Chapter 7 Old friends
Chapter 7: Old friends
At first, the children had thought they had died, feeling cold and numb, but then warmth surrounded their bodies, causing them to wake up.
Slowly opening their eyes, they found themselves at a campfire, it was night, only crickets and the crackle of the fire filled the air, making them wonder if the battle was over and how long they had been out cold.
“Looks like we were lucky, again.” The colt held his forehead, it ached still a bit.
“Seems so. Where are we and were are Konrad and his friends?” Dinky wondered, worrying for them.
“Over here.” Katja saw that Konrad was with them, lying next to the camp fire, knocked out.
The children wondered who could have brought them there and made the campfire; Konrad was out of the question. “Maybe it was William or one of Konrad’s friends?” Dinky suspected.
Neither of the siblings could reply, then the German stirred, regaining consciousness.
“Uhh, my head. What happened? Where am I?” He was still disoriented.
“We don’t know where we are but a plane almost crashed on us.” Dinky explained.
“Ah, I remember now. Looks like someone got us to safety, question is who.”
It made them all wonder who it could be that had brought them here. It was strange why their savior was absent and not with them.
The sound of footsteps tore the children out of their thoughts, seeing the silhouette of what appeared to be a man coming closer.
Before they could say anything, Escher had already drawn his sidearm, having it trained on the unknown man who had a revolver aimed at him.
“Drop your weapon and step into the light where I can see you!” Konrad shouted, but the unidentified man did not reply.
After a few seconds of holding each other at gunpoint, they lowered their weapons, much to the kid's confusion. “William, it's been a long time since we saw each other.” Konrad smiled.
“You too, Konrad.”
“You...know each other?” Dinky asked confused.
“Long story. Come, join us William.” The Wehrmacht soldier waved a hand.
Konrad showed her a picture. It showed both men, smiling for a photo behind a building which looked like an Embassy. “What a nice relationship you have here!” she grinned.
“Yes, we befriended each other at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. I was supervising them as ambassador.” William explained, smiling at the memories.
The siblings also noticed that a third man was on the photo, it was only black and white but they could see that the third man, who was posing between the German and Brit, looked similar to their father. A relative of him or just acoincidence? They didn’t know.
“I haven’t seen you since the Olympics. How have you been?” William asked, happy to see his friend again after 6 years.
“Apart from the war, I’m doing fine. You?”
“Good.” The Brit smiled warmly.
“How did you survive?” Dinky asked, curious to know.
“Well. I got knocked out by a Stuka. The enemies thought I was dead, so they ignored me as they advanced. Woke up in the middle of the night, no sign of my comrades, probably regrouping, so I decided to find shelter. I’m glad to see that you are fine too.”
“We are happy to see you, too.” They replied in union.
Then, the three friends listened to William’s and Konrad’s conversation about old times, what had changed and happened throughout the years.
“Well, well...two soldiers on opposite sides protecting the same thing. Maybe this war will end sooner than expected.” A new voice interrupted, it sounded German to the two soldiers.
Out of instinct, William and Konrad drew their sidearms, trained into the direction where the voice had come from. “Halt! Not another step!” The private yelled.
Quick as a flash, their weapons got enveloped in a green color and thrown away, out of their hands.
“I'd rather you didn't do that, it's rude.” The voice said, a silhouette came closer, looking like a pony. Once it was in view, they saw what seemed to be a unicorn, wearing a cloak with a hood and helmet. The pony looked exactly like the one who “saved” them in the sandstorm.
“That magic...you're a...a unicorn!” Dinky exclaimed.
“You're...you're him, aren't you. The Green Knight.” Hill figured out, feeling a bit uncomfortable but did not show it.
“Is that what they're calling me? I thought you guys were supposed to be poetic.” The Green Knight replied. His voice showed no sign of emotion and his hood concealed his face.
“What are you doing here?” Curiosity got the better of the German.
“I'd like to know likewise. An answer for an answer, you first.” The Knight replied.
“We're both charged with protecting those civilians and escorting them home.” The private explained.
“Very kind of you. But I'll hazard a guess as to say you don't quite know where her home is or how to get there.” The unicorn replied, knowing that the latter was impossible for the soldiers to do.
“We've answered your question. What are you here for?” Escher asked him, having a guess.
“...the same.” The unicorn removed the hood revealing a green coat, a long blonde mane and, what scared the kids a bit, completely light blue eyes, having no pupils and fluctuating like water. “Fletcher Fray. Eternal Knight. Sworn sword of her highness, Princess Luna of Equestria and her Moon. She charged me with locating a missing citizen of Ponyville and bringing her back home.”
“So...you're a unicorn?” William asked after thinking for a moment to make sure he got this right.
“Yes, I believe the phrase is used among your people as well as mine.” Fletcher replied, sounding not surprised at all about the Captain’s reaction.
“So why are you green?” Hill had never seen a pony with a green coat before.
“...Pardon?” The Knight did not understand.
“Well...they don't say anything about unicorns being green.” William replied, not able to come up with a different reply than this.
With a light, irritated voice, Fletcher asked, “Well, how many unicorns have you met before, buddy?!”
William paused, trying to understand. With a shrug he replied ”...Fair point.”
So...are you a relative of Dinky?” Konrad wondered.
Fletcher looked him into the eyes. “Look, just because I'm a unicorn doesn't mean I'm related to every unicorn in the world.”
“I didn't mean it like that, I just...never mind.”
“Mr...Fray?” Dinky looked at Fletcher, hoping he could help. “Are you here to take me home?”
“That's what I'm here for. Happy to meet your acquaintance. Glad I got the right portal, it would have been a real pain in the flanks if I wound up in 1st Century Lotharingia with Heinrich I's Dark Knights chasing after my fetlocks...again...” He shuddered for a moment.
“I can imagine.” The German replied, knowing who Heinrich I once was.
The young unicorn had heard about the Eternal Knights, being the bodyguards of Princess, the specialists of her Royal Guard. Some rumors said they were more of an Elite of the guards.
Yet, she was still curious about his eyes. “Mr. Fray, what’s wrong with your eyes?”
With a light hint of confusion, Fletcher asked, “My eyes? Oh, right. You see Dinky, we Eternal Knights swore a vow. To not rest until we placed Princess Luna on the throne of Equestria. After Princess Luna returned, that vow could never be upheld, so we thought we should be her Bearers. Back then, medicine wasn’t as advanced as it is today, and a deadly sickness was wandering around. As such, I tried with a friend to invent a cure for it. Nanomites.”
“Nanomites?” The filly asked confused, having heard of it but couldn’t figure out how they were supposed to be curing a sickness.
“Yes, Dinky. They are natural organisms, similar to Paraspites. They live in nests and are drawn to decaying flesh. Nanomites produce chemicals that dispel bacteria and viruses from the flesh they consume which makes dead bodies decompose a lot slower, but when they feed on a live body it heals and repairs the area they leave the chemicals on. The sickness, we called it Ceraporosis, it causes decay in the hooves, wing membranes and horns, so nanomites work to repair the deteriorating flesh. One simply opens a wound on the area near the infected hooves, wings or horn and brushes it against the nanomite nest, but it requires constant exposure to the nanomites and often, the virus can build up an immunity. So, we both worked to create a magically-enhanced breed of nanomite that can be let into the bloodstream similar to injection. They are injected as eggs so once they hatch, they treat the body like a nest and work to repair any sign of deterioration, even those that come from old age.
This is risky as it can cause the horst to go into shock or cause a heart failure. Despite this risk, I volunteered to test them, had to remain in a state of meditative repose for almost half a year to stop the nanomites causing my body to lock down. In the end it worked, although I was the only test subject who has lived this long.”
“So, I guess the nanomites are what caused your eyes to be like this?” Dinky tried to connect the dots.
“Yes. Nanomites affect the pigment in a pony's eyes, coat and sometimes mane. That’s why my eyes are that way but my vision is unaffected by it. Thanks to them, wounds regenerate, as long as I’m not too badly wounded.” Fletcher explained.
No, the children and soldiers noticed that his coat had dark stripy pattern around his back and shoulders, his horn also had a dark shade.
“That’s fascinating. If you don’t mind Mr. Fray, where are you from?” Blau Streifen asked curious about it.
The green unicorn smiled at him. “Well young colt, I’m not actually from Equestria but from Farmany. As far as I've been informed, Farmany is by way of being Germany's equivalent. But as our cultures go, there's still quite a few differences and not just because we're of different species. I'm only about as German as anyone born in, say, 15th Century Lotharingia. Our world and yours have many more differences besides the number of legs we walk on.I don't like to brag but... I’m of very noble blood. My father was an excellent archer and caring ruler, and my mother, wise and tender-hearted, doing much for those under their domain.”
“So, you are German like me.” Konrad figured out.
Fletcher was caught off guard by this. “Uhh…technically, yes.”
“Mr. Fray, if you are here to bring Dinky home, can you help me and my brother get home too?” The girl asked him with hope.
Well, my job just got a whole lot more complicated. The Green Knight thought but smiled.
“Of course, I help you to get home, can’t leave two young Equestrians behind, can I?” He asked, joking.
Then, he realized something. “Sorry, did I...did I hear you right?” He pointed to both siblings. “You are aware that...different...and...” He just shrugged, dropping the subject. “Alright.”
“So…I assume you were the one who brought us here?” Escher asked him.
“Well, yes.” And so, Fletcher told what happened.
His eyes widened in fear, the plane was about to crash right on the children!
No!
Quickly without thinking about it, the unicorn concentrated, his horn glowed, enveloped the damaged wing of the British Bomber, slightly changing its course, so it wouldn’t crash on them.
The plane didn’t crash on them, but flew towards them, making him fear that he made it worse, seeing that they tried to run away, and then the plane exploded, blasting them away.
Without hesitation, the Green Knight rushed to them, seeing that the fighting sides were too busy to pay attention to him, and that the soldiers that had escaped the crashing plane, resumed fighting.
Upon reaching the ditch, the unicorn saw that the children had barely escaped death, since a blade had been broken off the Bomber, sharp as a knife and, lying inches away from their throats.
“That was a close call.” He was relieved, checking the wreck for survivors, but the pilots were hanging bloodied in their seats, dead.
Then he checked the children, glad to see that they were only knocked out. While he was there to get Dinky home, seeing another foal and a human girl with hair that would be only common for a pony got him curious, they could be only from Equestria too, and he couldn’t leave them there.
The Unicorn also checked the soldier who had helped them, wondering why he did so.
“I better get you to a safer place.” He spoke, seeing that the defenders held the attackers off, but they kept trying, putting each other in a pat situation, but neither side seemed to gain the upper hand.
While the children were no problem for him to carry, the soldier took some effort of the Knight. “Friend, you’re heavier than you look.”
The unicorn carried them to a small oasis he had found nearby, far enough away from the battle before gently putting them down.
He stayed with them, waiting until they would wake up and keeping them safe from anyone who could harm them. Of course, he could bring Dinky home right away but it would break her heart to be not able to say goodbye or she would be more confused upon waking up at home, a risk he didn’t want to take.
Plus, he was a bit interested in the story of the two other children and the soldier.
As it was getting late and the sun was already setting, the green pony made a campfire to keep them warm, enjoying the view of the stars.
After a while, the young unicorn started to stir, so Fletcher moved away to avoid startling her and the others, not knowing how they would react towards him, given the stories the soldiers had told about him.
“Thank you!” The kids hugged him, grateful that he saved them, he was surprised about this, yet smiled.
“I only did my duty, children. What are your names?” He asked the siblings.
The girl grinned. “My name is Katja.”
“And I’m Blau Streifen.” The colt replied.
“Nice names, they suit you both.” Fletcher liked their names, causing them to blush slightly.
“Thank you. Did you also save us in that sandstorm?” The young colt asked him.
Thinking for a moment, trying to find the right words, Fray replied, “Yes, I did, in a…unusual way.”
As Fletcher walked through the desert, he suddenly felt a stinging pain in his heart, wondering why, until he used the tracking spell.
Dinky’s life sign was fading as he used his tracking spell.
Knowing that he hadn’t much time, he looked for a place where it was unlikely to get attacked, then concentrated to cast a very old spell.
After his horn stopped glowing, Fletcher found himself in the middle of a sandstorm; Dinky’s location was close. The spell he had used was a mirror spell, creating a “Ghost” of himself, able to be at two places at once so to speak but only for a short time. He could move and touch things but not speak.
Using his horn as flashlight, he walked towards Dinky’s location, discovering a cave along the way.
It didn’t take long until he crossed her way, seeing a colt and a human girl with her, staring at him in fear, which was understandable due the reputation he had made for himself.
“Please…help us…” The colt pleaded with a weak voice, close to collapsing.
With a swift motion he used his cloak to shield them from the sand, waving a hoof to stay close, leading them to the cave, while his tracking spell located a British patrol closing in.
They would be safe from the sandstorm, and the patrol would find them, he was sure of that, having no other choice to hope for it as the spell started to wear off and he could feel how his “ghost” slowly faded.
“Please…don’t leave…my friends…need help!” Dinky pleaded, stretching her hoof out, going through him as the ghost faded, causing him to return to his actual body.
Such spells took a lot of magic, so Fletcher was a bit exhausted after returning. “I hope they find them and take care of them until I can catch up. I don’t want to…no, don’t think of that, think positive.” He talked to himself, hoping for the best.
“I guess we owe you our lives.” Blau Streifen was grateful.
Fletcher waved a hoof. “You owe me nothing, children, I only do what I can to keep you safe. I’m convinced that Princess Luna will find a way to get you home.”
And if she can’t, the doctor could find it with his Tardis.
“Thank you!” Both hugged him again.
With a warm smile, he asked, “Do you want to tell me about your home?”
The siblings grinned. “With pleasure!” And so, they told him about Sunny Town, their father, family, and how they got here.
It was interesting, yet confusing, given that most ponies regard humans as a myth, in much the same way as any human would regard unicorns.
His brain tried to process it, making sense of it, as it confused him greatly and felt very awkward about it, a human living in Equestria. Yet the two children were proof that this was the reality in the Equestria they came from.
Believing it ,as they were right in front of him and not wanting to think at the moment about how a pony could have a human child, “He replied, “I’m sorry to hear what happened to you, but you have my word, I keep will you safe. You can be proud of yourself for having such good parents.”
“Of course we are proud, he’s the best dad we could ask for!” The Earth pony exclaimed proudly.
“I believe you, young stallion. Oh, almost forgot, what are your names?” The Knight asked the two soldiers.
“Well, my name is Konrad Escher.” The German replied.
“And I’m William Hill.” The Brit replied and both told the Green Knight how they found the children and took care of them.
“You have my thanks for keeping them safe. I will pass it on to the princess and their families.” Their efforts had made some things easier for Fletcher and he appreciated it.
“And we thank you, children. Thanks to you, I got reunited with an old friend. “Konrad smiled at them.
They blushed. “You’re welcome.” Their voices sounded in union, slightly embarrassed about it.
“Even if you melt like butter out here, the view of the stars is beautiful, isn’t it?” William asked as he looked up to the sky, enjoying the view of the stars.
“Yes, they’re so close.” Konrad replied, enjoying it too, Fletcher nodded.
As the children listened to the crackle of their fire, they could hear faint ghostly voices they couldn’t understand. Turning around, the three friends saw ghostly imagines of Soldiers in White/tan uniforms passing by. They appeared to be armed with the same weapons the German used. Some of them wore similar helmets as Konrad had in white/ sand color, some others had what appeared to be the same headgear as Katja had, made out white fabric, either, having it tied behind their head with googles on it, or wearing it like a hood. Both variants looked similar yet somehow different, like they were two different kinds of hat.
The march seemed endless. Maybe it was their imagination. Maybe not. The soldiers faded.
A deafening noise rang in their ears, sounding like a train horn or a fog horn. Looking down at the ground, the kids realized they were standing on ghostly tracks. The noise grew louder, a train came closer fast. But this train was something they had never seen before. It was armed to the roof with cannons of all kind. The children covered themselves and screamed as the train reached them.
“Children, you’re alright?” Konrad asked concerned about them. Slowly uncovering themselves, rapid breathing and lightly trembling, the children noticed that the image was gone.
“I-I could swear I saw ghostly imagines of soldiers and a heavily armored train!” Dinky exclaimed.
William, to her surprise, replied, “I think you saw soldiers of the Ottoman Empire, my grandfather fought them in the Great War. They used an armored train called 'Canavar' which means ‘beast’ in their language against Arab rebels. Grandfather used to say: Whatever you call these Ottoman Turks, do not call them weaklings. They must have marched across the whole bloody desert to attack us. And that in 10 days.’ Impressive if you ask me.”
“Yeah.” The German agreed.
Only the crackle of the fire and the crickets filed the quiet night, and the night was still young as the children warmed themselves at the campfire.
“This reminds me when I did some camping trips with my family and friends. We always enjoyed the view of the stars, telling stories.” Dinky said, smiling at the nice memories.
“I believe you that. How many stars do you think are out here?” The young colt wondered, trying to count the stars.
“Millions of them I suppose, but they never fail to amaze.” His sister replied, her voice full of admiration.
“What about some campfire stories to pass the time?” Konrad suggested.
“I would love that.” Dinky grinned.
“Me too!” The siblings exclaimed together, smiling.
“I wouldn’t mind it, my friend. Do you mind it, Mr. Fray?” William asked the Eternal Knight.
“Not at all, and Fletcher is just fine.” He replied, eager to hear what the German had in mind.
“I don’t know how much they have taught you in school about humanity but have you ever read about the Red Baron?” He asked into the crowd, the children shook their heads.
“Well, then let me tell you. He was a German pilot in World War I. His real name was Manfred von Richthofen. He served in the Cavalry until he wanted to serve in the Luftwaffe in 1915. That was where his legend began. Being a clever tactician, he managed to bring every advantage on his side in a dogfight. His famous nickname ‘Red Baron,’ was created by a new tactic he developed: The flying circus.” Konrad explained.
“Flying circus?” The children did not understand.
“It’s actually very simple. Manfred’s squadron was the elite of the Luftwaffe back then and was sent to the focal points of the battles and had to move between those fast. For this purpose, the aircrafts were disassembled and loaded onto trucks together with the required material. Thus the squadron could be moved within a very short space of time, similar to a traveling circus, to the corresponding areas of application which were mostly located in the immediate vicinity of the front. Unlike the other planes, his squadron had no camouflage but was colorful, while Richthofen’s plane was red.
Due to the precise maneuvers, dogfights looked like acrobatic art pieces under a circus dome. As Richthofen was a Baron, his noticeable red plane got him the nickname Red Baron and rightly so, as he scored 80 kills, more than any pilot of the First World War. He was respected by his men and the enemy as well. He once stated: ‘Everything in the air belongs to me.’”
The children were fascinated and impressed by this story. “Wow! Sounds like someone Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts could look up!” Dinky exclaimed, her eyes full of fascination.
While he did not know who Rainbow Dash or the Wonderbolts were, he didn’t want to know at the moment. “I believe you, Dinky. Sadly, the Red Baron did not survive the war but to honor him, the Jagdgeschwader 2 has his name.”
“That sounded really cool! But it’s sad that he didn’t survive.” Blau Streifen liked it, but had sympathy for the Red Baron.
“Yes, it’s a pity.” His sister added, having sympathy too.
“Yeah, but his legend will live on forever, inspiring other pilots.” Konrad turned to his friend. “What kind of campfire story do you want to tell, William?”
The Brit thought for a moment. “Well, my uncle had a fair few to tell. He went round the world, you see, as a soldier in the Royal Brigade.” He smiled proudly. “Britain has the world's largest and...well...one of its greatest empires. From as far North as Canada and Newfoundland, as far East as India and Hong Kong, and as far south as Australia and New Zealand. We don't like to brag...well, actually that's a dirty great lie, of course we do, but what's the point of having an empire if you can't be proud of it? But we didn't get it as easily as some assume. I remember one such struggle my uncle saw was the Zulu War in 1879. Looking at men in beast-skins still using swords and shields, one wouldn't see a credible threat to a world-spanning empire...but appearances, as we know better than most, can be misleading. We won the war in the same year, but we learned an important lesson: Don’t underestimate the Enemy, even if he looks primitive.
The Zulus. Warriors, no truer definition. Trained since the peak of manhood. My uncle told me of them, how they fought on the borders of Natal. They numbered in the thousands, a great tide of spears clanging against their cowhide shields, chanting and roaring, their charge like thunder down the safari drift. 'Oh, it doesn't matter' we thought 'Let them come. We have bullets'...But they kept coming and coming and coming. Bullets run out...And those bloody spears don't. At Isandlwana, the Zulus came at us, eighteen-hundreds of our lads versus nearly five thousand spears, and once they breached our lines, there was no hope. They killed nearly every man posted there. We learned another lesson. When you camp in Zululand, build high walls and big guns.” William said, his voice a bit uneasy.
“H-how did your uncle survive?” The young unicorn asked a bit scared, slightly trembling.
“Well, he told me it was luck, but never told me exactly how he actually survived, but it left its scares on him. What about you, old Mr. Fray. What tales have you to tell us this night?” He asked the Green Knight who had a neutral expression but seemed to tremble slightly.
“Well...Don't take this the wrong way but I've probably seen more stories that any of you have seen days in your life. But...what you were saying about the wars and...how they changed...It reminds of the day I learned that...Have you kids ever heard of Mondelin?” He asked the children, they shook their heads. “Not too surprising. Mondelin was once a magnificent city, nearly an equal to Canterlot. Kind of the Republic's answer to it, in a way. During the war, it was our center-point. From there, we would hold out in Equestria. It was one of the greatest cities ever built, its walls strong, its towers tall. Guarded by our best troops, millions strong...Now all that's left is ash and ruin.
War changes over time. And the warriors that don't change with it don't live through it. Celestia had a very loyal and very dangerous warrior. A warrior who liked changing the rules.
Mondelin would have made a wondrous prize...if it could have been taken. A million ponies could have marched upon those walls and become a million corpses before the week's end...But we didn't get a million ponies. Instead, we got beasts of war and instruments of slaughter the like of which nopony could ever comprehend. This warrior...to him, Mondelin wasn't a prize...It was a demonstration.
Only a hoof-full still live who saw it...But we will never forget.” His voice was steady, yet clearly uncomfortable.
“Oh my… I’m sorry to hear that.” Without any warning, Dinky hugged Fletcher in an attempt to comfort him.
With a light smile, returning the hug, the Knight replied, “It’s okay Dinky, it’s in the past. And Fletcher is just fine.”
This woke an unpleasant memory in the young private. “My grandfather was fighting in the first World War, also known as the Great War. He said to me: 'So many of us thought this war would be our rite of passage, our great adventure. Let me tell you, it was no adventure. Instead of adventure, we found fear, and in war the only true equalizer is death.’ I learned that the hard way when we invaded Poland. My first day as soldier of the Wehrmacht... it was exciting, it was frightening, chaotic. Nothing at all like the drills. Of course that's pretty much the way it was for all of us, wasn't it? All that Propaganda, all those years of training... it doesn't really prepare you for all the screaming or the blood, does it? Frankly I'm still amazed I ever made it through the first hour, never mind the first day.”
“I can relate to that. My father told me he never saw an airplane in his life before going to war. He was at first amazed by them as they flew over him, admiring the daring pilots who flew them, but soon realized that most of these planes and their pilots would crash down to their deaths into 'twisted smoking wrecks'. They said it would be 'The War to End All Wars'. It ended nothing. But it changed the world forever.” William added, also feeling uneasy about it.
“No, it was. The War to End All Wars. That's exactly what it was...Because war, as we knew it, was over...and its place, something we could barely have imagined. No more colonial conflicts, no more squabbling empires or uprisings. No more fighting over who gets whose land and money and power. Now...it's who gets to live. It's who fires first and who's left to fire back. No-one's safe, at the front or at home. This is what happens when two great forces grow and grow and finally meet. In a way this was inevitable but...god, has it ever been this grisly.” Konrad added, knowing how much it changed warfare.
“If you don’t mind me asking Konrad, what happened to your father? Did he…die…” Blau Streifen couldn’t finish, feeling guilty to ask it.
“Die in the war? No Blau Streifen, he didn’t. In fact, he took part in it as medic but never fought on the frontline like his father had. I have knowledge of the First World War from my grandfather but some medical knowledge from my father.” The man ruffled the colt’s mane.
In that moment, the children started to yawn, showing how tired they were.
“You should get some rest, children. We plan out the rest tomorrow.” The private suggested, the kids just nodded, getting comfortable next to the warm fire, drifting off to sleep.
“And I suggest you take some rest too, you both have earned it. I’ll take the night guard.” The Green Knight said to them.
“If you insist, Fletcher. Then, I wish you a goodnight.” Konrad didn’t mind it.
“And a goodnight from me too.” William added before both soldiers went to sleep.
While being an early riser, Fletcher could actually stay awake for a considerably long time, so it was no problem for him to stay guard.
The unicorn’s heart melted as he saw how the children were cuddling in their sleep, giggling, making him wonder about what they dreamed.
Then, he covered his mouth, having to yawn, feeling a bit tired himself.
I guess the after-effects of the portal spell are still weighing on me. He thought, never feeling so tired before.
His eyes felt heavy, slowly closing before they shot up and he shook himself, trying to stay awake.
Maybe a short nap won’t hurt. Despite having the intent to have a short nap, exhaustion took over, causing the Green Knight to drift off to sleep, resting quite peacefully.
Dinky found herself on what seemed to be the backseat of a blue box on wheels. If her memory was correct, humans called those cars. Katja and Blau Streifen were next to her on the backseat, smiling and enjoying the ride. The filly could see the back of the driver, he had brown hair, probably the siblings’ father, driving through an rural environment with trees and farms filling the background alongside fallen leaves covering parts of the road, hinting it was autumn, a beautiful view for the children.
The truck drove past a set of twin covered bridges, the kids saw another truck parked on a resting place, it was green-colored with a yellow star on the doors, a light bar on the roof.
Said truck turned its lights and siren on after the blue car had driven past. “46 to country, in pursuit of a blue Ford Bronco by the covered bridges.”
“All units be advised, unit 46 in pursuit of a blue Bronco.” The country acknowledged, alerting nearby units.
Seeing the police car in the mirror, the father pulled over, having a lot of respect for police officers and didn’t want to endanger the lives of his passengers.
The children could see from the mirror how the cop stepped out of his car. To the siblings’ surprise, it was their mother, wearing a blue uniform, hat and sunglasses.
The mare walked towards the driver side, looking her husband into the eyes and just said, “You're lucky I'm in a good mood. I'm giving you a warning, but I'll be WATCHING for you!” In a serious tone, seeming not to recognize her husband or children.
After the warning was given, an odd looking blue colored sports car, with its engine visible in the middle of the hood, raced past them.
“Not on my watch!” Ruby got into her car, with blaring siren and squealing tires, the Land Rover Discovery pursuing the odd looking car.
“46 to country, in pursuit of a blue sports car, at the Crystal Lake Turnoff, he’s going more than one hundred.” The children could strangely hear what Ruby said through the radio.
“Do you think he gets far?” Dinky asked the siblings.
“I guess we will see.” The colt replied.
“46 to country, I’m gonna need some help here, at the old town city limits.”
“37 to country. Joining the pursuit of the sports car at the old mill.” A second voice reported. It was female and the siblings knew the voice but couldn’t tell who it was.
As the Bronco reached the town, another unit reported in. “20 to country, the spike trip is deployed on the left, at the Interstate Underpass.” The voice was male and it was familiar to Dinky but she also couldn’t say who it was.
Leaving the town behind, the truck came to the Interstate Underpass and they saw the sports car with punctured front tires, a flat built car in black-white, with flashing lights on the roof. Diagonally on the road, next to the spike trip, a second police car was standing behind the blue sports car with the Land Rover.
Dinky could get a view of the inscription in the back of the diagonally car: Chevrolet Corvette C5.
To her surprise, Fletcher, wearing the same uniform as Ruby, stepped out of the car, the siblings saw how their grandmother stepped out of the other Corvette, while Ruby stood at the driver’s window of the blue sports car.
“I don't know what your malfunction is, but you can think about it in jail.”
As the blue truck drove past, Ruby made a gesture at the siblings’ father, pointing her hoof to her eyes, then at him.
“Guess she meant it literally that she’ll be watching for him.” Dinky commented, a bit afraid of the stern look the mare had.
In the morning the Eternal Knight was awakened not only by the sun, but also because he felt something warm around him. Slowly opening his eyes, Fletcher had to smile seeing that the siblings were sleeping peacefully.
But then he realized what the warmth around him was.
Dinky was snuggling with him in her sleep, having her forelegs wrapped around him.
It was a cute sight, yet a bit embarrassing for him, so Fray tried to get slowly up, not wanting to wake her, only for the young unicorn to tighten her grip, preventing him from getting up.
What the...This kid's got a grip like a pair of dragon jaws!
“I love you... Mr. Teddy…” The filly mumbled in her sleep.
Teddy? Oh, great, she hugs her teddy bear in her sleep, but I’m the plushie.
Konrad woke up, seeing how the filly hugged the older unicorn, causing him to smile and the Green Knight to blush. “I think she already likes you.”
“Maybe.” Fletcher replied, his voice sounded very embarrassed about it.
In that moment, the children and William woke up, yawning and stretching themselves,
“Good morning, Fletcher.” Dinky said, completely oblivious that she had cuddled him in her sleep.
“Morning.” This time he managed to hide the embarrassment in his voice, sharing his supplies with the others for a good breakfast. After all, even if the journey back to Equestria was just a short teleport, no foal should go home with an empty stomach and he could concentrate better with a full stomach.
“Okay, get close to me and I’ll cast the spell that will bring us to Equestria.” Fletcher said and the children said goodbye to Konrad and William.
“Thank you for helping us!” They thanked the two soldiers, being very grateful.
“We both only did our duty, children. Have a nice safe trip home.” Konrad replied, smiling as he knew they would be home again, but sad on the inside, having enjoyed every second of the time they were with him, William shared the same feeling.
Fletcher lit his horn and it glowed stronger and stronger, causing both humans to cover their eyes.
Then it slowly faded, making them hope the children were back home, safe and sound. Once it was gone, both soldiers uncovered their eyes, to see…
They all were still there.
“Uhh, Fletcher, something wrong?” Dinky asked confused, looking at him for answers; the siblings too.
“I’m pretty sure I did it right, it wasn’t supposed to fail like this.” Fletcher tried it again, his horn created a spark but nothing more. “Okay, that’s very strange. I suppose something is blocking the teleport spell, it’s the only possibility I can think of, as all other spells are working normally.”
The young friends let a sigh. “Does that mean we’re stuck here until you’re could find the source that’s blocking it?” Blau Streifen asked, trembling lightly.
“I hate to say it, but yes. I’m afraid you have to stay a while longer here on Earth.” Fletcher deeply regretted it, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.
“No…” Dinky sniffed. Katja tried to suppress tears, looking at the ground.
It pained William and Konrad to see the children so sad and disappointed, wishing they could do something to cheer them up.
The German remembered something that might be helpful. “Maybe I can help. I was supposed to get leave, provided I survive the battle of El Alamein, which I have, thanks to you, Fletcher. Dinky, Katja and Blau Streifen could go with me to Germany, safe from the war while you take care of what is disrupting your spell that to bring you home.”
It was a generous offer, but still, the Eternal Knight had doubts about it. “It’s a nice idea for keeping them safe but with all the surveillance in Germany, it won’t be easy to keep them hidden and I don’t want to endanger your family.”
“I live in a small town where the surveillance is quite low, so that shouldn’t be a problem.” Konrad replied, confident that it would work.
“It’s worth a try, Fletcher. We could learn a bit more about humanity. We would be safe from battles, be in a cooler place than the desert, and you could take out that interference without needing to worry about our safety.” Dinky tried to give him a reason.
“I know but wouldn’t Britain be better?” He asked William, who shook his head.
“Sorry but I'll be here for a while before I get granted leave, so I would take the offer.”
“Alright but what about you?” The Knight asked with a hint of worry.
“Don’t worry about me, I know the desert well, I’ll find a way back to my line. I wish you a pleasant stay in Germany. The Germans are very hospitable, I can tell you.” He spoke from his experience when he was in Germany back in 1936.
“Thank you.” The children said as the Brit walked into the desert.
“Well, I guess we should travel to Tobruk. From there we should get a ride to Germany, but we can never make it in one day and our supplies are limited. I would suggest we travel to the Halfaya Pass and rest here.”
“A good idea.” Fletcher liked it and they moved out.
“Konrad, what’s the Halfaya Pass?” Dinky was curious.
“As its name says, it’s a pass located in Egypt, near the border with Libya, a 180 high escarpment that extends south-eastwards from the Egyptian-Libyan border at the coast at as-Salum, with the scarp slope facing into Egypt. The Halfaya Pass is about 3.2 km inland from the Mediterranean and provides a natural route through. It has great strategic importance, as the only ways westwards into Libya are to assault the pass or to out-flank it to the south. We occupied the pass back in ‘41 to besiege Tobruk and the Allied troops tried to recapture the Halfaya Pass several times only to get parried by us, making them suffer great losses. This made them nickname the Halfaya Pass the ‘Hellfire Pass’.” He explained.
“I can imagine that.” The filly replied, not wanting to know how bad it was for the Brits, convinced that the nickname made his name an honor.
Blau Streifen could get a look at Fletcher’s Cutie Mark; it was 3 arrows fired from a crescent moon. “Fletcher, is that your Cutie Mark?”
“Yes it is, why do you ask?” The Knight replied.
“How did you get it?” The colt asked with curiosity, wanting to know.
Fletcher had to think about it, the story of how he got his Cutie Mark was not a story a young colt should hear, despite having a heroic scene in it, so he quickly came up with a lie that wasn’t actually wrong.
“Well, my father was an archer and the best of his time, and so was his father, so it isn’t surprising that I’m an excellent Archer too. I trained often, quickly getting better and one day, there was a championship in archery. I got the first place, earning my Cutie Mark with it.” The unicorn explained.
“Cool!” The colt exclaimed impressed with a smile. “I hope my Cutie Mark will be as awesome as yours when I get it!”
With a warm grin, Fletcher replied, “Keep trying and you will see.”
“If you don’t mind Fletcher, could you tell us about Farmany?” The young girl asked.
“Sure.” And so, he told the children about his homeland. While Farmany was like Germany in the 15th Century, and both countries had many things in common in terms of culture, like food and festivals. He also told them about his hometown and parents, leaving the dark parts out of it.
Konrad noticed that the Green Knight told everything with a smile; his voice sounded happy, his expression showed joy.
The group travelled through the desert for a few hours, taking regular breaks in the shadows.
At one moment when they rested at an oasis, the children were fascinated by Fletcher’s stories about his homeland and his family.
“So you’re the son of a ruler, Fletcher?” Dinky asked, and he confirmed it with a nod. “So you are a prince, and royalty like the princesses.” Dinky figured out.
“Well, yes, but not in the way as Princess Luna and Celestia are. I found court life dull and immoral and I always had a knack for exploring, so I became an archer like my father and my grandfather had done before me.”
They got interrupted by the sound of a loud engine coming from the sky.
Looking up, they saw a German plane flying by, identifiable by the Balkenkreuz on its long wings, the main landing gear legs hung down, giving the aircraft the appearance of a long-legged, big-winged bird.
Konrad know this plane: a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, one of Germany’s recon planes, designed to be a Short-Take-Off-and-Landing plane. So much so, that with low landing speed, the Storch would occasionally appear to be landing vertically (or even backwards) in a strong headwind.
The private waved into the air to get the plane’s attention as it flew past them.
“Do you think he saw us?” Katja asked, hoping the pilot had seen them.
The aircraft turned around, wiggling its wings as it flew past to show it had seen them.
“And now, we wait.” The German smiled, leaving the children to wonder how he could be so sure.
After around a quarter of an hour, they all noticed a large dust cloud in the distance, coming slowly closer. At first, they thought a sandstorm was closing in but as Fletcher used his binoculars, they knew it was no sandstorm but a German truck escorted by two armored cars, heading for them.
The convoy, upon reaching them, stopped and the truck driver leaned out of the window. “A recon plane spotted you, need a ride?” He was completely unaware of Fletcher.
“Silly question, of course. I got separated from my squad, I was heading for the Halfaya Pass to get to Tobruk.” The private explained.
“It’s your lucky day. I got dispatched from the Halfaya Pass. Hop in.”
The group climbed into the closed back. “Lean back and enjoy the ride.” The German said as the convoy started to move.
Only then, Dinky noticed that Fletcher was not only equipped with his bow, but also with a rifle, a SMG and a pistol. “Uh, Fletcher, why do you carry German firearms with you?”
“Oh, that? Well Dinky, I can use my bow also very effective at close range as well as at very long range, but it requires a lot of magic for me to do so. As such, I took these to balance this out, should my magic need to regenerate, making me unable to use my bow. The rifle at long range, the SMG against multiple enemies at close range and the pistol against single enemies at close range.
I can transform my bow into a spear for melee attacks but that also takes some magic, so, I borrowed a knife from one of my friends. As for why I took German weapons, it’s the good quality.”
The filly smiled. “Makes sense.”
“We have arrived.” The driver said and they got out, being greeted by a sight of said escarpment, some palms and bushes, looking very impressive.
The children also saw a large cannon surrounded by sandbags. “What’s that?” Dinky asked curiously.
“That’s the 8.8 cm Flak, commonly called the eighty-eight: an anti-aircraft gun that can also be used as artillery. Unlike most of its contemporaries, it’s possible to depress the muzzle below the horizontal, making it capable to attack ground targets. At such, it’s well known to be also used as an anti-tank gun.” The German explained.
The colt raised an eyebrow. “Using an anti-air gun against tanks? That sounds very…strange and unpractical.”
“Well Blau Streifen, when we invaded France, our standard AT guns could not damage the heavy armored tanks of the French and British Armies. Rommel had the idea to use the eighty-eight against them, due its high caliber, with high success. The 8.8 cm Flak in the anti-tank role is arguably most effective in the flat and open terrain like Africa, where it can really shine, if I may say so. It was one of the many reasons why this pass is called Hellfire Pass.” Konrad told the young colt.
“I’m no expert but it’s sounds like a good idea to improve.” The girl added.
“Indeed it is.”
“Well, sometimes you need to improve, I have enough experience from this.” Fletcher recalled some memories from the civil war.
“Konrad? Thank god, you’re alive! I thought we had lost you!” Matteo along with Willi and Hans were relieved to see him again in one piece.
“Yeah, we survived thanks to the Green Knight. Where’s Linus?” Escher asked his friends.”
“He got injured from the crashing plane and is in Tobruk, waiting to be transferred to Germany for further treatment. We got disoriented after escaping the crashing plane, getting back to our own lines without noticing it.” The Italian explained.
“I understand.” Then Konrad told his friends how the Green Knight helped him, how he met his old friend again, who the Green Knight was and why he was there.
“Glad to hear that you met an old friend again. It’s an honor to meet you in person, Mr. Fray. You have nothing to fear from us.” The soldiers saluted him, being slightly afraid, but doing their best not to show it.
Fletcher waved a hoof. “Fletcher is just fine, you have my thanks for keeping the children safe.”
“It’s a matter of honor for us. And between you and me, I think you did us all a favor of getting rid of the SS.”
“I wasn't about to let them continue. I've seen too much of their bad doings.” Fray replied.
“Isn’t that the Green Knight?” Other soldiers started to gather around, surprised and afraid of seeing the famous Green Knight here.
“Konrad, what is he doing here?” One of the other soldiers asked him.
“Relax, he’s here to keep our young guests safe until he can bring them home.” The private assured his comrades.
“If the Field Marshall hears this, we all are screwed! What were you thinking bringing him with you?”
“Well, you could go off and tell the Field Marshall...And I could tell him who's been sneaking his Jägermeister.” Escher countered with a grin.
“We…understand.” The others replied, going back to their work.
“Nice counter.” Matteo liked it.
“Thanks.”
“Konrad, do you mind if we take a look around?” Katja asked him, wanting to get to know the place.
“Do as you like.” He smiled at them.
“Would you like to come too, Fletcher?” Dinky asked the Knight with a smile, hoping he would go with them.
With a shrug he said, “Sure, why not.”
And so they explored the Halfaya Pass, seeing a few building that had seen better days and sandbag defenses with supplies. Overall, the Germans were well equipped and organized for defense.
“I wonder how old those buildings are.” Dinky mumbled.
“Several years, that’s for sure.” Blau Streifen replied, seeing how some parts of the plaster were missing.
“They seem to have seen better times.” Katja added as she saw it too.
“But still, they maintain their beauty. I wonder if this is really coming from age or from the war.” Fletcher commented upon taking a closer look.
Then, the filly took notice of smoke in the distance, pointing to it. “Looks like something’s burning.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s just a camp-“ Before Fletcher could finish, the children were already investigating it. “…fire.” He went after them. The unicorn couldn’t blame them for being curious, that’s how children were. He was as curious as them when he was a colt.
The Eternal Knight caught up to them at a dead end of a rock face where a campfire was located, next to it a letter that was not closed.
Axis Account: Security concerns
General Vahlen may very well be a military genius, but his constant demands of supplies and men are hampering my efforts to maintain the security of our recent gains. None dare question or speak against him.
“That doesn’t sound good. We should definitely avoid this General Vahlen.” Dinky spoke with fear, still having the letters from the Gaberoun Oasis in her memory.
“Don’t worry Dinky, if we have to face him, he must go through me if he wants to hurt you.” The green unicorn said to her in a calming manner, with an honest expression.
The kids smiled at him. “Appreciated.”
The group walked back to the artillery place, seeing how Konrad and his friends carried shells to the AA gun, maintaining it also.
The sun shone down on the group, blinding them, so they entered the building next to their left for some shade, finding another letter on a small table.
Missives from home
Dear Ernst,
The papers are full of news from the African front. We are proud of you that you are doing your bit for the Reich. Old Mrs. Ehrlich was most vigorous in her praise of Field Marshal Rommel and our fine boys (your mother glowed with pride). She passes on her regards and asks that you give the British a good thrashing from her!
Your loving father.
“That sounds like they are really proud of her son.” Blau Streifen commented after having read it.
“Yeah. Fletcher, were your parents proud of you when you went exploring and such?” Katja asked him.
“Of course they were. Just because I didn’t like court life, doesn’t mean they couldn’t be proud of me for other reasons.” He replied, enjoying their company, he couldn’t say why.
Hans joined them. “Could you do us do a favor?”
The filly grinned. “Sure, what do you need?”
“We have some letters that need to be sent, could you bring them to the postman? He’s currently at the motor pool.”
“With pleasure, Hans!” Blau Streifen exclaimed happily as Dinky took the letter.
The three friends and their guardian moved to the motor pool, seeing what seemed to be a fuel tank and several tanks parked next it.
There was also a loudspeaker. “Stay alert! Keep your eyes peeled!” came out of the speaker, along other lines that were incomprehensible due the speaker squeaking loudly at times.
Katja asked one of the soldiers, “Have you seen the postman?”
The Italian pointed to a building where the speakers were connected to it. “I last saw him in the communication building.”
“Thanks!” The kids thanked him, moving into the building, towards the basement where the radio and two radio operators were.
“I hate being on tannoy duty. It’s a job for idiots.” One of them complained.
“Better here than out there. Have you heard how loud those things are?” His co-worker asked him.
“Excuse me, have you seen the postman? We were told he was last seen here.” Dinky asked kindly.
“You just missed him. I saw him going out just a minute ago.” One of the radio operators replied, a bit surprised to see them.
“You should look on the bright side, better here than on the front.” The colt tried to make the two Germans think positive.
“Plus, there are worse jobs in the military than this.” Fletcher added.
“Yeah. Can you give him this letter too when you see the postman?” The first Radio operator held up a letter.
“Of course!” The young girl took it.
Walking out of the building, they sealed the letter, having it also read as it was unfolded.
Allied War story: Delaying tactics
These may be dangerous thoughts, but today I felt respect for the Germans. On the approach to Benghazi, we had a German squad on the run. The only problem was a mad Sergeant on their side. He hunkered down with a few men and held us up so the rest could escape. Even when he was the only one left, he didn’t surrender. I threw the grenade that got him in the end, but I didn’t feel like much of a hero.
“I don’t know if this can be called a sacrifice for the safety of others or if this Sergeant was just crazy.” Dinky trembled a bit.
“I guess a bit of both, I have seen such things before.” Fletcher said as they got outside.
“I believe you, Fletcher.” Blau Streifen had respect for the Eternal Knight. “I hope we don’t-“
Bang!
“Take cover!” The Stallion quickly got them behind some sandbags for cover, slowly peeking out to find a shooter.
Bang! Bang!
The young Equestrians covered their ears from the loud shots, scared of being attacked.
“Find the damn shooter!” One of the soldiers yelled.
They and Fletcher peeked out of cover every now and then, trying to find out where the shots had come from.
Bang!
This time, Fletcher could track the sound, coming strangely from one of the trucks parked at the house.
The driver got out. “Sorry guys, truck’s been backfiring.”
“Guns down. False alarm.” The others went back to their posts, the children let out a sigh of relief.
“Sorry children, didn’t want to scare you.” The truck driver apologized to them.
“It’s okay. Do you know where the postman is? We have some letters that need to be sent.”
The German smiled. “He is right in front of you. Thanks.” He put the letters in his bag. “I wish you a pleasant day.” Then the postman got into the truck and drove away without backfiring.
The Archer looked at the sun. It was setting, the beautiful red/orange color ruled the sky, signaling it was evening.
A yawn entered his eyes, seeing that the children were tired. “You should eat something then hit the hay, it was an exhausting day for you, children.”
“Yeah, we should.” Blau Streifen tried unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn.
They dined, enjoying it very much; going to sleep with a full stomach was always a good thing.
The young unicorn yawned again, barely able to stand. So the Green Knight levitated her on his back before walking to the sleeping quarters.
Upon reaching their destination, Konrad and Matteo smiled. “We both wish you all a pleasant sleep. You should catch some sleep too, Fletcher, you have earned it. We’ll take the night guard.”
“Okay Konrad, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Fletcher walked into the tent with the siblings, Katja giggled, pointing at Dinky.
The filly had fallen asleep on his back.
Fletcher smiled, gently placing her on the cot. “Sleep easy, Dinky...Dream of home.”
After he got comfortable in his own cot, the siblings said in union. “Sleep well, Fletcher.”
With a smile he replied, “You too.”
In the next morning, they breakfasted and got with Konrad and Matteo into an Opel Blitz headed for Tobruk.
During the ride, Katja asked, “Isn’t it too hot with that armor?”
“Not at all Katja, my armor is designed to offer good protection as well as flexibility. “Plus I’m used to the heat due my previous…adventures.” He told her, careful of his choice of words.
“You said you are an Eternal Knight. How many Eternal Knights are there?” Katja’s brother asked curious.
“Two, young stallion: a Pegasus mare called White Wolf and a bat pony called Midnight Blade. Wolf is our melee specialist and Midnight is the leader of the Eternal Knights.”
“If they had gone with you, what kind of nicknames do you think they would have been given?”
Dinky’s question caught Fletcher off guard, causing him to think about it. “Good question. As I get called Green Knight, they could have been called the blue and gray Knight respectively. Or maybe Wolf Knight and Bat knight? Just a thought, can’t think of anything better.”
“We’re here.” Konrad informed, stepping out of the driver cabin.
The children and Fletcher were fascinated upon seeing the town, some of the building at the front wall and the wall itself was damaged but otherwise, there was no damage at all, only the remains of sandbags and barbed wire hinted at the battle that had taken place some time ago.
An officer with a bandaged left leg in a wheelchair greeted them. “Welcome back, Konrad. I’m glad and relieved that you and our young friends are still alive and in one piece.”
“Yeah, thanks to our new friend. May I introduce: Fletcher Fray.”
The officer saluted him, having been informed already that Fletcher was with Konrad and why he was there. “Greetings Mr. Fray, I have heard much about you. I’m Sergeant Linus Fischer.”
The Knight returned the salute. “Pleasure. You have my thanks for keeping Dinky and her friends save.”
“It’s a matter of honor for me.” Linus replied. The other soldiers seemed to ignore the unicorn but were a bit nervous having the Green Knight around them.
“The ship that is supposed to bring me home arrives tomorrow, I suggest you pass the time until then.” The private suggested to the children.
“Good idea!” Dinky liked it as, suddenly, several soldiers in green-grey uniforms surrounded Fletcher, having their weapons trained on him, but he stayed calm.
A man in an officer’s uniform stepped forward, holding a hand up to signal the soldiers to lower their weapons.
“The Green Knight, Sagittarius. For the murder of German soldiers, we should kill you. For the murder of Allied Soldiers, we should honor you.” Field Marshal Rommel stepped in front of his soldiers, they all saluted him, his voice sounded friendly and respectful towards Fletcher.
"General Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox. Famous for leading the ghost division. It's an honor to meet you in person.” Fletcher replied, having respect for the high-ranking German officer.
“Likewise. I, for one, shall be content with a pleasant talk over lunch if you are willing.” The Field Marshal offered.
Blau Streifen’s stomach growled, causing him to blush, looking down in embarrassment.
“With pleasure, I and my friends could use something in our stomachs, Herr Field Marshal.”
They got led by the Desert Fox to a room with a table where they sat down for lunch.
While eating, enjoying the food, Erwin asked Fletcher, “So, it is true what I heard about you, Mr. Fray?”
“Well, yes, I got dispatched to get Dinky, Katja and Blau Streifen home, by any means necessary.” Fray replied, being honest, knowing there was no good in lying.
With a smile, the Field Marshal said. “I suspected that your appearance had to do with them, you do a great job at it. Mark my words. Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning.”
“Thank you and I will, Herr Field Marshal. You are an honorable man yourself.”
“I know. I was ordered to kill you on sight should my troops encounter you, but I knew in the moment I heard how you helped people in need, taking care of some of the SS here, that you are an honorable soldier, so I ignored that order.”
“I do what I believe is right. I just couldn’t tolerate what they did to those civilians.”
Rommel raised his glass. “Just like me. I despise orders of killing civilians or anyone who is suspected to be a Jew. Do you know why I don't conform to such ideals? Among all else, it's unproductive and entirely unnecessary. We're at war. If we wasted time hunting down and killing every German with non-German blood in them, we'd probably end up with a national army that barely numbered a thousand-strong and that's long before we were even finished. Over a third of the brave Germans who died fighting for their fatherland in the Great War, a war I was fortunate enough to survive, were of non-German origin. I will not dishonor their sacrifice by believing every one of them traitors. It's little more than an exercise in arrogance, believing you are better than someone else for how you look and who you are related to. Achievements one does not need to earn. I knew several people who thought like that in my academy years. None of them ever rose to the rank of Generalleutnant.”
“I know, you have my respect for this. I also dislike killing unarmed people. In my opinion, anyone who does kill unarmed prisoners or civilians has no honor, being a disgrace.” The Knight spoke with a clear hint of disgust in his voice.
“Exactly. In fact, you remind me a lot of the Italian Bersagliere. They are capable soldiers, like you. The German soldier has impressed the world, however the Italian Bersagliere soldier has impressed the German soldier. Private Conti is a good example.” While knowing that Rommel had high respect for the Italian soldiers, Matteo had to blush at this compliment.
“But their officers are non-cooperative. They denied their own logistical corps from supplying German soldiers even though I ordered Germans to do it for Italians. Had their supply convoys reached me, we would have won the battle of El Alamein.”
“Are the Italian commanders really so bad?” Blau Streifen asked, not able to believe that.
“They are, although it was not the fault of the Italian soldier. The Italian is willing, unselfish and a good comrade, and, considering the conditions under which he serves, having always given better than average. There is no doubt that the achievement of every Italian unit, especially of the motorized forces, far surpassed anything that the Italian Army had done for a hundred years. Many Italian generals and officers won our admiration both as men and as soldiers. The Italians are brave and capable soldiers, like the Australians and New Zealanders are. If I had to take hell, I would use the Australians to take it and the New Zealanders to hold it. But no soldier can fight efficiently without a good officer and we officers are the brains of the military.Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, but brains saves both. Winning the men's confidence requires much of a commander. He must exercise care and caution, look after his men, live under the same hardships, and-above all- apply self-discipline. But once he has their confidence, his men will follow him through hell and high water. I’m sure you can relate to this.”
“Of course. Back in the Civil War, I cared for any pony under my command.”
That reminded the young friends of what Matteo had told them about the officer and the Tankettes, making them realize that the Field Marshal was right about the Italian command.
“That proves to me that you are the right soldier for keeping the children safe. Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don't in your endurance of fatigue and privation. Always be tactful and well-mannered and teach your subordinates to do the same. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide. I heard you wanted to go to Germany, is that correct?” Rommel asked.
“Yes sir, I was granted leave. So we thought we could keep the children safe from the war.” Konrad explained to the commander of the Afrika Corps.
The Field Marshal smiled. “An excellent idea, private. Don’t worry about the Gestapo, I’ll make sure they don’t bother you. As for you, Mr. Fray, your actions honor you, let’s drink on that!” They all clinked glasses.
“If I could, I would award you with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, as you have really earned it in my opinion.” Rommel said with pride to Fletcher who was a bit surprised about it.
“I know to appreciate it but I only do my duty as every other soldier would do.”
“And you do a very good job at this.” After having filled their empty stomachs, the Field Marshal stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to check on the other bases. Keep those children safe, that’s an order. Especially you, Mr. Fray.”
The soldiers saluted. “Yes, sir.”
As the high-ranking commander left, Dinky commented, “You should feel honored to have met him, especially to be respected by him.” She sounded proud of Fletcher.
“I am honored, just a bit…caught off guard by him wanting to give me an award.”
“Who are those men in green?” Blau Streifen asked, realizing that those men weren’t regular soldiers.
“Those men are our Fallschirmjäger. Don’t let the uniform fool you. The German Fallschirmjäger are efficient and ruthless hunters, whatever the weather. Thanks to those brave men, the German military was so successful in the beginning of the war. They are known as the ‘Green Devils’ due their uniform, famous for their willingness to give every effort unwaveringly even in the grimmest of situations. The last major Airborne operation was in 1941, but after that, Airborne operations were no longer feasible. But as they are prized for their combat abilities, they now act in a ‘fire brigade’ role as roving elite infantrymen. And let me tell you, you don’t want to mess with those guys.” Konrad explained.
“I believe you, they look very intimidating.” The colt replied, having already great respect for the Elite soldiers.
“We Eternal Knights, along with our loyal Dark Horse squad, fought also where situations were not looking good, being also in a ‘fire brigade’ role.” The battle brother said subconsciously.
“Do you mind if we play some games guys to pass the time?” Katja was bored, not knowing how to kill the time.
“Not at all, have fun, you’re earned it.” Linus smiled at them.
“Let’s play tag!” Dinky exclaimed, running away with a smile, the siblings chased her laughing.
Konrad, Fletcher and Matteo sat down on chairs at a shady place, watching the playing children with smiles, every other soldier that saw the playing friends had to smile too, even the Elite soldiers.
“It warms my heart to see them happy together.” The German’s heart melted.
“The Eternal Knights are known for rarely showing much emotion but…” Fletcher tried to find the right words, “The children grew to my heart. And I would do anything to make sure they get home safe and sound.”
“Me too. Say, ever been in the desert before this?”
“Not directly. Just a…cleaning operation in Appleloosa.” Fray played down what he did in Appleloosa.
“I see. Sunsets and sunrises in Africa are beautiful, don’t you agree?” Konrad asked.
“Indeed. Just because I I'm on Luna's side doesn't mean I don’t enjoy a sunrise or sunset too. But the stars are the most beautiful. By the way, what time is it?” Fletcher asked him.
Konrad looked on his watch. “A little after 1PM.”
Music sounded in the distance. “Battle formation. Another formation. This is getting old.” He complained as he got up. “Can you give me a hand?” He asked the knight, pointing to his Sergeant.
“Sure thing.”
“Careful.” Linus warned him as he lifted him up with his magic.
“Where’s my cap?” The soldier asked as Dinky gave it to him while Blau Streifen carried his rifle, safety on, his sister carried his canteen as he had taken his gear aside to be more comfortable while sitting.
At a large backyard, he told them, “Wait here.”
They watched everything from a balcony. Several soldiers were standing in formation, Konrad corrected his cap as he joined, the music stopped.
An officer spoke up, “Men. High command commends you, for your fighting in the Africa campaign. You played a large part in driving the English, back to the Nile. I’m awarding you with a medal from High Command, for your important role, in the heavy and glorious battle at El Alamein. Those to be decorated, step forward!” He ordered, and Hans, Willi, and Konrad did as ordered. “Battalion, attention!” The Battalion did as told.
The officer rewarded the men with the Iron Cross, a small black cross, the emblem of the German forces. It had the foundation date, which was 1939 on the front and the number 1813 on the backside, which was the date of the first created iron cross, awarded in the Wars of Liberation in 1813 to 1814. Outfitted with a black and white red ribbon, the officer pinned the awards in the second buttonhole of the uniform jacket of every to-be-decorated soldier. “Battalion, at ease! Dismissed!”
After it was over, the children and the Eternal Knight greeted him with proud smiles. “You can be proud of yourself, Konrad.” Fletcher sounded proudly.
“Congratulations!” Dinky congratulated him.
“The iron cross looks cool!” Blau Streifen commented.
“And looks good on you.” Katja added.
“Thank you. If I may ask, did you get any rewards in the civil war?”
“I never cared much for awards but yes a few of them. Order of the Nightingale, awarded to those who defended cities or communities, the Order of the Black Orchid, awarded to those who delivered information on the enemy that saved lives and won battles, and the Order of the Astral Chariot, warded to those who succeeded in rescuing prominent prisoners from the enemy.”
“I see, a highly decorated soldier. How come you don’t wear those anymore?”
“As I said, I don’t care for those and after the war was over, I didn’t see any reason to wear them still.”
“Make’s sense. Now, let’s enjoy the day.”
For the rest of the day, the children played together, having much fun, until it was evening.
The children and Fletcher had some bread for dinner. “Have a good rest, children. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” The young friends said in union before falling sleeping and dreaming about having a wonderful time in Konrad’s hometown.
Even Fletcher let out a yawn. “Catch some sleep too, Fletcher. You have earned it.” Matteo said to him. “We take the night guard.”
“Okay. Staying up 24-7 is Midnight's job. Eternal Knights need to sleep too, you know.” The unicorn made sure the safety of his firearms was on before going to sleep.
Due his injury, Linus went to bed too.
“I really can’t wait to see my family again. It’s been so long.” Konrad looked at the sky, enjoying the view, being happy to meet his wife and children again.
“Then, enjoy every second of it when you arrive back home.” Matteo was happy for him when suddenly Willi sprinted around the corner, completely out of breath.
“What’s wrong, forget to turn off the oven?” Hans joked, knowing that his friend was a baker.
“Guys, I have heard…that…the… Führer is…going to visit Tobruk.” He managed to catch his breath, the news caused his friends’ eyes to widen, not believing what they had just heard.
“What? Really? Why would he leave Berlin for this?” Hans asked, trying to make sense of it.
“Sounds more like a double for me.” Konrad commented.
“Then you better take a look at this.” Willi held up a letter, his friends read it.
The Führer’s visit
It’s true, the Führer is on his way. The timing is less than ideal, but we will be ready.
A few of the officers laughed derisively at the news. A couple dared to suggest it would be one of his rumored doubles. Some men arrived earlier after seeing him elsewhere, but their opinions are divided. I don’t really know what to believe. Perhaps Kuhn’s messenger will have the answer.
“Sounds serious. We should read the perspectives, then the letter from the messenger to be completely sure.” Escher suggested, not knowing what to believe.
“Agreed.” His friends replied.
They looked through the buildings, finding one letter in a table.
Perspectives: Unshaven Führer
You owe me 2 Reichsmark, Lucas. I was in a camp to the west when the Führer arrived for a surprise inspection late in the evening yesterday. And guess what? He had an untended smear of stubble over his jawline. This man cannot be our Führer. He would never visit our troops unshaven.
“Could be that he was in a hurry and forgot to shave.” Hans theorized
“Maybe. Let’s check the other letters to be completely sure.” Matteo suggested.
In another building, they found the second letter.
Perspectives: Vegetarian leader
It’s a good thing I stumbled into the kitchen earlier. The men were busy preparing an extravagant meaty stew. We can’t afford such carelessness. The look on the Führer’s face yesterday when someone dared put a steak in front of him chilled me. I’m surprised he didn’t have the man hung and quartered for negligence.
“It has to be a double, the Führer is a strict vegetarian.” Konrad was sure of this.
“Or he was in a good mood to spare the cook.” Willi suspected. “Then again, he's never in a good mood.”
“Anyway, let’s find this messenger so we can be completely sure.” Konrad suggested, seeing said soldier walking into a tent and putting the last letter on the table before walking out.
The group walked to the tent, taking a look.
Observing the Target: Preparations
This is madness. The Führer can’t be on his way to Tobruk, of all places. Why would he leave the safety of Berlin? No one else thinks to question this, so now we must prepare a feast and find wines worthy of him. Then again, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t touch alcohol.
Never mind. If no one else is going to ask any questions, neither I am.
“Sounds like a dead end to me. The only possibility I see is to wait and see.” Konrad was a bit frustrated at this.
“Do we have a choice?” Willi asked him.
“I guess we don’t. Let’s prepare for his arrival.” Konrad replied and they helped to prepare everything for their guest.
After an hour, a desert colored Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4 arrived at a café or restaurant, the soldiers couldn’t really tell due the damage it had taken from the battle. The Führer, wearing a white suit, was sitting in the back of the car. A soldier opened the door, being very nervous and an officer and a Fallschirmjäger saluted the Führer as he stepped out, sitting down in a chair.
Konrad was nervous too as he stood guard, wondering if it was the real Führer or not.
Would he really travel all the way to Tobruk? It boosts moral, no doubt but I can’t imagine he would…
A loud metallic “Clang’ tore Escher out and someone yelling, “Watch out!”
“Konrad!” The Italian pushing him away, Konrad landed hard on the stone ground, another loud “Clang” caused his ears to ring, disoriented.
Fletcher was sleeping peacefully, when suddenly, a loud noise tore him out of his sleep, falling out of the cot. “Ouch! What the?”
“What’s going on?” Dinky and the siblings were startled by the noise.
“I don’t know, wait here while I check!” Fletcher grabbed his weapons, running out.
Despite his order, the children got out too, worried about their friends.
They saw Konrad lying on the ground along with Matteo, slowly getting up, a body crushed under a bell next to them.
Konrad wondered what had happened as his hearing returned as someone yelled, “The Führer is dead!”
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Couldn't resist.
Like it so far.
Something you could mention about the Berlin Olympics.
8748004
Good thought, might be best when they meet again in Italy.
8839262
Nein, mein freund Purple Patch hat es gemacht. Hat echt talent for details, findest du nicht?
8839321
Freut mich zu hören
I love the comedy that's provided and how it doesn't overbalance the other parts.
Somehow, I was able to tell they weren't going to get back to Equestria that easily.
11566281
where would be the adventure in that