Once Back at the stable Windy and I both head toward our own regiments’ headquarters. We say a hasty farewell to each other and trot in different directions. Goddesses am I going to miss having her with me all the time. I realize then how much I have come to depend on her.

As we had passed the Armory, we saw Buckshot and I heard him call to me, “Colonel, it is great to see you back. Welcome home ma’am and Congratulations. Thanks for all the new equipment.”

I grinned at him and replied, “My pleasure. I just hope we don’t need it too soon.”

He nods his head and just smiles as we trot on. But I now wonder what he is congratulating me for? As I head toward my office to drop off my kit, I see the Regimental Sergeant-Major smiling at me as he tells me, “Welcome back Ma’am, the Colonel and the Commanding General have been waiting for your return. Colonel Star Burst is waiting in her office. Ma’am, I would just keep your kit on.”

I am very surprised at this as well as confused. Why do they want to see me so badly and why are they congratulating me?

Once I enter Star Burst's office she looks at me seriously and tells me, “Don’t bother sitting down, the Brigade Commander wants us in his office pronto.”

Again, I am surprised. Both I and the Sergeant-Major follow her down the corridors from our headquarters to General’s HQ. There we are greeted by a very serious, now Major Pin Point. The chief of staff for the general. As we enter, he nods his head and tells us, “Go on in, the others are already present.”

I am stunned when I enter and see not only our General but Windy and her colonel as well as Chain Lightning and the Sergeant-Major from the Second Regiment. Holy Sweet Cream, what is this all about I wonder.

Once I am there, General Threat Vector smiles as he puts his two foretalons together. He nods and then tells us, “I am glad to see you have all made it. I know you are all wondering why I have asked you to this meeting. At least, if you are the people, I think you are, you should be.”

I nod my head and see several others do the same. He has a grim expression on his face as he tells me, “This war is just beginning and we are going to need to use every asset we can. This means we are going to expand our army as well. It will not happen overnight, and I do not want to strip the older regiments of their best ponies, but I do not want to throw raw meat into the grinder either. What this means is that, for the duration of the war, we will be adding a new regiment to the brigade.”

I am not surprised at us adding another regiment as we will need it. Then the General continues. “The way we are going to do this is that we will be taking some of our senior officers and non-coms to lead this new regiment. However, I will also be transferring one battalion from the 1^st regiment as seed stock to it. In return, the 1^st Regiment will immediately be assigned the newest battalion that has been formed from the new recruits and volunteers. We will be having an additional battalion from out of this region assigned to us as well, and it will be assigned to the 3^rd regiment. The third currently has a partially formed battalion that it will continue to build until it is ready.”

Again, he pauses. Then he says, “Colonel Mollygirl, please step forward.”

I approach him. Saluting when I am at the appropriate distance. He returns the salute. He removes my Lieutenant Colonel's insignia and replaces them with those of a full colonel. He then tells me, “Congratulations Mollygirl on your advancement and your new command. I look forward to someday reading the history it will make.”

I cannot help but grin and tell him, “Thank you very much, sir.”

He then has me return to my seat. After this he tells us, Lieutenant Colonel Wind Rider, you have shown your ability to command and that you are ready to advance. You will be the new executive officer for this regiment.” He then looks at Chain Lightning and tells him, “Sergeant-Major Lightning. You have exhibited professionalism since you first became a member of the 2^nd Regiment. With the 2^nd of the 1^st, you have shown you are now ready for the responsibilities of a regimental Sergeant-Major. Because of this, you will be transferred to the 3^rd regiment as its Sergeant-Major. Congratulations to all three of you.”

I am stunned as I had not imagined this happening. Looking at the faces of the others with me they are just as surprised.

Finally, the General tells me, “Colonel Mollygirl, due to the limited amount of room available in the stable, your regiment will be assigned quarters and offices outside of the stable. My Chief of staff will discuss with you and the other members of your staff where this will be on your way out. Again, congratulations. Now Dismissed.”

We go to attention, salute, and file out of his office. Once in the brigade’s main office area, Major Pin Point gets our attention and he begins to fill us in.

“Colonel, first off, I am sorry to say you are going to be establishing yourselves all over again. You will be having to build your base between Manesville and White Cloud. Most likely nearer to the former. Temporarily you may use the old farmhouse found here,” he tells me as he points towards a map. I notice it is an old farm that the family had begun to reclaim but gave up on.

I ask him, “Any reason the family gave up on reclaiming the farm?”

He shakes his head, “None other than too many bad years for the crops from what I was told by one of the engineers.”

I nod my head, “Ok, do you have a list of the rest of my staff and units?”

He nods his head and tells me, “3^rd of the 1^st will be assigned to you immediately. We have two infantry companies formed up so far for your second battalion. The heavy weapons company is still going through Bootcamp and their initial training.”

“Ok, we can deal with that. I am sure Dull Beak and his people will not be too thrilled, but I want his entire battalion to stand down for a week, one-half at a time. That way they all get a break. OK, how about my headquarters staff and security detachment?”

He shrugs, “those will be assigned in the next couple of days. Colonel, why don’t you three all swing by your new headquarters and check it out on your way home for the night. Your new combat engineers’ company is already there and have begun to make improvements.”

After that, we all look at each other and I nod to them. I turn to the Major and tell him, “Thank you, Major. I will do that. I will also return in the morning after I have seen the site.”

He smiles at me, “But of course Ma’am. I would expect no less.”

Once we leave the stable the three of us begin to talk. I see Chain shaking his head some.

So, I ask him, “Ok Chain, what is it?”

He looks me in the eyes and tells me, “Colonel, I just never expected this. And us having to build our own base as we get the troops. My Goddesses, what a mess.”

I grin at him and tell him, “Chain, just consider it being sorta like when we deployed to Hackamore the first time. At least this time we are not in hostile territory and learning the lay of the land.”

“Maybe not ma’am, but still, this seems a bit rushed if you ask me.”

I grin at him and tell him, “True, but then again, I will be asking for a permanent artillery battery with us as well as perhaps a scout company and our own Service of Supply unit.” Then I turn to Windy and ask her, “Well Number 2, what are your thoughts?”

I see her grin as she says, “Two things ma’am. The first is, seeing the 3^rd of the 1^st is now going to be the 1^st of the 3^rd, who gets credit for the battle of 13 Mile Island. The second is where are we going to put the vertibuck, because I will be damned if we let them keep it.”

I then hear Chain Lightning ask, “What battle of 13 Mile Island? And what do you mean you captured a vertibuck?”

Wendy and I look at each other and I begin to tell him about it. Shortly after that, I hear rotors from a vertibuck flying towards us. I check it out on my EFS and see it is friendly. The Pilot brings it in to land and one of the crewponies jumps out and runs to me. When he is close enough, he salutes me and says, “With The lieutenant Colonel’s compliments ma’am, we are to fly you to your new headquarters.”

I ask him, “How did he know?”

He simply shrugs his shoulders and tells me, “Ma’am, we are just following orders.”

I grin at both Chain and Wendy as I trot over and climb aboard the vertibuck. They both grin at each other and Windy tells me, “Ma’am, we will meet you there. We both need to stretch our wings some.”

With that, I give the signal and the pilot takes us into the air. By now I have a helmet and voice mike on and can hear the crew talking to each other. I grin as I look out the door. Then I ask the Pilot, “Do you have enough range left to fly us around the area a bit?”

He grins at me and tells me, “Sure thing Colonel, where ya want ta go?”

I grin back and tell him, “How about circling around White Cloud, and then we can head back to our new home.”

He nods his head and tells me, “Sounds good ma’am.” Then he asks, “Low and slow, or fast and hard Colonel?”

Now I cannot help myself and I tell him, “We go slow around White Cloud, but on our way back to the HQ we can go as fast as you want?”

I hear one of the other crew members ask, “Ma’am, are you sure? I mean that can be pretty fast.”

Then I surprise them by telling them, “Yeah, I am sure. I have ridden a dragon in combat, so this should be a bit more sedate.”

I hear the pilot laugh as he tells the crew member, “I told ya I remember flying with her during the first couple of Pegasus tag matches. She can deal with anything we can do in this thing.”

We make a circuit around White Cloud and I notice that it has built up a bit more while we are gone, but I also see several smudge pits ready to light in case of an air attack.

As we fly over the back 40 acres of our family’s farm, I see a couple of the ghouls alongside our main field talking with Xavier. I wave to them and see them wave back. After this, as we fly past Trouble’s place, I see several Pegasus from the militia come running out of the barn with full kits and they take to the air and prepare to attack. I take off my helmet so they can see my face clearly and I wave to them.

Soon I see Sirocco fly alongside us. He looks at me closely, nods his head, and waves. The rest fly back to Trouble’s barn and he escorts us back to our new HQ.

Once we land, over the intercom I tell the crew, “Thank you for the ride. I already look forward to my next chance.”

They all nod their heads and I hear a chorus of “Thank you, ma’am,” in my headset. I take it off and climb out, where I am met by Sirocco.

I had already seen him looking around in surprise at all the ponies here and the construction that is in progress.

His eyes are open wide as he looks around and then he turns to me and says, “Afternoon Colonel, it’s good to see you back.”

I grin at him and tell him, “It’s good to be back and to see you again.” I pause, “How has it been going, Captain?” I use his militia rank so he knows what role I am asking him from.

His reply to me is, “So far, so good. We have only had a couple of vertibucks get as far as White Cloud, but those usually had some power-armored ponies flying with them. That is why we came out like we did.”

I turn my head a little and squint at him as I ask, “Only four militia troopers to take on a vertibuck with a possible escort?”

He laughs, “No ma’am. That is all you saw. However, remember all those years back when the second regiment was chasing you and your escort during the second Pegasus tag match.”

I nod my head, “Yeah, what about it?”

He grins and tells me, “Ma’am, we had troopers all over who were ready to jump in from ambush. Both from on the ground and from the clouds.”

I have to smile. “Thanks for letting me know Captain. I will sleep easier knowing that. Now, why don’t you come on in and talk with those of my staff who are already here.”

He nods his head and falls in beside me as I head in to see my new HQ. Once inside I notice rooms have already been cleared out of debris and trash. I can see the front room has been set up like the main HQ offices of a stable, with several desks, filing cabinets, and even some maps on the wall. From one of the downstairs bedrooms, I hear a military radio and when I check I see that they have already set up a radio shack in there.

I am surprised though when I see Paper Work come out of one of the back rooms along with Sergeant Nightshade. Before they notice me, I hear Nightshade tell Paper Work, “Ok, everything looks pretty secure for her. Thanks for walking me through the place.”

“No problem Nightshade, I still remember how many times infiltrators tried to get her before. No need to give them a chance on our home grounds.”

That is when they see me. I see both of them come to attention and salute me. I return it and ask, “So, did I get lucky enough to get both of you on my staff?”

They both nod their heads and Paper Work tells me, “Yes Ma’am, most of the old hooves were volunteers to the 3^rd so we could help it get a good start.”

I smile and I feel a slight bit of joy as I tell them, “Well I am really glad to hear that. I really appreciate it.”

I discuss with them who all is on my staff so far, as well as preparations for the regiment itself. I never knew how much paperwork and minutia went into such an undertaking. Yet Chappy and the others did this for the 2^nd Regiment. Then again, they did not have to build their own base either.

As we are discussing this, I hear someone land on the front stoop then I hear Sirocco say, “Good to see you again Lieutenant Colonel.”

From the front porch I hear Dull Beak answer, “It is good to see you too. How about we stop for a pint of cider after we are done here.”

“What will your wife say, sir? I mean with your having just gotten back and all?”

“Sirocco, I saw her at the stable and told her I might stop. She has duty tonight and our daughter is at her grandparent's, so I will go get her then. I don’t have to hurry.”

“Ok, sounds good DB. I have missed our chats. Besides you can catch me up and what all has been happening down there while you were gone.”

“Sounds good, now I need to go report in to the Colonel.” Dull Beak tells him.

As I wait for him to come up to my office on the second floor, I look out the window to the area between the barn and the house and I see the crew of the vertibuck has already folded the blades on it for storage and are performing what post-flight maintenance they can without all their supplies. While they do this, I see a squad of combat engineers dragging out a camo net and the poles to support it begin to cover the vertibuck.

Soon I hear Dull Beak coming up the stairs. Once he sees me at my desk he says, “Well this is a surprise Colonel.”

I grin at him and reply, “As much for me as for you. By the way, your troops are now the 1^st of the third, and troops A through D. D troop will be the Heavy Weapons troops. Dull Beak. I know they are going to be upset about the changes, so involve them in the choosing of names for each troop.”

He grins and asks, “You mean like how the old Equestrian Rangers became the Enfields?”

I nod my head, “Exactly. It may seem small, but it makes it their own. They are starting a unit history.”

He nods his head, “So if they want to include their old units’ heraldry in the new?”

I smile at him as I tell him, “Then we do. Granted, I get the ultimate veto on anything out of line, but I really want them to feel that they are in at the ground floor too.”

From outside the doorway, I hear more hoof steps and I see Windy and Chain have both arrived. Then I hear Chain Lightning say, “Colonel, I think that is a very good idea. My question is, do you have any ideas for the regiment yet?”

I grin, “Not really yet. But let’s give it a few days. Besides, if you have any suggestions, let me know too.”

When I head home, Windy goes with me. When we get to my house, I see her smiling as her family and mine are all gathered on the porch. We also See Xavier and his family there with them.

Xavier and Tek are both talking in Zebrican to the side While Persimmon is talking with Sutures and Magpie. The youngsters seem to have a big game of tag going on over by the barn and I announce my presence by laughing out loud when I see Xailynn dodge being tagged by Snow Song and instead Millie lets out a squawk as she is tagged instead.

When they hear me laugh the adults all turn towards Windy and I with an expectant expression on their faces. Then I see Archer’s eyes look at my uniform and he sees my new rank. For a second, I do see a bit of jealous anger flow through his eyes. Then he smiles and tells me, “Congratulations dear. I am very proud of you.”

Badger looks at him then back at me and then he notices too. I see an expression of pride on his face for me and then worry as he asks me, “Well Colonel Dear, did something happen to Star Burst or Storm Cloud?”

I shake my head and Windy answers, “Actually Captains, you are looking at the CO and XO of the new 3^rd Manesville regiment.”

I see the surprise on all the adults' faces except Tek, who just looks at the others. From inside the house, I hear Purchase order call out from the door, “Sumac says dinner will be done in a minute. She wants to know if we should set the table or just eat outside this evening?”

It is a very pleasant evening and the sun should be up for another couple of hours so I tell her, “Let's eat outside tonight.”

After I say this, I see the bucks all begin to move the picnic tables closer to the porch. As we are eating Xavier tells me, “Tweeters ran off a while back while you were gone. She came back last week. She has a litter of pups with her. I have them out in the barn. Woofers has been spending a lot of time down on the back forty. It seems he has adopted our ghouls after they started to give him scraps whenever he came around. They also started to use Sutures’s trick of communicating with us via a note tied to his collar. It has helped out a lot.”

I shake my head; I wonder who the father of the pups is? This is her third litter so far. The rest I have given away to friends who wanted one. Such as Sky and Serenity. I did laugh though when Sirocco asked for one. Even Trouble has one of her pups from the last litter. Then I ask him, “Have you named them yet?”

He shakes his head and tells me, “They are not mine, though I do have a youngster who has asked me if she can have one of them too.”

I grin at him, “I think we can arrange that if you and Persimmon are ok with it.”

He smiles and tells me, “Thank you Mollygirl. You will make a little filly very happy.”

I grin at him and tell him, “I am very glad I could do that for her and for your family my friend.”

With that, he leads me to the barn where I see the pups. I am stunned when I see that while most of their coloring matches the red coat of their mother, one of them has a golden coat with black streaks in it. They are not old enough to be weaned yet. So, it will be a couple of weeks till they are ready to find homes but they are cute little ones. I begin to pet them and I notice how proud Tweeters seems to be of them.

As we are looking at them the family foals come in. I hear Xialynn say, “See, I told ya we had pups in here.”

I see Windy’s oldest daughter have a look of disgust on her face as she looks at them and she says, “Enfields, eww.”

Beside her, I hear her younger sister and brother getting excited and Rain says, “I wonder if ma and dad would let us have one Frost?”

I then hear Frost laugh lightly and say, “I really hope so, they are so cute.”

Then I see them both turn and trot out of the barn to ask their parents.

Soon we give Tweeters a few more pets and I dig a bit of bacon out of my saddlebag and give it to her. Then we head back to the others.

As I get there, I hear Windy ask me, “Really Mollygirl?”

“What Windy?”

“An enfield pup? You know how most pegasi are about them.” She tells me.

I simply shrug my shoulder and tell her, “Windy, I did not mention it to them, they talked about it between themselves. I kept my muzzle shut.”

I hear her husband laugh some and he tells Windy, “Best go meet the pups. I have a feeling how this will work out.”

We both watch him walk away and she shakes her head, “He is just as bad as our foals. Ok Mollygirl, if he wants one, the family can have one.”

I nod my head and tell her, “I do understand Windy. I really was not trying to get anypony else to take one. Besides, I know Kettlebell and her family wanted one from her next litter of pups too.”

Windy smirks as she shakes her head and tells me, “Well it sounds like most of them have homes already then.”

I nod my head. “Yeah, at least this time it was easier than the previous two times to find them homes.”

She smiles and tells me, “True, but I was really surprised at how Xyliana and her sisters took to them once they met them. Even Barrel Tap told me he was surprised.”

I nod my head, “True, but Barrel Tap was one of the old hooves from the Expedition who saw Woofers and Tweeters. He knew what they could be like.”

Windy smiles and tells me, “Ok, we best start winding things down for the night, you and I have a big day tomorrow.”

I nod my head and I tell her, “Yeah, not only will we have to talk to Dull Beak’s Battalion and get them on board with this, but I want to head over to Camp Quick Trot and see the new trainees.”

She grins, “We need to make sure Chain is with us. The two of you alone should scare the changelings out of them.”

I laugh and tell her, “Yeah, but we don’t want to scare them too bad do we now.”

She shakes her head and tells me, “True, now I best head to the barn and see which one will be our new family member.”

“Don’t worry Windy, it should be another month and a half to two months before they are ready to leave their mother,” I tell her.

After her family leaves, I head over to the family graveyard to talk to Ivy and Epona. At least after these many years, I visit them more quickly on my returns. Goddesses how I miss them still. Though I do have to wonder what it would have been like with both Epona’s in our home at the same time.

As I sit by their grave talking, I hear a shuffling behind me. I turn and I see Lieutenant Xerxes walking by me on his way to Sweet Corn’s grave. He notices me turn and says in his gravely, yet formal voice, “I am sorry to have disturbed you, Lieutenant Colonel,” Then he notices my collar and says, “Excuse me Colonel, congratulations on your advancement.”

I nod to him and tell him, “Thank you, Lieutenant. It is both good to be home and to see you again.”

“As it is good to see you and your family home. However, I do hope this does not mean we will not have Woofers visiting us as often. We have all gotten rather fond of him.”

I nod my head and tell him, “Unfortunately with all the foals here, you may not see him as much. However, his sister Tweeters had a litter, and I may have a couple without homes.”

I see him laugh silently and he then tells me, “Colonel you have to be one of the few beings I have ever met who would not hesitate to home a pet with a ghoul.”

I tilt my head when he says this as I try to understand why most others would not. He then tells me, “Colonel, most would be afraid we would eat it or some such nonsense.”

I nod my head in understanding then. “Perhaps, but Lieutenant, if I still need to home one, you would be welcome to have one for Site Paddock as a mascot and pet.”

He smiles and tells me, “Perhaps, let's see what happens first. Besides, if you have been made a full Colonel and the other two still are in good health, then something major is afoot and we may need to worry about that a tad bit more ma’am.”

I nod again and tell him, “You are quite correct sir. Now I should not keep you from your visit either. But Lieutenant, thank you for the conversation and please, now that we are back home, let the others know we are back and they can visit also.”

He smiles again and tells me, “Thank you, ma’am. We have been visiting Xavier and his family during your absence. It is nice to know you welcome us as well. Please have a good night ma’am.”

I then turn back to Ivy and Epona and say goodnight to them as he continues on his way. Then I head into the house for the night where once again I am pummeled by questions from my spouses on what is going on and about my new regiment.

I begin to tell them what occurred and who was transferred to my regiment. Then I hear Badger say, “Hmmm, I wonder if the spots being filled by those who were filling in for you are going to be permanent now? I mean it could make it where I could advance soon.”

From across the room next to Sutures, I hear Archer say, "That would be nice. Unfortunately, Badger, you and I were not here, so it probably will not affect us.”

Badger looks at him and tells him, “Well with the new guns, maybe they will officially form an Artillery Battalion. That should get you at least a bump up.”

I see Badger just shrug, then he tells Archer, “Well with a war on, there always seems to be promotions. So, try to keep a good attitude.”

Tonight, I sleep with Archer and Sutures, but Sutures is in between us and I notice he seems withdrawn towards me. I can understand why he might feel this way, but it is not my fault. This night as I fall asleep on what should be my proudest day, I feel tears in the corners of my eyes. How can something feel so good, yet hurt so much at the same time I ask myself as my breathing shifts and I return to the world of dreams.

The next day I meet with my First Battalion at morning formation. They are accompanied by an additional company of engineers from the 1^st under Bailey. By now I can see we get to keep all the troops who were with Dull Beak. I can see several repair shops and supply wagons set up near the barn and the vertibuck. Earlier Dull Beak informed me that what repair parts we have for it has been brought to and stored in the barn.

We hold the morning formation across the road in a relatively flat field. I can tell that many of them are not happy to be unable to go on the expected leave. Honestly, I do not blame them. Another problem I will have to address.

My staff, what there is of it so far, stands in front of the troops. I stand in front of them and begin to speak. “My fellow officers and soldiers. I welcome you to the 3^rd Manesville regiment. You are the foundation blocks upon which it will be built. Today, we begin to form its history and develop OUR regiment.” I pause briefly to let that sink in before I continue. “I know you are disappointed that you have not been given leave as you expected. Honestly, I do not blame you. However, we are now at war with the Enclave, so we must make some sacrifices. We need to perform our duties still. With this in mind, once we have our barracks and other necessary facilities built, I intend to give leave to your battalion much as you had expected before. The quicker this is done, the sooner we can begin the leave rotations. After the leave rotations, we will return to our normal training cycles. Upon the Second Battalion being fully formed, we will begin to work with them, much like you have previously when you were with the 1^st Regiment.”

I pause again. “Finally, I want to say you all performed magnificently during the recent operations during the Battle of 13 Mile Island. I saw you in action, and I can not ask for finer soldiers to lead.” I turn to Dull Beak and tell him, “Lieutenant Colonel, resume command of your battalion.” Then we exchange salutes and I return to my headquarters followed by my staff as Dull Beak and his people hold their normal morning routine.

Slightly later in the day Windy, Chain Lightning, and I visit Camp Quick trot together. I can see the new recruits being put through their paces. I hear the drill sergeants running next to them giving orders, or correcting their errors. As one batch runs past us, I hear one of the recruits ask one next to him, “What’s up with all those scars?”

I about laugh when I realize their DI is Rose Milk from the old H troop of the 1st regiment. She moves next to those recruits and I see an almost evil grin on her muzzle as she tells him, “That my little pony is going to be your new Colonel. Every one of those scars she earned and I have seen her do things in combat you would never imagine. So, I know you want to buck with her, even less than you would with me.”

Then they are past and I watch as another group comes running by. I see another old hand from the Enfields trotting them past at a fast pace with full kits on. He sees me and salutes me, which I return. Then he continues, “Come on now, keep the pace, show the Colonel what you are made of.” As they pass, I notice they all keep looking straight ahead.

I nod and tell Windy and Chain, “Ok, let's head on in and see what we can get out of the Brigade.” They nod their heads and we continue on.

Once we reach the Brigade Headquarters, I run into a fuming Colonel Star Burst as she leaves the Brigades main office. She sees me and shakes her head, saying nothing.

We are shortly after this told by Pin Point, “Colonel, the general is ready to see you.”

“Thank you, Major, is it alright if my companions join me?”

He smiles almost condescendingly and tells me, “Yes ma’am, but normally the Colonels of the brigade tend to visit the General by themselves. Today, however, I think he is ready to make an exception.”

As we enter, Threat Vector is behind his desk and indicates with a talon for us to take a seat. I see an amused look on his face. Then once we are all seated, he asks, “Ok, so why was I not informed about your having taken a vertibuck as a war prize?”

I am surprised and I tell him, “Sir, I thought that Lieutenant Colonel Dull Beak had put it in his after-action report.”

He shakes his head, “Well I had not gotten a chance to read that yet. Most beings would have been bragging about bagging one like that. Or were you trying to keep it quiet so you could keep it?”

“Sir, honestly I had not thought about it. However Dull Beak’s battalion did capture it during the battle of 13 Mile Island, so it only seems appropriate to me that they keep it.”

He nods his head, “And the reports I have that you took it for a spin around White Cloud and the area of your new base.”

I can’t help myself and I grin as I tell him, “Well that is true. I did do that. I miss flying and do so when I get the chance.”

He looks at me and asks, “You really do enjoy flying?”

“Yes sir, I do. I guess you could say it is in my blood.”

He nods his head, “Well that is a good thing then. Because we are going to try and make your regiment partially airmobile. At least one battalion will be. We are considering having your regiment train specially for river operations.”

I raise my eyebrow at this and ask, “Are you serious?”

He nods his head, “Actually, yes. We may be performing river ops for a while to keep the rivers open for traffic. Later on, well We are still trying to determine where the Enclave may have bases we can strike at. Rumor has it that they have a large presence in Seaddle and VanHoover.”

I nod at him and then reply, “But General both of those are on the west coast of the old Equestria. That is a long way to march, and unless you plan on rounding the cape down south, even further to sail as there are no rivers that flow directly there.”

He nods his head. “You are quite correct Colonel. However, operating in those areas is still way off. I only mention them to bring your awareness to them and so you can begin to think downrange of what you are going to need to do such an operation.”

All three of us nod our heads and I tell him, “Thank you, sir. That will help us focus a bit. But for now, I am still a light regiment.” I pause, take a deep breath and ask him, “Sir have you heard anything about where our third battalion will be coming from?”

He shakes his head and tells me, “Honestly Colonel, you might have a mixed bag there. No one has said anything yet, but we do have a large number of smaller units that could be banded together.” He pauses and wraps his foretalons together and then says, “For now, just focus on getting your base built. Give your troopers in the 1^st battalion a bit of a break if you can, and begin plans for river operations. Oh, and also, just so you know, your regiment gets to keep the vertibuck. Colonel Starburst was not happy to hear that and tried to insist that it was her battalion that captured it, so it should stay with the 1^st Regiment. I simply reminded her that the entire 3^rd battalion of her regiment, was now a part of your regiment and therefore the prize should stay with them.”

I twitch my right ear in understanding and tell him, “Ok, that explains her attitude towards me.”

He nods his head and then says, “Besides, she gets to keep the stable and you are out in the brush, and she was not willing to trade places. To me, it seemed a fair trade.”

I can not help but grin and tell him, “Thank you, sir.”

“Your welcome Colonel, Besides, I am sure Dull Beak and his troopers would have screamed like banshees if I had tried to take that vertibuck from them.”

I notice both Windy and Chain look at each other in a bit of confusion. So, I explain to them, “From what I understand the legend of the Banshee started in old Trottingham. The banshee is a type of spirit that was a harbinger that death was coming. They did this through their loud, piercing screams.”

I see the General nod from the side and I see I have the attention of both Chain and Windy. Windy then asks, “So what did these spirits look like?”

I grin and I tell them, “Well that is the thing, usually they were described as a pure white mare who was very old and skinny and dressed in rags. Normally a Pegasus, but sometimes an earth pony.”

I see Chain scrunch up one side of his face and I can tell he is thinking about something. Finally, he asks. “Never a Unicorn?”

I shake my head, “No, not that I have ever heard of, but who knows. I have never heard nor seen one.”

The General still has a bit of a gleam in his eyes as he then tells us, “Alright, if you don’t have any more questions, I need to get back to this paperwork. Colonel, you and your staff have a good day. I will see you later this week. Oh, and if I hear anything about your new battalion, I will let you know. Dismissed.”

With that, we all get up. Salute and head back to our headquarters. On the way, I keep getting questioned by them about the Banshees and how they worked. Finally, I simply laugh and tell them, “Look, I will see if Magpie can find a book on them in the library if you are so interested, ok.”

They both nod agreement to that. But before we can even step up on the porch of the old farmhouse, I hear Windy ask, “So are the Banshees like Mareigan?”

I simply smile, say nothing and when Paperwork sees me, I tell him, “Sergeant could you please bring me some tea in my office.”

Shortly after this, as I am drinking my tea, I see Baily Bridge walk in and he tells me, “Well Colonel, they went and did it. They promoted me and kicked me out of the 1^st. I am now officially the Commander of the 3^rd Regiments combat engineer company. They did take away my old company though.”

I cannot help but grin when he says this and I tell him, “Bailey, I can not tell you how glad I am to have you on board. I do understand how you feel but damn am I glad to have you in my regiment.”

He grins then he asks, “So, ma’am, have they given you any hints yet about how they are going to use us?”

Still smiling I look at him and tell him, “Bailey, you are not going to believe it.”

Things eventually calm down at the house between Archer and me. I think it had a lot to do with one night a few weeks later he overhears Millie complaining to me again as she and I were washing dishes.

“Ma, it’s just not fair,” She says.

I sigh quietly because I am afraid of where this is leading and ask, “What’s not fair dear?”

“Ma, everypony else has their cutie mark, even Xailynn has her glyph mark. Well, everypony but Raven. And Ma, what if she gets hers first?”

I stop washing the plate I am scrubbing and look at her. Then I ask, “Millie, then they do and you still can get yours. My dear daughter, I was 18 years old when I finally got mine.”

I hear her humph a bit then she says, “But Ma, you have yours now. I want mine.”

“Millie, I understand entirely how you feel. But dear, it will come in time. I remember when Granny Em kept getting advanced and then she even got my Pegasus fliers after the battle of Manesville. I was so upset. But dear, look at me now. I never thought I would make it this far. And just like me my little dear, you to will eventually get your wish. Besides. I am sure Moon would love to have a colt friend, and you already have one of those.”

“Maaa, that’s different. Besides, we are just friends.”

I laugh lightly and tell her, “Millie, is that why you knew exactly who I was talking about?”

I see her turn slightly redder in her face. Then she says, “Ok ma, I guess you are right. But It’s just I really want it and it is taking forever.”

I kiss her gently on her forelock and tell her, “Patience my dear. Eventually, it will come, once you have earned it.”

After that, she smiles and gives me a hug and we finish the dishes. I turn around and I see Archer standing in the doorway. After Millie has gone past, he approaches me and asks me, “Love, did you really feel that way back then about Em?”

I nod my head and tell him, “Yeah, I am embarrassed to admit it, but I did. The sad thing is, eventually she felt that way towards me after we got back from the Valley.”

He looks at the floor and blushes. “So, you understand how I feel?”

I lift his chin and look him in the eyes and I tell him, “Yes, I understand, but dear, it still hurts. Of all the ponies I wanted to share this with, I felt your disappointment and it hurt me. I never meant to hurt you dear.”

He is still blushing and his ears are alongside his head hanging down, as he tells me, “I am sorry dear, I did not realize it was showing. I tried to hide it. I am proud of you, but damn, it has been ten years since I made Captain and it does not look like I will advance soon.”

A week after this we begin to get the first graduates from training for the new 2^nd Battalion. By the time they finish, they simply march from Camp Quick Trot and move into their new barracks.

That night is the first time I hear a loud high-pitched sound that hurts my ears. At times it almost sounds like a scream. I am relaxed about it at first, then I hear it again and I begin to think about the story I told Windy and Chain Lightning about the banshee and I suddenly am afraid I am hearing them.

After three nights I am sitting on the porch at my HQ getting ready to head home. It has been a long day and I am very tired. Suddenly I see some shadows moving in the clouds. Then I notice among the shadow is a white pony and I can barely make her out as she darts into a cloud. “Sergeant Major, Number 2 would you both please come out here,” I call.

They both wander out and Windy asks me “Yes Ma’am, what can we do for you?”

Then they both hear the high-pitched sound. I see the white mare in the sky and point. They both look and see her. I hear the wonder in Chain’s voice as he asks, “Colonel is that what I think it is?”

“Sergeant-Major I have no idea, but it sure looks like it,” I tell him.

Then Windy says, “Ma’am, they seem to be getting closer.”

Suddenly, there are four shapes landing on the grounds along the walkway to the house. The first three are all dark and in the night, I cannot tell their exact color. However, the fourth one I can make out fairly easily. Her coat, mane, and tail are all white. Her frame has little extra fat on it. The irises of her eyes are red and she is dressed in rags.

As she steps forward, I feel some fear that the banshees have actually come, and I am not sure what they want. Finally, the one begins to talk to me. And she knows my name.

Dear DJ Pon3,

For the past three nights, I have heard the strange wailing in the night. I have recently learned of the old Trottingham belief in the Banshee and while I am not superstitious I am afraid of what I am hearing may be one and that they are warning of the impending death of somepony I care about. To warn others of these beings could you please play The Banshee’s Cry for me.

Thank You

Chain Lightning, 3rd Manesville Regiment

For those wishing to listen to this chapters dedication song, it's YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zM3HJ8C44o&list=RDEMyWO5UiAOkYB8u8cN-wRjSw&index=3