AHW: Hey guys, sorry it took a bit longer to update, but better late than never, right? Also sorry for the short chapters, but as I've said before (At least I think) I don't have a lot of free time to write, and I'm also fairly new. Anyways, other than that, I hope you guys enjoy reading.
I had always known I was a bad person at heart. Now I don't mean like I abuse children or anything, but I just never really cared about other people. Turns out, that was clearly visible in my test results.
"Well... by the looks of this it shouldn't be too hard to find a spot for you." Celestia said, causing Luna to let out a small gasp.
"S-sister, you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?!" She questioned, sounding slightly worried.
"I am afraid I am." She replied, looking at me. "William, how do you feel about joining the Equestrian Army?" She questioned, causing both Luna and I to go into shock.
After a few moments I recovered, and then I really began thinking. "I don't know… the Military? Really?.. Well, It's Equestria, it couldn't be that bad, could it? But what if it is? No, it won't be: It's Equestria." I thought.
"Okay, sure." was my response, causing Celestia to smile and Luna to get a worried expression on her face.
"Will," She said. "I'm sure the guards will be accepting, but if there's anypony that is giving you a hard time, just let us know." She said, sounding genuinely worried, which in turn made me start to worry.
But by then it was too late. And anyways, it was Equestria. "Alright, right this way." Celestia spoke up, breaking what was becoming an awkward silence.
We walked around the castle for a couple of hours signing me up, having my armor and weapons made (Which I put in a special request for special made… items.), and last but not least I met up with my Squad. They seemed like solid guys, but I quickly got the feeling that I should try to make friends as quickly as possible.
"So, you're the new recruit, eh?" Asked an older stallion, who if I had to guess was about 61.
"Yes sir." I replied, in a casual yet strict tone I was glad I managed.
"Prior experience?" He asked.
"No." Was my reply, which was apparently the wrong answer as every one of them stopped what they were doing and gave me an odd look.
"If you don't have any experience, why'd they put you here?" He asked.
"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that sir." I replied.
"Do you know what Squad this is, Soldier?" he asked in a slightly hostile tone.
"No sir." I replied again, trying to keep my nerves steeled.
"This is the A squad. We are who Celestia calls when she needs something done right the first time." He responded, causing everyone in the barracks to look very smug.
"Now, do you really think you belong here?" He asked, sounding noticeably threatening.
"With all do respect sir, I do." I responded, causing him to smile darkly.
"Straight Shot, taking him to the firing range. Let's see what he's got." He said.
As we walked down, I felt especially calm, which seemed to make everyone around me seem either curious or cocky. I was calm, simply, because of the special order I put in to the blacksmith.
After a few minutes we made it to the range, which was a large concrete building with various creature-shaped targets attached to a ropes that could be pulled back to examine how well you did. Shot quickly used his magic to pick up a bow and shot three arrows and without looking put them directly through a Changeling Target's heart and both eyes. With a satisfied look he walked away from the range. After that, a large dark red earth pony with a brown mane offered me a bow, which I kindly refused.
"Ah, giving up?" he asked as I put down the case I had been carrying.
"Nope." I replied simply, finishing opening up the small case. As I opened it I smiled wide, while everypony around me stared in curiosity as I pulled out various odd looking parts and attached them to one another like a three dimensional puzzle. After it was completely together, I wasn't surprised to still see the odd looks I was getting. The item I currently held in my hands was a generic rifle that I instructed and help the blacksmith make. It didn't have a scope, because that would require a glass works shop, but I had plenty of experience with shooting so I wasn't worried.
I quickly loaded a clip with bullets from my pocket and inserted it into the gun. As everyone watched me take aim with wonder, I smiled to myself, knowing that they had no idea what to expect. So, as I fired off three shots into a Pony-Shaped target. First into it's head, then it's heart, and lastly where it's privates would be. Of course, I was the only one to actually see the target get hit as the loud bang of the gun made everypony jump, cover their ears, and pretty much freak out. After I was done I waited for everyone to get their bearings, and then one of them slowly started pulling the target back towards us.
As it came within view the already startled ponies grew slightly pale as they gazed upon the target that, being made of fairly weak material, was missing large chunks where I had shot. I noticed that as they all gazed upon my final shot the stallions grew slightly paler somehow.
"...Welcome to the team." Said the pony I assumed was the commander.
"Yes!" I yelled, causing the majority of the ponies to jump again.
After that we all made our way back to the barracks where I was introduced to everyone before Princess Luna and Celestia came in.
"Hello Princesses." Said Commander Steel Fury.
"Is everypony okay?" They asked, obviously concerned.
"Why yes, everypony is fine, if not a bit hard of hearing." He said, causing a few ponies, as well as me, to start laughing, much to the Princesses confusion.
"We heard a loud cracking sound, and when we checked the range…" Said Celestia.
"Oh, that was my fault, sorry." I spoke up over the lessening laughter.
"You? But how?" Celestia asked, sounding shocked much to my pleasure.
"I'm sorry Princess, but that is on a need-to-know basis." I said, laughing at my own stupid joke.
"Well, as the Co-General of the Army, I suppose I order you to tell me." She said, causing all eyes to turn on me to see what I would do.
"Well as a person who doesn't want to tell you, I kindly refuse." I said, causing a few people to gasp, including Luna, as Celestia became visibly angry.
"William, a word." She spoke with enough venom to kill an Ursa. As I stepped outside, she slammed the door to the barracks, leaving everypony in the room with mouths wide open.
We walked for a while before we got to a nice little room with a fireplace on one wall, and a bookshelf on the other. It had a carpet covering the floor, and many antique looking utilities that anyone could tell were purely decorative.
Celestia walked over to the large couch near the center of the room, and I took the couch across from it. "William," She spoke with an oddly neutral tone that quickly put me on guard. "I know we may have our differences, but I take my job very seriously, and I will not be disrespected in front of my citizens. Do you understand?" She asked, keeping the same neutral tone throughout the entirety of her speech.
I wordlessly nodded my head, since she did have a point, and I had been fairly rude to her, in front of her own guard nonetheless.
"Very well. Now, I'm not going to ask about the source of the sound again as long as you can promise that it will in no way endanger My little ponies." She said.
"I promise that it will in no way endanger them." I lied.
I held my breath as Celestia looked me over briefly before she seemed to accept what I told her as the truth. "Alright. Now, since we are already here, is there anything you'd like to discuss?" She asked.
"Actually, yes." I responded. "First off, a little while back I took a job for Applejack, will I be able to continue working there?" I asked. "Ah yes, I had a feeling you'd ask something like that. Yes, the squad I assigned you to is only for the most important of missions, and is rarely sent out." She said, causing me to become very happy. "Also, you are officially in an elite group of my military, and thus you will be payed, and housing will be provided for you wherever you like it." She continued.
"Could I have it out by the Everfree Forest, near Ponyville?" I asked, surprising her for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Of course." She responded. "Oh, and nothing too big either." I said, but she ignored me, instead replying with "Well, now that those are out of the way, you are free to head back to Ponyville. Construction on your house will begin soon, and will be over within about a month's time."
"There is a waiting carriage outside that will take you to Sweet Apple Acres." She said.
"Alright I guess. Bye Celestia." I said as I got up and left the room, passing Luna in the hallways, she looked at me with an expression somewhere between pity and sorrow.
"What the hell does she think happened to me?" I questioned myself.
When I got to the carriage the ponies all seemed to turn pale upon seeing me. "Um, hi?" I half-asked.
"H-hello Sir!" One said, sounding slightly strained in keeping his official voice.
"Why are you guys being so weird?" I asked, knowing that Equestrian Guards are known for their strict emotionless appearances when on duty.
"Sir… We heard about the weapon." He said simply enough.
"Don't worry guys, I'm on your side, remember?" I said, causing them all to look a bit shocked.
"Celestia didn't tell you did she?" I asked.
"Tell us what Sir?" He asked, all fear gone from him and his comrades.
"I'm part of the guard now." I said, earning myself a few smiles as I got into the carriage.
After a couple of minutes of me admiring my new gun, we arrived in front of Sweet Apple Acres. As I made my way inside I saw a note on the couch and read it aloud to myself.
"Will, sleepover at Twilight's. Come as soon as you read this, that's an order." I read aloud, chuckling at the last part. "If only she knew." I finished.
"Knew what?" Asked Big Mac as he walked into the room.
"Well, I joined the Army today." I said.
"Good for ya'." He said. "You still gonna be able to work here?" He questioned.
"Yeah, for the most part. I hope it's okay if I ever need some time off for it?" I asked.
"Eeyup." Was all he said as he began walking up the stairs to his room. "You better start headin' out." He reminded me before he disappeared completely up the stairs.
As I made my way to the Library I couldn't help hold me head high. I took some old rope from the barn and made a little sling for my rifle so I could put it over my shoulder and behind my back wherever I went. Sure I got a few looks but I mostly ignored them. As I approached the house I noticed that all the lights were off. Assuming the worst, I climbed up the tree and found a balcony on what I assumed was the second floor. I crawled into what I assume was Twilight's Room. It was dark, but the sun was just beginning to set so there was a little bit of light.
I slowly made my way over to the door, and quietly opened it. I heard some hushed whispers coming from downstairs, so after a bit of stumbling around blindly I found the stairs and made my way downstairs. I stayed low until I saw a pitch white pony standing out a little in the darkness. It looked like they were trying to hide so I quietly made my way over to them and when I was close enough, I lunged at them, taking them to the floor with them screaming as I pinned them to the ground with my elbow on their windpipe.
The lights quickly flashed on, and shortly after I was the one being pinned by a cyan pegasus and a butter-colored pegasus. When I was tackled I landed on my back, causing my gun to go off and emit a noise loud enough to stop all motion in the room, as well as take away a part of my ear, as well as my hearing.
After a minute or two everypony was recovering and taking their bearings. And then there was me, incapable of hearing, laying on my back, holding my ear and biting my lip so hard it bled just to stop myself from screaming.
The girls all crowded around me, enraged at my actions. I couldn't hear them but by the looks of it they were yelling their heads off. Eventually they must have realized that something was wrong, either because I wasn't responding or because I was clenching my ear with a death grip while biting my lip. Fluttershy was the first to notice the small pool of blood seeping through the cracks between my fingers, and immediately began attempting to remove my hand from my injury, with unexpected force might I add. Despite my best efforts she managed to remove my hand and then gasped... Or at least I think she gasped…
After that a white earth-pony with bright pink hair walked up to me and began fiddling with my head. Eventually I saw her take some bandaged that Fluttershy brought over to her and began bandaging my ear. I assumed I had lost a lot of blood by that point though, because I began feeling light headed and passed out.
I woke up feeling slightly better. There was an IV in my arm connected to what appeared to be a blood bag. I made sure to remove it as quickly as possible, since I wasn't a exactly a "needle person". After that I looked to the left and noticed two things. One, I was in a hospital, and two the girls were all leaned up against each other sleeping in chairs next to me.
They did seem bigger, but I quickly realized that was because I was on the floor. It made enough sense, seeing as I probably wouldn't fit in a pony bed, however they were nice enough to cover the floor in pillows and blankets as a nice substitute. I didn't want to wake them, but I did want to get up and stretch, so as quietly as I could I got up and made my way over to the door.
I was halfway out without waking the girls until all of a sudden. "Sir! Please, you must stay in bed!" The white pony I remembered from the party spoke rather loudly, waking the girls.
"W-*Yawn*-Will, are you up?" Asked a sleepy sounding Applejack.
"Oh boy! I knew you'd wake up soon! I knew it! They said you probably would be asleep for at least a day but I knew they were wrong!" Said Pinkie Pie, sounding very much like a morning person, much to the other five's disapproval.
"Yeah Pinkie, I'm awake… What happened?" I asked.
"You attacked Rarity, and then when Shy and I tackled you that thing on your back made a really loud noise and took off part of your ear." Rainbow Dash informed me.
"Oh, okay… Wait! Where is the thing that was on my back?!" I asked, realizing how dangerous it could potentially be.
"It's being held in the hospital safe, just in case." Said the nurse.
"Could you bring it to me?" I asked somewhat frantically.
I didn't care where it was I wanted to be sure. I promised Celestia it wasn't dangerous to her ponies and I was already in deep shit if she knew about what happened. Either because of my frantic voice or something else, one way or another she went off to fetch my rifle.
"So what is that thing anyways?" Asked Twilight, letting her inner scholar shine through.
"It's a replica of something we have back in the colony." I replied, causing her to really become interested.
"Can I-" She started before I cut her off.
"No. No one is to handle that thing but me, understood?" I asked, causing them to all give me an odd look.
"Boy have I got some explaining to do." I thought out loud.
"Indeed you do." Said Rarity.
"Sorry Rarity… I thought-" This time it was Me who was cut off.
"No need to explain Darling, just… please don't do that again." She said, giving me a sheepish smile.
"Sure thing Rarity." I said, smiling at her as warmly as I could.
"Here is your… thing, sir." Said the nurse, handing me the rifle especially carefully.
"Thank you Miss…" I paused since I didn't know her name.
"Redheart." She said, smiling.
"Well thank you Miss Redheart." I said.
"Alright girls, I just gotta get this bill out of the way and then we can all go to the library and I can do some explaining." I said.
"That won't be necessary William, I just payed for your bills." Celestia said.
"Oh fuck me." I said under my breath, causing Nurse Redheart to blush and excuse herself.
"Alright… Let's go." I said defeatedly.
Everyone was silent during the walk home. Once we got inside everyone took a spot on their sleeping bag, including Celestia who materialized one for herself, as well as one for me. As I sat down, I pulled the rifle off of my back and laid it across my lap.
"Alright… Well girls, to start things off, I joined the army." I said, causing them all to gasp, minus Celestia.
Before they could ask any questions I decided to just get the rest of it out of the way. "And Celestia, remember when you took me to the Blacksmith?" I asked, getting a nod. "I had him make me some custom parts for this." I said, slightly lifting the gun in the air. "It's called a rifle. It launches these," I said, pulling out a bullet. "at high speeds. Think of it like a huge upgrade of a bow." I explained. "Anyways, that's what made the loud noise at the range. It's loud as hell." I said, chuckling slightly. "Anyways, when I got to Sweet Apple Acres I found a note saying to come to the Library for a sleepover, so I got some rope in the barn and made a little sling so it would be easier to carry around. Once I got to the Library though, I noticed all the lights were off. I knew they were supposed to be here, so I assumed the worst and climbed up through the second floor window. After that I heard whispering coming from downstairs, so I went down and tackled the first pony I saw. Then, when Rainbow and Fluttershy tackled me I landed on the gun, and it went off next to my ear and took part of it off." I finished, looking to the floor for comfort, only to find none.
As I turned my head back up to look at everypony in the room I noticed they were all giving me some kind of look, whether saddened in the cases of most of the girls, or impressed in the case of Celestia, who began to speak shortly after I finished.
"Well, I am upset you lied to me, but nopony was hurt too badly, and it was because you were trying to help… I'll excuse it. This time." She said, causing everyone in the room to smile, and me to have a mini celebration in my head.
"Have fun explaining this to the rest of the town." She spoke before smirking and teleporting away.
As this sudden realization hit me, only two simple words came to mind. "Oh shit."