Chapter 9
Reunion
How can a man stay focused on life, when all he sees is death? I can't get it out of my head that sending Allen and Garnett with Fluttershy got them killed. If they'd just been with me... DAMN... IF THEY'D JUST BEEN WITH ME! MAYBE THEY'D STILL BE ALIVE! MAYBE I COULD'VE SAVED THEM... maybe.
-Red
It is only four hours after the death of Allen and Garnett. A tank commander, Sgt. Jackson is just ten feet away busy at work fixing and checking his tank. Red, Peter and Grim stare angrily at Fluttershy who is sitting alone near a wall, probably lost in her own world.
Twilight came by first looking at Fluttershy then said to the three stallions, "Maybe one of us should go talk to her."
"For what? Thank for getting our friends killed? Better luck next time? Screw that." Peter replied back in a angry voice.
They all are mourning over the lost of their comrades, half of them came to believe that it was Fluttershy fault for getting them killed, and other half says she didn't because they thought she was a coward which she normally do in combat. Now everypony think it was the death pistol that caused the death of both Allen and Garnett.
"Peter, leaving her alone isn't going to solve anything," says Twilight "Isn't also that friends are suppose to help one another. That what friends are for right?"
Peter walk away while he mutter, "Getting the two boys killed isn't part of the magic of friendship that you people usually pull off."
"Well not seeing him is sure as hell gonna help me." said Grim after Peter walk away.
"Would you listen to yourself, Grim? She fought too. She almost died with them."
"Did she? How do we know she wasn't off in a bush somewhere and left them to die?" Grim shouted, causing attention to the ponies around them.
"Grim, keep talking like that and we're gonna have a real problem here. You've never seen me have a real problem." Ace called out by galloping over to them.
This made Grim shut up. Instead of protesting, he turns and walks toward to the tank, not wanting to continue with the conversation.
Ace turn to face Red as he said to him, "Red, focus is the key. Don't let yourself be draw away from your squad when something major is happening. Especially with Grim's talking."
Red didn't pay attention to what Ace is talking about as he turn his angry look at the ground.
Ace notice this and made a remark, "If you can't stay focused today just tell me and I'll get another squad leader."
Red sighed then looks up at Ace and shook his head with a no.
"Good, I have to go to the CP and write a report of what just happened earlier. While I'm gone, I don't want you ponies to start chewing Fluttershy out about the mess. We're suppose to fight against the enemy, not against each other, you got that?" Ace waited until Red nodded.
Then, Ace turns and left toward a two-story house next to a bridge, not bothering to look at Fluttershy as he pass her.
Red thought for a moment then walks forward, passing Fluttershy and sit near a river to take a moment to drown out what happened to him earlier.
As she was checking on with Sgt. Jackson, Twilight noticed Red walking to the river embankment and sit down. So after talking to Jackson a bit, Twilight went over and sits next to Red, looking at the passing water.
Red heard her coming and said to her without looking, "You believe in those rumors don't you?"
"Not without evidence." says Twilight, "The squad worried about the pistol and it next victim."
Red only shook his head side to side as he was not getting then replied, "It happened all the time. You know, I'd used to have sixteen friends. Sixteen when the war started and now, it just me Grim, and Peter."
He took off his helmet then pulled out a photo in it as he pulled out a red ink pen from his pocket.
Twilight look at the photo to see what is it.
It a unit photo with soldiers standing in front of a C-47, looking at the camera with pride showing on their faces.
Twilight suddenly realized it the photo shoot of Red first squad and everyone on it were his friends. Near their faces are red letter.
Most of them has the letter 'KIA' meaning killed in action while the other soldiers has the marking of 'WIA" meaning wounded in action.
When Red marked Allen and Garnett faces as killed in action, it make the total amount of twelve killed and three wounded.
When he finish, Red put the photo back in his helmet to place it between the straps for safekeeping then got up.
Before he could walk away, he asked Twilight a question. "Try and ask yourself this; what is it that makes a great soldier, is it his brain? Or his heart."
Then, without letting Twilight have the time to think of the answer, he walks to the CP.
Before she could get up to follow, Applejack gallop toward her and said to her with excitement, "Twilight! You might not want to believe this!"
"Well, what is it?" Twilight asked, wanting to know.
"Our friends from Ponyville are here!" came a reply.
…
As soon as Twilight and Applejack got to a open field next to the road, they could see ponies heading to the opposite direction of the way they came from. On the side of the road are a large number of ponies talking to the Equestrian squad. As clearly as it may seem, these ponies were former residents of Ponyville.
When Twilight and Applejack walk on toward them, one of Applejack relative, Granny Smith, saw them coming then exclaimed, "Oh my lord, it Princess Twilight!"
Everypony then ran on over to Twilight and started to complain about the war.
"You have to do something, your highness!" said one mare, "All of this chaos is making us worry about our country!"
"Even our own people are taking a beating from those rascals." said another.
"Hold on, hold on!" says Applejack, raising her hooves to stop all the compliments, "Let give the princess a break, will ya`ll please? As far as we know of, we're trying our best to get the control of everything. So far, the war will be over soon as soon as ya`ll know it and Equestria will finally be at peace."
"Oh, give me a break!" cried out a mare, not wishing anything that Applejack`s had said are true.
"That what our Intel says." Rarity added to ease the tone.
"Where are you ponies going?" Rainbow asked the ponies.
The, an old stallion begin with a choking voice, "After we were captured in Ponyville the day when all of this happened, we were sent to a concentration camp. It was horrible. Ponies all over the kingdom were sent there, getting killed for no simple reason!" When he said that last part, he begin to cry as ponies around him begin to comfort him.
"And," a mare picked up after the stallion cause an outburst, "Oh, have mercy on us! We all thought we will never see the life of Equestria ever again when your friends came and liberated us. While we were being evacuated, most of our young stallions and mares agree to fight for what remind of Equestria."
"Even Big Mac?" Applejack with a worry looks on her face.
"Yes, him too." came a reply, then a mare added, "So for now on, we are heading to a place that will be safe for us all."
"Where is that exactly?" Rainbow asked again, frustrated that they haven't answer it earlier.
"We don't know." says a stallion, walking up to them, "but we need to get back on the line now. Please take care now. We will pray on the Almighty above to help our youngling that will begin to save us and our future."
They all say goodbye in a tearful manner then rejoin the line of ponies then continue heading back south.
"I'm gonna miss them." said Applejack, with tear in her eyes, "They all have a life that they wanna live with."
"I don't like it with everything that is changing around us," says Twilight, putting her hoof on Applejack right shoulder, "Especially Red."
"What about him?" Rainbow said, angrily, "Did you see what just happened to our friends? Our family? Here we are in a middle of a war that will most likely get us all kill. I mean, look at Fluttershy! She's act like she in a coma after what happened to Allen and Garnett."
"Do you have an any reason to it that might prove your futile request?" Rarity challenge.
"Well… no," Rainbow stammer, "Aw… forgets it." She turn then walked away.
"Listen here Twilight, "says Applejack, "You don't need to listen what Rainbow has to says. She could be frustrated at the time."
"No," Twilight replied by shaking her head side to side, "She right. I could stop overreacting over Red."
"Well, it not just you," Rarity pointed out, "We all are greatly worried over the pistol that they all once had. You know, that shiny little silver pistol that Garnett use to have before he died. We all felt the loss of a friends and we connate process of losing another one."
Twilight only shook in a negative response then said to Rarity, "I don't see the point on why you all so obsess of worrying about the gun. It just a pistol, okay?"
Out of nowhere, Pinkie jump next to Twilight then said to her, "Oh yeah? How did the pistol caused those fatal deaths, hmm?"
Twilight shouted at her, "Will you stop jumping next to me? It very annoying. All I know is that no one saw it coming and there is no evidence that goes along with it. We're really dumb to see thing for ourselves!" She took a deep breath then added, "I just don't know what to do now. We all thought of Red, even Ace as they are part of our family. Right now, they're not."
Feeling the same thing as Rainbow, she walked away without saying anything, leaving the squad with no one to trust to.
…
That evening, Peter walked outside of the mess hall, eating chow on his mess kit when he heard a rustling.
He stopped and looks around when he heard the rustling again, this times it coming from the bush. It keeps on rustling when somepony says, "Ow."
He walked up to the bush and called out, "Is anyone there?"
The rustling stopped for a moment then no one replied.
Instead for reaching for his sidearm, he pulled out a wooden spoon then called out again in medieval voice, "Come out, you fiends! Or feeling the wrath of my spoon!"
Before he could strike, a voice called out from the bush, "No! Don't hit us with the spoon!"
"Yeah!" said another, "We only want to stick around."
"We didn't mean to bother you!" said another.
"Show yourselves." said Peter, still holding on to his precious spoon.
Three small fillies came out of their hiding spot as Peter looked at them.
Three small fillies, he thought, scratching his head with a spoon, they couldn't be that dangerous.
"Who are you?" he asked the small fillies.
Before the two fillies on either side could respond, the one with a red bow tie yelled out, "We are the Cutie Mark Crusader! I'm Applebloom."
The purple-haired filly said, "I`m Scootaloo!" and the slightly-gray haired said, "And I'm Sweetie Belle. And you are?"
"Peter," Peter replied, "Friends called me Peter. I don't know why you three are doing here so I think it's time for you to leave."
"No!" says Sweetie Belle, "We want to stay and help!"
"Yeah," Scootaloo added, "If almost you decided to hit us with a spoon."
"Then, how did you get here?" Peter asked with concern.
"It easy!" Applebloom begin with delight, "When we came here, we quickly jump into the bushes without being noticed."
"And beside, nothing dangerous is happening here." said Scootaloo, standing next to Peter who remarked, "It dangerous to be up in the frontline. You kids aren't suppose to be up here anyway."
The three fillies looked around before Sweetie Bell could recalled, "There no sign anywhere that said it."
Peter scoffed then got an idea. He walked back to the mess hall then came out with only a wooden sign post and a red paint can. He grabbed a brush that is sitting inside the can then begins putting paint on the sign.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders just looked at each other when Peter finished painting then turn the sign around for the Crusaders to read.
On the sign, it read: No little people allow on the frontline
"Hey!" Scootaloo exclaimed by pointing at the sign, "You just put that there!"
"Did not."
"Did too!" the three fillies' chorus.
"Fine." said Peter, giving up, "I'll just go over to the MP and tell them you're here." then begin walking away, only to be stopped by AppleBloom who said to him, "No please! This is the only way for us to get our cuties marks."
"By killing?"
"No, by helping."
"I don't think that will work," says Peter, shaking his head, "You girls are a bunch of lunatic lying around for nothing."
"Sure it will," says Sweetie Belle, "We only need to know what our tasks and we'll be right on it!"
Peter thought for a moment then got another idea, saying with joy, "I got it! Come with me."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other with smile at their faces then follow Peter with Scootaloo saying, "I hope this will be a good one!"
…
"This is not what I signed up for." Scootaloo humble, rubbing Peter M16 barrel.
"Meaning volunteering?" Sweetie Belle corrected her by cleaning a magazine.
They all are located inside a weapon depot, pretty much cleaning Peter`s weapon and gear. They asked for it. Not sure why Peter put them as service since he never bother taking care of his own stuff.
"Calm yourself down." said Applebloom, "All we did what he asked and he obeyed it. This is what helping other means. And we'll get our cuties marks in no time." When she finishes her sentence, she spit the tip of Peter boot and rubs it.
"By doing somepony chores?" Scootaloo frowned, "You know what? This is a rip off. We should be out fighting for Equestria. Not cleaning somepony stuff for no apparent reason."
When she finish her sentence, Applejack came by the tent they're in and when she pass by, she said, "Hiya Applebloom."
Before she could walk away, she stopped then turned back toward the tent, saying, "Applebloom? What in tarnation are you even doing here?"
"We're cleaning," says Applebloom, not bothering to stop what she doing, "And that what we're up to."
"But why?" Applejack asked.
"It suppose to help get our cutie marks," says Sweetie Belle, matter-of-factly, "I guess it not working out too well."
Applejack just looked at them then laughed.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other like what the heck?
When she finished, Applejack sighed and said to them, "Oh really? Cleaning somepony stuff will get you a cutie mark?"
"Apparently." Applebloom shrugged.
Applejack chuckle so softly then said, "No it won`t. War is nothing to our culture. So for now on, I gotta get you girls to the transfer station, ya hear?"
She grabbed the three fillies and led them outside, passing by Peter who is yelling at them, "Hey! You haven't finish my chores!"
Applejack ignores him as she led the fillies to the CP where Twilight and Rainbow at, talking to each other when Applejack walked up to them then announced, "Pardon for the interruption, look who I got. Found them at the depot, cleaning Peter things."
"Twilight looked at them and replied, "You know what they say, 'Once you catch them, better to turn them in'."
"Well, that the lamest catchphrase I ever heard of." said Rainbow, looking at Twilight.
"Well, that what they say." Twilight responded with a shrug.
"You're turning us in?" said Scootaloo, shocked, "But we want to stay and help."
"No, you girls not." says Twilight, "You are going to where all the other ponies is. Where it safe for your beneficial needs."
Right at that moment, Rarity came by then shouted, "Sweetie Belle? What on earth are you even doing here?"
"Here we go again." said Sweetie Belle, putting her one hoof on her head.
"These three escape from the line and goes on cleaning people boots." Applejack told her.
"We are not going to keep them right?" Rarity asked.
"Of course not, why wouldn't we?" Rainbow replied.
"Well," Rarity begin, "I was looking for somepony to help me carry all of my personal belonging."
Before any of the Cutie Mark Crusaders could respond to this, Applejack stepped in then said to her, "Heck no! These three aren't allowed to be up here, Rarity. And for your stuff? There a thing called 'backpack'"
"Yes but it making my sooo exhausting! I might faint!"
Everypony just stared at her with a look.
Rarity looked back at them then replied, "
Fine. Do what you want with those creatures."
"Hey!" Applebloom wail.
"I thought so." said Applejack then turned to face Twilight, "How far is it to the nearest transfer station you'd talked about."
"It probably 20 miles north from here. I think its best if you take Venda to get there." Twilight replied.
"Who Venda?" Rainbow asked, confused.
Applejack answered her, "You know, the jeep?"
"Ohhh, whatever."
"Yeah but the problem is," Applejack turn back toward Twilight, "I don't know how to drive."
"Well," Twilight tapped her chin then got an idea, saying, "Why don't we go and ask Red to do it?"
Before she could go inside and ask, Red came out of the CP and said to them, "What going on here?"
Applejack told him he whole story when, in the finish, Red replied, "So, you want me to drive them to the transfer station? No can do."
"Why not?" they all, except for the Crusader, said in unison.
"I got thing to do." Red looked around then spotted Peter putting a C4 into a cereal box.
"Peter!" Red called out to him, "get over here."
When Peter reaches him, Red begins by hitting him in the head with a folder he is levitated with his magic.
"Ow, what the hell was that for?" Peter yelped after getting smack.
"Two things," Red pointed out, "One, I could court-martial you for having these three as your butlers."
"But we're not-," Applebloom started to complain but Red cut her off, "And two," he continue, "I want you to take them to the transfer station so they'll will be with the other."
"Why does he have to take us?" Scootaloo asked with a frowning face.
"Cause I say so." Red replied.
When Peter began to take the girls to a motor pool nearby, he was stopped by Red who said to him, "Here, take Venda." He handed him a key.
"Thank." Peter said by accepting the offer but before he could take it, Red whisper to him, "But whatever you do, don't crash it like you did last time."
"Don't worry, I won't." Peter smirk.
When he went to the motor pool, Red said to Twilight, "I think I made a grave mistake on giving him the key."
"And why is that?" Twilight asked, with wonderment.
"I'm pretty sure he'll going to crash the jeep." Red replied with whiteness all over his face.
"Why would he'll crash it even though he is your best friend?"
"He'd crashed three of my jeeps. I would've gives him the key over my dead body. Now I have to go find another one."
"Well," Twilight sighed, "let's just hope he won't crash it this time."
…
Twenty minute has passed and they still wouldn`t shut up.
Imagine all the most annoying people in your life into one small jeep, chitchatting about something that you don`t want to hear.
This is what happening to Peter. He wanted to shut them up so bad he felt like crashing the jeep. But he couldn`t, he made a promise to Red ever since he crashes all of his other jeeps months ago.
While the girls were having an argument, Peter said to them, "Okay! I have an idea, why don`t we play a game called 'I Spy'?"
"Alright, I`ll go first." Says Sweetie Bell.
She looked around a bit then exclaimed, "I Spy with my one little eye something green."
"Uh… Sweetie Bell? Everywhere all around us is green." Apple Bloom reassure her with a mock on her face, "Could you try and pick something that is not green this time?"
"Well, I don`t see the point why we has to play this stupid game." Sweetie Bell humps, turning her face away from her two friends.
When he drives around a corner, Peter has to stop the jeep due to a traffic jam up ahead.
"Oh, come on!" Peter yelled angrily as he turned to his side to wave an MP over and asked him what going on.
"Same thing, Sir," the MP told him, "88`s just pounded our supplies trucks again."
"What an 88?" Applebloom asked, lending in forward with her head just above Peter shoulder.
"Something." Peter replied back then turned to the MP and thank him for the information.
The MP tipped his helmet then went back to his post while the girls continue talking again.
Not wanting to take this anymore, Peter ended up hitting his head on the car horn, causing attention then turn back toward the girls, saying with angry in his voice, "Fine, how about this? Let`s play a game called, Shut up and be quiet'."
"But you just said," Applebloom was beginning to say but Peter interrupted her, "The game begins now!"
Everypony fell silent, except for a booming sound that is beginning to make Sweetie Bell shivered.
"What the matter with you, Sweetie Bell?" Scootaloo asked, noticing her friend shivering for some reason.
"Those booming sound is making me nervous." Sweetie replied, "Especially when it seem to be close."
"Didn`t I just says no talking?" Peter barked from his driver seat, not looking at the girls behind him.
On every each passing minute, the explosions seem to be coming closer and closer.
"Um… Peter?" Applejack was beginning to ask right in time when a truck in front of them exploded.
88`s, 105`s and 155`s mm shell began pounding all around them, sending vehicles and body parts alike flying.
"Jesus!" Peter screamed the put the jeep into gear. He drives the jeep off the highway into a field, away from the killing zone.
"Hang on!" Peter called back as the jeep rocked back in forth, sending the girls bouncing around all over their seat. Then, the jeep was launched into the air. Everypony in it went stirring in the air and safely landed back in the jeep in one piece. After landing back into the driver seat, Peter manages to get the jeep back on the road.
"Is anyone okay?" Peter called back to girls and turned to see if they are there.
He found them wide-eyes then each one of them did a little nod, checking themselves that they are okay from the artillery barrage.
Good, Peter thought to himself, No one did fly out. So did Venda.
Moment later, they finally made it to the transfer station.
After pulling up next to the side of the station, Peter yelled out, "Alright, get out!" then got out of the jeep and so did the three fillies.
Peter walked up to the station attendant who is behind a counter and begin speaking to her, "I got these three girls not where they`re suppose to be. I`m requesting a transfer for them."
"What village they`re from?" the attendant asked.
"Ponyville." came a reply.
The attendant checked her list on a clipboard before replying, "There a bus that should take them to section B soon. That should take them there. What is your name and unit ID?"
"First Sergeant Peter from the 501st Regiment, 101st Airborne." Peter gulfed.
The attendant type something on a makeshift computer before replying again, "And by what account?"
"Oh come on! Really? I came all the way over here with a bunch of idiot girls that almost got me killed in a highway? What kind of damn army is this?" Peter complains, forcing the shocked attendant to do something on her computer again then handed a receipt to Peter, "There you go. Have a nice day!" She smiled at Peter, who looked away then handed the receipt to Applebloom with a remarked, "Alright. You girls stay here with this creepy and also weird women. Don`t try going back to the frontline, you hear me?"
"Yes." the girls' chorus, understanding what Peter meant.
"Will sis be alright?" said Applebloom, with tear in her eyes.
"Yeah, I`m sure she will." Peter manage a smile then said, "It nice meeting you all." When he about to walk away, the girls went and hug Peter, wishing him luck and take care.
"You too." Peter replied back then went to Venda and hopped in to start the vehicle and drive off.
It was a nice reunion, well it wasn`t for Peter. But the good thing is that he didn`t crash Venda for no apparent reason.
When his mind drifted away, his robotic hand somehow slipped off the steering wheel, forcing Venda to swivel off the road and crash into a tree.
After regaining from the concussion, Peter got out of the jeep to inspect the damage. It not a minor damage. The hood has been bended a little.
"Oh no," Peter stammer, talking to himself, "Red is gonna kill me."
Then, he got an idea to cover up the damage.
He`ll either whack the hood into a straight line with a hammer or steal somebody else jeep hood. It`ll might work and Red will never notice it.
Peter hopped back in the jeep, put it on reverse so he could get it back on the road then begin driving back to the CP.
Sure thing Peter wanted to crash the jeep.
Not.
AN:
There goes another chapter. Pretty much Red is going to kill Peter for crashing his fifth jeep and pray Red never going to notice it.
Anyway, sorry it kept me so long. I was actually going around in fanfiction asking people for pieces of advice that they made their stories pretty good. If you have any, please let me know, also post a review so that I wanted to hear something for you all. Really. I do. No one didn`t do crap but sending me a distress call.
*Sob*
No one loves me! Damn you world!
*Sobbed some more then stop*
Ah, who care? No one is going to post anyway. Well, that about it for today.
Remember, keep reading and chive on!
Currahee!