It was the perfect time in the morning for Enfield, before the hens and roosters rose, she jumped off her bed, landing with a roll, rotating her neck she loosened her muscles as she began her morning yoga routine she sighed as the knots that had formed in her back from the lack of movement slowly unraveled. Soon she began doing pushups, fighting the desire to cry.
It was only an hour later when her door was gently opened, "Enfield it's time to get up," Moth called out walking to the bed she froze, the bed was empty. Moth shook her wife up, "Sabine, Enfield's gone I-I checked her room and she wasn't there, w-was I too hard on her?" She rambled to Sabine who grumbled rubbing her eyes.
"Did you check downstairs or the bathroom? Sabine groggily asked, getting out of their shared bed heading to the hall, "I'll check downstairs you check the bathroom," she yawned out walking downstairs.
"Did you find her?" Moth asked heading down the stairs, only to see Sabine shaking her head worry now having infected her, "D-did we do something to make her want to run away after only one night?" She asked her wing spasming, her breaths become quick. Suddenly the front door opened and Enfield walked through huffing.
"Morning," Enfield said heading towards the stairs before she was swept up in a hug.
"Ashkur alshams, you're back whatever we did to make you run away we're so sorry and promise to never do it again," Moth apologized nuzzling the filly's hair.
"Runaway, I didn't run away," Enfield said, trying to pull herself out of the hug, "I went out for a run, that's why my fur is wet," slowly she was put down as Moth thought about what was said to her.
"That's a relief, she's just fit," Sabine said chuckling and going into the kitchen, "I'm gonna start breakfast, something full of energy for the little marathon runner," she called out over the clashing of pans.
"Why did you thank the sun?" Enfield asked Moth, noticing the white stripes that covered her legs also covered her barrel and back.
"It's a habit of mine ever since I became a citizen of Equestria, I thank Princess Celestia for the good things that happen," Moth said leading Enfield back upstairs, "and I neither thank nor curse anything for the bad," she told her opening the door to the bathroom, "You get washed up, while I wake Night up and make sure she's ready for school," she said starting to close the door, "so excited for your first day, good luck," Moth stated walking away.
"Uh-huh, thanks," Enfield called out removing her coat and pants and turning on the shower, "Wait school!?" she called out.
Enfield sat at the table grumbling as she rolled her sleeves, "Stop whining and eat your food," Sabine said picking at her own food.
"If you're going to make me go to school, can I at least have some of your fish?" Enfield asked the ponies and griffin around her stopping what they were doing, "What? You're forcing me to go to school, despite the fact I've had enough schooling for two lifetimes, so show me a little bit of respect and give me enough protein, and nutrients to support my active lifestyle," she bargained.
Sabine smiled and cut her fish in half, placing the piece on Enfield's plate, "Moth sweetheart, can we keep her?" she teasingly asked as the filly smiled biting into the fish and letting out a satisfied sigh, "I think I'm going to have to buy extra fish now," Moth simply shook her head in disbelief.
Night Fox giddily walked with Enfield towards the schoolhouse, "So how did the fish taste?" she asked, "because I was always curious because mom eats it and sometimes mom asks for a taste, she says it gives her a taste of her childhood, but I was too nervous to ask because most ponies don't eat fish," Night finished, "also why do you wear those clothes?"
Enfield took a deep breath, "The fish was good I'm looking forward to having more and I wear my uniform because I feel more comfortable in it," she told her potential sister as they approached the schoolhouse where the rest of the kids were waiting for their teacher. it only took a few minutes of waiting around for the teacher to come down the road and open the door, letting the students file in.
"Okay now everypony we have another new student," The mare said, "If you'd please come up, I'm Ms. Cheerilee, please introduce yourself to the class and tell us a little about yourself," Cheerilee told Enfield.
With a sigh Enfield walked up and turned to face the class, "Hi, I'm Lilly Maxis Strike, please call me Strike or Enfield, I will not respond to Lilly, I don't have a dad and I have heterochromia apparently, I woke up in the hospital after falling down a hill and almost drowning, and I'm currently staying with Mrs. Sabine and Moth for a little," Enfield said heading back towards the desk she had picked next to Night Fox, ignoring the shocked looks on the fillies and colts faces.
"Ahem, well now Lil, I mean Miss. Strike, that was quite the compact introduction," Cheerilee uncomfortably said, "Well, our first lesson is basic multiplication," Enfield sat with a bored look on her face, answering the questions when none of the other ponies would raise their hooves, even as they went through the other classes, Enfield didn't particularly mind if she was right or wrong she just wanted to be done, soon they were let out for recess.
Night Fox was trying to convince Enfield to join her in playing a game of tag when a pair of pink and grey fillies approached them, "Looking at you I can see why your daddy left you, I wouldn't hang around," The pink filly said, Enfield, glanced over her shoulder before going back to Night Fox, "I guess she's hard of hearing too," the grey one said giggling.
"Leave her alone Diamond Tiara," Night Fox said her voice wavering a little.
"Oh, and what is the vampony going to do about it, suck our blood?" Diamond Tiara teasingly asked feigning fear, causing tears to pull at the edges of Night Fox's eyes as her cheeks puffed out and a frustrated blush covered her face, she quickly calmed down when Enfield put a hoof on her shoulder.
"Go and play with the fillies and colts deserving of your attention, my leg's still a little sore from this morning," Enfield said as she walked over to a tree and laid underneath it, closing her eyes.
"Oh not even going to give us the time of day?" Diamond Tiara asked rolling Enfield over onto her back, Enfield opened her eyes and shook her head, "Well that's rude, you should always listen to your betters," the pink filly said, "After all you'll be working for me pretty soon teacher's pet," Diamond said kicking some dirt into Enfield's face.
Enfield coughed up the dirt and rubbed some out of her face, "Now that was rude, you," Enfield started before stopping herself, "What's the rudest thing I could call you?" Enfield asked out loud, "Milk drinker?" she unsurely said, "That's stupid, milk drinker what am I thinking, why do I even care what you say or do, you're just a spoiled little girl," Enfield said looking up and laughing, her eye quickly catching something in the branches of the tree.
"I AM NOT SPOILED!" Diamond Tiara screamed.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," Enfield said holding her hoof up to the filly's muzzle, "I go something to do," she said as she heard Cherilee call out to the students to come back in. Enfield ignored her and began to climb the tree.
"Ms. Strike what are you doing? I told the class recess was over," Cherilee called out, Enfield ignored her continuing climb before choosing a branch and precariously balancing it as she headed towards what was clearly becoming a pair of tan saddlebags, "Ms. Strike you are going to get hurt you need to come down now," Cherilee demanded.
"Give me a sec," Enfield grunted out as she almost lost her balance, getting closer to it she saw the saddlebags had U.S marines stamped on the sides, "Oh fu-," she started to say before the branch snapped behind her causing her to hit the ground, "Why universe," she whined, "I'm a marine I can't stop swearing," she tried to reason with the air. Getting back to her hooves she slipped underneath the saddlebags a wide smile on her face, "Sorry about that but this is mine and I wanted to get it back," Enfield said walking back to the schoolhouse.
Cherilee watched as the filly fell and quickly jumped to her feet with a smile on her face. Shaking her head she went back to her class and continued her lessons, as the day waned to an end she called out to Night Fox and Enfield, "Do you two mind staying a little bit longer, Night Fox your mom said she'd be picking you two up today," Night Fox yelled out an okay and jumped back to her desk and quickly pulled out a piece of paper and started to draw.
Enfield shrugged and looked over her new saddlebags, they had three external pockets on each of the main pockets, smiling Enfield looked through the external pockets quickly finding the lighter Rana had given her, running her hoof over the surface Enfield felt a single tear pull at her eye and land on the shined surface as she remembered the night she had given it to her, "Enfield are you ok, you're crying," she heard Moth ask sitting next to her.
"Just a good memory of a friend I won't be seeing again," Enfield choked out looking through the next pocket and finding her cigar case, "The next one is for you Rana," she whispered out, "and a little bit for me," she said laughing as she held the case close to her barrel, Moth got back up and moved over to Cherilee.
"How was her first day?" Moth asked, shifting nervously, "She didn't hit anypony did she?" Moth suddenly blurted out.
"No she didn't hit anypony, but it was a little bit of a rough start, she isn't the most... excitable filly, in fact, she seemed bored throughout most of the class," Cheerilee said, "she also didn't want to play with the other foals," she told Moth before lowering her voice, "I also think one of the other fillies was picking on her, I wouldn't worry too much about it, she doesn't seem bothered by it," Cherilee assured the mother.
"O-okay, so I'll just take them back home and ask a few questions," Moth said assuring herself more than anything, quickly helping Enfield tighten her saddlebags before ushering the fillies back to their house. Moth opened the door and looked upon a dejected Sabine, "Kids go play upstairs," Moth the fillies before walking up to her wife, "What happened sweetheart?"
"I didn't get the job," Sabine sighed out wiping a few tears from her eyes, "Some stupid stallion with a sapphire as his cutiemark got the job," she spit, "Because 'jewelry is his special talent', and 'jewelry isn't a mares job anyhow' buncha malarkey," Sabine mockingly said.
Wrapping a wing around her wife Moth held her close, "You know you don't need to work so hard to get a job, my stipend will cover all four of us," Moth told her nuzzling the hen's plume.
Sabine slowly pulled herself out of the embrace, "Well, I feel like I do, you, you are this amazing mare who has been through stuff that could break a griffin!" Sabine snapped tears forming in her eyes as Moth recoiled, "I feel insignificant next to you when I can't even pull in a few extra bits to buy extra little toys or snacks for Night Fox, and what about toys for Enfield if she decides she wants to stay with us, huh?" the griffin stated with a bit more aggression than she really meant.
"You don't have to worry about toys for me," Enfield said stepping down the stairs, "I don't mind, never had 'em before why would I need them now?" she asked stepping up to Sabine, "and so what you didn't get the job?" the filly said stepping in front of the hen, "you going to sit and mope around? Or are you going to get a different job and make them regret not hiring you, which is it, catbird?" Enfield asked pushing enough confidence, aggression, and intimidation through her voice; that back on earth a drill instructor looked up from his paper and a single tear of joy rolled down his face as he smiled.
Sabine looked down at the filly about to reprimand her for talking to her that way before stopping and thinking on the words, "You're right I want to bring some extra bits into my house, I should do so," Sabine said starting to get hyped, "All I need is some gems, metal, and a little forge," she started to ramble, "and I can make my own jewelry I can do custom requests, and you can be Tartarus sure I'll get it exactly how my customer wants it," she stated walking into the kitchen, "NOW WHAT DO WE WANT FOR DINNER!?" she called out before the clanking of pans could be heard.
Moth looked over and gave a grateful smile to Enfield, "That was very nice to inspire her like that," she told her before frowning, "but it was really mean to call her a catbird, you shouldn't do that," Moth pointedly told the filly.
"I'm sorry, insults is how my trainer got us to focus in basic," Enfield said before giving a shrug, "It worked didn't it?" she cheekily asked getting a shake of the head from Moth. Dinner was a fun ordeal even for Enfield who was quietly dreading going back to school in the morning.
"So Ms. Cheerilee said you might have been picked on at school today?" Moth asked, "What was it about?" she continued as Enfield started to cough up some water.
"She was making fun of me for not having dad and I think she called me ugly too? Enfield said, "I didn't really mind, then Night Fox got involved telling her to leave me alone," she continued, "and she went right after how she looked," Enfield told Moth, "I told Night Fox to go play with the other foals, and just ignored the spoiled brat, not my first rodeo with a bully," Enfield finished as she ate the last few pieces of salad she had. "May I be excused, I'd like to get to bed early, don't want to worry you when I go out for my morning run again," she said getting off her chair and heading up the stairs.
Enfield settled back into her bed and drifted off to sleep.
"Rana, don't worry I got you," Strike said sliding next to her best friend and grabbing the loop on the back of her plate carrier, "Just don't miss, alright," she told the woman starting to drag her behind a wall, doing her best to ignore the bullet cracking past her. Getting in position behind the wall Strike quickly grabbed the IFAK off of Rana's carrier and removed the tourniquet, "You aren't dying today because you're going to come to America and we're going to die on some fucking idealistic porch at the same time while bitching about our husbands who both happened to be gay," she said with tears in her eyes as she tightened the tourniquet around her upper thigh, "And then in heaven we'll spend all day together just shooting the shit about all the crazy things we got up to when we were 97, like drifting a semi-truck," Strike started to become incoherent between her sobs. Suddenly Rana's hand shot up and pushed Strike to the side before she fired a round hitting an enemy combatant in the head.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," Rana said holding her revolver steady, "Now let's get to that safe zone, and me to a medic," she commanded Strike nodded and grabbed the pull loop and started to drag her, it didn't take too much longer to get to 'safe' zone as Strike doubled timed it, ignoring most of the soldiers around her. Ducking into the command building medic quickly took Rana to the side and started treating her. Strike ran to a window where the rest of her squad was holding off attacks.
"Alright Ramirez," Her NCO called out, "we're running low on ammo so only take kill shots," his voice filled Strike, "Corporal there you are, take over Wade's position so he can reload us," he commanded, with a nod Corporal Strike pulled up to Wades' spot and fired off three rounds in quick succession, felling three insurgents.
"Three K.I.A," she called out before firing off two more rounds, "make it five," she said ducking down and loading two stripper clips before slamming the bolt forward, shouldering the rifle she took a deep breath and fired off another round, "There's too many, we can't hold this position for much longer," Strike called out rapidly firing off the 9 rounds.
"Goddamn, you're killing it with that rifle," Wade said loading magazines, "maybe we should call you Enfield from now on?" he jokingly asked, Strike closed her eyes, only her fourth month of her first deployment. Suddenly the world became dark and inky.
"Such a fierce warrior," the deep voice of a woman called, "I'd like to higher your services, I could use such a powerful enforcer in my new empire," the voice stated before a mare formed in front of her.
"And who the fuck are you?" Strike asked.
"I am Nightmare Moon, the true ruler of Equestria," Nightmare said, "I've been locked in the moon for a thousand years. After I attempted to take the throne from my sister," she informed the marine.
"I'm not CIA, I don't do coups," Strike spit out, "so you can find some other fierce warrior to help you with this," she told the mare, Nightmare snarled and lunged forward opening her mouth sharp teeth and gripping Strikes face who screamed out and drew her knife, shoving it into the rib cage of the mare.
"Enfield are you okay?" Moth yelled out before letting out a screech seeing the blood that covered the filly's face.