//------------------------------// // A Crimson Horizon // Story: Purple Hearts // by ShadowMere25 //------------------------------// The bird soared through time, spirit and joy in its wings... There was no mistaking it...the small eyes, the tiny little nose, and overall ape-like appearance. The guard only stood there dumbfounded and didn't see the big heavy boot of the other human push him off. The man kicked the stallion away and stood back up. The guard was thrown back and with a roar he stood right back up. However his excitement faded as he saw two more irritated humans pointing their 'weapons' at him. The same weapons that had killed his fellow guards...The pony was frozen, another human was barking orders at his comrades. He felt a piece of cold metal press up against his temple. The pony tilted ever so slowly to see the human he was just wrestling looking down at him with the L-shaped weapon in his hands. The room was suddenly filled with a muffled 'whirring' sound coming from the outside. "Chopper's almost here! Watch that stairway for more! Prepare to pull out!" The human that he assumed was the leader stood out by the balcony. The man standing next the guard was slightly bigger than the rest. He was completely bald and had a scar going down his cheek. He tilted his head, looking curiously at the young stallion. "What's your name?" The man asked. "Wha-what?" "Name!" He bellowed. "Do you have one?" "F-Flash...It's Flash S-Sentry." The man scoffed and muttered something about "horse names". The man put his weapon back in its appropriate place on his hip and looked to his comrade, nodding before walking away making a gesture by spinning his raised index finger. The pony known as Flash simply blinked twice. He saw movement off the corner of his eye and snapped to it, only to see another masked human bring the backside of his weapon back, smacking it lightly but hard enough to knock the stallion out cold. Hey Kid...It's time... "Oi! Kid! Come on, we're leaving!" The young man known as "Kid" jumped, waken from his daydream by his squad leader. He turned back to see his comrades gathered at the end of the hall. The large burly man was carrying the Prince over his shoulder whilst another carried the Princess. Rotor wash from the helicopter outside blew in the chilly night air into the halls. The looked back at the unconscious stallion behind him. He did not know what made him spare the pony's life but something about that look in his eye...reminded him of himself. He brushed his thoughts aside, still got a job to do, he thought. The man walked over to his comrades whom had already piled on into the chopper. The bald man extended a hand for the boy and he took it, climbing into his seat. The helicopter itself was cramped, assortments of containers lay on the underside of their seats. Thirty caliber machine guns adorning the sides. After doing a quick check the squad leader let the pilot know they were good to go. A quick check and the castle was shrinking in their rear view. "So, what'd you guys catch?" The pilot was a tall blonde man wearing aviators and his breath smelled of tobacco. "Two ponies, a unicorn and the other one...a pegacorn I guess?" "Alicorn, genius" Baldy chimed in. "Alicorn...Shit, ain't there like only three in existence, her included?" "I heard there was four." The young man said. "What?" "Oh, I said I heard there was four Alicorns actually. L-like I only heard I-I don't really know for sure heh," The squad leader eyed him quizzically. "Where you from kid?" he asked over the noise of the rotors. "Huh? Oh! I'm from Veluca, small town of the east coast in Cally." This triggered a few laughs among the men. "Shit! What's a Cally boy doing out here?" The boy didn't what to say so he just laughed with them. "Hey, check it...Yo, You might wanna get that thirty going!" The men looked to the right of the heli to see the city. Team two had done a good job at setting up the "diversion" it seemed. Several houses were ablaze from the incendiary weapons the squad used. Crystal ponies were running frantically throughout the streets. The guard were hopeless as they couldn't get close to the humans through the massive crowds. They could see the second chopper closing in to extract the second team. Pegasi were hapless trying to engage the heavily armed helo with their spears and were gunned down before they could get close. The bald man found himself letting off a hellfire of bullets at the pegasi below or as he called it, swatting flies. The thunderous roar of thirty caliber bullets killing any poor souls that were unfortunate enough to find themselves in his sights.The helo did one more circle over the burning city below providing cover for the second team's extraction. It didn't take long before the ponies found that they were vastly outgunned and finally...retreated. The Captain seemed to be the only one capable of maintaining a straight face as they moved through the bodies of their fallen comrades...So much death dealt so quickly. They were searching the mess of bodies for any survivors. Never before in the entire eleven years that the Captain had served did he feel so...useless. The Humans had made off with their leaders and the entire city was in a mass frenzy. The humans were pulling out and he had to order a retreat to the remaining guards. They weren't prepared for a sudden attack like this and he had no intention of letting more good ponies die. Their voices chilled him down to the bone. Sir! They're killing us! What do we do!? I-I can't F-feel my leg... I'm hit, SOMEPONY HELP ME! Sir we have multiple casualties! What are your orders!? "Sir! We found a live one here!" His eyes shot open in surprise and he snapped to where lay an injured Flash Sentry. The stallion approached the boy and knelt down to eyelevel. "Easy, son. You're gonna be just fine." He looked over to the other pegasi guards that flew in from the balcony. "Get this one to the infirmary," "Yes sir," The Unicorn Captain trotted over to the pegasus mare. Upon seeing him, gave a salute. "Captain," "How's the situation down below?" She looked grim, her eyes were already damp. "Eighty-one dead...At least fifty injured, The citizens are scared sir." "I know," "The fires have been extinguished but the damage is severe. The market square is gone and a lot of ponies are going to be out of work." "I know," "We've...sent a messenger to Canterlot. I-I don't know what else there is to say..." The Captain looked around—It was a look he hadn't seen before...defeat. In the face of an enemy that struck from the shadows whilst they slept. So much was happening at once, he couldn't stay focused. He didn't even have time to mourn or feel angry or anything. "They hit us when we were most vulnerable. The curfew, the sightings...We just didn't see it." For a moment, the pegasus could have sworn the stallion was crying... They both looked out into the crimson horizon. Celestia's sun finally gracing the devastated city with its presence—giving some much needed warmth. "Why...just why?" "Sir?" "Why would the humans do this? Was two-hundred years of peace just to ready for another damn war?" "They've killed so many of us. So many of those guards didn't even have actual combat experience," "They shouldn't have had to..." He muttered under his breath. "I'm going to make them pay..." The mare was caught by surprise at her captain's dark change of tone. "Sir..." "Your dismissed," he said under clenched teeth. "Y-Yes Sir." With that, the mare took off into the sky looking for anymore that needed help. "I swear to Faust...I will make them pay." He said to himself looking at a small piece of brass in his hoof. The humans...a race that resided on the other side of their world, in a country known as Victoria. The humans were a crafty race, using their hands and innovative minds to make up for their lack of magic. They built things that astound many Equestrian scholars to this day. Cars, planes, electronics. The majority of technologies that exist in Equestria, they owe to humanity. But where they created cars and planes they also made weapons...Guns, tanks, bombs being only a few of the terrible and destructive weapons they possessed. The ponies experienced their potential for war first-hoof at the battles of the second half of the Great War with humanity...Scattered bits of history telling different stories from either sides. The ponies once saw the humans as a primitive and violent race whose greed and ambition would drive them to come to blows amongst even themselves. They had no magic and couldn't possibly understand things like friendship or collective harmony. But it is easy to come to conclusions about a topic as complicated as humanity when you know so little. The war left both nations deeply scarred in ways they'd rather not talk about...and ultimately since then, Humanity and Ponykind stay away from each other. Until now it seemed... You knows stories they'd tell to children at night to make them behave? The ones where if they didn't do as their parents told the "big bad boogey-man" would come to get them? Well, they don't tell those anymore...It just seems like nowadays they're using these so called stories to spread lies, twisted versions of the 'truth' and propaganda. Just about anything the government found themselves a threat to their interests was fair game to involve our children...or their children...I didn't have any of my own. Why? No time. What with another damn conscription crisis just around the corner, I'll be surprised if anyone would think its a good idea to have kids, only so that they'd grow up never knowing their fathers. Regardless, it wasn't my place to say anything...as I matter of fact it wasn't my place to think anything. I joined the Victorian military about twelve years ago when I was still young and stupid. Back then it felt like for once in my life I had purpose. Something that I'd look back at on my death-bed and think...I did good...Back then we fought those that would have threatened our people and our way of life. To take away our freedom, our hopes and our dreams for their own selfish ambitions. Back then all of us young lads thought of ourselves as these white knights in shining armor like those tales of valor from ancient times when these honorable warriors fought to for the greater good to keep evil at bay. Huh, greater good...If there's one thing I've learned in my years its that nothing is in black and white. That there are no 'good guys' nor 'bad guys'...just shades of fucking grey. When the 'big man' gives the orders to do his dirty work its us poor and stupid young boys that get caught in the crossfire. Two hundred years ago, my ancestors fought what's known only as the largest conflict in human history...The Great World War. I was never much for history but from what I've learned is that both sides tell a different story. You see, there never truly was a victor in that war; too many things were left out, too many 'what ifs' to fill the void. But from what I've know...amongst the politics, death, destruction of that twenty year conflict there was courage, honor and sacrifice. Those boys and girls trudged through hell in the trenches, in the cities, and on the beaches so that we wouldn't have to. The people of tomorrow. We fought for the survival of our species and we didn't let our differences cloud our minds anymore. Back then we were just...human. I really want to tell you that I also follow up with what my ancestors did...that I fought the good fight like they did. I really do want to tell you that. But times change...people change... The day I decided I to leave that life behind was about two years ago...Now despite the fact that Victoria was the only human sovereign state in the world, there were certain groups that sought to change that. It seemed that even though we all share our part of the world together, there will always be those men who desire more than what they have. They claim to be fighting for freedom and independence but the truth is far from that. Officially since there are no actual two belligerents fighting it out, it's not considered war. But it's not far off... To this day, the blood in my viens chills when I think back to the events of that cold November morning...far, far from home. Two years ago Somewhere in East Victoria Tuesday, November 14th I had been assigned to the 103rd Armored Assualt battalion...Our convoy was inbound to clear out a stronghold of rebel defenses in the mountainous regions of East Victoria. The cold sting of the howling wind in my face and the smell of the morning dew being the few things that I actually found relaxing. I was riding in a halftrack just behind the small column of light tanks leading the way. Sitting next to me was Master Corporal Michael James Stuart but everyone called him "Motor-mouth' Mike...He and I enlisted together and have been fighting at each other sides for years. To my right was Sergeant Ethan Edward Burke...We all just called him 'Eddie'. I met with him whilst I was in sniper school, a good guy even if he was a bit quiet. Our unit had been assigned to provide support for the advancing armor, the tanks in our battalion were hardly suited for all out war but military funding had long since been cut short. Most of our more advanced and destructive weapons and vehicles were no longer being manufactured as the need for them diminished. The cost to create and maintain such powerful machines was great and Victoria's economy was still suffering from the events of the last civil war. That was where me and my mates had made a name for ourselves as the "Black Jacks". A name our guys respected and the enemy feared. Michael seemed to enjoy the attention we got, using some of his 'war stories' to milk a few beers off the other guys on our down time. Ethan didn't really seem to care for the 'fame'. There was always something about that guy that I didn't quite get. He never really told me why he enlisted...just something he sort of did. The awkward silence had continued on for the last hour. We hadn't seen each other in a few months during our leave. When the war was over we sorta just went our own ways. I hadn't asked them what they'd been up to, I wish I did. Motor-mouth Mike would usually be going off right about now, but he was surprisingly quiet...just like Eddie. We continued to sit there exchanging glares whilst the other boys chatted away. By now Mike would try elevate the somber mood but he was just as broody as I was. Some fresh-faced kids tried to make conversation with me, but I made it clear I wasn't in the damn mood. They hadn't seen what we had seen...What we had been through and had do. My mind was locked on getting this shit done and going home, after that...who knows...maybe I'll work that old corner store my parents had. Mom and dad were good folk. They were simple country people at heart but I was always the adventurous type growing up. Dad had to put up with a LOT of the stupid shit I did when I was bored. My Sister would usually be the one bailing me out of trouble at the cost of more than a few favors...Hell I'm twenty eight years old, living on my own, and still in debt to my sis. Of course, the only thing she really wants is for me to come back home already. For good this time...And I intended to do just that. Thoughts of home gave me some comfort. To wake up back in my old bed and just go for a drive in my beat up old pickup truck. I would drive the thing on over to that diner a few blocks down for a bite and hit on the cute red-head that worked there. What was her name? Rosie? Ruby? Something like that. Ah...yes, no place like home as they say. My thoughts were abruptly cut-off as the convoy slowed to a halt. We weren't there yet, so there was no reason to be stopping here. The laughter and chatting began to drone out as several heads perked up to see what was happening. Mike gave me a look and my eyes met Eddie's. I wanted to say something but Eddie decided to hop off the track. "Hey! And just where are you going?" I called after him—he didn't answer. I looked back at Mike, he wasn't a necessarily big guy, but he wasn't no push-over. He had a short blond buzz-cut and dark chestnut eyes. The look he gave me said enough, he was thinking exactly what I was thinking. I sat back down, eyes locking on the treeline. We were driving up alongside the mountain and there's barely any traffic out here. I didn't like the look of those rocks behind me however. I felt a sort of tingling sensation in the pit of my gut...and the good kind either. The kind you'd get when you knew something was wrong. Eddie must have noticed me tense up because he held his rifle closer as well. The hatch on the tank in front of us opened, and the commander pulled himself up. The man was talking to someone but I couldn't hear. I hopped off the idle vehicle and kept my Mk 16 service rifle at the ready. I approached the side of the tank and nodded at the crewman. "Hey, what's with the hold-up?" I asked. "I haven't the foggiest sir, they said there was some kind of obstruction in the road up ahead." He pointed up front the road branching off behind the mountain. "I'm going to go take a look, stay sharp." "Aye sir," When we went on this little "mission" of ours we expected to be back by sundown. The rebels...they were just an un-organized rabble of misguided idiots. Slaves to the propaganda that banded them together to die for the wrong side. Of course, who am I to say what is right or wrong? What happened next...no one even saw coming... It happened so damn fast! I heard the gut-wrenching sound of someone scream out "RPG!" followed by a thunderous explosion right behind me. Instinct took over as without a thought I dived to the ground. I could feel the shockwave from that explosion wash over me. Another explosion, this time mere feet in front of me. All I could hear was the high pitched ringing of my ears. The dirt went in my mouth and I spat it out, rolling onto my back. I saw the turret of the tank I lay beside traverse, aiming at whatever was shooting at us. The ground shook again as the tank fired but I was still deaf. My turned my head to the side and saw them. The rebels wore just any clothes they had and asides from the Kalash rifles in their hands, there was nothing that separated them from your average citizen. They took cover behind the trees down the hill. The tanks couldn't aim that low but they had no problem firing their rocket launchers at them like the sitting ducks they were. My hand made it's way down to my hip and I drew out my hand-gun. I popped a few rounds off at the trees but I don't think I hit anything. I had to get up...I had to move. Grabbing my rifle, I mustered all the strength I could in my legs and made a mad sprint to get out of there. One by one, the tanks were destroyed, killing any who were taking cover behind them. One rocket found its mark on the lead vehicle in front of me. The explosion was enough to make me lose my footing along the road and sent me rolling down the hill like a barrel. My body tumbled and was tossed around like a ragdoll through bushes, sticks, rocks, trees, whatever. I finally came to stop with me lying on my back at the base of the hill. I looked up at the evergreens towering above me. The pain was all over, as I felt cuts, scrapes and bruises riddled throughout my tired body. I winced as I struggled to get up. My pants were torn in some places, jacket was still okay and my vest was just dirty. I wore standard issue army fatigues, the color scheme was woodland camouflage to blend with the world around me. My pistol was still in my hands but I lost my rifle. I don't know how long I was in that painful tumble downhill. My hearing was slowly returning and I could hear the gunshots and explosions from off in the distance back up the hill. My leg killed and I gave a loud groan as I limped on. My bad day was still just getting started...