About a month after we got everyone settled in (Only one or two incidents where I threatened to blow their fucking head off because of their comments about the ponies), it was a normal day. Well, as normal as Ponyville considers. Also, Schmidt got Scoots to open up and she revealed that she was actually an orphan. He took her under his metaphorical wing, and Dash found out, much to Scootaloo's fears.

Dash is starting to work harder with Scoots to get her to fly. She's doing her best to make a pegasus out of a chicken. Metaphorical chicken, but still.

And Gallan found my iPod (and M1911) when he appeared. I gave him fifty bits in return, causing him to faint for a few minutes. When he awoke, I told him that gold was commonplace, causing him to promptly faint again. Dude was a dirt poor farmer before coming, so I understood that.

Anyway, I was chatting with Schmidt (he's getting better in English, thankfully), when Dawn appeared and, without saying anything, teleported us away.

"The fuck?!" I coughed out, a little smoke coming from my mouth as if we were in a cartoon. Schmidt was brushing ash off of him.

"I need your help." Dawn said, standing over us, his gaze settled on my face. "And I would rather ask as a friend than give an order as your CO." He added as I got to my feet.

"Alright, what is it, Dawn?" I asked, cracking my neck.

"There's a fieldtrip going to the Canterlot Sculpture Garden tomorrow, and I want you two to acompany them to check up on a certain statue. I would go, but I'm too busy trying my best to keep the Gryphons from Canada settled down." Dawn explained.

"...And you need us why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You have one of the only radios in this country that's linked with mine." He said with a nod towards a desk, which housed a radio.

"It's bulky as hell, but yea." I said, nodding. "You could've chosen anyone else, though. Why us?" I asked, folding my arms and looking at him.

"...You're not ponies, and the only true alliegence you have is to your men." He finally said, starting to pace. "And even that might not be enough. I'm asking you this so you can get a feel for doing errands nobody else really wants to do."

"You've done that before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but that's not the point. I know there's a shitstorm coming, and it will either be within or from external sources. We're having major problems with the gryphons, and Celestia is brooding. I don't know what, but I know she's planning something." He explained, pacing in front of us as we took a seat on a couch. While he thought for a moment, I took that time to clean my pistol.

'If I just aim it at him while he's turned away, he won't be able to react in time to stop the bullet...' I thought, and prepared to aim.

"What are you doing?" Schmidt asked, snapping me back to my senses.

"W-What the hell? Was I seriously going to shoot Dawn?" I asked, tossing my gun to the ground in shock.

"It looked like that. Seems that I was right to ask you to visit the statue." Dawn said, causing my attention to turn to him. He was staring at my chest, frowning.

"Yea..." I muttered, putting my face in my hands. "We'll go take a look later..."

"Duran will meet with you two at the train station tomorrow at about 9 AM, with Cheerilee and their class. Schmidt will carry the radio, and you bring whatever you think is nessicary." Dawn said, before teleporting us away.

[The next day]

"You got it strapped on right?" I asked, checking the ammunition in a magazine for my M1911. I had decided to bring along two frag grenades, one of them what Huka (The Staff Sargeant that we rescued) had brought along with him, and the other was a makeshift one that I created in about an hour.

"Yes, I do. Stop worrying so much, Mark." Schmidt replied, as the little ones that Cheerilee and Duran had to control came up onto the platform like the idjits some were. The CMCs were first, and I was assaulted by Applebloom while Scoots jumped at Schmidt.

Scootaloo had less of a 'tough' fascade now that she was officially adopted (I had to help him wade through the forms and shit).

"You two going somewhere?" Duran asked, shouldering his M16.

'Glad that I was able to make clay bullets for him. Hurts like a bitch, but they won't kill unless he hits one of them in the eye.' I found myself thinking, before shrugging.

"Dawn didn't tell you?" I asked.

"Tell me what?" So he didn't.

"We're coming along so we can check up on a sculpture in the garden. Figure I'd give Schmidt a tour of the garden too." I explained, patting the German's shoulder. Schmidt nodded, not completely understanding what I just said.

"An' the doohickey on his back?" Applebloom asked from my arms, as I was holding her. Schmidt was doing the same to Scoots and Sweetie Belle.

"We're gonna use it to talk to Dawn when we're done." I replied, patting her head and sitting down on a chair on the train. After a moment, Applebloom hopped down from my arms, as did Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo from Schmidt's.

"So, did he tell you what the statue is supposed to look like?" Schmidt asked, leaning back as much as the radio would allow.

"He said that I'd be able to tell when I see it." I replied, fiddling with my homemade grenade.

"...If you blow us up I'll kill you." Schmidt deadpanned.

"Relax, I'm not an idiot." I waved it in his face with a shit-eating grin. His stare didn't show any fear, which made me huff and clip it back onto my jacket.

"So, what rank were you before you died?" Schmidt asked, and I noticed that the brat Diamond Tiara was coming over, but didn't comment on that.

"I was actually a Corporal, in the USMC. I didn't become a General until I made a deal with Dawn." I answered, leaning back.

"What was the deal?" He asked.

"All humans are protected by him personally, unless they decide otherwise, in return for my enlistment as a General. I also have my own Spec. Ops. squad, if you're interested." I explained, holding my hand out for him to shake. After a moment, he grabbed my hand with his own, and gave me a nod.

"I'd be honored to fight alongside you, sir." He said.

"First order; cut that sir shit, you're not in uniform." I said, deadly serious. He was wearing a simple shirt and jeans, but did have his boots on. At this point, I noticed that Diamond Tiara was bullying Scootaloo, and nobody else noticed.

"Hey, Tiara!" I called out, turning her attention to me. Without even letting her say anything, I unhooked a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it at her. Schmidt didn't even let it hit the floor as he literally flew away from me, and everyone else who knew what a grenade did too. Tiara was frozen in shock as the grenade blew up...

Two things; Cliffhanger.

And I know I'm gonna get flak for Scoots being an orphan, but it's my opinion goddammit.