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// Slice#3 
// Story: Remembering Apple Pie 
// by Lead_Colored_Sky 
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It would actually be nice if I could feel the wind. With these new bodies nothing in the world could be felt and here I am sitting upon a large cloud wishing I could feel the air and wind in the process. Before embarking on our trip to the first rally point then onwards to the objective I was given instructions on how to fly within my new shell. A few laps around the headquarters while being escorted by a pair of the ROY G BIV units in the process. For the first time in my life I was actually able to fly close to perfect though it took a complete bodily make-over in order to do such. Even then I wish I could have felt the wind but so sense in crying over it now I suppose. Both respective squads had been place on their own clouds for transport and just by the looks of the troops on my barge and the second just a short distance off they were taking everything quite well. A radical change to their bodies and they are already making jokes, jostling eachother around, and talking without a care. Then again they had possibly a week or so to get used to it all. I was the last one awoken and have only been awake only a day.

It did not take long before the others tried to drag me into conversation with them but I only sat quietly and gave a nod or a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer now and then. I was not sure if they came to the conslusion that I may have been defective or not. Hard to tell when there is nothing to show such features like the eyes or mouth would. Either way if they did nothing was said of it either because it was not worth mentioning at thi point or because I was their second ranking officer. After some time of back and forth chatter in the pre dawn hours was when the orders for complete silence was passed through the rank and file. The objective was spotted in the distance though we were closing in on it slowly in the guise of storm clouds so as to not raise suspicion. Or so that was the plan they had decided upon anyways. As we came nearer and nearer a few faint lights could be made out as street lamps. This alone highlighted the contours of the shoppes and houses. Before long the darkness would fade to light and by then we are hopeful to complete the operation by the time the sun rises.

Within the span of an hour we had finally reached the edge of Ponyville and came to a complete stop. We sat and waited. A few troops making short conversation in husehd tones. Now and then a normal Pegasus would take flight from our cloud to a specific height and face our rear, a lantern held in place by a leather strap around the neck. I would watch as he would flash white light for a brief moment before moving a blue and red lense over the light. A purple glow would shine for but a few seconds before it was shut off completely. Behind us in the distance a faint yellow light would be the response. With that the Pegasus would lower his altitude back to our cloud and wait. This was the fifth time we recieved a yellow light as an answer. The Pegasus was kind enough to quietly explain to me what the whole process was about. The quick flash of white light apparently alerts the second party of an incoming message. The purple light shows that all is ready and wanting to proceed. The yellow we got in response to it all was, as I was told, to standby. He had said red usually means no and green for yes and that there was many other variations to it all but he was not able to go into detail before being silenced by the Commander. The best guess I could make of it all was the clouds carrying the normal pegasus troops was a little behind and wanted to be closer that way when we complete our part of the mission we would not have to wait too long for them to take over. All I could do at this point was keep silent even though I had hardly uttered a word. Looking around and taking in the view around me was the next best past-time when the pony with the lamp stood and was getting ready to take flight again when behind us came quick and frantic flashes of green light. I craned my head a ways and let the glass orb that was my eye take over the rest as it moved to the far right to catch a glimpse. Not only was there one green light, but three in total flashing on and off frantically. The Pegasus with the lantern on our barge flashed a green lense over his light a few times as the Commander's from both clouds began to flit about, ordering every pony to stand and make ready.

"Alright captain, all I need you to do right now is follow the rest of the troops and help with their duties. I do not plan to leave the squad anytime soon so there is not need for you to take any command or relay orders on my behalf. Clear? Perfect."

The Commander had taken some of his time to stop and speak with me which was fine and all. I never asked for a leadership position and I am not sure how they came across me as the type to do so but no matter. I stood at the rear of the group while the commander stood at the front and after a few brief words to the front row and to the Pegasus troops who traveled with us moving the cloud along he jumped. The troops followed suit in one hurry as if each and every one was trying to be the second one off the cloud. Within moments I had reached the edge, spread my metallic wings, and leapt from the cloud. My body spiraled downwards once or twice before leveling out into a glide. The entire group had managed to stay together as we continued downwards. According to the plan our squad was to take one end of the town while the first squad took another end. Eventually we would end up meeting in the middle and spread from there if necessary. The houses came closer and closer, the trees nearer and nearer and from what we could tell every pony was still in bed asleep. We would have to go home to home and drag them out but one panice sounded and spread through the town we were sure it would make the job easier in the long run.

The sound of metallic hooves from the first pony to touch the ground echoed through the still air. Many more followed in short order. My hooves touched soil last though I did not take to the first house or shop near me. Instead I took a few moments to watch around me. Some of the troops took to the front doors and rushed inside. Doors that were locked were shattered like dead wood by a single buck. Some even flew straight in through windows on the top or even ground floors. Surprise was to be the element after all. Before long the sound of screams and panic began to fill the streets. Doors would burst open as the homes occupant would rush out followed by one of us. A sleepy citizen would step out his or her door to check and see what the commotion was about only to be kicked or tossed to the dirt before being dragged to the center of town as the rest worked to heard the masses in one spot either by fear or by force. Some began to emerge from the opposite end of the town only to run into our squad while escaping the other. A few would surrender to demands as they realised they were stuck in the middle with no way to go. I myself began to move around a bit though I made a point to stay out of the others way as I watched. Looking around my gaze stopped upon a pair of troops who seemed to be struggling with an earth pony. The citizen itself was not all that big but he was putting up a stout fight while his assailents tried to subdue him. The earth pony struggled and swiped a hoof here and there before finally rearing back and flung himself forward. A hoof made contact full force to the head of one of the troopers. The mechanical pony staggered back in surprise, the ear damaged slightly. His partner racted quickly by crashing a hoof of his own onto the resisting citizen. The metallic hoof mixed with the hollow sound and a crack caused me to take a step back as the pony ceased to resist and flop to the ground in a lifeless state. Shaking my head free of the image I turned in time to see more of the citizens had been ushered to the center of town. By now troopers from the first squad were appearing at the opposite end just as the sky began to take on a lighter glow.

Aside from the light of the oncoming sun a faint and familiar orange glow began to filter out into the street. Catching my attention I turned to the sound of shattering glass and watched as orange and yellow flames began to lap from the broken window. Shadows began to dance as the flames grew more intsense as the commotion around me began to intensify. I turned my head this way and that to take in the scene before me but no sooner had I turned fully around did I catch sigh a charging earth pony. One of the prisioners must have broken away from the group to flee as a pair of ponies from my unit rushed after 'Please no, do not do it. Do not do it.' It was all I could repeat over in my head. Over and over and over as the creature charged headlong, a look of determination on it's face knowing this would go either one or two ways. I move or it plows straight through me. At this point I wish I could have taken a deep breath as the pony drew closer and closer. My mechanical body sprung into action in order to react. I did not move out of the way instead I had raised my right hoof at the last moment and gave one swift and hard swing to the left. The strike connected with the side of the ponies head with a hollow and sharp 'crack'. The best way I could describe it would be like hitting a watermelon as hard as you could. The sound of bone cracking became apparent as th pony's body tumble through the air only to come crashing down to the dirt quite a few paces from me. As I looked closer I could see the head was twisted in a fasion it was never intended to turn. "Darn good punch there Captian,first comfirmed kill. She was quite the handful just trying to round her up."

The voice from one of the troopers snapped me from my own thoughts. I merely gave a nod before looking down to my own hoof, a pice of paint chipped from the metal. I had actually killed some pony, and a mare at that. Maybe if I blink my eyes it would just be a dream? Nothing doing. It was as real as it gets. The suns rays began to peer over the buildings as I stood near the flame engulfed shop and a corpse. As the sound of commotion increased I decided to break the gaze from my hoof in order to see the living, breathing normal troops rushing into the town to take over. I suppose the Commanders would call this a success in its own right. The sun played off the silver armor most of the Pegasus troops were wearing while we began to move towards the train station to regroup. By this point I had to force myself to move with the rest and not to curious as to what we would have to do next.