A Great Endeavor

by Rune Soldier Dan

--Snapshot - Patton, Monty, and Rainbow Dash

This photograph – taken in Sicily in 1943 – became notable for several reasons. The men shaking hands are among the greatest Allied generals of the war, Patton and Montgomery. It was also one of the earliest photos of Equestrians alongside human soldiers. The pegasus pictured is Rainbow Dash, a pony whose time of fame would come later in the war. Newspapers across the globe showcased it as a symbol of Allied confidence, unity, and mutual respect.

Equestria had joined the Allied Powers scant months before, aligning itself closely with the American and British efforts. At the time of the photo they had yet to prove themselves in ground combat. Radio shows and newspapers on both sides treated their participation like a joke, and human soldiers saw them more as mascots than comrades.

Despite the mockery, the alliance with Equestria had already paid off for the Allies. American and British bombers could crush German positions, but bad weather frequently left them useless. Within weeks of their entry to the war, Equestria dispatched several teams of pegasi to clear clouds and manipulate storms in Italy. Their success was undeniable – Allied planes were immediately able to fly more missions with a higher success rate. As pegasi adapted to their role as soldiers, they began acting as artillery spotters, scouts, and rescue teams for downed airmen.

The “Cloud Kickers,” as they came to be called, developed a strong rapport with the pilots they served with. It was quickly noted that their captain Spitfire shared a name with a British fighter, and art of her on such planes became a common sight.

Patton, once vocal about his contempt for the Equestrians, later mentioned that he would “come to have more faith in the ponies than the Limeys [the British].” A remarkable concession from a stubborn man, but also a none-to-subtle dig at his other allies. The relationship between the two pictured generals would sour dramatically over the course of the war. Patton privately called Montgomery a “stink of a Limey fart.” The British officer was hardly more polite, calling Patton “a war-loving barbarian” and noting that “even Princess Celestia had difficulty remaining civil with him.”

The Princess, for her part, would do nothing but praise the skill of both men while remaining silent on what she thought of them personally.

Egos aside, the two generals were impressed by the Cloud Kickers. D-Day would see the pegasi doing their part as an established and respected part of the Allied war effort.

Comments

[Rune Soldier Dan]

Credit for the picture goes to Davca , used with permission. He's good at what he does.

Anyway, the 'snapshots' will cover short stories, side events, and other things I'm not keen on writing a full chapter for. Hope you enjoy.

Dan

[Lt Rainbow Slash]

Achtung! Spitfire!

[Deleted-account]

1607242

I like these little side stories. I'm liking this story in general.

[KiaraGate]

Heck yeah Patton!

[Ice Star]

The picture within this chapter is broken.

[Rune Soldier Dan]

8865471
If I'd known I'd be futzing with it six years later, no way would I have made pictures an integrated part of the story. >_>

Unfortunately, could not find a replacement for this one.

[Noc]

8865941
Heya, just starting to read this – that prelude fucked me up in a good way, I’m looking forward to the rest – and I think I found the missing pics over on Derpi, if you wanna relink them in the chapters. (I haven’t looked ahead so I don’t know how many are missing.) Here’s what I think is this chapter’s:
https://derpibooru.org/images/144341?q=artist%3Adavca
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/11/6/144341.jpg

[Rune Soldier Dan]

10461584
Heya, I'm glad your digging the fic so far. That is the right image - I wrote this many years ago, and unfortunately using pictures to help the storytelling was ultimately a bad idea. They're usually only major in the vignettes, so hopefully it won't kill the experience.

[iAmSiNnEr]

Yikes, the picture is a big rip.