//------------------------------// // Chapter Nineteen // Story: Salvation // by Sandstorm Inkwell //------------------------------// Here she was. The pony that had taken my heart since our arrival to this world. She was smart and understanding. Now, she was violent and stupefied by misplaced anger. She had seen the darker side of humanity and that vision consumed her. The doubt of the townsponies simply fed that vision. As I stood frozen, Twilight's eyes swept over the crowd. When they came upon me there was a flicker of recognition before all was covered by hate. A flash of purple and she was in front of me, yelling. Her words sounded like I was underwater as I stared into those hateful eyes. Those eyes that use to be full of love and understanding. The crowd turned and saw me and began to yell with the purple unicorn. Obscenities surely, added with general threats. No pony looked happy. No pony looked at all doubtful that their hatred might be misplaced. Their unity would've been envied by many human groups. “...using Scootaloo as a shield!” That brought me from my trance. I turned to where it was said but only saw angry ponies all around. Putting one hand behind my back, I held it palm out to signal Smiley to hold off on the burst fire. “Please quiet down! I have been sent to help explain the current situation!” The yelling increased. “Invaders!” “Killers!” “Monsters!” So the accusations went. Many were crying for the exile of all humans. Were it a different situation, that might have amused me. My face remained stoic, however as I signaled to Smiley. Not a second later, the barking of his machine gun deafened the crowd, startling them to silence. Many ducked down, eyes wide. Others just froze on the spot. Twilight only flinched but even she quieted down, staring me down as I stared back. Before they could regroup, I spoke: “Ponies of Ponyville! You call us invaders and yet we have imposed no rule of ours! You call us killers and yet we have killed none of your kind! You call us monsters! That is the one true thing you have spoken!” Opening of mouths. I held up my hand, “I will be the first to admit that I am a monster. I have done things that many of humanity, even, would view to be monstrous. However, I stand before you now. Not as a monster or a soldier. No, I stand before you now as another sentient being.” I held up my empty hands to the crowd, “I come wielding no weapon in my hands.” “But your friend used his!” shouted some pony in the crowd. I nodded, “That he did. Think of this, though. How else could I have calmed this crazed mass enough to speak and be heard?” A few quiet murmurs spread through the crowd. I looked down at Twilight to see only her steely resolve. Why must you be so stubborn Twi? “While you may think what you wish of us, I will tell you now that we shall do no harm to you. I am simply here now to explain the current situation to the best of my abilities.” “And what is the 'current situation'?” somepony asked. This was followed by many agreements to the question. “Other humans have appeared in your world,” I raised a hand to silence the murmuring that was quickly becoming yelling, “They are all soldiers like myself. They are not all Americans however all the humans who have appeared near settlements appear to be friends.” “So there's some humans who are not friends?” this came from Twilight, her voice dripping with anger, confusion, and hurt. I nodded, “Yes. A report indicates that some non-friendly humans have appeared in the southern Badlands. So far it appears that friendly soldiers have been keeping them at bay and have been protecting Dodge City.” “'Keeping them at bay'? That's a euphemism for 'killing them', right?” asked the purple unicorn. I looked her in the eyes, “Yes. The soldiers have undoubtedly shot at the Opposing Forces and may have killed a few. Likewise, the OpFor (Opposing Forces) have undoubtedly shot at the soldiers and may have wounded or killed a few.” “That's your job, isn't it? To kill other beings because you were told to?” Twilight asked. “I am a soldier. That question would've just been as suited to be asked to one of your Royal Guards,” I paused and narrowed my eyes at her, “or to you.” She looked taken back, “I haven't killed anypony! Neither have the Guard!” “Invasion of Canterlot by the Changeling Queen. The Royal Guard, you, and your friends fought against the Changeling forces. How can you be sure that the actions of you, your friends, or the Guard did not lead to a Changeling's death?” I asked. Twilight took a step back, her expression becoming overrun with confusion. The crowd in the city hall had quieted now, listening in with interest. “That was different! They are not ponies! They-” “Just because they are not your kind, you think them expendable? Are they not thinking beings? Do they not have a society?” I asked. Twilight's eyes were darting now. I could see her mind fuming as she tried to find a way to argue. “They attacked the Princesses!” she yelled. I widened my eyes and looked as if I had a revelation. “Ah! So they were threatening your way of life, yes? To protect it you decided to fight back and defeat them through any means necessary, correct?” She nodded as she looked at the ground. I looked around at the crowd to see comprehension spreading through the group. “That is humanity! Only on a wider scale! Humans are diverse. There are different religions, languages, governments, anything and everything that can be different, there is. These differences lead to disagreements. Disagreements lead to threats and threats lead to war.” Another pony stepped forward, “Why can't you solve it with discussion?” I looked at the pony and smirked, “When you can eat meat, you are biologically more aggressive than a being who can't eat meat.” The pony shied back into the crowd. They all stood quietly, looking from one to the other, waiting to see who would try to challenge the human standing before them. In the silence, there was a pop and a purple flash. Twilight had teleported away. An older looking mare with gray mane and reading glasses stepped forward to take the place where Twilight once stood. She looked up at me with a sad look on her face. “On behalf of Ponyville, I apologize for our actions. I wish you the best of outcomes in your situation,” she said with a nod. I could tell that she didn't fully mean the apology and, looking around the room, some ponies didn't seem all that apologetic. However, I knew when to call the battle to an end. I nodded my head to her, “Thank you, ma'am. My friend and I will be gone now.” With that, I turned and walked from the building. Grabbing my rifle at the bottom of the steps, Smiley and me started back to the mead-hall. “Good speech,” Smiley stated when we were a good deal away from the city hall. I gave a dry chuckle, “It didn't seem to assuage all of them though.” “Never does.” I nodded at that. We both descended into silence as we walked through the empty streets of the village. I reached up with my left hand and touched the front of the beret that rested atop my head. “Don't,” Smiley warned. I turned to him in surprise. “What?” “You were thinking. Don't.” “I wasn't-” “But you were going to. I saw it in your eyes.” I sighed, “I don't know Smiley. It feels like we're going about this all wrong.” “The only 'right way' to do this would be to do what is impossible for us.” I paused and looked at Smiley in confusion. He looked back at me and I could see a scary understanding in his eyes. “We'd have to hang up our rifles,” he finished. He went back to looking straight ahead. I looked down at the ground in silence. Finally: “Smiley?” “Hmm?” “Why the hell are you an infantryman?” A pause as he looked at me in mild surprise, “Because if I worked a desk job, I'd end up killing people anyway.” I laughed. Boisterous, non-forced laughter. The laughing helped to bury my worries. I knew they would resurface (most likely when I tried to sleep) but for now they were gone from my mind. I looked around our surroundings. Sighing I looked ahead and continued walking. It wasn't long before we got back to the mead-hall. Gonz was still working the radio, though with less panicked urgency than before. It appeared that they had come to some semblance of order. Nodding to the Corporal, and getting a nod back, Smiley and me turned toward the doors. Pushing them open, we stepped inside. “Tyler!” I smiled wide as I crouched down to receive the orange filly that charged at me. When she reached me, I picked her up and stood. I hugged her before just holding her in my arms, leaving my rifle to dangle from it's sling. “Odom,” Kilborn spoke from the table where the map had been spread out. Looking at him I noticed that only Kilborn and Luna were standing by the table. In the corner, I saw Perez glaring at me with a gag over his mouth. “I see he awoke,” I pointed out, nodding my head toward the Lieutenant. “Yes,” replied Luna, “and his yelling made us very irritable.” “Explains the gag,” I observed with a small smile. “Report?” Kilborn asked, causing my attention to snap back to him. “The populace is untrusting, Sergeant. When Smiley and me began to move down the street, we could both hear and see ponies shutting doors and windows at our approach. Kids were hidden by their parents, as well.” “And of City Hall?” Luna asked. I looked at Scootaloo, who was looking back at me with sad eyes. “I told them of the meeting,” she informed sadly, putting her face against my chest after she did. I rubbed her back comfortingly as I looked at Kilborn and Luna. “Tricky, Princess. I went in, alone and unarmed, to see most of the town gathered and chanting one sentence. 'Gone with the humans'. They were looking up at the balcony. Looking up myself, I saw that the leader was none other than Twilight, m'Lady.” “Twilight Sparkle?” she asked, her face contorted in confusion. “The same. When she spotted me she teleported in front of me and began to... yell at me. The crowd joined in. A few carefully chosen words caused Miss Sparkle to cease. More words calmed most of the crowd. Upon leaving the building, the crowd had been... subdued. Some ponies still held outright anger but were not yelling. Most had underlying distrust for us,” I explained. “You didn't threaten or hurt anypony?” Kilborn asked. “No Sergeant. All was civil,” I replied. Luna scoffed, “Yelling is not civil.” “If you'd excuse my disagreeing, m'Lady. When you have access to firearms and come from a world such as our own, yelling is quite civil,” I argued. She looked confused but understanding. Then, as if remembering something, she spoke quickly, “This 'm'Lady' you keep saying. It is another way to address nobility, is it not?” “Of course, m'Lady. Understand that there are still monarchies in our world. I was simply trying to avoid from having to say 'Princess' over and over without straying from your liking of formality.” She looked surprised before looking satisfied. A hint of something else came over her face but it was gone before I could register what it was. “We see.” Then she muttered, “Most interesting...” Kilborn nodded to me, “Dismissed Odom. Smiley, I need you to go to the tank, Corbulo, and help describe combustion engines to Princess Celestia.” Smiley nodded, turned, and left. I nodded to Kilborn and muttered, “Thanks,” before turning and walking to the stairs. On the second floor, I walked fast to my room and entered it. Once there, I set Scoots on my bed before stripping off my vest and gun. With those two things off, I sat down on the bed where Scootaloo was quick to rest her head on my lap. She had been crying softly during the exchange and now she was crying heavier. Picking her up, I held her in a hug. “Shhh. Don't cry. All will be well, I assure you. Shhh, Scootaloo,” I cooed as I rubbed her back. As I did, I looked at where my rifle lay. I remembered what Smiley had said: “We'd have to hang up our rifles.” I frowned, Could I ever do that? Could I ever change myself that much? I am a killer. A trained killer; that's all I am. I will always have blood on my hands and death in my eyes. I thought a little longer before I finally decided: No. I would never be able to hang my rifle up. A sob caused my attention to turn back to the orange filly in my arms. Continuing to rub her back, When had I stopped?, I whispered, “Shh. No need to cry. I'm here for you. ...I always will be.”