Chapter V: It's Happening Again…
[Sergeant Jake Adams POV]
I woke up early in the morning, long before Celestia's sun showed itself over the horizon. I went upstairs and listened through Fluttershy's door, hearing her soft snoring, then returned downstairs and got dressed. I left a note, stating where I was going and what time I might be back. I knew it was better for me to go without her, because she still tended to still latch onto me whenever she was startled (Which was pretty much all the time, but I'd been trying).
All of the squad, for that matter, had gotten close to whoever they'd been staying with; me to Fluttershy, Samuel with Applejack, Adam and Pinkie, and so on. Hell, even Luna would be seen from time to time with Victor around town, or he'd disappear for a few days on 'official business'. Tying on my boots, I walked out of Fluttershy's cottage and headed towards town.
As I walked into town, I was greeted by some of the ponies that I've personally met and made friends with. I saw Derpy doing her mail run, the sofa clerk selling his quills to a white earth pony, and Rose setting up her stand for the day. I walked into the town hall and looked for the mayor, who Fluttershy said came to usually came to work early. I found her office and knocked, hearing an "Enter." from Mayor Mare's weary voice.
I walked into the surprisingly small office to see the mayor sitting at her desk, looking through the veritable mountain of paper upon it. "Ahh, Mr. Adams." she said, looking up. "Is there something I can help you with?"
I nodded and said "Yes ma'am. I was hoping that you might have a business that I could possibly buy, or at least one to lease. My men and I need a more permanent place to stay and hopefully make some income in order to stop living off our hosts. We have quite a debt from making those uniforms."
She nodded and stood, walking over to another desk, opening drawers and pulling out a single sheet of paper. "The only place I have available is an out-of-business convenience store." she said. "It's pretty well run-down, but if you want it and you think you can fix it up, then it's yours for free."
I gave her a surprised look at the offer, to which she replied "It was being scheduled for demolition anyway, so it's free. Nopony had the time to fix it up, and that group of three fillies tried to do it. Thankfully, they weren't hurt in the process."
I showed a small smile at the thought of Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo attempting to rebuild the establishment, then said "I'll take it."
"Say what Sarge?" Brooklyn exclaimed as we stood in front of a decrepit, old building that looked about ready to collapse.
"I said, we're going to be fixing this place up and turning it into a bar." the sergeant replied. "I've been wanting a nice drink of liquor since we got here, but all they've got is cider."
"They make hard cider too, Sarge." I said, remembering the drink Granny Smith had given Big Mac and I while we took a short break from applebucking, or in my case, harvesting. It wasn't whiskey, but it was still pretty good.
"Be that as it may, this will get us a place to sleep and, hopefully, a source of income." the Sarge countered before handing out tools and pointing to a pile of lumber. "Let's get working. We don't have all day."
[Twelve days later]
"Get me one more nail!" Vic hollered from the rooftop. I grabbed one and passed it on to Schmitty, who threw it up to the sergeant, who gave it to Vic. Brooklyn held down the last board as Vic nailed it in, completing the newly-built structure.
We got down from the roof and looked at our new home. We had added a second story to the original structure in order to make room for us, and Vic, the Sarge, and I had worked outside while Schmitty and Brooklyn rebuilt the inside, adding a bar and cleaning up whatever mess we made.
"She looks pretty good, doesn't she?" the Sarge asked, earning a nod from all of us. We had worked all past week, barely stopping to rest. I pulled a few splinters out of my throbbing hand and rinsed them off with water from my canteen.
"Is that it?" a voice behind us called. We turned around to see Twilight and her friends, along with a few curious ponies, standing behind us and inspecting the structure.
"Yep." Schmitty answered as he flopped onto the ground, the rest of us following soon after. Vic hit the ground with a heavier thud, which made sense. There was a reason why he carried the machine gun.
Immediately, Fluttershy rushed over to us and asked "Are you okay? You all look so tired." Before she could continue, the sergeant waved her off, telling her we were fine. We all sat their along with our better halves as the last of the sun disappeared over the horizon and the moon rose to take its place.
[One week after the opening of Ponyville Bar]
I pulled out another drink from the counter and poured it into a small glass before handing it to Big Mac, who had already become a regular at the quiet bar. I poured one for myself and sat down next to him, watching as Schmitty studied a book with Twilight. "How's life at the farm?" I questioned the red stallion.
Big Mac sighed and said "Its fine. With Applebuck Season comin' up soon and all, there's a whole lot o' work to do, 'specially if we want a full harvest."
I nodded and asked him "How's the family?"
"They're doin' well." he responded, taking a small sip from his glass before going on. "Applebloom got into another argument with Diamond Tiara an' now she's in a spot of trouble with Applejack." Looking at me pointedly, he said "She misses havin' you 'round, you know."
"I've been meaning to run by there sometime," I replied. "But with Vic on his monthly Canterlot trip and the Sarge helping Fluttershy with the animals, Brooklyn, Schmitty, and I got our work cut out for us. Not to mention that I'm the one cleaning up Brooklyn and Pinkie's messes from their pranks."
Big Mac smiled knowingly before finishing his drink and getting up. "I'd best be getting' back to the farm. I'll tell AJ you said hi." I thanked him and walked upstairs into the loft we had made for ourselves, entering my room. Both of my rifles leaned against the far wall, covered in a fine layer of dust. I picked up the M1 and turned it in my grip, dusting it off and inspecting it. I cleared the breech and looked at the loaded magazine, the top two .30-06 rounds catching the dying light from the sun. I put the rifle down and sighed. I hoped I'd never need to use it again.
[One year after First Squad's Arrival in Ponyville]
Schmitty and I ran into the bar looking for the Sarge. Rainbow Dash had rounded up the squad, telling us that something important was happening. I found the sergeant, along with the rest of the squad, holding a rolled up piece of paper.
"Is that a letter from Celestia?" Schmitty asked, causing the Sarge to nod. "It's for our eyes only. Not even the Elements can see this." he said, opening the letter and reading it.
Sergeant Jake Adams,
This letter is only to be read among the members of your squad. It and the information it contains are not to be passed on in any way to anypony, including the Elements of Harmony.
As part of a normal diplomatic visit, the political leaders of the nearby pony nation of Germanniegh arrived in Canterlot this morning. However, the chancellor, an old earth pony, had been replaced by a human like you. He and his fellow comrades wore a different uniform from yours and demanded that we give them territory, among other things. We have managed to delay their requests and are requesting that you come to Canterlot immediately. We need your help as my sister and I believe that our normal diplomacy has already failed.
Signed,
Princess Celestia
The Sarge rolled up the scroll and picked up our bags, handing them to each of us. "We've got somewhere to be. Don't ask anything, 'cause I think we already know what's going on. Just grab your shit and let's go."