Chapter 13

Day Six

Jeff leaned against the factory office wall as the group of ponies poured over the magic-steam engine blueprints and the crates of the dismembered tank engines.

“The boiler is not big enough,” stated on of the mechanic ponies flatly. “It won’t work.”

Jeff raised an eyebrow in surprise but remained unresponsive.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.

“Very sure.”

“Well shoot,” Applejack removed her hat and rubbed her forehead. “Nah we need ta think of ah new design.”

“Maybe not,” another mechanic spoke up.

“How so?” twilight asked.

“Well,” he continued. “My sister works for a company out in Manehattan, working on a new type of fuel. They think they got it, but she says that they don’t have an engine capable of using it. I think the engines of the tanks could.”

“We might as well try,” Twilight shrugged.

“To the train again,” Applejack sighed. “Don’t know how much more Ah can handle ridin’ that thing.”

Matt looked at the large selection of baked goods at Sugarcube Corner. A chocolate cake caused his stomach to rumble and he wished that he had pony money. The American had been spending most of his day in Ponyville due to the lack of anything productive to do at Sweet Apple Acres. He found himself wandering the town as he waited for Jeff and the ponies to return with the new engines.

“Can I help you?” Pinkie sang from behind the counter.
Matt sighed. “Nope, I don’t have any money.”

“You can have something for free because you are a friend!” The pony replied.

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Matt picked up the cake. “Thank you! You already were my favorite pony but now you are undisputedly the best person, human and pony, I know.”

Pinkie smiled even wider as Matt walked out of the building. As he walked down the street, stuffing his mouth with cake the entire time, he noticed something strange in the sky. He turned his face up as several airships past overhead, flying towards Canterlot.

“Wow,” he mumbled disbelievingly.

“Hey Matt,” Zeus called as he walked up to him. “What are you- wow.”

“Where do you think they are going?” Matt asked, his mouth hanging open.

“How the hell should I know,” Zeus shrugged. “Come on, Bill is angry again and I need you to find more of the cigarettes or soda bottles you have hidden around the tank.”

Matt continued to watch the ships until they disappeared behind a cloud. Then he reluctantly followed Zeus back towards the Apple’s house.

Bill was in the middle of his rampage when they arrived.

“If I have to sit around in this shit hole one more day with these God forsaken ponies, I will kill somebody!”

“Why is he so angry?” Matt asked, watching the tank driver stomp around the yard.

“We don’t really know.” Zeus replied.

“Well, did anybody take his gun away before he could kill somebody?” Matt looked around nervously for any sign of a weapon.

“Yep,” Zeus sighed. “Now we are waiting for him to lose steam and calm down.”

“What ticked him off in the first place?”

“No fuckin’ idea.” The gunner chuckled “Just go get him a pack of cigs and a Pepsi.”

Matt retrieved the items and cautiously walked up to Bill who paced back and forth like a caged animal.

“Hey Billy,” Matt said in a soothing voice. “I got you a treat. Cigarettes and Pepsi.”

Bill huffed angrily and snatched the smokes and drink from Matt.

“Thanks,” the driver hissed as he popped the cap off of the bottle. “But if you talk to me like I am a child again, I will cut open your belly and choke you with your guts!”

“Yeesh,” Matt grimaced. “A little over the top don’t you think?”

“Nope.”

“Why you so angry?” Matt asked.

Bill drained half of his drink and lit a cigarette before answering. “I feel trapped.”

Matt wasn’t expecting a sincere answer and reeled back for a moment, struggling to think of a response, but Bill continued.

“I never liked being stuck in one place at a time. And now that I am stuck here without anything to do and with a whole buncha talking ponies, I blow my top easily.” Bill took a drag on his cigarette then lit a new one. “Now we got to fight alongside these ponies, and possibly die. Fighting Nazis and Japs is one thing, but fighting against fantasy creatures is another. I am not willing to die for that cause.”

“I understand,” Matt nodded. This was the first time he had ever been in an emotional talk with the Virginian and he felt uncomfortable. “But while we are here we might as well do something good. Right?”

Bill chuckled, “sure.”

Matt looked at the sky and saw seven more airships pass overhead.

“I wonder where they are going?” He stated to nobody in particular.

“Towards that place called Camelot it looks like,” Bill replied matter-of-factly.

A voice rang out through the evening air. “Supper time everypony!”

“I am getting tired of vegetarian meals every day too.”

“You got to admit,” Matt chuckled. “That Granny Smith is a damn good cook.”

“Uh-huh,” Bill nodded in agreement. “But a thick slice of steak is what I crave right now. I have an idea. How bout the three of us, me, you and Zeus, go hunting?”

“I’ve never been,” Matt replied nervously. The image of Bill ‘accidentally’ shooting him in the back and cooking him up for dinner played in his mind.

“Then we are going,” Bill laughed, thumping Matt on the back.

They stood and entered the house where the other humans were sitting around the living room and kitchen with platefuls of food. After getting his food Bill did the second most unexpected thing, he sat next to Frederic. The first most surprising being if he sat next to a pony.

“Frederic, I have a deal to make,” he whispered to the German commander.

Frederic stared at the American with a blank face so Bill continued. “Early tomorrow morning me and my two fellow Americans are going hunting. If you keep the ponies distracted and prevent them from following us we will give you a large share of the goods. Aright?”

Frederic smiled, the only response Bill needed.

“If you kill two animals and give us a whole carcass, I vill give you a gift from my personal store of sweet treats,” Frederic said excitedly.

“What kind of treat?”

“A few bottles of a loveling treat called Schnaps,” the German grinned.

Bill beamed with excitement. “You have yourself a deal.”

“What time is it?” Matt looked up at the sky and sighed.

Zeus lit his lighter and looked at his watch. “Three forty-five.”

“Put that light out and be quiet!” Bill growled. “You're gonna scare away the game.”

“Sorry,” Zeus replied.

Something rustled in a distant bush and Bill raised and cocked his gun. The head of a buck peeped up in curiosity at the sound of clicking metal. A second head appeared, one that of a doe.

“Perfect,” Bill said in a purr-like tone.

“My father never shot the females,” Zeus interjected.

“I ain’t your daddy.” Bill let loose a burst from his M3. Blood splattered against the nearby trees and both animals fell to the ground.

“Hell yeah!” Cheered Bill. “That is how you hunt!”

They rushed excitedly to the animals bodies but stopped short. Lying in the bushes next to her parents was a terrified fawn.

“God dammit Bill!” Zeus rubbed his forehead in anger. “That is why you shouldn’t shoot the females!”

“What should we do with it?” Matt asked.

Bill raised his gun again, “it’s gonna die out her alone anyway.”

“Bill no!” Matt pushed the barrel of the gun away from the fawn. “We are taking it back with us. Maybe fluttershy is willing to take care of it?”

“Fine,” Bill huffed. “But help me dress the carcasses first.”

“How do we do that?” Matt fidgeted with the edge of his shirt.

“Take a knife and do what I do,” Bill proceeded to cut the buck open. “We are feasting tonight boys!”

Matt pulled his knife from his boot and tried not to be sick.

The look on Fluttershy and the other pony’s faces were that of absolute horror. Matt held the fawn in his arms as Bill and Zeus held sacks of meat.

“Don’t say anything,” Bill growled. “Your judgement will be lost on me.”

“You made that poor baby dear an orphan!” Fluttershy screamed, her body shaking uncontrollably. “I understand that you are omnivores but this is horrible! The poor fawn!”

“Then you can be it’s mommy now,” Bill shot back.

“You-you, you are a-a-” Fluttershy was at a loss for words.

“A what huh?” Bill spat. “A murderer? A monster? A piece of worthless shit? No, I am a man who is hungry for some meat and if I was in this world by myself I would have killed you all and ate you long before now!”

The ponies backed away in terror as he continued.

“Now get out of my way, I have a feast to cook.” He trudged past the ponies and towards the waiting Germans by their tank.

Matt stepped forward and placed the shivering fawn on the grass in front of Fluttershy.

“I am sorry,” he was unable to meet Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity’s gaze.

“I think you should stay away from the barn the rest of the day,” Zeus said in an equally depressed tone. “Especially the three Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“Just go and have your party,” Rarity growled.

“I-I don't want to talk to you right now,” Pinkie looked at Matt sadly. Trust for him had disappeared slightly from her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Matt muttered again as they walked away.

The party ended up not being as great as they hoped it would, and Matt never touched any of the meat or alcohol. All he did was sit by the fire and try to think of a way to heal the image of humans in the pony’s hate filled eyes.

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I do not own MLP:FiM or Pepsi.