Red Banners, Red Stains

by BurgerFanMan

Chapter 14/USA: Consequences Pt. 3

"The dead men dreamed they were free."
"Oh, knock it off with those old quotes. Where do you keep getting these?"
"..."

Don't worry. It'll all make sense someday.

Manehatten Bay. August 7th, 2045. 7:12 AM

"Is this everyone?" asked Henry as the door of the crowded storeroom swung shut.

Not one of the several dozen Army and Navy soldiers standing and sitting around the small room answered.

"I'll assume it is. Well, I called you all here because there's something this young man has to say." Henry stepped off the table, shoved against the wall opposite the door, and motioned to a Navy technician in a high-vis vest.

He climbed nervously onto the table, but his voice was calm and steady. "Well... the Lieutenant Colonel was just visited by that pony, the Ambassador, and one of the winged guards. They said- they said there's more of us. In Canterlot, the capital."

A murmur rushed through the room as the assembled soldiers took in the technician's words. A shout rang out from the back of the crowd.

"More of us, like more Americans? Or more humans?"

"It's the European Continental Alliance. A small military unit, just like us, I think."

Henry raised a fist for silence as the whispering erupted again. He stood up on the table as the technician stepped off. "You heard him. I don't know whether this is true, but it means we're not alone here. The ECA may still be our allies... or they could be our enemies. Perhaps they're the reason we're here in the first place. Maybe they know exactly what's going on. Clearly this is a situation that needs addressing." He paused dramatically. "Lieutenant Colonel Jameson has gone on a tour of Manehatten, leaving Lieutenant Commander Lee in charge of the situation. He's basically abandoned us."

More whispering. A pair of soldiers quietly left the room through the back of the crowd.

"I'm not done! The Lieutenant Colonel hasn't done anything to arrange our security, or guaranteed our independence from the ponies, or provided any help for our wounded. He left all of that to Lieutenant Commander Lee while he met with the pony monarch privately and had an emotional breakdown in front of her. This is the man we're trusting to lead us."

A soldier spoke up from the front of the crowd indignantly. "What are you suggesting? This is treason of the highest order!"

Henry replied soothingly, "I'm not suggesting we do anything, or make any sort of conspiracies. Simply that we... look out for each other. We've got to watch each other's backs, help each other out. We must carry on the flame of America!"

The soldiers muttered their approval, some cheering and raising their fists in the air.

"Tough times are upon us, and we need to do our best to face them. Inform those who you trust and who were unable to make it here. The next meeting is tomorrow morning, same place, same time.

"God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."

The crowd filtered out of the room, leaving Henry alone.

The short meeting had gone well, but he felt no sense of victory. Only sorrow and regret.

Manehattan City Park. August 7th, 2045. 6:45 AM

"And that's who, exactly?"

Jameson couldn't tell whether the pegasus was genuinely important or just showing off. She wore no armour, only an armband displaying the same picture as her cutie mark- a rainbow shining through some clouds.

Rainbow Dash gave him a skeptical look. "You don't know the Elements of Harmony? Heroes of Equestria? Saviours of the world, several times over?"

He shrugged helplessly. The pegasus' expression switched from skeptical to shocked. "You seriously haven't heard of us? You've been here for what, over an hour, and no one told you about the Elements of Harmony?" She glared at Glint, who also shrugged.

"I wasn't aware you'd be here, Dash." Her tone was surprisingly slightly questioning and confrontational- not something Jameson would expect from a Private speaking to what was apparently a national hero. She said to Jameson, "Very quick briefing- this is Rainbow Dash, the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. That's a special artifact granted only to the most loyal pony in existence- in this case, Dash- and is a part of the Elements of Harmony, five other ponies who together fight whatever supernatural evil threatens Equestria. Got all that?"

Jameson nodded. "I'll ask the Ambassador about the rest once we get back. What do you need, er... Rainbow Dash?"

She hovered off the ground with her wings, apparently bored of the conversation. "Qu- Princess Celestia has a message for you of apparently vital importance. I guess I'm just a postmare now."

Tucking his crutch under his shoulder, Jameson glanced at his watch. He had planned to be back within an hour. Listening to a supposedly vital message would certainly be worth the extra time spent on the tour.

"Alright, tell me."

Dash glanced around at the guard pegasi, who had formed a wide circle around the helicopter and the group and were pretending not to listen. "Gonna need a biiiit more privacy than this. I hope you don't mind a short walk, cripple."

"Rainbow Dash!" scolded Glint.

"Right, right, 'creature of special ability' or whatever we call them these days."

"I can walk just fine," huffed Jameson. He nodded at the Delta operators. "One of you, with me. The other one, stay in the helicopter. Remain on standby."

A young, light-brown haired operator, stepped forward. Private Glint shook her head when she saw his gun. "No weapons, please. This is a friendly meeting!"

"Oh, right." The operator sheepishly handed his machine gun to his fellow soldier.

Rainbow Dash led the way into a thickly forested part of the park. It was slightly disorienting, knowing how high up they were and yet walking on a beaten dirt path in a dark forest.

As they walked, Glint fell a little behind Dash and spoke to the humans. "So, how do you like Manehatten so far? And our world, in general?"

Jameson opened his mouth to respond, but the operator cut him off. "I like it. It feels like we can do anything we want."

Glint glanced back at him. "Aren't you worried about the whole this-isn't-my-world part?"

"I've come from a war-torn, nightmarish hellscape into a peaceful world of talking horses and magic. I should be scared, but... there's so much potential here, so much to discover, and relatively little to worry about. There are things here that would help us build a better Earth, if we ever go back, and there's so much we can help you with. And- I can dream that I'm free."

Jameson grinned. "Loving that American spirit, soldier." He gave a small laugh.

But the operator's words had touched him. Jameson hadn't thought about it until now, but what waited for him back on Earth? A few more ceremonial tours as a Lieutenant Colonel, then retirement and a quiet death?

And, according to Lee, a behemoth-sized missile had been about to strike the carrier. At least everyone on the deck would have died instantly, if not for their miraculously timed teleportation to Equus.

He blinked, realising they stopped at a small clearing in the woods where the path ended.

Rainbow Dash faced Jameson. "Ready?" She wore a strange grin.

"Er, yes?"

"Good."

A flash of green fire engulfed Rainbow Dash's body for a moment before disappearing. In her place was an insect-like, horse-shaped creature, with glowing teal eyes, pitch-black, armour-like plates, and, for some reason, holes in its legs.

"What the-?"

Green light filled his vision.

???

Jameson found himself standing in a brightly-lit, stone-walled corridor lined with heavy metal doors, facing the insect creature from before. The operator and Private Glint were in the same position relative to him that they had been in the forest.

"...hell?" he finished.

He glanced around at Glint, but she didn't seem afraid or even confused, just slightly angry. The Delta Force operator was waiting for him to give an order.

"It's unsafe to teleport into corridors, Echicren! We have an access room for a reason," Glint scolded in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Oh... sorry, Glint." The insect's speech had a slight buzzing tone to it but was otherwise perfectly normal.

"So... mind explaining... all of this?"

Glint ignored him, instead of pulling out a notepad from her saddlebag. "Alright, we're a bit off-schedule. The Queen will be busy at the moment." She flapped her wings absent-mindedly. "She warned us not to take them to Aspen beforehand, but if we don't then we won't have the time before we have to return them. Don't try anything, soldier," she warned. The operator had reached his hand inside a pocket of his suit. He didn't take it out, but didn't move it either.

Jameson glared at her. "This looks very suspiciously like a kidnapping attempt. Explain."

The pegasus closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing herself. She opened her eyes "Right. Right. Lieutenant Colonel Jameson, you have no reason to trust me, but I promise there is a good reason for teleporting you here." Glint motioned to the insect-like creature standing next to her, who stared at Jameson. "This is a changeling."

"I've heard of those." Jameson eyed the changeling, wondering how exactly it 'stole love'. The creature was frightening at first glance, but behaved mostly harmlessly. He guessed that Rainbow Dash had just been a disguise.

"That's... I'm assuming you haven't heard very good things about them?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Well, they're honestly quite nice once you get to know them. They're not 'monsters of the dark' or anything, they just want to survive without being bothered. I mean, look at this adorable little critter!"

The changeling gave Jameson the puppy-eyes look. He sighed. "This 'adorable little critter' apparently just impersonated a hero of the nation and kidnapped the leader of a group of very angry men with guns."

"Don't worry, this isn't a kidnapping. You can return at any time."

"Then I choose to-"

"WAIT! Hear me out first!" Glint put on a determined expression. "The reason we brought you here, to the underground Outpost Asp was to meet the Queen. She wants to discuss... well, I don't know, but I assume it's diplomacy. It won't take long!"

Jameson stared at her, wondering if every single country on this planet was a monarchy. He noted that the changeling leader was a queen rather than a princess like with Equestria.

"You couldn't have just, I don't know, asked before teleporting us here?"

"Would you have agreed?" shot back Glint. "I wasn't going to risk you getting Echicren caught. You have no idea what the Royal Guard does to changelings."

Jameson huffed. He couldn't waste any more time on arguing. "Fine! Fine. I'll meet the Queen. Just remember, this is a Delta Force operator. He's one of the best of the best, and he won't go down easily," he warned. Then Jameson realised something about Glint's choice of words. "Wait, why do you keep talking as if you're not a changeling?"

Glint blinked. "Well, because I'm not."

"Oh? So why are you working with them?"

A slight red tint formed on the pegasus' face. "Nevermind that. The Queen will be here in a couple of minutes. Before that, you can meet our head researcher, Aspen. I'm sure he'll have some questions to ask you." She motioned to one of the closed doors. "In there."

Jameson walked to the door with the operator. As he went, he overheard Glint and Echicren talking.

"Did you have to use the Dash disguise?"

"It makes me look more honest!"

"You mean it's the only disguise you know. Spread out your impersonation skills!"

The door had no handle, but it swung open when he pushed it. It made a loud creaking sound.

Inside were two changelings in lab coats, and a group of four humans sitting on various stools. One of them stood up suddenly, giving out a shocked cry.

"YOU!"

He stared back confusedly. "...me?"

---

Joint American-Chinese Refugee Camp, Hamburg. 2028.

You want to go back? Sure. Hamburg, 2028. Not a particularly pleasant place and time to be, especially given my dislike of nukes. But it's important.

The irradiated ashes falling from the sky above a ruined Hamburg make a wonderful backdrop for the flashing cameras of the journalists at the refugee camp. They're held back by a line of stone-faced Chinese soldiers, guarding a large, hastily-constructed wooden stage. The journalists aren't interested in the rest of the camp, made of endless rows of military tents, ragged civilians, overworked aid workers.

Platoons of soldiers marching through, assigned to search for GLA operatives or to keep law and order. They're aided by the occasional Crusader or Paladin tanks. Both the infantry and the tanks were engaged in fierce fighting against the GLA just hours before, until the GLA detonated a dirty bomb and retreated.

They're interested in the brightly lit podium on the stage, which an important Chinese general has just stepped off.

Brigadier General Jameson the Fourth, escorted by a squad of heavily armed American soldiers, takes the podium. He clears his throat into the mike, and the crowd falls silent.

"Thank you, Marshal Feng, for your kind words to the European people. I will now be taking questions."

There's a rush as reporters wave their arms in the air, trying to make their voices heard.

"Yes- yes, you, the gentleman in the brown suit, at the front."

The crowd quiets slightly as the journalist shouts above the din, "Where is the GLA now? Will they be able to strike again soon?"

Jameson the Fourth considers his words carefully. "I wouldn't say that. Next question."

As he answers various questions about the state of the war-torn Germany and of the retreating GLA, storm clouds roll in. Lightning flashes across the sky. Soon, it is pouring, and the crowd and the soldiers are drenched. The conference goes on, however.

On the edge of the crowd, a pair of reporters stand. One of them holds a camera. They worry that they will be unable to get a good picture of the Brigadier General before the conference is over. Instead, they go down the line of soldiers till they reach an American squad, taking pictures where they can.

A voice rings out from one of the officers. "Don't answer any questions, men! Let the Brigadier General handle it."

One of the American soldiers is tying his shoes. As he stands up, he whispers to his partner, "What did the Sergeant say?"

The pair of reporters hear him. They swoop down like vultures, notepad and camera in hand. One of them directly addresses the soldier before the soldier's partner can respond.

"Hey, you! What do you think the GLA will do next? Where will they strike?"

The soldier stared back in confusion. "They won't? We've won, haven't we?"

A ray of light breaks through the clouds, shining from behind the soldier. The photographer snaps a photo and views it on the camera's screen.

It's heavenly. The reporters thank the soldier, and rush back to send the soldier's statement along with the amazing picture they've captured back to their newspaper.

They send the wrong photo, a view from the back of the crowd of the Brigadier General answering a question. The editor of the newspaper misattributes the quote to the Brigadier General, and has it printed on the front page alongside the photo.

Almost every single human on Earth will see the picture of an American officer giving what appears to be a fiery, inspiring speech, soldiers surrounding him and the ruins of Hamburg in the background. Almost every single human on Earth will know for sure that it was Brigadier General Jameson the Fourth who said the famous words, "We've won, haven't we?"

Including a young Russian boy in Vladivostok, far away from the nuclear explosions and chaos and war. He would remember that face as he marched to war in Europe, and as he rose rapidly through the ranks of the wartime Russian military to become Lieutenant Colonel Rujy.

---

Outpost Asp. August 7th, 2045. 6:54 AM

"But how?" muttered the young man who had spoken.

Jameson finally recognised the uniforms of the group of humans. The young man wore the tan uniform of a Russian soldier, and the insignia of his cap indicated seniority. The other three Russians were dressed in the arctic camo, which was highly out of place against the stone-and-wood structure of the building they were in.

Russians. Working with the Changelings.

"Ofcourse you'd be here," he snarled. He'd been a fool to trust the changelings after the warning that the Delta Force Captain had given them. "Operator?"

Nightmares. Shapeshifters. Love-stealing monsters. They think they can trap us here, but we won't go down without a fight.

"You take their officer, sir. I can handle the rest." The Delta Force operator pulled a knife out of his suit.

"Wait, wait there's no need to fight!" shouted Glint.

One of the lab coat changelings glared at her. "I'm not done yet! Get this rabble out of here!"

The Russian in the officers' uniform held up his hands. "Listen, let's all calm down and-"

Jameson leapt forward, swinging his crutch at the officer's head. The officer leaned back to dodge, but it hit him directly in the nose. He fell to the floor, clutching his face in his hands. Jameson leaned against a table to regain his balance.

The Delta Force operator was keeping the three other Russians at bay, who stood a wary distance away. Jameson hobbled over to the grounded Russian and aimed his crutch at his skull.

"Spir, stop them! Stasis spell!"

A wave of light burst through the room, and Jameson felt himself unable to move, no matter how much he struggled. It was as though he was encased in hard stone. He couldn't even breathe. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that everyone else in the room had frozen too.

One of the labcoat changelings rushed over and knocked the crutch out of his hand.

Jameson was able to move again. He crashed to the floor next to the Russian officer, gasping and wheezing for breath.

"Foal!" growled the other, older labcoat changeling. "You just put a stasis spell on everyone in a who-knows-how-large radius. This is a disaster! Echicren, take these other humans back, now! I'll get the Russians where they need to be. Spir, alert the outpost. Evacuate before Celestia comes crashing down on us, and may the Queen have mercy on you."

In a flash of green light, the changeling and the dazed Russians disappeared from the room. The other researcher, 'Spir', cantered out of the room, shouting "Alert! Alert!"

Private Glint had her face in her hooves. "This is such a disaster. Echicren, get them back, tell the pegasi I was called away for some important work. Americans, please forget any of this ever happened. I'll be seeing you tomorrow." She exited the room hastily.

"Well... I guess I'd better get you guys back. Sorry about the mess." Echicren's horn flashed green.

Manehattan City Park. August 7th, 2045. 6:58 AM

They were back in the woods again. Echicren's body flashed with green fire, which burnt away to reveal Rainbow Dash. "I'll fly ahead and explain the delay. Take your time."

'Rainbow Dash' beat her powerful wings, taking to the air and zooming off above the treeline.

The two Americans were left in silence.

"Lieutenant Colonel, what just happened?"

Jameson muttered, "I'm not entirely sure, but it seems we're not quite as free as you hoped. Let's get back. Double time."

The operator jogged patiently alongside Jameson as he moved as fast he could down the path. Within a minute, they were back in the wide open area where the helicopter was parked. The engine was already on, with the rotors blasting heavy wind at the nearby pegasi. Evidently 'Dash' had already informed the pilots to get ready.

He rushed to the helicopter and boarded quickly along with the other two operators, strapping himself into the seat and signaling the pilots to take-off. The pegasi quickly reformed their escort as the helicopter rose high above the city and made the short journey back to the USS Discord.

Jameson was too lost in thought to appreciate any of the sights.

Europeans, Russians, Changelings, and the Royal Guard. Jameson had no idea what each of these factions wanted, but they each posed a threat to his ship and his soldiers.

He was overwhelmed by an ominous feeling of foreboding.

The helicopter arrived at the ship and touched down without incident. Jameson had asked the pilots to radio some instructions ahead, and, sure enough, Lieutenant Commander Lee was waiting on the flight deck.

Lee didn't look particularly pleased.

"What have you learnt, Lieutenant Commander?" he asked as they walked briskly together towards the bridge. The deck was slightly more active than when he had left, with soldiers loading and sorting through supplies they had received from the Royal Guard.

Captain Emma Stone had a group of pilots and technicians surrounding her at a table covered with spreadsheets and papers. He guessed she had already started on organising their planned aerial transport venture.

"What have I learnt? I've learnt of a European military force stationed in Canterlot and of a potential conspiracy to replace you, that's what I've learnt."

"Fantastic. Let's talk about it in the cafeteria, I could use a meal."

Author's Note:

Aaaaaaa I put all of the times in PM instead of AM by accident and just realised it a month later