Ones Left Behind

by Pon13

Leaving Them Behind

"The Queen has Fallen! I repeat the Queen has Fallen. All changelings are to attack New Union soldiers on sight."

- Changeling Hivemind broadcast by Thorax - Start of the Changeling Rebellion

---

”Keep quiet and follow me” Hammer Fell whispers with authority. Jax notices the unicorns instinctive change of attitude due to many years in service. Jax and Major follow the unicorn to an old sloop boat that has seen too many days at sea. The wood rot of the vessel can be clearly seen as it bobs up and down in the gentle waves. It's masts frayed and torn with a sickly yellow hue. The sloop should of been decommissioned years ago.

”Skipper!” Hammer Fell yells out to the boat.

“Thats cliche.” Jax mutters quietly still slightly irritated by the pain in his chest.

”Quiet boy!” The unicorn snaps back.

”Skipper! its me Lock, I’m calling in a favor!”

The boat hatch opens, and a dusty grey earth pony with a dark green mane drunkenly stumbles out onto the deck. His eyes are blood shocked as he stumbles around on his hooves on deck. ”Well... I be bucked. I-I thought I was hearing things. Lock its really you!” The sailor pony stumbles over his words.

”Yeah, I’m glad to see you too.”

”It was getting lonely out here. These docks weren’t like they used to be.” Skipper stumbles over his hooves.

“And he’s drunk... The cliché strikes again, or is it just a sailor thing?” Jax folds his arms shortly before receiving a jab to his thigh from Hammer Fell.

”Shut it,” The unicorn scolds the satyr "”Skipper I need you to get us across the water towards north.”

”Su- Sure.. thing, You're in luck too there's a wind blow from the south too." The drunk pony kicks over a plank to make a make shift gangway. "We’ll be there in no time. Hop aboard.”

Major speaks up as he backs eyes the sloop. ”I think I’ll take my chances and fly across.”

”Just get on board you stupid cat. No griffon can fly that distance, at night no less.” Hammer Fell fires a hoof towards the vessel. "Or you can leave Jax with me."

Major looks between Jax and the rotten ship ”That thing is a death trap. It will bucking sink as soon we leave the dock! To make things worst an old drunk is sailing it!” Look at the rot even more the griffon arches his back like a house cat back backs away.

Hammer Fell watches on as his lips curl into a smile. He can't believe what he is seeing ”Are..are you really that scared of sailing. Or is it true about the griffons fear of water?”

”What!? NO! I mean I know a death trap when I see one!” Major snaps back.

Hammer Fell trots beside the sacred griffin and speaks to him softly as he magically lifts his musket from his back with great care. ”Now look at that boat and a tell me what's unsafe about it..”

Major points his talon at the decaying hull ”Well for one th-”

SMACK!

Hammer Fell hits him on the back of his head with the stock of the musket. The griffon falls into a heap on the cold cobble stone dock.

”Boy, help me get this scaredy cat on the boat.”

The waves gently hitting the side of the boat cause it to rock side to side and it leaves the docks. To Jax's surprise Skipper can sail the ship pretty well by himself, even in his drunken state. Placing his elbows on the side of the ship the satyr watches at the moon rising from the horizon as he descends into deeper thought.

Who is still raising the sun and moon? Thinking back he taught in school the sun rises due the emperor's will. He let out a dismissive snort. Maybe the princesses of the sun and moon has something to do with it. It’s not that hard to make that connection. Then again there’s only one left, to to his best guess Luna has taken on the role. He think back to your dream or flashback or whatever that was.

"Why did she want me to know what happened?" The satyr mutters to himself. "And why did some humans choose to help the changeling queen and betray Celestia?" He rubs his eyes as more questions arises in his mind. The only thing that Jax knew for certain is the first princess he saw was Luna and she may still be alive.

”A bit for your thoughts boy?” Hammer Fell speaks up noticing Jax with a distant look upon his face.

“Hammer Fell!...right...sorry…” The satyr jolts away from the side.

The old unicorn laughs "Didn’t mean to startle you," His mirth slips to a more concerned expression. "but what’s up? You’ve been looking out over the water for an hour now.”

"Has it been that long?" Jax mostly asks himself before turning around to face the unicorn “Hey Hammer, What happened to Luna?”

"Boy, honestly those questions will lead you into some trouble. But the short story is, no-pony knows. As Canterlot fell into the NU’s rule," Hammer Fell shrugs he sholders "Luna took off with her thestral soldiers Well that’s the last time anypony seen her I guess.”

Jax groans in response knowing full well it just poses more questions other than answers. A yawn creeps up on the young satyr. "Maybe it’s time to catch some sleep," As he turns around, he notices Major sprawled out on the deck still out cold. “Is he going to be okay?” the biped points a finger towards the griffon.

"Him? He'll be fine, I hit him harder than that in the battle of Canterlot. See that scar under his wing?” The unicorn motioned Jax to take a closer look at the major. Jax can just make out a long scar running down the underside of his wing in the moonlight. ”Got him with my spear. But the main reason I knocked him out because he wouldn’t have made it to the other side of the water. Fly over this amount of water would probably prove fatal to him.”

Jax tries to image the fight between Hammer Fell and the Major though he does find it funny seeing two enemies having to work together. Yet he does worry about them butchering each other, they are his friends after all.

“Are you worried about him waking up. I think he’ll be pretty annoyed.”

”Heh, that the reason I left him on deck. Hopefully he’ll freak out when he see’s the water and forget I hit him.”

“I think I’m going to hit the hay.” Jax struggles to say through a yawn.

After asking Skipper where he can can sleep, Jax make his way to his ‘bed’. Skipper called it a bed, but it more like a pile of old sails. Letting out a groan the satyr bunches up some sails so its at least comfy enough to lay on.

Once again Jax is surrounded by blackness. Unlike before he keeps calm and wait for Luna to arrive again. A bit of disappointment sets in as she doesn’t appear this time, but once again a bright light fills his sight. He find himself self in a different place and time. Standing in room full of mirrors where he sees Luna and Celestia talking.

”Art thou positive about this dear sister?” Luna stop her dear sister before she goes through the mirror portal.

”We have no option.” Celestia replies trying to sound sure.

”Will the humans help us?”

”I’m sure. I’ve been doing negations with them for a long time. I can safely say they would at least one or two of their countries would consider.”

”Very well, sister be safe and bring us the good news.”

A loud squawk cuts the dream short as Jax lays there gathering he senses. Another loud squawk pierces his ears, in a panic he get to his hooves and stumble on deck.

”Major! calm down!” Hammer Fell yells at the distressed griffon. ”Listen to me! look over there, land is only while away.” The disgruntled unicorn fires a hoof towards the land that is slowly appearing on the horizon

”How can I calm down! You put me on this deathtrap! I’m going to tear you apart.” Major pants between his shouts. He looks livid , so much for Hammer Fells plan.

”Fine, come and get me you old feather duster.” The old unicorn readies his hooves for a fight.

The griffin looks like he was going to pounce onto Hammer Fell, only for a freak wave to hit the side of the boat cause it to creak loudly braking Majors resolve for a fight. "Get me off this bucking boat!” In a pathetic display for the griffon, Major covers his face with his talons and starts shivering.

Hammer Fell turns to you and shakes his head being slightly amused. "Boy, believe it or not he was the most feared griffon on the battlefield...” A smile breaks out on the unicorn’s face. "Now look at him” the unicorn eventually breaks into a wholehearted laugh.

The sun starts to peak over the horizon as the ship pulls up to an old dock. Not much remains other than a floating harbor and an old deprecated shack. Gathering all their belongings Jax and Hammer Fell make their way off the sloop. Major has already flew the last few hundred yards to get off the ship as quickly as possible, he cheers on with joy of being back on land.

”Sweet Celestia, land!” Major exclaims.

”Huh, never thought I’d hear a griffin say that.” Hammer Fell mutters as he watches the griffon over his shoulder. Drawing his attention to the old sailor he spots him carrying a spear with a set of saddlebags on his back. "Hey Skipper what are-" The unicorn looks on in horror as the sloop sails off by itself. "Skipper! your ship!"

Skipper doesn't bother to look back out to sea as a deafening explosion erupts from the ship. "You did me well old girl.” He looks down at the ground not baring to see his ship slowly sink into the depths.

”In Celestia’s name Skipper!” Hammer Fell yells at him.

"I was planning to go down with my ship last night.” Skipper says in a unnerving tone as he pushes pass the unicorn he pauses almost out of ear shot, "One last adventure don't you think Lock?"

The group of four walk through the farmlands keeping their eye out for griffon or minotaur patrols. It seems luck is in their favor as not a single patrol has been seen. After a few miles Jax got used to the pain from his ribs, though stepping into a pothole or any sudden movement causes the pain to flair. Clutching his side he quickly jogs up to Hammer Fell who was walking upfront alone.

"Well that makes four of us now. If we gain another, it’ll make a full unit.” Hammer Fell chuckles as he glances at Jax walking beside him.

"So you were a lieutenant?" Jax questions the old unicorn.

"Correct." The smile on Hammer slips away as the same questions always seems to follow when others ask.

"Do you miss them? I mean your soldiers?"

”That I do boy. Me and that platoon went to Tartarus and back,” The unicorn looks over his shoulder and glares at Major who is chatting away with Skipper. Facing front again Hammer Fell sighs, slowly shaking his head, ”I bet the rest of my bits that you going to ask about me and Major.”

“Yeah I was going to ask that.”

”Well towards the end of the war, I was stationed in Canterlot, in preparation for the siege. I was my platoons’ job to defend the remains of the vaults. How the battle played out, I can safely say it was the Majors job to secure it.”

“I guessing him being a Major, he outnumbers you?”

”You been reading those military books again?” The small smile grows on Hammers face. ”You are right though, My platoon defended that place for three days straight. Even when the walls fell and the rest of the army retreated to the castle, we stayed.”

“How did you hold out for that long?” Jax pushes on for more information he knew Hammer Fell never really talks about the battles, in fact all he knew of the unicorn that he were a soldier during the war.

”We retreated into the remains of the tunnels so the griffins didn’t have an aerial advantage.”

The unicorn gave the same thousand-yard stare as Major did when he was asked him about the Vaults. ”That place quickly went south. I can still remember the stench of rotting bodies and the blood...” Hammer Fells shakes in images from his mind. ”Ugh...sorry boy. Same scars never heal. Can we talk about something else.”

“Yeah...sure.”

Jax admires a quaint farm cottage and the stone wall that marks the garden's edge. Hammer stops with his ears twitching as something has put him on alert, almost instantly he pulls the satyr down behind the wall with his magic. Major and Skipper follows suit.

"Whats..."

"Shh!" Hammer Fell hushes Jax.

The door of the cottage burst open. A sobbing mare and a terrified male satyr makes their way outside followed by two griffon guards. The four peaks over the wall as they observe the situation. Jax notices the satyr is of similar age as him. It was a given since the humans were around only for a few years.

”Please don't hurt us!” The mare sobs and pleas as she holds on to her satyr.

Mam, you have been found guilty under the new law of birth rights. A griffin spoke up wearing an officer's hat while he loads his flintlock pistol. ”By giving birth of a satyr you have committed the crime of treason.”

”But that was nineteen years ag-” The mare jolts and slumps forward.

"Mom!" The satyr screams in anguish.

The other griffon aims his pistol at the satyr trembling with is aim.

"Well rookie...Shoot him," The officer griffon reloads his gun. "Or I will."

"This- this isn't right... There's no honor in this..." His talon holding the pistol shakes even more. "I can't"

"Honor is following orders without question rookie," The officer aims his pistol at the satyr.

Bang!
Crack!

The satyr gurgles as he tries to scream only to twitch in his death throws. The officer slumps face first into the grass with a gaping gunshot to his back. The other griffon looks up to find Jax aiming his gun over the wall standing in dead silence. A dead weight sinks into Jax's stomach knowing full well he's just taken a life, and not quick enough to save another.

The rest of the group aim their muskets over the wall at the rookie guard who simply drops his pistol. Taking the initiative Major hops over the wall and apprehends him.

"What in the name of emperor was that!" Major bellows at the guard.

Jax still with his gun held up to his shoulder froze in place tears running down cheeks.

”Jax!....You bucking idiot!” The unicorn scorns him as he uses his magic to turn Jax's head to face him - "You are luck-"

"I-I..."

Hammer Fell knew that look, he seen so many give the same expression after coming back from their first battle. "Skipper check the cottage." He orders the sailor pony before wrapping a foreleg around Jax who is now slouching against the wall.

Jax didn't know what came over him, how could he take a life so easily yet be so incompetent to save another. "He was scared Hammer." Jax mutters out between sobs.

"There was nothing we could of done. but heavens sake don't run into conflict like that." Hammer Fell pulls Jax up gently with his magic. "Boy. If I did you would be dead right now if the other wasn't a rookie. He would have killed you first, as you were the closest potential threat.”

"I'm sorry I didn't..."

"Nevermind, lets go inside and find supplies, this family won't be using them." Hammer Fell starts to head towards the cottage.

Major stops him in the tracks holding a piece of paper. ”I think you should see this…”

Snatching the paper from Major he reads it. "It’s orders, straight from the emperor himself" Hammer Fell read out the rest aloud, ”The year trail of Project Human have been cut short. After six months in education and funding the satyr abomination has failed to produce any progress on human technologies. The courts have deemed satyrs a threat to national security. Officers are now granted the rights to trial and execution…”

Major looks at Hammer Fell, with an emotion that indicated betrayal.

”I bet your well happy now, knowing you two fought for this!” Hammer Fell barks at the Major and the rookie guard before diverting his attention a Jax who is stood in the doorway ”Boy go upstairs with Skipper and tell him to look for anything that's useful for supplies. Mainly food and bits. I'll check the room below.”

Major turns towards the guard and throws a punch that clips his beak. "If you know what's good for you, then ditch the uniform, change your name and quit playing toy soldiers."

The guard just nods with absolute fear in his eyes, with a flap of his wings he took off.

Jax climbs the stairs to hear Skipper in one of the upstairs rooms. He hears him talking to someone as if they are a foal. Making his way along the hallway Jax side steps a dead stallion with a massive wound to the chest. By the state of things there were definitely a struggle that taken place here. Noticing a short sword lay next to the stallion shown that he died defending his family. Jax guessed that the dead pony must of been a step father to the satyr.

"Come on, I ain't going to hurt you." Skipper beckons with a hoof as a small face of a filly slips back under the bed.

"Skipper?" Jax peers into a bedroom.

”Hey Jax, there’s a filly under the bed. Poor things terrified. Do you reckon you can talk her out from under the bed?”

"Sure," Jax enters the room. Grabbing Skippers shoulder he whispers in his ear to hide the body outside the door. The sailor nods and grabs the sheet off the fillies’ bed.

“Hey…” Crouches down to see the filly, not sure what to say he decides something simple "Are you hurt?"

”Brother?” A small voice comes from under the bed.

Jax looks down at his legs. Then glances out the window to see Major dragging the other satyr into a dug grave. He spots the legs of the satyr are of the same color. “No, Im not your brother,” Getting on his hand's and knees he see's the light yellow filly. “My name’s Jax, I’m from Manehatten.”

The filly shuffles back further, her face stained with tears. A long silence come from under the bed, Jax opens his mouth to speak. Instead the young filly cuts in. ”Have you seen my mom and dad?”

Jax just looks at Skipper who returns through the door. Giving him a pleading look only to get a shrug in return.

"I think she's got the hint Jax." Skipper finally speaks up. Slipping past Jax he lays down on the floor to speak to the filly. "Hey, it's me again, The mean griffons are gone now, its safe to come out."

"But.." The filly wimpers.

"Come on, you can't stay here, we got to go." Skipper gives her a kind smile.

Finally the filly gives in and slowly crawls out from under the bed. On the way out Jax grabs the fillies little woolly scarf and hat and shoves them in his rucksack. He does the last scan of the room and grabs a small teddy bear before leaving.

The three makes their way along the hallway. The body is now gone, Jax nods to Skipper for his quick thinking.
As they descend the stairs they spot Hammer Fell watching Major with a shovel in the garden. The unicorn looks back at them.

”Oh great…. I was fearing this would happen.” He looks at the young filly.

There was little conversation after saying a few words over the new graves, only a few questions for the little filly, she didn't say much other than her name is Little Bale. The countryside had a odd stillness to it other than a gentle wind and a odd bird tweeting in the afternoon sun. The young filly is now laying on Skippers back as he hums a song. She has taken to the old earth pony.

”Mr Skipper?” Little Bale speaks up.

"Hmm?" Skipper cuts his humming.

"Do you know the song, oh I forgot the name of it." The filly starts to choke up as she couldn't remember the name of the song. "My mom used to sing it to me and my brother."

"Well can you sing a bit?"

”~There's a rhythm and rush these days~” Little Bale sings out of tune.

”Your in luck, that's a human song and I do recognize it.”

”Really? My mom told me my brothers' real dad use to sing it to him” Little Bale perks up a little "Can you sing it?"

Skipper clears his throat and starts to sing. "There's a rhythm in rush these days
~Where the lights don't move and the colors don't fade ~ Leaves you empty with nothing but dreams ~In a world gone shallow ~ In a world gone mean..."

The others has to admit that Skipper has a pretty good voice. He's gravely low voice makes the song somewhat soothing yet slightly haunting at the same time. To Little Bale on the other-hand was soothing as she starts to doze on skippers back giving a sniffle now and again between her breathing.

"~To feel your heart as it's keeping time ~We'll do whatever just to stay alive..." Skipper finishes the last verse he looks over his shoulder to see the young filly fast asleep.

Everyone looks at Major who stops in his tracks with a surprised expression on his face.

"Alright Major?" Hammer Fell asks the griffon.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you all didn't burst into song like you ponies do," Major turn as continue to walk "I think I would have to shoot you all if you did."

"You sour puss." Skipper chuckles. "You're just jealous."

Comments

[trentondave]

Interesting read so far. Hope to see more soon.