Into the Fray

“And though I wish not to interfere with the nations of other ponies, the situation in Fillynam has escalated to a point that cannot be ignored by those who care. The constant government abuse dealt by the Fillynam government to its citizens has reached a breaking point and caused a civil war. The Fillynam government has used this war as an excuse to kill those that oppose them, which is the majority of the nation. It is time, my fellow Equestrians, to step in and deal with the matter. At an unannounced point this week, Equestrian Royal Marines will storm the shores of Fillynam and aid the rebels. We will NOT take a combative stance from the get-go. If the Fillynam Army decides to attack, then we will have no choice but to attack back. And with this, I conclude my speech on the Fillynam crisis; goodbye for now my faithful Equestrians.”

-Princess Celestia, 17-02-1963

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Carousel Boutique, 19-02-1963

Rarity had just gotten an order finished for an important client of hers. the customer had just walked out the door with her new dress when Sweetie-Belle came in the room.

“I’m booored!” She exclaimed, having done nothing all day aside look out the window while Rarity put the final touches on the dress.

“Hmm, why don’t you make yourself useful and get me the mail?” She asked her.

“Uggggggh, fine!” With that, Sweetie-Belle left the room to retrieve the mail for Rarity.

Rarity then walked over to her television. She had just bought it a week ago, at a price though, since they were introduced into the markets about a month prior to her purchasing hers. She used her magic to press the on button, feeling lazy because of the rush to finish the dress earlier that morning. It was a news report on the concerns Canterlot citizens had with Celestia’s speech two days before.

“Oh what complaining. She’s the princess, she can decide what to do with her Army. Besides, I support her decision; the Fillynam slaughterings must simply meet their end. How could any government DO such a thing to the citizens?”

By this time Sweetie-Belle had returned, using her magic to carry the mail.

“Here you go big sis!” She said, full of energy because she actually got to do something.

“Thank you dear, why don’t you cleaning my crafting room. If you do I promise to talk you out through the town today,” Rarity said, using her magic to get the mail from Sweetie-Belle.

Sweetie-Belle’s face lit up; “Really? Let me do that then!” With that, she left the room and went downstairs to clean the crafting room.

“Ah, lets see what we have today, junk, junk, junk, ju-...” Rarity completely stopped when she saw a small, olive card with “Equestrian Royal Marine Corps” printed in stencil in black lettering. She flipped the card over, and read the small, black stencil words.
“Rarity, you are summoned by the ERMC to appear at the Ponyville Bus Depot on 21-02-1963 at 100 hours (1 AM). This is a draft card, and failure to appear will result in imprisonment. Signed, General Arshings”
By the time she had finished reading, tears were streaming down her face. “B-but, I don’t want to be drafted. I want the slaughter to end yes, but, I don’t want to do it myself, it’s wayy too filthy.”
Then panic and frustration kicked in at the same time. “WHY CELESTIA?! WHY WHY WHY! I’M NO SOLDIER, I’M A TAILOR! I DON’T DESERVE TO BE DRAGGED INTO THAT DIRTY LAND TO SEPARATE REBELS AND MONSTERS!” She then slumped to the floor and sobbed.
Sweetie-Belle had walked in halfway through Rarity’s fit. “W-what’s wrong big sis? Why are you crying?”

Rarity quieted down to whimpers and looked up, eyes red already from the crying. She tried to talk, but nothing came out. After a few more minutes of crying, she got up and walked to her phone.
“Sweetie-Belle, dear, could you please go back downstairs? I’m okay, I- I just got scared for a second. I’m going to call mom and make it all better though.”
Sweetie-Belle responded, “Yes big sister,” hugged Rarity, then left to go back downstairs.
Rarity then called her mother, not wanting to share the news, but wanting to at the same time.

Her mom picked up after three rings. “Hello?”

“Yes, mother, it’s Rarity. I... I got drafted into the Royal Marines...”
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Ponyville Bus Depot, 21-02-1963

There were about twenty other ponies here at the depot. Nopony had to ask why there was a large group at the bus depot at one in the morning, they all knew. Some had socialized, others sat and stared into space. Nopony dared to cry, in fear that the bus would arrive to them crying. At exactly 100 hours, a bus pulled into the lot. It was a shiny silver coach bus with a red stripe down the side. Inside the stripe in yellow letters read “Equestrian Royal Marine Corps”. The bus came to a halt and a tall, muscular, brown pony wearing a service uniform Class C, thick black web belt with a large brass buckle across his naval line, and brown campaign cover got off the bus. Almost instantly he let all of them know who was boss.

“GET YOUR ASSES ON THIS BUS! LET'S MOVE, MOVE, WE AIN’T GOT ALL NIGHT! GET YOUR BAGS AND GET ON THIS BUS GODDAMNIT! DO WE LOOK LIKE A HIRED SERVICE?! YOU’RE OUR HIRED SERVICE, AND WE’RE VERY DEMANDING. MOVE DAMNIT MOVE!”

It didn’t take long for everypony to rush onto the bus. The bus was filled with about forty other ponies soon to go through hell. Rarity sat down next to a golden pony with an orange mane and tail who was from Ponyville. She had seen her a couple of times here and there around town.

“Excuse me, but you seem oddly familiar,” the golden pony said.

“I- I don’t think we know each other,” Rarity replied.

“No, I remember you. You’re that dressmaker that called my hair color ugly.” The golden pony said, slight tone of anger in her voice.

“Oh, yea... I do say I’m terribly sorry about that. I didn’t mean to offend you, I just didn’t like the way my hair looked when it was green,” Rarity said nervously.

The golden pony sighed. “Oh well, guess I’ll have to let it go, since we’re now having to be allies. My name’s Carrot Top by the way.”

“Mine is Rarity. Even though the circumstances aren’t the best, it’s nice to meet you.”

Rarity just barely got the sentence out when the brown pony got on the bus. He again, showed who was boss.

“ALRIGHT EVERYPONY, LISTEN UP. WE’RE ON OUR WAY TO CAMP PONYTON FOR BASIC RECRUIT TRAINING, OR BOOT CAMP. YOU WILL ALL STAY QUITE DURING THIS TRIP, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!”

The ponies on the bus replied, “Sir yes sir.”

“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?! SOUND OFF LIKE YA GOT A PAIR!”

“Sir, Yes sir!”

And with that, the bus began to drive to Camp Ponyton.
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Camp Ponyton Groomers, 21-02-1963

All the ponies were getting their manes shaved off, and their tails down to one one foot. All; including Rarity.

“You honestly expect you to do that to me?! Heavens no, I’m a lady, and we love our hair.” She turned around only to see the brown pony staring her down.

“One second thought, just make it quick.”

She shed silent tears during the ordeal, but not too long later, she had no mane and her tail was about one foot long. She got off the seat and went through the door marked “Fresh Maggots”.
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Camp Ponyton Barracks 12, 21-02-1963

Barracks 12, a one story building. There were four rooms, the sleeping quarters, the head, the hall, and the Senior Drill Instructor’s bunk. Upon entry you would be in a small hall. To the left is the SDI’s bunk, the right is the head, which has thirty showers, thirty toilets, and ten sinks. Then straight down the hall was two double doors, which lead to the barracks. The sleeping quarters was a large rectangular room with two support beams in the middle, one a fourth of the way into the room, a second three fourths into the room. There were thirty bunk beds, fifteen on each long wall. Each bunk bed had two footlockers at their feet. All sixty ponies we lined up, standing at attention. They were taught by the brown pony after getting the haircuts, who identified himself as Sergeant Maverik. He also assigned their bunks. The ponies were also in two lines in front of those bunks, thirty to each long wall. Sergeant Maverik and another pony, a mint pony named Staff Sergeant Vicky, who was wearing the same thing as Maverik, were on both sides of the entrance to the sleeping quarters standing at parade rest. After about five or ten minutes of standing like this, the double doors opened and a gray pony entered. He was wearing a Class A Service Uniform, thick black leather belt with a brass buckle across his naval line, and brown campaign cover, and had medals above his left breast pocket.

He broke the silence with a firm voice while walking along the lines. “Good morning maggots. I am your Senior Drill Instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Kudrick. To start off, the first and last things out of your filthy portholes when addressing me will be ‘Sir’, do you maggots understand?”

“Sir, yes sir.”

“Bullshit! Sound off like you got a pair.”

“Sir, yes sir!”

“Bullshit I still can’t hear you!”

“Sir, Yes Sir!”

“That’ll do for now. Drill Instructors Maverik and Vicky will now take over and teach you how to wear your utilities. After that you are to report to The Grinder. Can’t miss it, giant black top area with sixty hoof prints in yellow on the ground, just down the road to the left. Is that understood?”

“Sir, Yes Sir!”

With that, Kudrick left the sleeping quarters.
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Canterlot AFB, 05-12-1963

The new rifleponies stood waiting to board their C-130s. Some were being sent to other countries. Some were being deployed around Equestria. Most of them, however, were being sent to Fillynam. Rarity was one of those being sent to Fillynam. She stood next to her battle-buddy, Carrot Top. They decided to become battle-buddies during boot camp. This meant they would be deployed together as a team. Every Equestrian Marine had a battle-buddy they went everywhere with.

A Sergeant Major entered the room and spoke up. “Those going to any foreign country other than Fillynam follow me. The rest, stand at, ease!”

Most of them moved to the At Ease position, while some exited the room and followed the Sergeant Major. When the last pony exited, she let the doors close behind her. Rarity saw herself in a large mirror on one of the walls.

“What happened to you, sweetums?” She thought to herself, looking at how she stood there, in a military position, wearing her OG-107 shirt, jungle trousers, and leather boots. “This just isn’t you. You’re not a killer, you’re a designer. I guess you have to be one now.”

After half an hour, the Sergeant Major came back. “Those being deployed around Equestria, follow me this way.”

Another small chunk of ponies left, the doors closing behind them. This time it only took about twenty minutes. In that time, Rarity kept thinking about how her life has been completely changed. She would be stuck in Fillynam for the next year, not being able to see her family or friends. Just as she started to think about where she might go in Fillynam. the Sergeant Major returned.

“You all will be deployed to Fillynam. Like it or not, that’s where you’re going. We have a C-130 awaiting for you all on the blacktop. Follow me this way.”
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74 miles Southeast of Ke Sanh, 05-12-1963

“Yo, Dash, having fun yet?” asked Mikey

“Hardly,” she replied, “It’s too fucking hot in this goddamn country, and this pig is too fucking heavy.”

“Ahh it’ll get better, been here since we first deployed, third plane to land in this country. Besides, you’re a Lance Corporal, you’ve still got some growing time,” said Mikey

“Yeah I guess,” replied Dash, readjusting the way she was holding her M60, “I just hope there’s some room for a goddamn corporal, I’m this close to promotion.”
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Da Nang Air Base, 07-12-1963

Rarity and her group had just landed and stood on the blacktop at attention for three hours while command decided who goes where. She and Carrot Top were being sent to a minor installation, a camp in the hills North of Ke Sahn.
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Ke Sanh Marine Base, 25-12-1963

All of the marines were gathering inside the base, including the small camps in the Northern hills. MPs were the only ones not gathering. They were patrolling the base and camps’ perimeters.

“When do you think the festivities will begin?” asked Rarity to Carrot Top.

“Hm, not sure,” she replied.

A distance away, Rainbow Dash was talking with Mikey, her battle buddy. She was extremely excited about her recent promotion to corporal, and Mikey, a corporal himself, was excited for her. Then, she spotted and white pony with a purple tail a ways away.

“No shit,” she said as she started walking towards her. As she got within talking range, she notice the three diamonds on her flank. “No shit Rarity.”

Rarity turned her head, only to see Rainbow Dash before her, soldierized too, no mane and foot-long tail. “Dash!” she exclaimed, running to her and hugging her.

“Um, am I missing something here?” Mikey asked.

Carrot Top shrugged. “Dunno.”

Dash, having finished the embrace, turned to Mikey. “This is Rarity, my friend outta Ponyville, remember that one I mentioned, fancy, dressy, the sorts?”

Mikey thought. “Oh yeah! Rarity!” He turned towards Rarity. “She’d mentioned you when we were still in boot. I’m her battle, Mikey, by the way.”

“Nice meeting you,” replied Rarity. “This is my battle, Carrot Top.”

After greeting each other, they all began to talk. Shortly afterwards, an announcement was made saying that a feast was ready in the mess. Everypony rushed to the mess hall, but many had to wait outside. The entire ordeal took most of the day. After their feast, the ponies got to call home, which took up the rest of the day. Dash got to call Scootaloo and her ‘friend’ Applejack, who was 1st Cavalry with the Army, which was deployed near Saigon at the time. Rarity was able to get the phone after Dash. She called Sweetie Belle, who was with their parents. She also got to speak to her parents and asked them to keep the shop clean while she was overseas. Mikey called home as well, but Carrot Top didn’t use the phones with no reason.
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Ke Sanh Camp Charlie(In the Northern Hills), 13-03-1964

With nothing but sitting around camp, Fillynam wasn’t too bad of a time for Rarity. The camps did nothing but have guard duty in the camps guard towers to help with security for Ke Sanh and do PT (Physical Training). The Marines in Ke Sanh were the ones who went out and patrolled the jungle. Ke Sanh was near the Northern border of Fillynam, thus it didn’t see any action. Those who saw the most action were those in or near major cities or decent sized towns. The cities saw skirmishes that Equestrians were late to and the towns were receiving Equestrian aid. The only town/village under Equestrian aid attacked by the Fillynam Army was one that had the Equestrian Army and Air Force exit a week before the attack. After the enemy, who lost almost all of their fighters, pushed the town's militia out temporarily, the 3rd Infantry Division for the Equestrian Army re-entered the town in M113 APCs, guarded by Patton tanks. Seeing this, the commanders for the Fillynam forces near the town discreetly fled. So far, for the entire year and month that Equestria had entered FIllynam, only five Equestrians were killed, and twenty-two wounded, and those were from accidents.
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Ke Sanh Marine Base, 18-04-1964

When she wasn’t on patrol in the jungles or doing PT, Rainbow Dash spent her time joking around with Mikey and the rest of the platoon. They would do all sorts of stuff. One time, Dash and another pegasus had an airborne jousting competition, which Dash won. Today, Mikey and all the other colts in the platoon were playing basketball while the mares drank water and watched. Dash opened a C-Rat B-1 kit, which contained seven crackers and two chocolate dishes (solid chocolate).

“You sure you wanna waste that when you can go to the mess?” asked a mare a ways down.

“It’s not like I ever eat this stuff on missions, I have plenty of B-1s in my footlocker,” Dash replied.

A colt overheard this and stepped to the sideline. “Hey I’ll trade you a D-2 (poundcake) for two or three B-1s.”

“Hm, a D-2 and a D-1 peaches (sliced) for four B-1s,” replied Dash.

“Deal,” said the colt, who then re-joined the game.
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Ke Sanh Camp Charlie, 16-07-1964

Many had been forgetting that a war was going on in the country. Aside the fighting in populated areas, the country had a lax mist in the air. Nopony really believed they would fight. However, some minds have changed due to the afternoon broadcast of Sun and Moon, a military news agency. They were reporting what many hoped wouldn’t happen, a direct conflict between Equestria and Fillynam. Earlier in the morning, three torpedo boats launched a failed attack on an Equestria aircraft carrier. Around midday, three more torpedo boats attempted to attack a battleship else were.

“It just scares me though, you know,” said Carrot Top to Rarity. “What if it becomes infantry vs infantry?”

“It’ll be fine dear,” replied Rarity in a soothing voice. “Even if it does, we most likely won’t see much if anything since we’re out here in nowhere.”

“Still, our year is almost up, and I know you want to extend, but I’m just not a fan of it with the recent events,” said Carrot Top.

“We can talk about that later. For now, let’s go get some food, spend some of our cash that we never really use eh?” said Rarity, leaving the hooch (barrack) with Carrot Top.