Captain George McGavin stood quietly in the control room of the HMS Astute, red combat lighting illuminating the deck as his crew manned their stations. Every single one of them was waiting silently, their engines cut to a stop, even their breathing was measured. The cause of their statuesque appearance cut through the air like a knife, a shrill ping reverberated through the hull while the sub’s sonar sensors detected at least three of the unidentified warships sailing overhead. They almost had the signature’s of Russian vessels, but there was something off about them and the noise their engine’s produced.

“Captain… I can hear… Splashes?” One of the Sonar operators announced, the young captain raised an eyebrow. He had inherited the command from an old captain that had never prepared him for actual combat operations, the Astute was mainly used for its nuclear power and its considerable intimidation factor. None of the other factions dared to go up against the Crown for fear of having the submarine park off their shore, but these newcomers didn’t seem afraid. “S-Sounds like, what were they called? Depth charges?”

“No one make a sound…” McGavin ordered as he looked up towards the ceiling, the muffled sounds of explosions began to echo, it seemed that the charges were still too high to do any real damage. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, the Sonar operator’s eyes widened as the splashes grew more and more frequent, the ping of the enemy sonar echoed through the hull once again. Overhead, aboard the ONV Republic, Captain Sergio Ivanovich stood on the rear deck of his Sub Hunting destroyer. He watched his crew dropping depth charges over the rear, it was a tactic used to keep the enemy in place, surrounding them with an ever changing minefield while the real weapon of choice was being prepared.

The sound of a helicopter’s blades cut through the water, reaching the ever more panicked ears of the Sonar Operator’s ears. He still remained quiet, not wanting to disobey the orders of his captain, but something about those foreboding blades told him that the worst was yet to come. The splashes were suddenly halted, leaving only the sound of the muffled explosions and helicopter blades in the headphones. Then, there was one final splash.

“T-T-Torpedo in the water!” The Sonar Operator announced as the shrill pings began once again, then there was another splash. “T-Two torpedoes in the water!”

“Ahead full! Deploy countermeasures!” McGavin ordered loudly as the pings began more frequent, the submarine began to move through the water as fast as it could while the head engineer deployed the only countermeasures onboard. The Sonar officer listened intently as the torpedoes acquired the submarine as a target, they began homing in, but one of them veered off and dove towards the countermeasures. There was another muffled explosion, but one torpedo remained.

“Torpedo is still pursuing! It’s in our baffles!” The Sonar officer shouted nervously. “Torpedo is closing! Impact in thirty seconds!” McGavin nervously held on to a nearby console while the Torpedo’s shrill cry echoed louder and louder in his ears. “Twenty seconds!”

“Depth control! Surface the boat! Emergency blow!” McGavin ordered with sweat dripping from his brow, his officers stared at him for a couple seconds before repeating his orders. There was a tremendous groan from the ship’s hull, several pips buckled and water began spraying into the command deck. There was no time to address those problems though, the torpedo was still hot on the tail of the submarine, pinging away with reckless abandon. However, as the submarine rose higher through the water, the torpedo seemed to have trouble determining what target it was going to pursue. There were Enemy ships on the surface that were now attracting the guiding mechanism.

Captain Ivanovich watched as the British submarine burst out of the water, bobbing like a cork in the surf and spray of the Atlantic. Off to his aft he caught sight of a spray of water, the torpedo had detonated thanks to the safety mechanism, and now the enemy submarine was helpless on the surface. In all honesty, the torpedo hadn’t been armed with enough charge to seriously damage the enemy submarine, only enough to force it to surface. The Onorussians didn’t have much intention to destroy technology they could use to their benefit, and this tactic had worked twice before on other British submarines. As Onorussian Marine vessels closed on the floating submarine, Ivanovich adjusted his cap and began walking back to the bridge. It was imperative to the entire operation that the British submarine’s be neutralized and he had more than a few grids to search.

[♠]

Hinkman adjusted his jacket as he and his first officer walked through the streets of one of the recently reclaimed English towns. Fighting had subsided relatively quickly, many of the defenders were simply misinformed civilians, though some were members of the British Armed Forces, at least what was left of them. There had been some casualties, but the battle hadn’t last all that long all things considered. The town they were currently in was just off the coast from a small island called the Island of Wight, the people there were friendly enough, and hadn’t really objected to Onorussian tanks rolling through the streets when they were given fresh blankets, warm food, and medical supplies.

The Colonel and his second in command were approaching a pub that had recently been reopened when the Onorussians had set up their generators, it was only a temporary solution until the Onorussian Corps of Engineers could get the power flowing from existing electricity sources and power plants. The temperatures were starting to warm up, but there was still a nip in the air. Overhead there was the sound of helicopters, mostly chinooks marked with red crosses, they were flying the more seriously ill and injured to the waiting Onorussian hospital ships off the coast.

“Interesting country these British people have…” Said Hinkman’s second in command, a Captain by the name of Holtz. He took note of a couple british flags still flying, faded and frayed, from the town’s flag poles. Holtz had only been eighteen when he had gone to Onorus for the first time, one of the first survivors to go through the portal nearly a decade before. He had never seen another country, and as a young man had become quite fond of Onorus. “I don’t know what to say about their fighters, but certainly interesting…”

“Don’t count their troops out just yet…” Hinkman advised as they walked past a boarded up storefront. “So far we’ve only gone up against militia troops and under equipped regulars, we’ve yet to go up against their Special Forces yet.” The Colonel reached to his pocket and withdrew a cigarette, followed by a lighter, he quickly lit his cigarette to take the edge off. “Besides, we aren’t here to fight them… At least, not if we don’t have to.” The man exhaled a cloud of smoke and gestured to numerous civilians walking around with warm clean clothes. “Think of it as Aggressive Foreign Aid.”

“It’s likely the ruling body won’t appreciate us being here.” Holtz noted as they came upon the pub, but stopped outside to watch the streets closely. “I don’t expect them all to welcome us with open arms, anyone that stands in the way of the Republic will be dealt with.”

“You’re starting to sound like a recruiter.” Hinkman cautioned, Holtz looked at his commander for a second, then looked back to the town around them. It was small, much smaller than anything in Onorus.

“I’m simply speaking from what I’ve observed…” Holtz said, sounding rather harsh. The young man had intense blue eyes and short black hair hidden beneath his helmet. “Terra and Equis will eventually be under one flag, and who knows, perhaps even more worlds? That’s just nature.”

“Perhaps, but I’m hoping that those changes won’t come about through force of arms…” Hinkman said as he took another puff of his cigarette, watching as a couple tanks rolled past, soldiers rode on the sides with their rifles in hand. “That being said, a little sabre rattling can be just as effective as a fountain pen.” Hinkman crushed his cigarette under his boot, the two of them walked into the pub to get out of the nippy air and perhaps get something to drink.

[♠]

Luna and Maria stood across from Dominic, both of them appearing rather concerned as they each had taken the time to read Chrysalis’ response letter. Their bedroom was lit by the midday sun coming in from the window, as usual every part of it was kept immaculate by both the staff and the occupants. There was really nothing there to distract from the elephant in the room, the recommendation that Dominic should undertake some sort of ‘Spiritual Journey’. Dominic appeared just as concerned as his wives, the looks of uncertainty they shared would never have been acceptable if they were in a public place.

“Well… What do you think?” Dominic said as he crossed his arms, adjusting his shirt as he waited for Luna and Maria to respond. “You’ve been saying I should consider taking a vacation, this could be a good opportunity.”

“I wouldn’t call cutting my way through thick rainforest or crossing deserts a vacation.” Luna replied in her usual reserved fashion, it was clear she was not fond of the idea of her husband disappearing for any amount of time. When she had suggested a vacation, she had meant something a bit more romantic, where the three of them could spend time together. That being said, the Garden of Creation was something she knew of… In fact, it held quite a place in her memory, it was where she last remembered seeing her parents.

“I don’t think this has to do with vacation.” Maria said as she put a hand to her chin, looking over the paper in her hands once again. “Dominic has been unhappy for a long time, Luna, we can’t ignore that this might prove good for him. For all we know, this ‘Garden of Creation’ could be the key to finally resolving a lot of things.” Maria looked back to her husband, for her this represented a chance for Dominic to put an end to the depression and anxiety that had hounded her husband since he was a boy. She knew first hand just how devastating those conditions had been, she wasn’t about to stand in the way of a possible cure.

“Luna…” Dominic said as he looked over to the Alicorn, the man walked towards her and made sure he could see into her eyes. “For the past eight years I’ve sat behind a desk or fought in a tank. Now… If either of you don’t want me to go I won’t go, but I have this… Feeling.” The man quietly put a gentle hand on Luna’s side. “I haven’t felt it since the day you first said you would train me to fight with a sword, to better control my emotions.” Luna paused for a couple seconds, quietly she moved her head over and rested it on Dominic’s shoulder.

“Promise me you’ll be careful.” The Alicorn said softly, Dominic nodded and hugged her gently. “I suppose I will take the reigns while you are on your journey?”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to have Maria aid you.” Dominic said as the two of them pulled away from one another. “Only if it doesn’t interfere with her activities though, I don’t want to make her miss out.” The man looked to Maria, the woman was doing her best to put on a brave face. Dominic walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to comfort her emotions. “I’ll come back as soon as I can… I promise.”

“That’s all I need to hear…” Maria said against Dominic’s chest, giving him a nuzzle before pulling away to look into his eyes. “You’re going to have to leave today, from what the letter said… I-I should pack you something for the journey, and for Mizu…” The woman wiped her eyes and stood up straight. “You should start packing as well.” Dominic nodded and began to walk towards his dresser, but Maria stopped him with a hand on his arm. The man looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “When you get back, all three of us are going to find a nice secluded island where we can relax… And I won’t take no for an answer.”

“I agree, after this we’re going to relax even if I have to have the MPs taser you again.” Luna said firmly, Dominic sighed but nodded nonetheless, knowing fully well that Luna was serious about calling in the MPs. “Now let me help you pack, the journey will likely be very difficult.” Dominic was about to protest, but stopped himself. “And I hope you know what you’re going to tell Altair, you can’t just leave without saying anything to him…”

“I’ll talk with him, don’t worry…” Dominic said quietly as he pulled out the drawer of his dresser and began going through it, taking his more rugged clothing from inside and setting it aside. Maria left the room, leaving Luna and her husband to their packing. The room was silent, awkwardly so, and Dominic knew that if someone didn’t say something the tension would only continue to mount.

“Dominic…” Luna said quietly, the man looked over at her. “I believe when you return, it will be prudent to discuss the Phase Seven Initiative.” Dominic stopped mid motion, his clothes still held in his hands. The man’s eyes turned to his wife, she had a serious expression on her face. “I believe, given the news from Terra, that we may not be able to fully retake the planet. My teams have determined Alpha to be the best choice…”

“What about the Moon test?” Dominic asked as he put the clothes in his bag, then turned to look at Luna. “This would be a tremendous undertaking, Luna. You’re right, we will need to discuss this when I return. Until then… I suggest we leave it as it is.” Luna nodded and went back to her task, meanwhile Dominic was running the words through his head. Onorus was a global power, that was true, but even still it didn’t have all the resources for what Luna had proposed. In any case, he wasn’t concerned with that at the moment, he was more concerned about being drawn into some sort of vision quest.

The two of them finished packing, and soon enough Maria had returned with a bag filled with food for the beginning of the journey. Dominic added that to his bag of clothes, then looked to the window. It was a beautiful day, and the man would’ve preferred to spend it with his family, but something told me that duty was calling him. No, something more than duty, if that was even possible.

“I need to change before I leave, do you mind giving me a bit of privacy?” Dominic asked, Maria and Luna nodded before walking to the door. He could hear them murmuring to one another. The Imperator quietly walked to his dresser, unbutton his uniform shirt and setting it aside. His boots and pants came next, exposing his muscled chest and legs to the world. Dominic pulled the bottom drawer from the dresser and knelt down. From within he withdrew a pair of old jeans and an old t-shirt. He pulled the jeans on, they felt just as they had all those years ago, like slipping on a comfortable glove. The shirt came next, several brown stains were located on the chest, they had faded with time, but Dominic knew just what had made them.

He tied his boots tightly before he looked down into the drawer one final time, staring down at the final article of clothing that lay within. Without a word, the man knelt down and ran a hand over the smooth black leather, feeling every stitch, every scratch, every scar that marked the once pristine surface. The man slowly took the item and stood up, letting it fall open to its full glory. The long black leather jacket, adorned with two patches on the shoulders, was one that Dominic rarely wore anymore.

“It’s good to see you, old friend…” Dominic said under his breath before he slipped his arms into the sleeves of the jacket, the coat hugged his body perfectly. He reached to his chest and buttoned it shut. The man was about to turn away, but stopped as something else in the drawer caught his eye. He knelt down once again, reaching in and taking out the item. An old metal helmet, his helmet, the helmet he had worn when he had first arrived in Equestria. A flood of memories went through his mind as he stared at the helmet, with a determined expression the man put the helmet on his head and tightened the strap, then closed the drawer.

Without another word, the man took his sword and revolver from their respective places. He set them on his utility belt before buckling that as well, then he picked up his bags and walked to the door. Once he had stepped out into the hallway he knew that there could be no going back, he was going to see this journey through to the very end.

[♠]

Enoshima Beach had once been a thriving place for summer fun and enjoyment, and in some cases that was still true. The infection in Japan had come to an end when the dead had rotted away, leaving the once towering technological giant in a state of ruin. There were small communities along the coasts and in the mountainous regions, in some ways very similar to the early days of feudal Japan. Of course, there were some exceptions. Those that had solar panels at their disposal, or were lucky enough to have the protection of the numerous rogue units of Defense Force Soldiers held a far more superior grasp on the island than the simple fishing hamlets.

For the village on Enoshima Beach, it was just another day, the air was surprisingly warm and the clouds were clear. Spring was on the horizon, soon the country would bloom into all its beauty and splendor. This peacefulness was quickly disrupted however, as the sound of engines began to echo in the distance. The sound of F4 phantom engines struck some fear into the villagers, that distant wailing cry sent shivers through even the most stout hearted of the villages warriors.

It meant that the Japanese Defense Force faction to their north was mobilizing, most likely to expand their reach. The fishing village would be brought into the fold, and then it was a good possibility that the men of the village would be forced to enlist. However, as the defenders of the village began to mobilize, there came a different noise. Helicopter blades, the defenders knew that the northern faction only had two operational F4s and no helicopters to speak of. One of the villagers pointed out to the ocean and began to shout loudly, frantically calling attention to a formation of grey shapes that were steaming towards the coast at tremendous speed. Two F4s zoomed overhead, marked with the emblems of the JDF, streaking straight out towards the oncoming fleet.

Sergeant James ‘Cerberus’ Wysocki of the Onorussian Globe Corps looked out over the edge of the Blackhawk helicopter as it flew towards the beaches of Japan. By now, the swarm of choppers was likely visible from the beaches. Several F4s and a couple F-18s flew past, each of them seeming to be intent on shooting something down. Cerberus adjusted the sights on his assault rifle while his fellow soldiers prepared themselves. They would be the first boots on the ground in the Onorussian reclamation of Japan, the first men to take place in Operation Zephyr.

“Hey, Sergeant! Check it out!” One of the other soldiers, Corporal Malone, shouted as he pointed out the side of the helicopter at a pair of parachutes and floating wreckage of an F4, but from the markings it was clear it wasn’t Onorussian. “These guys aren’t a joke, are they?”

“No, corporal. No joke, at least these JDF guys.” Cerberus said, the older man was a California native, he had seen just how desperately some had fought to keep outsiders out, and he was sure that Japan would be even more like that. “That’s why they’re sending in the Globe Corps, the 88th, and the Lunar Marines before the army… This will be war, plain and bloody.” The beach was within sight now, an explosion ripped through the air as the second enemy fighter was blown apart by the Onorussian planes. There was only one parachute this time. “Ready up, we’re gonna touch down soon.”

“Yes, sir!” Malone said before he returned to his seat, Cerberus tightened his body armor, then reached over and gripped his helmet. It was a full face helmet, something new that had only been distributed to Zephyr troops so far. It was like a power armor helmet, in the way that it displayed combat data and waypoints to the wearer, though it was hardly as thick as a power armor helmet. Cerberus pulled the helmet over his head and attached it to his body armor, the visor displayed a swirling icon before the word ‘Synchronized’ flashed. His ammunition count, his heart rate, even his blood oxygen level. There were four other icons, each displaying a different designation for the men in his squad. All but one of them was flashing green.

“Malone! Ready up!” Cerberus shouted, the corporal quickly finished pulling on his helmet, moments later his name flashed green. The helicopter began to slow and drop lower in the sky, the Sergeant flipped off the safety right before the helicopter landed. The order to jump flashed across the screen, Cerberus jumped from the helicopter and landed in the sandy soil. Immediately machine gun fire began to ring out from the tree line, a waypoint appeared near a disguised bunker. “We need to take out that bunker!”

“Altair!” Atair’s mom’s voice snapped him back into reality, he quickly pushed the pause button on the controller. The boy had just sat down with the latest game for his GamCo Game Console, he had hoped to at least get past the first checkpoint without interruption, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Altair stood up off the couch in his room and looked to his mom, she was walking towards him, and he could see a familiar look of worry in her eyes. “I was calling you for at least a minute…”

“I’m sorry, mom.” Altair said as he set his controller down and started walking towards his mom. “I was just starting Hades Squad: Rising Sun, guess I kinda zoned out…” The boy stopped in front of his mom, looking up at her with a bit of concern. “What’s wrong? You look upset?”

“N-Nothing’s wrong, sweetie.” Mom said as she knelt down in front of Altair. “It’s just… Come with me, please, you dad needs to talk with you.” Altair nodded and followed as his mom lead him out of his room, out into the hallway where he could hear his dad and mother Luna chatting. The conversation trailed off as Altair came into view, and the boy was surprised to see his dad dressed in a long leather coat and an old helmet, his sword hanging on his belt. The man walked towards Altair. “We’ll leave you two alone…” With that, both his mom and his mother walked to a seperate room, leaving Altair alone with his dad.

“Altair.” His dad said as he knelt down in front of him and removed his helmet to get a better look at his boy. “I’ve got to go away for a bit…” Altair raised an eyebrow at his father, appearing a bit confused. “I could be gone a couple days, or for all I know a couple of months… I know how you feel when one of us leaves, but don’t worry, I’m coming back.”

“Can’t I come with you?” Altair asked, his dad shook his head and put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“No, son… You can’t.” He said softly, Altair felt a bit of fear welling up in his chest, ever since his mother had forced him to leave without her the thought of his parent’s leaving always seemed to unnerve him. “I want you to know that however long I’m gone, I’ll be thinking about you and your mothers… And when I get back I expect we’ll be going on a bit of a vacation, so you have that to look forward to.”

“I don’t want that though, I want you to stay here…” Altair said with a bit of a shake in his voice, why couldn’t his dad understand that. “What if something happens? What if the Caribou attack, or-or-or aliens, or the Crystal Empire bombs us?! What if you die?”

“Those first things are not going to happen…” His father said as he put his other hand on his son’s other shoulder, making sure that Altair was looking right at him. “As for me dying, do I look like I’m going to die?” The man gave a flex of his muscles, hoping that would calm his son down. “And… If that does happen, however slim of a chance there is, you’ll always know that I love you, our family loves you, and I know no matter what you’re going to grow up to be a good man.” Altair walked forward and wrapped his arms around his dad, hugging him as tightly as he could. His dad put his own arms around him, hugging him just as tightly before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll get back, then you and I are gonna play a round of that new game you got.”

“Can we also go and watch the soldiers marching?” Atair asked, his father nodded. “Promise?” His dad leaned back and looked him square in the eyes with a seriousness that Altair rarely saw.

“I promise.” Dominic said as he looked at his son, he stood up and tousled the boy’s hair. The man went to put his helmet back on his head, but stopped and instead stopped and placed it on Altair’s head. The helmet was far too large for him, but he still looked good in it. Dominic knew that it was time to start letting go of the past, and one way of doing that would be to ‘pass the torch’ as it were, starting with the helmet. “Here, kid… Take care of that for me.” Altair nodded dutifully, causing the helmet to jostle around a bit. “Alright… I’ve gotta go. I love you, and I’ll be back as soon as possible… Go ahead back to your mom.” Altair gave his dad one last hug before turning and walking back to the door where he’d seen Luna and Maria go, Dominic sighed softly and began walking in the opposite direction. He’d already said his goodbyes to Luna and Maria, it would be best if he just got moving...

Author's Notes:

Well here's another one for you lovely dovelies out there, happy new year and all that. Sorry about the delay, I always have trouble focusing on writing this time of year. Recently just got back from a trip to Colorado Springs, so there was also that. Anyway...

Here's your clip of the day, hopefully it'll make you laugh or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpPOMrQGzbk