Beyond the Call of Duty

"When we reached Stalliongrad, we weren't prepared for what we were about to see. Our unit was on its last stand, guarding the last few surviving civilians. Any other Guard units in the area were too far away to help us. We lost many good mares and colts that day. If it wasn't for those SEAL's, we would all be dead."

-Major Crystal, Equestrian Army (ret.)

The storm had cleared up by the time Crystal's unit reached the city. She wished it hadn't. They were surrounded by death and destruction. Bodies of ponies, both civilian and military, and dogs laid strewn out in the street. The snow surrounding the squad was stained with the blood of the innocent. In the next street was a couple of destroyed humvees, and judging by the treads that ran down the street, they were destroyed by enemy armor.

"By the Goddesses..." Snails muttered, taking in the scene. Even Crystal, an experienced veteran who served in the Coltistan War, was shocked by the brutality of this... not even a massacre would be able to describe this slaughter.

"We need to keep moving." Crystal urged. "The fight's long gone from this area."

"Second squad, where are you?!" Nightwing's voice demanded over the COM.

Crystal listened to the distant gunfire and checked her HUD's map. "Ten blocks away. ETA, five minutes."

"Copy that! Nightwing, out!" The Colonel stated, before the COM link died.

Suddenly, Crystal heard the sound of heavy machine gun fire from behind them. Instinctively, she and few others dived to the ground in an attempt to escape the enemy fire.

"Sergeant? What the hell are you doing on the ground?" A voice with a Manehatton accent inquired. Crystal poked her head up to see the source of the voice. It was Sergeant Sprinkles, the leader of Fourth Squad. Crystal rose off the ground and turned to face the Sergeant.

"Thought you were enemy fast movers." Crystal responded with a shrug, before motioning over to the humvees that the rest of Fourth Squad were riding in, "Got anymore room?"

"Plenty. Mount up." Sprinkles stated. Crystal nodded and started to make her way over to the nearest humvee, slinging her SCAR over her shoulder and motioning to the rest of her squad to mount up.

"Miss Crystal? I'm sorry to interrupt, but would you mind if I brought in somepony to assist with the interview?" Inkwell inquired.

"Not at all. Go right ahead." Crystal responded. Inkwell smiled and rose from his seat, before walking over to the door and holding it open. In came a middle aged yellow Pegasus, who's graying pink mane shimmered in the sunlight. It was the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy.

"Dear Celestia..." Crystal muttered, as she shakily rose to her hooves. The two mares stood just stood there for a moment, staring at each other with disbelief, before they charged at each other and wrapped their hooves around tightly around one another. Crystal appeared to be sobbing lightly into Fluttershy's coat, while Fluttershy rubbed her back soothingly, her eyes glistening with tears.

A satisfied smile spread across Inkwells face as he watched the hugging mares. Fluttershy told Inkwell that she hasn't heard from or seen Crystal in thirty years when he first asked her to come in. It was the first time he saw her smile, besides in pictures.

"So, shall we continue?" Inkwell inquired.

"It was dark by the time our convoy arrived at the rally point, though the flaming buildings that surrounded us did a good job of showing the way. As well as the bodies of countless civilians and Equestrian soldiers. It soon became apparent that the dogs weren't just killing us, but they were also feasting on our dead... and survivors. Among... other things..." Crystal stated.

"Fucking bastard!" Crystal shouted as she rolled out of her humvee and raised her SCAR, firing off two rounds into the stomach of a diamond dog, who was ripping apart a screaming foal. A startled cry escaped his lips, followed by a howl of pain, before he went limp and slumped over on the ground. Crystal galloped up to the body and kicked the dogs AK aside, before going to check on the foal.

But it was too late. The dog had ripped off both of the foals forehooves, which would have caused him to bleed out in a minute or less. Sprinkles trotted up beside her and placed his hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but Crystal shrugged it off. She held the foal in her hooves and stared down at it, shocked by the brutality of it.

"He was just a foal... barely six months old by the looks of it. But the dogs didn't care. They didn't care whether you were young, adult, or old, they would kill you just the same..." Crystal muttered, her eyes glistening with tears. Fluttershy pulled her in for a tight hug and started to rub her back in an attempt to comfort her old friend and comrade, but that only brought more tears. After a few minutes, Crystal regained her composure and turned back to Inkwell, who was eagerly awaiting to hear more.

"We've got more bodies!" Snails called out.

Crystal shook herself out of her trance and gently placed the foals dismembered body on the frozen ground, before rising and trotted up beside Snails. It was a young married couple, judging by the wedding bands they were wearing. The mares stomach was much bigger compared to the rest of her body, an obvious sign that she was pregnant.

"Sarge... could you shine your light on the mares body...?" Snails requested. Crystal nodded in compliance, switching on her SCAR's tactical flashlight and aiming the beam of light at the mares body. Both Snails and Crystal grimaced at the sight.

"That's... that's sperm." Snails pointed out.

"Those bastards raped her... and slit her throat..." Sprinkles said, walking up beside the two.

"EVERYPONY, GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!" Crystal shouted at the rest of her unit. They quickly complied, lining up beside the trio and staring in disbelief at the bodies.

"You see this?" Crystal asked, pointing at the body of the pregnant mare. "Those bastards not only killed her, they also raped her, and then killed both her and her child. And over there, that dog was ripping apart a foal, who looked barely old enough to crawl! Keep these images in your heads, ponies, so you can remember why we are fighting these savages!"

"After that... nopony said a word. We just waited for when we could get out of our humvees and get our revenge." Crystal stated, staring at her hooves with an expressionless face.