"What I say, children of the banner, is the words of God. There is no other profit other than the Torn Banner." He shouted from the patio of the embassy.

It used to belong to Great Griffon but it'd long since been abandoned. When the political turmoil began leaving was the smartest course of action. They were the first targets by Torn Banner, this is mainly because Yakyakistan has a long and brutal history of foreign rule. They were sick of it.

It started with threats, nothing the embassy wasn't used to as it was in a very volatile country. Then it escalated very quickly when a bomb detonated on the Eastern wall, a hole that still remains today. They stormed the place but the ambassadors got out just in time. Now, whoever controlled that embassy controls the whole region.

Torn Banner was the current property's occupant, and he made that very clear.

The crowd cheered from below, whether it was out of fear or anger or belief was anypony's guess.

"In the second year of the one true God, we are now the owner's of the Earth! We cleanse it of the filth, of the dirt, of the agony that was once your lives! My faithful sons and daughters, bask in the light of eternal life by going through the eternal darkness! Take up arms to rip the unfaithful ones limb for limb! Hang them by the streets!"

The crowd cheered once more, there were gunshots through the crowd yet it didn't phase them, as it was them simply firing upwards.

"Let us start a new wold, one where there is a real God! One where you live for me!"

The crowd shouted in unison.

"Long live the Torn Banner!"

"Thank you my faithful sons and daughters, I will lead you to the promised land which was taken from us years ago, and is now occupied by the unfaithful. We struck fear into their hearts at Whinnyapolis and we will not stop until they acknowledge that their time of judgement has come! Let us bathe in the blood of the unfaithful, for a bath in flames makes the soul new!"

He retreated from the cheering crowd, and laid down on a small couch. It was barely big enough for him. It wasn't that he was a large pony by any means, it was that the couch was just plain small. It was a wine red color, which stuck out against the white walls. His eyes were cold pale grey, as if he'd been dead for days. His smile sent shivers down his most trusted follower's spines, yet they still followed him as he were a god.

He looked nothing like his two brothers, who'd both gone to Equestria. He was a solid olive on the coat and a dark grey on the mane. It was hardly an attractive look.

"My Lord, as a sheep to your grace I have news for you."

"What is it?"

"Your brother, he's been captured."

"I have no brothers, I am the Lord. I have no family."

"My apologies my Lord. Somepony that claims to be your brother died in custody under the Equestrian military."

"What is his name?"

"Ali, Ali Babar."

A million memories flashed back in his head as he thought of his brother. He couldn't let them see that he knew him.

"I've never heard the name, is that all?"

"No, the target you search for is still at large. Cloud Dasher has caught on to our diversion."

"He knows about the double?"

"Yes my Lord, this is entirely my fault for underestimating Cloud Dasher. Shall we deal with the double?"

"No, I want to see this Cloud Dasher. If he wants to play God we'll wait for him to meet God."

I woke up in a daze, at first I couldn't even remember my name. It slowly, however, came back to me. Probably had something to do with the bottle of pills and the syringe by me.

'Torn Banner, what are you hiding?'

Octavia walked out from in the kitchen and stared at me.

"Everything okay?" I asked, she was pale as if she'd seen a ghost.

"You are supposed to be asleep."

"For how long?"

"Two more days."

Two days? How long have I been out?

"Why?"

"You fainted and slammed your head against the concrete, you've been in a coma for three days and the sedatives were supposed to keep you out."

"Whoever gave me the sedatives is a fucking idiot."

"I can see..."

"No you really can't, why'd you let them give me sedatives? I was knocked out not shot."

"Well that's another thing, you suffered a severe laceration on the head, they needed to stitch you up and remove chipped concrete from your skull. You really hit the ground hard you know."

"Well what can you say, I still have emotions."

"Why do you say that?"

"You know about the incident that happened outside?"

"They wouldn't tell me."

"That's for your own good. Now don't bring it up."

"Alright, Iron had something to say to you for when you're awake. You should go see him."

"Sounds about right."

I walked towards Octavia, she just stared up at me into my eyes. If he sent me away she's coming with me. I walked up the three flights of stairs and entered Iron's office. He looked over at me, stunned as to me being awake already. I knew what he was thinking and sat down.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"It's about Torn Banner?" He said slowly, he knew I was probably really touchy on this.

"Give me a time and location and I'll be on the first plane out of here."

"Well glad to see you're eager as always. Well he is confirmed in Yakyakistan, but take a look at this."

He turned the computer over to me, it was a picture of him. Green coat, grey hair and grey eyes. Enough to give me the chills.

"He's a real psychopath, thinks he's God. He's convinced much of Yakyakistan that too somehow. Well he wants you dead now."

"I already knew that from... previous experience."

"Good, we're on a similar page. Here's what's up though: Twilight has given you permission to follow his scent down into Yakyakistan, but she can't confirm safety. Due to the proximity of the civil wars there Equestria is deploying. She wants you to take advantage of that to do some dirty work."

"Alright, and about last time we talked, what is Twilight not telling me?"

He leaned in close to me, I could feel his breath on my nose.

"She hired you for a purpose, she might hire you for something much worse later. She wants power and she'll do anything to get it. Behind those eyes is a ruthless politician that has no shame about how she gets her way. She didn't tell you this but you know who won on a landslide for Ponyville mayor office?"

"Who?"

"Take a fucking guess. Who killed the only other candid in Ponyville?"

You've gotta be kidding me... I never thought about that job like that.

"Was it really worth it?"

"Listen Iron, thing's have changed since Ponyville. The whole shit turned me around. I'm not who I used to be. This isn't about money, this is about protecting others. That's what I was trained to do and I'm not turning my back on it."

"Glad that you've changed. But Twilight wants power, and to her you're just a tool. Just like every tool, when she doesn't need you anymore, she'll throw you away. Be careful around her."

"I got that." I gave this some thought. If it came to it I'd off anypony that meant harm to somepony I loved, but if it's her would I?

I can't afford to hesitate again.

"Now listen Cloud, those sedatives are still doing a number on you, you might want to get some rest."

"Will do."

I shut my eyes when I lied down against the bed, and every time I do I'm greeted with memories I'll never forget.

"Roger that 22-20, proceeding to mark waypoint Alpha 3."

7 YEARS AGO. EQUESTRIAN MARINE CORPS 24TH RECON DIVISION SECOND SQUAD.

LOCATION: 2 KILOMETERES SOUTH OF HYDERABAD. EQUESTRIAN CONVOY NUMBER 22.

TIME OF DAY: 0800 HOURS.

MISSION DETAILS: CONVOY NUMBER 22 (Codenamed 'Regiment 53') IS TO MOVE TO HYDERABAD, CARRYING HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES TO CIVILIANS AT GRIDSQUARE CHARLIE 5. UNITS ARE DESIGNATED UNITED NATIONS CONVOY.

MARINE IDENTIFICATION SERIAL NUMBER: 1BD33QT521

NAME: CLOUD DASHER.

RANK: LANCE CORPORAL, E3.

BLOOD TYPE: 0-.

MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: DESIGNATED MARKSMAN, RIFLEMAN.

I was speaking through the radio in one hoof, wearing military class gloves, and in the other controlling the wheel. I was at the rear of the convoy. We were carrying cargo to Hyderabad to counterbalance the HuA (They're still around but much smaller, they go by the name Harkat ul-Mujahadeen), who had been starving out the city for a matter of weeks. There was a anti-HuA cell there that they were trying to drive out.

"Recon Squad 22-20 reporting to Regimental Squad 22-09, we have no resistance in the hotzone, it's quiet." The crackly voice came in through the radio, but this was unusual. The hotzone was a direct pass through HuA territory. There was no way that they hadn't gotten shot at yet.

"Roger that Recon Squad 22-20, keep moving to the next Waypoint, ETA 30 minutes until we hit the rally point." We were separated to keep our profile low, we didn't want to attract attention but I didn't have a clue that they were going into the hotzone before the mission.

"Regimental Squad 22-09 we have an adult male standing in the middle of the road, we've halted."

"Roger that Recon Squad 22-20, keep a 100 foot distance, if he breaks it give him a warning shot."

"Solid copy Regimental Squ-" His microphone cut out, then when it came back in the vehicle was filled with screaming."

"Regimental Squad 22-09 we are taking fire from the northeast! Our top gunner is hit, he isn't going to make it! We're 2 Clicks south of you, we need immediate assistance!"

"Roger that 22-20, on our way!"

We swerved the convoy around, there was one Humvee and one MRAP, both with mounted M2 Brownings. We sped across the desert off the road for 2 kilometers, which was a short distance. We could hear the AK's distinctive sound as we got closer. We saw the convoy on the lower end of the road, they were being attacked from the direct front. The adult male's dead body was sprayed across the road from a 50 cal shot.

The M2 had been recovered, though the first gunner was dead. It's slow and study bark ripped through the noise.

"This is Regimental Squad 22-09, we've reached your location, opening fire direct front."

"Solid copy just get them off me!"

We swerved in front of the Humvee, where we saw two units shooting from the cover of the armored doors. There was a dead body of an Equestrian soldier behind one of the doors, his blood sprayed across the window.

As soon as we hit a stop we opened up fire with the Browning, which cut directly through their cover, killing those behind it. We heard engines coming from the front. We needed to get out of here before they arrived with reinforcements. We gathered the dead Equestrians and threw them in the back, we counted two stallions and one mare.

When we sped off enemy reinforcements had just arrived, they turned around to begin pursuit. I was in the direct middle of the convoy, the wounded car in the rear, and the MRAP in the front.

"22-20 I'm giving you the mid, hand me rear!"

"Roger that 22-09!"

He veered off to the side and we hit our brake hard, throwing us in a position to swerve the car into the opposite direction. We were facing the truck dead on, in reverse at that.

"Take the wheel!" I screamed at the pony next to me, and he didn't think for a moment. I got up and strapped myself into the rear gunner position. A shot ringed off of the armor plate as I did.

There was a Prussian machinegun mounted to the car, and he was trying to tear away at us. The armor window cracked into a spider's web, but didn't break. I sighted in the browning, the truck was within 20 yards from us.

I got the sight picture ready, and gave myself a second to get it onto the car's windshield.

Then I gave it a full burst.

The car swerved in a circle, blood scattered through the windshield and flying out the side window. I didn't stop firing as the barrel grew to glow a bright orange. I hit the rear gunner in the back, blowing him in half. Parts of the car were flying off of the vehicle until it tipped over and rolled into a corner. A pony crawled out, but gave up and rolled over. We could hear his screams. He was mission both his rear legs.

We halted the convoy and regrouped. Then completed our mission on delivering food to the civilians. I'd never seen true desperation until that day.

Author's Notes:

Welcome to war, war is hell.