rough Draft,” Enfield said, “ I had no idea that I would be the first to do something like this.”

“I’m more interested about that thing on your arm,” Rough Draft said.

“Pretty neat isn’t it?” said Enfield, “I made it myself. I was planning to put a retractable spike or knife in it.”

“Why do you want to do that?” Rough Draft asked.

“Dunno, assassinations, self defense, that sort of thing,” Enfield said.
Rough Draft nodded in approval and handed Enfield more papers, he told Enfield that he would have to sign these as well.

“Can I ask you something?” Enfield said to Rough Draft, “What’s your Cutie Mark look like, I remember ponies better after I’ve seen their mark.”

“Oh mine?” Rough Draft asked, “It’s nothing special. It’s just a pencil scribbling on a piece of paper.”

“I’m guessing that your good with paperwork then?” Enfield asked.

“Kind of,” Rough Draft replied.

Enfield, for some time after sat across from Rough Draft writing his name and filling boxes on papers until he finished the last document. Rough Draft took the papers and placed them into a large folder and handed it to Enfield.

“Congratulations Mr. Enfield,” Rough draft said as he shook Enfield’s hoof, “You must be proud of yourself for doing something like this.”

“It’s going to be a life changer my friend,” said Enfield. He left the building without another word, the folder safely tucked away in his duffle bag along with the money he got from Applejack and the apples that he harvested.
Enfield wandered around Ponyville for some time. He kept to himself as he walked around the town. As he rounded a corner he almost walked into Twilight.

“Sorry about that Twilight,” said Enfield.

“That’s okay Enfield,” Twilight said, “Applejack was just telling me how you were working for her this morning.”

“Yes I was, she said that I was really good at apple bucking,” said Enfield.

“That’s neat,” Twilight said, she saw the papers sticking out of Enfield’s duffle bag, What’s that you have there?”

“If you want to know then you’ll have to follow me, from a distance, just stay in earshot,” Enfield said.

He left Twilight and walked down the road. Twilight ran off to find her friends, she told them what Enfield had said to her and the six agreed to see what Enfield had planned. They searched the town for him and then moved onto the outer areas of the town where they found him walking down the road. He stopped, slid behind a bush and peeked over it. Brit saw Scootaloo trying to fly again by jumping off a large tree stump, she managed to hover for a few seconds but fell to the ground. Scootaloo brushed herself off and tried again. She jumped and hovered a few feet of the ground before crashing to the ground once more.

“Having trouble there?” Enfield asked.

“What, oh hi James, uh, I mean Enfield,” Scootaloo said as she picked herself up.

“Having trouble on remembering my name?” Enfield asked.

“Kind of,” Scootaloo replied.

“It’s okay, you managed to remember my new name when I let you stay that one night,” said Enfield.

“Yeah, but that’s nothing but a blur now,” Scootaloo said.
Enfield sighed and sat down next to her.

“So you trying to fly?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, but I still can’t do it,” Scootaloo said sadly, “I’ve been trying to fly for years. Rainbow Dash has tried to teach me but I could never get enough wing power to fly.”

“I can teach you,” Enfield said, “Not in the conventional way but I can teach you to fly the Spitfire.”

“You can?” Scootaloo asked, her spirits lifted.

“Sure, it’s just like riding a bike, once you learn you never forget,” Enfield said.

“That sounds so cool,” Scootaloo said, she lowered her head and looked away from Enfield. However, he could tell that she was upset because her ears had sagged.

“Something wrong?” Enfield asked.

“Well it’s just that I know that you helped me last night with the blanket and the food,” Scootaloo said, “I wanted to tell you something but you were busy with the floods so I didn’t have the chance. Yesterday was-”
She stopped abruptly.

“Yes?” Enfield eagerly asked.

“Yesterday was my birthday,” Scootaloo said.
Enfield suppressed a gasp and slowly pulled an apple out of his bag.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“Because you were occupied with the flood,” Scootaloo said.

“I mean when you were at my house,” said Enfield.

“I didn’t want to get in the way,” Scootaloo said, “Once you gave me something to eat I went to see if I could earn some money so I could get something to eat for this morning.”

“Will this apple do for now?” Enfield asked.

Scootaloo took it and nodded. She leaned against Enfield as she munched away at the apple.

“I really wish you could do more for me,” Scootaloo said, “You’re the best friend I ever had.”

“Well if you’re talking about a birthday present then I did get you something,” Enfield said as he took the folder out of his bag. Scootaloo swallowed the rest of her apple and looked at the folder curiously.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Why don’t you look and see for yourself?” Enfield replied.

Scootaloo took the folder and opened it up. She read the documents on the top of the pile and then sifted through the papers. Enfield kept telling her to look for a certain piece of paper with her picture on it. Scootaloo kept searching until she managed to find the paper, the rest she pushed off to the side in a messy pile which Enfield packed back away in the folder. Scootaloo set the paper in front of her and read it, she didn’t know why it had her picture on it but she guessed that it might be important. Skimming through the paper Scootaloo managed to the to the very bottom of the paper where Enfield had made several signatures. Scootaloo read it then stopped dead, she read the entire paper again and then looked up at Enfield.

“Did you just?” she said.

“It’s my signature,” Enfield said, “I hope you know what this is.”

Scootaloo went back to the paper and read it once more. She fully knew now what Enfield had given her. They were her adoption papers. Scootaloo looked back up at Enfield, tears welling up in her eyes and grin slowly breaking out.

“Happy birthday,” Enfield said coolly, “Now, is there something else you want to say?”

“Daddy!” Scootaloo yelled in utter joy. She jumped up and grabbed Enfield around his neck, knocking Enfield off balance and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Enfield kept Scootaloo in a tight hug, hoping that this was not a mad dream and that this was actually happening. Enfield could feel Scootaloo’s tears streaming down his neck which brought on a few himself.

“I’m a dad,” he said quietly.

“Don’t let go,” Scootaloo said.

“I won’t, I promise I won’t,” Enfield said.
Twilight and her friends had witnessed everything from behind a hedge. Once Scootaloo had jumped on Enfield they walked forward, they couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“Wait, you just adopted Scootaloo?” Twilight asked.

“Sure did,” Enfield said, sitting up but with Scootaloo still clinging to his neck in a hug.

“Wow, you’re probably the first to do this,” said Pinkie Pie.

“I am the first,” said Enfield.

“Why did you do it though?” Fluttershy asked.

“Truth be told is because I had to,” Enfield said, “The day after she stayed with me I followed her to see how she got on in the town. Once I followed her to the box where she lived I realized that she wasn’t lying about her life, and one thing was for certain, she didn’t deserve a life like that. She needed a place to live and more importantly, a family.”

Rainbow Dash went closer to Enfield and gave him a friendly punch on the arm.

“You really are something unique,” she said, “You’ll take care of Scootaloo?”

“She tried to save my life, in return, I’m going to be there for hers,” Enfield replied. He rubbed Scootaloo on her back as she still kept her grip on his neck.

“I really never knew that you were capable of doing something this extreme,” Rarity said as she looked through the papers.

“I’d adopt Sweetie Bell if she didn’t have you,” Enfield said, “Same goes for Apple Bloom. As for Scoot, she needs me now more than ever.”
Enfield felt Scootaloo’s grip tighten, he held her head in his arm and looked back at his duffle bag.

“I almost forgot something,” he said as he pulled the bag over. His hoof rummaged around in the bag until he pulled out the money that Applejack gave him for helping on her farm. He nudged Scootaloo and she looked up at him.

“I want you to have this as well,” Enfield said, “Your first allowance money.”
Scootaloo took the small pouch and looked inside it, she then went back to hugging her new father.

“Thanks dad,” she said.

“She called me ‘dad’,” Enfield said, slowly becoming emotional.

“And you are now,” Applejack said.

“I know what this calls for,” Pinkie Pie said. Enfield caught on immediately, he knew what Pinkie had planned.

“Not yet there Pinkie,” he said, “Let’s get Scootaloo’s new room set up and then we can celebrate.”

“I have my own room too?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.

“What, did you think you where going to live in that box after all this?” Enfield said jokingly. Scootaloo laughed and looked to Rainbow Dash.

“I still admire you,” Scootaloo said.

“I know, but you’ve got someone to look up to all the time now,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Once I finish teaching her how to fly the Spitfire she’ll probably outshine you,” Enfield said.

“She already has,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I’m really glad you did this, Enfield” Twilight said, “This will make an amazing letter to the princess.”

“I think after she reads the letter she’ll want to see for herself,” Enfield said.

“So will Scootaloo have your last name?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yep,” said Enfield, “Her name isn’t just Scootaloo anymore, it’s now Scootaloo Enfield.”
Scootaloo made a ‘squee’ noise and hugged Enfield again. Enfield held her close to his chest.

“How’s about we go and get you stuff to decorate your room?” he asked.

“Sure!” Scootaloo said, letting go of Enfield.
Enfield took the papers, stuffed them in his bag, slung it over his back and followed an ecstatic and very happy Scootaloo.

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie yelled, “Where do you want the party?”

“I don’t know, surprise us,” Enfield said.

Preparation, Parties and Princesses

Enfield and his newly adopted daughter roamed the town stores stopping at each store they came across. Scootaloo wanted to buy everything she saw but Enfield stopped her and let her get something from each shop, the owners of the shop asked Enfield why he was helping the filly out and Enfield replied with saying that he had just adopted her, the owners would shake his hoof and congratulate him. Eventually, they were weighed down with a mix of posters, toys, electronics, lamps and a few decorations for Scootaloo’s room. As the two walked down the road joking and laughing, they ran across Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell.

“Oh, hi Enfield,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hey, what are you two up to?” Enfield asked.

“We were invited to a party, but nopony told us what it was about,” Sweetie Bell said.

“Pinkie told us to meet over by your house,” said Apple Bloom, “So what are you and Scoot up to?”

“Nothing much,” replied Enfield, “I’m just getting some stuff to liven up the house.”

“I’m helping him pick the stuff out,” said Scootaloo.

“Need help?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Nah, we’re okay, aren’t we Scoot?” Enfield said.

“Sure are, dad,” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell’s jaws dropped. Enfield and Scootaloo couldn’t help cracking up from the sight of the two in utter shock.

“You two should see the looks on your faces,” he said.

“Did she call you ‘dad’?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yep, Enfield is my dad now,” Scootaloo said.

“But how?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Easy, I adopted her,” Enfield said, “All this stuff is for her new room.”

“Wow, Enfield is your dad and you have a place to live?” Apple Bloom said, “Scoot, that’s great news!”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Bell said, “We’re really happy for you.”

“Thanks for still being my friends,” Scootaloo said.

“I have to ask something,” Apple Bloom said, “Why didn’t you just stay at the Clubhouse instead of that box?”

“You always kept the door locked,” Scootaloo replied.

“If you told me I would have let you stay there,” Apple Bloom said, slightly upset and guilty.

“No, it’s okay, I have a dad now,” Scootaloo said.

“Yeah,” Enfield said, “Me.”

“I wish Enfield could be my dad,” Sweetie Bell said.

“You have a family, Sweetie Bell,” Enfield said.

“I know, but you would be the coolest dad ever,” Sweetie Bell said.

“He is the coolest dad ever,” said Scootaloo.

“Give me time to prove it, I only just started,” Enfield said. The girls laughed a little, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell congratulated Enfield and Scootaloo once more and ran off to find Pinkie Pie. Scootaloo pushed Enfield so that they would get back home faster and so Scootaloo could pick her new bedroom and decorate it to her liking. Scootaloo and Enfield got back home and Scootaloo ran upstairs to choose a room. Enfield trotted up after her. Scootaloo picked the very room she had slept in on the day Enfield let her stay, they unpacked all of what they bought and set it up in her bedroom. Once Scootaloo was satisfied with her new room, Enfield decided to take her up in the Spitfire to celebrate and to teach her the basic controls of the plane.
Enfield led Scootaloo out to the hangar and unlocked the main door, slid it open a crack and flicked the light on.

“SURPRISE!”

Enfield stood frozen as he looked around the hangar and saw almost the entire town standing in the hangar waiting for Enfield and Scootaloo to enter. Pinkie Pie bounded from behind the Spitfire wearing an assortment of ridiculous party favors.

“Are you surprised?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Enfield, “Very.”

“We set up the party in here,” Pinkie Pie said.

“I suggested that we have the party in here,” Twilight said.

“And you did an amazing job,” said Enfield, “All of you.”

“Is this for me?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s for both of you,” Twilight said, “It’s to welcome Enfield to Ponyville and to congratulate you on becoming his daughter.”

“Thanks,” Scootaloo said.
Enfield pulled her closer to him and gave her a quick squeeze.

“Well no point in standing around,” Enfield said, “Let’s party!”

A loud cheer ran through the hangar and the music started up. Scootaloo ran off to dance with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell as Enfield went to talk with other ponies that he hadn’t met but had the politeness to come to the party, or that Pinkie Pie made them. Enfield liked how the place was decorated, streamers and lights coated the Spitfire, the jukebox had been hooked to a mixing desk with a wild haired unicorn DJ looking through the songs on the jukebox. The entire workbench had food and drinks covering every square inch of it and the seats of the Ecstasy 550 had been removed and the cooler fitted instead. Enfield let Scootaloo enjoy the party without having him towering over her, he trusted every single pony at the party.

The hours sped by as the party raged on. Enfield was over with a group of fillies and colts showing them the Spitfire while Scootaloo showed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell the cockpit. As the party slowed to a more relaxed state, the hangar doors slid open. Enfield drew his pistol and kept it trained on the door as he tried to focus who was outside. The sky had gone from day to night and Enfield flicked the flashlight on, reveling both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

“I see that you’re enjoying your party,” Celestia said.

“It was Pinkie’s idea,” Enfield said.

“I guessed that much,” Celestia replied, “So is this for your arrival?”

“Well it’s a two in one party,” Enfield replied.

“How is it two in one?” Luna asked.

“The first part you already said,” replied Enfield, Scootaloo hopped down from the plane and went to stand next to Enfield, “Second is a little more interesting. I, Brit Enfield, adopted Scootaloo.”

“You have adopted this little filly?” Luna asked.

“She needed me,” said Enfield.
Celesta and Luna both exchanged looks until Scootaloo got their attention.

“Are you coming in to party or not?” Scootaloo asked.

“We might as well,” Celestia said.

“The fun shall be doubled!” Luna exclaimed.

Once the two princesses joined in, the party became even more hectic than earlier. Several ponies left coated in foam string and food, thanking Enfield and giving Scootaloo a kindly hug just before they left. Eventually, the party died down and everyone left, including a pair of worn out rulers and Enfield’s six new best friends. Enfield and Scootaloo were the last to leave the trashed filled hangar, as he slid the door shut Scootaloo stretched her legs out and took one last look inside.

“Had a good time?” Enfield asked.

“Yeah, shame about the mess,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s okay,” said Enfield, “We’ll have it all cleaned up tomorrow.”

Enfield locked up the hangar and walked back to the house with Scootaloo slowly following him. Enfield had enjoyed himself, his head hurt, he was tired and he was full of cake and soda. He stopped and let Scootaloo catch up, he picked her up and placed her on his back. Within an instant, Scootaloo fell asleep. Enfield chuckled and took her inside and up to her room, he set her down on her bed and pulled the sheets over her.

“Night dad,” she whispered.

“Good night Scoot,” Enfield replied.

He switched the lamp off and gently shut the door behind him. Enfield felt great knowing that Scootaloo’s stay wasn’t going to be temporary, now that he was her dad, she was going to be his daughter forever. Enfield clambered into his bed and fell asleep, knowing that all this wasn’t a dream or a figment of his imagination, it was really happening and he couldn’t be happier.

We Dared Win

The next morning Scootaloo woke up much later than she thought. She rubbed the sides of her head and cringed. Her head was hurting and she felt dizzy, she put it out of her mind and went downstairs to find her dad. Enfield was in the living room looking through a pile of pictures on the table.

“Morning dad,” Scootaloo said.

“Hey kiddo,” said Enfield, “Do you have any idea what happened last night? All that I can remember is that Pinkie set it up and it was in the hangar.”

Scootaloo had no clue what happened last night, she too had forgotten everything that happened, last night was a complete blur for her. The only thing she could remember was that both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had showed up. Scootaloo went to Enfield and sat next to him. She looked through the pictures with Enfield.

“Hey dad?” she asked “Where did you get these?”

“I found them in a package on the doorstep,” said Enfield, “I think Pinkie Pie or Twilight sent them.”
The pictures were something new to Enfield, he never had any pictures of him with his parents. He had a few pictures of himself or him being with relatives. The pictures had been taken when he was either with his new friends, while he was making friends, or when he was with his daughter. As he took a picture of him and Scootaloo hugging each other in happiness and affection, Scootaloo snuggled up to her dad and looked up at him.
“Can we get something to eat?” she asked.
“Sure, I’m starving,” Enfield replied.

Scootaloo and Enfield ate while they watched Top Gear. Scootaloo was really happy that Enfield had the entire series in his DVD closet but she really wanted to watch his with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell for old times sake. As Enfield and Scootaloo cleaned up the kitchen, which was coated in a mess of what looked like cake crumbs, there was a knocking on the door. Enfield went over to it, pushed Dart back and opened it. He couldn’t believe who was at his door at almost eleven in the morning.

“Princess Celesta?” he said.

“Hello Brit Enfield,” Celestia said nervously, she kept looking around, shifting her gaze from the road to Enfield.

“Is there a problem Princess?” Enfield asked.

“Yes, there is actually,” Celestia said, “Can you remember what we did last night? Because I don’t remember anything.”

“No point in asking us,” Enfield replied, “We have no clue about anything.”

“How did we forget?” Celestia asked.

“Post Party Amnesia,” replied Enfield, “It’s fairly common during long sustained partying.”
Without any warning Pinkie Pie bounded out of a bush. She was still wearing a party hat and had streamers and dead glow sticks around her neck.

“Hi Enfield and Princess Celestia,” she said cheerily, “Wasn’t that party fun?”

“It would be if we could remember,” said Enfield.

“Oh, you guys have PPA as well?” Pinkie asked sadly, “Everypony else who came to the party has it.”

“It’s okay Pinkie, even if we cannot remember, we still had a good time,” Celestia said comfortingly.

“Usually I know when a party is really good because I forget about it the next day,” Enfield said.
Pinkie cheered up, knowing that the two were telling her that they loved the party.

“Well I guess you’d better check out your hangar,” Pinkie said.

“You should, it’s probably a mess,” Celestia said, “I must be off now, good day to you both.”

Celestia flew away, leaving Enfield and Pinkie Pie standing on the front doorstep. Enfield called Scootaloo and they headed for the hangar to asses the mess that was made last night. The front door was coated in a mix of foam, confetti and streamers. Enfield braced himself for the worst and opened up the door. The entire place had become a dumping ground. Food and trash littered the floor, stale food and drinks sat on the work bench. Worst of all, the Spitfire was covered in muck and streamers.

“Wow, must have been more intense than I remember,” said Enfield.

“But we don’t remember,” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah,” Enfield chuckled, “Good thing I didn’t.”
Enfield went into the hangar and kicked a cup aside. He looked around and huffed.

“It’s going to take all day to clean this,” he said.

“I’ll help,” Pinkie said.
Before Enfield could say another word, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash appeared.

“Hey Pinkie, what happened last night?” Twilight asked.

“The party,” replied Pinkie.

“I don’t remember,” said Rainbow Dash.

“How come nopony remembers?” Pinkie asked.

“Well one thing is for sure,” Enfield interrupted, “I’ve got one massive job now.”

“I can help you, dad,” Scootaloo said.

“I know, but it’ll still take forever,” Enfield replied.

“We can do it for you,” Fluttershy said.

“No, you don’t have to do that,” said Enfield.

“No,” Twilight said, “You go and spend time with Scootaloo. After all, you are her dad now.”
Enfield turned and looked down at his daughter. Scootaloo was smiling at him and Enfield couldn’t help hugging her.

“Yeah, you know what, we need to spend a little quality time together,” Enfield said, “We’ll probably be out in the countryside if you need us.”

“Why out in the countryside?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because I’ve never got to see what an undisturbed ecosystem looks like,” said Enfield, “It’s just so peaceful looking. Why didn’t I come here in the first place?”

“Because you were on Earth,” Scootaloo said.

“And now I’m here with you,” said Enfield, “Life’s worked out for me.”

Enfield and Scootaloo left and walked around the outskirts of town. Enfield checked each and every plant they came across, eager to find out more about the mostly unusual plant life. Scootaloo had no trouble teaching them to him, in return for knowledge about the land Enfield told Scootaloo that he would teach her how to shoot, military history and how to fly the Spitfire. As they ventured around the country Enfield began to learn more about Scootaloo’s life. She did have a family at one point, but she couldn’t remember them in any way, nor did she have any sort of solid information about them. She told Enfield that she was in an orphanage for a few years before she ran away to escape adoption by a crazed pony with three legs and one eye, Scootaloo managed to make it to Ponyville where she remained hidden for a few days until she decided to try and make money for food. Each sentence made Enfield feel bad for Scootaloo but he reminded her that she was his daughter now and nothing would take that away from them. Scootaloo grinned and leaned against Enfield. The two eventually stopped to watch the sun set over Equestria.

“This is the first time I’ve truly seen the sun set,” Enfield said.

“Surely you’ve seen it at least once,” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah, but those times were either over cites or war zones, this is something much more,” said Enfield.

“Dad?” Scootaloo said, “Why did you adopt me?”

“Like I said before, you needed a family,” Enfield said, “I’ve always wanted to have a family but now because of the civil war and my confirmed death on Earth, I won’t have a chance there. Here, the opportunity rose when I discovered about your true life. I could not let you stay in a grotty box for the rest of your life, I knew that I had to do something, and adopting you was the pinnacle of changing my life. I did this not just for you, but myself also.”

“You adopted me to redeem yourself?” Scootaloo asked.

“People back on earth think I’m a heartless killer, I needed to show that I was the good person all along. Me taking you into my care probably did it,” said Enfield “Also, there’s something about you I really like. You remind me of myself.”

“How though?” Scootaloo asked.

“You’re funny, easygoing, smart, adventurous, and above all, very cute,” Enfield said gently tapping Scootaloo on the nose. She giggled then sighed, feeling happy.

“One more reason I adopted you was that you must of spent a lot of your life being very lonely, I know how that feels. I don’t want you to suffer being alone anymore, you needed a father,” Enfield said.

“But can you be a dad?” Scootaloo asked doubtfully, “You were only sixteen on earth and now you’ve adopted me, do you think you’re capable of taking care of me?”

“I don’t think, I know,” Enfield said.
He huffed and looked down to Scootaloo.

“I will ask that you do not bring that up again,” he said, “But I can promise you that I will be the best father ever. I’ll keep you fed, safe, accepted and happy. Nothing with any intention of harm towards you will ever get close, I will protect you even if it kills me.”

“But I don’t want you to die doing that,” Scootaloo said, sounding a little upset.

“Don’t worry, hopefully it’ll never happen,” Enfield said.

They sat and watched as the sun slowly dipped down. Scootaloo leaned against her dad happy that he had told her that he would protect her for the rest of her life. Enfield knew that if he did go back to earth, people would try and kill him once they realized he wasn’t dead. He wouldn’t allow that, he had another good reason to stay alive, he had to see Scootaloo grow up. Soon, Scootaloo broke the silence.

“Dad, what will happen to us now?” she asked.

“Dunno,” Enfield replied, “But this is only the start of something. Our lives have only just been changed and I have a feeling that we’ll be going through some amazing adventures.”

“You should write books or something,” Scootaloo said.

“The computer does have programs that can make documents, maybe I’ll take up writing about our little adventures,” said Enfield.

“Will I be in them?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sure, if you want to stick with me as I go back to earth,” Enfield said.

“You want to go back?” Scootaloo asked, confused about why Enfield wanted to go back.

“Even if my old life had been crushed, I’ve still got loose ends to tie up,” Enfield said.

“You mean your parents?” Scootaloo said, “What are you going to do?”

“Go back, find them and show them what they have created,” Enfield said darkly.
He grinded his teeth and relaxed, he remembered that he had to see the rest of his family and friends and show them that he wasn’t dead and that he now had a family and a new life.

“Do you think it’ll work out?” Scootaloo said.

“What will?” Enfield asked.

“My life,” Scootaloo said, “Will it work out?”

“It already did,” said Enfield.

Scootaloo once again jumped up and hugged Enfield around his neck. He was right about her life taking a turn for the best, she now had a dad and a new life to live. All thanks to her arrogance of trying to save Enfield when he was dying in front of her.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said through tears.

“I am too,” said Enfield.

“Do you think I’ll become a flyer like you?” Scootaloo asked.

“You might, I will teach you to fly with your wings and the Spitfire,” Enfield said.

“You’re the best dad ever,” Scootaloo said.
Enfield held Scootaloo tightly to his chest and they watched the sun disappear behind the horizon.

“Who Dares Wins, Scootaloo,” Enfield said, “Who Dares, Wins.”

The End.

Back Home Again

Doc led the group back to the ranch leaving the tribe behind. Once James was back in the cabin he had a hard time trying to stand up. The Crusaders each helped him get to his room and into bed. James fell asleep when he lay down on the bed, Scootaloo pulled his shoes off and shut the door to his room after Apple Bloom had unloaded the Winchester and Sweetie Bell turned the lights out.
The next morning the Crusaders checked up on James, they opened the door and saw a tangle of bed sheets engulfing James. Moaning and hacking coughs emanated from the heap on the bed.

“James?” Sweetie Bell said, “Are you okay?”

“Not so loud,” James said quietly, “Turn the light off.”

“But it’s morning James,” said Scootaloo.

“Ugggh,” James moaned, “Do we leave soon?”

“In several hours,” said Apple Bloom.

“Hopefully I’ll recover,” said James, he tried to sit up. He shielded his face from the light.

“How are you feeling?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Like I’ve been stabbed several times in space,” said James, “All through the night I swear I could hear ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ in my head.”

“You don’t look very good,” said Scootaloo.

“I’ll recover,” said James, “You wait, I’ll be okay before we leave.”

James managed to get through the day with only minor headaches and dizziness, the flight didn’t help but after he took some Dramamine he recovered quickly. The family managed to get home within a few hours after landing at the airport. James was relieved to be home again, the Crusaders were also glad to be back at the house. Dave and Katherine helped James and the Crusaders take the cases out of the car then they left say that they had to go and pick up Dart from the people who were taking care of him. James opened the front door and dragged a case inside, the Crusaders helped out with taking the cases upstairs.

“So what do we do now?” Scootaloo asked.

“We’ve still got a month left,” said James, “We’ll make it up as we go along.”

A few weeks later James got the phone call he had been waiting for, the Enforcer Compound had been built. James donned his Enforcer uniform and told his mother to start the car, he was just about to leave when the Crusaders showed up from upstairs.

“James, where are you going?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I’m off to the Enforcer Compound to prove myself,” said James.

“Cool!” said Scootaloo, “Can we come?”

“I don’t see why not,” said James.

Greenhorn

The other recruits applauded. James couldn’t believe that he was an actual Enforcer now that he had passed the Proving Grounds. The recruits came over to and offered their congratulations to James, they shook James’ hand and slapped him on the back, James had never been happier in his life. After the pictures of the recruits were taken James left the room and joined his mother and the Crusaders. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo ran over to him.

“Did you do good?” Scootaloo asked.

“I passed,” James said.

“You did it?” asked Sweetie Bell.

“He was the best of all the recruits,” Officer Jones said as he walked in.

“He really did that well?” Katherine asked.

“He sure did, I’ve never seen anyone go through the Proving Ground without reloading or being hit once,” said Jones.

“You did it!” Apple Bloom said and hugged James, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo followed.

“I’m so proud of you James,” his mother said.

“I’m proud of myself,” said James, “I knew I was capable of becoming an Enforcer.”

“Maybe you’ll get an Enforcer Cutie Mark,” said Scootaloo.

“Not possible but I’ll get an Enforcer patch if that’s what you mean,” James said.

“Cutie Marks?” Jones asked.

“Just referencing a TV show,” said James.

“I think they’re talking about that show My Little Pony,” said Jones, “A few of the other recruits were discussing that show, it’s very strange that grown men like that show, do you know why?”

“No clue sir,” said James, “Oh wait, do you need the combat gear back?”

“No, you keep it if you passed the Proving Ground,” Jones replied.

“Thank you, sir!” James said snapping to attention and giving Jones a salute. Jones returned the salute and left. Katherine led James and the Crusaders back to the car. Apple Bloom handed James a large duffle bag before they got in the car.

“What’s this?” James asked.

“Your stuff that you left in the locker room,” said Apple Bloom.

“Nice of them to give me this bag,” said James, he tossed it in to trunk and climbed into the front seat.

After an hour of driving James noticed that the route they were taking wasn’t like the one they took to get to the Compound.

“Mum, where are we going?” James asked.

“Well since you did a great job and you passed your test I’m taking you somewhere special,” Katherine replied.

“Oh really” Where to?” James asked.

“How’s Dave and Busters sound?” his mother asked.

“What?” James said after stammering a few seconds.

“You heard,” said Katherine.

“Why aren’t we there already?” James said.

“We’ll be there soon,” said Katherine.
James leaned over his seat so he could talk to the Crusaders.

“How about it girls?” he said, “How does something to eat then playing games in an arcade sound?”

“Sounds fun!” said Scootaloo.

“What do we do there?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Win the games and you collect tickets for really neat prizes,” said James.

“That sounds neat,” said Apple Bloom, “Cutie Mark Crusader Ticket Collectors!”

“That doesn’t sound very cool,” said Scootaloo.

“And besides, you can’t get Cutie Marks here anyway,” said James.

“Well we can practice,” said Sweetie Bell.

Always Here For You

James went back downstairs and flopped on the couch in the den. He was feeling more depressed than ever now, not only had his dream of being and Enforcer been crushed but his dog had vanished off the face of the earth. He switched on the TV and flicked through the channels until he found something he found mildly amusing. As he stared at the TV the Crusaders walked in.

“I know you’re here to help me out,” James said.
Sweetie Bell went over to James’ Xbox, picked up the controller and handed it to him. James took it from her, looked at it and set it down on the table.

“Come on James this isn’t like you,” Sweetie Bell said.

“I know, I know,” James said, “I’m just not in the mood.”
Apple Bloom cuddled up to him.

“How about now?” she asked.

“A little,” said James. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo hugged him as well.

“How about now?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“If you mean happier then yes,” James said.

“Why don’t you play on your games? You always feel better after you’ve blown up a military base,” Scootaloo suggested.
James agreed with her, every time for the past few months when James was depressed or upset, he would always pick up his controller, put a really violent game in, and blow up everything. It seemed to work rather well because a few minutes later James would be happily shouting every time something exploded.

“Okay then, since you’re worried about me,” James said as he picked up the controller.

A few hours later James was almost back to his usual self. The only problem was that James seemed a little more bitter and hostile but the Crusaders noticed that he was like this around his parents. The last few days of the week were the center of unspoken conflict between James and his parents.

Trapped In Oblivion

James awoke in complete darkness. He had no idea what had just happened after he had blacked out, James guessed he was in a coma because he seemed to be able to move even though he was in what looked like a massive black box. James stood up and took a couple of steps, each footfall echoed in the dark room.

“Hello?” James said. All he heard was his voice bounce off the unseen walls.
James walked around in a circle, he wondered if this was limbo or purgatory and awaiting God to confront him or to sit here for eternity.

“Anyone up there?” he asked. James waved his hand in front of him, he could see his hand and arm. His clothes were bloodless and neatly pressed. James didn’t know how this was happening but he sat back down on the ground and tried to think.

“Where am I?” he thought to himself, “What am I doing here and how long have I been here in this bloody room?”

James lay on his back and shut his eyes and tried to see if he could fall asleep, he thought of all the days he spent with the Crusaders. As he relived the memories in fragments he felt a few tears run down his cheeks, he knew that there wasn’t a possibility of surviving if he was alive or being able to say a final goodbye to the Crusaders if he was dead.
Then the screaming started.

James sat bolt upright and looked around the dark room. He knew that he had heard screams and it sounded horrible, they started up again and James had to cover his ears with his hands. The person who was screaming sounded like they were in a lot of pain and suffering torment from something. James tried to focus on the cries but he had his fingers in his ears because of the echoes.

“Shut up!” he yelled, “Just shut up whoever you are!”
The screams stopped and distant voices replaced them.

“My word this is hard work,” one voice said, it sounded like a man.

“At least we got the metal out of him,” a second said, this voice belonged to a female. James listened closely to what the two were talking about.

“Is he going to live?” the female asked.

“Hard to tell,” the man replied, “He’s lost a lot of blood and his pulse has dropped since yesterday.”

“You missed one,” the female said.

“Hold him down, I don’t want him to lash out again,” the man said. More screams followed and James was now trying to figure out who it was.

“For someone who’s only got one functioning lung he sure can scream the place down,” the man said.

“It might be all he can do now,” the female said. Another cry of pain followed and that’s when James was able to tell who’s scream it was.
It was his.

The Least Possible Thing Happens

The Crusaders kept hugging James until Twilight, and her friends came over to join them. After the Crusaders were almost pried from James they joined him on the tour of Ponyville, sticking close to James’ side. They had shown James most of the town and were at Fluttershy’s residence.

“And this here is where Fluttershy lives,” Twilight said.

“It’s rather nice,” said James, “I like how she’s got all the birdhouses surrounding the cottage.”

“Where is Fluttershy anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’m over here,” Fluttershy said from behind her house.
The group went behind the house to see Fluttershy and to show her that James had survived his ordeal. Fluttershy was sitting under a tree with a dog lying next to her, she was stroking the dog while it sat next to her.

“Look what I found in my backyard,” she said.

“It’s a greyhound,” said Sweetie Bell. James went over to the dog and looked at it.

“Funny,” he said, “This dog looks rather familiar to me.”

“I heard that you had a dog that looked like this,” Fluttershy said.

“I have an idea,” James said as he backed up a few feet, “Maybe, just maybe, this will work.”
James managed to crouch down on the ground and make eye contact with the dog.

“Here boy,” he said.

The greyhound got up and ran over to James then buried it’s head in James chest. James had a funny feeling about the dog, he found a collar on the dog’s neck and he picked up the nametag. It said Dart.

“Dart!” James said hugging the dog, “Where have you been?”

“Wait? This is your dog?” Twilight asked.

“I thought that he was missing,” said James, “Hey girls, it’s Dart.”

“Really?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Lemme say hi to him!” said Sweetie Bell.

“Does he remember me?” Scootaloo said.

James let Dart go and he ran for the Crusaders, the Crusaders embraced Dart and let him go and say hello to the others.

“He’s real friendly,” said Pinkie Pie.

“You should see him run,” said James, “He is a retired racer.”

“He used to race?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Winner of almost twenty races,” said James.

“Looks like you have a prize racer there,” a familiar voice said.
The group span around and saw Princess Celestia walking over to them. Dart sat down, he seemed to know the power of Celestia.

“I didn’t know you still sticking around, Princess,” James said.

“I just wanted to see if you recovered,” Princess Celestia said.

“Thanks for saving my life,” said James, “I really am in debt to you.”

“No troubles, James,” said Celestia.

“No really, is there anyway I can pay you back?” James asked.

“Follow me,” said Celestia, “I have one idea that you might like.”

New Job Perks

Once morning rose, Enfield ate a quick breakfast, prepped himself for his job on Sweet Apple Acres, and headed there in his 550 buggy. Working at the farm was probably the easiest thing Enfield had ever done. It was easier than working at the old gas station. Enfield had picked up the skills on how to apple buck, but while Applejack and Big Macintosh used brute force to acquire apples, Enfield used cunning and carefully targeted strikes to bring down a hail of apples. This earned him praise from Applejack. Just as the sun had reached it’s peak in the sky, Applejack called for a break. Apple Bloom and Applejack were under a large tree waiting for Big Macintosh and Enfield to show up. The two got a shock when Enfield flew up the hill and skidded to a halt in front of them. Enfield hopped out while Big Macintosh sat frozen in his seat.

“Is he okay?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, just a little shock but he’ll snap out of it,” Enfield replied, taking a bottle of apple cider out of the box next to Applejack.

“How do you keep the buggy going?” asked Apple Bloom.

“There’s a few large gas cans in the back of the hangar,” replied Enfield, “Come on Big Mac, no point in sitting around in the buggy.”
Big Macintosh shakily clambered out of the buggy, went over to the tree and sat down next to Applejack.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Enfield asked.

“N-n-nope,” Big Macintosh stuttered.

“You wait, he’ll beg me to take him around in the buggy again,” Enfield said as he pulled his knife out and popped the bottle cap off the cider.

“So how does that thing work?” Applejack asked.

“It’s got a four stroke, turbo charged engine in it,” said Enfield, “Full throttle and I can reach forty.”

Enfield hadn’t turned the buggy off and he showed the power of the buggy. He stepped on the accelerator a few times and the roar of the engine echoed across the farm. Enfield then switched the buggy off and turned back to Applejack.

“What can I say?” he said, “I’m a speed freak.”

“You wouldn’t have got that without our help,” Apple Bloom said.

“Yes, thanks,” Enfield said, “Oh take a look at what I made.”
He pulled a small box out of the buggy. Inside was what looked like a leg brace which Enfield fitted to his front leg.

“What’s that?” Applejack asked.

“A little device that simulates writing like a human,” said Enfield, “I made this because I still haven’t grasped the trick of writing in my mouth like the rest of you.”

“You’ll pick it up eventually,” said Applejack.

After the break was over, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Enfield and Apple Bloom continued with their work. Enfield now using the buggy’s engine to shake the trees of apples. Because of the help that Enfield provided, the trees were clear of apples and the barn was stocked with an entire years worth of apples. Applejack, pleased and impressed with Enfield, gave him double the pay and let him have a small bag of apples as a bonus. Enfield drove his buggy back to the hangar and walked to town. Now that he had the money that he needed for his plan to got into effect, he just needed to find the place to put the second phase of the plan in motion.