True Friendship

by BlazingAngel

The Truth

Chapter 9

The Truth

Twilight couldn`t believe what she just discover. Why would Red do this? Twilight really believe Red was a good person and would never do anything bad against them, but this?

The rest of the Equestria Girls walked in the room, chatting of what happened earlier.

"What going on?" Applejack asked, sitting down on the teacher desk.

Twilight handed her the paper and Applejack read it.

"You were sent here to destroy the Element of Harmony?" she asked, disappointed.

Before Red could say anything, Twilight cut him off, " Let me guess, this whole time you were actually Ace partner to get the Element of Harmony?"

"Now look Twilight," says Applejack, walking up to her, "I`m sure Red will never do such thing to us."

This make Twilight even madder.

"What do you mean, 'Never do such thing'? I`m sure that note he has the whole time is exactly what he going to do next!"

While they were arguing, the other, except for Flutter Shy , were trying to calm Twilight down.

All Red do is sit where he`d at and keep quiet.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, walked up to him and whispered, "Why don`t you do something? Their fight is not going to last forever."

Red still don`t do anything. He was thinking what Twilight has said.

Fluttershy took Red hands and held them together. "All you need is to come out of your little turtle shell and tell the world who you really are." she said, tighten her grip.

Red look at her in the eyes, sighed and said, "What the pool up to?"

"Pool? What Pool?" she asked, confused.

"What is it? 40? 50? Oh, never mind." he replied, standing up and walked to the window. He looked out at the courtyard and said, "I`m in the military, you know. That how I saved you and Little Joe yesterday."

Twilight and Applejack stopped arguing and they all looked at Red.

Red continue, "I was in this so called, 'Dimension Force'. Everyone called us the Peacemaker because we resorted peace throughout the universe. Also, it a secret organization so nobody is allowed to know about it."

He turned and sat down on a desktop. The other gathered around him.

Red began his story…

---

It was a dark and stormy night for Red while looking at his map in his tent at Fort Lee, Virginia. The fort is located on the outskirt of District of Columbia. Red often thought what he going to do with his team next after a hard training down at Fort Benning, Georgia. Also, after that long campaign he took part at another dimension before, he decided to take a leave when he was called into service.

While he was looking at the map for next week operation, somebody came into his tent and said, "Hey, you still have my socks?"

Red looked up.

It was his good friend Peter. Peter have been with Red since when they were freshmen in High School. Now, the Army. Their name is actually not their real name. They have been given nickname for security reason. Red don`t know why but he like his nickname.

Then, he said, "What socks? I didn`t get any socks from you."

"Well, I thought you did." Peter replied and said, "Oh look, here come Grim."

"How can you tell its Grim?" Red asked, walking up to Peter and looked out of the tent.

He was right.

There was Grim running toward them. Grim stopped, salute and said to Red, "Sir, there is some trouble at the mess hall. Come on!"

He ran down to the mess hall. Red and Peter looked at each other and followed. When they arrived at the mess hall, there were fighting at the table.

Red walked up to them and said, "Alright fella, Take it easy. Tell me what happened."

A soldier pointed at a recruit. "He took my seat, sir."

"And?"

"That was it, sir."

"That it? That your whole story? You`re fighting over a seat? What kind of soldier are you? He a recruit and don`t know who seat is what-what."

"I`m sorry, sir." the soldier said, looking at the recruit.

Then, Red blurted out, " Sorry, You ain`t sorry for nothing. Now, go back to whatever you came from and don`t show up here again."

The soldier left and Red looked at everyone that was watching them. They all left and this leave the recruit, Red, Peter and Grim.

Red turned to face the recruit, "Sorry about that. It always happened all the time to new people. What you name?"

"Private Angel, sir."

"Well, Private Angel, the name is Lieutenant Red, these two behind me," he pointed at Peter and Grim, " are Sergeant First Class Peter and Staff Sergeant Grim. What unit you transferring to?"

"Easy Company." Angel replied.

"Well, welcome aboard. You came to the right guy." Red shook hand with Angel and asked, " What division you`re from?"

"29th Infantry Division, sir." Angel answered.

"Really?" says Peter, raising an eyebrow, " I came from the 1st Infantry Division."

"3rd Armored Division." said Grim.

"101st Airborne Division." says Red, picking up a sandwich on the table.

"What bring you here?" he said, munching on the sandwich.

"I volunteer."

"You volunteer for this? Man, the army does this to me again." said Red, depressed.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing." said Red, looking away.

Then, someone came in the mess hall and walked up to Red. "Lieutenant Red?" the man asked.

"Yes?" said Red, standing up from the table.

"General Johnson want to see you." The man replied and leave the mess hall.

Red looked at the other and said to them, "It getting late. You two take Angel to the barrack and wait there." and followed the man who was waiting for him outside. The man take him to a building and went inside. After Red entered, the man pointed to the hallway up front, saying, "Go down that hallway, turn left and there should be a door."

Red nodded and went down the hallway and turn left. He opened the door and the clerk inside mentioned him to another door, "The general want to see you" gestured.

Red walked, knock and wait for an answer.

"Enter." said a man voice.

Red opened the door, walked up to the desk, give a salute and said, " Lieutenant Red reported as ordered, sir."

General Johnson didn`t return the salute but said, " Close the door, Lieutenant."

Red did as ordered and replied, "May I ask what this all about, sir."

General Johnson looked up from his paper and recalled, "You`ve been re-commission for another mission, Lieutenant."

"Sir?" Red asked, didn`t quite heard what he said.

General Johnson handed out a folder to Red and said, " Intelligence reported that there is another weapon in a different dimension."

Red took the folder, opened it up and read the paper inside.

"But sir," he began, "I thought the war is over?"

"For the world, not us." said Johnson, picking up a cup of coffee and drink it.

Red re-read the folder and said, "I don`t understand. Why me?"

The general looked at Red in the eyes before he replied, " Because, you`re the only officer I know that can maintain through portal and cross-dimensional travel. I cannot send in your brother because of what happened at Genesis last week. He in the mental hospital under restricted order. Look Red, you`re the best soldier I got and I know you can handle this mission. Understood?"

Red nodded and said, " But sir, what about my team?"

"This is a solo mission. No one is allow to come with you."

"But-," Red stopped when Johnson held up his hand, "No but. This mission will start in three days. If I were you, I would put that paper your pocket just in case you forget. Now, dismiss."

Red saluted and leave the room.

He left the building thinking why would he want to do this.

It doesn`t make any sense, he thought.

He walked along the fort gate. He stopped when he past by a hole on the gate. Someone has cut through. But, this person didn`t went inside the fort, he/she went out!

Without a moment to think, Red decided to follow this person track. Red went through the hole and follow the track that take him into the wood. After a minute or two, Red thought he was lost when he heard a spark of electricity.

It coming from the right, he thought.

He walked up behind a tree and take a look.

There he is { Red can tell it a guy because of its size} and a portal.

What the? He thought.

This guy was about to step in the portal when Red jumped out from his hiding spot yelling, "Hold it right there!"

But the guy went the portal. Then, the portal was about to close and Red, without another time to think, went after him.

Then, the portal close.

After stepping in, Red saw color of all kind coming through him. He also saw a pony running toward him and its went through him. Red felt he is changing when he saw this beautiful mare, holding a crown.

Then, came a white flash…

---

After Red finished his story back in the classroom, the other thought of the story Red had explained to them.

"That it?" asked Rainbow Dash, wishing to hear more.

Red answered her with only a nod.

"Look," Red began, "I wouldn`t destroy the Element of Harmony just because of the people I trusted and, well, I won`t do it to any of them."

Twilight nodded and says, " Yeah but, what types are you in the military?"

"I don`t know, but I do know what I do for the military. I was a leader, peacemaker, time traveler, a-,"

"Whoa, whoa, back up a minute. You can travel through time?" said Rainbow Dash.

Red nodded.

"Well, can`t you use it?" asked Rarity, picking up Spike.

"No," said Red and held up two fingers, "There is two reason why I don`t time travel anymore; One, I`m tired of changing history and two, I`m retired."

"Retired? You like what? Seventeen!" said Pinkie Pie.

"That not the point!" says Red, "I retired right after I went through this place I can`t remember what its called."

"Can you tell us what this place look like?" said Spike.

Red close his eyes and said, " All I remembered I was in this tower and…" He stopped.

"And what?" said Twilight.

"And a plane came by, crashed into a tower next to where I`m at and it exploded. Its killed a lot of people that have nothing to do with the military. Another plane came by and crashed into the one I`m in but I was lucky to get out of there. People started falling out of the towers. Firefighters, Police Officers and other rescue team went in to get the people that were trapped out of there and the next thing they knew, they never made it out because the towers collapsed on top of them. It just…" He pause to hide his face because he knew he`ll about to cry, "It was horrible. After the attack, I went back to my own time and felt broken down. This is why I don`t time travel."

He stopped crying when Twilight put her arms around him and said, " I know how you feel. We all felt the same way. And I know that these people that went into the towers to save other people lives deserve to be called heroes for risking their lives. What I also know is that deep inside your heart, you are also a hero."

Red looked up at Twilight, eyes are red.

"How do you suppose to know that?" he asked.

"You are risking you life to stop your brother from getting the Element of Harmony, right?"

Red nodded.

"And you also saved Fluttershy and Little Joe from Lighting Wind, right?"

Red nodded again.

"Now, that what I called a hero. Someone who is sacrificing himself to save other from harm, just like those people who went into the towers to saved other who are trapped. they not be forgotten."

Twilight then hugged him tightly. The other joined in to make a group hugs.

"Thank guys." said Red and the bell ring, marking the end of the school day.

They quickly departed and head out the door.

Red stays behind and thought of what Twilight just said.

He then smiled and leave the room, feeling as a hero.

Author's Note:

As you notice on Red second story, he was actually talking about 9/11.
I`m sorry is that bother those who lost their loved ones on that unforgettable day. I hope something else could cheer you up.

See you on the next chapter!