After seven years, Shield Dasher is back on Equestrian Soil. Seven years since he left without saying goodbye to his adoptive parents, and his sister. Rainbow Dash.
After seven years, Shield Dasher is back on Equestrian Soil. Seven years since he left without saying goodbye to his adoptive parents, and his sister. Rainbow Dash. Now he returns, wounded and scarred from battles won long ago, to make up for the time he lost and the time he has left.
But all is not as peaceful as it seems, will our hero be forced back into the breach.
Most likely...
(Well, I've never had a story featured before. This is a nice feeling. Thanks guys, you're the best.)
The small town of Ponyville bustled as usual, ponies went about their daily lives as they did everyday. They managed their stalls and purchased their goods, fillies and colts played in the school yard. They screamed and shouted at each other, enjoying the games that only they knew. In the fields, farmers moved about harvesting their various crops and preparing them for storage over the winter. It was to this backdrop that he arrived, looking tired and hungry he trotted towards the town. His light brown fur was covered in dust, as was his greying mane. His back was strong, an olive green duffle bag sat upon it. His left, lonely green eye scanned the road ahead, while the socket that had held the other was covered by a leather patch.
As he walked, he looked at the playing foals. They were happy, and innocent. In the end that was all that mattered, they hadn’t seen what the stallion had seen, or known what the stallion had known. He smiled faintly before continuing to walk, hoping to find his sister in this cheery town. It had been seven years since he had last seen her face, for all he knew she could have moved on. If that was the case, he would find a place to rest for the night and continue on to Canterlot. Hopefully they would be more accepting of him here than in Applewood, his blood boiled as he thought of the city.
“Bucking maggots.” He growled, the thoughts were shaken from his head as he tripped on a root and stumbled a bit. From that point on he paid attention to the road, occasionally looking at the scenery or hearing the birds chirp. His hooves made contact with the cobble stones that made up the towns streets, he was getting closer. The ponies of the town glanced at him every now and then, it wasn’t everyday they had a visitor looking like him visit the town. He paid them no mind, until he realised he needed directions. His eye wandered around until they fell on a stall selling apples, he slowly made his way over. Selling the apples was an orange mare and a stallion that was slightly bigger than he was, they looked like decent ponies.
The orange mare looked up and saw him, she didn’t even bat an eyelash at his missing eye.
“Howdy! Interested in buying an apple family apple?” She asked, the stallion looked at the apples and nodded.
“Yes, ma’am. I think I would. I’ll take a red and delicious if that would be alright?” He asked, the mare nodded.
“Okay, that’ll be two bits.” He lowered his bag off of his back, when he turned the mare got a good look at his cutie mark. It was a battered looking shield with two spears crossed behind it. “Quite an intrestin’ mark you have there mister…”
“Shield.” He replied, he shoved something in his bag trying to get at his wallet and a grey steel helmet fell from it. “Sorry.” He picked it up and put it back in the bag before finally finding his wallet. The orange mare must have seen the large dent on the right where his eye used to be, he pretended she hadn't and pushed the two bits towards her. She looked at him for a moment before taking the bits and handing him his apple. “Thank you, could you perhaps give me some directions?”
“Uh, sure, ah guess.” She replied, shaking off her initial shock at seeing the size of the dent.
“Thank you, ma’am. I’m trying to find a pony named Rainbow Dash.” Shield said, the mare raised an eyebrow.
“What do y’all need to see ‘er about?”
“I’m an old friend, I heard she lived here but… that was a few years ago.” The mare scowled, in actuality he was her brother. He doubted she had told anyone about him, probably because he wasn’t her real brother, just adopted. She probably thought he was dead, it had been years since he had written to her.
“I know where she is, but I can tell y’all is fibbin’.” The big red stallion looked at Shield now, glaring. Shield didn’t wilt though, he had seen worse from the hipsters in Applewood. “What’s yer business with her?”
“My business with her is my own, if you don’t want to show me fine. I’ll find her myself.” Shield took the apple and put his bag back over his back. The orange mare watched him, she could hear him grumbling something. “Bucking maggots.” He trotted away, ponies got out of his path as he did. Not wishing to anger whoever he was further. Shield took deep breaths, calming his nerves. He had hoped this town would have been more helpful, but wasn’t surprised that he had been proven wrong. Not many ponies were accepting of others, despite what Sunny kept saying. At least he knew Rainbow Dash was here in Ponyville, and barring any radical personality changes, it would be easy to spot her home.
Shield continued onwards until he came upon the town library, it had been retrofitted into some strange castle/public library hybrid. He knew this to be the home of Princess Sparkle, when she was coronated he had been overseas. He’d never seen an actual picture of her, all he heard was that she was an Element of Harmony. Whatever those were, they were supposed to be the best of the best. He didn’t really pay attention to news like that, he didn’t even know the names of the other element bearers, that type of news was what his old commissioned officers would care about. Stallions like him only cared about news that pertained to supplies and casualties, not many ponies knew it but the perfect world they lived in was often only inches away from destruction.
Shield shook himself from his thoughts, the less time he spent thinking about what was and wasn’t right the more time he had to look for Rainbow Dash’s house. Would she even recognise him? Seven years is a long time to be away from one another, would she even care? He hadn’t said goodbye the night he left, he hadn’t hugged her or kissed her or told her he would miss her. Would she hate him for that? He had been called to duty, he had no choice, but still he could have done something. If only he had been a better brother. Shield looked around the town, none of the ponies wanted anything to do with him. He sighed and turned down a random street, trying to find the home of his sister.
As Shield trotted along he came upon a bridge that went over a river, he stopped on the bridge and looked into the water below. The fish within were trout and other normal fish, how odd it seemed to him. In his travels he had seen coy fish the size of foals, and yet he knew the names of these common fish better than any other. His eye watched the fish for a few moments before a new reflextion joined his in the water. He looked at it’s owner and sighed, not the pony he was looking for.
“Oh hello…” The white unicorn mare said, he nodded and looked back at the fish. A feeling of nostalgia washed over him, it seemed so similar to how it had been when he was younger. Before the time when he had been taken in, or needed taking in. When his true mother and father would take him out on a picnic, and his dad would teach him the names of different fish. “I’m sorry if I intrude, but may I ask you a question?”
“You just did, ma’am. But go ahead.” He said, not taking his eye off of the fish.
“Why do you where that patch over your eye?” Shield looked at her then and sighed, he brought his hoof up and flipped the patch up. The place his eye had been was now sewed up, it still was still a grizly sight. “O-Oh, I see. Sorry. I thought it was a fashion statement of some sort.”
“Not your fault, ma’am.” Shield replied, looking back at the water. A serenity seemed to fill him as he did. “Glad it happened.”
“Why?”
“You don’t want the details, and I don’t feel like opening that can of worms again.” Shield stated, the mare nodded. “I’m Shield Dasher, by the way. Most ponies call me Shield.”
“Rarity.” Replied the mare, Shield nodded to the name.
“Well, that’s for sure. Not many other ponies talk to me so openly.” said shield, taking in the moving tails of the fish. “Not since Sunny called us back.” He looked up at the castle on the side of the mountain.
“Sunny?”
“No one important, to me anyway.” Shield said the last part coldly, Rarity could see something in his face was different from any other pony she had seen. “Well, been nice chatting with you Rarity. I gotta go, there’s someone I need to talk to. An old friend.”
“Of course.” Rarity didn’t feel compelled to pry into his life as she normally did, another odd thing about him she noticed. He walked the rest of the way over the bridge and towards the center of town, his bag clinking and clanking on his back every so often. If he was going to find the prismatic pegasus, he would start from the center and make his way to the outer circles of town.
The first few minutes were fruitless, but he knew he’d find her eventually. He had to. Every step he took was another step towards his goal, he would go to the ends of the earth if he had to. He swore he could hear her voice, so much older and more intelligent.
“So when you want to go higher you tilt your wings like this…” He looked up, he could see her. He hadn’t been paying attention and he had found her, with her was a small orange filly he had seen running about on the playground hours before. Was she her filly? No, Dash would never get herself into trouble like that. “When you want to go lower, you tilt them like this…” She was teaching the filly how to fly. Dash, a flight instructor? Faust help the poor foal who was assigned to her. Shield watched her and the orange filly for a few more minutes, not realising the time going by.
“Who’s that?” The filly pointed at Shield, Rainbow Dash turned to see where she was pointing. Her eyes widened as they landed on him.
“Scoots, call it a day? I just remembered I need to talk to someone very important.”
“Okay!” The Orange filly took off, leaving Rainbow Dash to stare at Shield. She trotted forwards and poked him with her hoof.
“Shield?” She asked, poking him again. “Is it really...really you?” A smile crossed Shield’s lip, the same smile he had had when he would play with her and she would do something absolutely adorable.
“Hey Dashie.” Was all he could say in reply, no other words came to mind. Rainbow Dash, for all her boasting and self promoting, the mare who controlled her emotions so well, grabbed Shield in a massive hug. Shield dropped his bag and returned the gesture, feeling wetness run down his neck. He could tell she was crying, and he was close to following her. He had thought she would be angry, bitter, that she would hate him.
“You’re alive…” She repeated the phrase over and over again, as if stopping would cause him to up and die.
“Shh shh shh, it’s okay Dashie. I’m home now.” It didn’t matter that it was in public, or that photos were being snapped, all that mattered was making up for all the lost time. All the missed birthdays and hearths warming eves. “I’m home, and I’m not going away again.” Shield felt himself begin to break, seven years, seven long, lonely years. Shield began to cry, realising the gravity of his own words. “I’m home, for good.”
Shield sipped a cup of coffee as he lounged in Dashie’s kitchen, the pegasus had not fallen asleep in the two days he had been here. The beds were too soft, they brought out the worst of his nightmares. He hadn’t told Rainbow about it though, it wasn’t her cross to bear. Since he had been back he had learned so much about her, she was an element of harmony, had been accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy and was teaching a young filly to fly. It made him proud to know that she had grown so well without him, and then he remembered that he had missed all of those moments.
He sighed and took another sip from his cup, looking at the rising sun in the distance. Shield heard Dash come into the room despite her efforts to remain stealthy, he let out a soft chuckle.
“You can’t pull that with me Dash.” He heard an exasperated sigh and Rainbow Dash walked over to the chair across from him, upon seeing his bloodshot eyes she took on a look of concern.
“Shield, did you sleep last night?” Shield shook his head and took another sip. “Shield you know what can happen if you don’t get enough sleep, I don’t normally play egghead but when it comes to your health… I won’t lose you again, Shield.”
“I’m fine Dash.” Dash pointed at his wings, they had seen better days.
“If you don’t get some sleep that’s gonna be permanent. Please, Shield just do it.” Shield looked at her for a moment. “For me?” He sighed and nodded, Dash smiled and watched him climb the steps to the guest room. When she heard the door close she began to clean up the kitchen, to her surprise Shield had not only cleaned his used cups but everything from the icebox to the kitchen sink. It was eerie, considering Shield had been the closest thing to a pig that a pony could be. When they had cleaned his room after he left they had to hire an entire crew, now the was kitchen sparkling when he was finished with it.
Rainbow Dash was perplexed, but shrugged it off. He hadn’t slept in several days, it made sense he would clean the dishes to have something to do. Right? The kitchen was the least of her concern’s however, Shield seemed distant. As if part of him was just off in another place, it unnerved the prismatic pegasus. He hadn’t really made any jokes as he had done when she was a filly, he hadn’t smiled much either and his remaining eye seemed to have a depth to it that went beyond anything she had seen before. His face was sunken, and his ears seemed to twitch about as if something was following him.
“What’s wrong with you, Shield?” She asked herself, the clock on the wall chimed and reminded her that she had to go to work. Dash trotted up the steps to the upper floor and then to her room, she could hear Shield snoring as she passed his room. “At least some things don’t change.” She chuckled.
After combing her mane and going about her other morning rituals Dash left the house. She was absolutely quiet so she wouldn't wake Shield. She was going to have to talk to her friends later, and tell them the whole story. They only knew Shield as one of her friends from flight school, Applejack had already taken a disliking to him. Hopefully clearing the air would change that.
[♠]
”Lieutenant! We got thirty Griffons on our six!” The words echoed through Shields head as he tossed and turned.
”The Saddle Arabians are blasting us out of the sky! We need to pull out now!” Shield knew that voice, but he couldn’t put a face to it.
”SIR! WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS!” That was his voice, the images were starting to come back. ”If you can’t make the choice I will!”
”I-I”
”Bucking Canterlot boys! Come on! We’re pulling out of here!” Shield could see it forming in his mind, it was getting clearer and clearer.
Shield dodged a massive blast of magic fired from the Saddle Arabian Capital below, he and his flight had been lead off course by their incompetent excuse for a flight lead. Now the Griffons and the Saddle Arabians were making it near impossible to escape. The flight of three pegasi had left the flight leader behind, they would get killed if they kept following his orders.
“What’s the plan sarge!” Shouted the pegasi to his left, Corporal Light Wing. Shield looked around for a moment, the spells being fired at them were exploding at a set height. The gears in his head turned and a light bulb went up in his head.
“Fly on the deck! Avoid the casters and try to get the griffons to crash into the buildings.” Shield ordered, his flight looked at him with shocked expressions. “You want to die here!” Another spell exploded close to them, the others shook their heads. “Good! Follow my flank and stay tight! Lets thread the needle!” Shield and the others angled their wings down, avoiding spells coming up from the large city below them. Shield lead his crew through a narrow street, flying inches over the shocked heads of Saddle Arabian Civilians.
The Griffons on their six dropped down as well, seven were slammed by the spells still flying from the ground. They tried to imitate the flight of Shield and his crew but failed miserably, smashing into Saddle Arabians on the ground or getting caught on balconies. Shield smiled as he saw that now only four remained, before quickly turning his head back forwards. He barely had time to dodge a cart that was being pulled by a lanky Saddle Arabian. Sparks flew from his armor as it grinded over the top of the cart, Shield sighed as he saw the end of the street ahead. There was a group of enemy pegasi, they had cleared the street and hovered directly in front of the flight.
“Plan!?” This time the shout was from Private Leading Edge.
“Drop low on my command!” Shield shouted back. “We’re gonna kiss the ground!” The Griffons were starting to catch up, Shield had to time this perfectly. Crossbow bolts flew towards them, but miraculously they missed. When Shield saw the shocked eyes of the Saddle Arabians he said a quick prayer. “NOW!” The group dropped again, to the point where they were they were only inches from the ground. The remaining Griffons crashed into the shocked Saddle Arabians, sending them flying.
“Pull up!” Shield ordered, Light Wing and Shield began to climb. Leading Edge began to ascend as well, but Shield saw what was coming. “PULL UP!” Leading edge was too slow, a spray of blood signified the young private’s impact with a building. “FAUST DAMN IT!”
“He would have died instantly, sir.” Light Wing said as they climbed out of the range of the Saddle Arabians. Shield nodded slowly and sighed.
“From now on, no one gets left behind.” He said firmly, Light Wing snorted in affirmation.
[♠]
Shield woke up to the sound of the front door closing, he looked at the clock and saw the that he had been asleep for five hours. He grunted a bit and got out of the bed, he put on his eyepatch and stumbled a bit. Shield walked to the door to his room and opened it.
“Dashie? That you?” He called down, there was a brief moment of silence.
“Yeah, it’s me.” Dash’s voice called, slightly surprised. Shield exited the room and walked downstairs, Dash was in the kitchen with several bags of groceries. She smiled at Shield as he came in. “You sleep alright?” Shield nodded before grabbing a bag and putting it’s contents away.
“Yeah, I slept fine.” He lied, shaking the image of the blood spray from his mind. “What about you, how was work?”
“It was okay, had some rouge clouds from the Everfree fly in but nothing too bad.” Dash finished with her groceries and looked at the clock. “Hey I was going to meet my friends later, want to come?” Shield looked thoughtful for a moment and shook his head.
“Nah, they’re your friends.” Shield noticed Dash’s face droop a bit and sighed. “On second thought, I guess it could do me some good to get out of here for a bit.” He gestured to the house, Dash hugged him tightly.
“Thanks.” She said before releasing him, Shield tossled her mane and nodded. “We were going to meet up at the library, you know where that is right?”
“It’s kinda hard to miss.” Shield replied, walking to the coat closet for a moment. He opened it and looked in, his bag was on the floor and open. “Wonder what the security looks like over there.” He pulled out a necklace with two metal tags hanging from it, as well as an eight pointed hat Dash had learned was called a ‘Cover’. It was similar to the hat she had worn when they had watched the dragon migration, but had an emblem stitched into the front. It was a faded eight pointed sun with an anchor behind it, wings sprouted from the anchor in an odd fashion.
“Why do you care about security? Twilight already knows I’m coming.” Shield shrugged and adjusted his cover. After that he put the strange necklace around his neck.
“Because, they may know you’re coming…” Shield paused and coughed a bit. “But they don’t know I’m coming. From the looks of it those guards are just out of basic.” He and Dash started walking towards the door, the strange necklace clinked as he moved. “They’re bound to get antsy when I show up.” Shield opened the door and let his sister exit first, then closed the door and locked it with the key she had given him. He stretched his wings and smiled a bit, an idea had formed in his head. Dash seemed upset, maybe he could remedy that? “Hey Dashie?”
“Yeah?” Dash turned and saw the grin, Shield gave his wings a massive flap and took off into the air.
“Race ya!” He rocketed past Rainbow Dash and towards the small town, Dash smiled and took off after him. She actually found herself having a hard time catching up, which didn’t surprise her. Shield had always been faster, though he often eased back a bit to let her win. Shield dropped low to the ground, lower than Dash had ever flown. He weaved through trees and bushes with ease, even with only one eye.
Dash caught up to him and flew at a safer altitude above him, as they got closer to the town Shield tilted his wings up and soared over Rainbow Dash.
“Its been a while since we did this!” Dash said excitedly, Shield smiled and laughed.
“Remember when you were learning to fly? This was the only way I could get you out of the house!” Shield came up alongside Rainbow Dash smiling, the town was getting even closer now. “Glad to see you grew out of that fear of heights!”
“I wasn’t scared of how high we were, I was scared of hitting the ground.” Dash retorted, Shield laughed again. This was the Shield she remembered, telling stories and laughing.
“Alright, slow up. We’re going into a residential zone.” Shield said over the wind, Dash nodded and flared her wings to slow down. Shield was still ahead of her even at the reduced speed. “Alright, here it comes! The final push!” They flew down mainstreet, getting the attention of the guards at the Library/Palace. Dash flared her wings to slow down for a landing, but Shield continued on like a bolt of lightning. Right as he was about to hit the boundary that indicated the no fly zone he started flapping backwards, his muzzle was now inches from the boundary.
He dropped to the ground and rolled his neck, Dash landed next to him and looked at him with an awed face. The guards stared at him as well, though more out of curiosity than awe.
Getting through security had been easier than Shield had expected, at least these recruits were better trained than most. He had still be scrutinized more than he liked, but at least they were thorough. For Canterlot boys anyway. They still used spears, which struck him as odd. Contrary to popular belief the actual Equestrian Military had upgraded to crossbows and cannons nearly a decade ago. They still trained with swords and spears, but using them on the battlefield was viewed as a last resort. A resort that Shield had used many times during his tour of duty.
The armor the guards wore, as well as their stature, just seemed so old to him. It was most likely something to do with the nobles in Canterlot. They would care more about the guards’ style than they would his actual combat effectiveness.
“Shield.” Rainbow Dash shook him from his thoughts. “We’re here.” The pair stood in front of a closed door, it was elegantly decorated with gold insets and white paint. Shield eyed the door for a moment and suppressed a growl. Sunny had most likely paid or this with bits that could go to his fellow marines overseas. With the money it had taken to make the door they probably could afford enough fire powder to stock an entire artillery division. He shook off that anger though, he was here for his sister and he wouldn’t ruin it with one of his angry rants.
“Okay, so who am I meeting?” He asked, Dash smiled and looked at him.
“Well there’s Pinkie Pie, she’s random. Don’t try and figure her out or you’ll go insane.” She explained. “You’ll know her when you see her. Then there’s Fluttershy, she’s well…”
“Shy?” Shield finished.
“Yeah, again you should be able to recognise her pretty quick. Next is Applejack, she runs the orchard outside of town.” Shield looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Orange earth pony, blonde mane?” He asked, Dash blinked and nodded. “Met her on my way into town.” He stated. “Didn’t exactly go well.”
“Well, she didn’t say anything so I’m sure she’s cool with you.” Stated Dash. “Okay that leaves two, Twilight or…” She did air quotes with her hooves. “Princess Sparkle. She doesn’t like that though, so Twilight’s fine.” Shield nodded, making a mental note. “The last one is Rarity.” Shield perked up at that. “I take it you met her too?”
“Yeah, had a bit of a chat with her. Seemed alright to me.” He replied, shifting his weight a bit. “Okay, anyone else?”
“Well, there’s spike. He’s like Twilight’s little brother, though technically she hatched him so does that mean he’s her son too?” Dash trailed off.
“Wait? She hatched him?” Dash nodded. “Okay, whatever. I’m not gonna question alicorn biology.”
“No she… Nevermind, she can tell you herself. Lets just get in there.” Dash knocked on the door several times, Shield straightened up out of instinct. Despite his retirement, he still walked and talked like a soldier when it came to meeting new ponies. The door was encompassed in a lavender glow before it was pulled open. The smell of fresh cooked pastries wafted out and made Shield cringe. Instinctively he reached to where his right saddlebag would be to grab his gasmask, only to sigh in frustration as he found that it was not there.
Dash and Shield entered the room, the door closed behind them. Shield smiled a bit as he took in the decor, it was simple and utilitarian. Something he liked. A spiral staircase rose up to where the Princess’ bed was, on the floor was a table with papers organized neatly and books arranged alphabetically. The only real decorations were the bust of General Hurricane and the carpet on the floor. It was currently occupied by five mares and one lizard thing. They were playing a board game, which seemed like an odd activity for a princess. Shield actually found it rather endearing, she took time out of what had to be a busy schedule to play a game with her friends.
The Princess looked up from the board and spotted the two, a confused look came over her for a moment before she shrugged.
“Hey Rainbow Dash!” She called out happily, the other mares looked up as well. Rarity was the first to spot Shield. He easily identified them, his military mind adding their names and faces to its memory.
“Hi Twilight.” Rainbow Dash replied, walking towards the group with Shield behind her. “I hope you don’t mind, he’s an old friend of mine.”
“Not at all! Make yourself at home…” Twilight replied, trailing off.
“Shield.” Shield finished the sentence for her before nodding to Rarity. “Miss Rarity, good to see you again.”
“The pleasure is mine, Sir Shield.” Rarity replied, she then looked at Rainbow Dash. “I didn’t think you two knew each other…” Rarity trailed off as Dash sat down with her friends. Shield looked around the room, searching for something in particular.
“Looking for something?” Twilight asked, he paused for a moment and shook his head.
“Nah, just a bit thirsty is all, ma’am. I’ll be fine.” He replied, still looking about. The princess nodded and went back to her game with her friends. His eye fell on a picture on the desk. The princess as a unicorn was standing next to a smiling Captain Shining Armor. The very sight of the stallion made Shield’s blood run hot. The princess knew the stallion that had extended his tour three times, the stallion that had kept him from his sister, the one responsible for so many of his friends deaths. He tore his eye off of the picture and instead looked at his sister, the smile on her face as she talked to her friends calmed the fire that had started.
Shield smiled genuinely and banished the thoughts of Shining Armor to the deepest part of his mind. He cantered over to his sister and sat down next to her, just listening to the way she addressed her friends. More importantly it was how she listened to her friends, she didn’t interrupt as much as when she was younger, and when she did it was for a legitimate reason. As the evening turned to night, Shield began to zone out.
”We need air support!” A voice echoed through his mind, Shield pushed it down into his mind aswell.
”Faust damn it! Cover the left flank!” The images started to come, the became clearer and clearer and were about to become real.
“Shield?” He was snapped back into reality by Rainbow Dash. “You okay? You kinda zoned out there for a bit.”
“Yeah… Yeah I’m fine.” Shield replied, slightly dazed. “Sorry, just thinking. What’d I miss?”
“I asked if you had any plans now that you’re back in town.” Rarity answered, Shield thought for a moment before the answer came to his mind.
“I had two idea’s really…” He explained, looking around the group. “I had a friend in the corps who got me a Surplus Dealer’s License before I retired. I was thinking of starting a surplus store, maybe. Just a thought.”
“What’s a surplus store?” Asked Applejack, the others looked at Twilight for an answer but she shrugged and gestured to Shield.
“Well, the Equestrian Military makes more supplies than it should sometimes. That supplies is called surplus. Surplus can be anything as big as airships to as small as tooth brushes.” Shield started. “For example, about a decade ago, they phased out the ballista and brought in the fire-bolt. Rather than destroy the ballistas, they sold them to collectors in auctions and such.”
“Oh, I get it!” Twilight exclaimed. “You buy the surplus from the government at auction then mark it up and sell it at retail!” Shield nodded and smiled. “But, who would by a ballista in Ponyville?”
“Well that was just an example. There’s all sorts of books, winter gear, farm equipment, hell I could probably get my hooves on some old fore-blades.” Shield answered, then sighed. “But before I can do that I need money, that’s where the other plan comes in.” The ponies in the room raised their eyebrows, Rainbow Dash especially. He hadn’t really said he wanted to do in detail, and that was something Dash desperately wanted to know.
“What’s that?” Applejack inquired.
“Well, not all of my time over there was spent in the trenches. During down time I started taking a class.” Shield said. “I ended up getting certified in Advanced Historical Instruction.”
“W-What’s that… If you, uh, don’t mind me asking…” Fluttershy asked, the girls looked at her and smiled. The timid pegasus rarely talked to strangers, it made them smile to see her come out of her shell.
“Teacher.” Shield said flatly. Rainbow Dash perked up at this.
“Shield, no offense, but you aren’t exactly good with foals.”
“I taught you to fly alright, didn’t I?” Shield shot back with a chuckle, the girls stay silent but started to question just how well Rainbow Dash and Shield knew each other. Dash sighed and nodded.
“Wait. You taught Rainbow Dash how to fly!?” Pinkie asked in a loud voice. Shield and Dash looked at each other, an unheard conversation seemed to pass between them before they looked back at the group.
“Yes.” They said simultaneously.
“That’s kinda why I brought Shield with me…” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “He’s… Well he’s my older brother. My parents adopted him before they had me.” The girls stared at the two in shock.
“W-What?” Twilight stammered, staring at Shield. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because…” Rainbow Dash began, but her words failed her. “Because…”
“Because she thought I was dead.” Shield finished her statement, he wasn’t sure if it was accurate but he didn’t care. The mares turned the attention away from his sister and onto him, he didn’t mind though. “She thought I died.”
“Why?” Fluttershy asked. “Why would she think you… d-d-died.”
“Sunny doesn’t like the public to know what goes on outside the borders, so she doesn’t let us send mail home.” Shield said with contempt. “Add that to extended tours and you can see where that can happen.”
“Extended tours? But my brother told me everypony comes home after a year.” Twilight asked.
“Well they don’t. At least not in my division.” Shield said bitterly. “Getting back to what we were here to talk about. That’s why she thought I was dead.” He looked at his sister for a moment before wrapping his wing around her. “But, I’m not dead, and I intend to spend as much time with my sister as possible.” The way Shield spoke seemed to quell anymore questions for the time being.
“So…” Pinkie said, breaking the silence. “A teacher?”
Shield and Light Wing charged towards the Saddle Arabian line, firing their crossbows like mad. They were joined by dozens of other marines, laying waste to the enemy. The order had come in hours ago, Princess Celestia had made a deal with two Saddle Arabian royals, their father’s throne for the gold and gem deposits within their borders. Shield and the other’s had contemplated refusing the orders and defecting, but that would create more problems than it would solve. Their loyalty to their ‘Beloved’ ruler had long since crumbled away, and many of them would kill her if they received the chance.
Shield, despite his distaste for the mission, shot to kill. He knew what would happen to him if he died, Shining Asshole and his merry band of bucktards would leave him to rot. Shield let out an angry roar as the two side’s met, he dropped his crossbow and drew his knife. A Saddle Arabian tried to tackle him but fell short and landed on the ground in front of Shield, seconds later Shield drove his blade into the enemy’s gut and continued to charge forwards. He slashed the throat of another enemy soldier, then delivered a punch to his throat.
Shield could feel his anger begin to rise, he turned into a predator on the battlefield, killing every living enemy he could find. He snapped his wings open and took to the sky, then dodged an anti air spell cast by a unicorn mercenary standing on top of a house. Shield descended on the merc like a hawk, grabbing his head before slamming it as hard as he could into the roof of the building. Another unicorn merc teleported onto the roof and fired at Shield, the marine used the corpse of the dead unicorn as a shield before bolting towards the living one and driving his blade into the unicorns chest.
The unicorn stared at him for a moment, shocked by the stallion that stood before him. He had wild green eyes and was drenched in blood, the last thing the unicorn thought was ‘I should have never messed with a marine.’. Shield pulled the blade from the unicorns chest and let his body slump to the ground. The terror that had been present in his eyes was enough to snap Shield out of his trance, he looked around him. Light Wing had disappeared, probably on his way to the capitol building, Shield stared at the two corpses. For the first time in a long time, he felt sick. The Saddle Arabians had hired mercenaries from his homeland to fight with them, what was more, these mercenaries couldn’t have been older than Dash would be.
Shield sat there for what felt like an eternity, then felt something touch his shoulder. The marine turned his head and found himself staring at an indigo hoof, then everything faded out.
Shield woke up on Rainbow Dash’s couch, the early morning sun shined on his face. He rubbed his eye as the dream began to fade from his memory, then got up and walked to the kitchen. Today was a big day, his first day at a new job. Miss Cheerilee was gracious enough to offer him a position, he would teach the older foals while she taught the younger ones. Shield made himself a cup of coffee, then grabbed his lunch from the ice box.
When he had done that he ascended the steps to Rainbow Dash’s room and peeked in, she was still asleep. Shield silently made his way over to her bed and pulled the covers up, she snuggled into them and let out a soft sigh.
“Love you, Dashie.” Shield said with a smile before leaving the room, he closed the door as quietly as possible and went downstairs. He thought about the past week, since they had told Rainbow Dash’s friends Shield had been assaulted with a barrage of questions. Most of which he declined to answer. Twilight had stopped by several times to talk with him. Shield was, at first, livid when he found out that she was related to Shining Armor, but quickly suppressed it. She couldn’t have chosen to be related to such an asshole, and she seemed nice enough by herself.
He had met one of the students he would be teaching, Scootaloo, through Rainbow Dash. When she had learned that he was Dash’s brother she had been skeptical at first, but relatively accepting. That was not the case when she also found out that he would be her new teacher. Shield chuckled at the thought, foals never seemed to change. It brought a smile to his lips, a sense of happiness welled up in him. He had fought and bled for them to maintain their innocence, and that made it worth it in a sense.
Shield put his cover on and hung his tags around his neck, then walked to outside. He opened his wings and took to the sky, his destination was on the other end of town which gave him a few minutes at a leisurely pace. He flew higher than most other pegasi, almost as high marines would normally fly on a bombing run. When he had flown far enough he started to descend until the building was in sight.
Shield landed outside the school and walked towards the door, he could hear Cheerilee getting ready within the building. He pushed the door open and entered smiling. Cheerilee was carrying a very heavy box towards what would be Shields classroom, Shield quickly moved over and grabbed it from her before she could hurt herself.
“Oh! Mister Dasher! I wasn’t expecting you to be here for another hour!” She chirped, happy to not have to carry the box any longer.
“I woke up early and decided to get an early start.” Shield replied, not really seeing how the box was heavy. He walked into his classroom and was surprised at how well furnished it looked. The classrooms he had seen were far more bland and empty. “Anything else that needs to come in here?” Shield asked, setting down the box and poking his head out into the hallway. Cheerilee shook her head and smiled.
“No, but thank you.” She replied, Shield smiled in return and turned back to the box. He reached for his combat knife but sighed as he remembered that it was still in his bag at home. He grabbed a pair of scissors that sat on his desk, he stared at them for a moment. The image of the unicorn from his dream flashed in his mind, Shield clamped his eye shut and forced the horror filled face away. He cut the box open and peaked in, there were a dozen or so note books and a large globe. He pulled the globe out and placed it on his desk, he turned it a few times before going back to the box.
Shield set the notebooks out on the student’s desks before moving to his own and eyed the globe again. His eye landed on a small country, Greneighda, how many of his brothers had been killed there? He couldn’t count. He sighed and walked to his seat, then relaxed and waited for the school to start. He started to nod off, his mind drifting off to a darker place.
Shield stood at the end of a row of graves, he was covered in mud and dirt. Around his neck was his own dog tag necklace, along with another that contained nearly thirty others. Each of the others had a small stain of blood on them, their owners lay buried in the dirt a few feet away. Shield looked down at the last tag on the necklace and shook his head, the poor bastard hadn’t even been out of basic a month. Shield turned away from the row of graves and put his helmet on, silently leaving his brothers.
“Mister Dasher?” Shield snapped awake, Cheerilee was standing in front of him. “I’m sorry to wake you, but school will be starting in ten minutes.” Shield shook his head and put on a fake smile, the dream still fresh in his mind.
“Thank you, ma’am. Would be pretty embarrassing if all those foals came in here and found me asleep.” He replied, sitting up straight. “What should I be expecting out of them.”
“Well, most of them are relatively level headed, but…” Cheerilee trailed off. “Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have a bit of trouble with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”
“What kind of trouble?” Shield asked.
“Well, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara tend to pick on them because they don’t have cutie marks yet.” Cheerilee explained, Shield let out an annoyed grunt.
“What kind of disciplinary actions am I allowed to take with these two…” Shield asked, thoughts of corporal punishment entering his head.
“Nothing too extreme, please. But I wouldn’t mind you putting them in their place.” Cheerilee, leaning in as if not wanting anyone else to hear. Shield nodded, understanding her and clearing his throat.
“You got it.” Shield adjusted his cover until it met the Marine standard. “I’ll take care of it.” Cheerilee smiled in response.
“Great! If you need me, I’ll be right across the hall.” With that Cheerilee left and Shield stood up, the minutes passed and he could hear the students begin to line up outside the closed classroom door. When the bell rang the students opened the door and flooded in, they quickly rushed to their seats, chatting away. Slowly they began to notice that Miss Cheerilee had not greeted them and one by one began to quiet down.
“Good morning.” He said in a calm voice. “My name is Shield Dasher, and I will be your new teacher.” Nervous faces went through the entire classroom. “Miss Cheerilee has passed you on to me so she can begin teaching the younger foals. I’m sure that if you want to talk to her, she will be more than happy to oblige you. After class of course. If you have any questions now’s the time to ask them.”
“Are you a pirate?” Asked a colt with a trottingham accent.
“No, I’m not a pirate.” Shield replied, the colt raised his hoof. “Yes I’m sure.” He said smiling.
“Why didn’t Miss Cheerilee tell us?” Asked a raspberry colored earth filly.
“This was rather last minute, but rest assured you are in good hooves.” Shield said reassuringly. “Now lets set some ground rules here. I expect you all to show respect to each other, failure to do so will result in a punishment I deem fit. I hear anything about you kids pulling stuff after school, rest assured I’ll look into that as well. Aside from that it’s pretty basic, do your work, get good grades, we won’t have any problems.”
A young, painted colt raised his hoof.
“Are you a pirate?” He asked in a thick trottingham accent. Shield chuckled and shook his head.
“No, I’m not a pirate.” He replied. “Now, let’s begin the lesson for today. Who knows about Hope Valley?” The foals were silent for a moment before a white unicorn raised her hoof into the air.
“Uhm… Wasn’t it the first unified city?” Shield nodded.
“Very good, miss…”
“Sweetie Belle.”
[♠]
“So what have we learned?” Shield asked as he finished the lesson, the sun was lowering in the sky and soon the class would be dismissed. Sweetie Bell raised her hoof, she had been participating the most today. Shield had remembered that she was Rarity’s sister, which only surprised him more. She was extremely knowledgeable for a filly. “Let’s let someone else answer this one…” Shield said, looking over the classroom. A pink filly with a tiara was very poorly hiding the fact that she had not been paying attention. “Diamond Tiara, why did the Hope Valley settlement fail?” She perked up and looked around nervously.
“Uh… Uh… because the ponies there were…” She started. “They were blank flanks?” Shield shook his head and pointed his hoof to where he had clearly written on the board why the settlement had failed.
“Incorrect, they failed because the land they settled in was…”
“Too dry to grow crops.” The class replied, Shield nodded. The bell rang and the students began to rise from their seats.
“Now I want everypony to leave their notebooks on my desk, I’ll get them back to you by tomorrow.” He said, the ponies complied. As they filed out the door, Scootaloo stayed behind.
“Mister Dasher?” She asked, Shield looked at her and smiled.
“Hey, you only have to call me that during class.” He said, Shield put the notebooks in a saddlebag he had found in his desk. “What’s up, kid?”
“Why was Rainbow Dash so upset when she saw you?” She asked, Shield shook his head for a moment.
“She wasn’t upset, Scootaloo. She was happy.” He explained walking to the door with her behind him. “I was far away for a long time, she was happy to see me again.” Scootaloo sighed and hung her head a bit. “But just because I’m back, don’t think she has any less time for you.” He looked at the clock. “Speaking of which, it’s about time you head home. If you see RD along the way, just tell her I’ll be home before dark.”
“Okay.” Scootaloo replied before rushing off to do whatever it was foals did after school. Shield looked into the classroom he had just left, his eyes fell on the globe again. Greneighda, the hell of it all ran through his mind for a moment. He pulled his eyes off the globe and closed the door to the classroom, when he turned to leave he found Miss Cheerilee closing her own room. She turned and smiled at him.
“So? How was your first day?” She asked, Shield shrugged.
“Different from what I expected. Most of the classrooms I visited were bombed out or just a tent.” He replied, Cheerilee didn’t know how to respond to that statement. “The kids were good, no trouble from those foals you told me about. I’d say it was a win.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear it!” Cheerilee chirped, still processing what he had said. “Normally after the day ends, I go to this nice little tavern in town. Care to join me?” Shield raised an eyebrow. “Simply as co workers, nothing else. I swear.” Shield mulled it over for a bit, then nodded.
“Sure, I could use a good drink. Didn’t even know there was a bar in town.” He responded, putting the saddle bag with the notebooks on.
“Excellent, let’s go.” With that, Shield and Cheerilee began to walk into town. Shield thought he noticed something flying over head, but when he looked up he found the sky was clear. He shrugged it off, it was probably nothing.
Shield and Light Wing were walking through the bodies of the Saddle Arabian defenders, nudging them with their hooves to find any survivors.
“The buck is this shit, bro?” Light Wing muttered, rolling a dead mercenary onto his back. “Two Saddle Arabians agree to letting Equestria have all their bucking gold and gems because of some floating animals?”
“Buckin’ screwby.” Shield replied, picking up a crossbow and looking it over. “Saddle Arabian king hires thirty thousand Equestrian mercs to fight Equestrian Marines and expects them to win. These guys barely new combat spells.” Shield gestured to a dead unicorn. “Bucking insane.” He used his knife to break several components in the crossbow before dropping it.
“I heard Captain Equestria call this a ‘Peacekeeping’ operation.” Light Wing spat, glaring at the capitol building where Shining Armor was addressing the ponies of the city. “Nothing peaceful about it. I mean, in Zebrica we were facing off against a tyrannical, genocidal, dickless dictator, here it’s a good king who treats his subjects well.”
“At least it’s not Stalliongrad, my balls still haven’t thawed out from that shit.” Shield nudged another dead body with his hoof, the Saddle Arabian groaned. “Shit.”
“P-Please E-Equestrian…” The Saddle Arabian rasped out.
“It’s a colt, only a bucking colt.” Lightwing said in disbelief, looking at the Saddle Arabian. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen.
“I-I want my m-m-om.” He spoke very poor Equish, Shield noticed he was missing a leg.
“Where is she, kid?” Shield asked, kneeling down and looking the colt over. He shifted slightly.
“D-Dead...” The colt tried to detonate a pair of crystal shards, Light Wing fired a crossbow bolt into his head.
“FAUST ALIVE! WHAT THE BUCK!” Shield shouted, leaping back. “They’re using bucking kids?!” He looked at Light Wing, the stallion was staring at the dead body. “Light? Light, lower your weapon.” Light didn’t budge. “Light Wing.” Shield pulled the crossbow from his hooves. “Look at me.”
“S-Sarge, I…” Light Wing turned his head to Shield, but his eyes stayed on the colt.
“Light, go back to camp. Tell them about this, okay? After that I want you to get some shut eye, you’re going on fifty hours.” Shield said sternly, Light Wing nodded slowly and tried to take his crossbow. “Light, you don’t need this now. I’ll give it back to you, don’t worry.” The stallion nodded again, then took to the sky without a word. Shield shook his head, slung Light Wing’s weapon onto his back, and then continued his grim task.
He stopped for a moment, his grip on his crossbow tightened. Shield turned to face one of the blown out apartment buildings, his crossbow ready to deal death. There was nothing in the open though, Shield walked towards the source of the noise but found nothing.
“Mister Dasher?” A mare’s voice snapped Shield out of his nap. He sat up in his chair and turned towards the door. “It’s almost time for class.” Shield nodded at Cheerilee, then sighed. He could hear the students gathering outside, it was going to be another one of those days.
“Thanks ma’am.” He replied to Cheerilee, shaking the dreams away. The veteran stood from his seat and began to write the key points of the lesson on the board. The other school teacher left to tend her own class, Shield chuckled when she was gone. While he didn’t get hangovers, he was sure that she was having a monster right now. A bottle of whiskey and half a dozen beers had that tendency.
The classroom filled up quickly, fillies and colts took their seats. Shield noticed two empty seats at the back of the room, then sighed. Of course they were tardy. The walked to the door, then closed it. He flipped the lock and went back to the front of the classroom.
“Good morning class.” He said cheerfully.
“Good morning, Mister Dasher!” The class replied.
“How’s everypony doing today?” Shield received a chorus of positive answers. “Excellent. Let’s get started then.” Shield pointed to his first point on the board. “The Sapling Springs conflict…”
[♠]
Rainbow Dash walked into her home, work had ended early for the prismatic pegasus and now she looked forwards to relaxing at home before going to visit her friends. She opened the door to the closet and tossed her saddle bag in carelessly, she froze when she heard it hit something. The pegasus looked into the closet and found that the bag had landed on Shield’s duffle bag, she feared she had broken something and pulled the duffle out and into the living room.
Rainbow Dash eyed the bag for a moment, it was beaten and thread bare. She was surprised that it still held anything, it was covered in stains and patches. Shield’s name was stamped on the fabric, as well as his rank. The mare opened the bag and emptied its contents onto the coffee table. She recognised his dog tags and his helmet, both were unharmed and so she put them aside.
Next, Dash picked up another necklace, it had more tags on it. Some of them were in Equish, while others were in different languages. Many of them had been stained red. Rainbow Dash put them aside as well, not wanting to think about what had made them that color. Two olive drab shirts were the next thing she spotted, patches embroidered with Shields name and branch sat over the pockets. On the right sleeve was a patch with his cutiemark, on the left was what she assumed was the symbol for a staff sergeant.
She set the shirts aside with everything else, being sure not to not unfold them. A metal lock box caught her attention next, it was battered and beaten like the bag. She hesitated to open it, but curiosity got the best of her. When she opened the box, she felt a few tears come to her eyes. Sitting on top of everything else was an old piece of paper, two very crudely drawn ponies stood next to eachother. One of them had a rainbow mane, and an arrow pointing to it that read “Me”. The other was a light brown pony with a black mane, the arrow pointing it it read “Shieldy”.
”What ya working on Dashie?” Asked Shield as he came through the kitchen, the little filly looked up and smiled.
“I’m drawing a picture of my bestest friend!” She replied, Shield walked over with a big smile on his face.
“And who would that be?” He asked playfully.
“You!” Shield wrapped a wing around her. Then he hugged her tight, tighter than he ever had before. “Shieldy? Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah, Dashie.” He said, letting her go. “I’m feeling fine.” He looked at the picture. “Hey, why don’t we put a date on this, that way when you’re all grown up you can remember your big brother?”
“I don’t need a picture, I have you for real!” Shield nodded slowly. “And I want you to have it, that way when I’m a wonderbolt you can have me with you while I go all over the world.” Shield blinked a few times, Rainbow Dash thought she could see his eyes glistening.
“Thanks Dashie.”
Rainbow Dash remembered the day clearly, she had made it the night before he had left. The mare lifted the picture and examined it closely, the picture had to be the best preserved thing she had seen so far. She put it down carefully and looked back in the box, two small books and a couple notes of foreign currency occupied the rest of the space. One of them had a blank cover while the other was clearly a Faustholic bible. Dash debated opening the blank book, but shook her head, she had determined that nothing was broken and so she replaced everything into the duffle bag.
She put the bag in the closet and sighed, the crude drawing burned in her mind. The memory of that morning hit her hard, she remembered waking up and only finding a note. Her mother had cried, her father went out and didn’t return until the next day, and she could only ponder as to why her brother had left her. She had thought that it was her fault, as most foals would, it wasn’t rational but it was normal. Rainbow Dash took a few deep breaths as she thought of her parents, had Shield even told them that he had returned? She would assume as much, but at the same time it was Shield she was talking about.
While she was sure that he was grateful to them, they weren’t his real parents. He hadn’t told them he had enlisted, or that he would be gone for six months for training. He hadn’t even told them he was being deployed. Rainbow Dash could understand him not telling her, to keep her from worrying, but her mother and father were an entirely different issue. The prismatic pegasus decided that she would pay a visit to her parents and find out for herself.
Dash walked out of the house and took off towards Cloudsdale, unsure of the answers she would receive.
[♠]
Shield sat in his classroom, eating his lunch while the fillies and colts played outside. Well, all but two of them. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon let out a sigh in unison as they scribbled down the notes on the board. Shield hoped that this punishment would discourage future tardiness. To be fair, he had asked the fillies why they were late when they knocked on his door. They had responded negatively and thus were left to sit in the hall while the other students learned.
To be sure that he had made his point, he had the fillies write everything on the board twice. Once in print and once in cursive. The Sapling Springs conflict was quite an extensive topic, covering nearly all of the board in text and diagrams. Shield had made sure to add as much detail as possible, from the names of the impromptu generals that had been elected, to the address where the first pie was thrown. He had specially added the hat sizes of the leaders of the two rival factions just for them to write down. It was Marine Corps memorization training, applied to academics rather than weapons specifics.
“I’m done!” Exclaimed Diamond Tiara. “Can I go now?”
“Did you get the hat sizes?” Shield responded.
“Seven and a half for General Plant, six and three quarters for General Glee.” Diamond Tiara said, annoyed.
“Are you going to be late to my class again, miss Tiara?” The filly shook her head. “Excellent, you’re dismissed.” Diamond Tiara shot out the door like a crossbow bolt. Silver Spoon finished a few minutes later. “The type of pie that started the conflict?”
“Manehattan Chocolate Cream.” Silver Spoon replied, Shield gestured to the door. The filly ran out to join her fellow students, as she went she passed Miss Cheerilee. The mare looked like she had been hit by a concussion shard.
“Hello Cheerilee.” Shield said in a quiet voice.
“Don’t yell.” She replied, getting a chuckle from the one eyed marine. “I haven’t had this bad of a headache since I was a young mare.” She rubbed her temples. “Why did you let me drink so much?”
“It’s a matter of per-” Cheerilee shushed him, he lowered his volume a bit. “It’s a matter of perspective, ma’am. To you, that was a lot. I ,on the other hoof, wasn’t even tipsy when you went under the table.” Shield walked over to the window where a small plant sat, he examined it for a moment. “Is this mint?” Asked Shield.
“Yes, why?”
“Because…” Shield took a few leaves and brought them over to Cheerilee. “When I was in Zebrica, we used it to soothe pretty much everything, including headaches. Though, I find it works better if you eat the leaf rather than drink it in tea.” Cheerilee looked at the leaves for a moment before taking them and eating them. Her face contorted a bit as the strong flavor hit her. “You’re not supposed to eat them all at once.”
“Well, you didn’t tell me that.” Cheerilee muttered.
“They’ll get working soon, don’t worry.” Shield walked to the window again. “Right now, I suggest you get ready for class. Recess is almost over.” Cheerilee sighed and nodded, then left the room. Shield pushed the window open. “Hey! Five minutes, then I want you all back inside!” The veteran started pulling the window closed, but paused as he saw movement in the sky. A figure tried to hide behind a cloud, but Shield had already seen whoever it was. He had written the sighting yesterday off, but now he was sure. “I’m being reconned.” He closed the window fully and prepared to teach his class.
The train station in Canterlot was packed with excited travelers, as it often was. Many of them were tourists from around the world, some were guards, and very few were immigrants. The grey stallion that snuck off the back of the train was none of these. He flexed his wings for a moment before adjusting his long jacket, a pair of dog tags dangled from his neck. Covering his short black mane was a grey ushanka, a red star adorned its front. On the star was a golden daisy as well as a sickle, crossed over each other.
The stallion took a moment to look around him, taking in the sights of the Equestrian capital city. He snorted, a smile came to his face. This was just as he had imagined, just as his comrade had told him. The arrogance in this city was palpable, to the point that he actually pitied these ponies.
“Hey! What are you doing?!” Shouted a voice, the stallion turned to see a guard approaching him. “You’re not supposed to be back here, I need to see some identification.”
“Of course, comrade.” The stallion replied, holding up his dog tags. The stallion looked at them and scoffed.
“There’s no name on this! What do you think this is!?”
“A distraction.” The stallion punched the guard in the throat, the surprised guard stared at the stallion for a moment as his throat began to swell shut. The stallion gently pushed him, causing the guard to fall to the ground. As he fell, the stallion grabbed his dog tags. “One for me, and one for him.” The stallion said, stepping over the dying guard. “Equestria, she is a marvelous whore, isn’t she?” With that, the stallion’s wings opened and he took to the air. As he climbed, he spotted a small town in the distance. “I am coming, my dear friend. Just you wait.” He flew towards the eastern part of Canterlot, intent on seeing some family before taking off for his true goal.
As he flew, he saw the ponies milling about in the streets below, delightfully ignorant of what their nation was truly like. Of course, Josef Stallion had attempted the same tactic. But whereas he only had decades to build his facade, the solar tyrant had had centuries. The stallion shook his head, if only they knew. He passed by the palace, noting the guard placement. It was deplorable, there was hardly any true security. They may as well have had statues standing guard. He ascended higher, passing one of the tall towers. Surprisingly, he spotted a pony on the balcony. A white alicorn.
“Bucking cunt.” The stallion spat, glaring at her. His fluttering jacket must have caught her attention, because she looked at him. For the briefest moment, she saw his cutie mark. A crimson star with a white outline. Her eyes traveled to his, there was something in them that she couldn’t place. The stallion stopped flying, choosing to hover in place for a moment. He shook his head and spat, then continued on his way. The princess had managed to catch a glimpse of the hat on his head, and the memory of the symbol sent shivers down her spine.
The stallion flew over the fashion district next, arguably the economic heart of the city. He noted key structures, guard placements, and possible kill boxes. His gaze shifted to the military training ground, his comrade had informed him that it was also home to the cities armory. He hadn’t been told of the large hangers that sat on the edge of the base, or the large guard compliment they sported. When the stallion had seen what he wanted to see, he descended to the street in the eastern district. Instantly he felt at home. Stalliongradi’s milled about, selling their wares. The smell of fresh soup wafted through the streets.
The stallion trotted about for a bit, taking note of the guards in this part of the city. They treated his comrades like dogs, it infuriated him. Hopefully, his actions at the train station would draw some of them away. He stopped at a stall near a guard officer, perusing some of the wares available.
“Sir, a guard pony has been killed at the train station!” One of the officer’s underlings stated as he galloped towards the guard. “Princess Celestia has ordered us to send some of ours to investigate.”
“Very well, make sure we don’t send anyone too important.” The officer replied, the stallion shot him a quick glance before looking back at the wares. Most of it was junk, but one item stood out. A peaked Stalliongradi officer cap, he looked at the mare running the stall.
“Сколько для этого шляпе?” He asked, the mare looked at him. She was an older mare, most likely in her late sixties.
“Twenty bits.” She replied in Equish, the stallion raised an eye brow. “Was my husband’s before war. Sentimental value.” The stallion nodded and reached into his jacket.
“I see, well then. Here is thirty bits, and my condolences.” He placed a bag of bits on the table and took the hat. “I promise, no harm will come to this.” The mare smiled and took the bag.
“Thank you.” She replied. “Enjoy the sun’s glow.” The last part was tacked on, spat out like a rotten apple.
“Простите?” The stallion inquired, glancing over at the officer again. The officer had become significantly more interested.
“Эти солнечные свиней заставляют нас сказать эти слова.” The mare replied bitterly, the stallion glowered.
“I see. Well, I hope that it is nothing too serious.” He replied, disguising the conversation. The stallion took his ushanka from his head and stuffed it into one of his jacket pockets, then placed the peaked cap on his head. “Have a wonderful day, miss.” The stallion turned to leave and found himself face to face with the guard officer.
“Sir, I must ask you remove that hat.” He stated flatly.
“Why?” The stallion replied angrily. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“No, it is because all foreign military uniforms and accessories can only be worn by military personnel of said foreign military.” The guard grunted, a smug smile coming to his face.
“Ah, I see.” The stallion said, he reached into one of his jacket pockets and pulled out an old passport. Inside was a picture of the stallion wearing a hat similar to the one he wore at the time. “If you cannot read this, my name is Commissar Crimson Star. Retired of course.”
“Pretty young to be a commissar.” The guard shot back.
“Battlefield promotion.” Crimson Star said, annoyed. “Now if you’re done trying to intimidate me, I will be on my way.” He tried to walk away, but the guard laid a hoof on his shoulder. Crimson stopped mid stride. “I would recommend you remove your hoof, comrade.” He said, malice dripping from every syllable.
“I’m not your comrade, street trash.” The officer growled, Crimson closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. During their conversation, he had noted that three more guards had arrived. They had positioned themselves around him in a circle. While it would appear intimidating to an average pony, it was a poor decision to surround a stalliongradi commando.
“So typical, of Celestia’s dogs, to resort to name calling.” Crimson said, brushing the officer’s hoof off of his shoulder. The guards glared at him. “Even more so, to lay a hoof upon an innocent stallion. I will take great pleasure in this.” Crimson removed his new cap and jacket and placed them on the stall. “Watch these for a moment?” He asked the mare, she nodded. The guards noticed something about the stallion, he was stronger than even their commander. The muscles had been concealed by the jacket. “So… Shall we begin?”
“Get him!” Ordered the officer. One of the guards, a unicorn, fired a bolt of parilizing magic at the stallion. Crimson dodged to the left, allowing the blast to hit the guard that had been standing behind him.
“Who’s side are you on, comrade?” Laughed the Stalliongradi. A pegasus tried to dive bomb him from the air, but slammed into the concrete. Crimson delivered a finishing blow to the guard’s skull, ending his life. The unicorn tried for a second shot, this time aiming to kill. There were similar results. His magic slammed into the third guard that had come to the fray, stopping his heart. Shocked by what he had done, he was an easy mark. Crimson delivered a punch to the throat, killing him as he had done to the other guard. The officer was shocked, the stallion turned and smiled at him. “What’s the matter, comrade? Afraid of a little trash?”
“I-I” Crimson delivered a blow to a nerve cluster, paralyzing the guard.
“You sicken me, your arrogance has gotten your colts killed.” He spat on the guard, then turned to the paralyzed guard that had been hit by the first magic blast. “I will leave you, and only you, alive. To let you think about how this…” He gestured to the dead guards. “and this…” He stomped on the paralyzed guard’s head. “is your fault.” Crimson turned to the stall and collected his things, the mare stood there silently. “Farewell, miss. Have a pleasant evening.” The mare nodded slowly, she had seen this kind of carnage before. She honestly didn’t care that it had happened to the guards, she hated them with a passion.
Crimson opened his wings and took to the sky, flying a few blocks before landing on a roof. He peered down off the ledge at a group of playing foals, one caught his attention. A light blue filly with a brown mane, she flew around with her friends and laughed as she played. The stallion smiled a sad smile, wishing he could be present. But war took precedent. He had escaped the now Equestrian controlled city-state of Stalliongrad for one purpose, win the war.
“Soon, my dear сладкий Жеребенок.” Crimson said, adjusting his cap. “Soon, I will return to you.” He opened his wings and took to the sky, flying towards the forest that bordered the small town in the distance. There, he would wait until the heat died down. Then he would find his comrade, he would make him remember what he had been forced to forget, and they would end the silent war that had raged across the world, once and for all.
Shield was staring blankly at the ceiling with his hooves under his head. School would begin in another three hours, but it was still too early to get out of bed. The stallion’s sleep schedule had yet to change to ‘Civilian’ time. He still went to bed at zero hundred hours and awoke at four. Frankly he was glad he had such an extreme schedule, it made avoiding Prism and Firefly much easier.
Ever since Rainbow Dash had told Shield’s adoptive parents of his return, there had been no end to the constant pestering and prodding. They’d asked every annoying, pointless question in the book. Then chastised him for not telling them he was back, then apologized and hugged him. Shield didn’t give a damn for the most part. They’d never really shown interest in him as a foal, always instead doting on Rainbow Dash. What saved his sister from sharing in the hatred was that she had shown some actual interest. Mainly due to him baby sitting while their parents went about their busy social schedules.
The stallion could hear his parents downstairs, talking in low voices. It was obvious they didn’t want to wake anyone, or perhaps they didn’t want to be overheard. Shield had trouble differentiating their scheming voices from their considerate ones. He could make out a few garbled words, most of which meant nothing to him. So he continued to stare at the ceiling. His mind wandered to the latest ‘Breaking News’ that had been in the newspaper for the past few weeks. Several guards murdered in Canterlot by some unknown assailant, most likely a Stalliongradi.
For two days school had been cancelled because they feared the ‘mad pony’ would come to Ponyville and do the same as he’d done to the guards. This had lead to two days of pestering and questioning, much to Shields ever growing displeasure. He was actually glad to be back with the foals of Ponyville, even the hell spawns known as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Though, he felt Silver Spoon could redeem herself if she stopped hanging out with Diamond.
Shield sighed and rolled over in bed, pulling the covers up a bit and groaning as his back popped. His thoughts drifted back to his students, Scootaloo had taken to hanging out with him after school. Most likely because of his connection to Rainbow Dash. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had done so by proxy, and he’d ended up supervising seventeen different attempts to get their cutiemarks. He’d successfully talked them out of ‘Pony Cannonball’ cutiemarks, as well as ‘Fire Swallowing’ cutiemarks.
“Celestia damn it, Prism!” The voice of his mother echoed through the house, a groan left Shield’s muzzle and he put a pillow over his head. “Not in the kitchen… Prism stop it!” The marine decided that now was a good time to wake up, hopefully it would stop his adoptive parents from ruining the downstairs. Again.
Shield rolled his shoulders and grabbed his eye patch from his bedside table, he trotted to the door and across the hall into the bathroom. The stallion stared at himself in the mirror for a moment, the place where his eye had been was still as grizzly looking as it had been the day before.
“Maybe I should look into a glass one…” He muttered to himself as he dry shaved his face, when he was finished he splashed some water into his mane and combed it straight. “Should get a manecut while I’m at it, starting to look like a hippy.” With that he slipped his eye patch on and exited the bathroom, the giggles from downstairs told him they hadn’t gotten to far. Shield made a point of stepping on every squeaky step and moving to the kitchen without looking at either of his adoptive parents.
“O-Oh! Shield, sorry did we wake you?” Firefly asked, the pink and blue mare brushing her mane out of her eyes and composing herself.
“No.” Shield said flatly. “I was already up, just didn’t feel like cleaning the kitchen again.” Prism and Firefly looked sullenly and lowered their heads. Shield ignored them and began making his lunch, a simple sandwich with a thermos filled with coffee. “I’ve got a few papers to grade today, I may as well go in early.”
“Son-”
“Stow it.” Were the harsh words that cut off his father. “You go ahead and wait around here, you go ahead and tell me ‘you’re sorry’, don’t expect me to listen. I’m just a charity case to you.” The marine packed his saddlebags and placed his utility cap on his head. Before his adoptive parents could say anything, the stallion had left and closed the door. Shield took to the air, quickly scanning for his friendly neighborhood cloud. It had been following him consistently for the past two weeks, its pattern had never changed in the slightest.
Shield let out a groan and continued on his way to the town, the wind was strong enough to let him glide in the sky. The marine looked down at the town and spotted the newest members of Princess Twilight’s guard. They were marching up and down the street, most likely to ensure to the citizens that there was nothing to fear. Shield shook his head and angled himself towards the school, he enjoyed the feeling of the cold air on his face as he descended.
With just as much grace as a Marine could muster he landed on the school steps and entered the building. The sun was just starting to rise past the horizon, giving him just enough light to get to his darkened classroom. The stallion pushed open the door with surprising ease and began making his way to his desk. He set his bags down and placed his cap on the desk. Something about the desk caught his eye, he’d made sure to clear all papers from the top before he left the day before. Now there were several pages out in place.
“Hmm…” Shield looked at the papers and scowled, they were answer keys to the final exam which was coming up with the approach of summer. “I guess I’ll just have to make a new one. There goes my saturday.” Shield put the papers down and sat in his chair. “First, I need a nap.” Rather than fall asleep, he kept his eye on the room.
“Come on Snips…” A soft voice said after several minutes, it was muffled by the door of the supply closet in the corner of the room. Shield turned towards it with an even deeper scowl. The door swung open slowly and a tiara wearing filly poked her head out. “Don’t be so slow, this is why I don’t hang out with losers like you.” She was followed by Snips and his friend Snails, two colts that Shield believed should be in a different, more specialized class. Easily manipulated, often made scapegoats. Not this time.
Shield coughed loudly and turned on his desk lamp. Diamond Tiara looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth moved as she tried to think of an excuse.The marine said nothing and simply gestured to the desks closest to his desk. The filly sighed and took a seat, Snips and Snails followed after her and took their seats. One of them looked close to a break down.
“Snips. Snails.” Shield said neutrally, they struggled to look at him. “Look at me, please.” After a few minutes they’d managed to build the courage to look the teacher in the eye. “Before I lay down any punishments, I want you two to be honest with me. Were you coerced into doing this?”
“What does coerced mean?” Asked Snips in his scratchy voice.
“Were you talked into coming here?” At that, the two colts nodded swiftly. “What were you promised if you came here?”
“D-Diamond Tiara said she wouldn’t be mean to us for a whole week.” Snails said, Shield could see he was at his breaking point. The stuttering and the sweating were a sure give away.
“Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. You two will report back here after school, with your parents. We are going to have a talk, after which time they will be the ones to punish you.” The marine’s glare softened a bit. “Now, I want you to go home, I want you to tell you parents and if they can’t come tell them to send you with a letter. Are we clear on that?”
“Y-Yes, sir.” The replied.
“Good, now run along. I expect you here on time today.” They quickly scrambled out of the chairs and rushed out the door, Diamond Tiara was trying to follow them but was cut off when Shield closed the door and bolted it shut. “We’re not done, Miss Tiara. Not even close. Sit down.” The filly shuddered and sat in her seat again.
“Stupid… Dumb…” The grumbled under her breath, Shield ignored it.
“Miss Tiara, I cannot begin to say how angry I am today.” Shield began as he sat behind his desk again. “I have seen many bad things in my time, but this baffles me.” The stallion paused, letting her digest his words. “You promised them that if they helped you, you’d be nice to them for a week. That is by far the sickest, cruelest thing I think I’ve witnessed a filly do in my life.”
“I just wanted to pass the test.”
“And you’re willing to let two colts that you constantly torment take the fall for you!” Shield shouted, his anger boiling over. “I have tried sending letters home, I have tried making appointments with you parents, I’ve detained you, I’ve even had to send you home! I have done all of this to try and save you, because I thought that you could get your act together!” Shield let out a sigh and rubbed his temples.
“Well, you can’t do anything to me now!” Diamond Tiara shouted, putting up a wall of false bravado.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Shield said, immediately the fillies demeanor shattered. “Diamond Tiara, you have pushed me to this point. Breaking into my classroom is the last straw. I am going to drill the mean out of you.” Shield said intensely. “You will not laugh, you will not cry, there will be no mercy. Under the law I am allowed to carry out these acts, so daddy isn’t going to save you.” Diamond Tiara shivered. “Now get outside! Move it!” The filly couldn’t move fast enough, Shield grabbed his cap from his desk and put it on. “We’re taking class outside today.”
[♠]
Cheerilee had seen a lot of things in her career as a teacher, an irate, one eyed, Marine Staff Sergeant was not one of them. It was very much like a carriage crash, she knew she should look away but the scene was far too fascinating. As she was trotting towards the school, she had heard his voice echoing through the town. Now she saw exactly what he was yelling about. Diamond Tiara was absolutely filthy, her mane was disheveled and twigs were caught within it.
“Come on, Private Twinkles! Is that the best you can do!? MY GRANDMOTHER DOES BETTER THAN THAT!” Shield screamed at the filly, she was doing push ups in the mud and it was obvious she wasn’t happy. “COME ON! COUNT LOUDER! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”
“Thirty seven… Thirty eight… Thirty nine…” Diamond Tiara said louder, Cheerilee trotted up to the two of them with a concerned look on her face. Diamond Tiara looked hopeful and stopped the exercise.
“Keep going or we start again!” Shield shouted, the filly went back to the push ups without question. The marine turned to Cheerilee with a stone faced expression.
“What are you doing?” The mare asked, looking at Diamond Tiara.
“She busted into my classroom with the intention of stealing grading keys. I have seen fit to carry out the Corporal Clause in Equestrian law.” Shield answered strackly, Cheerilee thought back to when she had become a teacher. The Corporal Clause was an obscure line of law that gave a teacher the right to punish a problem student however they saw fit. So long as they didn’t inflict bodily harm. “I have caused no harm to her.”
“I don’t like it, Shield.” Cheerilee said, watching the filly. “But, perhaps this is the only way we’ll get the message through.” Shield nodded. “Just let her have some water if she gets thirsty…”
“I’m not a monster, ma’am. I have no intention of letting her get hurt.” He stated, Cheerilee sighed and left to prepare her classroom.
“I’m… I’m done, Staff Sergeant.” Diamond Tiara said, weakly standing at attention. She’d completed her pushups and was waiting for orders. The system was working.
“Outstanding, you managed to do something right!” Shield bellowed. “Grab some water and take no more than a five minute break. Every minute you’re late is five pushups! Now go!” Diamond Tiara nodded and rushed off to find a drinking fountain. Shield looked towards the sky and spotted his ever present cloud buddy. Whoever it was, they certainly must have had too much time on their hooves.
The minutes ticked by and Diamond Tiara rushed to get back on time. The filly had never been subjected to such trials before, but she knew one thing. She was actually starting to like them. Not so much the yelling, but the burning muscles. It gave her something to focus on, aside from being ‘mean’. Still she feared what her teacher had planned next.
“Very good, you didn’t keep me waiting!” Shield stated, looking her up and down. “Now, run around the school ten times!” Diamond Tiara was going to complain, but that would lead to more push ups. As much as she was starting to enjoy the exercise, she wasn’t ready to go through fifty push ups again. The filly took off running, hoping that the end was within sight. Cheerilee watched from her window as it happened, she’d never seen Diamond Tiara so compliant before. Perhaps the Corporal Clause wasn’t such a bad thing.
[♠]
Diamond Tiara finished her first day of punishment just as the other students were arriving at the school. Shield kept a strict eye on her as she approached the CMC, to his surprise and pleasure, she waved at them and smiled. The CMC were confused by the change in behavior, but hesitantly waved back nonetheless. School began as it often did, roll was called and the class began.
The music in the bar was the same as it had always been, slow and mellow. Shield had never really heard music before, at least not in the sense he heard it now. It was always a military marching tune, or the random songs that he and his comrades would make in the trenches of Neigh Korea. He’d never really cared for the oriental stuff they played there. For Cheerilee, it was a new experience. The bars she’d frequented were modern and packed with ponies, this one was quiet and nearly empty.
The scent of cigars and old wood permeated the air with it’s oddly intoxicating aroma. The earthy feeling of the establishment gave Cheerilee a feeling of being in a cabin, something she quite enjoyed. She twisted a bit on the turning bar stool, seating herself a bit more comfortably. The old place was dingy and its walls were adorned with pictures. She realized why it was the kind of place that Shield loved.
The marine knocked back another shot with a satisfied sigh, the day had been a resounding success. Not only did he not have to deal with Diamond Tiara’s antics, but it turned out that her act of espionage was a total failure. He would be able to spend his Saturday as he wanted without creating an entirely different final exam. Added to that, he wasn’t forced to punish two innocent colts. Cheerilee sat next to him, toasting her own successful day. The foals in her care had managed not to wreck the classroom and there had been no crayon art added to the walls.
“So… How much do you want to bet we’ll be getting a visit from Mister Rich tomorrow?” Cheerilee asked while she signaled the bartender to bring her another glass of wine. Shield let out a bit of chuckle.
“That’s a bet I know I can’t win.” He poured himself another glass. “Ponies like him think they can push the world around because they’ve got more gold than other ponies.” The stallion took another shot and sighed. “In the marines we had a term for guys like him.”
“What was it?” Cheerilee asked, sipping her wine.
“Assholes.” Shield said simply. “Or officers, whichever you prefer.” Cheerilee let out a small laugh and nodded.
“I know the feeling, the superintendents in the rural towns are so stubborn and set in their ways.” She added, a frown crossed her muzzle. “I’ve been pushing for new textbooks since I started teaching here, the ones we have barely cover the basics as it is. I’ve tried talking to Mayor Mare about it, but she just looks to the superintendent.” Shield nodded his head and rubbed his chin.
“I could talk to Twilight Sparkle about it, she seems like the kind of pony who cares.” It was an idle suggestion, but one that he didn’t see any harm in making. Cheerilee let out a sigh and took a large sip of her wine.
“I’ve tried to gain an audience with her, but the guards just tell me to move along.” The mare but her head on the bar. “I guess we’ll just have to make due.” Shield poured himself another glass and downed it just as fast. “So, are the parents still in town?” The marine groaned.
“Yes, and they refuse to leave until I tell them about… well, it’s a ‘Glaring’ subject.” He looked at the clock on the wall. “I have half an hour before they go to bed.”
“Hey, if it’s not too much to ask, what actually happened to your.” Cheerilee gestured to his missing eye. Shield took another shot before answering.
“I’m not drunk enough to get into that.” He stated, he could see the gears cranking in Cheerilee’s head. She was thinking of another question. “And no, I don’t want talk about my experience in the care Equestrian Foal Services.” Cheerilee paused and blinked.
“What do you mean?” She asked, this surprised shield. “I thought that your parents were in town.”
“Adoptive.” Shield stated flatly. “Took me in when I was seven.” Cheerilee was going to ask another question, so Shield took another shot before preempting her. “My parents were taking me out camping when it happened. Diamond Dogs popped out of the ground, took them kicking and screaming. Two years later I found myself in the care of two ‘lovely’ ponies who needed somepony to watch their daughter while they party hopped.”
Shield felt an unexpected hoof on his shoulder, he looked away from his empty glass and at the magenta mare beside him.
“You don’t know they’re dead. If the dogs took them then-”
“I found them again.” Shield muttered, negating the glass and taking a gulp directly from the bottle. “Buckin’ dogs attacked a town down south, I was still a Private at the time…” He started staring at the bottle in front of him. “That was the first time I saw death, I mean REALLY saw it.” Cheerilee was unsure of what to say. “I’m sorry… I drifted off there for a moment.” The marine shook himself and cleared the images from his head.
“Don’t worry about it.” Cheerilee said, finishing her glass of wine.
“I think I’ll call it a night, Shot Glass.” Shield said to the bartender, he tossed a few bits on the bar and nodded to Cheerilee. “Miss Cheerilee.” The mare watched him with a careful eye as he walked out of the bar.
[♠]
Shield landed on the porch of Rainbow Dash’s home with unsteady hooves. He chocked it up to the drinks he’d had, but perhaps it was the torrent of images and sounds that echoed through his brain. Dark tunnels, the stench of earth, the clashing swords. Shield trotted up the steps to the door and opened it, his eye was directly squared on the stairs. Rainbow Dash was talking to her parents, she might have greeted him. He couldn’t tell though, everything was jumbling together. The stallion flew up the steps, he heard some shouting but it could have been in his head.
His breathing was rapid, he could hear his heart in his chest. The marine through open his door and closed it behind him.
“J-Just sleep it off…” He said to himself, staggering to his bed. He collapsed onto it and curled up into a ball, the images were breaking through and the sounds were blending together into a monstrous roar. Exhaustion claimed the stallions consciousness and he fell into darkness.
”Subject seven, step forwards!” The voices all seemed to mash together, he recognized none of them. Everything was black, he couldn’t even see his hoof in front of his face.
“... Need to know basis…”
“...CLASSIFIED INFORMATION!”
“Dislocate the wings, the body falls….”
“This project is a matter of national security…” The voices faded out.
Shield opened his eyes and looked around, he could feel his uniform on his body and his crossbow in his hooves. The landscape was dry and empty, the desert was a place he was familiar with. Above him the sun beat down vengefully, it heated his helmet into an oven. He was riding in a large carriage pulled by earth ponies. At least a dozen other marines were riding along with him.
“Hey, Shield. Wake up.” Said the voice of Light Wing. “We’re almost there.” Shield shook his head. He remembered the briefing, Diamond Dogs had attacked a settlement in the south. It was his first real combat experience, he had no doubt that after the mission he would be shipped off to serve with his brothers all over the world.
“What’s our ETA?” Shield asked groggily, he began checking over his weapon.
“Four minutes, you think that you can get your ass in gear by then?” Said a different voice, Shield sat up in his seat.
“Aye, sir!” was his response, He looked at the leader of the raid. The stallion was a muscle bound Earth Pony by the name of Hardened Will.
“Now, all of you colts must be a little nervous. Don’t worry about what happens, do what you’ve been trained to do and you’ll do fine.” Hardened stated, standing from his seat and walking through the carriage. He looked over the equipment that the marines had packed for the journey. “Now remember this is not a contest, don’t risk your lives to be heroes.” Shield nodded, a deep seeded anger was rising in him however. Diamond Dogs were scum, vial creatures that needed to be exterminated like the vermin they were. Time passed all too quickly and soon the carriage stopped at the edge of a field of holes. Not a single dog was spotted on the surface, but the marines knew better than to just look at the surface.
“Dismount! Two marines per hole, report back in one hour.” Shield and Light Wing were the first out of the carriage. “You two, take the first hole.”
“Aye, sir!” The two responded before crawling down the steep holes. Shield went into the tight space first, he folded his wings close to his body and shimmied down slowly. To his great annoyance the strap on his crossbow snapped from the stress and the weapon skittered down into the depths.
“Buck.” He muttered, pulling his combat knife from its sheath. Light Wing tapped him on the shoulder.
“I’ll cover our six.” He stated, for several minutes they went down the hole. The heat of the sun left them and was replaced by the cold of the earth. The stench of dirt and plant matter flooded his nose, in the dim light he could see bugs crawling along the walls. Shield stopped as the small passage led to a ledge overlooking a larger tunnel. It was barely lit by torches and several dogs were laying in their respective bunks. The marine could see his crossbow had landed by a sleeping guard dog, he would be the first to die.
Shield flared his wings and dropped down from the ledge, he landed nearly soundlessly next to the guard and readied his knife. The dog’s eyes burst open as Shield clamped his hoof over its mouth and jammed his knife into its jugular. It went limp within moments. Shield grabbed his crossbow and slung it over his back, Light Wing was taking care of the other dogs.
“We’re clear.” He said softly, Shield trotted back over to him and looked around. In the corner was a table with a crudely drawn map, the stallion picked it up and handed it to Light. “Okay… we’re here in the barracks, this says that… holy Celestia.” Light handed the map to Shield, his teeth gritted and his eyes narrowed.
“They’ve got a slave pen.” He bit out, the marine began trotting in the direction of the pen.
“Shield, we need more marines.” Light protested, Shield didn’t stop. “Shield, don’t make me pull rank on you.”
“There are ponies trapped down here, Corporal.” The stallion spat in response. “If we come down here with a bunch of stallions the civies will get caught in the crossfire and it will be for nothing.” The stallion pointed down the tunnel with determination written on his face. “If you want to court martial me when this is done, fine, but if I do get canned then I’m doing it with a clear conscience.” Without another word Shield started trotting down the tunnel, Light Wing fell in behind him without arguing.
After several minutes of trotting her could hear the pained groans of ponies in the distance, a sickening stench began to filter through the tunnel. He heard cracking whips and shouting dogs, screams of pain and misery. Each one cut through his mind like a razor. As the pair came up on the end of the tunnel they were met with a grisly sight. Light Wing gagged for a moment and vomited moments later. Cages, dozens of them, each filled with two ponies. The ground was soaked in blood, and Shield could see the ribs of the prisoners.
“Come on.” Shield murmured, to both himself and Light. He and his comrade took to sneaking through the crates that lined the area, they crept through the cave slowly. With each step their hooves squelched in the filthy mud. One of the crates moved, a shivering mare could be heard inside. Shield paused and looked at the other crates. All of them were moving or producing sound in some way. “Light… Start opening the crates, get the ponies out the way we came.” Shield said, Light nodded numbly and went to start his task. Shield continued onwards, he peeked over one of the crates and spotted a pair of Diamond Dogs.
The two mongrels held whips and were forcing ponies to dig, large mine carts were loaded down with gems. It made Shield almost lose his stomach, almost. He had to stay strong, the ponies needed to get out. The marine unslung his crossbow and took aim at one of the diamond dogs. He wished he had Light to help him, but he would have to make do. With a slow exhale he pulled the trigger.
The dog let out a yelp as a bolt of steel embedded itself in his skull, he dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks.
“Huh?” Said the other guard, Shield took his knife in his hoof and opened his wings. Like a bat out of hell he propelled himself at the surprised dog, knife outstretched like a lance of lightning. The marine slammed into the dog, embedding the knife in his enemies chest. He withdrew the knife and stabbed the dog several times more before leaving the corpse and looking at the ponies. They cowered against the wall, gashes on their backs were bleeding heavily.
“Shh.” Shield ordered. “I’m gonna get you out of here.” The stallion took the keys from the dead dog and went about undoing the collars that kept the ponies chained together. He pointed towards the tunnel. “The tunnel that way, follow it and my friend will help you out.” He found himself wrapped in the forehooves of a sobbing mare, she was quickly pulled off of him by a pegasus who put his crippled wing over her.
“Thank you.” He whispered, with that the group made for the exit. Shield looked at the cages and started opening them, ponies began exiting the room in droves. Finally Shield came to the last cage, it was closest to the tunnel. Inside he saw two ponies curled up in the back, the marine couldn’t make out their faces though. When he opened the cage they both curled closer together.
“Sir. Ma’am. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m a marine, I’m gonna get you out.” Shield entered the cage and approached the two.
“Our colt…” The mare murmured in a hauntingly familiar voice. “The left him… They left him to die…” She was shivering, and repeating the same thing over and over again. Her wings were malformed, gangrene was setting in on her and the stallion. Shield remembered basic training, they wouldn’t last much longer.
“Ma’am…” Shield said again, he put his hoof on her shoulder and received a weak punch from the stallion.
“Leave her alone, dog.” He muttered in a horrible rasp. His eyes were milky white and his mane was nearly gone. Shield still recognized the mark on his cheek though, he’d seen it before.
“N-No…” Shield stammered. “It can’t be…” When he looked at the mare his mind broke. Complete astonishment crossed his features. “No no no no no!” His mother, he remembered her. She had been beautiful, now burn marks and cuts marred her face. “This isn’t happening… This isn’t happening.”
“NO EXCUSES!” The voices started flooding his head again.
“To see a true monster, you need only look in a mirror.”
“Shield!” A voice shouted, somepony was shaking him. “WAKE UP! SNAP OUT OF IT!”
“Count to six, it’ll be over soon….”
“DAD, GET A DOCTOR!”
“Run, kill, run, kill! It’s all we do… I CAN’T TAKE IT!”
Shield looked around, he was running through the tunnel, the walls were shaking.
“Come on, Private! It’s gonna blow!” Shouted Hardened Will, Shield was panting. Tears streaked down his cheeks, dirt clung to him like glue. He scrambled up the tunnel, abandoning his crossbow behind him. He saw light above him, he needed to climb. He fought hard, he used every fiber of his being to climb. A pony appeared above the hole, they reached out for him and pulled him up just as the tunnel exploded.
Shield had recovered from the nightmare just as he always did. His sister had been the one shaking him, but he’d sent Rainbow Dash back to bed. Afterwards he had spent the rest of the night sleeping relatively comfortably. The morning was similar to the one before in terms of getting up and going to work. In a way it reminded Shield of the days in boot camp, minus the screaming drill instructors.
The stallion reassured his sister he was fine before leaving, and he was sure to observe his wonderful cloud buddy. When he landed he found the door unlocked, immediately he feared there had been another break in. Thankfully the fears were put to rest when he entered the building. Cheerilee was in the school early, and she gave him a smile as he closed the door behind him.
“Guess who’s waiting in your room?” She asked, her smile faltering a bit.
“He couldn’t wait until the end of the day? I have shit to do in the mornings.” Shield groused before letting out an annoyed sigh. He’d dealt with Filthy Rich before, it had not gone well. “Fine, I’ll get this over with. Could you do me a favor and start a pot of-” He was cut off when he caught a whiff of coffee wafting from Cheerilee’s room. “You’re the best.”
“I try.” Cheerilee responded with a playful grin. “Now get in there so we can get on with our lives.” Shield nodded and trotted towards the door to his room, out of the corner of his eye he saw Cheerilee staring at him with a thoughtful expression. He could understand that, what he’d said the night before was probably a bit concerning. Shield ignored her and took a breath.
When he entered the room, he found Filthy Rich sitting with an unamused scowl on his face. The stallion looked up at the sound of the opening door, his glare landed on Shield within moments. The marine was unphased and trotted to his desk in silence, then sat down and leaned back in his chair. For several moments there was nothing, simply the two imposing stallions eying each other up for weakness.
“I’m a very busy stallion, Mister Rich.” Shield finally said, leaning forwards onto his desk. “If you have something to say, I suggest you say it.” Filthy Rich let out an indignant snort in response.
“Why did my daughter come home covered in dirt, and with twigs in her mane?” The stallion finally spoke. “The poor dear could barely stand, and when I asked why she said it had to do with you.” Shield silently reached into his desk and pulled out several grading sheets, he then placed them out for his ‘guest’ to see.
“These are the grading keys for the final exam.” The marine said flatly, making sure that Filthy Rich got a good look. “As you know we are several weeks shy of the end of the school year, your daughter broke into my classroom with two other students in an effort to steal these.” The stallion across from him looked as if he’d been struck. “I have exhausted all other avenues of punishment, and as such, I am reduced to using the ‘Corporal Clause’.”
Filthy Rich let out a sigh, knowing he’d been beaten. The stallion was familiar with that particular clause, as he himself had been subjected to it in his youth. To Shield’s surprise, Filthy started to look rather sorry.
“I… I understand.” He said, hanging his head. “Diamond Tiara has been rather difficult in the past, I can’t tell you how many angry letters I’ve received regarding her.” Shield was at a loss for words, he’d expected more of a fight. “I just don’t know how to handle her, and I try to be her friend more than her father.”
“I can’t say I have advice for you, I’m not a father.” Shield stated, slipping the grading sheets back into his desk. “Talking to her might be a good idea though, find out where you stand.” Filthy Rich nodded.
“I won’t bother you about this again, Mister Dasher.” He said, standing up. “Just please, go easy on her?” Shield nodded, watching him walk to the door. “I’ll see to it she’s on time from now on, as well.” With that, the stallion exited the room. Shield let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. It was far too early in the morning to be dealing with family dilemmas, at least without proper caffeination.
For several minutes his room was silent, Shield began opening the shutters and getting everything ready for the day. He sharpened the pencils and wrote several notes on the board, the day’s subject was one he was sure had been covered dozens of times before. Cutie marks. Shield never really understood why they were so Faust damned important to everyone. He couldn’t say with certainty what his meant, he didn’t even remember getting it. Before he could delve further into the problems with society, there was a knock on his door. Cheerilee entered moments later, carrying two steaming cups of coffee on a tray.
“How’d it go?” She asked, letting Shield take one of the cups.
“Different from what I’d expected. At one moment he looked like he wanted to kill me, then I told him what happened and he got all… well. I don’t know what to call it.” The Marine replied, scratching his head and sitting down. He sipped the cup and let out a sigh. “This is that new Manehattan Brew, isn’t it? Can practically taste the city.” Cheerilee nodded, sipping her own cup. She was looking at the board, noticing how light the notes seemed.
“Are you sure they’ll get enough information from these?” She asked, Shield nodded and looked at the board.
“They’ve already heard this a dozen times, I don’t understand why we need to teach it AGAIN.” The stallion let out a sigh and shook his head. “It just makes those who don’t have one targets for those who do. A problem I am trying to correct.” Cheerilee nodded, looking at a book near the board. The curriculum, which hadn’t been updated in seventeen years.
“That’s the hoof we’re dealt, I’m afraid…” She looked off for a moment, staring out the window at the sun that was rising higher into the sky. For several minutes there was silence until Shield cleared his throat. The mare turned and looked at him, and he could tell she was trying to think of something to say. “The stuff you said last night. I can’t imagine what it’s like, but, if you need someone to talk to…”
“It’s okay, Miss Cheerilee.” Shield replied, sighing. He sipped his coffee once more, then leaned back in his seat. “I can handle myself, but thanks for the offer.” The mare nodded and gave a small smile.
“Any time.” Cheerilee started trotting to the door, then paused. “Really…” With that, she left the stallion to his thoughts. His eye drifted to the curriculum, Shield stood up and walked over to it. It was old and falling apart. Without a thought the stallion picked it up and tossed it into the trash can by his desk. The bell would be ringing soon, and class would start as usual.
[♠]
Meanwhile, in the Everfree Forest…
Crimson Star let out a sigh as he watched the little town in the distance, he’d noted nothing of interest save for one pony. A one eyed stallion. What was more, this one eyed stallion walked with a familiar stride of confidence. He could tell in an instant, the stallion was a Marine. Crimson had fought many during the war in Stalliongrad, they were formidable opponents.
Crimson had also noticed that wherever the stallion went, a cloud always seemed to follow him. Obviously he was of some importance, and that would complicate things later down the road. His comrade had yet to arrive, and the waiting was making him anxious. Not that it would matter, he’d checked the area he’d been instructed to check, and the seeds of vengeance had taken root. When the longest day of summer arrived, they would strike and liberate his home.
The Stalliongradi looked at Canterlot, noting a small neighborhood where he had killed several guards. His thoughts turned to a little filly he had watched from the roof, and a smile crossed his face. She was his reason for being in this Luna forsaken forest, and for her he would do it a thousand times over. If it meant she could live free of oppression, he would stay as long as it took.
“Daddy will come home soon…” He said to himself, holding back a tear. Crimson Star went back to watching the town, praying that all would go well.
Shield sat silently in the classroom, the foals were all playing outside. His lunch was put out before him, but his eye was locked on the globe that took up a corner of his desk. He’d placed several pins the places where he’d served, at the moment his attention was on the pin that was stuck into Zebrica. How many months had he served there, he’d lost count at nine, there were more important things than counting. Within his mind, he could hear the howls of the monkeys and the shrieks of the bats. He could practically feel the insects crawling over him, and he shuddered at the thought of how many charred bodies he’d pulled from torched huts.
The stallion shook his head and went back to eating his lunch, it wouldn’t do to have a breakdown in the middle of school. He had an obligation, and he would meet it. As he chewed his sandwich, he thought back to Rainbow Dash. He’d not had the time to spend with her, but summer was coming. That would give him plenty of time, he hoped. He’d start by going with her to the ‘Summer Sun Celebration’ thing, as much as he was loathe to do so.
Shield smiled, despite his anger, it’d be nice spending much missed time with his sister. With another bite of sandwich, he reclined in his seat and looked out the window. Through it, for a moment, he saw the jungle once more. Several zebra ponies stared back at him. Mares, stallions, fillies and colts, all of their faces were burned or bleeding. He could see their lips moving, but they could not speak. Still he understood. ‘Why?’ Shield clenched his eye shut, holding back his emotions for what felt like an eternity. When he opened it, the view was back to its normal cheerful vista. Without a word, Shield stood from his seat and left the room.
Cheerilee was in her own classroom, and was startled by the suddenness that Shield exited his. Rather than say hello, or anything for that matter, he made his way to the restroom and locked the door. The magenta mare stood from her own seat, leaving her lunch to check on the stallion. She didn’t consider herself nosy, but for the sake of her friend, she put her ear up against the bathroom door. What she heard at first wasn’t unsurprising. Several dry heaves, most likely from a bad lunch. What followed was what resonated with her.
Crying.
Not loud sobbing, but quiet and subdued crying. Cheerilee had never thought Shield could cry, or that he would. As far as she knew, he was unphased by many things that would intimidate the most confident ponies. She knew at one point in his life he’d cried, everypony did, but she couldn’t imagine him doing it now. For several minutes she listened before the sound of running water greeted her ears. Cheerilee backed away from the door just before she heard it unlock. Shield stepped out, his face drenched in water, his eye bloodshot. He looked at her for a moment before clearing his throat.
“Sorry… I didn’t know you were waiting…” He stated, walking past her with a distant look about him. Wordlessly he entered his room and closed the door. Cheerilee looked up at the clock and noted that recess had gone on longer than normal, she determined that it could go a little longer. She trotted back to her room, stopping to look in on Shield. He’d gone back to eating his lunch, and she could see that the globe that normally sat on his desk had been moved to the floor.
Cheerilee looked away from the stallion and entered her room. For ten minutes she sat, eating her own lunch and looking worriedly at the door. Then, she stood from her seat and called the students inside. Shield, to his credit, hid his emotion very well when they returned to his class. Smiling and chuckling at a few jokes the students had made up. Every now and then, he’d cast a look at the window. The stallion closed his door, and Cheerilee went about greeting her own students before she began the next part of the lesson.
[♠]
Rainbow Dash sighed as she stepped into her home, hearing the sound of her parents talking in the kitchen. It was gradually starting to grate on her nerves, they refused to leave until Shield talked to them. There were several times that the prismatic pegasus had considered asking her brother to do it just to get them to leave, but at the same time she realized that perhaps that would make things worse. He hadn’t told her what’d happened to him in detail, so her parents were most likely right out.
Without a word the pegasus trotted up the steps to the top floor. She was intent on taking a shower after her day at work, and then going to work on her tricks. It seemed pointless to shower just so she could get dirty again, but it allowed her time to think. Rainbow Dash stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water, sending it cascading down like rain from a fresh storm. She stared at it for a moment, contemplating how it was possible to have plumbing in a house made of cloud. She was snapped from the thought as she saw steam begin to flow from the water.
She climbed into the shower and let the water cascade down her body, her muscles relaxed and she closed her eyes. Fluttershy had told her about this, a form of meditation that she could easily shoehorn into her daily routine. Her thoughts drifted to the events coming up in the weeks to come. Princess Celestia would be coming from Canterlot to help the Twilight with the Summer Sun Celebration, which would normally be fine. Unfortunately, there was a problem. That problem was the angry, one eyed marine who she called her brother.
As Rainbow Dash washed herself, her thoughts continued on about her brother. She knew that he was angry at Celestia, she knew that it had to do with his missing eye and Shining Armor, and she knew that as long as she lived, she’d never hear the full story about what happened to him. That was okay with her, she didn’t want to. What she wanted to know was ”How do I make him better?” The answer eluded her.
”I could try having Pinkie throw him a party…” She thought, before shaking her head and moving her hooves to wash her mane. ”Maybe he could help Fluttershy with… What am I thinking? Shield’s a nice pony, but I don’t Fluttershy could handle the grouchy exterior he’s got.” Rainbow Dash paused at that thought, her mind drifting back to a time when she was younger.
”He wasn’t always like that.”
Rainbow Dash quickly cleared her head of the thoughts and finished her shower, she toweled off and made her way downstairs. Unsurprisingly, her parents were still chatting in the kitchen, blissfully unaware that she was there. It was one of many things that annoyed her about them, aside from their ‘Special Schedule’. She couldn’t remember how many times she’d heard them complain about how Shield refusing to talk to them was throwing off their ‘Social plans’. Her first thought was ”Why should that matter? He’s your son.” but that was quickly replaced with ”You’re just assholes.”
Not that she’d say this directly to their faces, of course, but their constant insistence on staying until Shield talked to them about his experiences was grating on her nerves. As the prismatic pegasus made her way to the door, she caught snippets of their conversation. ”More party talk, social event this, costume ball that… How have I never noticed how petty they sound sometimes?”
Without another word she exited the house and made a beeline for the fields on the outskirts of Ponyville. The area proved to be an ideal place for her to practice, as it was right next to the school. On days like this one she liked to pick up Scootaloo,and it was always nice to have the reminder that came with the end of the day bell. The added bonus of being able to see Shield was a plus too, as he’d been working so hard lately.
She assumed so he could get his own place, which she understood was important. She didn’t mind having him living with her though, at least for the moment, mainly because it was nice knowing that she just had to go downstairs and she’d most likely find him. That was a refreshing thought, considering how long he’d been gone.
The mare was snapped from her thoughts as she caught a particularly strong gust of wind. That reminded her why she had come to the area. She began her first arrangement of tricks, a simple series of loops and twists, the perfect way to warm up. As she did this, her mind started drifting back to the proverbial elephant in the room.
“How am I going to get my parents to leave…?” She asked herself, rolling through the sky and banking to the right. The mare flew low to the ground, lower than normal. She could practically feel the grass against her stomach, and this caused her to pull up. “I should just tell them… But they never did listen.”
For several hours she continued her routines, twisting and looping, twirling and spinning. All the while she thought, thought about life, about the future, all sorts of things. In the recent weeks, she’d decided to reassess her goals in life. It had dawned on her that even though she attended the Wonderbolts Academy regularly, the possibility of being accepted onto the team was growing slimmer. Suddenly a plan for life that had been so clear cut was now becoming more and more of a distant possibility.
“What am I gonna do?” She found herself asking, leveling out and gliding for several moments. By this point, the sun was lowering in the sky and in the distance a familiar bell was ringing. “I’ll figure it out later…” The mare rotated her wings, flapping a few times and gliding towards the school. Rainbow Dash could see the fillies and colts filing out of the building, two grown ponies stood by the doors. She quickly identified them as Shield and Miss Cheerilee. Rainbow smiled and slowed herself down, trotting as her hooves made contact with the ground and she folded her wings.
“Have a good afternoon, remember to study.” Dash heard Shield say as she got within earshot. Cheerilee was saying something similar to her students. Rainbow Dash trotted towards doors, looking for Scootaloo among the crowd of foals. Shield caught sight of her and smiled. “Hey Dashie. Here for Scootaloo?”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash took up a place beside her brother. “Hey, Miss Cheerilee.” Rainbow Dash smiled at the teacher.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash.” Cheerilee replied, watching the students file out. Rainbow noticed she would occasionally look at Shield with an odd expression, if Shield noticed he didn’t make it apparent.
“Rainbow Dash!” The sound of Scootaloo’s voice brought Rainbow Dash to look at the little filly rushing towards her. Shield jumped back and smiled as she bolted towards his sister, the marine let out a chuckle as he saw her latch onto Rainbow’s foreleg. “Are we gonna go flying today?”
“Sure, squirt.” Rainbow said, she looked at Shield. “I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, Dashie. Just gotta do a few things.” Rainbow Dash smiled and plopped Scootaloo down on her back, the two of them took to the sky leaving Shield and Cheerilee behind. The veteran let out a content sigh and watched as the final students left the building. Among them was Diamond Tiara, oddly enough talking to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom without a look of malicious intent. As they left, he closed the door and looked at Cheerilee. “Well, I’m buckin’ tired.”
“Heh, well that’s nothing a few glasses of wine can’t fix, right?” Cheerilee asked, Shield smiled and shook his head.
“Not tonight, Cheers. I’m gonna see if I can get in to see Twilight Sparkle, maybe figure out our curriculum problem.” He said with a slight frown, Cheerilee was about to say something but he raised his hoof. “No talking me out of it, I need to do something to keep my mind sharp anyway.” The other teacher smiled.
“Alright, Shield. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Shield nodded and opened his wings, then took to the skies. He checked over his shoulder, and sure enough the cloud was still following him. He shrugged it off, instead focussing on his destination. The home of the latest Princess was quickly growing closer. As he drew closer, he lowered his speed and glided above the marketplace on mainstreet.
The guards at the library weren’t as tense as they saw him land, in fact most of them saluted Shield as he walked by. Word had spread fast about the marine, and with that word came respect. Shield saluted them back as he approached the door that lead to the Princess’ part of the building.
“Afternoon, colts.” He said to the guards standing there. “Is it possible to see Princess Sparkle, or is she busy.”
“Princess is always busy, sir. But she did leave word with us that you’re allowed entry as a ‘Friend” One of them replied. “So, we can let you in.” Shield didn’t break from his stoic expression, but within his mind he was somewhat caught off guard. He’d only met Twilight a couple times, to be classified a friend so quickly was odd.
“Alright, thanks.” Shield said, entering the building. “Have a good one.”
“You too, sir.”
[♠]
Crimson Star set down his binoculars and wrote a few things down in his notes. Not only was the marine being followed, but he had access to restricted areas. Someone of his caliber must have been of great importance, his teaching job was most likely a cover. For what? The Stalliongradi had no idea, but he knew that he would have to deal with the marine if things went wrong.
A twig snapped in the forest behind him, and the stallion turned around to see a pony in a hood. A cape covered most of her body, but it was clear her fur was a light blue. The horn protruding from her forehead made it clear to Crimson that this mare was a magic user. Considering the feeling of familiar power that was radiating off of her, he knew exactly who she was.
“Agent 9, it’s good to see you again.” Crimson said with a smile, the hooded pony nodded and sat down.
“Yes, yes it is.” The mare’s voice was filled with confidence. “I came to give you the final pieces we need in order to finish our plans.” From under her cloak, the mare produced several articles of clothing and a Railroad ID badge. “On the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, a train will be departing from Dodge Junction.”
“How will a train help us?” Asked Crimson, looking at the badge with curiousity.
“This train will be carrying a very volatile substance, one that ensures a large explosion.” The mare stated, sounding somewhat pleased with herself. “You will take this train, I will flip the proper switches, and we will derail it in the heart of Ponyville.” Crimson realized what she was saying, a pang of worry ran through him.
“No… We’d be killing too many innocent ponies.” He said, looking at the town. At this point, the mare shook her head.
“My Star, do you not remember how many innocent ponies THEY killed during the war?” She asked, the hooded mare stepped forwards and put a hoof on Crimson’s face. She turned him to face her. “We must remember. An eye for an eye. For our daughter…”
“An eye for an eye.” Crimson replied, putting a hoof on her hood and pushing it down. The mare’s white mane fell free. “For our daughter, I will do this.” The two of them embraced each other. “And for you, my precious Lulamoon…”
Shield sighed contently as he sat behind his desk, watching the fillies and colts scribble away on their test. It was the final week of school, and things had been going swimmingly since his discussion with Twilight Sparkle. It had taken less than five minutes for her to pull out a bag of bits with more than enough funds to buy new curriculum and teaching materials. While it was late in the school year, Shield was looking forwards to using the new books the next year.
For now though, he was overseeing the final exam. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were next to each other, as usual. Though Shield noticed that they were spending less time trying to hide the little peeks they took at each other's papers, and more time actually answering the questions honestly. The marine had to admit he was truly proud of them, of all of his students in fact. It had been difficult making an impression on them, considering the closeness to the end of the school year, but he’d done it.
The stallion couldn’t help but smile, he leaned back in his chair and continued his observation of the class. One more day, a day he intended to be ‘sick’, and the school year would be over. With no way of finding a suitable substitute, he guessed the fillies and colts would have to miss the last day. As the clock on the wall ticked away, it was clear that more and more students were finishing the exam. Shield idly turned the globe on his desk, spotting a pin in the easternmost part of the Frozen North. Upon seeing it, he felt a chill run down his spine, and he quickly turned the globe and looked away.
”These tunnels run for miles…”
”I can’t see a faust damn thing, sarge…”
Shield shook his head, there would be no sorrow on this day, his eye fell on Scootaloo. She’d finished her exam and was staring off into space.
”Scootaloo… Good filly.” He thought to himself. ”Smarter than she lets on, foolhardy to boot. I can see why Dash took her under her wing.” His vision shifted back to the globe, and a small frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. ”How many fillies and colts like her did we bury?”
The stallion looked back at his desk for a moment, he cleared his thoughts before looking back out over the class. ”Doesn’t matter anymore… We did what we had to, that’s all we could do…” The stallion let out a sigh, it went unnoticed by his students. ”I’ll be called to account for it further up the road, but for now…. I gotta drive on through it.” The next few minutes were spent in silence, with only the sound of pencils scratching to break the monotonous silence. Gradually, and much to his relief, Shield found his mind drifting from the darkness of the past and into the light of the future. A small smile crept across his lips.
He looked out onto his students, they were smart young colts and fillies. They were what he’d fought for, it wasn’t just for the stallion or mare beside him in battle, it was for the brighter future of the foals that sat before him. Tomorrow he’d be spending the day with his sister, and the day after that. The Summer Sun Celebration was perhaps one of the most hated things he could know, but so long as Rainbow Dash was there he could be jumping back into the breach for all he cared.
His eye wandered back to the clock on the wall, he would have sworn if it weren’t for fear of imprinting bad influence onto his students. The stallion quickly cleared his throat, gathering the attention of the fillies and colts.
“I let the test longer than I should have…” He stated as he stood up from his chair. “So, I’ll take what you’ve got done now.” The stallion trotted around the room, gathering the numerous tests with a small smile. “I want you all to take the last few minutes of class to relax, tests are rough on the nerves after all.” The students let out relieved sighs and started talking amongst themselves, Shield went back to his desk with their tests and began the arduous task of grading them.
“Mister Dasher?” A young voice caught his attention, he looked up from the tests. Diamond Tiara was standing in front of his desk.
“Miss Tiara, what can I help you with?” The stallion leaned back in his chair, his eye watched the filly shift from hoof to hoof.
“Well, the summer is coming up. Does that mean I’m not going to get to come in early anymore?” Shield blinked his single eye. “I like the exercise, and I don’t feel as… angry.”
“I’ll tell ya what, you talk to your dad about it and have him talk to me.” Diamond Tiara smiled and nodded. There was a brief knock on the door, followed by Cheerilee poking her head in.
“Alright, students! Class is over!” She said happily, the students let out loud shouts of joy before bolting to the door. Shield watched them leave, then began to pack up his belongings. Cheerilee surprisingly stayed in the room, not that the stallion minded. She had turned out to be quite a good friend, that was something that Shield held close to his heart. “Hey, how’d it go today?”
“Went alright, all things considered.” Shield replied, picking up his cover and placing it on his head. “You?”
“Can’t complain, all the young foals seem to get along nice enough.” Cheerilee responded, the mare trotted over to Shield’s desk and looked it over. It was extremely well organized, and she found the globe strewn with pins to be the most interesting part of it. “What are the pins for?” Shield didn’t look up from his packing, he was busy stuffing the tests into one of his saddle bags.
“Places I served.” Was his only response, Cheerilee noted some were placed in countries like Neigh Korea, Saddle Arabia, The Zebra lands, a small island called ‘Greneighda’, and one or two other places. The only one that stuck out to her was the one up in the frozen north east. “Go ahead and ask about one of ‘em, everyone does. I might give you a straight answer.”
“What’s this one? Stalliongrad?” Cheerilee was excellent with geography, she was not great with history and culture.
“It is the most faust forsaken, freezing, barren wasteland of a shit hole you could ever visit.” Shield said bluntly, he picked his saddlebags and tossed them over his back. “The city on the surface was easy to navigate, but I ended up getting assigned to the tunnels with two other guys. Leading Edge, a rookie straight outta boot, and Light Wing, who’d been with me since I was a greenhorn.”
“What’d you do there?” Cheerilee asked, looking closer at the globe.
“Conquer.” Shield said, just as bluntly. “Well, Captain Equestria conquered. Me and mine were slugging through the shit under the city looking for some KGP agent.” Shield and Cheerilee started trotting towards the door. “Agent Nine, if I recall. Some sort of Stealth Psychological Recon Ops Spook, never caught her though.”
“What happened, to your buddies I mean. Did they…” Cheerilee trailed off to which Shield nodded, he was quiet for a moment. The two stepped out into the hallway, allowing him to close his door and lock it.
“Leading Edge bought it in Saddle Arabia from Griffon and Equestrian Mercs.” Shield sounded somewhat upset, but he pushed on. “Light Wing, I don’t like to talk much about him…”
“Sorry…”
“Don’t be, it’s all in the past now.” Shield sighed as the two exited the school house, Cheerilee locked the front door and the two started trotting towards their favorite watering hole. “I hope you realize that this doesn’t leave the two of us.”
“My lips are sealed.” Cheerilee said with a smile.
“Alright then, guess I can break out the real war stories then.” Shield chuckled a bit, he through his head back and used it as an opportunity to check the sky above. Sure enough, the cloud was there and following him as usual. “Now, let me tell you about how our squad ended up pinned behind enemy lines with nothing but butter knives to defend ourselves…”
[♠]
The wind blow softly through the rustling leaves, causing parts of her stealth suit to rustle with them. As the sun was setting in the distance and the cold of the evening began to descend upon the world, the mare let out an annoyed sigh. Agent Nine, or Trixie if she was going by her cover, watched the marine with a scowl. The mare had seen his face before. Never up close and personal, but during the war.
“Oh the feared hunter, it’s been too long…” She said to herself, not caring about the accent that slipped into her speech. Through the binoculars, she saw he and the school teacher heading towards a bar. As her husband had said, there was a cloud following him. That didn’t concern her though, again she had more important things to worry about. The mare looked down a small pad of paper next to her and began writing a few notes, these notes were placed next to a crudely drawn map of Ponyville. This would be the final piece of the plan, whilst Crimson was enroute to the train depot she would take a final reconnaissance of the area.
”This should be easy, even with that pesky marine…” The ex KGP agent thought to herself, the scowl on her muzzle growing in intensity. ”No, nothing is easy. All these years of playing an air head with no grasp of strategy, none of it was easy…” To the casual observer, as well as many residents of the town, Trixie Lulamoon was a bit of a pariah. She was considered brash, arrogant, boastful, and most of all, stupid. This suited Agent Nine just fine, in fact it was exactly as she wanted it. To be viewed as a nuisance. The ponies would ignore her, and when they didn’t the act would be enough to turn them away. All the while she’d collected intelligence, documents, building plans and even the weather plans for the harvests for years to come. All by acting like a complete and utter fool. It was brilliant.
The mare looked down at the map, there were six names placed in various places along the paper. ”We know their modus operandi, now all that needs to be done is tear them apart…” The wind grew in intensity, causing the mare to tense slightly. She feared for a moment that the sudden gust would cause her stealth suit to flutter, considering it was made up of burlap sacks and branches, it was entirely possible that her position could be given away if the wind grew too strong.
She decided that she had enough information, years and years worth of knowledge and a recent intelligence report would be more than enough for the first stage of the operation. Oddly enough, the destruction of Ponyville was only a bonus to the true prize. For her and her husband, it was a young filly in Canterlot. Their daughter, who’d been stolen from them by Celestia’s cronies. As Nine made her way back to the tree line, she ground her teeth. All she and Crimson had wanted was a life of peace with their child. They didn’t care that their city had been conquered, so long as their daughter was safe with them. Considering their ties to the former ruling party, however, Shining Armor had taken the one thing they loved most.
The Summer Sun celebration would be their retribution. The beloved town of Equestria’s greatest heroes, reduced to a smoldering crater and the graves of hundreds of ponies. Nine could practically smell the brimstone. The mare wanted to say something, but truly she could only think of one word.
