//------------------------------//
// Valediction 
// Story: For Whom The Bell Tolls 
// by The Shtebbie 
//------------------------------//

[Unknown], 1945
[Unknown] Local Time
[Unknown Location]

Atwater just stared at Keppler. The man who, in Atwater's eyes, was the face of the enemy he had been fighting. At least, until the man and his friend had freed Atwater. But still. The man was a wreck; his eyes were locked shut, and he was bawling into his fists. 
"Lieutenant!"
The man just continued to cry. Atwater seized him by the shoulders and shook him.
"Dammit, Lieutenant! Tell me! What is going on?"
The man just repeated, "I shot her...." again. Atwater dropped him to the floor. He whirled around to the small creature.
"What did you do to him? And also, what are you? How did you get here?" He slapped himself on the side of the head. "And why am I talking to taffy with wings?"
He sat down on the cement floor. The red creature walked over to him and held out a hoof.
"I'm Cloudy Day. I'm a pegasus pony, from Equestria. And he-" the pony pointed, "killed Thunder Wind. I don't know how, but he killed her with that thing." He pointed again, this time to the Luger in the guard's hand.
Atwater leaned back and massaged his temples. This wasn't making any sense. 
"I'll work it out later. Now though, is not the time for you all to go."
A hand fell on Atwater's shoulder.
"But it is, Herr Atwater. Mine and Sergeant Peter's redemption rests upon it."
Atwater turned to see the tear-streaked face of the Lieutenant. The man had a look of grim determination on his face, put there by the remembrance of the Princess's words. He pulled Atwater to his feet and handed his DG-2 back aftre picking it up on the floor.
"And you will help us. Please."
Atwater shrugged. "Will it help to get me out of here?"
"Yes, it will. We will lead you out once we are finished."
"Fine then. Let's get these things out-wait, how are we going to do that?"
"You'll see, Herr Atwater."



They sprinted down a hallway, and found a large steel door. Gunfire was rife throughout the halls as the distant battle between the Allied Special Forces and the Germans continued. As they moved, they heard less fighting sounds, and more movement. 
As they were running, they heard voices, and skidded to a stop. The pegasus hovering behind them flew back around the corner to tell the others to stop.
Atwater risked a look around the corner. Three SS soldiers with MP-44's and one soldier carrying a DG-2 were in the intersection just ahead. He looked to Keppler.
"Lieutenant, how do I use this?"
"Point and pull."
Atwater nodded. He slowly eased around the corner, took aim, and fired. An electrical bolt ripped through the air and attached itself to the closest soldier. He shrieked in agony as he burned to death. Immediately, the other three brought up their weapons. Atwater shot another as he fell back into cover. He heard the man's cries from around the corner. The odor of burnt hair and ozone wafted into his nose, and he fought down bile. He looked at Keppler. Keppler nodded.
"Hold on." He opened a pouch on his belt, and took out a German stielhandgranate grenade. He uncapped the end, pulled the primer, and flung it with flourish at the intersection. A scream, a thump, then nothing more. Atwater cautiously went over to where the men had been. Two charred skeletons and two bloody bodies were all that remained of four human beings. Atwater leaned over and threw up on the floor.



A few minutes later, they arrived at a large steel door. Six men were standing in front of them, wearing olive drab uniforms and carrying a variety of Allied weapons. 
All of which were pointed at Atwater and his two benefactors.
"Drop the bloody weapons, or we'll shoot!"
Atwater nodded, and slowly set the DG-2 on the floor. The two men alongside him followed suite. As they straightened, the men before them rushed them and knocked them to the ground, planting a knee in their backs to keep them pinned. Atwater lifted his head from the cement floor, and began speaking as loud and forcefully as possible from that position.
"My name...is Sergeant Jacob Atwater, of the United States Army Rangers. I-"
"Shut your hole, I know who you are. You're one of those Yanks they sent us to rescue. Bring 'im over here!"
One of the British commandos lifted him to his feet and pulled him over to the door. The others kept their weapons trained on the two Germans that sat, not resisting, on the floor.
"My question for yeh, is who are these two jerries, and why are they following you?"
"These two men rescued me. We're trying to...solve a problem of sorts. You see-"
He was cut off as shouting began down the hallway. The quick sound of boots falling also echoed towards them. The commandos immediately lunged into whatever cover they could access.
"Lassen Sie sie nicht in der Nähe der Kammer!"
One of the commandos leaned out, and started to speak, only to be cut off as bullets began to zip past. He ducked quickly.
"Sir, there's a lot more of them than there are of us!" He shouted back to the man who was obviously in charge.
He nodded. "I can see that, Rupert!" He hit the deck, taking aim with a small, wicked-looking submachine gun with a magazine protruding from the side.
Keppler and Peter got up and hurried to the gates, then started inching them open. They pulled with all their might. 
"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" One of the commandos rushed Peter, and was given a swift punch into the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Atwater was on his feet seconds later, and kicked the gun the commando was raising away from him.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down, friend!" He began to help heave the doors open.
As they did this, the fire increased. Rounds pinged off the walls, and he noticed that two of the six were injured, one of them seemingly dead. He grimaced, and they finished opening the door. Atwater turned to Keppler, who was entering the quarantine room. 
"Lieutenant! Toss me one of your grenades!" His order was followed, and he turned, pulling the chain at the bottom of the handle, then flinging it down the hallway towards the German soldiers. The roar of its detonation followed shortly thereafter, and the British nodded in satisfaction, before tending to their wounded. Atwater turned to the captain and spoke plainly.
"Listen, you're about to think you've gone insane. Just don't scare them, and it'll be fine, 'kay?"
The captain rose to his full height and glowered at Atwater. "Insane? I think you're the one who's in-"
Atwater whistled loudly, cutting him off. A soft fluttering sound was heard, then the pegasus came carefully around the corner towards them, scrutinizing the British commandos. He turned and looked at Atwater with distrust. "Who are they?"
The captain stared, slack-jawed at the hovering pony. He quickly regained his composure, although continued staring.
"Sergeant....what in God's name is...that?"
"This is Cloudy...Cloudy something. He's from some place I've never heard of. You want answers, talk to Keppler." He motioned towards the German Lieutenant, who was now being watched by a corporal wielding a Lee-Enfield. They walked over to Keppler and nodded to the pony that followed.
"Lieutenant, we've got a respite for a moment. Now tell us, what is going on?"



A/N:God....I finally got some time today to finish this chapter. I believe I could do better, but life is kind of getting in the way of everything right now. I'm going to be moving next month, and my time is being spent packing and trying to figure out a place to stay. I know it's been a really, REALLY long time, and I feel like It's probably going to take a while to get the next chapter up as well. Sorry, guys.