Chapter 9: A new life…isn’t it?
I died. I accepted it. Finally, I can be reunited with my brother and friends in a better place.
Instead of a white light, I remained in a void of darkness, unable to move. Out of nowhere I heard a voice.
“Wake up, please.” It sounded familiar but I couldn’t figure out to who it belonged to.
I was numb and blinded by a white light as I slowly tried to opening my eyes.
Slowly, feeling returned to my body, as I heard another voice.
“Get up, soldier. That’s an order.” It was ordering yet polite and friendly.
“You still owe me a game of cards, comrade.” A third male voice.
“Come on, Herbert, wake up. I can’t wait to see you again.” A female child voice said to me.
The light started to become less intense, groaning, my eyes started to open.
“Come on, friend, you can do it.” This voice had a British accent.
As my vision came back, I saw 8 colored figures in front of me, too blurred to recognize them. They had a vague familiarity about them, just like the voices.
The light vanished slowly, as my eyes were slightly open. Much better.
“He’s coming to!” the child voice exclaimed happy.
As my vision finally became clear, I was met with the foal I had saved one year ago on the front.
Babs smiled warmly and was very happy, seeing that I was fully awoken.
“Herbert, we’re glad to see you’re finally woken up.”
She pointed to her sister, Princess Celestia, and 5 other ponies I didn’t know.
Looking around, I found myself in what appeared to be Bab’s and her sister’s house.
While I was happy to see her too, I still shock my head in disbelief. “Okay, now my brain is playing a joke on me.” I muttered and rubbed my head but felt no arm but fur.
I realized that I had no longer a hand. Instead, I was stunned to see a grey colored hoof.
Looking at my other hand, my mouth wide open as it was also a grey hoof. I continued to look over my body and came to the realization that I was a pony. An earth pony with grey coat, blue eyes and brown mane and tail.
My Cutie Mark was a red cross on the flag of Imperial Germany.
“This can’t be…” I muttered in disbelief.
“This is reality, brother.” The pony with also grey coat and blue eyes said to me. This pony had a black mane and tail. Wait, did it call me brother?
“Brother?” I asked confused.
“Yes it’s me Herbert, Holger.” The pony had the same voice as my brother. Instead of a red cross, he had a bird over the flag as Cutie Mark.
Next two him were two ponies with also grey coat. The first had a blond mane and tail and green eyes. The Cutie Mark showed a sewing machine under the German Flag. The other pony had brown eyes with matching hair. The Cutie Mark showed a Cooking cap under the flag.
That must be Fritz and Bergmann. But what happened?
Princess Celestia walked over to me and putted her wing on me.
“This is very confusing to you but let me explain.”
“I’m dead and in heaven?”
“Dead yes, in heaven…not directly. You could see this as your heaven or better said as a second chance.” She explained.
“Did god send me here?” I asked and the Princess shook her head.
“No, I did.” She smiled.
“But why?” I was confused more than ever in my life before.
“Based on the letters you wrote her, I saw how much you missed her I could also tell that you would most likely not survive the war. So I casted a spell that would send your spirit here. Once it arrived, you became a pony.” She explained.
“And how got my brother and friends here?”
“Simple. As we were as close as you were as nobody else, we got send here instead of heaven. The magic in her, spread to us,” Holger explained and hugged me with tears of joy, I returned also with tears, happy to see him again.
“Isn’t that cute, Timmy?” One of the two other ponies said. This pony had a brown coat but the same eye and mane color as me. His Cutie Mark was also a red cross but with the British Flag. The other one had also a brown coat with the same eye and Mane color as my brother. His Cutie Mark showed a carriage on the flag. Tommy and Timmy are also here.
“So, Herbert, I would love it if you’re my daddy.” Babs hugged me.
“How could I refuse?”
I got up and could walk on all fours without problem and could grab things also like I had still hands. It felt so naturally. Must be the magic.
“Yes, the magic allows you to walk on all fours without problems and to grab things," Celestia explained.
“I will always be grateful for taking care of my sister. Now Mr. Baumer, go out and enjoy your new life.” Sunflower smiled.
“Of course I will.” I replied as Babs climbed on my back. She started to sing the British song happy with a wide smile as I trotted out. My brother and friends followed me and sang too.
Mother said that I should make Earth my heaven. And I did, in a way I never thought would be possible.
One month later.
I enjoyed every minute of my new life. I lived with my brother on Bab’s farm. We loved to work on it, we didn’t mind getting dirty. The only thing I hated was crawling through the mud in the war. I really hated that.
I visited regularly Ponyville with her. I worked in the hospital with Tommy. Holger was a Mailpony, a good colleague of the Mailpony, Derpy Hooves and watched birds as hobby still.
Bergmann opened a Restaurant in Manehattan and helped in the Sugarcube Corner out if needed.
Fritz became a fashion designer, working together with Rarity, the big sister of CMC Member Sweetie Belle, who is also a fashion designer.
Timmy became a taxi driver in Manehattan.
I worked on the field with Sunflower and Holger as Babs returned from school.
“Daddy, Uncle, Sister, I’m home!” She exclaimed.
“Welcome home, my dear. How was school?”
“Great, Daddy! I'll eat something then meet with my crusaders!” She exclaimed happily.
As she left, we watched her until she was out of sight. I enjoyed my new life and I always will.
And that’s my story. A squad of young men who risked their lives to save to save another, and in doing so, found they were saved themselves.
Things get mixed up in wartime though and you’ll probably hear other versions.
A Medic who went insane by the war, trying to save a filly that only existed in his mind, who killed a buddy after reaching no man’s land. Then fought, talked and murdered his way across the Western Front, only to believe he resurrected from the dead by being born into a pony after landing into the madhouse.
But don’t listen to any of that. What you heard from me is the truth. I would tell you if it wasn’t.
“Would I?"