Somewhere between Berlin and Rostock, Germany, 2019 Anno Domini

Daniel was checking his weapon for the fifth time in the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. One of the barrels got too hot during the fight in Berlin and almost exploded in his face if he didn’t run out of ammo. Which reminded him to get a replacement for the old one and to fill his ammo bags again. The battle had lasted almost an hour, and he lost some good comrades. At last, the Chancellor is safe now. If Stephan and the helicopters hadn’t showed up...

The cabin was wiggling as the 30mm auto cannon fired again and again. “HAH! Got another one of those damn pegasi!”

Daniel leaned forward and looked at the commander of the tank. “Hey, Müller! Stop shooting and drive!”

Leutnant Oscar Müller, a twenty three year old, slightly chubby man. He commanded a bigger tank unit with Puma IFVs, Leopards, GTE Boxer, some with Mantis anti air guns and even some Panzerhaubitze (armored howitzer) 2000. They came shortly after the helicopters of Stephan and bombed the hell out of the ponies.The anti-air Boxer with the newest Mantis C-RAM system fired their 35mm air burst ammo at small groups of pegasi, shredding them into pieces. The shields of their chariots weren’t strong enough to withstand the 35mm anti air ammo when they hit directly. The 120mm cannon of the Leopard2A7+ and the 155mm of the Panzerhaubitze took care of the ground ponies. The ponies ran away as they saw what those big bad kitties can do and the Bundestag was secured. At least, for the time being.

Müller laughed at Daniel and looked at his old buddy. “Come on, let me have some fun! How often do you fight against creatures who jumped out of mythology itself?”

“I know, but I want to reach Rostock in one piece! And you are just attracting more of them!”

“Good! More to shoot at!”, Müller laughed again and turned his attention back to the fire controls.

Daniel sighed. Müller was one gun crazy idiot, and he had no hesitation to show it. Daniel wondered how he passed the psychological tests in the first place.

Sometimes he wonders how Stephan made it through it as well...

Daniel laid on the grass as another potion bomb hit the ground, not far from him. He jumped up and fired several rounds into the chariot, but the bullets didn’t made it through the shield. He swore and reloaded his light machine gun. When was the last time he changed the barrel? He don’t know, nor he had the time to think about it as he a lot of hooves heard.

‘Another ground assault!’, he thought and jerked up to fire at the ponies over the sandbags. He lost count how many he had already killed. But he knew how many of his soldiers had been killed or ponified. Only to be killed by the own comrades later.

He gasped at the sight of hundreds of ponies, earth and unicorns alike who stormed his position.

‘Just like 1944, I think...’ He opened fire together with the rest who was still able to fight. A unknown number of ponies had been killed, but there are just too many. He simply held in the crowd and never let the trigger go.

There was a small explosion and he closed his eyes for a moment. One bullet blasted off in the chamber of his mg by the enormous heat, caused by the nonstop fire.

‘NOT NOW!’, he screamed in his mind. He watched how the wave of ponies got closer and closer, and not even the armored vehicles could stop them. He let his MG fall on the ground and changed to his secondary, killing some ponies but it was hopeless. One pony made it through and was almost at him. He prepared his grenade and hold it in his free hand, firing the USP one handed. If he goes down, then he will take that pony with him.

But it never came to this. The pony vanished in a cloud of dust, only to reappear on the ground in a pool of blood and guts, weakly stirring. Daniel looked for the one who did that, and gave a sigh of relief as he spotted the choppers. The door gunner in the CH-53 fired on the next pony with his .50 HMG and let heavy bullets rain with 900 rounds per minute. There was the chopper for the Chancellor as well, flying a bit higher as the others, covered by two Tiger attack helicopters.

And then he saw him. Stephan was standing at the side of the gunner, pointing for him at next target. The CH-53 stopped and switched into hover mode. Ropes got tossed out and Stephan was of course the one who jumped first. He brought out his HK417 rifle, always with a fifty round drum magazine and underbarrel grenade launcher. Victory through superior firepower, and Stephan was showing that it works.

He watched in horror as three ponies ran out of the Bundestag and attacked him, two earth and one pegasi. The two earth ponies tossed their potions at Stephan, but he simply dodged one of them in a smooth move, caught the other and threw it right back at the pegasi, striking him in the face. The pony lost his orientation and crashed in the ground. Daniel could even hear from his position how its neck broke.

Stephan then faced the earth ponies, catching one of them at his front hoof as he tried to jump on him and flick the pony over his shoulder, and kicked the other one in the face as it tried the same. He killed it with a burst of his rifle, before walking over to the pony he threw on the ground. He closed his hand around the throat of the poor pony and lifted him up in the air. The pony struggled and tried to get away, but it was powerless against Stephan’s bear like grip. Stephan took out a machete on his belt and thrusted it into its chest. He tossed the dead body away like a toy as it stopped to move and swung the machete to get the blood off of it before he put it back in the belt.

Daniel was watching everything and was stunned. Everything happened so fast that he had problems to follow him with his eyes. Stephan was an impressive sight on the battlefield. Always hard, strong and calm... the perfect soldier. But with the heart on the right place, even though it doesn’t looks like it from time to time.

Stephan smiled at Daniel as he spotted him and walked with long steps towards him while the rest of EGB 313 roped out of the helicopter.

“Daniel! You old jerk face!”

Daniel stood up and saluted at him. “Greetings, Herr Leutnant!”

Stephan stopped in front of him and returned that salute. Both laughed a bit, before Stephan took Daniel in a friendly hug. “Good to see you. How is it going?”

Daniel looked around and shook his head. “Bad. Really bad. At least we got the Chancellor and some others save in the Dingos. We... lost many good men and women today...”

Stephan nodded and placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder. “They won’t be forgotten.”

“...yeah... I hope so.” Daniel gave Stephan a sad smile before he walked at his side to the armored vehicle with the Chancellor inside. He knocked at the door. “Hey, it’s me! Open up!”

The locks released the door and a young soldier opened it by pushing it. “It’s good to see you, Herr Oberstabsfeldwebel! Herr Leutnant!” He saluted at both and they saluted back. Stephan gave the signal to land the chopper for the Chancellor and it began to land nearby, while the Tigers took care of every pony who got too close.

“HERR LEUTNANT! ANOTHER AIR AND GROUND ASSAULT!”, one of Stephan’s soldiers screamed and pointed at the next wave of pegasi and chariots. Far more than before.

“Damn! We don’t have the firepower to stop them all!”, shouted Daniel. He looked at Stephan and raised a brow at him as he just smiled. “What’s so funny?”

Stephan looked at the clock around his wrist and counted out loud. “Three... two... one...”

The air around the pegasi seem to explode as they got hit by anti air fire. The single pegasi got wiped out off the air, while the chariots began to burn and fall into buildings and the streets. The ponies on the ground vanished in fire and smoke as the groups got hit by tank cannons. Daniel looked at the source for all this and saw how a bigger tank unit drives around the Bundestag. He saw Leopard tanks, Boxers, Pumas and even one or two Panzerhaubitze. They pushed the ponies back, and each pony who didn’t run fast enough became a victim of the sheer power of the German tanks.

Daniel raised a fist in the air and cheered at the incoming allies. “I probably owe them one or two beer for that.”

Stephan giggled. “Ooh, you're gonna wish you hadn’t said that.”

Daniel looked at Stephan to say something, but a Puma drove right in front of them and the roof opened. Daniel’s eyes became bigger in disbelief. “Oh, fuck me...”

Müller looked at Daniel and Stephan with a big grin. “Did I just heard something about free beer?”

Stephan patted Daniel’s shoulder and walked away. “I leave that to you two. I have to clean up the Bundestag. Daniel, you drive with Müller, I take the choppers.”

“Oh, come on!” Daniel wanted to protest, but Stephan was already gone.

“So, what about that beer?”

Daniel shook his head and looked over at Müller. “Did you said something?”

“We are almost there. Get ready.”

Daniel nodded and loaded his HK121, checked the barrel and his secondary.

‘Take care Stephan...’ he began to think as Müller spoke up again.

“Oh, and don’t forget the beer! Stephan just reminded me about that over com!”

‘...you know what, Stephan? You can screw yourself.’

Hamburg

Stephan watched in disbelief as a blue coated pony who pulled a cart behind her ran straight to him. He was already on his way to shoot the pony as he saw that she wore a cape and a hat which looked like a cheap magician’s outfit. He lifted a hand, palm pointed at her.

“Hold it! Don’t come closer!” The mare seem to understand and stopped. Stephan turned around and pointed at two soldier who jumped up and followed him to the mare.

He eyed everything around him and stopped only a few feet away from the blue pony. “Who are you, and why should we help you?” Stephan asked bluntly.

The mare cleared her throat before the answered by standing up on her back hooves, front hooves stretched out to each side. “I! Am the GREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE! I’m a well known traveling magician and I request a place in your.... flying, vehicle... thingy...”

The two soldiers behind Stephan whispered to each other. “What do you think? Hostile, or friendly?”

“...hostile.”

“...dressed like that?”

“Definitely hostile.”

Stephan looked over his shoulder and gave both a deadly glare. They became silent and returned to secure the area.

“Well, Trixie...”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie, if you please,” she interrupted him without hesitation.

“Yeah, whatever. Listen TRIXIE...”, he said with a defiantly look in the face. “You need to give me a reason to take you with me. Otherwise, you can stay here with your other pony friends.”

Trixie looked at him like he slapped her in the face. “Those... things, are not Trixie’s friends. Some of them tried to force Trixie to give you humans that filthy potion. Trixie denied and Trixie had to run away because they think now that Trixie is a friend of the humans.”

Stephan looked at her and got pissed on more and more, every time she was talking about her in third person. He could leave her behind, but on the other hand, she was running away from her own kind because she do not want to have anything to do with Celestia’s master plan. Because, you know... the enemy of the enemy...

“...okay. You can fly with us.” Trixie smiled wide and wanted to thank him as he pointed at the cart. “But that thing stays behind.”

Trixie looked over her back and then at Stephan with a shock in her eyes. “You can’t be serious! Trixie needs it! This is Trixie's home!” She just couldn’t lose her new cart, not again. But Stephan remained hard as stone.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have room for your cart. If you want to come with us, then you have to leave that here.”

But Trixie shook her head. “No. NO! I... Trixie can’t.”

“We don’t have any room left for dead weight.”

“Then make some!” Trixie shouted at him. She was close to her tears. Losing the first cart was hard, but to go through it again... no, she can not do this.

“Sorry...we are out of time.” Stephan shook his head and turned around to walk to the helicopter. He was tired and does not want to lose any more time as he already had with the decision to actually speak with that mare. Who does she think she is? Taking her and her cart with him? Not gonna happen.

But there was something about her. He just couldn’t lay his finger on it now...

He peeked over his shoulder and saw how she sat on her haunches, her head hanging down. It looked like she was crying.

Stephan closed his eyes and hesitated to get into the helicopter. Then he punched his fist against the metallic wall and turned around. “Cover me!” Several soldiers jumped out and provided cover for their officer who was now running to Trixie.

Trixie looked up and saw how the human ran towards her. Maybe he changed his mind...

She never expected what happened next. The human walked around her and released the connection of Trixie and the cart, and pushed it on it’s side. Wood broke and Trixie was screaming at him “WHAT ARE YOU DOING! STOP THAT!”

But Stephan had other ideas. He got Trixie under his arm and ran to the helicopter. Trixie struggles and wiggles but she couldn’t free herself from Stephan’s grasp. “NO! MY CART! HOW COULD YOU!”

Stephan gave the signal to take off and the helicopter lifted itself from the ground, higher and higher. “MY HOME... YOU MONSTER! THAT WAS MY HOME!”

That was the end of the line. Stephan looked at her like she made a death wish. “So, you think you have it bad!? This out there...!” He pointed with a finger on Hamburg “This is my home! And it's going to be destroyed by you damn ponies, that fucking dome and that damn bitch of princess! So, don’t yell at me again because you had to leave a old cart behind, while I and my friends here have to leave THEIR ENTIRE COUNTRY, OR I WILL THROW YOU OUT OF THE DOOR! IS THAT CLEAR!?”

Trixie couldn’t breath. No one had talked to her like that. Not since...

“Hey... do you guys hear that?” one of the soldier said.

It became quiet in the helicopter, except for the engines. And then Stephan and Trixie could hear it.

Bells. First a few, then more and more. It seem like that every bell in every church in Hamburg began to play. It filled the air with a sad sound. It was like...

“It’s sounds like crying....” one soldier said. Stephan could only nod.

USS Gerald R. Ford, near Germany, 2019 Anno Domini

USS Gerald is one of the newest carriers of the US Navy. It is a impressive ship, equipped with the newest sea to sea, sea to air and sea to ground weapon systems, and it had its own fleet for close protection. It was a swimming fortress.

Stephan looked through the cockpit window and whistles. ‘Damn, someone must have the smallest dick on earth...’

“USS Gerald, this is Falke one-one, request landing permission, come in.”

“Falke one-one, this is the USS Gerald R. Ford, permission to land on helicopter landing field 2, I repeat, landing field 2. Come in Falke.”

“Understood Gerald, landing field 2, out.”

The helicopter began its descent. Stephan looked at Trixie. Her blue coat around the face turned greener as the chopper jumped and wiggled during the landing. She was silent the entire fly, probably because of the humans around her. Stephan told the other soldiers already to be calm and not doing any harm on her. She is a prisoner of war, and she have rights like everyone else.

“And yes, I know that she is not a human. But she is acting like a person, and I will treat her like one, and I expect the same from you all.”

Trixie felt sick but tried to look powerful and great as good as she can. She is just not used to fly in such machines. She wonders how those humans could do it every day. She opened her eyes and was surprised as she saw a sick bag under her muzzle. She followed the arm which was holding it and looked up in Stephan’s face. “Here. You look like you will need one.”

Trixie was a bit blushing but that was hidden under the green of her sickness. She slowly shook her head and pushed the bag aside. “The Gre -humg- great and powerful Trixie does not need those. I feel fi...”

The helicopter hit the flight deck and a rough shake got through everyone on board. Trixie wasn’t able to hold it back anymore and accepted the paper bag.

“Wow, never saw a horse puke before”, one soldier said and some others began to laugh.

Trixie felt humiliated. She looked at the ground, avoiding any eye contact. Stephan glared at the soldiers and the laugh died out. He kneeled down and took a handkerchief out of his jacked, holding it in front of Trixie who took it in her hoof and cleaned her mouth. She gave it back after she was done and whispered “Thank you...”

“You are welcome“, Stephan answered.

He stood up as the loading ramp opened and two US Marines stepped inside. “Leutnant Bauer?”, one of them asked.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“We heard that you brought one of those ponies with you?”

Stephan looked at Trixie and she looked at him in fear. He then returned his attention at the two Marines. “She is a POW, and I take responsibility for her. She is not going to hurt anyone.”

“She have to come with us.”

“Why?”

“For the security of this ship and everyone onboard.” He turned around and waved two other soldiers into the helicopter. One was holding a black bag in his hand. Stephan looked at it and moved in front of Trixie.

“Is that really necessary?”, he asked.

“Please, don’t interfere, Leutnant”, the marine said dry.

Stephan looked at Trixie and gave a sigh. He turned around and kneeled down again in front of her. “Listen. Do whatever those man say. Don’t fight and you will be okay. Understood?”

Trixie was confused. First he was going to let her behind, then he destroyed her cart and in the helicopter he wanted to throw her out. And now there he was and took care of her like she was some little filly. She is the great and powerful Trixie. She don’t need anyone. But why does she feels so... safe around him?

She nodded and walked slowly at the marines. She jerked up a bit as one of them took off her hat and another one pulled the black bag over her head. The four soldiers and the pony between them walked out, followed by Stephan and his comrades.

“Peter.”

The Hauptfeldwebel stepped at his side followed the five with his eyes. “Yes?”

“Try to figure out what they want from her. And tell me if they try to do anything stupid. Okay?”

Peter nodded and waved some others of the EGB 313 to him and followed Trixie and the others.

“Leutnant!”

Stephan looked around and saw how the Chancellor walked slowly to him. “Miss Chancellor! Nice to see you. Why are you on the carrier?” Both greeted another with a handshake.

“Many leaders had been evacuated on this ship. I’m here to meet them and to figure out what our next steps are. I was wondering if you want to assist me. I need someone who knows our enemy.”

Stephan smiled at her and saluted. “It will be an honor ma’am.”

The old woman smiled back. “The meeting is in a half hour in the conference room. I will see you there.”

He nodded and she walked off the airfield. He watched her like always to protect her anytime. But now he have someone else to protect as well, because he knows with what kind of people Trixie is now.

45 minutes later in an interrogation room

Trixie sat uneasy on the stool in a lightly illuminated room. It wasn’t made for ponies and she tried to find a good position. She wished that she had the same talent like that green unicorn she once saw in Ponyville.

How long was she already sitting in this room? Ten minutes? Thirty? Longer? She don’t know, there was no clock she could look at. Or anything else that could help, nor she knows the purpose of this barely furnished room. And that made her worried. She does not like it to don’t have any control, and this room got on her nerves.

‘How can they let the great and powerful waiting in such a room? That’s under Trixie’s dignity!’, she protested in her mind.

Again she was slipping of the stool and she got back on it as the door opened. Two man in uniform walked in, another one stayed outside and whispered something to the other one, before he walked in as well. Then the door closed again and there was a loud metallic sound as it locked up.

“Finally! Someone Trixie can talk to”, she spoke up with a boastful voice. “Trixie wants to know why she is been held in such a...”

Something hit the side of her head and she felt on the ground. She began to breath a bit faster and tried to figure out what happened as her body switched into a state of panic.

“Shut up you animal!” One of the man kicked her in the back and she winced in pain. She tried to get up again, but another hit by a fist made her vision became black for a second.

“P-please... stop... ”, she tried to talk, but every word, every breath made her chest burn, “...it hurts...”

“Ooh~, did you heard that? I wonder how many children begged before she shoved that potion in their throats.”

Trixie got slowly on her legs, wiggling. “I... I never...”

One of the soldiers took her around the neck and tossed her on the metallic desk. “STOP TALKING! We don’t need any more lies, get it?”

Trixie shook her head “No, no... I didn’t do it... I... would never...” A slap over her snout made her spitting a bit blood.

“We have lot’s of time, you hear? You will pay for what you did. What you did to my family in Europe.”

‘It’s hopeless... they don’t want to listen... please... somepony help me...’

In the same time...

Stephan wiggled from one foot to another, slow and hidden. Conferences are not really his thing. He wants to be out there, fighting. Each minute he spends here is a minute he could use to save more of his fellow countrymen.

But the Chancellor asked him to be at her side during the conference with the other leaders of Europe. There are not many left, most of them are actually delegates and the seconds of the actual presidents. Equestria hit Europe hard, and he already heard from attacks on every country all over the world. Even America was under attack. They must have planned that for a while now. How could he have be so blind.

“And that is why I call for the European Defence Initiative. We all have to work together now to face that threat who attacks our countries without mercy, with the goal to wipe out humanity.”

The German Chancellor broke up her talk to drink a bit water, while a murmur goes around.

‘Good work, old lady’, he thought and smiled a bit.

“I want to give Leutnant Bauer the word. He fought the Equestrians and saved my life, together with many others. He is so far I know the only officer available who can tell us more about our enemy. Herr Leutnant.”

Everyone was now looking at him. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Thank you Chancellor.” He pushed a button on a remote and the room became dark. Another button turned the digital slide-projector on. The first picture was from a helmet cam and showed several ponies attacking civilians.

“We already know that the attack must been planned for a long time. That precision and timing to attack all world leaders at once... there is no doubt that the ‘Newfoals’ and human collaborators had help and getting their orders from above. I doubt that they could have done it alone.”

The next picture showed up with a royal guards pony in it. “We believe that the Royal Guard of Celestia is helping them. They seem to use their magical abilities to teleport quickly from one spot to another to bring orders and a new supply of potion.”

A man at the round table raised his hand. It was the delegate of Poland. “I’m sorry, did you just said magical powers?”

Stephan nodded. “Yes. Those ponies have magical power we don’t understand by now. We hope that we will one day. And hopefully sooner than later.”

The door swung open and a German soldier saluted. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation, Leutnant!”

That was what Stephan was afraid of. Since the moment as he heard that the White House was under attack. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” He could hear whisper of protest but he was already out of the door and followed the soldier.

“It’s about her, isn’t it?” He asked the soldier.

“Yes, Leutnant. We saw how three marines walked with her in a interrogation room. One closed the door from the outside and guarding it now. The other two are alone with her inside.”

Stephan’s hand became a fist, and the white knuckles showed up from beneath the skin. “Damn! I shouldn’t let her go with them.”

“What are we gonna do now, Leutnant?”

Stephan looked at him with a fire in the eyes. “We do what we can do best. Saving innocents.”

Interrogation room

Trixie laid on the ground. There was nothing she could do, except letting it happen. Her eyes are already dry, she had no more tears left and she could taste the blood in her mouth. Why? Why are they so angry with her? What did she to them that she deserves such a torture? Was it because of what she did in Ponyville? Some kind of late punishment? Her old cart got destroyed by Twilight, she was homeless and had to work on a rock farm to gather enough money for a new one, which got destroyed, too. Wasn’t that already enough punishment?

One of the soldier in the blue uniform spitted on her. “Stupid pony." He looked over to his friend. "Let’s finish it.”

“Yeah. You still know the story?”

“Yes. She attacked first”, he said. She couldn’t move, and she don’t care. They want to see her dead... for a crime other ponies did. She closed her eyes and prepared herself as she heard the heavy boots behind her, ready to crush her skull.

But it didn’t happened. The soldiers hesitated and she heard why. The door opened and another soldier walked in. She moved her head to see him. Probably another human who wanted to torture her.

“What is the meaning of this?”

That voice. She moved her head a bit more and tried to focus on the new human. And her heart made a jump.

It was him. She knew that green uniform and that face. He came to save her. Again.

The two soldiers tensed up, and one holds his hand over the pistol at his belt. Stephan walked closer at him and looked in his eyes like a predator who just found it’s prey. “I said, what is the meaning of this?”

The marine swallowed dry and tried to maintain the control of this situation. “I-I’m sorry, but you have no clearance to be h...”

“She is a POW of the German army, caught in Germany by me. Her matters are also my, because I take responsibility for her. You two had no right to see her, let alone to lay hands on her until I, and I alone give the permission. And I can not remember to give you that permission.”

The other marine stepped forward. Both of them are seaman apprentices, Stephan noticed. Young soldiers who don’t know where they could release their pent-up tension.

“We don’t have to follow your orders, Lieutenant. You are not our superior officer.”

“That’s right. But I am.”

Everyone in the room turned to the door. In the doorframe stand a man a bit higher as Stephan, and sturdy build. He wore the uniform of the US Navy and Stephan could read his name.

Renee.

“S-sir!” Both man stood straight and saluted at him. Stephan looked at Renee. He is trained to just need one look at someone to know who he is facing. And this guy looked like someone who means business. Stephan didn’t didn’t need to know more about this person and walked to Trixie. He placed his hands on her and checked if something was broken.

Or worse.

After he was sure she was as okay as she could be, he lifted her up and took her in his arms. She was still awake, but unable to move or speak. Stephan walked to the door and Renee blocked the way.

“I will take her to the next med station. Please, step aside.”

Renee looked at the pony for a moment and nodded. “Take care of her. I take care of those hotheads.” He stepped aside to let him pass.

Stephan gave him a firm nod and walked through the door, the bleeding Trixie in his arms. Trixie leaned her head against his warm chest, and listened to his heartbeat. It was strong and the beating was calm.

‘Why...’ she began to think. ‘Why do I feel so safe around you...’ And then she fainted.

Later in the med station

Trixie jerked forward with a loud gasp. The light in the room was burning in her eyes and she held her hoof up to cover the eyes, which are not used to it yet. She blinked a few times before her sight got better and she could already see some silhouettes. The next thing what caught her eyes are cables which are connected with her body. She followed them with her eyes and found a machine which showed her heartbeat and other vital functions.

‘I must be in some kind of hospital...’

She looked around and found more evidences for her suspicion while her vision got better every passing second. The room was mostly white, here and there was cold metal to see and everything looked really sterile. Medical supplies are laying on tables, most of them still in little bags made of plastic. And almost everywhere was the red cross.

‘...definitely a hospital...’ She thought with a little uneasy feeling.

“Oh, you are awake.”

Trixie twisted her head at the direction from where the voice came. A move she better had not done, because her neck began to hurt and she closed her eyes while her body began to wince, which only caused more pain. She felt how two hands pushed her carefully back on the bed. This hands felt smaller and weaker as from the others she had experienced. She opened her eyes again and saw a female human who pulled the blanket back on her. She had long, what are those humans call it? Hair. It was long hair, not a mane. The hair was a mix of brown and blond. She couldn’t tell if it was natural or fake. Trixie guess she is not older as thirty years.

“They pulled you through a meatgrinder. You are lucky that they hadn't damaged anything important. If that one kick in your belly had been placed just a few inch more to the left, then your spleen could have exploded.”

Trixie looked under her blanket and saw a bandage around her belly and chest.

“You just have many bruises, a mild concussion and two slightly broken ribs. They will heal quickly.”

“...why are you helping me?”

The medic raised a brow at her. “Beg, pardon?”

Trixie looked her into the eyes. “Why are you helping me? The others wanted to kill me, because of what the other ponies did... but you...” She laid her head in both hooves and massage her forehead. “I’m just so confused now...”

The medic smiled and got at her side. “Because it’s my job to help. And...” She pointed with a finger in one direction. “...because he almost forced me to help you. Or begged. It was somehow a mix of both.”

Trixie followed her finger and her eyes stopped at the figure in a chair. It was Stephan. He sat there, with his elbow on the armrest and the head in the hand. He seem to sleep peacefully. It was actually a cute picture. The big, angry bear was now taking a nap after a long day.

“He stayed the entire time and didn’t wanted to leave your side, even as I said that I will call the security.”

“...how long was I out?”

The woman looked at a clock over the door. “Almost three hours.”

Trixie kept her eyes on him. He stayed almost three hours, waiting for her to wake up. She does not know anypony who would do the same for her. And that was probably because of her behaviour which kept most of them on distance. But he, not even the same species, who barely knows her, was waiting for her.

She felt how her cheeks became red and a warm feeling raised in her belly.

At least until she saw that his eyes opened too. Slowly first, but then they became wide open as he noticed that she is awake. He almost jumped out of the chair and walked to her. His hands rest on the edges of the bed and smiled at her. “Hey. How do you feel?”, he asked with a calm voice, with a honest warmth in it.

“...good... I guess...”, she said unsure. At the same time she wondered if he could see her blushing from under the coat.

“Good to hear.” He nodded at the medic. “Thank you for the help.”

The female medic lifted her hand like she gestured him to stop. “No problem. I was worried at first that I can’t help her, because of... well, obvious reasons. But luckily, her anatomy is not that different from a actual human.”

“Thank you anyway. If there is anything I can do to help, please tell me.”

The woman smiled and nodded. “Will do.”

The door swung open and a middle-aged man walked in. Stephan watched him enter before he looked at Trixie again. “Trixie, this is Hauptfeldwebel Diesberg. He will stay here with you and keeps an eye on you. He is my second in command and one of my closest friends. You can trust him.”

Trixie leaned forward to look past Stephan and eyed the man. He waved at her with a warm smile. “Greetings, miss...”

Trixie waved a hoof before she said, “Trixie. My name is Trixie.”

He got closer and was standing now at Stephan’ side. “Trixie. Right, you said that quite frequently. Do you have a last name too?”

“L-Lulamoon. My full name is Trixie Lulamoon.” She hadn't told her full name anypony for a long time. It was a odd feeling to tell it, especially to tell it some strangers. It was not a bad feeling, just odd.

“Okay, miss Lulamoon. I have to leave now. Some people want to talk with me about what happened”, Stephan said with a sour note in his voice. He turned around and walked to the door as Peter spoke up.

“I’m sure they won’t do anything, Leutnant. You are still too important as that they going to kick you out of the army.”

Stephan smiled at him and shook his head. “You are probably right. But you can never know by those politicians.”

Both laughed and Stephan disappeared in the corridor and closed the door.

“Can... can I ask you something?”

Peter eyed Trixie and gave a quick nod. “Sure.”

“Who is he?”

Peter smiled and took a chair to sit down at her side. “Who? The Leutnant?”

Trixie nodded slowly.

“Well... you have to ask himself for the full story. But, I can tell you everything what isn’t censored as highly classified.”

Trixie looked at him like a tired child who wants to hear a story about the hero in white. “That’s okay. Please.”

Peter nodded and leaned back. He noticed how the medic walked in a smaller room. “I leave you two alone. I have to prepare everything for the marines who come back from France soon.”

Peter giggled a bit and took a deep breath. He followed the woman with his eyes for a while, paying extra attention at her hips she wiggled from side to side. “Well..." He began, "I guess I begin as I met him the first time. It was in Seedorf. He got transferred from Hamburg after his basic training. He wasn’t a Leutnant back then, hell, he was just simple private but with a lot of potential in him...”