//------------------------------// // Schweinhunds! // Story: Team Stable 2 // by FrostyDawn //------------------------------// Before the sun fully set over Ponyville, the REDs regrouped at Twilight's abode. With formal introductions and explanations taken care of, the Engineer called for everyone's attention. "Alright, boys. Listen up. The BLU's have taken Gravel Pit, and we're stuck here 'cause they rigged our RESPAWN system to drop us here." The Engie said, reviewing what he had heard from the Solider to Medic and Heavy. The Spy held a straight face. The other mercenaries had no idea he was a member of BLU, so he just played along. "RESPAWN?" Twilight Sparkled asked, raising an eyebrow. "Long story." Sniper replied. "So, where are we?" The Heavy asked, taking a bite from his Sandvich. "This is Ponyville. Right in the center of Equestria." Pinkie said, chewing on a similar sandwich. The Heavy looked down, and saw his Sandvich was gone. Pinkie giggled as the truth struck him. "You guys really like your horse names." Scout said. "What do ya mean by that?" Rainbow Dash asked, stretching her neck. "What do I mean? Listen to yourselves! 'Pony'ville, 'Equestria'. You even called yourself a pegasus!" Scout fired back. "Point taken. But what are ya gonna do about it?" "Enough." The Medic said sternly. "Now, i zhis place anywhere near ze Dustbowl? My guess is ze BLU's hope to take zhat as well." "Yur right, doc. But Ah'm not sure. This place 'aint on any map of ours. It's like another version of Earth." Engie said. "As weird as it sounds that ya'll are from a different planet... I think you might have a shot at gettin' back to-...wherever ya'll are from." Applejack said, scratching her chin. "What do you suggest?" The Spy asked as he puffed some smoke out of his cigarette. "Twilight, you've done transporting spells before, haven't you?" Rarity suggested. "Perhaps there's something that would work on these... fellows." "Well, I have. Doing it once is hard enough, let alone six times. And we don't know where they're supposed to go. I'd need something from their original world." Twilight said, leaving through her spellbooks. The Medic raised an eyebrow. He pulled out a piece of metal from his shattered Medi-gun. "Zhere's zhis. It belonged to a device I brought here until zomebody experimented vith it. I held onto it zince." The Heavy looked back at Pinkie. "Little pink girl broke Medic's gun?" He asked. Pinkie Pie chuckled. "Eh heh... sorry." "That could work. But It'll take about a day to focus my magic on it." The Engineer and Spy chuckled. "Yeah...Magic." The Engie whispered. "Good. We wait and then we go home." The Heavy said, crossing his arms. The Medic had a solemn look on his face and held his tongue. It wasn't long until the Heavy caught on. "Doctor, what's wrong?" Medic snapped out of his thought, and sighed. "I do not vish to leave..." He said quietly. A dead silence hung in the air. Everyone, even the Spy, had either a quizzical or a shocked look on their face. "What? We can go home. You can get back to... uh, Oktoberfest or what ever it is you do." The Sniper said, clearly confused by what the Medic had said. "Home? Even if we go back to zhat war, I wouldn't see Stuttgart again. None of us vill go home." Medic replied. "Whoa, whoa, what?! What are ya sayin', doc?" Scout asked, panicking at what might happen. "Zhink about it. Ze war is nearing it's end. Ze BLUs are gaining control of maps like Steel and Lakeside. Zhey've taken our intelligence. Vhat do ve have? Ve only have ze Dustbowl and Badwater left." Medic theorized. "From vhat I understand, our Demoman, Pyro, and Solider are fleeing from map to map, not wanting to be stuck here as well. Zhey might have surrendered. Once ze BLUs take zhose, we vill lose ze var. Ze Administrator vill have no use for us any more, and when we get back, it vill be too late. Our RESPAWN system vill shut down, and zhey vill kill us. Permanently. No zecond chances." "Medic has gone mad. Medic has no proof." Heavy stated. "Ah'm afraid Sawbones is right. If we go back now, there wont be anything left to fight for. If we're not killed, Saxton will make us prisoners of war." The Enige said. The other's eyes widened at the mention of Saxton Hale. "Besides, here ve are safe. Zhere are no weapons here, no war. It's nearly paradise..." Medic added. He looked out the window, glancing at the full moon. "What if we take some of the maps behind their backs? They'd never know we'd be back, so they'd be caught off guard." Scout said, hoping to make a last-second plan. "But of course. Zhey'd never see it coming." The Spy smirked. "Very well. We go back to Gravel Pit. Take back points." Heavy said. The Medic sighed, exasperated. "If you vish to die, zhen go. I von't ztop you." The Medic said. "Doc, be realistic here. You don't have to stay here." The Sniper said. "But I can't go back there. Auf hedersen." The Medic responded. He walked out of the house, bringing the silence back. The girls just sat there, silent in disbelief. "What are we gonna do know? If the Medic doesn't follow us, we will be killed." The Scout said grimly. "We should get some rest. It's gonna be a loooooong trip back." The Engie said. "Rest? Where? Ah doubt you got places to stay already." Applejack said. The mercenaries glanced back, remembering they were in their presence. "Oh! Uh, right. Ah guess we could sort that out." The Engie replied, nodding his hardhat to the cowgirl. "Dibs on the big guy!" Pinkie Pie said, excitedly, hopping onto the Heavy's shoulders. "It'll be the best slumber party ever! You got anymore of those sandwiches?" She asked him. Heavy sighed. "Fine. As long as pink one stays quiet." "Okie, dokie, lokie!" She squeaked. Heavy set her down and the two walked out the door. Twilight looked at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, go check on that doctor guy. He could use a little company." Fluttershy just nodded, and walked out quietly. However, the Spy had turned invisible while no one was watching, and slipped out as well. "Where'd the Spy go?" The Scout asked. Rarity looked around as well for him. "He always does that. I'm sure he's got it taken care of." The Sniper responded. He then cleared his throat. "Now... about the rent in this place..." He said, glancing at Twilight. "One, don't shoot my owl. Second, you're on the floor." Twilight coldly said, walking up the stairs. The Sniper shrugged, and set his rifle against a bookcase. Finally, Scout and Rainbow Dash exchanged looks. "Uh... you mind if -" "No! I don't mind!" Rainbow Dash said quickly, then rubbed the back of her neck. "Well... no big deal." <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The Medic walked through the quiet, dark town. He then stopped and sighed as he realized he had no where to storm off to. "Fess..." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Medic?" A voice sounded behind him. He turned, expecting one of his teammates to try and reason with him. But instead, there was shy, innocent Fluttershy. "You seem a little distraught." She softly said. "Oh... hello, Fluttershy." Medic sighed. He kept walking, and the girl trailed behind him with her wings. "You don't have somewhere to stay, do you?" Fluttershy asked. "No. It's been a vhile zince I was anyvhere near 'home'." He replied. "I heard you say you didn't want to leave. You should have a home if you stay." The Medic raised an eyebrow. "How did you-... oh, right. I forgot you were even zhere." He apologized. "Look, how about you get some sleep at my house? I'm sure you could work things out with your friends." She said, looking up at him with her big blue eyes. "Vell, alright. It's a ztart." The Medic replied. Fluttershy led him to a quiet, natural spot near the edge of Ponyville. There was a tree-house not unlike Twilight's. A quiet stream flowing beside it, and a clear view of the night sky overhead. It looked like another story book-esque house, complete with flowers and small animals. The inside was like a quiet little cabin. The Medic set down his medical backpack, and slowly sat down on the couch. "Um... well... goodnight." Fluttershy said, moving upstairs. The Medic lay himself down, his feet reaching over the edge of the couch's armrest. It was the best he could get, for now. He began to achieve something he had not gotten in a long time. A good night's rest.