*Chugga chugga chugga...*
*Screeech!*
"Hm? The train stopped."
"Oh thank God finally. I thought it never would..."
*Click! Sliiick!*
"Everyone off!"
*thunk thunk thunk thunk*
"Men to the left! Women to the right!"
"Where are they taking us David? I'm scared..."
"Schwienhund! Move it! Men to the left! Women to the right!"
"We have to go different ways Samantha. I'm sorry."
"But David!"
"I SAID MOVE!"
"I love you sister, never forget that!"
"David? DAVID!"
------
Sleep Shot snapped awake. She looked around. She was inside a vehicle. It took a few more seconds to remember what vehicle exactly-a Jagdpanzer IV. The interior was small but not cramped-the driver's seat (currently vacant) was right in front of her and Loudmouth was standing behind her. He was occupied with a conversation on the radio.
"Just another dream..." Sleep Shot said to herself. Loudmouth suddenly became alert to his immediate surroundings. He said something into his headset and then lifted the left side of it.
"You fully awake now, Sleepy?" he asked Sleep Shot.
"...Yeah." Sleep Shot replied. She stood up and looked at a small picture frame sitting on the small countertop inside the vehicle. It was a photo of her and her older brother. She started thinking back on the dream she had. She remembered the sound of a train, the sliding of car doors, the dull thud of shoes on wood, harsh shouting, and black uniforms.
Just like the one she was wearing.
Sleep Shot decided to unbutton her uniform and hang it on the breech of the Jagdpanzer's gun. She then reached for the handle of the exit hatch on the roof of the vehicle. "I need some fresh air," she said.
"Keep the hatch open, alright?" Loudmouth said, "It's a little musty in here." Sleep Shot nodded and climbed out. Loudmouth returned to the conversation he was having on the radio. Sleep Shot gazed at the night sky and took a deep breath. She lept off the Jagdpanzer and landed on the soft grass. She then looked back at it. The tank destroyer didn't look particularly special-it had a grey paint job and a small cross on its side. It was also a rather short vehicle height-wise. A pair of green hooves were sticking out of the top of the engine compartment. It belonged to Stingy Wheel, the crew's driver and mechanic.
"Blasted thing's broke down again...Why does it have to be tha engine every time..." Stingy Wheel said, "Ah swear it's almost as if they made it unreliable on purpose." Sleep Shot decided to leave her be. Stingy was always very concentrated in her repairs.
Sleep Shot looked around the area. It was mostly open ground with the Everfree Forest on one side and Ponyville on the other. A short distance away from her vehicle a batpony and two pegasi were having a conversation. One of the pegasus was black, and wore a Stalhelm. The other was orange and wore a Brodie helmet. The batpony also wore a Stalhelm. Next to them was a Puma armored car and a AEC Matador. A unicorn was working on the AEC's engine. Sleepy decided to listen in on their conversation.
"You sure about zat, Spade?" the batpony said, "You've never been to one of those ruins before."
"Trust me Nighty, a bunch o' my pals told me about it," the orange pegasus said, "They're not one for jokin' around."
"Vich ones? Ze tank crew or the rifle section?" the black pegasus asked, "Cause I remember last time ze tankers had a box of whiskey in zeir vehicle."
"Oi, whiskey ain't that tough." An explosion issued out from the AEC's engine, covering the unicorn in soot. He coughed and then wiped some of the soot off of his face.
"Can you please start the engine only after I finish fixing it?" the unicorn asked annoyedly.
"Whoops," the driver said, "My bad." In addition to the AEC and Puma, there were also several Panzer IIIs and Crusaders sitting around, their crews idling about. Several infantry halftracks were also parked, soldiers dozing off in them. Sleepy decided to walk around for a little bit, going to no place in particular. Eventually the calming atmosphere of the night had made her sleepy again.
'Maybe sleeping with some company will help...' Sleep Shot thought. She walked over to an occupied M3 halftrack. Inside were several sleeping soldiers of various species. There were also a few unused sleeping bags. The driver, a dragon, was reading a magazine and hadn't noticed her. Sleepy decided to snuggle in one of the sleeping bags and fell asleep.
------
"What is going on?"
*clank*
*Pffssss*
"What the-gaagh"
"Can't...breathe...ackkkk"
"AAAAAARRrrrgghhhh....."
------
Sleepy snapped awake again. This time she was breathing very heavily, afraid that she was suffocating for real. Some of the sleeping had moved a little, but are otherwise undisturbed. The driver finally noticed Sleepy.
"Hmm? Had a nightmare?" he asked. Sleep Shot nodded. "Nothing to worry about. Some of us are getting those too when we sleep. Must have something to do with Nightmare Moon's return. She was known as being capable of jumping into dreams." When he said that, Sleepy decided not to sleep again for a while. She got out of the halftrack carefully. She walked back over to the trio next to the Puma and AEC.
"So you've actually fought a Gary Stu(G) before, Saber?" Nighty asked.
"Vellll....no, actually," the black pegasus replied.
"Zen how are you sure zose existed?"
"I got a letter from my brother in the 8th ERAD."
"I didn't know those buggers could build something like that," Spade said.
"Yeah...trolls aren't ze brightest thing around, even ven you compare zem to ze orkponies," Nighty added, "At least ze orkponies know how to actually build things. And zen zere's zat odd magic field ze orkponies have...how do ze trolls even have something like that?"
"Damned if I know," the Saber said, "Zough I do know it isn't because of ze orkponies. Zey hate zem. A lot. Called zem a bunch of...vhat do you call it?"
"Do you mean 'tryhard, brainless, posing gits'?" Spade suggested.
"Yeah, zat seems about right."
"Do ze orkponies really hate zem zat much?" Nighty asked.
-Meanwhile-
"WOT DIDYA JUST SAY?!?" the orkpony shouted at the troll.
"U herd me. Ur a wussie. ur so tiny a ant can beat ur weak ass. do U even lift lol." the troll responded. He was bound tightly to a chair.
"I'LL SHOW YOU TINY YA LITTLE-" a couple of ponies tried to restrain the orkpony. "LEMME AT EM! DAT GROT DESERVES TO HAVE HIS TEEF KICKED IN!"
"Come on," one of the two ponies said "it's not worth it man."
"Taht's wat ur mom sed wen i banged her! Trolololo," the troll said.
"...." the two ponies looked at each other, and then at the orkpony. All three nodded. The two ponies let go of the orkpony.
-----
"Who doesn't?" Saber answered.
"Though 'posing'?" Nighty asked, "Why would zey call zem zat?"
"I heard that ze orkponies originally did not look like vhat zey do now. Apparently a troll looks a little like vhat zey vere."
"How does zat happen?"
"Honestly? I have no concrete idea how."
"I might have one," Spade said, "Some biologists think we descended from the Ancients. Whose to say that isn't true for them?"
"I don't know...I mean look at the Ancients. Zhey look very different from us in the photos and films," Saber replied.
"Umm...hey, guys?" Sleep Shot interrupted.
"Oh, hello," Spade replied, "You the gunner of the Jagdpanzer?"
"Yes. I just want to add something...recently I've been getting strange dreams. In them I'm one of those Ancients."
"Vhat?" Saber said, "And how does that carry any vieght? It's just dreams."
"Dream are like vindows into anozer vorld, Saber," Nighty replied, "Don't take zem lightly."
"Anyways..." Sleep Shot said, "The dreams were very vivid. I could feel the air, smell the scents, and see everything as they were back then. I remember in one that I was being herded into a cattle car along with many others. Then, in a more recent one, I was being choked to death by...I think it was some kind of gas."
"Hmm....zat is ominous..." Nighty said.
"Ze dream you had," Saber said, "Ve can't be too sure zat its not just a simple product of your mind." Sleep Shot nodded.
"I'm not sure either," she said, "It could be because of Nightmare Moon's return. Someone said she could travel through dreams."
"Oh great," Spade said, "now you're giving me the nagging feeling that we're being watched." A clank was heard as the roof of the Puma's turret was opened. The Puma's commander peeked out of the turret.
"Orders just came in," the commander said, "we are to prepare for battle. Aerial recon indicates we have movement coming our way now."
"Talk about coincidence," Nighty said, "We'll go wake everyone up." Nighty, Saber, and Spade went to alert the rest of the garrison of approaching combat. Sleep Shot ran back to the Jagdpanzer. When she climbed inside, Stingy and Butters were already at their posts.
"Alright, everyone's here," Loudmouth said, "Stingy, you got the engine working again?"
"It should hold for now," Stingy replied, "but no guarantees if we're being shot at." She started up the Jagdpanzer IV.
"Alright. Driver, orient the vehicle towards the Everfree Forest," Loudmouth commanded, "That's where the enemy is coming from." Stingy shifted the left track into reverse gear. The tank destroyer then pivoted left until it was facing the Everfree Forest. "Loader, AP round." Butters placed a armor penetration shell into the breech. Sleepy noticed dark forms moving around in the forest.
"H-hey, did you see that?" she said nervously.
"No. What was it?" Loudmouth replied.
"I don't know but they don't look friendly."
"Get ready to fire but remember to have a positive ID on them before you do. Don't want to hit our own or an innocent creature."
"Oi, I'm getting a really bad feeling about this," one of the Crusaders' commander said over the radio. Loudmouth decided to try and goad the enemy out of the forest. He peeked out of the hatch and put his fore hooves to his mouth.
"HEY! WE KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE! COME OUT AND FIGHT US!" It worked: two tanks rolled out of the forest. The tanks looked like modified M3 Lees-the right sponson gun was removed in a favor of a turret. Another turret was mounted to the left. When they revealed themselves, they did not fire. "ALRIGHT, YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED! SURRENDER NOW OR-" one of the Lees fired. Loudmouth ducked into his vehicle. Three rounds hit the Jagdpanzer, all of them bounced. "Well what are you waiting for? Gunner, hit that Lee!" Sleepy aimed at the offending tank and fired. The 75 millimeter shell penetrated the left turret and continued into the main hull. The other tanks fired back. Both Lees were annihilated by the retaliatory fire. Suddenly, more tanks drove out of the forest. Most of them were the modified M3 Lees.
"Sweet Faust, what is that!?" one of the Panzer III gunners yelled. A ginormous tank had flattened several trees upon exiting the forest limits.
"Oh dear," the Puma's commander said, "TOG II! We got a bloody TOG II!" The tank fired. Its seventeen pounder shell shredded one of the Crusaders' armor. The crew bailed out, the gunner and commander carrying their injured driver.
"We got this, the rest of you take care of those Lees!" Loudmouth shouted into the radio, "Gunner, target that TOG!" The Jagdpanzer fired again.
"Punched clean through their armor!" Sleep Shot declared. Normally she wouldn't have the energy to declare the shell's impact, Loudmouth does that normally. Tonight though she felt extremely alert.
"Up!" Butters declared. Another shot penetrated the TOG II's armor. Despite that, the TOG II was still active. It opened fire on the Jagdpanzer. The shell penetrated the front. Fortunately, it did not hit anything or anyone in the crew compartment. Unfortunately, it then tore into the engine compartment.
"Hey! Ah only just fixed dat!" Stingy yelled angrily.
"Keep firing!" Loudmouth commanded.
"Up!" Another explosion as the loaded shell was fired from the gun.
"Penetration!" Sleep Shot yelled before another seventeen pounder shell ripped through the front armor.
"Driver, get us moving!" The Jagdpanzer turned to the right and drove forward. The TOG II turned its turret to its left to fire at the Jagdpanzer. The shell flew out of the gun and hit the ground right in front of its target. This time, vines exploded out. Undaunted, the Jagdpanzer got closer to the TOG II, crushing the still-developing vines.
"Ah hayseed, it's got magic shells too!" Stingy exclaimed.
"Hug that TOG, right below the turret! He can't hit us there!" Loudmouth shouted. The TOG II had noticed this tactic and tried to turn itself in order to prevent this. "Loader, HE round! Quick!"
"HE up!"
"Fire!" The explosive shell hit the TOG II in the tracks, damaging it and making it slower to turn.
"Critical hit!" Sleep Shot declared. As the Jagdpanzer got closer, a M3 Lee drove on a collision course with it. A burst of fire from the Puma's autocannon knocked it out. Another Lee turned around to stop the Jagdpanzer, only to be shot in the back by a PIAT. The TOG II fired back desperately. The shell just barely missed, this time flying right over the Jagdpanzer. Behind it the shell exploded into a green fireball, scorching the earth around it. Another shot from the TOG slammed into the Jagdpanzer's upper glacis, its magical payload transforming into a purple sticky sludge. Fortunately it did not get in the cannon nor the tracks.
"Gak? Wait, magic can manifest into that?" Butters asked dumbfoundedly.
"Just do your job!" Loudmouth snapped. Butters quickly complied and grabbed another armor penetrating shell from the ammunition rack. He fumbled slightly, but did not drop the shell.
The Jagdpanzer turned just as it was going to collide head-on with the TOG II and scrapped against its side. The Jagdpanzer then angled its hull to fire its gun as close to perpendicular with the TOG II's armor without exposing itself to the seventeen pounder. It fired a armor penetrating round into the back half of the TOG II. It then followed up with a high explosive shell through the hole that the previous shell made. This destroyed the engine and ruptured the fuel tank, causing a fire.
"The TOG's gonna blow!" the Puma's commander yelled, "Get clear, now!"
"You heard her! Driver, get us out of here!" Loudmouth commanded.
"Already on it!" Stingy replied. The Jagdpanzer began to drive away from the TOG II before the fire could cause a premature detonation. Right then the seventeen pounder gun had a clear shot at the Jagdpanzer's rear armor. It fired, destroying the Jagdpanzer's engine. "...Ah give up." Stingy slammed her head into the driver's viewport in frustration. Loudmouth covered his ears. Butters dropped to the floor, forelegs over his head.
'If this is my last few seconds to live...' Sleep Shot thought 'at least it's with my friends.' She shut her eyes, preparing for the inevitable.
The TOG II's regular and magical shells detonated in a chain reaction. The tank blew up in an all-consuming blaze. The explosion engulfed the Jagdpanzer, which had only managed to make it ten feet away from the tank before it was immobilized
Sleep Shot felt nothing.
------
When Sleepy opened her eyes again, she was standing in the middle of a snow-covered field. The sky was completely overcast. A chilly breeze bit at her.
"Am...am I dead?" she asked. It wasn't directed towards anything in particular-she just hoped that someone or something would answer her. No response. She turned her head around. The land was largely flat featureless plains except for small shapes jutting out over the horizon. Sleepy decided to walk towards the shapes.
It felt like at least an hour of lonely treading before she was able to clearly what the shapes are. They were guard towers and barbed wire fences. As she got closer, she noticed that the towers were completely abandoned. Beyond the fences-or rather within them-were houses. Some were made out of brick, while others were made of wood. Not wanting to look like she was intruding, Sleep Shot decided to try and find the entrance. She walked left alongside the fencing. Eventually she noticed something peculiar-a long house with a guard tower in the middle, with train tracks underneath it.
'It must be some sort of checkpoint,' Sleep Shot thought. Next to it was sizable parking lot with cars of various colors. They were nothing she had ever seen before-while the cars she seen were generally blocky, these cars had sleek and smooth edges. The next thing she saw was even more amazing-one of the cars that had only just stopped had its doors opened and out came not a pony, but a bipedal creature. "Ancients" was the word that registered almost instantly to Sleep Shot's mind. Out the car were three of them-a adult male, a adult female, and a little girl. Sleep Shot tried to find the entrance without attracting their attention, before the little girl pointed over to her direction.
"Mommy! Mommy! I think I saw something!" the girl said. Sleep Shot hid behind one of the cars.
"What did it look like, dear?" the mother asked.
"It looked like a pony, mommy!" the girl answered. Sleep Shot cringed upon hearing her say that. The girl knows she is here. Sleep Shot tried to make herself as small as possible behind the car.
"It must've gotten lost, the poor thing."
"Can I go find it? Please, oh please, mommy?"
"Not right now. You can try later, Samantha. We're visiting aunty. It means a lot to dad."
"No, I'll be fine Martha. Go with little Sammy, you know where I'll be," the father said.
"You sure, David?" the mother asked. Sleep Shot's ear perked up, but still tried to remain hidden.
"She's still a little too young to understand this place." -Sleep Shot realized that the voice sounded like it belonged to one of the people in her dreams-"I think helping someone find their lost horse won't hurt," David replied. Excited, the girl ran off towards where she last saw Sleep Shot.
"Hey, I can see its tail!" Samantha said.
'Uh-oh' Sleep Shot thought. She looked at her hindquarters-her tail was indeed sticking out just enough for the girl to see her. 'They know I'm here already...might as well try to ask them for help. And that guy...' It didn't take long for Samantha to make it over to her. Now that she had a better look at her, she was surprised at the abnormal coloration-Sleep Shot's mane and tail are periwinkle, and her coat was purple. She stared at Sleep Shot for a while her mother was walking over.
"Mommy...are ponies supposed to be purple?" Samantha asked.
"No they aren't, Samantha," Martha replied. Sleep Shot was still out of her sight, so she wondered why her daughter asked that. When she did see Sleep Shot, she was startled by how unusual looking she was. Both looked at Sleep Shot and Sleep Shot looked back.
"Um...hi?" Sleep Shot said weakly.
"A talking pony? That's so cool! Mom, can I keep her?" Samantha asked. It took Martha a few seconds to recover from the shock of hearing a pony talk to answer.
"I don't think we can. She can talk, so keeping her is like keeping another human being."
"Is-is that what you call yourselves?" Sleep Shot asked nervously.
"Humans? Why yes," Martha replied, "But let me introduce myself. I am Martha. And this is my daughter Samantha. What's your name?"
"Oh, i-it's Sleep Shot," Sleep Shot answered.
"Why you have a name like that?" Samantha asked.
"Because...well I sleep a lot."
"That seems like very strange way to name someone."
"Well I'd have to same the same about you. Samantha and Martha? I never heard those kind of names before."
"Are you lost?" Martha asked.
"You could say that. I'm trying to find my way home. But...I'm here because I think there's someone here I know."
"Oh, and who is that?"
"Well that guy you walked with...his name was David, right?"
"Yes. He's my husband."
"Oh! And you said he was visiting someone?"
"Were you peeping on us?" Samantha asked suspiciously.
"Uhh...maybe?" Sleep Shot answered sheepishly.
"David was visiting his sister's resting place," Martha said, "We decided to give our daughter the same name as her."
"Could you please lead me to him?" Sleep Shot asked.
"Well...sure. Make sure you only talk to him after he has payed his respects, okay? He really loved his sister. The only time I see him cry was when he's at her grave." Sleep Shot nodded. She also felt a little saddened-after all, she was his sister in the dreams she experienced if this was the right person.
The two humans and the pony walked through the entrance into the camp. The place was eerily silent despite there being a good number of people. There was the occasional weird look towards the trio, but none had decided to question why, at least for the moment
"Hey, why is it so quiet here?" Sleep Shot whispered.
"This place...is a concentration camp known as Auschwitz," Martha answered
"Auschwitz? ...I've heard of this place."
"So then you must have also heard about the horrors of this place."
"Yes..." Sleep Shot remembered from a old film about what they had done here. Though it was incredibly aged, the images of systematic death were still very vivid. Sleep Shot decided not to speak anymore until she could see David-to see and hear what happened here through film is one thing, to be here in the flesh is another.
Eventually they came to an open field. Standing there was David. He was just gazing at the expanse, wondering how something like this was even possible. He muttered a prayer.
"...I'll see you again, Samantha. Just like every year," He said quietly.
"David...?" David was startled by the voice. It sounded very familiar to him.
-------
The main hatch of the Jagdpanzer opened. Spade peeked his head inside .
"Oi, you laths sthill alive?" he said while holding a flashlight in his mouth. Loudmouth's body stirred. He rubbed his head.
"Uhh...yeah, I think so. Crew, status report," Loudmouth said. Butters opened his eyes, then took a deep breath and exhaled.
"I'm okay," he said.
"We aren't dead? Gosh dat was close," Stingy said. Loudmouth noticed that Sleep Shot was lying on the ground. Closer inspection revealed that she was only sleeping. He decided to leave her be.
"What does it look like on the outside?" Loudmouth asked. Spade placed the flashlight next to the hatch.
"Nothing too serious," Spade said, "a few burn marks and a few random bits of residual magic but that's it."
"Residual magic? As in...?"
"Well there's some slime stuck in the tracks-" Stingy groaned at this statement "-and one of the spare roadwheels got turned into what looks like one of those old Manechurian coins.
"Also, there some jelly leaking out of that hole in the engine compartment. When we opened it up, there was literally nothing left of the engine. It was all jelly. Judging by the color and smell, it's cherry flavored." At this statement, a strand of Stingy's hair curled up. She then had a sudden realization.
"Wait...if da engine's gone...we can have it replaced, right?" she asked.
"Well, yes," Spade replied, "but it might take a whi-"
"YES, YES, YES!" Stingy screamed, "AH'VE BEEN DYING TA GET RID OF DAT OL' PILE OF SCRAP!" Loudmouth flinched slightly at how loud she was yelling. He then looked back at Sleep Shot. She was still deep asleep.
"...as I was saying..." Spade continued, "It'll take a while before they bring in a new engine. Probably within a few hours, but until then this vehicle has been effectively mobility killed."
"We can wait," Loudmouth replied, "It's not like we need to go anywhere soon."
-------
"Sir, an attack on the southern garrison has been repelled," a radiopony reported.
"Casualties?" Firehawk asked.
"Minor, a few unconscious and wounded soldiers but nothing too serious."
"What's the status on the reinforcements?"
"ETA ten minutes. Elements of our division and the 12th Royal Guards are coming."
"The 12th? They're sending one of the only Royal Guard divisions equipped with tanks to us?"
"You heard that right, sir. Must be because Celestia went missing here-they're sending some of the best equipped to find her."
"Let's hope they get here before the enemy gets lucky."
