It was a scorcher of a day in your newish home here in Equestria. Celestia really went all out with whatever magic she uses to raise and lower the sun with today. Breathing in the hot and humid air of your tiny homestead you stop about 30 meters from your mailbox, taking another breath deeper this time your close youre eyes and lift your head to the sky feeling the suns warmth on your face brings a memory to your forethought.
"Hey Sweets, ill trade you my cookie for your jalapeno cheese" you said in your usual stern voice.
"sure but throw in your coffee too, im about to fall out over here" sweets haggled with his all too familiar shit eating grin.
agreeing the two of you throw each other the assorted items and star to go back to your MREs when Sweets chimes back in
"ill tell you man I cant wait to go back home and see my family and my girl" finishing that sentence he reaches into his undershirt and pulls out two mass produced stamped pieces of sheet metal with his personal information of them. Along with a third piece of metal this one masterfully crafter into a band to symbolize a union.
"I'm going to propose to her next time I'm state side."
Baker another crewmember of your m777 slaps Sweets on his back in a show of congratulations and says.
"Hey man congratulations I can speak for all of us when I say were all happy for you! where did you get the ring anyway we haven't been on leave for almost 5 months now. did you order it when online when we were on base?"
Sweets tucking back in his dog tags with a smirk on his face and reply's.
"Nah and nothing like that and this bad boy didn't cost me a dime"
"Then how'd you end up with what looks like a 10 damn grand ring? Because I know how you like to spend your money and I for damn well you cant afford something like that, Hell even I cant afford something like that and I'm two pay grades above you. so tell us how'd you get that ring?"
Sweets now looking somewhat worried looks to the whole crew now staring at him
"Alright ill tell all of you, just please don't turn me in or tell my girl please?"
one by one all of you agree to keep his secret. It was an easy choice for you sine Sweets had saved your life from a IED when you were first brought to the battery almost a year ago.
sweets looking reassured starts off.
"OK well you all remember when the regulators didn't have enough men to do a convoy mission so they were looking for volunteers and I was one of them? Well about halfway through the route we were attacked the convoy was forced to stop and we had to take defensive positions. It sounded like rounds were coming from every direction banging off our vehicle when my truck was hit with an IED the armor absorbed most of the blast and shrapnel but we were tossed on our side. i had to crawl out of that damn truck with my weapon and a M320 grenade launcher. I was in the middle of shooting a Illumination round off when I heard a scream from my left from behind the truck. There was a enemy soldier about to shoot Ramirez my driver. I ran around to the other side of the truck and got behind him and he took a 40mm to the back of his head. the round didn't go all the way through though so the flare was just in his head burning. With some of the light coming from his head I somehow saw a glint from his dog tags and this ring was on it along with what I guess was his name, couldn't read it so I just chucked the tags and kept the ring. So yeah technically committed a war crime but hey I don't have to pay for a ring now"
before anyone had a chance to say anything back to Sweets the radio chimes to life with a fire mission.
*Reaper mike one this is Reaper one tree fire mission battery adjust, #1 #2, #3. 10 rounds at my command, shell H.E. Lott Alpha Lima, Charge 2 Lima, Fuze ET, Time 16.2 Deflection 3226, Quadrant 265!*
the sound of gun fire can be heard in the background as the radio was giving out its orders. jumping to action you prep your cannon punching in the coordinates on the cannons computer with practiced ease.
"R make sure you have the fuse setter and have those fuzes are set to 16.2 seconds from detonation"
acknowledging his orders with a simple "will do!" you run to you cannons stockpile of munitions and begin to look at the fuses to see what they are set at. looking at the ones you can see the fuses all are set to 'PD'
"Point detonation... fuck, fuck, FUCK, FUCK!!!" you say to your self then call out to the rest of the crew "They are all set to PD who the hell has that damn fuse key?"
Price another one of your crewmembers specifically the powder monkey yells to you "Our glorious Sargent has it says he needed it for his sculpture hes making."
you now turning even more enraged "If he jeopardizes the safety of our front line guys over wanting to make another one of hiss bullshit art pieces I will kill him myself!" looking to the Sergeants tent you start sprinting for it. It's about 500 meters from your cannon. With a full on sprint you can make it there and back in about 5 minutes. While you are almost halfway there you star to hear the "Woop-Woop" of a attack helicopter looking up you see a old Russians Hind moving to make an attack run on your cannon. You turn around and try to yell out for your guys to get to cover or hide, But as you open you mouth to give the call you hear a dozens of *swooosh* as the the hind releases its payload of missiles on you guns emplacement. Seeing the missiles fly and hit your gun you turn for the tree line knowing that the hind wont leave a single soul alive in its wake. You sprint as fast as you can, faster than you've ever ran before. Dodging trees, bushes, roots, rocks and anything else that you saw in your way. Looking back to the top of the canopy you see the Hind closing in you feel it before you see it but a explosion lifts you off the ground and throws you nearly to the top of the canopy. On your way down you hit you head on a large branch as you fall back down to the ground. Coming to a stop on the ground face up you see the Hind fly over and on a returning path to the direction where it came. Looking up at the sky and letting the suns warm your face you start to feel your eyes get heavier and heavier. The Hind leaving you to the jungle's embrace you succumb to the grip of unconsciousness and close your eyes .
Opening your eyes once more you see that your mailbox is now only a few short steps away you quietly think to yourself "huh, today feels almost exactly like that day. My last one... my last one back home, on earth."
You are ripped from your thoughts as you reached for your mailbox handle it suddenly erupted with a brief show of green flames followed by a wavering smoke trail. this can only mean one thing and it didn't take long for you to deduct who sent the letter.
"Looks like someone sent a letter through spike"