Chapter 3: Percival
“I assure you Princess; we came here in peace.”
“You know, the more you try to convince me, the more it sounds otherwise.”
“Okay, maybe I’m not the most convincing creature but let me tell you, my rider might change your mind. He’s a better talker and diplomat than I am.”
“And a soldier. I’ve met enough royal guards to know they’re like; headstrong, clumsy and somehow incompetent at times. My brother was once captain after all.”
“Not the sergeant. He’s a survivor and a gentleman. He’s got a better head on his shoulders than mine to be honest. Even in the most pressuring situations he still keeps an elegant composure.”
As though on cue as Twilight ignited her horn to open the door, she was pulled into the room by her mane and held against a wall with an elbow around her neck and a sharp object on her side. “You have ten seconds to tell me where I am and where my horse is before I gut you!”
“TWILIGHT!” Her friends rushed into the room to see the injured creature. He was standing tall by his two legs worn with khaki-coloured trousers, a bloodied bandage seen around his left shoulder and around his torso, an arm holding Twilight with an elbow lock and held a bayonet on her right side. Applejack stood in front of the others before the stranger with a glowering look, “You let her go right now, mister!”
“Not until you bring me to meet your leader!” The creature demanded as he firmed his grip.
“I am their leader!” Twilight managed to gasp from the headlock as she began to ignite her horn, “Can’t you see I’m an alicorn?”
“Sure, and I’m Napoleon Bonaparte VII. I find it rather hard believe that a group of talking horses would be led by a petite purple pony.”
“Sergeant wait! It’s me!” Joshua pushed his way into the room. “They’re the ones who saved us!”
“Joshua?” the sergeant gave a look of bewilderment upon seeing his steed, “You’re alright…”
“Pardon me for interrupting, but you’re pointing your bayonet at a Princess, sir.”
There was a pause as the sergeant was beginning to process his surroundings. He began to observe Twilight and noticed her wings on her side, the horn glowing brightly on her head and a crown not far from it. Immediately after putting two-to-two together he released the alicorn, straightened his form and gave a salute, “My apologies, Ma’am! I had no idea!”
“It’s okay, Twilight is f…” Twilight stopped and thought for a moment. After taking over the rule of Equestria from the Two Sisters, she has observed several Royal Guards addressing each other and after several visits from her Brother, Prince Shining Armour, she was given a few tips when it comes to addressing the guards as royalty. She straightened her composure and with a different tone from all those who knew her, raised her wings and with a commanding tone ordered, “NAME! RANK! Please!”
“T-Twilight,” Fluttershy stuttered nervously, “isn’t it mean to…”
“George Percival! Sergeant, 1st Light Horse Reconnaissance Division of the Inter-Universal Volunteer Army! Serial number: 82976728!” While the sergeant maintained a straight form, it was clear to everyone that he was struggling to stand. His legs finally gave way as he collapses towards his backside.
“Sergeant!” Joshua pushed passed Twilight and leaned in to support his back and broke his fall. Applejack followed suite and held his back with her hooves. “Oh, thank you Ms Applejack.”
“Just Applejack is fine.”
“Thank you, Joshua, ma’am.” Percival looked pale and sickly as though all the colour from his face was drained as he struggled to stand up properly. “Applejack was it?”
“Yes sir, that is my name.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I use you as a support, do you?”
“Not at all. So long as ya'll under the care of this roof, consider yourselves family.”
There was a puzzled look from Percival as he turned to Joshua who in turn exchanged the same gaze. Percival returned to Applejack with a courteous smile, “Consider us your honoured guests and in your debt.”
Twilight picked up a bit of the sergeant’s character. All though he can be aggressive, he has proven himself to be polite and at the very least trustworthy. “Um, Sgt Percival? Can I call you that or would you prefer I call you George?”
“You may call me what you like your majesty.”
“I’ll call you George then, and um… Call me Twilight.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Oh right, we have not been properly introduced. I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and well,” there was a hint of embarrassment in her expression as she labelled herself, “current ruler of Equestria.”
Joshua and Percival’s eyes widened upon hearing this. She is a Monarch? “Begging your pardon, your grace,” Percival apologetically bowed his head, “but I couldn’t possibly address you casually, especially after my earlier behaviour!”
“Well, I’d rather you call me Twilight. I’m still not used to being in charge of an entire country, in fact I was just coronated last month.”
“Oh, is that so?” Percival was brought back to the bed and groaned with pain, “It seems like I may have overexerted myself.”
“I’ll say, your blood loss was severe! It was a miracle that you are still here!” Zecora approached him and began to replace his bandages.
“Yeah, about that,” the sergeant winced as she slowly removed the bandages, “I should be dead. How am I still alive?”
“Yeah, how is he still alive?”
“!!!!!!!!”
Everyone turned to the new voice heard revealing a pink pony along with a blue pegasus with a rainbow-coloured mane and a white unicorn with a violet mane.
“Pinkie Pie? Rainbow Dash? Rarity?” Twilight exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”
“OhIgatheredRainbowDashandRaritylikeyouaskedsothatwecoulddiscussaboutthestrangepersonyoupickedupfromApplejack’sSowegatheredtogetheratthecastlebutthenwegottiredofwaitingsoIwaslike, “Maybe they’re still in Sweet Apple Acres?” SoweleftthecastletogethereBigMacopenedthedoorforusGrannySmithofferedussomepiethenweateandthenweheardacommotionsoweclimbedupandthenweheardeverythingabouthowtheyarefromanotherworldanthathealmostdiedforsomereasonandnowhereweare.” The pink one finished her rambling with a smile accompanied with a comical squeaking noise.
“Call me deaf but I absolutely couldn’t make out a single word she said.” Percival pressed his fingers on his forehead while trying to process everything.
“I would say “get used to it” but you never truly do,” Twilight tilted her head as she gave an awkward smile.
“Woah, he’s huge!” the blue one looked at Joshua with amazement, “He’s just as large as Tirek (when he wasn’t buffed with magic of course). Probably even bigger.”
“I’ll say. But I would say he’s a lot more dashing.” The white one stared at him with dreamy eyes.
It was at this point that the sergeant notices his companion’s expression. Joshua was doing his usual “hiding-his-head-under-his-mane-out-of-embarrassment” behaviour. “Oi, are you alright there?”
“I’m sorry, sir. It’s just, I’ve never been surrounded by this many beautiful mares before. It’s embarrassing, especially as to what happened earlier before you woke.”
“What do you m…? Wait, are you blushing?”
“I… No! I mean… Maybe.”
Akin to a Grandfather noticing his grandson’s crush, Percival grinned mischievously at his steed. “Well, well, well. Since when were you the shy type?”
“I… No! I am not! You don’t know what you are talking about, sir!”
“Oh, don’t give me that, boy! You’re an open book as it is, and I’ve known you too well to know what’s going through that head of yours just by looking at you. It's hard to not notice your quirks when we've been working together for almost ten years.”
“You don’t have to say that out loud, you know! People are watching!”
“Oh sure, “PEOPLE”. We have mares in our division and I’ve never seen you give a hint of interest to any of them, even when we came here.”
“THEY DO NOT COUNT, sir! Besides, they are all sisters and cousins, not exactly mate material!”
“So, you do have a preference! And here I thought you never had one. Care to tell me which one of these lovely ladies is your favourite?”
The sight of the two began to resemble that of a dirty old stallion teasing a young rookie as the mane six, Apple Bloom and Zecora began to feel the awkwardness and embarrassment of just being in their presence as they continued bickering.
“Maybe we should give them some time to catch up with whatever this is.” Twilight looked at her friends sheepishly as she made her way to the door.
“Well, that got rid of them.”
“… Sir, I don’t appreciate being used as a distraction at the cost of my pride.”
“Sorry about that Joshua, but we need to talk.”
“Sigh, I suppose we do. By the way sir, I may have told them that we brought our entire Division here. And also, how are you doing?”
“A little better actually. No, belay that, a lot better.”
Percival sat up straight on the bed as he touched the newly applied bandage, “So, much do they know of our mission?”
“Vaguely anything sir. Hard to tell them anything if I know little to nothing about the mission.”
“Then without a doubt they’ll come back for a lot of questions.
“Are you going to tell them?”
“We may not have much of a choice, Joshua. We are miles away from Alpha Site, we are short on supplies, the locals are probably suspecting that we are an invading army, and worst of all,” Percival pulled up his wireless communique riddled with bullet holes, “we have no means to call for extraction. If we don’t cooperate with them, chances are they may not let us go. And I fear if we stay too long, I might stop being human.” Percival took off his bed sheets and climbed out of bed as he made his way towards his uniform that was laying on a chair.
“How do you mean, si…” Joshua was startled as he saw his rider began to unwrap his bandages. “Sergeant! What are you doing?” He stared in horror as Percival unbandaged himself.
Bloodied marks on the cloth worried the stallion, “Sir if remove it now without aid, you’ll open your woun…” the horse stopped. What he saw, he could not believe. Percival’s injured shoulder as it was revealed not only closed but has somehow fully healed (other than scarring). His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the wound and then back to the sergeant, “How is that possible? It was barely a full day!”
Percival looked at his injured shoulder, “I believe the rules of this world is vastly different from ours.”
“How so?”
“Well, first and foremost; this world is inhabited by multicoloured talking equine that resembles something out of the Wizard of Oz. Secondly; all of the horses we brought here (including you) started talking which relates to the first point. And finally; everything here feels wrong and out of place, EVEN THOUGH NOTHING SEEMS OUT OF PLACE. It’s like the very air I’m breathing is doing something to me, changing me into something that I for sure would not like to wait to find out. I mean, look at this injury!” Percival points at his shoulder, “I could have sworn there was a gaping hole after being shot there and yet there it is, almost good as new were it not for the scarring!”
Joshua stares at where his injury should be and then turns to look at Percival, “Whatever your decision is sir, I will faithfully follow. Although, regrouping with the rest of the division via our previous route might be suicide so perhaps in exchange for our information they could help us to find a different path back. It is their world after all.”
The sergeant gave him an astonished look, “That’s… Actually, a very reasonable idea. Good thinking there, Joshua!”
“What can I say? I think I’m getting better at thinking ideas!” Joshua snorted proudly.
Percival gave him a sneering look as he dons his uniform, “So Joshua, about what we talked earlier, who’s your favourite?”
“……… SERGEANT!!!”
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in!”
In walked Apple Bloom with a cheery and curious smile, “Um hello there?”
“Darling, do mean to tell us that they are from another world?”
“Yes Rarity. And it might be possible he came from the same world as Sunset Shimmer.”
“What makes you say that Twilight?”
“Well Rainbow Dash, he looks exactly like everyone in that world. Bipedal, hairless except on their heads, hands instead of paws or hoofs, flat faces and most notably; No Magic.”
“Um girls?”
“First, if he’s from the same world as Sunset Shimmer, why didn’t he go through the mirror? Second, shouldn’t he have transformed into a pony coming here? And Third, WHEN CAN WE THROW A WELCOME PARTY FOR THEM?”
“Sorry, but…”
“That’s what we are trying to find out Pinkie. As for a party, I think we should put that on hold.”
“WHAT?”
“They are soldiers, they came here for a reason, and until we know if they are friendly or hostile a welcome party might not be a good idea. I don’t want to assume the worst, but they might not be here for friendly reasons.”
“Do any of you hear…”
“Ah don’t know Twi. From what Ah’m getting from the big fella, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Ah don’t think they’re here to do harm.”
“GIRLS!”
All turned towards the soft-spoken yellow Pegasus who finally raised her voice. “Sorry for that,” Fluttershy now noticed all eyes were on her, shrinked as she lowered her head and ears but nonetheless continued, “but can any of you hear that?”
All ears now raised to listen. “Yeah, I can hear that too,” Twilight noted.
“Is that, singing?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously.
Pinkie gasped in utter shock, “ARE THEY STARTING A PARTY WITHOUT US?”
“Wait a minute,” Applejack began to look around, “Where’s Apple Bloom?”
All eyes widened as they turned to look upstairs.
“APPLE BLOOM!” Applejack stood from her seat and made her way upstairs with the rest of them following suite.
As they climbed, they distinctly heard the duet from both the sergeant and the steed.
“Here’s forty shillings on the drum,
For those who Volunteer to come.
To ‘list and fight the foe today,
Over the Hills and Far away!
O’er the Hills and O’er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
King George Commands and we obey,
Over the Hills and Far away!”
“Those voices,” Rarity commented with a heartfelt passion, “They blend with beautiful harmony.”
“They do sound wonderful,” Fluttershy added.
“When duty calls me, I must go.
To stand and face another foe.
But part of me will always stray,
Over the Hills and Far away!
O’er the Hills and O’er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
King George Commands and we obey,
Over the Hills and Far Away!”
“What are they singing?” said Rainbow Dash who sounded somewhat amused, “Because that lyrics sounds awesome!”
“More interestingly,” Twilight pondered, “why are they singing?”
They reached the room and saw it opened and in there revealed Joshua sitting next to the bed, Percival who sat up strumming a guitar and Apple Bloom who sat on a stool across. The gentle strumming of the strings accompanied by the sergeant’s baritone voice and Joshua’s surprising high tenor voice that harmonised together somehow entranced and delighted the little filly who somehow started developing tears upon listening to the melancholic tune. “I think I can see why,” Applejack noted.
“If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Then ask the fifes and drums to play,
Over the Hills and Far away!
O’er the Hills and O’er the main.
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
King George Commands and we obey.
Over the Hills and Far away!”
The two suddenly stopped when they noticed Pinkie Pie sobbing waterfalls, “Why are you singing such a SAD SONG? I was planning to throw the both of you the biggest party you’ve ever seen that’ll make you two have the biggest smiles on your faces but now after hearing such a bitter-sweet song, I feel so SAPPY (You know, when you’re Sad-Happy) that I don’t know how to cheer you up anymore!”
The two soldiers turned to see all but Twilight and Applejack turned teary-eyed from the song. “Oh sorry, we didn’t notice you all,” Percival stood up, “This little one was just curious to know about us so Joshua and I thought about perhaps we can introduce ourselves with a little song from our home country.”
“We kind of chose a song that we both knew by heart,” Joshua added, “and this was the only one we both memorised.”
Apple Bloom wiped the tears from her face, “And so I gave them a guitar and then you all walked in.” She turned to look at the two of them, “That was mighty beautiful Mr Percival. A little too sad though.”
The Sergeant gave a sad smile, “Why thank you little miss. I’ll bear that in mind next time, and I’ll try to pick a chirpier one.”
Apple Bloom’s face brightened up as she leapt from her stool and made her way across the room, “Well anyway, I’ve got to go. The rest of the Cutie-mark Crusaders are waiting up for me. Bye for now!” She walked out the exit past the main six who stood there motionless.
Percival’s smile faded into a stern look as Apple Bloom left the room, “I believe that you all have questions for us?”
“Believe me, we have plenty,” Twilight stepped forward, “Perhaps we should start with who are you and why are you here?”
Percival sat down and drew a long sigh, “Very well, but we are going to have to talk in a more secure location. For now, allow us to re-introduce ourselves.” He straightened himself while he remained seated, “I am George Arthur Percival, and this is Joshua, my steed. We are both soldiers and we come from a world known as Thera. We came to this world to hunt down a group of traitors who found their way into this world.”
"Traitors?" Rainbow Dash twitched at the word, "Where did this come from? I thought these guys are some part of an invading army like the Storm King!"
"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity spoke, "don't be rude! Let the stallions finish before we can make any conclusions."
"Um, like I said before," Joshua politely interjected, "we are not here to invade anyone. If anything, we're actually trying to stop an invasion."
"Now this Ah've got to hear," Applejack said.
"Not here though," Percival began to explain, "The less anyone else knows about us, the better. I have a feeling we might be listened to, like your sister out the door."
"Oops!"
"APPLE BLOOM!"
"So, we might need a more secure location before I could explain everything."
Twilight already thought ahead, "Actually, I already have a place in mind."
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10788873
exactly
kinda want a chapter with the whole division in ponyvile, just imagine big mac trying to deal with multiple giant horse flirting with him etc
General Apple Bloom! You are a bold one!
10789151
Oh my girls look at that strong stallion over there bucking those apple trees he is giving me the vapors, oh my that stallion can buck my Apples anytime he wants. Etc. etc. I can see it now.
10913428
(Furiously taking notes)
i love your Pinkie Pie xd jaja
you're a masochist jaja :P