Chapter 22

There it was again, that innocent yet annoying knock at his door. Bill groaned, reached lazily for another bar of soap that was piled up next to his tub and threw it at the entrance to the room.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t want a massage!”

“Oh, good.” Matts voice filtered through the wood. “Because I wasn't going to give you one!”

“Oh,” Bill sighed. “I thought you were those Lotus or Aloe ponies. What do you want?”

“I, uh, need a towel.” Matt paused. “I can’t find mine and the ponies keep staring at me!”

Bill looked down at the pile of towels that he stole from Matt’s room. “Nope, all I have is my towel. Sorry Shelly.”

“Fuck.”

Bill chuckled as he heard the loader stomp away. Across the hall and in the sauna sat the five pony friends. Rarity had long gone to work on her own projects. They had been silent the entire time until Rainbow Dash entered moments after Matt left the entrance of Bill’s room.

“Wow,” the colorful mare laughed. “Now I know why humans wear clothes all of the time.”

“Oh, why?” Pinkie Pie asked, her curiosity overflowing like always. But it was evident that the recent events were even wearing on her.

“You don’t want to know.”

“Yes I dooo!” The pink pony frowned and had half the mind to go and see for herself why humans wore clothing.

The door suddenly opened and Jeff entered, a towel wrapped around his waist. He noticed the five ponies with a look of surprise on his face. He turned and started to walk away.

“Ya don’t need to go sugarcube,” Applejack said in a pleasant tone. “We won’t mind you sittin’ with us.”

They could barely see the man’s cheeks turn red as he closed the door after exiting. Down the hall they could hear Matt singing in a sharp tone as he bathed.

"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.

La la la la-la la la
La la la la hmm la-la

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?"

“Goddamnit Shelly!” Bill hollered from his room. “I hate that song and your voice so please stop!”

“Nevah!” Matt taunted. "Plus, I think this song is fitting for what happened to us. Here I will sing something else, just for you!"

“I just don’t understand how they can be so carefree after what just happened.” Twilight watched the steam circle around her head when Matt’s voice died away into a different song. “Ponies are dead and more will die and they act as if nothing has happened.”

“Ah don’t reckon we will ever understand these humans.” Applejack leaned back, also deep in thought. After a minute she spoke again. “Ah wonder how Big Mac is doing.”

“Why don’t you go visit him,” Rainbow Dash stated flatly. “He is just down the road “

The orange mare shook her head. “Ah’m afraid to.”

“Afraid to?” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion along with the other three mares.

“Ya don’t understand the feeling Ah get whenever Ah want to go and visit him. Ah-ah feel like-”

“Like every time you see him will be the last time?”

They turned to face the human that was opening the door. Bill stood there wrapped in a towel, a serious look on his face.

“Yes,” Applejack whispered.

Bill nodded. “I use to get that feeling, but it will go away. What you need to do is visit him and not be afraid of what could happen in the future.”

Applejack looked at the floor, deep in thought as her friends stared at the human.

“I thought you didn’t like us?” Dash piped up.

“I tolerate your existence.” Bill rubbed his scalp awkwardly. “But that also means I like you more than Shelly and even I care for that idiot’s life... most of the time.”

They stared at each other, each in their own thoughts and memories. Bill spoke up when he returned from his own mind and into the moment. “Well, I just stopped by because I heard about what you girls were talking about.”

Bill left and the ponies went back to sitting in silence. Several minutes passed before Twilight spoke again.

“I wonder how Spike and the girls are doing at your house with the other humans, the Germans.”

“Better than they would be if they saw the destruction around town.” Rainbow Dash stated.

Applejack stood and started to leave the room. A determined look etched on her face.

“Where are you going?” Fluttershy pipped.

Without a glance back the orange mare replied. “Ah need to go talk to my brother.”

“Oh, can I come with you? I want to say hi to Big Mac as well!”

Pinkie Pie started to stand and follow her friend but Twilight stopped her. “I think she needs to speak to him alone.”

“Oh, okay,” Pinkie plopped heavily back down on the bench and they watched Applejack leave.

Down the hall they heard Ian greet the orange mare.

“Oi, hello AJ.” the Lieutenant said in a halfway pleasant tone. “Where is the rest of my crew?”

Applejack said something that the four friends could not hear to which Ian replied with a “Thank you.”

Moments later the human’s head rounded the doorframe.

“Uh, hello ladies.” Ian smiled. “Wrong room.”

“Hi-ya Ian!” Pinkie shook her hoof in a violent wave.

Ian looked around the sauna and nodded his head. “Just checking to see if my men were in here. If they were I was going to have to cut their balls off.”

The four mares looked at Ian with confused faces. The Lieutenant turned and walked away with a wave of his hand.

“That sounds painful,” Fluttershy said. “And a little drastic.”

“I think he was being figurative.” Twilight stated.

“Well, I think we have been in here long enough.” Rainbow Dash stood, shook her mane to get the moisture out and left.

The other ponies followed and as they entered the waiting room Patton came in.

“Hello,” the General said. “So this is where my men went. A spa.”

“What is wrong with a spa?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Back on my world, a spa is not a place you would find a man.”

A pink mare with a blue mane and tail ambled past carrying the human’s newly cleaned clothing.

“Hello Lotus,” Fluttershy greeted the mare.

“Hi.” Lotus gave a small smile and continued to walk out of the room.

A second mare came in but with a blue coat and pink mane. She looked at them and and asked in a pleasant tone. “Are you leaving?

“Yes, thank you again Aloe,” Twilight answered. “How many bits do we owe you?”

Aloe shook her head, “Keep the bits, me and my sister don’t need them. We are joining up with the newly formed 19th Ponyville Regiment as nurses.”

“Isn’t the 19th Big Mac’s regiment?” Twilight asked nobody in particular. The others just shrugged. Patton found a chair and sat down to wait for the other humans to come out. The ponies noticed for the first time drops of what appeared to be blood splattered on his coat.

“I think you girls should go get your stuff packed,” he said. “We will be shipping out in a few hours.”

The ponies nodded, said goodbye and left for their own homes. Patton watched them leave with a sad look on his face. Ian walked into the room followed by the rest of the Americans.

“Sir, everybody is accounted for,” the Lieutenant said.

Patton only nodded as he continued to stare through the open door. Ian noticed his off mood and opened his mouth to ask what was bothering him but Patton spoke first.

“It’s amazing how fast a place can change when war rises.” The general leaned back in the chair and looked absentmindedly at the ceiling. “At first I was eager to help this nation with its struggles. I thought this war would be like the inhabitants, simple and quick to pacify. Guess I was wrong.”

The rest of the humans stared at their leader, puzzled. Patton looked at them and smiled.

“Now don’t go thinking that I’m second guessing or regretting my decision! Hell no! I still plan on using American ingenuity and my ability to whip my opponents asses to win this war!” The worried and sad look returned to his face. “But there is something about this war that hurts me in a way unlike the one back home.”

The other humans didn’t say anything as they too were absorbed in thought. After a while Patton stood.

“I think I’m going to visit Corporal Marshal and the other wounded at the hospital.”

“Very well sir, me and the boys will get the tank ready for rail transport.,” Ian replied.

They left the spa and walked in silence until they neared the Apple family’s house when Bill groaned.

“Shelly!” The Virginian turned and faced the younger man with his fist balled. “If you try to smell me or my shirt one more time I will break you goddamn nose!”

“But you smell so nice,” Matt mocked. “Like Californian flowers on a spring morning as the sun is rising over the ocean.”

“The hell?” Bill’s mouth dropped open slightly as he shook his head in confusion.

“Shelly,” Ian said. “Don’t go all poetic over Bill. We will find you a nice boyfriend soon enough, but I don’t think he is your type.”

They started to laugh, including Matt despite his embarrassment. But the mood quickly died away as they entered the orchard. They were surprised to see Frederic by the tanks talking to the three fillies that called themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The dragon named Spike sat under a tree snoozing several apple cores around his feet. The fillies had curious looks on their faces, but Scootaloo seemed the most fascinated.

“This is the carburetor, it is vat helps mix the air vis the fuel so it vill burn.” Frederic noticed the approaching Americans and gave them a polite nod. Then went back to talking with the fillies. “That is it for the engine. Vant me to show you more of the vorkings?”

“How does the cannon work!” Scootaloo replied quickly.

Frederic nodded, a smile played across his face. “You remind me of one of my daughters. So much like a boy and interested in machines. Follow me.”

Frederic climbed the side of his tank, opened the hatch and slid into the turret. The three ponies watched him through the hatch as he showed them the internal workings of the vehicle. The Americans moved on and reached their own tank.

“Hello Lucky,” Bill cooed as he patted the four leaf clover painted to the side. “Did you miss daddy?”

“If you are Lucky’s dad then I guess calling the Lieutenant, Momma, is more accurate than ever.” Matt smiled widely, but the grin was erased when Bill turned and hit the loader in the gut.

“Hit him again for me,” Ian said as he climbed the side of the tank.

Bill turned to hit Matt again, but the Californian had wisely backed away.

“Lets hurry and get Lucky to the trainyard,” Ian ordered. His voice echoing from inside the turret.

They complied and joined Ian inside of the tank.

Applejack watched the other members of her town as they drilled. She asked around and had been led to the camp of the 19th and 24th Ponyville Regiments. Now she stood and watched ponies that she knew almost her whole life prepare for war alongside her brother. Occasionally she would see him. They drilled for several hours and Applejack found herself drifting off to sleep under a willow tree. The sun was going down when she felt someone nudge her awake.

She looked up at her brother and gave a slight smile. “Ah wanted to talk to you.”

He nodded and sat down next to her. Applejack was quiet for a few seconds, watching the others head to their tents to pack for the evacuation.

“If, if you don’t come back home, what will Ah do!” Applejack eventually blurted. “Ah can’t take care of the farm by myself and-and, Applebloom! Ah don’t think she would be able to handle you never coming back! Our parents already left us, Ah don’t want you to too.”

Big Mac watched his sister silently as she broke into tears. He pulled the sobbing mare into a hug and whispered into her ear.

“I will come home,” he said. “And everything will be the same.”

Applejack shook her head. “You might come home. But it will never be the same.”

They sat in silence, watching the sun go down until a higher ranking member of Big Mac’s regiment walked up.

“Sergeant Macintosh,” the pony said. “I hate to be rude but we need to hurry.”

Big Mac saluted. “Yes sir.”

The higher ranking pony walked away and Applejack turned back to her brother. “You're a Sergeant?”

The stallion nodded and stood, “I need to go sis. Ah’ll see you at Van Hoover when we get there. Goodbye.”

They hugged one more time before Big Macintosh left for his regiment. Applejack was content to watch them pack until the sun went down. Rainbow Dash arrived a little bit later to bring her to the train yard where the others were waiting. She followed reluctantly until a thunderous noise rising from Ponyville distracted her thoughts.

Cheering! Thunderous cheering! Thousands of ponies lined the streets as the tanks rumbled towards the trains. Occasionally flowers flew from windows and some of them trotted alongside the vehicle as they trudged along.

“Feels like Paris,” Ian stated. “After we liberated it.”

Matt was too busy waving to give a reply. Ian looked back at the Tiger tank following them, at the Germans and three fillies sitting on top of the turret with smiling faces.

“Though there isn’t any cute french girls,” Ian continued with a hint of reminiscence in his eyes.

“What are they saying?” Bill crackled over the radio.

“What? Who?” Ian replied.

“The darn ponies. They are chanting something.”

Ian listened closely and sure enough, he could hear it. Mixed in with the general cheers and thundering of hooves he could make out a chant rising amongst the noise.

“Iron Thunder! Iron Thunder! Iron Thunder...”

“Yeah!” Matt smiled widely, pumped his fist into the air and started chanting along with them.

By the time they arrived at the train, that was to take them to the coast, there was a massive crowd of ponies following behind them. They pulled up to a pair of dirt ramps alongside two flat rail cars.

“Drive straight onto the train Bill,” Ian ordered.

It was surprisingly easy to get the tanks onto the train, even with the ponies crowding around. At first they were afraid that the Tiger would be too large, but unexpectedly it fit perfectly. Ian looked down at the crowd of ecstatic ponies and waved.

“Shame not to say some moral boosting words,” he said to Matt.

“Too bad the Old Man isn’t here.” The loader looked around for goodies to throw towards the foals but found nothing.

Ian looked at the private with critical eyes. “What, you don’t think I can give an uplifting speech?”

“I didn’t say that.” The California shrugged passively and went back to waving.

Ian rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the crowd. He raised his arms motioning for silence. “Ponies, ponies! Silence please!”

They quieted and Ian looked at them with happy eyes before continuing.

“Little more than three weeks ago me and my companions arrived in your country. We had been fighting our own war before getting here. Using great machines of steel to tear each other apart. Now I will not go into our war but we saw that you needed our help and now we plan on using our machines of war to protect you and your future and nothing will stand in our way! Follow the Iron Thunder to victory!”

“Patton would have done better,” Matt snarked but Ian didn't hear him over the eruption of applause and cheers.

“Admiral Turbulent Waters,” Silky Wind saluted the leader of Equestria’s navy and gave him Patton’s letter. “Orders for you sir.”

“Yes,” Turbulent nodded and read the paper. A puzzled look played across his face. “I already got this.”

“He wanted me to give you another just in case you didn't get the first.”

“Very well then.” The Admiral nodded and went back to watching his ships load up with supplies and ponies.

“Any reply sir?” Silky asked.

“Hmm, no.” Turbulent Waters spoke to her like an adult talking to a young child. “I doubt there will be any ‘secret plan’ the enemy is going to have. I honestly think this evacuation is a waste of time. Our military outnumbers them. Why not end it now.”

“But wouldn't that create large amounts of casualties?”

He dismissed her words with a wave of the hoof. “Foals can be easily born to take the place of those gallant heroes who died for their country.”

Silky's stomach churned from his words when a voice suddenly called out from the mast.

“Sails westward ho!”

Everypony scrambled to the seaward facing side of the ship and stared at the forest of sails rising over the horizon. Above the approaching flotilla was an equally massive fleet of airships. The confused and shocked face of Admiral Turbulent Waters almost made Silky Wind smile if not for her own rising fear. The war, they quickly realized, was just beginning.

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Next chapter is going to be filled with all kinds of stuff. Like the introduction of the primary antagonist!