"I don't care where to sleep. If the fire stays lighten up all night, i'll stay outside. I've been in a stable for all my life, watching at pictures to dream about living without walls around me. I'm pretty sure you understand that at the first opportunity, I'd enjoy to look at the stars i've studied in dusty books for nearly ten years."
"Fine, just make sure to tell them that your under my blessing of staying, or you really might find yourself in the holding cells, or worse." Julion said. He got up and started to head towards the back of the tent before turning and saying, "Oh, and try not to get eaten over night will ya?" and then he disappeared behind a flap.
"Don't worry about me. Oh, and something may awake you during the night, at 24% it would be a prisonner growling in the cells, and at 13%, an animal going around. In that case, One of your soldiers may go to look at the sound's source, and been found tomorrow morning as the sun raises, right next to a raider's pony skull. Good night!", said Jazzy before exiting the tent and lying next to the campfire. ((I'ma calling it a day. G'night.))
(I haven't tried. I've let perfection slowly go from my mental to the sheet of paper. And erased so many times that i've tore the sheet in nine pieces, to finally restart it three times, find it ugly, and throw it in my thrash file, to finally take it back, look at Fluttershy's eyes and exclaim: 'You, Lauren Faust, are a genius.', to finally pin it somewhere in my room and look at it before i sleep, and tell myself one more time: You, Lauren Faust, are a genius.)
Julion woke, as always, around 6 or 7 in the morning. He picked up a trumpet from inside his tent, and put it to his mouth, the resulting blast of sound from the tiny instrument would have woken anypony in camp or then some. As his mercenaries got up and out of there tents for breakfast, similar blares echoed across the Everfree, it was the marvelous sound of all his camps being woken up one by one. Within half an hour of waking up, breakfast was served and, like always, Julion couldn't help but smile ever so slightly at the sight of all if his favorite unit together. Julion did a head count, and it everypony was there, he admitted to himself he had found himself believing that kid's prediction, but if he really could, that could end up being a serious benefit to his army. That reminded him of something, he banged his hoof on the table in front of him, getting everypony's attention before clearing his throat and saying this, "Alright folks, today, we have a perspective employer to meet today, and from what I know of the job that he/she has planned, its going to require the full force of every squad." Slightly stunned looks spread across the table, virtually ever job they had done before required, at most, a full squad, sometimes even two. But the whole force? That had never been done before, a lot of them hadn't even seen half the full size of the Soldier's Mercenary Army, let alone all of it. "Now, I know what your thinking, what could possibly require every squad under my command, even our raid on New Appleloosa only required 2 squads. I do not know of the target yet, but let me assure you, it is nothing we won't be able to handle and the pay will be great no doubt. Hell, it might lead to us being more famous and feared at long last then those damned Talons!" that brought up a collective cheer before the group dived back into their food.
"My decision in final. I have to go. We all do. This place is falling apart, and it's only a matter of time before the stable just caves in." Ecliptic was arguing with the Overmare of Stable 114. "If you leave we'll all die. No one else has the proper training and knowledge to keep the stable functional." she replied. "It was never functional, the Stables were built to fail! Look, I've got plenty of evidence suggesting we can live outside. I even received a radio signal when the outer plating broke." "Enough of your conspiracies or I'll have the loyalty inspectors take you to the brig." "Last chance. Open that door and I promise I'll be back with repair supplies, maybe even another better-working Stable. If you don't, well, there's plenty of holes I haven't filled in yet." Ecliptic paused while the Overmare contemplated her choices. Finally, she turned to her terminal, pressed a button, and spoke into a microphone. "Send in the loyalty inspectors." Two ponies armed with pistols stepped in. Ecliptic blinded them with a quick flash from his horn, and ran past them, shoving the guards aside with his wings. The excess radiation from his regular duties had sped up the growth, but they weren't strong enough for him to hover for more than a few seconds, much less fly. Still fleeing, he took a left down the stairs to maintenance and kicked a door shut. Ecliptic kept many of his belongings at his work station because he spent much more of his time down there instead of his dormitory. He raided the small refrigerator, grabbed some tools and medical supplies and stuffed everything into his saddlebags. Lastly, Ecliptic gingerly levitated a revolver from a hidden compartment in the wall. It had fallen into The Stable with a large chunk of the ceiling a few months ago. It was loaded when he found it, but he didn't know if it still worked. Just then, a bullet pinged above him. Ecliptic recoiled and ran around the corner to a closed off area, and half-jumped, half-flew into a hole in the ceiling of the Stable. As he neared the surface, the radiation meter on his Pipbuck increased and a trickle of water met him when he made the transition from metal to dirt. He was almost at the surface.
Julion sat across a table at a pony how was completely covered by a cloak, as custom to those who sought his services. "So what is this 'great project' you wish to send me and my mercenaries on?" Julion asked, speak slightly skewered by the cigar in his mouth. "I wish for you to take a Stable." was all the pony replied. Julion then almost spat his cigar from laughter, "You really think that my mercenaries would require, who it only took 50 of to succesfully raid New and Old Appleloosa, not once but twice mind you, the old dang army just to take a STABLE!" "No, not just the stable but the main reason why I wish for your whole army to go is that I wish to buy your golorious forest from you, the Stable is to be your new home." The cloaked pony plainly replied. "Now look here, I spent hundreds of hours sucureing the Everfree just to be safe enough for my mercenaries and you wish to buy it?! And you really think a stinkin' stable will be able to fit all of my army?" Julion spat. "Yes. I will make it worth your while." "Just how much are we talkin' here. Look, if your talkin' slaves, no deal, I don't use them. And I said that because I know who you represent, that damned slaver Red Eye." "I will pay you however much you want, in supplies, in bottlecaps, name it and its yours." the stallion said. "I want a half a million bottlecaps, and another half in supplies, and your right to confindentiality in front of me." Julion said leaning back in his chair, crossing his front legs across his chest. No way even Red Eye.... Julion began to think. "Done." That one word sent Julion realing mentally, the stallion then pulled down the cloak covering his face, revealing the last pony, hell, probably thing, he wanted to see, "Your...Your Red Eye!" the shock even showing on Julion's usually emotionless face. "Yes, and it just so happens that I brought the exact amount that you have requested oh so generously in exchange for your forest, ya know, I was thinking I would have to assualt the forest itself and drive out your mercenaries, which would likely cost me most my resources and most of my men, but its nice to know your willing to cooperate." Red Eye flipped the hood back over his head again and Julion said simply, "I'll be out by hour's end." (One hour later...) Julion sat on a hill over looking his, no Red Eye's, forest. His massive mercenary army had set up a temporary camp on the hill, which gave the highest ground for miles. I've made a terrible mistake, at least that kid came with, along with my full army, he thought, it had been difficult, getting an army over the thousands in size up and out is a massive undertaking, but anything they couldn't carry, they burned. Julion also mulled over their new name, it would be inproper for the Everfree Forest Mercenaries to remain named after a base of operations that he had just sold off. His thoughts instantly went to his black beret, it reminded him of something, of a unit from the Great War. The Commandos, he thought, Perfect. Soon, a flag was hurriedly made and hoisted above the camp, a flag that hasn't been seen since the Great War, that of a skull set above a crossed gun and sword set on a black background. Julion couldn't help but smile, The Elite Commandos, the unit of my ancestors, has returned, Julion suddenly yelled into a voice amplufier, "We shall not be tied down anymore! No more contracts execpt those that promise the most bottlecaps, we are Commandos, we are the Elite Guard! We, Shall, Rule!" a cheer went through the camp, and Julion stared down from his elevated position with a wicked grin that usaully only appeared when he was enjoying combat to the extreme, "The largest army wondering the Wastlelands, all shall tremble at our approach, they'll pay us without even fighting." Bloody 2, who had walked up next to Julion said. "Yes, but first, the units need to know how to fight together, as a cohesive army, which shouldn't be too hard considering they've already taken a liken to each other. Topal, you are the only who truely knows me, you have been the most loyal soldier I have ever had the honor of fighting next to, and most of all." Julion turned to Bloody 2, "Your the most blood thirsty, combat loving, most wicked pony that I have ever met, and I have the pleasure of having you as my only friend. Now, let's go teached this army how to fight together!" (FYI, the hill was within sight of Stable 114, it was the one Red Eye had targeted for them, though the attack will never come.)
The sirens flared as Cobalt interfaced with the stable door control panel. He knew what he had to do, and unlike the overmare he knew how to keep the stable alive. With a Stable-Tec Battle Saddle ("Borrowed" of course...) slung over his barding, he ventured towards the buckling steel door. His pipbuck then blinked with the alert of another tag... outside the stable? With somewhat hurried trots he makes it to the outside view at the sight of a flag flapping in the center of a nearby forest.
(Hill, not forest anymore, in case you didn't notice, I was doing a little tieing in with the acual fan-fic, had to make it work with my guys troops in there, can't have them turned into barbeeque now can I? I'm on chapter 30 now and I just...can't..stop...reading)
(I'm actually in the process of rereading it right now. Definitely one of the best things I've ever read.) Ecliptic broke through the top layer of dirt. His jaw dropped when he realized just how big the outside was. The open air was terrifying and amazing at the same time. For a solid minute, he sat half-buried, taking in the world. Ecliptic only came to his senses when he noticed the smell. He scanned the ground to find the bodies of decaying ponies coated in blood, and a variety of weapons lying in the soil. He climbed out of the hole and ran away from the scene, before vomiting in a rusted barrel. Holding his breath, he walked back and gathered the weapons. Sparing a glance at one of the less mutilated ponies, Ecliptic decided anything valuable on them had been taken long ago. Most of the guns were in terrible condition, held together with duct tape. Using the best pieces, he fashioned a hunting rifle that looked like it would stay together after being fired. Ecliptic slung it on his back, and gathered all the ammo he could find into his bags.
Julion had left Bloody 2 to oversee the intergration training and had climbed up to the top of a wooden watchtower, where he procured binoculars from the scout there and looked at their old home. He saw at various points jets of fire flung down onto the forest, a gut-wrenching feeling hit him, the growing feeling that he had made a terrible mistake multiplied. If they had stayed and fought, it would have been bloody yes, but his mercenaries had advantages in several catagories there, it was their home turf, the forest had seemingly allied with them after they became permenant residence, it would have prevented griffin mercenaries from getting the drop on them, and their massive weaponry. Julion did calculations in his head, and ended up with the conclusion that unless Red Eye had found himself an army that numbered close to the hundreds of thousands, he could have held, at least long enough to make Red Eye realize it wasn't worth it. He sighed and returned the binoculars to the sentry and left the tower with the hope of the future.
(Just because i've been left behind, i'm going to be abusively awesome.) Jazzy took back the binoculars that the soldier handed him, "Ta-daaaa~!"
(Only left behind by a handful of posts.) "Oh, its you." was all Julion said as he brushed past Jazzy, he had more pressing matters to deal with.
"What? You ain't even surprised? You don't ask yourself how i've survived? How i've found that armor? Come on, you really ain't fun. You should have something called a 'sense of humor'."
"Kid, when you've killed as much as I have, humor, or for that matter any emotion, tends to escape you."
