“A traitor.” I echoed, staring disbelievingly at Celestia.
“Yes.”
“Bullshit.”
Neither princess reacted to my word choice, either because they were expecting and ignored it, or maybe they just didn’t care at this point.
“Whether you believe it or not, it is the truth.” Luna said.
Yawning, I shook my head. “Still calling bullshit.” Leaning forward, I fixed them with an unwavering gaze. “Do you honestly expect me to believe that one of my guys, one of my brothers, would betra—”
“We have proof.” Celestia interrupted.
I stared at them in silence. Well, that seems convenient. Convenient or not, if they had proof, I wanted to see it.
“Show me.”
I wasn’t sure she was telling the truth, and this might help me figure out if she was being honest, or just trying to manipulate me.
When Celestia’s horn ignited, I reflexively slid my chair backwards. “Gah! How about a warning next time?” There was a flash, accompanied by a faint pop, then the sound of magic faded.
“My apologies.” The princess raised a hoof to point at a wrinkled piece of paper on the table that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Here is your proof.”
Slowly, I pulled my chair back to the table. Once I was situated again, I reached out and picked up the paper. Dominating the up side on it was a crude-looking map, with an “x” next to the depiction of a large hill. In the bottom left corner was a date. The fact that Equestria's calendar matched up with ours, with the exception of the year, never ceased to amaze, but I didn’t let it distract me.
“So you have a map drawn by a five-year-old and the date you caught me.” As I spoke, I flipped the paper over. “That doesn’t prove anyth—” On the back of the “map” was an unused APFT scoresheet. I stared at the paper, trying to figure out some way that they might have gotten a hold of this. After thinking through several highly unlikely scenarios, I looked up to the princesses. “How did you get this?”
“It was brought to us by one of our ponies.” Luna answered.
“A guard?”
This time Celestia answered, “No, a civilian. While they were traveling through the woods, they were approached by one of your soldiers. That person gave them this, and told them to bring it to us.”
I was already going over how someone could have possibly managed to do this without being noticed. “When?”
“The message reached us two days after it was delivered, and two more days before you were caught.”
“And you believed a piece of paper?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course not.” Luna replied, getting my attention. “We also considered that it could have been a trap. However, given that your forces had been trying to avoid instigating confrontations, we came to the conclusion that it was worth the risk. The force we sent was large enough that had it truly been an ambush, they would have been able to hold their own.”
That explains why there were so many there. I thought back to where I had been four days before that patrol. I’d been assigned to guard the Gate that day, if I remembered correctly, so I wouldn’t have noticed anything strange, unless it happened there.
I wonder. “Did this pony, say, get a good look, or see a name tape?”
Celestia shook her head. “No. She was too frightened to notice any details, other than that the human’s face was covered.”
Figures. So I couldn’t narrow down who might have betrayed us, and while the evidence was compelling, something still bothered me.
Yawning again, I leaned forward, placing the paper on the table. “Ok, so maybe there is a traitor, but why do it this way? What’s the point? Why not just tell you where we were?”
The princesses looked at each other, then back to me and shrugged. After which, Luna answered, “We do not know. Our best guess is that whoever did this was hoping you would tell us, to cover their betrayal.”
“But why leave the plan up to so much chance? There’s just so much that could have gone wrong.” I gestured to myself. “Case in point.”
Luna nodded her agreement. “Yes, one would think they would have made a better choice.”
I sighed and reached up to rub my forehead. “That alone makes me doubt your claim, and whether or not I should trust you.”
“I have something that may fix that. Get ready.” Despite the princess’s warning, I still jumped. Fucking magic.
Like the first time, Celestia cast a spell, and there was a flash and a pop. Lying on the table this time was my own phone. It had been several months, but I still recognized it instantly. The princesses didn’t say anything as I gingerly reached out to pick up the device. The thing had to be dead by now, since I hadn’t turned it off before getting captured, so I was very surprised when the screen turned on when I hit the home button. Adding to my surprise was the full battery shown in the corner.
Wide-eyed, I looked up from the screen. “How did you charge this?”
“Magic.” Celestia answered simply.
Looking back to the phone, I frowned and held it out a little further away from me, feeling conflicted. After a few moments, I came to a decision. Resisting the urge to turn on some music, I put the phone in a chest pocket, where it'd be hard for me to loose.
“As much as I already like having this back, how exactly does it help earn my trust?”
“To be honest, that was more of an attempt to get on your good side.” Celestia replied.
“Keep trying.”
Celestia must have been ready for the challenge, because she said, “Very well, brace yourself.”
I managed not to jump this time, but I did flinch from the intensity of light from the spell.
Now sitting on the table after the magic faded was none other than my M9. I stared at it for a moment, then looked to the princesses.
“Go ahead.” Celestia said, answering my unasked question.
Picking up the weapon, I could tell immediately from the weight that it was loaded. Hitting the mag release with my thumb, I caught the magazine with my other hand. Setting that down, I quickly cleared the chamber, then began disassembling the weapon. With as much time as had passed, I was pretty sure the ponies had already figured out how to take the gun apart, and I wanted to be sure everything was still there. I couldn’t see anything out of place, so I reassembled the weapon and did a functions check. When it passed the simple test, I grabbed the magazine and slid it home. As satisfied as I could be, I looked to the princesses.
“I’m guessing a test-fire would be out of the question?”
“Yes,” They answered simultaneously.
I rolled my eyes. “How am I supposed to know it actually works, then?”
“You will just have to trust us.” Luna replied.
“Just as we will have to trust you with a functioning weapon.” Celestia added.
“A weapon you claim is functioning.” I muttered, decocking and safing the weapon.
Celestia sighed. “Perhaps there will be a chance for your test-fire later, but for now, is this sufficient to prove us trustworthy in your eyes?”
I stopped to consider the question, looking at the pistol in my hand. This was technically aiding the enemy, and I shouldn’t have even considered it, but we were definitely going to lose if something wasn’t done. In the interest of avoiding a potentially bloody fight, I decided to go for it. Maybe in the process, I could figure out what was going on with this traitor shit. At the very least, warn the Colonel.
“Alright. If it means we’re going to end this crap, you have my trust.” Both princesses perked up and smiled. “How did you want to go about setting this up?”
“Hey, Corporal?”
“Yeah?”
“You really think you can do this?”
Sighing, I looked over at Heartmender. “Yeah, but they’re not gonna trust me right off, so it’s probably going to take time. Hell, I’ll be surprised if they let me in the caves today.”
Heartmender and I were riding in a chariot, which was being pulled by Stormfront and some other pegasus, whose name I didn’t get. The medic was standing on the left side, and I was sitting on the right. We were all headed to the Unicorn Mountains, specifically the caves where my group had taken up residence.
“What makes you think they won’t shoot you on sight?” Stormfront asked, shouting slightly to be heard over the sound of the wind and his wings.
“Even if they think this is some kind of trick, they’re more likely to take me prisoner to get some intel on what’s going on.” I answered, also shouting so he could hear my answer. Shifting around, I leaned back against the side of the chariot so my right side was facing into the wind, my head poking up just over the side, and reveled in the sensation of the wind in my hair. “Besides, I’m still in uniform. None of them would just up and shoot me without asking some questions first.” At least, I hope that’s still the case.
“You know them best,” Stormfront replied. “But one of them was willing to kill civilians,” —he turned his head back to give me a hard look— “something you didn’t believe they would do.”
“He has a point.” Heartmender added. “You should consider that as a possibility. Plus, they are surrounded by our forces, which I’m certain they’ve noticed, so they’re bound to be on their guard. They could think you’re some kind of trick.”
He’s right. I don’t really know what they’ve had to deal with since I’ve been gone, and Tovey never mentioned anything significant had happened. Absently, my hand went to the M9, holstered on my right hip. It felt good to have it back. Even though it was only a sidearm, I found myself resting my hand on the grip often, finding some comfort in its presence. I never got the chance to test-fire it, but I had been given the holster and an extra magazine. I guess the princesses were really trying to bolster what little trust I had in them. Truth be told, it was kinda working.
After a few moments of silence, I spoke up. “I can’t really argue with either of your points, so I guess I’ll just have to be careful, and whatever happens, happens.”
“I could go with you. Shield you if they get violent,” Heartmender offered.
“Yeah, but then they might think I’ve jumped sides.” I shook my head. “No, I’ll go alone.”
“And if they do shoot you?” Heartmender asked.
I sighed. “In the extreme unlikelihood of that happening, I guess we’ll get to test your skills as a medic, since they probably won’t be helping at that point.”
Heartmender grinned. “You already know you’re in good hooves.” His smile wavered. “Though let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t know how many more times you can be patched up.” He paused. “I’m honestly impressed you’ve made it this far. Actually, a lot of the guard is. Believe it or not, you’ve managed to earn some respect.”
“My stubbornness earned me respect?”
“No,” Stormfront answered, “it’s your tenacity. Your refusal to give up, and to continue holding to your values, oaths, and whatever. Lot of ponies find that admirable.”
“That’s great, but it doesn’t really help me.”
“Maybe not now, but it could be useful in the future if things work out.”
“Eh, sure, I guess.” I paused, then changed the subject. “Did the princess happen to tell you guys when she was going to show up? All I got was that she had to see to a few things, and would be there when she could.”
“If she said she’ll be there, she will,” Heartmender reassured. “Just do what you’re going to do and everything should work out.”
“Don’t really have a choice, so I’ll just choose to trust her.”
Heartmender nodded as the two pegasi pulled the chariot into a shallow dive. The change caused me to look towards the mountains. Stormfront had set a pretty good pace, and we were nearly there. As we continued moving closer, a feeling of apprehension began growing in my gut. There was a lot riding on this. If things worked out well, the fighting was done and we’d get to go home. If not, then... well, things would probably get messy.
Deciding some music would do me some good, I pulled out my phone. After scrolling for a minute, I found a good option. Opening the file for Two Steps From Hell, I hit shuffle and held the phone to my ear. Seconds later, “For the Win” began playing, which was great, since winning was what I needed to be doing. I tried to focus on the music and relax for the short time till we landed.
Winding our way through the trees, Stormfront, Heartmender, and I, with my hat now in its proper place on my head, slowly made our way towards the base of the mountains. The ponies’ rear staging area was set far enough back that nobody from the caves would be able to determine the exact place the ponies had chosen to land. That also meant it was a bit of a walk to get to the caves, unfortunately. Still, it was better than being stuck in that cell.
The guards we’d come across, whether they were guarding the chariots or walking between the staging area and their front line, either seemed surprised to see me, or acted like I was expected. I guess someone had sent word ahead, but not everyone had gotten it yet.
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Heartmender asked for the umpteenth time.
“My answer hasn’t changed, and it probably won’t.” I answered, looking back at him. “Why do you keep asking?”
He shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. I just have this bad feeling.”
“Well, I do appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine.”
“If you say so,” he replied, not looking entirely convinced.
To be honest, his company would be nice, but I was sure it would ultimately ruin any chances I had at making this work, and that wasn’t something I wanted to risk.
Looking ahead, I could just see groups of guards through the trees, thanks to their armor. While there were some guards out here wearing camouflaged armor, like the ones that had hidden in the woods when I’d first been caught, most wore the typical gold which made them easy to spot from a distance. No doubt my guys already knew they were all here, and had hunkered down rather than try to fight against these odds. Seeing these groups of guards also told me that we were nearing the edge of the treeline near the caves. Knowing —and not knowing— what I was about to walk into, my apprehension grew with every step.
As we neared the end of the trees, I stopped. Whatever happened next, I would definitely be tied to it, no matter how it turned out, and I wasn’t sure it would be a good or bad thing for me. Of course, it didn’t have to be me. The princesses had offered to just let one of their guards handle this part and have me come in later, but we ultimately agreed that me making initial contact would probably have the best chance of success. Though I was doing my best to appear confident, I was definitely feeling the pressure.
Heartmender stopped beside me. “You okay?”
“Yeah…”
“Do you need a minute? I imagine this is stressful.”
I shook my head. “It wouldn’t make a difference. Best to just get it over with.”
Before Heartmender could respond, I started walking again. A few steps took me past the treeline and into the clearing surrounding the cave entrance. I approached from the east, moving parallel to the mountains. There were no guards posted outside the entrance, and if they were still following the same standard operating procedure we’d established, there would be at least three guards posted ten meters inside the tunnel, with one crew-served weapon.
Moving as quietly as I could, I crept up beside the opening, pressed my back to the mountainside and listened. I thought I could make out the sound of whispered conversation, but with all the ambient sounds outside, I couldn’t be sure. Crouching, I picked up a rock, tossed it against the other side of the tunnel, and listened. This time I definitely heard something. Guess SoP hasn’t changed much, if at all. Since I didn’t know any of the current passwords, I had to hope they’d still recognize the old one I knew.
Standing, I leaned toward the cave entrance and shouted, “Captain America!”
The criteria for our passwords while we were here was “movies.” One would challenge with the name of the selected movie, and the response would be the sequel, which in this case was The Winter Soldier. We’d chosen this because it was fairly easy to remember.
There was no verbal response to my challenge, which I was expecting, but I thought I heard the sound of movement. Not wanting to accidentally provoke anything, I was content to wait and see what they decided to do. In that time, I moved away from the wall, and took a step back from the cave entrance. About a minute after I’d given the challenge, I definitely heard movement, then someone stepped into view a handful of meters away. They were standing in the center of the tunnel, slightly hunched, rifle shouldered, pieing the corner. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the weapon pointed at me, and I took an instinctive step back, while raising my hands.
Responding instantly, the soldier shouted, “Don’t… move?” but the order slowly trailed off and ended in obvious confusion, which was fair, since I was now just as confused.
After everything I’d been through, I still wasn’t ready for what faced me. Standing in front of me, armed and decked out in combat gear, was the last person I ever expected to run into:
Me.
Another soldier stepped around into view. “Corporal, what’s wro—” He stopped beside the other me, where he looked like his brain had shut down and was now going through a reboot.
The three of us stood there for, not moving, and in my case at least, trying to understand just what I was looking at. After an undetermined amount of time passed, I decided to act first.
Slowly lowering my hands, I pointed at the other me and addressed the other soldier next to him by his rank. “Specialist?” He didn’t reply, but I continued anyway. “What the actual fuck is this?”