The Trauma Within

Chapter 10: Operation Sammle Waffen

Date: Sunday, May 10th
Time: 3:30 am PST
Location: Port of Seattle, Southeastern Magnolia District

A misty fog dominated the harbor, and large crates scattered the ports as cargo ships unloaded supplies. A section of 60 weapon crates was located near the coast. Police protected the crates for the night due to instructions given before military personnel picked them up later that morning. Fate, however, had other ideas for them.

The fog thickened as the night wore on, shrouding the harbor in a heavy, almost suffocating blanket. The dim glow of the streetlights barely cut through the mist, casting ghostly halos around the scattered crates and the silent silhouettes of the officers standing guard. A deep silence settled over the port, broken only by the distant hum of engines and the occasional call of a seagull, lost in the darkness.

As they crouched on the rooftop, the soft sounds of the harbor drifted up to them—waves lapping gently against the docks, the occasional clink of metal from a nearby shipyard. It was almost peaceful, but Louis and Aria knew that calm could shatter instantly. Aria watched as Louis carefully observed the area, a faint smile on her lips.

His ghostly presence muted his body heat, making him appear almost ethereal. Louis continued to survey the scene below, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement. Slung across his back was his Gewehr 98 rifle, fully loaded and ready, with a small camouflage bag containing at least 20 stripper clips. Holstered at his sides were two shotguns and a mysterious bottle full of a blue-colored liquid.

Aria carried a Ruger SR1911 9MM pistol at her side. She had dyed her naturally purple and green hair black to blend into the night. Aria wore a lightweight black shirt, allowing her freedom of movement if needed. Her black shorts and shoes, the latter outfitted with extra padding for silent steps, completed her stealthy ensemble.

“Louis, do you know where the crates are?” she asked.

According to Sonata, unloading the cargo from this large ship will likely take around another hour. So around 4:30 am, I believe we can go. We have to be patient as it will take some time to complete the process," he explained.

Aria rolled her eyes as she said, "We've been waiting for hours. These people are so slow. Why don't we just go get something to eat instead?"

“If you want to camouflage yourself again and potentially mess your style up, then you can, but we have to stay in position until we can go in,” he insisted.

She sighed and looked at him. Green smoke surrounded him, and his rifle and weapons emitted a dim, dark red glow. Deathly, haunting voices whispered nearby. Raising her right eyebrow, she asked, "Hey Louis, can I ask you how you became this ghostly soldier?" she wondered.”

“What do you mean? Like, how did I die or start as a soldier?” he asked as his eyebrows raised a little.

“How did you start becoming this soldier that you are today? Was it one event or multiple events?” she asked.

"My history has been marked by numerous traumatic events. I've witnessed horrors beyond your imagination. I've been betrayed time and again, and much of my courage has amounted to nothing. So now, I'm following a path similar to what your friends and Chrysalis have chosen. It's not what I wanted, but let's not discuss it further," he sighed.

With a forced neutrality, she responded, "Alright." However, when he did not look her way, a frown crossed her face, revealing the sorrow she felt for all he had endured through repeated mistreatment.

For the next 45 minutes, they just kept on watch while waiting for the final crates of weapons to drop onto the port. After the last ones looked like they were shipped, Louis counted around 80 of them, and the goal was 50 or 60 depending on time. Aria grabbed the small device and her small camo bag.

"We're clear for now," Louis murmured, his voice barely audible. "But it won’t stay that way for long. We need to be quick and don’t forget to dance when the enemy comes at you.” He smirked.

“Back at you,” She smirked and nodded, her fingers briefly brushing against the grips of the Ruger pistols at her hips. The weight of the guns was comforting, a reminder of the countless hours spent training for situations exactly like this. She adjusted the strap of the small backpack on her shoulder, where she'd stashed a few essential supplies—a medical kit, lockpicks, and a portable jammer.

Without another word, they moved in sync, slipping down the fire escape with practiced ease. Louis took the lead, his ghostly form seeming to melt into the shadows. Aria followed closely behind, her dark attire blending seamlessly into the night. As they reached the ground, the silence deepened, and each step was carefully measured to avoid detection. Ahead, the faint glow of a warehouse loomed, its silhouette stark against the night sky. The supplies they needed would be inside, along with whatever dangers awaited them.

They slide down the roof before moving silently in the night into the port before going behind the crates of weapons. He grabbed his two shotguns while silently watching the police lights. He grabbed the blue-colored potion and drank it quickly, causing his body heat to be muted while putting on a mask. She got the device and started to shrink the first crate.

“How long will it take?!” He asked.

“Each crate takes 30 seconds, so it takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the device speed,” she answered before putting on her mask.

Taking a deep breath, he kept a watchful eye. The coast remained clear for the next 15 minutes as she nearly completed loading the crates. Suddenly, she tripped, causing several crates to nearly topple onto her. Flinching, she shut her eyes tight, only to open them and find Louis gently lowering her to safety. Abruptly, red alert lights flashed, and the dock's spotlight shone on Louis, while Aria remained hidden behind a crate.

“How long, Aria?!?!?!” he asked while breathing quickly.

“Five minutes at most!” She shouts to him.

"With a glance, he surveyed the scene as black smoke began to swirl around him. 'I'll need to shed some blood, retrieve the crates, and ensure your pistols are loaded,' he stated matter-of-factly."

She nodded, her hand moving instinctively to the pistol holstered at her side. With a quiet breath, she slipped into the shadows, keeping low and out of sight. The device in her hand hummed faintly, and a moment later, a ring of red light shimmered beneath Louis. In a blink, he disappeared, reappearing silently atop a stack of containers, now holding the high ground.

She quietly continued to use the device while keeping silent and hiding. Flashlights cut through the darkness, beams bouncing off the steel as the police moved with a mixture of urgency and precision. Their pistols were drawn and held steady as they swept the area. She could hear their hurried footsteps and the crackle of static from their radios, their voices low but strained.

From his vantage point, Louis peered down, catching a glimpse of Aria’s position. She was still hidden, her form blending with the shadows, but the pressure was mounting. He watched her closely, ready to act if her cover was compromised. The moment to strike was approaching—he just had to wait for the right distraction, the precise instant when their attention wavered.

Quickly, he placed his shotguns in the side holders, then took out his rifle and aimed it. Suddenly, a few gunshots rang out, and the police looked around in a panic as three of them collapsed with bullet wounds to the head.

“Two minutes, four more crates,” Aria whispered to herself.

Aria is spotted by an officer, who shouts out. She responds by quickly firing her pistol and dropping the officer in a pool of blood. Louis leaps down, hastily grabbing his shotgun as flashes and loud cracks fill the air. One officer after another fell lifeless to the ground in pools of crimson. Some officers manage to take cover, firing back, but their bullets merely bounce harmlessly off of Louis. Two minutes later, Aria finishes getting all the crates in her purse with help from the device.

Suddenly, a small portal appeared, and Sonata Dusk emerged, bringing another device to speed up the process. Aria and the others each grabbed five more crates, taking 30 seconds each. Aria then shouted to Louis that they had two and a half more minutes. Suddenly, red smoke began swirling around Lucifer's symbol on the ground below him. He clutched the sides of his head as loud laughter filled the air. Out of nowhere, a hail of MG42 and shotgun bullets erupted in a 360-degree vortex, creating a tornado-like storm of projectiles.

Sonata and Aria watched in alarm as the area erupted in a barrage of red flashes, the air filled with the echoes of menacing laughter. Nearby crates lay in ruins, fires igniting around the port and cutting through the enveloping mist. Within a minute, the swirling vortex of fire and bullets dissipated, his eyes glowing crimson before returning to normal. He seized his rifle and sprinted to Sonata and Aria, pausing for a moment and a half to finish.

With a smirk, she said, "Damn, Louis, you dance pretty good."

They reach the last crate just as a few more officers appear, their shouts echoing through the narrow alley. Louis raises his rifle, inhaling deeply before squeezing the trigger. The sharp crack of the shot pierces the air, and one officer drops, clutching his chest as crimson stains his uniform.

Without hesitation, Louis charges forward, an unnerving grin spreading across his face. He slams into the nearest officer, snapping his neck with a swift, brutal twist. His bayonet gleams as he thrusts it into another officer's throat, feeling the resistance before wrenching it free. Blood sprays as he pulls the blade out, pivoting to fire his rifle at point-blank range. Another body hits the ground.

The last two officers stumble back, scrambling for their radios. As one turns to flee, Louis hurls the bayonet, the blade spinning end-over-end before burying itself in the man's back. He lines up a shot and fires at the other, the bullet finding its mark. Silence falls, broken only by the static of a fallen radio.

“It’s done, Louis; we can go now!” Aria shouted.

Sonata opened the shimmering blue portal, its swirling light casting an eerie glow on the chaos unfolding around them. Louis sprinted towards it, his breath ragged. An officer lunged into his path, but Louis reacted swiftly, driving his blade between the man’s ribs and thrusting upward, splitting his upper chest and neck in a spray of crimson. Without hesitation, he slid into the portal just as it began to close. Behind him, the officer’s body crumpled to the ground.

Firefighters and EMTs rushed onto the scene, but they were too late. The port was engulfed in a sea of flames, and not a single officer had survived the carnage.

Adagio stood across from them, smiling, as they closed the portal just before the flames reached them. "Well done, Aria. I underestimated your ability to complete a mission on time. But Louis, I didn't realize you had such a lethal skill set."

"Concerned for Aria's safety, Louis explained, 'I didn't want her to get hurt during the mission. That would have been inconsiderate of me.'"

Aria rolled her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, but I had it covered, Louis. If I had wanted to, I could have taken out the entire force."

Adagio yawned as she said, "We now have the weapons to assist any changeling divisions. We can do more with them later, but for now, you three should go rest. It's nearly 5:00 AM, and I know we all need sleep."

"Sonata bid the girls goodnight and then went upstairs to retire for the evening."

"Goodbye, Sonata; see you later,” Aria responded.

“Imma go near that hill and watch the sunrise, I guess,” Louis said before opening the door.

“Alright, be careful, and don’t give our position away,” Adagio insisted.

He nodded before closing the door. He took his time, walking towards a small hill as the sun started to rise on the horizon behind the mountain. 10 minutes later, he sat down. Picking the dahlia before he twirled it gently between his fingers, the vivid colors stood out against the dew-covered grass. His eyes traced the delicate veins in the petals, finding strange comfort in the flower's quiet beauty. It was as if the dahlia was a reminder of all that was still pure and untouched, a stark contrast to the harsh memories that had begun to resurface.

The morning air was crisp, carrying the earthy scent of damp soil and pine. He took another deep breath as he stared at the sun rising behind the mountain, allowing the coolness to fill his lungs and clear his mind. Yet the memories clung stubbornly—faces blurred by time, places long forgotten but etched into his bones. Each recollection bore a weighted significance, a heaviness that had taken years to comprehend and accept.

He exhaled slowly, letting the flower fall from his hand and land gently on the ground. The wind stirred, rustling the leaves and making the petals shiver as if sharing in his unspoken thoughts.

Aria glanced at her pistol, then smiled and gazed out the window. As she contemplated the recent events, Adagio moved to stand beside her.

“Are you doing okay? I know that y'all had an intense mission,” she wondered.

"I'm doing well, but I'm concerned about Louis. His mind seems unstable at times. During the mission, he described what happened and acted as if he were still in a war zone, even though they were just dealing with police officers," she explained.

“Well, a person that goes through horrible things and intense training never forgets. ,” Adagio commented.

Aria observed that Louis’s traumatic past seemed to drive him to fight with an intensity beyond normal as his actions had inflicted gruesome injuries, suggesting he was lost in his world. The port was ablaze, a situation that could take weeks to resolve and restore shipping operations to normal. As they both stared out the window, Queen Chrysalis appeared in her black and queen pajamas. Her eyes barely opened as she sat at the table.

“Good morning girls, how was the mission Aria?” Queen Chrysalis asked.

“It’s complete; the port is on fire, but that’s not our concern,” she responded before opening her red purse, and showing the 60 mini crates that were inside.

Queen Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, her sleepy demeanor shifting into one of interest as she leaned forward to get a better look at the crates inside the red purse.

“Sixty mini crates?” she echoed, her tone a blend of curiosity and suspicion. “And what exactly do these crates contain, Aria?”

Aria smirked and closed the purse with a snap. “Enough to fund our operations for the next few months... if we play our cards right.” Her voice held a hint of pride but also caution. “But we had to improvise. Things got messy.”

Queen Chrysalis nodded slowly, her gaze drifting back toward the smoke rising in the distance. “Messy is an understatement if the port's on fire. What happened with Louis? Did he... lose control?” she asked.

Aria hesitated before responding, recalling the fierce battle and Louis’s unyielding rage. “He was... more intense than usual. It’s like he wasn’t even fighting for us but for some old grudge. Whatever happened in his past, it’s driving him to extremes.

Chrysalis sighed, rubbing her temples as if the weight of their situation had just dawned on her. “We can’t afford to have loose cannons in our ranks, no matter how skilled they are. If Louis becomes a liability... we may need to reconsider his place in this organization.”

Aria met the Queen’s gaze, the air thick with unspoken tension. “I’ll talk to him. See if I can get through to him.”

Queen Chrysalis gave a slight nod. “Good. But don’t take any risks. I won’t hesitate to cut him loose if he's too far gone.”

“I have to disagree with you; I think him doing combat like that helps us a lot since we can focus on the objectives,” Adagio explained.

Aria added, "We would never have finished the crates in time if he hadn't been a fierce fighter on the battlefield."

"I'm concerned he may make reckless mistakes driven by anger or overconfidence. Typically, I wouldn't worry so much, but that wealthy, arrogant adversary has bested me before. I can't afford to repeat the errors that caused my previous plans to fail," she explained calmly.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t do that,” Aria vowed.

Chrysalis explained that the next step in their plan was to find special crystals with the power to communicate with or even resurrect the dead. She wanted to retrieve two of these crystals, as they could assist in achieving the group's goals. However, for now, Chrysalis advised everyone to rest. Adagio had noticed that Chrysalis was more measured in her approach, unlike her previous cocky demeanor. After spending a few minutes in the Pacific environment, Louis went back inside, closed the door, and started listening to their conversation about an upcoming operation.

From his seat in the wooden chair, Louis listened intently as Adagio, her voice measured and calm, outlined the details of their next operation. Though the hushed tone conveyed a sense of urgency, the plan did not directly concern the retrieval of the special crystals. Rather, it was a preparatory step, focused on securing necessary resources and information before the actual mission.

"If you proceed, it would weaken me. Adagio and Sonata would have to sacrifice their crystal power to maintain my form, which I would not want for them. Plus, Aria has already used her equestrian magic from the red crystal,” said Louis.

"First, we'll check if the item you need is from Equestria or if one of the Equestria girls has it. If so, we can get it for you to prevent another incident like last time with your equestrian magic. I believe one of the girls has an orange crystal that can sustain you, so it's just a matter of time before we find out," Adagio insisted.

Louis noted the shift and felt a cautious sense of optimism. Perhaps this change would improve their odds of success; working as a more unified team could certainly help when dealing with forces as powerful as the ones they were up against. He looked at the others around the room: some were visibly tense, while others were lost in thought as if trying to process everything at once. He sighed before giving a small smile, he was still careful but wanted Chrysalis to help more as he understood that she knew that she was doing for once.

The room grew colder as her words sank in. Louis took a moment to consider the implications. "Then it’s not just about getting the crystals; it’s about understanding them, preparing for what they might throw at us, and how to undermine them in the future,” said Louis, pulling out a map of the area to understand the terrain.

The discussion continued, with each member voicing concerns, strategies, and potential roles. Louis found himself mentally preparing for the challenges ahead, his thoughts already formulating ways to approach the task. It wasn’t just a matter of reaching the crystals; it was about understanding their power, respecting it, and, if necessary, bending it to their will. Finally, around 8:00 AM, all of them went to sleep.

Location: Equestria: Canterlot, Queen’s Palace.

"Spike, do you have any updates on the situation on Earth? Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy haven't reported any issues so far," she inquired.

"Our security partners say unusual equestrian magic disturbances are occurring. Sunset is losing her magic and becoming ill. There was also an accident at one of their home ports, where equestrian body heat potions were discovered," he explained.

"Sunset is sick? Why didn't she tell me? Now we have another crisis. I'll need to prepare for another trip to Earth and may require two of my partners to assist, as it could be a serious threat. I'm ordering Sakura and Starlight Glimmer to be ready within the next two days," she declared.

"I'm not familiar with Sakura. Are they new, or have they been quiet about their work?" he wondered.

"Sakura is new but very intelligent and serves as a royal bodyguard, including for me," she explained.

"Alright, do you need me to come help?" he asked.

"Of course, Spike! I appreciate it when you assist me. We'll leave in 2-4 days, so start getting ready while I open the portal again," she affirmed.

Wanting to address the issues with Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle opened her book and wrote to Fluttershy, requesting a meeting on Monday. This would allow Twilight to better understand the problems and begin working towards a solution, if needed. After 20 minutes, Twilight then wrote to Sunset Shimmer, informing her that she would visit in the next few days to discuss the matter with the group.