Chapter7: The Entry
Summer 55, 22XX
This may very well be the last journal entry for awhile.
I have managed to... 'convince' my colleague’s deviant brother to allow me to come with him to cross the border. From mutual agreement from him and his reluctant gang of misfit smugglers, they will escort me half way to their rendezvous point where they are to make the exchange of bits for coffee beans. After that, I am on my own.
Based on the suggestions made from Bubble Wand I have packed a medium load of the following.
One set of dark clothing
One can of “war paint”
Five scrolls
Eight quills
A pack of hay for food
A canteen for water
Some Vials for extra water or liquids I find.
An empty pack to store anything I find interesting on the other side
Some toiletries and a blanket
...And apparently no magic infused items. I am told by the other smugglers that there are heckaluminum infused traps along the border that will detect magic and trigger unwanted attention by irregular human patrols, mines, and an artillery nest nearby.... wonderful.
If I do survive the crossing, assuming that such devices are not prevalent in the RoH, I have been practicing an invisibility spell to hide myself for short periods of time. I havn't quite got it yet but I am getting there.
We are to leave in two days time when the moon is full. That way we will be able to see patrols and mine markers... I hope not to get killed by any of any of the aforementioned.
Also, I realized that if I do make it across, I need to set myself some rules to prevent any problems arising from my presence in human territory.
1. Do not use magic; from what I understand from the smugglers I that there are traps and alarms devised from from a type of metal that changes its properties when magic is nearby.
2. Do not interfere with human activity or be seen; No doubt I will cause panic amongst humans if I am discovered. I am there to observe only.
3. Take only what is needed and in the smallest quantities possible for survival or study; otherwise, leave everything as it was.
=+=+=+=
In the darkness, a lone lantern shone from a guard house from the inside as its human occupant opened the door. He looked left, then right. Then stepped out from from it and closed the door, encasing the world in darkness once more. There was a small click, and a flicker of light made itself known to the darkness as a smaller lantern was lit. The human border guard looked around himself as he raised the lantern above his head. Satisfied that nothing around him was going to sneak up and kill him, he set off towards his designated patrol path to relieve his fellow guard.
This place at the border was known to the RoH as mile marker 44. It was here where on the equestrian side the Black Forrest was at its closest. Nearly a stone throw away from where the human walked. It was also home of huge stump that was in between his homeland and the enemy's.
It was also a trouble spot where unauthorized people were often shot dead from the smuggling trade. It wasn't always this way-- it used to be when coffee smugglers were caught, they were stripped of their cargo and sent back the way they came. But due to more aggressive people entering the trade due to economic hardship, its now kill on sight. Plus, the enemy also has been complaining of the influx of “dangerous caffeinated drugs” entering their country.
Border Guard Teacher Jobs McCormik, snorted. 'Who knew that coffee was poisonous to ponies?' he thought to himself.
As he approached the warning line whilst amusing himself with thinking about how to perhaps invent a way to weaponize coffee extract, he heard a loud crunch sound coming from the woods on the Equestrian side.
McCormick stopped and rapidly dropped to one knee and pulled out his service pistol and pointed it at where the sound came from, lifted the lantern above his head and shouted, “Halt! Who goes there?!”.
Silence. There was no reply.
Keeping his pistol steady, he placed his lantern on the dry grass and covered it with his hat, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness and letting the moon shine on what he was trying to see. Eventually, his eyes settled on what looked like a large broken branch on the ground from the outermost tree.
Uncovering his lantern of light and placing his hat back on his nearly balding head, he fished out a pocket watch and checked the time, then he flipped it over in his hands to check the color of the back casing.
The casing did not turn purple. Meaning that there was no magic nearby.
Satisfied that nothing foul was afoot. The guard stood up, sheathed his pistol, and moved on.
=+=+=+=
Dr. Moss and his escorts let out a sigh of relief as the lantern light bobbed away into the night. It was by chance that a human border guard happened to be near them as a branch broke from its tree near their crossing point. They broke from their cover provided by the low shrubs, and dashed across the three lines that made the border between Equestria and RoH possible. Bubble Wand who galloped alongside Gentle Moss, stuck out his tongue at him in a matter that read 'We got away with it!'
Accompanying them, there was an Earth Pony named Shamrock Shine who was the leader and the guide. She was very hesitant to bring Gentle Moss and was very stubborn to even consider the idea when she heard his suicidal plan to enter the RoH. But relented later at the urging of Bubble Wand. The two other earth ponies were twin brothers Huff and Puff, the were the “Mules” and would be carrying the goods, they also scoffed at the idea of bringing Gentle Moss along, but when they heard of him actually wanting to go forward with entering the RoH, they immediately gave him respect and told him he had “balls of steel”. The last member of their group, Silk Touch was a Pegasus with a steely gaze and didn't talk. Her job was just to keep a lookout for any human patrols during their trip. She wanted coffee, that was it. She didn't care how many ponies came along. (Later, Shamrock would explain that Silk Touch used to be a fashion designer for Pegasus clothing before becoming addicted to coffee. She needed it for late-night work, but she than began to fall apart and her clients noticed. She now drinks for her depression.)
Eventually, the group of six ponies dressed and covered in dark clothing slowed to a trot as they made it over a hill that presented the rest of the sloping human DMZ side. The pony leading the group on this dangerous expedition signaled a stop and raised a hoof, halting the rest of the group and to be silent. She looked left, then right. Then turned to the rest of the group and said, “Let's rest for a bit and check the map.”
Two of the smuggler ponies sighed in relief as they unloaded their burdensome coin packs from their backs and the only pegasus above them took flight and circled the hill to keep an eye out for unwanted patrols. Gentle Moss took off his wool beanie hat and wiped his brow of sweat as he sat on the grey empty ground. Already on the human side, he noticed that the farther away from the border they galloped, the less plant life there seemed to be. He took out a piece of parchment and made a quick notation of his surroundings.
They were not there long before Bubble Wand and Shamrock Shine began a whispered argument over the map. “No no no!” Shine vehemently stated, “that's a known minefield, Wand. if we go that way we risk getting blown to bits!”
Bubble Wand groaned “How is going near that nest of monkeys any better?! If they see us, they will personally blow us to bits!”
Curious, Dr. Moss put away his scroll and trotted over to the heated discussion and asked, “What's going on?”
“Bubble Wand is insisting that we take a shortcut and get ourselves killed.” Shine answered with an added roll of the eyes.
“No” protested Wand, as he jabbed a hoof at a brown spot on the map. “She is insisting that we 'sneak around' a human artillery position. Which is begging for problems.”
“But they won't see us!” exclaimed Shine a bit more loudly then the rest of the group was comfortable with. “We have always gone this way, and when we do, we are too close in range of the cannons and far way enough not to be shot or blown up by a mine!”
“I'm not going anywhere near them” declared Wand.
“You don't have a choice.” Shine tortled.
“Yes I do!”
“Grah!”
As the two belligerent ponies continued to argue of what path they should take, the two mule ponies carrying the bits began a betting pool with the Pegasus who decided to land in fear of being seen while her leader was fighting loudly with Bubble Wand. Gentle Moss meanwhile rolled his eyes at the both of them and tried to study the map himself.
At that moment a cloud briefly blocked the moonlight, making it hard to read. Instinctively Gentle Moss lit up his horn.
Which was a horrible mistake.
Both Bubble Wand and Shamrock Shine at that moment stopped arguing and snapped their heads at the sudden display of illumination magic while the Pegasus and the mule ponies got up off the ground and quickly galloped away.
“MOSS NOOOOO!”
But before Dr. Moss released the illumination spell, it was too late. Nearby just a foot in the ground, a heckaluminum spring inside a brass contraption contracted itself from the nearby unicorn magic, and triggered a fuse, which caused a small purple flare to eject from the ground and fly straight into the sky and explode.
“...Buck!”
=+=+=+=
“Magic detector triggered at grid 2-5-10!” screamed a young border guard woman as she lowered her binoculars.
“Verified,” responded the BMA as he looked through his own pair. “Comrades, does any of you see any enemies or what triggered it?”
As expected, all responses from the artillery nest was “negative”. Wonderful, another faulty magic detector flare.
“Sir, orders?” asked the lead artillery loader as he had his hands on the hatch of the cannon.
The BMA put down his binoculars and made a face. The Border Master made it clear that “When in doubt, shoot” when it came to protecting the inner zone. But he also hated wasting ammunition. He looked towards the artillery crews. All young and eager to shoot... eh why not just this once?
The BMA took a deep breath and shouted “AIM GUNS 1 & 2! SIGHT 2-5-10 AND 2-6-10!”
The crews quickly and gleefully maneuvered the cannons by cranking the levers that swiveled the weapons at their base.
“Gun 1, Aimed 2-5-10, Sir!”
“Gun 2, Aimed 2-6-10, Sir!”
The BMA took another breath, “GUN 1 & 2! 5 ROUNDS ONLY, FIRE ON MY COMMAND!”
There was clanking as the hatches on the cannon opened, grinding metal of the shells being loaded and a final clack of the hatches snapping shut.
“Gun 1 loaded and ready, Sir!”
“Gun 2 loaded and ready, Sir!”
“SET FOR FIRING GRID TYPE C AND FIRE WHEN READY!”
“FIRING!”
=+=+=+=
In the distance, the three ponies screamed and ran for their lives as the shells whistled down and exploded all around them. Shrapnel, rocks and heavy clumps of dirt narrowly missing them. Gentle Moss shouted to Shamrock Shine who was in the lead, “We need to get out of here!”
“No duh!” she gasped back as Bubble Wand gave out a very filly shriek as another shell fell too close for comfort. Just then another round landed near them, and then there was a scream as Shine tripped over her hooves from the blast and covered her head, tripping the accompanying stallions over her.
No pony dared to move until the shelling stopped.
=+=+=+=
“Firing order complete, sir!” a sharp female voice rang out as a depleted shell was emptied from one of the brass cannons. “Orders?”
The BMA surveyed the fresh destruction of the landscape through his binoculars. With a satisfied grunt he put them back on his belt and announced, “Good Work, comrades. Now who volunteers to scout over our handiwork? Teacher Dexter, why don't you take some comrades and check.”
=+=+=+=
Shamrock Shine moaned in pain as blood trickled down her snout from her head as she attempted to stand up- only to fall over back on the dirt. The dark world was dizzy, and there was this never ending ringing noise that was making her nauseous. Dr. Moss also heard the ringing, but was able to power through it as he forced himself off up the ground. As sore as he was, he checked himself over. Finding no blood or wounds, he turned his attention to Bubble Wand, who was silently whimpering to himself in the fetal position. Seeing no obvious wounds, Dr. Moss rolled his eyes and looked over their guide and gasped.
Shamrock's head was covered in blood, and from the looks of it she was fading in and out of consciousness from the loss of it. Dr. Moss quickly dropped his bags and pulled out his blanket and canteen of water.
“Shamrock Shine, are you still with me?” he whispered.
Shamrock groaned in response, eyes still closed. “Don't... use magic...” she feebly said.
“I am so sorry.” said Gentle Moss as he poured water over her head in attempt to clean off the blood from the wounds.
“...me... too.” she replied, sarcasm missing, but implyed.
Suddenly, something hit Gentle Moss behind his head and he felled to the ground. When he looked up, all he saw an angry Bubble Wand
“We are all going to die because of you!” he shouted in an angry whisper as he loomed over Gentle Moss. “We've lost our money for the coffee beans because our pack mules and lookout ran away. We can't continue this buck'd up journey anymore! We got to go back...” he slowed down as he looked around himself. “I am not going to die here... in the middle of this Tartarus forsaken place.”
Gentle Moss slowly picked himself of the ground as Bubble Wand continued his 'I don't wanna die' speech. He returned his attention to Shamrock Shine with his blanket, and clumsily began to wrap her wounded head with it earth pony style. After ensuring that the blanket was tied securely to her head. He turned back to Bubble Wand.
“They are going to tie us up.”
“Bubble Wand...”
“...and skin us... and cook us...”
“Bubble Wand....”
“While we are still alive!!!”
Gentle Moss took charge and smacked Bubble Wand across the head.
“OW! You hit me!”
“Shut up.” firmly said Gentle Moss as he grabbed Bubble Wand's snout with both hooves so that he had his full undivided attention. “We are NOT going to die, or be eaten... I don't know how many times I have said that humans only did this once...” He shook his head and continued, “and I agree we should get out of here. And when I say WE, I mean You and Shamrock Shine. I...” he trailed off as he located the map next to Shamrock Shine, “...am taking the map, and going to proceed into the RoH.” He looked back at the misdemeanoring pony and brought his head in close. “You and Shamrock will go back home, and change your lives. I want you to write that apology letter, get a job, move out of Fizzy Bubbles' house and stop drinking coffee, and get help for your caffeine addiction. Got it?”
“...”
“Well?”
“... fine.”
Gentle Moss released Bubble Wand. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
There was a shout in the distance, “Careful comrades, its a bit steep here.”
“Buck!” Moss and Wand scrambled to put Shine on Wand's back. After ensuring she would not fall off, they said their goodbyes hastily and parted ways. Two ponies to return to safety, one to move on, but only after covering the blood with dirt and making his way to the minefields, and onward to the land of humans.
=+=+=+=
“I see nothing here but craters in the ground, Comrade Dexter.” pipped one of the humans, her lantern shining on the spot where the ponies had been last.
“Figures...” a disinterested Dexter muttered. Taking off his service cap to let the night air cool his head. “As usual, faulty alarm. What a waste of ammunition, though I do thoroughly enjoy making holes in the ground for no reason. Let's return to the cannon nest.”
The group began to head back, but the woman had stopped when she saw a glint in the darkened dust. She slung her rifle back over her shoulder to free her hand to pick up the gleaming metal object. It was a nail, but instead of being the rusty iron that most humans were accustomed to, it was a slightly bent gleaming white steel nail! 'But where did it come from?' she wondered. Perhaps some piece of government machinery that was here a long time ago?
“Comrade Dexter! Come look at this!” she shouted aloud as she held up the nail to her compatriots.
The group came trekking back, with Dexter leading them. “What is it Comrade Augustine?” he asked.
“I found this nail on the ground, its white steel! This is very rare... is it perhaps from a tank or other machinery?”
Dexter took the nail from her and held it at the point. He could tell as he turned it that it was indeed white steel and very light, very shiny with no rust, with a criss-cross pattern at the top of the nail. After a moment of examining it, He said with an air of a scholar, “Very peculiar... most equipment is put together with bolts or screws, and hardly are these ever made of white steel.
“Perhaps its from a lighter-then-aircraft patrol?” brain-stormed one. “It may have fallen off-”
“No.” Dexter dead-panned, cutting off his compatriot's train of though. “Again, SAS and any government made machine is screw and bolts, either brass or iron, not nails and certainly not white steel. Now, lets ask the question. What is put together using white steel nails?”
“Wood structures?” guessed one.
“Perhaps...” replied Dexter. “But who would spend that kind of money? And why would they want to build something in the middle of the DMZ?”
“...Smugglers?” guessed another.
Dexter frowned. That was certainly one possibility, but that didn't make sense. “White Steel is plentiful in Equestria and Plentiful in the Republic. But very expensive to manufacture. Even if they smuggled it, why would they do it in the form of nails instead of bar bullion?” he asked. “No, not smugglers, and no, not anyone building anything.” He eyed his comrade, who did carpentry in his civilian life shut his mouth.
“Comrade...”
Dexter turned to the shortest one of the group. “Yes, comrade Julian?”
“May I see the nail?”
Dexter handed the nail to Julian, who examined it for himself. After intense study. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped.
“This is a horseshoe nail.”
Immediately the rest of the group felt out in the open, and they formed a defensive perimeter and became alert. Some pulled out their watches and check for magic. Dexter then asked “How can you tell?”
Julian explained, “My grandfather before he died worked for the Kremlin, he brought home horseshoes that were collected from the rebellion. The nails are slightly bent so it stays in the hoof, the criss-cross on the flat part is to help grip the ground on slippery terrain.”
Disturbed by this information about the nail, he pulled out his service pocket watch, opened it to note the time, closed it, turned it over in his hands, and placed the nail carefully on the back part of the watch.
It took 10 seconds, but the watch's special back-plate began to glow purple along the length of the nail.
Ponies. And they were here recently!
“Everyone listen to me!” Dexter barked. “We have possible intruders here, and we need to find and eliminate them! Comrades Julian, Augustine, and Martian! I want you to take this and report back to our Border Master Assistant we have a possible incursion! The rest of us is to follow me and we are to search and destroy! Do it comrades, for the Republic, and the Motherland!”
Stats
Page generated in 0.019 seconds
Total duration
997 users online
386,101 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
YES! FINALLY THANK YOU
3190419
You're welcome.
Aw shite, you gone dun f*cked up now, Gentle Moss!
I'm just waiting for a "Papers, please" reference.
3190656
Funny you should mention that. I actually played the game but it didn't influence me until now.
IT'S ALIVE.
Do not take so long in updating.....
Please?
So looongg.......
Do you need an editor to speed things up? Volunteering here........
Oh yeah!
I like your use of magic detecting metals in this story!
3193005
I am sorry it took so long. I have been battling depression, but working at the telephone/internet company and listening to people scream at me that their service isn't working for the 3rd time (I work repeat calls, yucky) isn't helping. Because of this, I hate looking at my computer at the end of my shift.
3193044>>2400562
Your holiness touch me with your noodely (?) appendage!
It's nice to see the good ones update after awhile.
A lot of interesting world-building and technology. Some mistakes were seen (you mixed up then and than in several places) but otherwise I really enjoyed the chapter.
3200306
Oh darn, I was sure I had them right.
Soviet Russia much?
3219482
Not really. Most of the time I fix people's internet.
I'm still reading it, and I'm still conflicted. I like the story, but I HATE that communist feel from humans, especially that 'comrade' every other sentence. I am conflicted.
3219792
I hope Gentle Moss adventures going be something like this.
*pokes author with a stick*
3436991
Ouch.
Well, at least the humans are no germans.
This story still updating?