The next morning was quiet.
Both Bren and Siplinski were impaired by throbbing headaches, and neither could recall sending an apple dancer to Red Field’s table. Black Rain had gotten into a scuffle with another stallion at the Halter and ended up getting kicked out shortly after he’d seen Red Field off on his date. He’d bumped into Scootaloo in the lobby and she’d related the Red Field’s sexual tenacity and prowess, and at long last, Black Rain accepted that Red Field really was a womanizing grandmaster.

Full Wing had apparently had too much to drink, or too much on his lap, and had thrown up during a private dance. He’d joined Black Rain on a quiet walk home.

Siplinski was the first to speak as they flew out of Las Pegasus..

“So did any of you guys see those five burros being hauled off by the cops last night?” He asked, his quiet, hungover voice barely audible above the gentle trickle of the wind. The chariot was silent from the failure of the group’s last hurrah.

“No, I only remember that bouncer dragging us out.” Bren said, stretching out his legs.

“Which bouncer?” Asked Black Rain.

“Uh, yellow one. Don’t remember his Cutie Mark.” Said Bren.

“Stalwart.” Said Black Rain. “Asshole shouldn’t have had the job in the first place. He threw me out too.” Bren and Siplinski laughed a little to this.

“Heh, me too.” Said Full Wing. “Wonder if he knew we were together.”

“Ehh, I don’t think so.” Said Bren. “I mean, me and Sip were pretty shitfaced by that point. And puking on hookers is a no-no with most places. So is picking fights.”

“Okay.” Said Black Rain, taking the bait. “I didn’t start a fight.” He spat over the side of the chariot. “I ran into that guy from basic, the one who talked all that shit then failed out like two weeks in. I guess I was a bit buzzed at that point and I asked him how things were going, not being a soldier and all. Fuckwit was just lucky I didn’t beat his ass in Beast, where nopony would have given a shit. I wouldn’t have done anything serious, just wanted to rough that little shit up and get back to the show. Then Stalwart busted me, but he already hated me so who gives a shit?”

“Well at least you got him now.” Siplinski said.

“Yeah and I smacked Stalwart pretty good too.” Add Black Rain. Red Field didn’t need to see his face to know he was smiling.

“Oh damn, really?” Asked Bren.

“Hell yeah, clocked him in the nose after he grabbed me. Nopony comes up behind me, grabs me and then says I need to take it easy; you have something to tell me, you tell my face.”

“Are they gonna let you back there ever again?” Asked Full Wing.

“Of course.” Black Rain went on to describe how he had nearly become vice manager of the Hoof and Halter and how everypony there practically treated him as if he was. Except for that fuck Stalwart, and of course the current manager.
A small conversation built in the chariot, and soon the group was laughing and joking like normal, only much quieter.

Red Field lay in the back of the chariot. His legs extended out before him like a pair of thin white twigs that had gnarled together. His shoulders were pinched together and his head bent forward.

Siplinski poked his head over the side of the storage compartment.

“Hey! How’s it going?” He asked.

“Fine.” Said Red Field. Siplinski looked over the little chasm.

“I’m coming in.” In a moment Red Field was pulling his legs to his chest and shifting his body as Siplinski’s lanky body slid into the compartment. After a few seconds of cramped weight and limb redistribution, Siplinski was settled. His lower hooves slid out and pushed against Red Field’s. The compartment was now uncomfortably warm, and with each breath Siplinski pushed putrid alcohol odor into Red Field’s face.

“Hey!” Siplinski said with a smile.

“Uh, hey.”

“So what’s up?” Asked Siplinski.

“Not much?” Said Red Field. Siplinski was still smiling.

“So what’s your family like?” Siplinski asked.

“It’s just me and my parents.” Red Field said. “Why do you ask?”

“Dunno. I just wondered who you lived with. I’ve got three sisters, and God it’s horrible. I’ve always wondered what it’s like not to have to go to dance recitals every damn weekend.” Siplinski waited to make sure the others were conversing before speaking again. “You didn’t tell anyone about, you know, the kit right?” He asked in a low voice.

“No.” Red Field said. Siplinski nodded.

“Thanks dude. We should hang out some time. Like on our next leave you should come to my place, if you’re up for it.”

“Sure.” Red Field said.

In about half an hour, Black Rain shouted that they were coming up to Full Wing’s house. Siplinski invited Red Field to share his seat and the pair painstakingly extricated themselves from the compartment.

They were almost in Manehatten. Red Field’s heart jumped at the sight of the city, which dwarfed Las Pegasus with ease. The city sat amidst what looked like an infinite expanse of grasslands and patches of forest. On the far side of the city, Red Field could barely make out the rich blue of the ocean. They had gone from one end of Equestria to the other in a single day. He looked down and saw that they were landing not in the city itself, but in a little outgrowth of a town about twenty or so kilometers from the city.

The floor of the chariot vibrated and clunked; Full Wing was tapping his hooves. He took a seat beside Black Rain and he looked back at the rest of his squad.

“Heh, so, this is gonna be awkward.” He said.

“Only as awkward as you make it.” Said Black Rain disinterestedly. Full Wing looked over the side of the chariot and pointed to a house that sat nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac amidst the trees. They landed in the center of the cul-de-sac. Full Wing jumped over the side and walked quickly toward the door. He paused midway and looked back.

“Heh, uh, I’ll just see who’s home.” He said. Everypony was still looking at the house.

“Damn.” Whispered Bren. “What do you think his dad does?”

“Stockbroker, bet you anything.” Said Black Rain.

“Bet he’s got an indoor pool.” Said Siplinski.

The house stood three entire stories, four if a loft larger than Red Field’s shack was to be counted. The building was painted a fading white, but a three chariot garage, lawn that was lush and green despite being shaded by the forest, and well-groomed shrubbery indicated the immense value of the property. Full Wing jogged to the door and was momentarily obscured by the thick oak tree that stood surrounded by decorative rocks in the midst of the lawn.
He knocked, and Barracks Six waited to see Full Wing’s family.

Three minutes passed before anypony answered. The cicadas had grown fiercely annoying and the air was congested with cottonseeds. When the door opened, a grey stallion greeted Full Wing. The two hugged, spoke for a bit, then Full Wing pointed to the chariot. Full Wing and the grey stallion walked out to them.

“Hello colts!” Called the stallion. “My son says you’re his bunkmates!” He and Full Wing reached the chariot. The stallion’s Cutie Mark was a calculator and pen.

“Uh, yes sir.” Replied Bren.

“Well I’m this colt’s father.” Said the stallion, mussing Full Wing’s mane. “I’m Slickwater, nice to meet all of you.” He said, holding out his hoof to shake. Slickwater looked back to Full Wing. “You know, your mother isn’t going to be home for another hour, she’s getting her mane done.”

“Oh, okay that’s fine. Just tell her we stopped by.” Said Full Wing. Slickwater smiled, and gave a nod to the group once more.

“I sure will, you colts take care now!” He said, starting away from the chariot.

“Bye dad!” Called Full Wing, climbing into the chariot. “Okay we can go now.” He said, taking his seat. Black Rain chuckled as they lifted off.

“At least somepony knows how to keep it short.” He said. “Those two clowns,” he pointed to Siplinski and Bren, “usually have to call a family reunion whenever we stop by.”

Bren lived in a dry, dusty town not all that far from Rockvale. The main industry of the town of Sedimentary was even rock flipping, and Red Field had heard Cargill mention the town as one of his main sources of limestone. However the similarities between the two towns ended there.

They landed in a minor cloud of thin, white dust outside of a long, log cabin home. The house sat a few blocks outside of town and a wooden fence enclosed the back yard. A single tree, from which hung the dry thread of a rope swing, stood in the dust of the front yard. Bren jumped out of the chariot and ambled through the dust to the door. Red Field felt that he would have preferred white rock dust to the grey tone of Rockvale.

Short, muscular, and a deep brown tan, Bren’s father did not resemble his slick blue offspring in any way. Red Field and the others watched as they hugged at the door. His father looked to the chariot, gave a halfhearted wave, then turned back to Bren. He talked loudly, and excitedly. In a moment Bren followed him into the house, leaving Squad Six in the warm chariot.

“His dad looks way different than what I would have thought.” Said Full Wing, peering at the house.

“Yeah he does. Bren doesn’t want to look like his dad, that’s why he’s always got that short mane and keeps it cut like he’s gay or something.” Black Rain said.

“His dad owns a tool store or something like that.” Siplinski said. “And Bren works at the mechanic place in Gale Force.” He looked at the house. “Bet you fifty bits he’s in there helping his dad put some wire cutting machine together or something.”

The door opened again. And a blue mare, looking a little more like Bren and carrying a tray on which stood a pitcher of lemonade and a few cups, walked out toward them.

“I thought I saw that old chariot landing in yard.” She called to them. She reached the chariot and hoisted up the lemonade. “Here, something to keep you cool. Solid Wall got a new wire cutting machine and can’t help showing it off to the only one of his children who can appreciate it.” Siplinski and Black Rain chuckled at this. The mare craned her neck and looked up into the chariot. “Well now let me see. I see Siplinski, is that Black Rain?” She noticed Red Field and Full Wing. “Oh! I see you have some new comrades, or teammates.” She gave a middle-aged mare’s laugh. “I don’t know what you guys call yourselves.” She smiled to Red Field. “I’m Mache, Bren’s mother.”

“Red Field.”

“What kind of soldier are you?”

“Not sure yet.” He laughed a little and she laughed in response.

“Well that’s okay! Don’t have to know everything right away!” She looked to Full Wing. “And now you must be a flyer!”

“Yes ma’am!” He said. “Name’s Full Wing, I’m Airborne!”

Mache smiled at the group.

“Well now, this looks like a good group of stallions to go fight a war with, I’m sure Bren’s loving being in a place where not everypony is a sister or mother.”

“Yeah, it’s been good.” Said Siplinski.

“Now have you colts done anything this year, or is it still training?” She asked, sounding a little concerned.

“Nope, just training like always.” Black Rain said, chewing on the edge of his cup, which he’d already drained.

“Well good, I’m glad the academy worked out for Bren, but I don’t want my little pony going out and having to fight.”

“No worries about that happening.” Said Black Rain with a sigh.

The door banged shut once more and Bren and his father walked down the few steps and into the dusty yard toward the chariot.

“Oh, so I guess you guys met my mom.” Said Bren as they came to the chariot.

“They did, and your new teammates seem nice.”

Bren’s father, who had a serious looking mustache, squinted up at the group.

“All of them A grade?” He asked suspiciously, the mustache twitching with each syllable. Bren chuckled.

“Yes dad, they are.” His father looked at the side of the chariot.

“What’s this run? Forty-two hundred?” He asked, pushing against the side of the vehicle. Red Field was a little disturbed that he was capable of rocking the vehicle.

“Yeah, it’s two and a half tons and you better stop rocking it before the alarm goes off.” Said Bren.

“It has an alarm? What, are they afraid somepony is going to come into a base full of soldiers and fly off with the thing?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Said Bren. Solid Wall laughed.

“An alarm on an army chariot; that’s wild.” He said, shaking his head.

“I gotta go, we have like two more places to go before we report back to base.” Said Bren. Both his mother and father once more expressed their love for him before giving him a group hug.

“Be sure to keep writing, your little sister lives for your letters!” Called Mache as they rose into the air.

“Uh yeah, okay!” He called back. He looked back to the rest of Squad Six. “Don’t tell me your parents don’t say embarrassing shit.”

Siplinski lived on the other side of Sedimentary and the flight was only twenty minutes. He seemed nervous, like Full Wing had been, and spent the flight standing and looking off of the side of the chariot. Black Rain and Bren were still arguing about how writing letters to one’s sister wasn’t a gay thing to do when they touched down before Siplinski’s house. Red Field was sweaty, tired and ready to go back to Gale Force. He slouched back in his seat.

“Hey.” Siplinski knocked his leg. “I want you to come with me.” Red Field looked up.

“Uh, okay?”

Red Field didn’t feel uncomfortable exactly. But at the same time, he did feel strange following Siplinski up the walk toward the front door of the home. The house itself was strange. Four stories in total but only a few rooms across, it rose out of the white dust like a tower and sat surrounded by an oddly diverse garden. Sunflowers, roses and even a few lilies peeking out of shallow ponds surrounded the house like a short wall of green.

“Yeah, my mom likes to garden.” Said Siplinski as they reached the door. Siplinski knocked on the thick wooden door and just a few seconds passed before it was answered.

A mare, not much older than Red Field answered. She was a dark grey, but her resemblance to Siplinski was unmistakable.

“Sip?” She was frozen a moment, then cried out. “Sippy! You’re home! I thought it was going to be next week but here you are!” Siplinski, giving her a light embrace, nodded.

“Yeah, yeah!” He said, making a poor attempt at matching her enthusiasm. “Good to see you too Ampere!” He patted her shoulders then pulled away. “Is uh, mom or dad here?” The filly jumped up and clapped her hooves.

“Yeah! Mom is, dad’s at work though. Let me grab mom!” He squealed again, hugged him, then bolted off. Siplinski waited for her to bound up the stairs, then turned to Red Field.

“Hehe, so that’s my sister, Ampere. She can be kinda psycho at times.” Siplinski said. In a minute, a white mare appeared at the top of the stairs and bounded down almost as fast as Ampere. She too squealed and clutched Siplinski.

“Oh Siplinski!” She held him as if he had returned from a war. “It’s so glad to see you!” She said, cradling his head and swaying both of them as she hugged him. “How have you been?”

“Uh, good.” Siplinski, who stood a head taller than his mother, had his mouth blocked by her tightly drawn mane. “We can only stop for a minute.” She released him. She looked at him, sighed sadly, then hugged him again.

“There’s so much to tell you, if only your father had known you were coming.” She said.

Ampere, who had since noticed the unicorn beside her brother, pointed to Red Field.

“Who’re you?” She asked. Siplinski pulled away from his mother.

“Mom, this is Red Field.” He said, displaying Red Field to his mother and sister. “He’s my friend and I need his help with something.”

“Well what do you do at Gale Force Mr. Red Field?” Asked Siplinski’s mother.

“He’s a mechanic like me.” Siplinski said. “We actually have to head out real quick here so I just need Red Field to help me with something in my room and we have to go.”

“Oh! Well by all means then!” His mother stepped aside and Siplinski bounded inside, Red Field awkwardly trailing after him.

The house was not richly decorated. A small table that Red Field assumed served a decorative purpose stood just to the right of the doorway. The table was covered in elementary school books and the tablecloth was tugged and canted. The floor under Red Field’s hooves was soft, grapefruit-colored fuzz, and the room smelled like almonds. Red Field had barely looked around when Siplinski called to him from the top of the stairs which stood to Red Field’s left.

“He’s always like that.” Said Siplinski’s mother with a laugh. “There isn’t a medication in the world that’ll cure that kind of excitement. Looks like you’ve already found that out though.”

Red Field climbed to the top of the stairs. The next floor of the house held all of the bedrooms and Red Field looked around to see which room Siplinski had disappeared into.

“Hey, come on.” Siplinski poked his head out of a bedroom door. “We don’t have a lot of time. My dad might be home soon.”

Siplinski’s room was a mess of ideas. A poster of “Tool and Die” an industrial-themed metal band hung above the headboard of his bed. By his window was a small desk, on which sat a dusty set of watercolors and some papers. An electric guitar and a small amplifier were propped up near his closet. Beside Siplinski’s bed was a larger, more realistic and academic desk, on which sat a lamp, a can of pencils, and an overstuffed file folder.

“Hang on for a second.” Siplinski was half-buried under the draping folds of his blanket as he rooted around under the bed. A flyer for a technical college peeked out of the folder atop the desk and Red Field started to read it. “Okay come here come here.” Said Siplinski, pulling his head out from under the bed.

He set a shoebox atop the bedspread and pulled off the cover. He pulled out a few notes, then a notebook, then three porn magazines, then he came to what looked like the bottom of the box. Siplinski held the box up, inverted it, and out dropped a thick beige book.

“Can you read this?” Asked Siplinski, holding the tome up to Red Field. Red Field, already dazed from the barrage of peculiarity, tried to focus on the title, which was written in gold letters that had grown brassy with age.

“Applied Electrical Engineering: An Introduction.” Said Red Field. “Yeah, I can read this?”

“And like, teach me it?” Red Field looked around the book and at Siplinski. “I could pay you.”

“Why?”

“Look, can you at least read and understand this?” Asked Siplinski impatiently. Red Field nodded. “Perfect, let’s go.” He said, stuffing the book into his saddlebag. Red Field followed him back down the stairs.

Siplinski’s mother had prepared a sandwich for him.

“I know you probably will stop for something on the way back but it’s important to keep your blood sugar up.” She said.

Siplinski took the sandwich and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Thanks mom, sorry we couldn’t stay long.” He said, hurrying out of the door. Ampere galloped around Red Field and gave Siplinski one more hug.

“Stay safe big brother.” She said, clinging to him.

“Mmhmm.” He said, giving her a brief hug.

“Heh, did your mom make you drink a cleanse before she let you go?” Asked Black Rain as Red Field and Siplinksi climbed back into the chariot.

“No, nothing like that.” Siplinski said.

“Or better, did she give you hot stone therapy and offer you a two for one on her candles?” Asked Bren. Full Wing laughed, then asked what Bren meant. “Siplinski’s mom is into holistic stuff and she’s big into crystals, herbs and all that bullshit.”

“I dunno.” Said Black Rain. “My money is still on Red for having the weirdest family.” Red Field didn’t know why but he was suddenly very nervous. “Also, get up here Jesus pony, I need you to help me find your town.”

Viewed from the air, Rockvale was still uninteresting. The town was a tiny smattering of buildings connected by thin insinuations of road cutting through the dust.

“Got damn-” Black Rain trailed off. They had landed atop the hill overlooking the field behind Red Field’s home. Everypony looked down the incline, across the field of bald cabbage and at the dull grey shack.

Nopony wanted to say anything about how Red Field’s poverty.

“I’ll be right back.” Red Field said, his cheeks growing red. He clumsily hoisted himself over the side of the chariot, so as not to ask Black Rain, who was still staring at his shack, to open a door. Red Field’s hooves landed in the soft earth, prompting a small puff of dust to spawn around his legs. He started toward his home.

He didn’t know what to expect.

He’d arrived at five, and the sun was ripening into a gold orb, ready to drop to the horizon. Red Field walked through the soft, tilled earth and around the cabbages until he came to the shack. Without thinking, he walked inside.
His mother was slicing cabbages by the sink and saw his shadow on the wall.

“Dear, we are out of the-” She turned. “Oh my God.” She dropped the knife, splattering cabbage juice onto the floor.

She stared at Red Field.

“Hi mom.” He said gently. She took a few steps forward before rushing into him and embracing him. The pair stood for a long time. Moonlit Night hung against Red Field, saying nothing. Finally she looked up at him.

“You’re different, Red.”

“What?” He asked. She pulled away and searched for her small vanity mirror. She held it up to him.

Red Field saw a strange version of himself. His legs and shoulders were heavier, and his neck had grown thicker. His black mane hung down his back. He saw that with each breath his entire torso rose and fell, instead of just his narrow and jutting ribcage. He swallowed.

“I guess so.”

“Your father thought you’d never make it at the Academy.” Red Field nodded. Moonlit Night seated herself at the table. “I didn’t know when you’ve be visiting.” She looked up and smiled shakily at him. “My little pony is all grown up and I don’t even have a dinner for him.” She said. “I suppose you didn’t have time to write many letters.”

Red Field seated himself beside her.

“I’m sorry for dropping in so unexpectedly. I don’t have a lot of time, but I wanted to see you.” He took her hoof. “I’m sorry for how I left.”

“Your father, he’s, out with Mr. Pie and the others hauling a rock.” She said. “I don’t think he’ll be home until-”

“I don’t want to see him.”

Moonlit Night set her other hoof atop Red Field’s.

“What are you doing out there?” She asked.

“Just training for now.” Red Field laughed a bit. “Training is all we do really.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah.” He said. Moonlit night smiled and looked as if she might cry.

“Red, we were so worried you wouldn’t take to it.”

“I think it just took me finding my place there.” Red Field felt a little bit like crying, though he wasn’t sure why. Moonlit night rubbed his hoof. “They have this program that might get me to a school for magic.”

“Did you make any friends?” Red Field thought about Siplinski, about his book.

“Yeah.” Moonlit Night began to sniffle and Red Field moved his chair closer to embrace her.

“I knew you could do anything any of these stupid colts in this stupid town could do.” She whispered. “You’re an extraordinary pony Red.” She laid her head on his shoulder and Red Field held her close. “So you are going to be able to go to the Cantorlot Academy?”

“Yes.” She began to cry and Red Field held her closer. “After four years they said I can go wherever I want and they’ll pay all of my costs.” She laughed and a few warm tears ran down his shoulder. “Assuming I pass the entrance exams.” He added. Moonlit Night looked up.

The tears had stained her face a dark grey.

“I knew you’d end up at the academy.” She laughed, loudly. “And I knew you wouldn’t have anything to do with flipping rocks.”

“Thanks mom.” Red Field laid his head against hers. Red Field saw the shadows outside growing longer and he forced himself to stand.

“I need to go, my friends are waiting.” Moonlit Night stood and clutched him. A few tears broke from his eyes and Red Field tried not to sniffle. “I’ll come back for a longer visit once I’m completely done with my training. I’ll make sure to write you letters. I promise I’ll make time.” His mother nodded and gave him a parting squeeze.

“You are a good pony Red Field, and I will always love you more than anything in the world. Don’t worry about making me proud; you’ve already made me proud.”

“Thank you mom, I love you too.”

Red Field exited the shack and walked back toward the hill. The sunset colored the dust around him a warm yellow. The tears on his face dried in the fading warmth of the day. Red Field looked at the rock that he’d tried to help his father and the other stallions flip.

Cyrus deserved something. His father had gotten him to Gale Force, and no matter what, he deserved thanks. Red Field tried to think of what he could give to his father to show his gratitude.

The other members of Barracks Six said nothing as Red Field reached them. They seemed to see the gravity of Red Field’s visitation. He thanked them for waiting and they took off as the sun slipped below the horizon. Red Field looked back at Rockvale. The little town faded into the darkening landscape as they took to the sky.

At around 2300 they stopped at Black Rain’s apartment in the town of Breck. Red Field reclined in the small cargo compartment, his hooves sticking out of the opening. He was still thinking about his parents.

Siplinski poked his head into the chasm. He grunted and his breath expelled directly into Red Field’s mouth.

“Hey!” He whispered. “About that book, like, I didn’t want to act all weird back there.” He cleared his throat. “It’s just-”

“I’d be happy to teach you.” Red Field reached up and offered him a brohoof. Siplinski looked at him in curiosity, then he grinned.

“All right dude!”

“God damn.” Black Rain slammed the chariot door shut. So loud and sudden was the outburst that Siplinski frantically pulled himself out and Red Field peeked up with him.

“Whoa, what’s up?” Bren asked as Black Rain gave the steering wheel a sharp punch.

“Cocksucking roommate stole all of my shit then moved.” Black Rain stopped to take a few seething breaths.

“Oh damn.” Said Full Wing.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Bren said. “That really sucks.” Even Red Field couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him. They sat for a few seconds as Black Rain clutched at the steering wheel.

“No, you know what? This is okay.” He started the engine and the chariot began to putter. “Gale Force is supposed to be my life, and now it really is. Fuck Breck. I’m a soldier and I’m going to put my money where my mouth is.” He shook his head and they lifted off. “I’m all in now.”

They reached the compound at midnight. They were much, much later than they were supposed to be, and Black Rain vividly described the punishment meted out to any late arrivals as they stealthily touched down in the fenced landing area. Squad Six quietly disembarked and Black Rain whispered for them to wait until he arrived at the barracks.

“If they get me, wait for them to take me away, then in ten minutes run for the barracks. I’ll say I was out by myself.” He said.

Black Rain swung open the gate and bolted for the tiny row of huts. The rest of Squad Six watched as he tore for the barracks. He hit the door with a thump that was audible from where they stood, then yanked open the door and disappeared inside.

The rest of the squad had made only a few steps when somepony shouted.

“Fuck!” Whispered Bren.

“Squad Six, halt!” Shouted Lewerc as the group cantered to a stop.

“S-sorry for our lateness sir.” Bren said in terror as he saw the commander materialize from the darkness.

“Private Red Field, you are half an hour late.” Lewerc marched over to Red Field. “This reflects very poorly on your current application. Do you wish to explain to me why you are so late?”

“We were just visiting our families sir.” Red Field said, not sure why he was being singled out.

“Private, I assume you understand the seriousness of your post, surely you understand that a few minutes with your family is not worth ruining an already delicate relationship with your potential squadmates.”

“Sir?” Red Field asked.

“Private come with me.” Said Lewerc, turning and marching away from where they stood. Red Field followed after him. He looked back to Bren and Siplinski for guidance on what to do, but both looked as confused as he.

“S-sir, what about-” Bren began.

“Go to bed.” Said Lewerc.

Lewerc led Red Field toward the gym, then took a left toward the mess hall. Red Field had to jog to keep pace with the commander.

“Private, you need to take this post more seriously than the other ponies take theirs. Belligerence informed me that he’d recommended you as a sniper candidate. I trust his judgment. However ultimately it’s not my favor that counts, it’s that of your squadmates.”

Squad Six favored him, at least somewhat; what did he have to fear?

They reached the door of the mess hall and Red Field saw that light shone through the screened windows. He heard voices, lots of voices, on the other side of the door.

“Sir, I’m not sure I understand.” Said Red Field.

“UAT isn’t like the rest of the company, private.”

Lewerc opened the doors to the mess hall.

What caught Red Field the most was not that nearly everypony in the giant hall was a member of UAT. Nor was it that he saw Bombs Away or several other ponies who outranked him by several decades of military service. He wasn’t even perturbed that out of all of the ponies in the room, he was the only one not wearing a uniform.

Everypony he saw stood on two hooves.

“Private- um, are you a private?” A card table had been set up by the door, and a seated officer motioned for him to approach. “You are out of uniform- are you a potential candidate for UAT?” Asked the pony, looking over a sheet of names.

“Yes, Red Field, sniper candidate.” Said Lewerc. Red Field nearly jumped as he saw that Lewerc, who was standing beside him, had also assumed the strange two-hoofed stance and now stood at about double his height.

“All right then.” The seated officer found Red Field’s name on the list and ran his hoof along the line until it reached another name. “Your interview is with Specialist Midlothian.” He pointed with his ballpoint pen to a table across the room. “Have a seat over there and I’ll dig up the specialist and send him over.” Lewerc thanked the officer, than pulled Red Field away from the table.

“Private, just remember your answers and stick to them. He doesn’t have a problem with nervousness, but if you say something stupid or crazy he’ll notice.” Lewerc said quietly. “Just stick to your plan and take time to think over your answers if you need to.”

“Sir, I don’t know-”

“Go.” Lewerc shoved him toward an empty table. “Just remember what this is all for.”

Red Field walked through the crowd of towering stallions and toward the empty table. He took a seat at the table, and fearfully considered what would happen next. He glanced around the room and saw a few other privates standing and talking with the UAT members. Red Field looked for anypony he knew.

“Hello there- seems you're a little late.” The table shook a bit as Midlothian seated himself. Red Field was facing away from the table and spun himself back. Midlothian looked like a horse. His shoulders and neck glided together into a softly edged pyramid of muscle. His body was the color of a coyote, and his mane was a dark brown. A well-polished horn poked from his short mane. A small cancer of fuzzy facial hair surrounded his mouth and spread down his neck. His smallish eyes were green and his white teeth shone through his beard as he smiled at Red Field.

“I’m Specialist Midlothian.” He extended his hoof to Red Field.

“Red Field.” Red Field said. “Private.”

“Red Field?” Asked Midlothian, noticing the disparity of name and color. “Well it’s good to meet ya’ll Red Field.”

“Thank you sir.” Said Red Field. Midlothian set a clipboard and pen on the table.

“So tell me why you want to be a sniper.” Asked Midlothian.

Red Field had never considered that he’d have an interview for his post. He hadn’t even considered that a sniper was part of the Urban Assault Teams. Red Field grasped at the first statement that came to mind.

“Well, I like to do math. What I mean is sir, I am very good at analytical thinking.” He took a deep breath, which gave him time to think. Midlothian seemed rather friendly for a Gale Force interviewer, but he never broke his gaze at Red Field. “I tend to make analytical calculations in my everyday thinking, and-”

“Give me an example of one, in this room, right now.”

“What do you mean?” Red Field asked. Midlothian shrugged.

“You tell me.” Red Field looked around at the room full of ponies. What was there to analyze?

“The age of the officers in this room-”

“What about it?” Said Midlothian.

“If you tabulated the list and ordered by age in ascending order.” Red Field swallowed. “Then you could make a function based on the average progression of years to rank and create a relatively simple equation to determine the most economical use of your career in terms of pay. For example if you were at a certain rank and deemed-”

“Well all right then, moving on.” Said Midlothian. “What’s your temperament like? Is there anything that sets you off?”

“Uh, no. I’m usually a very rational person.”

“And if I asked your friends outside of Gale Force if this is true, would I get the same answer?”

“I don’t have any friends outside of Gale Force.”

“You mean to tell me that prior to Beast, you had no friends in the world?”

“Yes sir.” He said. Midlothian looked at Red Field for a couple seconds.

“Private, there are about thirty more questions here- but I’m going to skip those for now.” Red Field knew he’d made a big mistake. Midlothian removed the sheet of questions from the clipboard. He pushed the clipboard, with a sheet of paper, and a pen to Red Field. “Write me an essay about yourself, about why you would be a good sniper.” He set the pen atop the paper and Red Field knew Midlothian was trying to locate a damning flaw in him. “Fifteen minutes.”

Red Field returned the essay in fourteen minutes and seventeen seconds. Midlothian spent eight reading it. He stopped once to ask what pulchritudinous meant. The other ponies finished their conversations and the mess hall began to empty.

By the time Midlothian set the clipboard back down, only the two remained.

“Belligerence was right about your skillset.” Said Midlothian. “But neither of us know what kind of pony you are.”

“I’m not sure what you mean sir.” Said Red Field.

“Private, UATs are the toughest and deadliest soldiers Equestria has ever fielded. We train year round and our basic training washes out eighty percent of candidates on physical reasons alone. I need to know if you have enough control of your mind to be able to make it through something like that. Most ponies crash and burn because they can’t put up with the constant stress and demands. Everypony in the UAT needs complete and total focus no matter what the circumstances.”

If he controlled one thing, Red Field controlled his mind.

“Sir, I think-”

“Private, let me stop you there. There isn’t room in a UAT for ponies who think they can do something.” Midlothian leaned back on his bench. “Tell me right at this instant if you can or cannot pass this training and add a hoof to the team.”

“I am mostly-”

“Cadet, mostly doesn’t pass in UAT. I can save you some time right now and tell you that if you’re not one hundred percent certain you can do this job, you won’t.”

“I know I can.” Red Field said.

The crickets were singing outside of the window, and Red Field could hear the crunching hoofsteps of the perimeter patrol outside of the window. Midlothian was still looking at him. The burly pony raised a hoof to his mouth and rubbed at his scruff.

“You were half an hour late tonight, and out of uniform.” He said. “I understand you graduated Beast with subpar performance. Private, UAT training isn’t going to be easy, especially not for somepony like you. However Belligerence believes that you have potential as a sniper and I would agree with him.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Sign this please.” Midlothian pushed the clipboard back at Red Field. He’d affixed a contract to the board and pointed to a small line that sat beneath a thicket of fine print. Red Field read the headers of a few paragraphs.

“Agreement to maintain military readiness at all times for up to ten years. The applicant agrees to remain in a state of combat readiness for at least a decade. At any point during this period the applicant agrees to transition out of any and all civilian obligations and return to active duty at Gale Force.”

Red Field signed his name, though his writing shook a bit. Even in a time of peace, such a commitment scared him. Yet Red Field felt unnaturally calm. His short time at Gale Force had brought a steadiness to him.

Midlothian grunted and took the paper.

“You’ve taken your first step toward becoming a sniper. Basic starts at nine tomorrow, meet outside of the mess hall.” He pointed at Red Field. “Don’t be late and wear the proper uniform. I’ll see you tomorrow private.” He walked to the door and exited.

Red Field sat alone in the mess hall, thinking about what he’d agreed to. A patrol passed by the window. He recognized a few from Beast.

Next to nopony could claim to have been educated at the Alchemy from the Academy of Advanced Magic. Even fewer ponies could claim to be among the most elite soldiers in the Equestrian Army. Nopony had ever been both.

Red Field straightened as he left the mess hall.

Next Chapter: Chapter 12 Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 27 Minutes