The Raiders and The Princess

by FIRE FLASH 3

Chapter IV: Danger at nightfall

Chapter IV

"WHAT!!" Mark yelled. After the reunion with the colonel and the doc, I went and told the guys who were more than surprised to find out that we had an additional member to the group. I had explained that it was only temporary and that when our relief got here, she would be on the first transport back to the States. When I explained them that part, they all gave a sigh of relief, but they did promise not to harass Twilight, just because she was a girl. As far as I was concerned, she would be treated like any other of the men in this squad. But they were quite surprised to find out that she was going to be staying with me, in MY tent.

"I hope you're not planning anything naughty, Lou." Mark said in a mocking tone. They knew that I didn't like talking about SE... X. They always teased me about it, and now, I could tell that it was going to be worst now since Twilight was here. But I couldn't afford to get her a private tent, and as my tent is only used by me, quite rarely. It would have to suit her needs.

After about an hour of chatting with the guys, it was now 22h45. I got up, we said our 'somewhat' goodnights and I went back to my tent. I went in, finding Twilight sat at my desk, her hands holding her head as she starred off into space. I walked over to her, she heard me and turned around, her eyes were red. She'd been crying. This worried me and went over to her, I knelt down infront of her and held her hands.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. She didn't reply, she sniffed sadly, looking up at the roof of the tent before returning her attention back to me.

"I I'm scared Lou." Something was tugging at my heart, which was extremely painful. I didn't want to see her like this, especialy now.

"What scares you?" I asked, trying to give her the best soothing smile I could give her.

"Everything!" She exclaimed. "I get thrown off of my world by some creature, I end up in a world I have never seen or heard of before, then I end up being carried through an entire jungle and when I finaly get some real space, the same creature starts haunting my dreams with visions of Equestria in ruin." She slowly began to sob again before she looked at me with tear filled eyes. "I just want someone to beleive me and help me get home" She cried, my instincts kicked in and I immidiatly pulled her into a hug.

"I know you want us to believe you. And we really do. But for the moment, there are a few things that aren't adding up." I sighed, letting go of her but still holding her hands in mine. "And I don't know what to do, I'm at a lost. All the evidence that we have just doesn't make sense." I got up and looked down at Twilight. "But for the moment, you're gonna have to come with me. I've got orders that say thet you are now in my squad. And yes, it is very unorthodox, but you're with me now until we get you out of here."

She nodded, whipping away a few of her tears, she slowly stood up. But I sat her back down. "You'll need these before you come with me." I said handing her a pair of boots. She tilted her head to the left in a very cute maner.

She took them gingerly and tried to put them on. But again, as if she were a pony she failed to understand how the boot went on. Though normaly I would shake my head with a small smile or a laugh, but now was the time when the Japs would start shelling us. At half eleven at night, the sound of distant thunder would be heard followed by the shrill of hundreds of shells. To not waste anymore time I took her in my arms without even thinking. She yelped in surprise as I began to run out into the dark with her in my arms. My only words were: "I'll have to teach you how to put those on later. If we survive." My tone was casual, but the fear was still there. Fear of dying.

I ran as fast as I could to gain the safety of the shelter we had dug when we first got here, the camp was completely deserted. No one except the screechers. They were sat where they were usualy sat, we past a couple on the way. And they were all looking in the same direction.

The direction of the oncoming storm.

As we got to the shelter, Twilight was able to get a better look at our home for the night. The shelter was nothing more that a hole in the ground with a small slit that would allow us to fire or see what was going on outside. The roof was nothing but choped up palm trees with the leaves for camouflage. As we were about to go in, we found Mark looking up at us, well me, with a smug look on his face.

"Lou, the guys have left you to guard the other entrance." He said as he returned his attention back to the night. I only nodded, to much in a hurry to even stop and talk. As I went in, we found Jack and Tomy lying on the ground, asleep or at least were trying to sleep. Slowly and carefuly, I placed Twilight on the ground. She looked sad as I let her go, then it dawned on me, she hadn't eaten or drank since we found her. I Grabbed my canteen and the few K rations I had left and handed it to her. At first she seemed a bit surprsed or unsure of what to do.

"Its food and water." I explained, only then did she take them. She opened the rations first and began to nible on one of the crackers that were inside. It was the only box I had left, but I wasn't worried, she looked way to cute to deny her food.

Once she was well into her dinner, I grabbed my gun and began to head out to the oposite entrance that no one was guarding. I layed down on my side, leaning on my left arm as I deployed the bipod on my gun and place it behind the few sandbags that were there in front of me. I of all people, was facing the the direction that the bombardment would came from. I took a look at my watch, 23h12 it read. As I said before, the shelling normaly starts at half past. So all we could do now, was wait.

After about ten minutes, I took another look at my watch, 23h19. I always considered the waiting as the most nerve racking moment of the night. So long... that actualy, I began to fall asleep. I know it sounds incredible, but it's true. After a while without sleeping your body begins to curl up and you can only think about sleep. You can only go on for so long without sleep before your body... can't take anymore.

As my eyes began to get heavier and heavier, my vision was becoming blured, but I could still make out a few features in the night, especialy with the light of the moon. I could see the forms of a few people, the screechers, just sitting there. I took one last look at my watch it read 23h34. I was slowly begining to fall asleep when I heard something, though I wasn't sure if it wasn't just my ear drums. I looked back up and took a look around. The figures that were sat down a minute ago, all stood up at once. My head immediately shot up, the figures were all facing in the same direction. But in the moon light, I could see them slowly raise their faces up to the night sky. I stood up, expecting what was about to come. Their mouths opened wide, and the most awful scream began to echoe from everywhere. I grabed my gun, before I yelled.

"INCOMMING!!!" Just as the last echoe from my vocal cords dissipated, a shell smashed into the ground, about ten meters away from me. Though I was spared from most of the shrapnel, the shock wave was still enough to throw me off of my feet. Since the shell was at a distance of around ten meters in front of me. The shockwave sent me flying backwards into the shelter.

Crashing to the ground in the middle of the shelter, I groaned as I lay on the ground since a piece of shrapnel had lodged itself in my right arm and left leg. The pain was awful, I was screaming for all it was worth. Jack slid over to me and began to look at my wounds. He then proceeded to push me up against the wall. I was sitting, back to the wall, I closed my eyes as I began to get a headache from the shrill of 5, 10, 16, 20 inch naval rounds slamed into the ground. I suddenly felt an odd sensation on my left side. I opened my eys to find Twilight holding my arm as if it held all the safety of the world. But why did she come to hug me? Did I make her feel safe? Or was it because I was wounded?

Though I had many questions, I wasn't about to start une 'conversation banal' while we were under fire. As Jack finished with my wounds, another shell landed nearby, sending all of us to the ground. We layed there, covered in dust and mud. The roof above our heads began to creak, but after a few seconds, the shells began to get further and further away, though a few shells still fell nearby. I was still laying on my stomach when suddenly, Jack threw me onto my back so he could now get a look at my leg. The piece of shrapnel was dug in deep. Jack, realising that he couldn't waist time on my leg, grabbed the piece of shrapnel in his right hand and pulled. For the few seconds when Jack was pulling, my screams melded into those of the sreechers.

I was one of them.

I was experiencing pure agony, Twilight rushed to myside and began to pet my hair. Yes, you heard me right. Pet me. Look, I know we Humans are animals, but to the point where I start getting treated like a cat or a dog. But, to be honest, it was kinda nice, relaxing in fact. My screaming diminished and stopped as Twilight continued doing what she was doing.

But outside, the shelling had now intensified, more and more shells were wizing over our heads, crashing into the ground outside. As Jack pulled away from me and crawled to Tomy who was bleeding from his ears. Twilight was covering her ears, the sound of explosions was obviously to loud for her.

"TOO LOUD!!" She yelled, her eyes shut, as shell after shell got closer and closer to our shelter. It was then that I did something you should never do when in a bombardement. I stood up. Well not actualy standing since there wasn't enough room to stand up at normal hight. But I did it, I just wanted to see what was happening 'dehors' as I would say. To my utter disbelief, one of the screechers was still outside. He was still standing, though I could no longer see his face, the moon was hidden behind the thick cloud of smoke, dust, ash and who knows what else.

I took a look around thanks to the vision slit. Shells were still smashing into the ground all around us. And yet, there he was. Still standing and still screaming. I could only watch him. As another shell hit, the lightning from the explosion light up his face. I could see him clearly for that brief moment. But since he wasn't facing me I could not see his entire face.

But then, suddenly, he stopped screaming and lowered his head. Another shell hit and he was iluminated by the flash. But what I saw shocked me. The man was looking right at me, right into my eyes. I could see, in that moment, the mans face. It was Joey, a friend from my neighbourhood. Tears were streaming down his face, fear in his eyes. I was at a lost, one of my friends from home was here.

"JOEY!!!" I yelled out to him. I don't know what I was hoping for, I guess I was hoping he could back here before another shell hit. But he didn't move but in another burst of light I could see that he had turned his attention back to the sky. The others in the shelter, came to see what I was looking at. But before they got there, I watched as a shell smashed right into the ground next to Joey. The shell landed to his left, about a meter away from him the shock wave sent him flying to his right. But a split second later, another shell landed to his right, that sent him flying back to his left. and after that, another shell exploded infront of him and he was sent flying backwards, but after the first initial explosions I was no longer able to see him. Tears flowed freely down my face as I cried as my childhood friend was ripped apart in the most fantastic display of fireworks I had ever seen.

I fell back to the ground, Twilight wrapped her arms around me. I cried, hugging her back, hoping that the dispair that had befallen me would dissapear. We weren't even half an hour into the shelling and already the effects were taking their toll. Twilight was crying from fear. Tomy was bleeding from his ears and I had just witnessed the death of a friend I didn't even know was here. Joey was a kid a bit like me, shy. When my family first moved to America. I was very shy, not really understanding the language until I was 13. Joey was the first person who helped me learn the language, and we promised to be best friends forever.

Well... not anymore. Just then, a shell smashed into the ground just a few meters away, the dirt wall collapsed and the roof caved in. My instincts immediately kicked in and I threw myself over Twilight, just as Jack did the same for Tomy. Twilight was quite surprised to have me on top of her but she was lucky I did otherwise, the roof could've fallen and crushed her.

The bombardment lasted roughly four hours non stop. At times it would ease off a bit, obviously the Japs were hitting the perimeter defences. But not long after, the shelling would resume at its usualy intensity. Unbelievebly, me and the others were so exhausted that we fell asleep. I know its hard to believe but after a while the explosions seem to fall into melody. Sending us into a haunted and tearful sleep.

XXXXXXXXX

My eyes shot open, dust and durt was floating around the air. Its thickness made breathing nearly impossible. All I could hear was a sharp ringing. As it slowly dissipated, I took a look around I could see the guys biggining to stir. I slowly looked down only to find I was lying ontop of the young girl we had found in the jungle. Twilight... I think that was it.

I slowly got up, only to remember that the roof had collapsed. I found a small gap in the roof and dug my way out. Once I was out, I went back to get the others. As I pulled the last one of my friends out, I dropped to the ground as a agonising pain ran straight up my left leg. The pain was still there even after Jacks help.

The others were concious by the time I had begun to dig a way out. Jack immediately jumped up and took a look around as did the others. Twilight gasped in horror at he sight of the camp in total ruin. Craters were all over the place, tents were torn to pieces. Vehicules were on fire and burning, ammunition crates, ration boxes were also going up in a fierce blaze. Dark smoke rose up into the sky, almost blocking out the sun.

Men were running all over the place like a colony of ants. Repairing anything that could be repaired. Salvaging whatever could be salvaged. Healing whoever could be healed. But most importantly, saving whoever could be saved. The guys were quick to act, grabbing their gear and standing at attention, awaiting my orders.

"Alright, lets start the clean up. Help anyone who can be helped." I said, getting up. Even with the pain in my arm and leg. "Lets move people."

They ran off in every direction, I just stood there, Twilight standing next to me. We looked at each other, she had a fearful look on her face. I sighed and rubbed my leg.

"Come on Twilight, you're with me." I said, grabbing my Johnson and my aid kit.

"Where are we going?" She asked, a slight tremble in her voice.

"To help people, take care of them until the corpmen take over." That was my only reply. The camp looked as if a Martian Heat Ray had just vaporised everything in its path. Like those tripods from 'The war of the Worlds' with their heat rays that turned anything to fire.

We came accross many wounded marines, we looked after them until the medics got there. We watched as they were taken to the aid station, Twilight was doing her absolute best to comfort them. Even though some of them were missing limbs or their intestines were coming out of their stomach's. She must have thrown up a few times but never left their sides. While we were walking, I asked how was she holding up. She replied by saying that she felt it was her duty to stay with them even if they weren't members of the Royal Guard.

For some reason, I beleive that me and Twilight were smiling. Not a happy smile but more of a reassured smile, knowing that the men we had just looked after would receive treatment for their wounds. But that feeling of reassurance soon vanished into saddness.

We came across this kid who didn't appear to be badly wounded. He was calling for his mother, we sat by his side and Twilight began to talk to him.

"Hey, its okay, you're going to be fine." She said trying to calm him. He turned his gaze towards her.

"M-Mum, is... t-that you?" He asked, his fear was slowly begining to fade.

"Yes. Yes its me" I don't really know why she said that, everytime I ask, she only turns away. As she continued to talk to him I could see a medic approaching. I waved him over and he slowly began to make his way towards us. A look of alarm on his face.

"C-Can I have... Can I have some water, mum?" He pleaded. I pulled out my canteen and slowly opened it. As I slowly brought it closer to him a hand pulled my arm away from him.

"Don't give it to him." The corpman said. Twilight showed a look of pure disbelief and shock.

"And why not?" I asked him.

"The back of his head's gone, his a dead man."

I slowly lowered the canteen. Twilight was looking at me with a look of shock. She was about to ask something bat she was interrupted.

"Mama? MAMA?!" The young began to shout.

"It's okay, m-mama's here." Her voice didn't sound as cheerful as when she had first talked to him.

"Mum............. I can't feel my legs." that was the first sign. It was in that moment she understood. There was nothing she could do to help him. "Mum... I can't see. Help me mama...please help me." He begged, but there was nothing we could do for this man. He was going to die no mater what. "Mama... mama... mama... ma-ma... ma......."

Silence descend over the area. Twilight could only sit there, tears streaming down her face. I pulled her in close against my chest. The medic knelt down and put his helmet to his chest. A chaplain approached, he knelt down and gave the kid his last rights. A small group had now gathered around. The chaplain closed the kids eyes and a blanket was handed to me I was about to lay it over him, but a small hand stopped me. It was Twilight's. She had a look of determination but the tears were still falling. I handed my side of the blacket to her. The Medic and Twilight then proceeded to pull the blanket over him.

I told Twilight to head back to the MASH and get some rest. But she refused, she got up and walked over to a tent that been destroyed and proceeded to stare into space. I looked down at the corpse under the blanket, stood up and took Twilight back to my tent if it was still there.

This was only one of the tragic stories that we wittnessed on this God forsaken Island. And we didn't even know his name.

As I thought, my tent and those around it had been torn to pieces. Twilight sat down on a box and began to weep. There was nothing I could say to make her feel better. I mean... what would you say to someone who had just tried to save a kid... in vain. There is nothing you could say to help, in this kind of warfare, you can't let loss get to you. For obvious reasons.

All I could do was start to rebuild my home, it only took a few minutes to get what was left of my hole filled tent back up. The bed was still intact unlike the desk I used. I came back out, Twilight was still sat on the box, but she had stopped crying. I walked up to her and knelt down infront of her.

"W-Why... Why couldn't I save him." She sniffed, looking at me straight in the eyes. "If I only had my magic... I could've done something."

"No... there was nothing you could have done. He was a dead man." I sighed audibly as Twilight lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have taken you with me. But the twenty odd people we looked after..." I didn't know what to say. "Listen, even if you did have 'magic' do you still think you could've saved him?"

"I guess we'll never know." She said in a low tone. I cupped her hands in mine and looked her right in the eyes.

"You really are special Twilight..." She didn't look up. "... I believe you..." at that, her head shot up.

"W-What?" She stamered. I only nodded.

"I believe you..." She showed me that 'Je sais que tu mens, petit con' look. "I'm not joking, I really do believe you. Sure I had doubts at first but after all of this" I waved my arms about. "I know that there is no way in the moment you're anyone from this place. You wouldn't have looked so sad if you had seen this before. And we've been here for months and we haven't had any supplies in weeks so that rules out the possibility that you just arrived. That leaves one last possibility..." I sighed standing up and holding out my hand for Twilight to grab. "Though unless I get proof, this will only be temporary." She took my hand and I pulled her up.

"Thank you." She said with a small smile. I then took her into my tent.

"Why don't you get some sleep. I've gotta get a report to my superiors." I said, offering her my bed. Twilight layed down and I pulled the cover over her. I then turned away and left.

XXXXXXXXX

Twilight watched as Lou left her, she sighed and turned to face the wall, slowly but surely, her eyelids got heavier and heavier and before she knew it, she was asleep.

As soon as her eyes had closed in the real world, her eyes shot open in the dream world. For once though, she wasn't floating in the eeky blackness of the realm of sleep like she usually did when she got there.

She took a look round, the ground she was walking on was solid for once. But either way, she stood ready in case it was a trick.

Seconds later, a voice echoed around the void. Twilight stood ready, hoping that she would be able to defend herself this time. In the blackness surrounding her, Twilight could see a figure approaching her. She leaned her head forward so that she could charge The Shadow with her horn.
She knew that she had no magic, but her horn would certainly hurt him.

Just as she was about to charge the intruder, She reeled back in chock at the site a pony she thought she would never see again.
It was the Doctor. He stood there, staring at Twilight. She just stared back at him, Slowly they both approached each other, their heads tilted to the side in a nervous and curious fashion. Once they were muzzle to muzzle, Twilight broke the silence.

“Doctor?” She asked nervously. The brown pony starred at Twilight without blinking, slowly he raised a hoof up to Twilights face. And without a moments hesitation, he brought her into a hug. Twilight was shocked by the fact that she was being hugged. But she soon returned it.

“Oh Twilight,” The Doctor began. “After days of searching, we've finally found you.” Twilight was surprised to hear the Doctor say that but it was so comforting to know that she wasn't alone.

“I-I don't understand, how did you get here? Where's the Shadow?” She stammered. They broke the hug and the Doctor gave a small smile.

“The... The Shadow as you call him is trying to regain control of your dreams. He's trying right now. How I'm here is thanks to Discord, his chaos magic is just strong enough for us to contact you.” He rapidly said not to waste any time. Twilight looked sad at this point, she was so happy to see her friend but only to find out that the Shadow was on his way back to control.

“Listen I don't have much time, Discord is struggling to maintain the connection so just listen and don't speak,” Twilight nodded. “All right, first things first, are you safe?” Twilight only nodded, staying silent. “Okay and is there any other form of intelligent equine life where you are?”

“Not that I'm aware of but where I am I'm a creature called a Human-” she began but the Doctor cut her off.

“Humans? Okay that's good, are there any humans with you?” She nodded again. “Okay, listen closely, this could be our last meeting until the Shadow is out of your head. So for us to be able to talk to you via psychic link, you will have to get rid of him” He said to Twilight who was now beginning to cry.

“Bvut how? How do I get rid of him?” She asked as tears began to fall down her face.

“I don't know yet but one of the first things to do is to get a human to help you. Find a human you know you can trust and tell them who you really are.” He said, but now the walls were beginning to vibrate.

“How? I've tried to tell them but they don't believe me” She wept.

“Here” The Doctor said, holding just above his hoof a ball of violet light. He then brought it up to Twilight's forehead and allowed the ball of light to seep through the pours of her shin. “There a bit of Chaos magic, think of it as a present from Discord.”

“T-Thanks”

“Twilight, I cannot stress the importance that you show a human, that you trust, what you really are. Normally I would say 'stay hidden and don't let anyone know' but in this case a human could be your only help. We'll try and figure out the Shadow problem but I think only a human you trust to heart can help you with that.” The Doctors body soon began to dissipate in front of her. Twilight took a few steps back, the Doctor looked down at his body, he could see he didn't have long.

Turning his attention back to Twilight, the tears soon began to flow freely down her face. Her lifted his right hoof and wiped them away. “You can do this Twilight, the magic of friendship will always be with you. You just need some help.”

“But how? What will telling a human get me? They don't appear to be able to do magic. How could they possibly help---” The Doctor cut her off by placing his hoof over her mouth. The vibrating grew louder and it was almost impossible to hear anything else.

Slowly the brown stallion brought his head next to Twilight's, and whispered into her ear. “Humans, are the strangest and yet the most loyal creatures I have ever met. If anyone can help you, they can.” He pulled his head away, and smiled at Twilight. His body was almost non-existent. Only his neck and head were still visible.

“PRINCESSSSSSS-” A dark and Mysteron like voice echoed around them. A figure appeared in the surrounding mist.

As the rest of the doctor's body began to break off and fly into a rip in the void, he looked straight into Twilight's eyes. As his head began to break apart, he yelled “TIME TO SHINE!” As the words dissipated, he slammed Twilight's head with his own head. An awful pain erupted through her head, but just like a dream she had no time to feel it.

Just as her eyes closed in pain in the dream world. Her eyes shot open in the real world.

She gasped for breath as the sounds of the dream faded into the air. Once she had caught her breath, she took a loo, at her surroundings. She was in Lou's tent... well... what was left of it anyway. She sat up and looked down at her now Human body even though she had been a pony just a few seconds before. In her dream.

She could feel some of the tears that she had shed before waking up. Even though she hadn't slept for (what was her a few minutes) long, she was still exhausted. Her jaw began to open in a yawn. Her tongue pocked out before she outstretched her arms.

Only to hear a massive: RRRIIIIIIPPPPPP

She spun around but found nothing wrong, sure the tent had loads of tears but nothing that could explain the sound she had just heard. For some reason, something felt off. Actually, a few things felt off.

The fabric she was wearing over her upper body seemed extremely loose, and something strange and yet very familiar was making her back itch.

Suddenly, the strange bit of clothing fell off as something behind her caused the last of the seams to break. And a large shadow appeared in front her as something behind her blocked the rays of sunlight by placing itself either outside or between her and the holes in the roof which normally allowed sunlight to come through and create her shadow on the ground.

But now, something big and wide was stopping the phenomenon from happening. Slowly and carefully, Twilight turned her head. Fear in her eyes as she wasn't sure what to expect. But those fears turned to shock and surprise as a familiar and yet unexpected lavender sight folded itself back to its standby position.

Comments

[Commander Darklight]

yes twilight now you can perform death from above

[Edguy0009]

Crashing to the ground in the middle of the shelter, I groaned as I lay on the ground since a piece of shrapnel had lodged itself in my right arm and left leg. The pain was awful, I was screaming for all it was worth. Jack slid over to me and began to look at my wounds. He then proceeded to push me up against the wall. I was sitting, back to the wall, I closed my eyes as I began to get a headache from the shrill of 5, 10, 16, 20 inch naval rounds slamed into the ground. I suddenly felt an odd sensation on my left side. I opened my eys to find Twilight holding my arm as if it held all the safety of the world. But why did she come to hug me? Did I make her feel safe? Or was it because I was wounded?

There were no 20 inch naval guns made,10 inch guns were never fired in anger in WWII (that I know of) also the only naval rounds fired at Henderson Field (I'm assuming that's where they are) were 14 inch in the early hours of October 14 lasting 80 minutes with 80 rounds fired from the battleships (formerly battlecruisers) Kongo and her sister Haruna and later 8 in rounds on the night of October 14- 15 from Chokai with 752 rounds with a further barrage of 8 inch 1,500 rounds from Myoko and her sister Chokai on the night of October 15 - 16 (if it's naval guns) while 70mm howitzers were used (as those are the only land guns that I could find).