Saving Private Bloom: The Captain's Logs

by Tiedye3000

Journal Entry: Braeburn and the Seven Soldiers

Journal Entry

Capt. Twilight Sparkle

June 8th, 1944

Braeburn and the Seven Soldiers

The weather started to take a little turn once we got out of the farmlands. Things were bright and sunny before, but now, the sound of thunder and the patter of rain drops could be heard. As we entered the forest headed into Neuville, the sound of distant gunfire hit our ears. As the rain poured down upon us, we galloped through the muddy ground as quickly as we could, slipping and sliding on the slippery slope. As the gunfire became louder, it was easier to tell which direction we needed to head towards to get to Neuville. The gunfire grew even louder, and we came across a big stone wall with a hole blown right in the center. The gun shots could be heard loud and clear now, and that meant we had reached Neuville.
Fluttershy stayed at the back of the company as we lined up against the wall, me right next to the hole. The hole had been described to me by Lieutenant Scratch, and by her description, a guard pony was supposed to be waiting on the other side of the wall. For entry, she also gave me the code word.
"Thunder!" I shouted through the hole.
"Flash!" came the response.
"Fluttershy, Dash, Scootaloo, and Spike, you go first, we'll follow you."
They all went up the line and through the hole, Fluttershy being a bit resistant. We followed in suit, jumping through the hole and lopping to the closest building, where a pony with a cowboy hat, just like Apple Jack's was sitting with three other ponies.
"Ah, aren't you ponies a sight for sore eyes!" one of them said as we came up.
"Sergeant Braeburn, our relief showed up!"
"Braeburn?" said Apple Jack, looking around and spotting the pony with the cowboy hat, "Braeburn!"
"Howdy, little cos!" Braeburn said, and Apple Jack rushed towards him and wrapped him in a hug.
"Oh, Braeburn!" AJ said, no longer aware of the rest of us, "It's been so long! If I had known... How you been?"
"Just fine 'til a few hours ago," said Braeburn, releasing Apple Jack, "That's when them Germane buckers showed up. We've been tryin' to resist, but they just punched a hole straight through us 'n' cut us in two! But, dang! If I had known you folks would be our relief-"
"Sorry to disappoint, but-" I tried to say, but Braeburn kept going.
"Well, I would've worn my good hat!"
"Sergeant-"
"-'n' maybe brought a few apples!"
"Ser-"
"I know ya like apples, Jackie!"
"SERGEANT BRAEBURN!!!"
"Woah, there, missy!" Braeburn said, looking at me with a big smile on his face, "Ya gonna yell like that, you'll give away our position!"
"We are not your relief, Sergeant," I said before he could cut me off again.
Braeburn's smile vanished from his face, "But, that mean y'all won't be stayin'!"
"I'm afraid not," I said, nodding.
"Aw, apple fritters!" Braeburn said, disappointed, " 'n' I was gonna introduce ya to the unit!"
"Braeburn, we're stayin' for a little while," Apple Jack said, putting a hoof on his shoulder, "We're lookin' for some pony we think might be here."
"Well, who y'all lookin' fer?" Braeburn said, looking at the rest of the squad.
"We're looking for a Private Bloom," I said.
"Bloom?" Braeburn said, "As in my other little cos? What d'ya want her fer?"
"She and I are goin' home, Braeburn," Apple Jack said, "Big Macintosh died, so Granny Smith is callin' us home."
"Aw, Apple Jack," said Braeburn, looking pitifully at AJ, "That's mighty sad. And I wish I could go with ya, but I have orders."
"Do you know where Bloom might be?" I asked.
"Well, I reckon I heard about a Bloom here, but she sure ain't over here with us. She's probably part of the mixed squads on the other side of town."
A Germane voice was playing on a loudspeaker throughout the city.
"Who is that on the loudspeaker?" I asked Braeburn.
"That's Photo Finish, our friendly NIEGHborhood morale officer," Braeburn said, smiling. Apple Jack chuckled, and so did Fluttershy.
"Da Statue of Liberty iz kaputt!" Photo Finish shouted, which echoed across the city.
"The Statue of Liberty is kaputt?" I repeated, "That's disconcerting!"
Everyone laughed, including me.
"Now, ya see?" Braeburn said, still chuckling ,"They don't know English too well, and it gets pretty dern funny after a while!"
"Well, let's shut her up, shall we?" I suggested, "Do you know where she is?"
"Yea, she's on the other side of this here plaza," Braeburn said, pointing to the end of the open area around the city to a tall building. Behind a window, we could see the silhouette of a Germane pony shouting into a microphone. We advanced a few yards to a broken brick wall with a hole blown in it about four feet tall. Next to it, there was a broken cart that had dumped apples all across the road. Apple Jack and Scootaloo took cover behind the cart, while Dash, Rarity, Spike and I took cover behind the wall. Apple Jack took one of the apples and offered it to Scootaloo, who took it, and bit into it. Apple Jack was grabbing for another one when I gave the order to fire, and instead her arm darted for the rifle strapped on her back. We began shooting at the window, and one of us hit Photo Finish right in temple. A bullet hole was now in the window, and Photo Finish's voice no longer echoed across the city.
Germanes, who had heard the gunfire, turned up and returned fire. Scootaloo ran from her cover to join us behind the wall. One of the runner ponies had ran out into the plaza before the Germanes showed up, and was shot several times in the back. They continued shooting the body, even though she was already dead.
"Those sadistic animals!" I heard Apple Jack yell, shooting the Germanes and hitting on, who fell to the floor and made a small pool of blood on the ground.
"They know were not in contact with the other squads," I said, "They're gonna keep shooting the runners until we're all out of ponies."
"Then why do they keep shooting the corpses?" Rarity asked.
"As long as their lungs have breath in them, they still carry the message," I answered.
"Radio!" called Braeburn to a pony at the building behind us, "Try to call 'em again and see if we can get in touch with Cap'n Toity so we can let him know we're coming!"
"Yes, sir!" answered the pony, and he started yelling into the mic of the radio for Toity.
"What's the rest of Neuville look like?" I asked Braeburn.
"Well, the next block's got a two buildin's on both sides of the street," he answered, "And then there's a square with good cover on the left."
"Show me," I ordered, "Sarge, hold right here," I added to Whooves, and Braeburn and I galloped towards one of the two story buildings by going around the plaza and avoiding the enemy fire. We took cover behind one of the buildings we passed and checked for a clear coast.
"Right," I said, "let's stay out of this enfilade and use the buildings. Try a left hook. Shoot and scoot. Two of mine, two of yours."
Braeburn called two of his ponies up, and I called Spike and Scootaloo.
"They're still jamming us," one of Braeburn's ponies told him.
"Fundamentals," I told Spike and Scootaloo, "Short runs. High and low at the corners. It's gonna be tight. Be prepared for close combat. Go."
Spike and Scootaloo dashed off in front of us, followed by Braeburn's ponies.
"Fluttershy, stay with Whooves," I added.
"Right here!" Whooves called, and Fluttershy ran over to him, "We'll be like bread and butter, Captain!"
Braeburn and I dashed off to follow Spike, Scootaloo, and Braeburn's ponies, with the rest of the squad behind us. We found them hiding under a broken piano, and we took cover with them, the rain slashing at our helmets.
"Past the end of the left," Braeburn said, pointing ahead of us toward a great steel gate, "those are the gates to the square."
"Let's get going," I said, and we walked on, not needing to hide. The absence of gunfire told us that the Germanes had left, and we were safe at the moment.
"Hey, Spike," I heard Fluttershy say behind us, "Where's the captain from?"
"If you figure that one out," Spike said, "You've got yourself a nice prize."
"Three hundred bits, last time I heard," Rainbow said, approaching from the back of the company.
"The company's got a pool," Spike explained, "Five bits gets you in."
I smiled to myself, glad that Spike never told anyone where I came from.
For caution, we took cover at the opening of the plaza, the gates on the other side.
"It's right in front of us," I said, "right up to those gates."
"Some pony must know where she's from," Fluttershy said to Spike, "Or what she did for a living."
"I've been with her since Kasserine Pass," Whooves said, "and I don't have a clue."
"My hoofs are killin' me!" Braeburn complained, "I'm gonna need a wheelchair before this war is over! Ow! That's it. Oh, my God. I got ankles like an ol' woman. Like an ol'... Ow! God!"
"Spike," Fluttershy went on, "so you don't even know where she went to school?"
"The Captain didn't go to school," Spike said sarcastically, "They assembled her at O.C.S. out of spare body parts of dead G.I.s."
"You've gotta pay attention to detail," Scootaloo said, "I know exactly where she's from and exactly what she did 'cause I paid attention to detail. But I could care less about the money."
"Hey, Fluttershy," Rainbow said, "Take care you don't step in the horse crap."
I then heard a voice coming from one of the buildings, and I stopped the company. I yelled, "Thunder! Thunder or we will fire on you!"
"Ne tirez pas!" cried the voice, "On est Foalcais!"
They were speaking Foalch. I looked around the corner of the building and saw four ponies trapped in a destroyed two story building next to ours, one mare, one colt, and a white filly. They were hiding in the shadows of a corner in the room.
"Fluttershy, tell them to show themselves." I said.
"Montrez-vous!" Fluttershy called out, "Montrez-vous!"
The Foalch ponies came out, and tried to climb down the building, but they couldn't get a good grip on the building ledge.
"On n'est pas armés!" shouted the colt.
We galloped over to the building. A big hole had been blown into it, and rubble was at the base.
"Pourquoi tirez?" the colt said, "Mais baissez vos fusils! On est Foalcais!"
"Ask them if they know where the Germanes are," I told Fluttershy.
"Oú sount les allemanes?" She said to the ponies.
"Ca va pas! lis sont partout! Il faut vous emmener les enfants!"
"What's he saying?" I asked.
"Something about the fillies," Fluttershy answered as the colt picked up the little filly and offered her to us, "They want us to take the fillies!"
"No, no, no!" I answered, not wanting the burden, "We can't take the kids!"
"Non ne pouvons pas les prendre avec nous!" Fluttershy said to the colt, but Scootaloo had started climbing the rubble and had taken the filly.
"Are you insane!?" Whooves shouted to her, "Listen to the captain!"
"They think they'll be safe with us," Fluttershy said to me.
"They're not gonna be safe with us!" I said, "They're not gonna be safe anywhere! Scootaloo, put her back!"
"I can't help it, ma'am," Scootaloo said, walking down the rubble with the filly, who was crying and reaching out for her parents, "She reminds me of a good friend of mine whom I miss."
"Scootaloo, get that filly back up there!" I shouted.
"Captain, the decent thing to do is to at least take her down the road to the next town," said Scootaloo, walking towards the gate on the other side of the square.
"We're not here to do the decent thing!" I yelled, grabbing the filly and handing her to Whooves, "We're here to follow bucking orders!"
Scootaloo stood there, staring at me as I walked back to the building. Just then, however, a gunshot was fired, and it hit Scootaloo right in the shoulder. She screamed and fell over, catching herself on a piano that was sticking out of rubble, emitting a horrible sound out of eight keys.
I turned around to see Scootaloo hoisting herself up with her rifle, but she immediately fell over on her back again, landing in a puddle and causing a splash.
"Cover!" I shouted, "Get to cover!"
Every pony ducked behind something; Rainbow, AJ, and Spike took cover behind a broken cart; Whooves took the filly behind the building; Braeburn, Rarity, Fluttershy and I dived under another pile of rubble.
"No..." said Fluttershy softly, staring at Scootaloo writhing on the ground.
"Crap!" shouted Braeburn, "Where'd that come from!?"
"He was on the ground before we heard the shot!" shouted Rainbow. She looked around the square, still under cover. She then spotted a tall, three story tower, which had several windows in it.
"That's where I would be," she said, pointing to the tower.
"I didn't see it!" I shouted to Rainbow.
"450 yards, Captain," Rainbow explained, "Maybe a shade under. I wouldn't venture out there, fellas! This sniper's got talent!"
The Foalch couple were shouting to their daughter, who was crying and trying to climb up the rubble. Whooves was having a tough time keeping a hold on her.
"It's ok," I heard him say, "Please don't cry. I'll get you back to your mama and papa. Please don't cry."
Rainbow worked her way around her cover, trying the best she could to stay out of sight of the tower. She stayed close to the walls of the buildings, then dropped and crawled over to a small heap of rubble, making tiny splashes in the water from the rain. She looked at Scootaloo, who was looking back, still twitching. Rainbow put her hoof to her mouth, telling Scootaloo to stay quiet. She then put her rifle up on top the rubble, and aimed down-sight and searched for the sniper.
"Captain!" Scootaloo shouted to me.
"Hold on, Scootaloo," I said.
"Help me up! I can walk! I can walk!"
"Scootaloo, stay still!" shouted Rarity next to me.
Rainbow searched dozens of windows on the tower for about three seconds and then ducked back into cover for about ten. She checked her ammo, scoffed, and reloaded her rounds.
"Two clicks, left wind," she mouthed to me.
"Aje!" Scootaloo shouted to Apple Jack.
"Captain, can you see her from there?" Rarity asked me, "How is she?"
"Rarity, you stay put," I said.
"Where's she shot?" she asked.
I looked at Scootaloo, seeing a bullet hole in her right shoulder, which was bleeding rapidly and making a stream of red in the rain.
Rarity got up and looked over the cart, but I yanked her down as soon as she stood.
"Stay down!" I said.
"I ain't carryin' her if she gets hit, Captain," Braeburn said seriously.
"Aje, come over here!' Scootaloo said, her voice getting raspy now.
"Scoot, put your head down!" Apple Jack said to her, her voice shaking.
Scootaloo reached inside her jacket with her left hoof, and pulled out a white piece of paper. She held it up to us.
"Copy it!" she said, her voice getting fainter, "Copy it and send it for me!"
"Scoot, you're gonna send it yourself!" Apple Jack said, trying to ease her.
"It's got blood," Scootaloo said, "It's-- it's to my dad. It's got blood on it."
Rainbow finally shot her rifle, and, other than the sound of the rain falling, there was absolute silence. Scootaloo had stopped twitching, and was lying on the ground with the letter in her hoof.
"I got him!" Rainbow shouted, "All clear!"
Rarity got up and galloped as quickly as she could to get to Scootaloo, her first aid kit ready. When she reached her, however, she stopped in her tracks, looking down upon Scootaloo's face, her eyes closed in forever sleep.
Whooves had let go of the filly when he ran to Scootaloo, and the young filly climbed up the rubble back to her parents. They helped her back up, and she slapped her father repeatedly, shouting at him in Foalch while crying.
Every pony crowed around Scootaloo's body, which was leaving a trail of blood flowing down the street. Rarity got out a tarp and covered Scootaloo's body with it.
"That's why we can't take fillies," I said, "Sergeant Whooves, do an ammo check. Fluttershy, fill up the canteens. And somepony get her dog tag before she's disposed."
But no pony moved a muscle. Rarity bent down to Scootaloo and unfolded the area of the tarp that covered her arm. She took the letter out of Scootaloo's hoof, which was stained with blood, and put it in her jacket.
"Goodbye, Scootaloo," she said, covering the body again.
We all stared at the tarped body for the longest time. Then Spike said, "Buck Bloom," and walked away. AJ went to go after him, but I held her back.
Rainbow made a cross on her chest with her right hoof, and Fluttershy was crying softly into Whoove's shoulder. Braeburn was patting Apple Jack on the back as she took her hat off and placed it across her breast. I just stared at the tarp, adding another soldier to my death list.

Comments

[Tiedye3000]

46369

[Tiedye3000]

46369 ik wut ur doing with that username, Gandalf, but that doesnt mean u spelt it right.

[Mithrandir]

46386
If you want to earn respect from people you can take criticism like a pony and better yourself or you can resort to stupid name calling, i'm was proud of my stories, but when they got bad reviews I didn't start blaming other people, I listened to them and fixed the problems, or started from scratch. I can't force you to grow up, but it'll happen eventually, by my hand or not.

And dude, read the book, it's Mithrandir, Gray Pilgrim, whatever you want to call it, however you want to spell it, that's what it is.

[Tiedye3000]

47016 I read all the books, Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite series. And you just caught me in a bad mood, dude, and kinda made it worse. So sorry

[Mithrandir]

To be fair dude, I was in a bad mood when I read this, and I didn't even really go in depth into any criticism, at least we can be reasonable now, there is hope for the internet! The story as a whole definitely works, there were just a couple things along the way that stood out, like the magic thing ^^, also, I think on the beaches "an explosion happened and arms and legs went flying" like three times. The problem with writing longer stories is that you have to make sure you don't repeat the same sentences (this is why the thesaurus function on Word is my savior). Overall it's a pretty good crossover with a great movie, those things just stood out.

[Tiedye3000]

48011 well, the first chapter is kinda dumb that way, but my other two aren't that bad, and i don't repeat much. But, be honest, did I really repeat those?Because ponies don't even have arms

I was just generalizing,

grenade went off, blowing off the legs of a couple of ponies and sending them soaring through the air.

An explosion went off that sent a hoof or two rocketing into the air, and we heard screams of pain

besides that, the magic comment, and beach misspelled a couple times, it seems solid enough, the names are pretty clever, I think, Africolt, and such

[Tiedye3000]

48155 Well, what should I do about the magic thing? Because I fixed the beach thing, and i need those descriptions in my story.

[bcsnakeeyes]

ok this si very accurate to the movie i congradualte you.

[pin_stripe]

scootaloo,,EVERY BUCKING TIME MAN I SWEAR!!

[Godiswithus3]

RIP Scoot.

[JazzTheFox53rd]

This is really good and it feels like I'm watching the actual movie. I should've read this sooner. Also R.I.P. Scootaloo.