10,993 words, that is how many words are in this chapter.
10,993 words.
(_______)
Chapter 5: Plans of Politicians, Higher Beings, and Assholes…
The Celestial Realm
It is
so good to be back again! For
eons I've been forced out of my post as Celestial Caretaker (a post that I was originally shanghaied into via my own inquisitive mind) of the planet below. Damn Hardy and her band of hooligans! Still, I wouldn't have met all sorts of interesting beings on the other side of the Celestia Porta if I was able to wrestle back control.
Seeing Confucius hammer out reconciling the ancient ancestral religions of China in the various timelines while allowing it to be flexible enough to allow other religions to be applied was an
irresistible pleasure. Even when he accidentally ascended (even
I was surprised on his ascension, because from a handful of others that I've meet this is
incredibly rare) into the Celestial Realms he simply took a hands -off 'rule without ruling' approach and this influenced other beings in the Celestial Realms… which would lead to the various Chinas across the timelines to quickly find Daoism which is pretty much based on that ideal.
Then there is this particular fellow who is probably the humblest out of the lot and utilizes the 'rule without ruling' ideal to its logical conclusion. Would rather simply push a little here, pull a little there, and let it all sort itself out and only do rather overt things when there is no other option (yes, he helped Moses part the Red Sea, sent a giant pillar of fire, and send the Plagues at Egypt, mostly due to Ramses's own insecurities and his inner council using those insecurities to manipulate Ramses for their own ends). … and for the most part the religion takes care of itself, although he is rightfully pissed that secular politics
always make a mess of things and the messages have a tendency to get 'garbled'. The poor guy now is pretty overworked in trying to push back all that corruption and garbling of messages.
Now that Hardy actually fucked up and allowed me to go back home, I can work out who is still aligned with me, who are neutral, and who are my enemies. Hopefully two of my patrons -a genie couple- are still around… they
always make me laugh and understand me the best.
Let's see what Hardy and company did while I was gone.
…
… …
… … …
WHAT THE FUCK! THEY'VE TURNED THIS WORLD INTO THEIR OWN SANDBOX AND ARE TRYING TO GET EVERY OTHER PANTHEON OR CELESTIAL FACTION TO EAT OUT OF THEIR CROTCH! THOSE FUCKTARDS! THOSE VIOLKIN! GAGH!
IT'S TIME TO EX-TER-MIN-ATE! EX-TER-MINATE! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!
… ok, I don't know how
that get over me but… Hardy and company have
fucking triggered me! Me, the 82nd Ultima Researcher of the Chozo Confederation, triggered into genocidal rage! Even in our darkest days, it takes a lot to push a Chozo into such a rage. The two species that did it
deserved it from an objective standpoint! Even the enigmatic Minbari and their infamous bipolar attitude on war simply nodded in understanding of the whole situation.
Ok, calm down Jade Wing… just breathe in, breathe out. Find your inner peace and rebalance yourself. Inner peace…
inner peace… inner peace… inner peace… INNER PEACE… INNER PEACE…
Oh, fuck it. Time to scream in a primordial universe to vent my anger because of my trigger induced genocidal rage. I grabbed a primordial universe and yelled into it, venting all my profanities and rage into it.
Ok… that made me feel a bit better. Better reset that universe
just in case all that rage causes problems. There, done… Now, where was I? Ah yes, finding my old allies…
Fort Portal, Alnus Province; September 20th, 2017 - 10:30 Hours
Lieutenant Itami sighed as he and a small portion of his platoon -alongside Rory Mercury, Lelei La Lalena, and Tuka Luna Marceau and her father- went through the
fifth checkpoint -and set of automated turrets- that day. From what Itami the small portion of his platoon has seen, the Iron Pact had been
incredibly busy. Rail lines were being built towards the border between 'Alnus Province' and other local provinces, the ancient highways were being upgraded into what looked like autobahns, villages being completely rebuilt with a mix of old and new architecture, and -as Itami's little two-vehicle convoy got into visual range of the base- saw
zeppelins -admittedly small ones but still,
fucking Zeppelins- of all things starting to lift off for kami knows where.
"You've
got to be kidding me," Private Richards said, "It looks like they're settling in for the long term here…" No one could fault Richards's outburst… as all the sights right now are insane.
"Yeah, and what does that mean for the locals?" Itami sighed with a frown, "Forcing cultures to march through centuries of evolution or match another's
rarely ends well." Itami learned enough history to figure
that much.
"Alright Leutnant, you and your convoy are cleared to enter the base," the guard at the checkpoint said in heavy German-accented Japanese before turning to one of his compatriots, "Hans, let them in!" As the gate opened, the guard turned to Itami. "Alright, the Central Administration complex is at the end of the central road with the internal motor pool on the left. Just don't get into trouble of your own accord and things will be fine."
"Understood sir," Itami responded politely, "we'll try to ensure that we don't cause any trouble." With that, Takeo Kurata took the vehicle down the main road towards the
massive prefabricated structure. Akira Tomita and the others looked around, absorbing everything they could while taking mental notes of the various vehicles and weapon systems. While it is clearly apparent that this is only a mere fraction of the base and its contents, it didn't make help the feeling of dread with the JSDF and US soldiers.
It didn't take too long for the convoy to get to the administration complex, and what everyone saw was simply awe inducing. The hustle and bustle of base personnel simply astounded the few locals that Itami manage to persuade to come with, but everything he saw simply pointed to one thing and one thing only: The Iron Pact is planning to
stay until whenever their objectives were done.
That… can be troubling… to say the least.
"Ah, Leutnant Itami!" a familiar voice said cheerfully, "I hope that your trip to our base was uneventful." Itami quickly recognized the voice as Captain Neumann's, Itami didn't recognize him immediately due to the dress uniform that he was wearing. It was like the old Imperial German uniform in a sense, as it was 'field grey'. The uniform was also expertly tailored to match the physic that Captain Neumann had, an oddity compared to their field uniforms which were
clearly mass produced. Captain Neumann's chest, however, was worrisome as it was laden with medals… including what looked like the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds.
"It was," Itami answered in German, "far better than what we have over the course of the last few months." Captain Neumann chuckled a bit.
"True, too true," Captain Neumann replied, "Now, before you and your fellows go to Berlin, General Forsythe wants a word with you about some civilians that we rescued from a mining town northeast from here." Itami raised an eyebrow at this, what little information that the Japanese-US coalition had indicated that civilians that were sold into slavery were dead already… given the poor conditions.
"Alright then," Itami sighed, "Old Man, get everyone ready for the trip… I'll have to meet up with General Forsythe for something." Souichirou Kuwahara sighed as he got everyone ready for the trip while Itami was escorted to General Forsythe's office.
General Forsythe's Office; a few minutes later
General Forsythe raised an eyebrow at the JSDF lieutenant in front of him. He was the
opposite in terms of physical stature he assumed he would be. His voice was somewhat nasally and higher pitched, the
opposite of what one would think would have a commanding voice given what Hauptmann Neumann's Aufklärungsabteilung company's AARs had implied. Itami's stance, to be frank, is probably one of the weirder ones that Forsythe has ever encountered. What he did notice was a suitcase at his side.
"First Lieutenant Youji Itami, JSDF Ground Forces, here as requested," Itami said politely, "May I ask what the reason for your request is?" Forsythe smirked slightly, Itami appeared to be someone that likes to get to the point of things and waste little time for anything… although there is a
slight undertone that he
didn't want to be here anyway, and that suitcase was the reason.
"The reason for my request Leutnant," Forsythe explained, "is the fact that we've liberated a lot of slaves a while back, and so far, ten of them were from your world." Itami's eyes widened almost comically, knowing straight away about the implications of what has been said. "We've already debriefed them and ensured that they're at peak health." Forsythe then pulled out a tablet. "This is the full list of people from your world that had been liberated from slavery so far."
"Ah, so these are the people I'm supposed to pick up?" Itami replied as he looked through the detailed list as he put the suitcase down, "I'm just surprised that you're so forthcoming about this General." Itami sighed a little bit, remembering a few instances he had with various generals be his home nation or abroad. Usually they're generally incredibly strict or simply leave things out is a common stereotype for generals in Itami's experience… but this man wasn't either, which is rare in Itami's experience.
Especially for a German general.
"Ah, I understand," Forsythe answered, "and yes these are the people your superiors want to be picked up after the entire inquiry is finished." Itami mumbled something about 'meddling politicians' under his breath, and Forsythe was understanding about it. He had encountered similar politicians in his
incredibly long career as a general, although in his case they rarely survived politically when they meddle too far.
"I'm thankful," Itami said in a somber enthusiastic tone, "that we don't have to create more graves… we've already have enough of them as it is." Forsythe understood completely, if the Empire's invasion of Itami's homeland was anything like the one that invaded Berlin, then there were literal hills of bodies to burry. "Well, I do have something for you. We've been getting strange information from informants in one of the nations from my world and my superiors decided that you might know something about it."
"Oh, and what would that be?" Forsythe asked politely, intrigued.
"It's in the suitcase," Itami answered, "My superiors told me that under no circumstances that anyone would look into what is in the suitcase until I give it to you or your staff." Itami frowned as he carefully placed the suitcase on the desk. "It's my superiors' hopes that you'll respond quickly on this matter."
"We'll see to it then," Forsythe replied as he picked up the suitcase, "You should get back to your group, they should be starting the last few procedures before going through the portal." Itami quickly thanked Forsythe and left, escorted by an MP. Forsythe sat there for a moment, remembering when he himself first joined the military. "Well, well, well Youji Itami…" Forsythe muttered to himself, "you remind me of myself when I was your age. I
know you'll be going places soon enough…" That was when Forsythe opened the suitcase. "Now, what has your superiors bamboozled…"
Checkpoint Portal - Berlin, Germany – Iron Pact Earth; September 20th, 11:00 Hours
Words
fail to describe the sights that Rory Mercury is seeing in 'Berlin'. While the Empire fiddled with structures of tall stature outside of forts and castles, they were hard to maintain and construct, not to mention somewhat ugly in terms of looks in the skyline. Yet here, this Iron Pact -and from what Itami and his fellow soldiers said, the world beyond the Gate on Alnus Hill- not only solved them but had them in abundance. An impressive feat of engineering to say the least. The towers are atheistically pleasing as they were practical… and looked more like they were
sculpted than built.
"Hauptmann Neumann, Leunant Youji, papers please," a man said out of a window. Itami had explained to them to keep a bunch of papers and a booklet-like object called a 'passport' at hand or be refused entry. This is an
alien concept to Rory. Her station as Apostle gave her exceptions, allowing her to freely cross borders with ease. Yet here, you had to have travel documents.
"Your documents are in order," the man said, "I'll just need to get everyone into the system. Everyone, please bring your documents and I'll get everything set up." Slowly the assembled lined up and gave the documents to the man, who then looked through the documents with unnatural precision. With a few strokes on his device, he was done. This went on for the next ten minutes before she was next.
"Ah, Rory Mercury," the man said as he politely took the papers and passport out of her hands, "I'm sorry about the wait but there were a few problems getting everything into our system, please excuse any delays on my behalf." The man made a few strokes on his device. "Your listed occupation is Apostle. Due to what your occupation is described, I'm required to tell you that you'll be with an escort for the duration of your visit." Rory frowned a little, she never needed an escort
"Why would the Apostle of Emoly require such an escort?" Rory asked with some distain, "Few have tried to harm an Apostle, and fewer have survived to tell the tale." The man simply frowned intensely at Rory. Uncharacteristically, Rory felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"
That is why the escort is being assigned to you," the man answered flatly, "They are going to be keeping you and your magic using friends
in line." The man quickly finished up and gave Rory's documents back. "Now, please get out of my line so the next person can get their data in." Rory left in a huff, knowing that the man was eyeing daggers into the back of her head.
"Well, then, with that out of the way," Centurion Neumann said, "we'll have lunch before ensuring that everyone is ready for the inquiry." Itami simply shrugged, as if he was in his opposite's position, he would do something quite similar as well. "Now, this way to the charter bus…"
"So," Richard Steiner asked, "what is our lunch destination?" Centurion Neumann thought for a moment before giving his answer.
"We'll go to Bert, Tetsui, and Hans International Bar," Centurion Neumann answered, "Gives our Falmart natives a taste of a bit of everything culinary that the Iron Pact has." Richard Steiner raised an eyebrow at that. "It doesn't help that they've got some of the best steaks and second-best burgers in town for their price either." The Iron Pact soldiers chuckled a little at the last comment, knowing their commanding officer a little too well. "However, we've got to make a small stop at the Memorial first." The Iron Pact soldiers simply nodded in understanding the reasons
why their superior had always tried to ensure he makes a stop at that memorial, mostly because his great-great grandfather and great-grandfather had been buried there.
Soon enough, the long horseless carriage entered the streets of Berlin, and towards their destination…
Memorial to the Fallen Park; 11:45 Hours
Everyone but the Iron Pact soldiers were surprised in the majesty of the large park that they've entered, and everyone then had a good snicker at Centurion Neumann's foresight to have their lunch just down the road from the park itself. The 'Americans' of Itami's world soon saw the correlations with a place called Arlington.
Yet… Rory couldn't help but feel that things were…
off… about this place. She couldn't put a finger on it, but it had this odd
air about it. Yes, the Saderians -the people that dominate much of Falmart with an iron fist- have graveyards but they were specifically designed with countering necromancy in mind but the Saderians
never had something like
this…
Rory's musings ended when they saw Centurion Neumann stopping at an ornate granite wall that had names engraved on it and polished to a sheen that outdid anything that even the best grave masters in the Empire could do. That was when she noticed the words on the top of the wall: "Für die heroischen Männer und Frauen, sollen ihre Opfer für immer in Erinnerung bleiben". The wall was divided up into sections by thick lines, and Centurion Neumann went to a section with '2. Weltkrieg' at the top. It was here that everyone saw tears flow from the Centurion's eye's.
That was when it hit Rory. Centurion Neumann was paying respects to a family member. Someone further up the familial line for certain, but certainly not his father…
That was when Rory heard…
humming. She quickly and stealthily split off from the group to
search for the source of this humming. Weaving through the stones and graves, through families paying their respects, Rory's search started to become frantic as a few simple words kept repeating, seemingly without end.
Wir sind verloren!
Wir sind verloren!
Wir sind verloren!
Wir sind verloren!
Those words kept sending chills up Rory's spine as she looked for the source. The longer she took in finding the source, the more she felt like she was descending into madness... and this went on for a good half-hour.
That was when she
saw them. Thousands of men -and some women- were marching down an avenue garbed in uniforms she couldn't recognize, armed with weapons that she couldn't make heads or tails of, and they were all marching to the west…
Now seeing spirits isn't something that surprised Rory -by Hardy (as much as Rory hated the Goddess of the Underworld's guts) part of her job was to work with restless spirits- but it was the sheer
numbers in one spot that broke her preconceptions. Rory simply stood there in amazement as the thousands of soldiers walked down the avenue, singing a song that she couldn't fully understand the context of…
Wo alle Straßen enden, hört unser Weg nicht auf. Wohin wir uns auch wenden, die Zeit nimmt ihren Lauf.
Das Herz verbrannt, im Schmerz verbannt. So ziehen wir verloren durch das graue Niemandsland. Vielleicht kehrt von uns keiner mehr zurück ins Heimatland.
Words couldn't truly describe what Rory was seeing. Sure, on numerous battlefields you could see hundreds of soldiers and warriors still residing in the world of the living, either still fighting their battles or trying to find a way to the afterlife. Having thousands all in one place, however, is
unheard of in the history of Falmart. As the soldiers marched onwards, Rory started hearing voices, conversations, and more.
That was when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Rory quickly turned around and saw two spirits looking at the city beyond.
Rory nearly jumped a few feet into the air as she turned her head to get a look on who was laying their hand on her shoulder. It was a tall, lanky man with a pair of framed glass planes resting on the bridge of his nose. There was two more men beside him, one was an average-sized man that had a slightly thick middle and the other was also average but much more fit… but the mustache was something that she never saw before.
"Sorry for scaring you, Mädchen," the man with the framed glass planes apologized, "It's a rarity to have anyone with the ability to speak to the dead visit here." Rory raised her eyebrows at that tidbit of information, as it implied that the shaman ability is extremely rare in this world as well. "The only regular is Leutnant Adolf Neumann's great grandson."
"All of this is rather different than anything I've ever experienced, I'll admit," Rory spoke truthfully, "To see so many spirits marching like they were still alive, to see so many buried here in one place… it's something that I or anyone else back in the Empire ever experienced."
"It always is," the mysterious being said, "… getting out of what you know I mean… your comfort zone." The other two beings chuckled a bit. "Still, it is a pleasure that has no words to describe to see the very nation that you've sacrifice your life for prosper. My family told stories of when they arrived with the first settlers, turning a village in a swamp into the
center of a great nation. To see it prosper before your very eyes. A feeling so exquisite that words can't truly describe it." Then the man slapped his own face like he forgot something. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to ask your name and give us ours."
"It's alright," Rory answered thoughtfully, "It isn't the first time I've had spirits forget to introduce themselves…" Rory quickly shook her head. "The name's Rory Mercury, Apostle of Emory."
"My name is Egon Spangler," the mysterious being said.
"My name is Adolf Neumann Senior," the rotund being introduced himself, "Pleasure to meet you Mädchen."
"I'm Adolf Hitler," the third and last being introduced himself, "It's a rare pleasure to have someone else talk to us despite leaving the mortal coil." Rory mentally calmed herself reminding herself that this is a vastly different world than Itami's, and thus the people there are vastly different. Their histories and paths through life could be different than their other-world counterparts. "Is something the wrong Mädchen?" That sentence broke Rory out of her mental marathon.
"Um… sorry," Rory answered, "It's just that the people that I'm staying with had a man named Adolf Hitler… and… he was a
monster." Hitler sighed knowingly, like if it was something he half-expected. "Went out to exterminate
millions just because they were a different people than him." Hitler shook his head in understanding with that sentence.
Adolf Hitler simply sighed at Rory's answer, and looked towards the skyline again, thinking of an answer that would melt Rory's doubts.
"When I came back to Germany after the First World War, I would undoubtedly go down that path with abandon," Hitler answered with a depressing chuckle, "I was one of many men that was
hurting and
angry. Feeling that we've been betrayed somehow. Yet… when word came that the French and British were to destroy the Fatherland so completely, we jumped at the call but not because of the government, but because of the
Fatherland." Rory simply sat down in the grass, knowing that this is going to take a while. "That is when I was assigned a bunch of Poles, Jews, and Old Prussians with very few Germans. I
spent them like bullets. Threw the dice far too many times and threw their lives away… yet more came to fill the ranks." Hitler simply looked like he was reminiscing, as he shed a tear. "I… at first I couldn't believe that those I considered
inferior were jumping at the chance to do what they thought was the most good. They fought with such bravery and such ferocity that I couldn't understand it with the path I choose between the Great War and the Great War of Resistance." Rory was in apt attention as Hitler continued. "Slowly, I started to see the bravery and ferocity for what it was:
Magnificence. It took me
years to finally see it, years that where I would have made better tactics and strategies. Picked better targets… and probably save my
closest comrade in arms."
Egon simply sat there in understanding.
"Yet, it was when my XO died in my arms that I vowed to remember him and those who died in our small part of the Great War of Resistance. I found myself
changing, Rory. Changing in mind
and in spirit," Hitler continued, "I saw many
horrible things, Rory. Horrific in ways you
couldn't imagine. I saw the path that my anger and hate was heading to. It was then I changed
completely. I was no longer Adolf Hitler, an angry and hurt soldier upset of how the Fatherland lost a war that by all rights should have won. I was Adolf Hitler, a
humbled man that has seen the life that his old self would have led." Rory was
amazed, as such radical change is
rare within Falmart in general. "There is an old virtue from a nation called Japan, made specifically for its militant noble class: "The decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you are. You cannot hide from yourself.". I inadvertently understood this after the Great War of Resistance, despite not reading the virtues of Bushido myself. I began to find
myself and found many things that
scared me. I kept that spiritual weight the rest of my life."
Rory was
astonished at what she was hearing. No leader in their right mind would
outright admit their weaknesses and follies unless there was no other choice.
"I decided, afterwards, that after the war I would retire from military service and simply become an artist while writing a memoir about those who were in my unit during the Great War of Resistance. I was just outside of Hamburg when I met a man that would change my life," Hitler reminisced, "He wasn't famous at the time, but he, too, had talent in art. I had seen him during the War driving a Red Cross ambulance hauling injured and sick civilians plastered with his 'cartoons'. At the time he was at Hamburg waiting for his ship to arrive, so he can go back home to America when he saw me drawing the skyscape of Hamburg at the time. He commented that I had actual skill and talent. I never had been told that I had talent or skill. I was told that my art was
lifeless… that I had no talent or real skill, but to have someone say that I did changed things. So, we started to talk about things, reveal little bits of our lives… and the more we've talked, the more we talked, the more we exchanged, and the more we exchanged, the more we became friends. Eventually we decided to keep in contact with each other, effectively being there for each other during the other's darkest time. While I would eventually only do art as a hobby, Walt would become world renowned for his cartoons."
Then Hitler's visage became a bit dark.
"It was around 1932 that I started to go into politics. It was at this time that men that still had hate and anger within them formed their own party and decided that they would rule the Fatherland by any means necessary. I became a target when my memoir was published in the previous year," Hitler remembered sourly, "I couldn't
stand the idea of the Fatherland that I helped in saving to become a twisted image of itself. With some help in speeches, I quickly became the leader of the newly formed Progressive-Socialist Party, and eventually we made great strides in many things, but eventually that made me into a target that those
monsters couldn't ignore." Rory got the feeling that she wouldn't like what would happen next. "They decided to try to assassinate me… in front of the entire nation… and that signed their death warrants."
"That was when what people called 'Day of Death' happened," Egon butted in, "Kaiser Fredrick was rightly fed up at what they attempted to do and gave them an ultimatum: either hand over the conspirators of the assassination or
get a Royal Ban. Instead, they decided that a coup was in order… and began a day-long rebellion against the Kaiser and Germany itself. The Nationale Reaktionspartei's militants fought across Germany but was
crushed by the army and marines. The few of the NRP's leaders that survived got the death penalty and executed and the party and those like it were permanently banned by royal decree."
"I was the man that influenced Kaiser Fredrick in going through with that ban," Hitler stated flatly, "I had
seen what they did to those of the Jewish Quarter. The mangled bodies of Jews scattered across the streets, the bodies of
raped Jewish women, the children hanging from ceilings and streetlamps… I
yelled at the Kaiser to
never let those monsters to have a voice
ever again. I even
threatened to pull a coup on him if he didn't… but he just sat there,
laughing." Rory's eyes widened to
comical size as Adolf remembered. "He told me that I had
guts to say that in front of him… and that he was convinced that if such people were able to foster such conviction in the various parties and the military, then he had no choice than to ban them… although he stated that I was the first to tell it to his face but warned me about my temper."
"Sir… I…" Egon started, trying to
comprehend what Hitler had said… but Hitler stopped him from speaking further.
"I
vividly remember the sacrifices that the Jews made during the Great War of Resistance Egon," Hitler answered, "… and I would not
allow them to be in vain." The very
atmosphere started to become deathly cold, sending shivers down Rory's spine. "I will not allow the sacrifices we've made
be for nothing. I will not see all that we have worked for
turned to ash. If my life is the price I shall pay to ensure that Germany prospers,
then so be it." Rory was now starting to get scared, as she was seeing a conviction that bordered on a
cultist's
.
"Sir," Egon exclaimed, "You're scaring Rory half to death!" Hitler then looked at Rory, seeing the fear develop in her face.
"I…" Hitler started but failed to continue. He just sat there,
scared of what he had done.
"Now you've done it," Adolf Senior commented, "You've got Hitler worked up again and had him realize it through Egon. Those two act like an old couple in ways that would have gotten them into immense trouble in our day… but here that doesn't matter. They've always been said to be practically made for each other back in the Great War of Resistance, and now I can understand
why." That was when Rory heard Itami and Centurion Neumann yelling at the top of their lungs.
"Rory!" Itami exclaimed, "You are supposed to stay next to us!" Rory simply rolled her eyes in annoyance Itami continued. "Have you ever thought what will happen if something were to happen? This isn't like the Empire, you can't simply wave your statue as an Apostle like it's some sort of immunity." Itami then frowned. "If you go galivanting around and doing whatever you felt like,
I'm going to be the poor sap that gets in trouble."
"Itami, chill a bit. We're in one of the most sensor-dense locations on the entire
planet," Centurion Neumann commented as he tried to calm Itami down, "See, she's… oh hey Great Grandpa Adolf." Itami looked at Centurion Neumann like he was verifiably insane.
"Neumann-san, you're starting to sound like my mother," Itami replied in a worried tone, "Are you
sure that you aren't clinically insane?" Centurion Neumann looked at Itami like he was a racist bigot… before he quickly remembered that Itami wasn't from this world and sighed.
That was when Rory
exploded in anger. "Itami!" Rory yelled in Saderian in a tone reminiscent of an
angry god, "You are to apologize to Centurion Neumann this
instant or I will
kill you where you stand!" Itami was
shocked -and deathly afraid- at Rory who was acting in a way he never saw before. "Do you know who you are
insulting Sir Itami?
Do you!?! Who you are insulting is someone that you
never insult if you value your life in this life
and the next! Someone that is rare even by
our standards! One of the few things we Apostles
respect are Shamans, and you have
made a grave insult to one!
Even Emory doesn't mark a shaman with madness!" That was when Rory transformed into her 'adult' body. A very
well endowed and
well-muscled body. "I can interact with spirits as well, and what I've seen and heard here is
more than enough to prove that he is a Shaman!"
"But.. but.." Itami mumbled as his body started to freeze with fear. The others had just arrived and everyone, but Leo, were floored at what was happening before them.
"
Apologize!" Rory ordered, "
NOW!" Leo knew what was happening at that moment, Itami
had to gravely insult a shaman, which is usually the
last thing one can do in their time with the living. All Apostles, no matter who their patron god was, gave their respect to shamans… which is usually more than what the Apostles usually do with mortals. Rory is
especially strict on giving shamans respect, given that a good six centuries ago she was saved by a shaman in a particularly
nasty bit of business with a necromancer.
"Rory," Centurion Neumann said in an authoritative tone, "
you apologize to Itami." Then Centurion Neumann's voice morphed into legion and his eyes turned a dark blood red. "
Now." Rory now felt absolute
dread going up and down her spine… as the last word that came out of Centurion Neumann's mouth was
not something a Shaman can do. If Centurion Neumann is what Rory (now)
fears… then
nothing but death itself can stop him.
Nothing.
"… but Centurion Neumann, he…" Rory stammered as she tried to explain to Centurion Neumann
why she was being so strict.
"
But nothing, Rory," Centurion Neumann flatly stated, stomping out Rory's chance to explain herself, "
Leutnant Itami didn't know that he insulted me. He doesn't have the context and understanding necessary to know that he was insulting me. I am willing to let it slide, but apparently you aren't." Centurion Neumann's colleges at that point were trying to explain to everyone else what is going on while everyone else were in a state of muted panic on what is going on.
"But Centurion," Rory said as she found her courage, "I am forcing Itami to apologize because what you are is something that I give my
uttermost respect to. The few shamans that I have met in my travels were all nice people, and even one of them was powerful enough to help me with a necromancer over six centuries ago, saving me in the process and…" Yet, apparently, Centurion Neumann was having
none of it.
"
That still doesn't excuse what you have done," Centurion Neumann verbally slammed, "
Once Itami has the proper context and understanding, he will apologize. If he apologizes now, it won't be sincere, it will be empty." Rory shuddered as Centurion Neumann's eyes stared into hers, acting -if not actually- like if they were looking into her very
soul. "
Now, from what Itami has implicated, his mother might be a Speaker of Spirits, but that can't be confirmed until Wolfenstein takes a good look at Itami's case. Now, apologize." Rory
had to relent, as she started to see every spirit in the 'memorial park' staring at her in anger… although Hitler, Adolf Senior, and Egon were trying to explain the context of what happened to the assembled spirits.
"I…" Itami spoke up, steeling himself for his own verbal onslaught that he is about to give, "You're right Captain Neumann, I
don't understand what is going on. I
don't know the context of what is happening. What I
do know is that the mere fact that I
implied that you are insane has shown a side of Rory that I haven't seen before. A very
demanding side that I doubt many have seen back in the Empire." Rory looked at Itami in surprise. "And
you captain, I have seen a side that few people have seen before and you have caused Rory to sit down and shut up… which I believe no one has been able to do before. Yet I can see where Rory is coming from. I have saved lives in my time in the military, and they
all give me as much respect as they could give me. Now we are going to stay here until we all apologize to each other or we miss the inquiry.
Your choice."
Everyone stood there, stunned, at Itami's outburst. This was a side of the otaku officer that
no one had seen. Rory felt,
aroused, from the sight of Itami showing his dominant side… and that made her attraction to him increase significantly.
That was when Centurion Neumann
started laughing.
"Now
that is the steel I felt within you Itami!" Centurion Neumann laughed out loud, "I haven't seen anyone get verbally smacked down that hard since I started to train with Big Boss!" Centurion Neuman's and Itami's comrades looked at each other like Centurion Neumann was howling mad. "Now, as an apology I'm going to give you two an all-you-can-eat buffet!"
Itami and Rory simply
stared… their brains trying to comprehend what just happened.
Itami was the first one to shake himself back to reality. "Alright then," Itami chuckled, "I'll hold you up to that… now let's go before we miss out on that buffet!" Everyone but the Itami, Rory, and Centurion Neumann simply stared in confusion. "What are you guys waiting for? We've got an all you can eat buffet to get to!" Itami quickly started jogging towards the long horseless carriage.
Everyone else quickly followed suit…
Combined Chamber of the Reichstag, Berlin; 15:30 Hours local time
Itami frowned as he and the entourage entered the main chamber of the alternate Reichstag. The chamber is
packed as news crews readied their cameras while those who wanted to be
physically see the proceedings sat in the banisters that are now filled to the
brim. From what Itami could tell, this Imperial Germany adopted a tricameral legislative body. One was clearly the various noble families, given their ware, and stood on the left-most side of the chamber. Then there is a series of politicians that looked like they were elected who sat in the center of the chamber, they came in two by two and Richards commented that they acted like the US Senate. Then there was the large crowd that filled the right-most side of the room, Itami quickly lost count after four hundred… which meant that they were like the Diet members and are probably almost as bad in general…
"All rise!" Chancellor Joseph Steiner ordered, "Kaiserin Sophia the First of the House of Hohenzollern, Chief of State of the Empire of Germany and it's commonwealths presiding!" That was when a rather
regal song started playing as a woman dressed in a mix of something straight out of a fantasy and something modern entered the room with four guards armed with ancient -well, compared to the ones that both the Iron Pact and the JSDF/US coalition are using in Falmart- submachine guns.
The Kaiserin briskly walked to her seat on an elevated platform in the center of the back wall and stood by her chair while the guards took up positions beside the platform. The song went on for a short while longer before it ended, allowing Kaiserin Sophia to speak.
"I, Kaiserin Sophia the First, will preside over the Inquiry of the battle that took place on July 19th, 2017 in the lands held by the Holy Empire of Alnus," Sophia began in a regal tone, "Witnesses include personnel from an alternate reality, soldiers from the Iron Pact now in campaign in those lands, and locals from the Holy Empire of Alnus. This Inquiry has been called, as per protocol for loss of civilian life in combat with Iron Pact soldiers, by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chancellor Joseph Steiner." Itami, his comrades, and the Falmart locals practically held their breath as the Kaiserin looked through the crowd. "You now may take your seats."
Everyone simply sat down… and Itami and his comrades simply sighed a sigh of relief.
"Chancellor, you may begin with the proceedings," Sophia ordered, "Let us begin with the context of the situation."
"Well, here comes the
boring part," Aaron Neumann forewarned in a whisper, "Every Iron Pact inquiry always starts with the situational context to minimize causing improper outrage and political intrigue." Itami and his comrades raised their eyebrows at Aaron's warning. An inquiry like this -while it took time to setup- is easy to manipulate to score easy political points back in Itami's Japan. Here, the context is laid bare for all to see… like US military/security inquiries, just without the Itami's US's politics before Mattis became the head of the Coup.
The several projectors soon showed the combat footage while analysts filled in any blanks that the footage couldn't fill. It showed things like combat conditions, attack vectors, among other things. In addition to the combat footage there was material analysis from the Fire Dragon's scales, the breath of the Fire Dragon, to what little of the Fire Dragon's recorded capabilities was displayed in full. The explanations took an hour to complete, and oddly enough, it answered a few questions that bothered Itami; like how the scales were able to shrug off 55mm HVAP rounds but were able to be penetrated by the Javelin. Itami quickly filed all of this away in his mind while making a note to himself to ask for the analysis… which would come in handy with his own inquiry.
Several of the politicians in the Diet-side of the room rolled their eyes in contempt at the deluge of information.
"Who are those politicians that are rolling their eyes in contempt?" Itami whispered to Aaron, wanting to know the political situation in this Germany.
"Oh, they're the few seats that the Isolationists managed to scrounge up in the last elections," Aaron answered in a whisper, "They're the sort that wants to disband the Iron Pact and pretty much go isolationist. They're well known to be idiots and their constituencies are made up of geopolitical idiots… so they've been continuously elected there. Thing is they've been under investigation by the Federal Police for various political and financial fraud, something they've been trying to keep out of the spotlight." Itami sighed and forced himself to
not bang his head against the desk. Apparently, no matter what, there are
those idiots having some political sway. If these individuals had their way, then they would eliminate the military completely. Thus, Japan would be vulnerable to the many enemies it made over the decades and -pragmatically- would put Itami and many like him out of a job to support their hobbies. It also didn't surprise Itami that these Isolationists were being investigated… given what had happened back home.
"Ah," Itami whispered in understanding, "They sound a lot like the far-left politicians back home." Itami sighed a bit, knowing who called the inquiry that is going to happen within the next month. "Could you pull a few strings to get the analysis on the Flame Dragon's scales because that'll be a lot of help on making sure
my inquiry goes smoothly." Aaron smirked at Itami, understanding his plight.
"I'll see what I can do," Aaron answered, "It'll probably happen if I get sent over to provide the Pact's side of the story." Itami shrugged a little in understanding.
It was then that the inquiry got to the testimony stage. Itami sighed as this was perhaps almost -if not more so- as tedious as the context setting. Aaron was up first, as he was the overall commander during the battle. Everyone practically started murmuring as he took to the stand, what was being said were intelligible to Itami, but it appeared that Aaron is quite significant to this alternate reality.
"Hauptmann Neumann," the Chancellor began, "Describe the events leading up to the subject of this inquiry to the best of your abilities." Itami sighed, it was going to be one of
those inquiries… and prepared for a long inquiry…
Equestria, Ponyville – Castle of Friendship, Office of Twilight Sparkle; September 25th, 2017
Twilight Eventide Sparkle -Princess and Goddess of Friendship, current heir to the House of Sparkle-Armor, Bearer of the Element of Magic, Former and most Powerful Student of Celestia, Vanquisher of Tirek, leader of the Elements of Harmony, and -if her ascension didn't happen- the best (and
youngest) prospect for title of Grand Magus of Magic- sighed as she signed yet another piece of paperwork. Right now Twilight felt the hankering for cake -a weakness that her mentor and now-equal Celestia imparted to her during Twilight's many years as her student and, after her ascension, her instructor of all things Princess related… now that she thought about it, many of Celestia's students had a weakness of cake including the temperamental Sunset Solus Shimmer- to break not only the doldrums of paperwork (thank Faust for
inkwell pens!) but to get rid of all the stress she had been having.
… and one of the sources of stress -the humans from worlds that
weren't connected to the Mirror-Portal that is now a fixture of Twilight's new and improved basement-laboratory- is why Twilight had called her friends for this impromptu meeting for. At least, those that haven't left for a Friendship Quest.
"So darling," Rarity Paragon Belle questioned in her impressive approximation of the Canterlot accent, "what has gotten you all riled up today?" The remaining four of Twilight's friends -and her first 'special' student Starlight Shimmer Stormgale- were going to ask that very same question. Starlight grew immensely ever since she was captured by Twilight's own Royal Guard during the entire Equal Town fiasco… but trust had to be earned both in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of Twilight's cadre of friends, thus her status as 'special student'. "I mean, darling, it couldn't be the paperwork…"
"While Ah would rarely agree with Rarity here," Applejack Chartreuse Apple said in her very thick Southern Equestrian-Big Macintosh Mountain accent, "Y'all know that things have been rather hectic around here ever since the slaves from that Imperial slave ship shipwrecked by Manehattan was sent here." Everyone nodded in understanding, three months back a Holy Empire of Alnus slave ship heading towards the only Imperial 'colony' on the Equestrian continent shipwrecked just south of Manehattan. The slavers were quickly apprehended and put to work in the mana crystal mines in the Canterlot Mountains while the slaves were freed… which has landed Ponyville in its current situation. "Now trying to open up has been hard for all of us, even when we have to juggle not only our duties to the Map but our own lives as well."
"It
is rather overwhelming," Fluttershy Stormwing commented in her new shy-but-steely tone, "Although some of the humans I've been working with have been a great help… it is just
too much. What they have suffered for six months in the hands of the Empire had created such
deep scars in their minds…" Everyone else sighed at that comment. The treatment for non-Imperial slaves -or enslaved Imperials for crimes such as
high treason or breaking certain by-laws of enslavement given what Luna's intelligence network had uncovered- is simply horrendous by any measure. 'Training' specifically designed to break the will and hope of those in bondage, so they do anything they want -with few fields foregoing the training only because of practicality and need- and do whatever job they've been assigned. These slaves were only fortunate enough that they only got 'light training' before being shipped out to the Imperial colony on the continent Equestria resides on.
"Ah can't argue with that," Applejack commented, "They've been doing quite well all considerin'. Even Granny Smith is a bit surprised at the better condition of the farm since they've arrived…" Applejack sighed a little. "… but she is worried that their condition isn't improvin'. Whenever she went out to see how they're doin' work, they seem a little
broken in the noggin'… much like them Warrior Bunnies that washed ashore in that shipwreck just a few months after you've became a princess Twili." Twilight sighed and frowned, remembering one of her first duties as Princess of Equestria. A large Imperial slave ship was shipwrecked near Neighton, loaded to the brim with a species known as the 'Warrior Bunnies'. Despite the doctors on-site and setting up a field hospital, a good third of them died of their injuries. The head slavers were quickly turned into stone by an
enraged Celestia and Luna while the crew was sent to the mana crystal mines for the next
two decades. A sixth would commit
suicide thanks to the horrors they've witnessed, another sixth would be forever institutionalized in the Grand Mental Hospital of Canterlot to
try to rehabilitate them with little success, the rest would be effectively shut-ins, although Twilight and her friends have been slowly getting them out of their self-imposed shells.
"They're pretty good petty good ponies," Sunset Solus Shimmer sighed, "Especially since one of them was able to relate to Starlight and help her improve leaps and bounds." Twilight raised an eyebrow at that, as now a question she had been developing with Starlight had been answered. "The biggest problem is that they're still hurting, even if they don't know it yet." Everyone could at least
agree on that.
"Yeah… they're pretty awesome," Rainbow Dash Blitzer commented in a somber tone with her characteristic hybrid of Big Macintosh Mountain and Cloudsdale accents, "but I've seen it with the army side of the Wonderbolts whenever they raid some bandit or slaver camp. Some of them have it so bad that Spitfire had taken them off the active roster."
"Sometimes permanently," Rainbow thought to herself, leaving it unsaid. "Tartus, the doctors within these non-Imperial human ranks been helping
Scoots with getting her to be able to fly! I haven't seen Scoots so happy since…
ever." Most of the doctor-speak went over Rainbow's head, but from what she
could understand, Scootaloo's body had been stunted in various ways but if they had a specific family of algae and the ability to process it -or a supply of 'biological rejuvenators' from their home-, they can kickstart it, so she would be on her original low-end and not a runt.
"Really?" Rarity asked in an astonished tone, "They must be pretty good if they can do something like
that… but focus Rainbow, we need to find ways to get these rather cultured humans to get out of their shell and actually heal instead of simply stay in their shells and bottle their horrors up." Rarity pondered for a moment before getting an idea. "Doctor Wolf and Doctor Sound Mind have their practice in-town, and they've been
amazing at helping all of us with our own problems. Perhaps we can have them help us with this. They did convince most of those Warrior Bunnies that were on the fence that it wasn't worth it." Everyone pondered for a moment at what Rarity was saying, when Doctor James Wolf and Doctor Sound Mentat Mind came to Ponyville before Twilight's ascension, they vastly improved the relationships between the Elements -and Spike- and prevented a few problems from arising. Their biggest claim to fame is their ability to persuade the suicidal Warrior Bunnies to
not commit suicide even if it took a lot of work on their part.
"That… sounds like a good idea," Twilight admitted, "… but that still runs into the problem that we need to get them out of their shells more." Twilight frowned slightly as she tried to rake up
something to help them. Ideas kept flashing in her head, all to subtly push them towards getting the help they need…
"Well, there is that celebration that they've been preparing for the last few days," Rainbow suggested, "… maybe we can participate and try to coax a few to get the ball rolling?" The last part was uncharacteristically shy and downtrodden for the normally boastful mare of incredible self-esteem… even though the idea is perhaps the smartest one so far. "I mean… it's worth a shot…"
"No need to act like Fluttershy Rainbow," Applejack congratulated, "Ah may hate the slight underhoofenness that your idea has, but it is probably the best shot we've got to get them to open up." Everyone nodded in agreement with that statement. "
However, we might sour things if we try it
too hard… we might have to contact Dr. Wolf and Sound Mind about setting everything up before we do anything."
"That's… a pretty good idea Rainbow," Starlight Shimmer complemented meekly, "it's far better than anything I could have come up with…" Starlight Shimmer had been reprimanded for her tendency to force magic to solve her problems which have gotten her into a
lot of trouble over the better part of a year since the Equal Town fiasco and her new status as a 'special' student of Twilight Sparkle. She was getting better, especially with a non-Imperial human by the name of Wilhelm Asperger.
"Don't fret sugar cube," Applejack said in an apologetic tone, "You're working on it and that is all that matters." Then Applejack tapped her chin. "It isn't like we are all Princesses. There was the one time that Ah out stubborn'd a mule…" Applejack then took Starlight Shimmer aside to recount one of her more
embarrassing moments.
That was when one of Twilight's guards entered the room.
"Princess Sparkle," a pegasus guard said as she entered the office, "The leader of the non-Imperial humans has sent me to come get you for the coming festivities." The guard in question is part of Twilight's Sodality Guard… and the newest of Equestria's Royal Guard units. Right now, Twilight hasn't designed a proper uniform for them so most of them simply have their original armor painted in Twilight's colors. This is partially because Twilight made many enemies as a student of Celestia and as the youngest Princess, thus Celestia and Luna giving her a company of their guards each to build her own Royal Guard to protect her. "From what I can tell, the leader wants you to precede over the festivities as you authorized it and it would be perfect to engage in a cultural exchange."
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, usually for foreign festivities the planners would simply ask for permission from the Princesses (or in this case, herself) and the interaction pretty much stops there. Yet, they have asked for her to precede over the festivities… unusual in of itself. "Alright then," Twilight answered, "I'll just finish up with the meeting I'm having with my friends and student and I'll be right out."
"Understood Princess," the guard said, "I'll ensure that the leader knows what is happening." And with that, the guard left as she closed the door.
"Well…
that was unexpected sugercube," Applejack commented as she brought Starlight to her seat, "but unless Ah'm mistaken, we've been given an opportunity. A very obvious and most
opportune opportunity that we've been saddled with." Everyone in the room raised an eyebrow at Applejack's line of thought. "From what they've told me and my family, these celebrations are quite similar to a celebration from Germania before Equestrian Unification. Between the immense amounts of alcohol, cider, food, and happiness-inducin' activities, they'll be likely to open up on gettin' help."
"We'll discuss this further later," Twilight stated as she got up, "Right now I've got a celebration to preside and I can't keep them." The others stayed in the office, trying to work on a surefire plan to get at least a few of them the help they needed. "I hope that things don't go too badly like
last time…"
Ponyville Fairgrounds, 11:30 Hours
Twilight sighed as she and her protective entourage flew into the Ponyville Fairgrounds. The fairgrounds were
packed with Warrior Bunnies, ponies, the non-Imperial humans, and even the diplomatic envoys -and their families- of the Yaks, Griffons, and even the Hissho… apparently Celestia let it slip that this celebration was going to happen, and the various diplomatic envoys decided to come down and take a gander…
"Ah, my faithful student," said a voice that Twilight
instantly recognized, Twilight immediately turned around and saw Princess Celestia in her regal festive garments with Princess Luna close behind, "It has been
too long that we've seen each other!" Celestia smiled as she continued. "Sadly, Candance couldn't make it due to her duties as Queen of the Crystal Empire… but she sends her regards." Twilight dropped all sense of dignity and quickly ran up to Celestia and hugged her and Luna.
"Oh, Princess Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed as she hugged her former mentor and her sister, "It
has been too long!" It
was too long since Twilight had met her mentor and her sister in an informal setting -or as close as one could get to an informal setting considering the circumstances- just to talk and be
friends. "I've missed our time together
so much!" Celestia simply smiled at Twilight while Luna made a faint
daw to herself at the sight.
"Now, now… I keep telling you we're equals now," Celestia playfully reminded Twilight, "you don't need to call me Princess all the time." Twilight blushed lightly at the reminder, cursing her excitement causing her to go back to her old habits. "I hope we can see the festivities in all their glory soon because this is shaping up to be something else."
"Why yes, dear sister," Luna chuckled, "these festivities are going to be
GLORIOUS!" Everyone looked at Luna after she said the last part in the in/famous (depending on how you look at it) Royal Canterlot Voice. Luna quickly became embarrassed at the outburst, despite her having a handle on it since her return. "This 'Oktoberfest' sounds like the old festivals that we used to partake in when we first founded Equestria! Great feasts of harmony, bounty, and thanks with our subjects!" Celestia had fond memories about those days… but her face mentally soured as she also remembered the
assholes that forced the disbandment of these great festivals. Celestia
wasn't happy when she found out that they pulled
that behind her back and it helped Luna along becoming Nightmare Moon.
"I still remember those days like they were yesterday Luna," Celestia chuckled right back, "They're one of the few times that we celebrated like
family with our subjects."
"Although the
imbecile that spiked your drink with that hallucinogenic that one time had to ruin it!" Luna complained, "I had to do
your duties for a month while trying to keep you from harming yourself
and our subjects!" Celestia sighed a little, remembering that month of pure
strangeness… she
never found the perpetrator, nor did Luna.
"Prinzessinnen, please excuse this interruption into your nostalgia but we're ready," a human male said in a polite tone, "We'll be starting the march as soon as you meet up with the organizer." The three assembled princesses looked at the man with a mix of interest and confusion. The man quickly picked up on this. "Ah, the opening ceremony
always starts with a march, Prinzessinnen. It also serves to get everyone to their seats before the main party starts." With a small contemplative 'ah', the three princesses took flight and flew to the man that organized the festivities. "I am
not going to get used to that…"
Band Assembly Area, a few minutes later
"Is everything ready to go?" asked Nikolaus Rodenberg as the band made their final preparations. Nikolaus had to admit, the Equestrians can make damn fine instruments -hell they have
accordions in roughly a mix of magi-tech industrial revolution and Enlightenment- and the musicians that the Empire enslaved were competent in the music that he was going to have them do today.
"Yes sir, all we're waiting is for the Prinzessinnen to arrive and we'll start the festivities," a woman -one of Nikolaus's leunants in this endeavor by the name of Samantha Reeds- answered, "we've sent Richards to get them… and are they
flying?" Nikolaus quickly looked up into the sky and saw the three prinzessinnen
flying towards them.
"… you know what?" Nikolaus commented in awe, "I think I'll
never get used to the fact that they can
fly." Samantha simply nodded in agreement. "Alright then, Richards has gotten the Prinzessinnen to the front of the march… everyone make sure everything is ready!" The musicians quickly made their final adjustments and quickly assembled into formation.
"Well, they're quick," Prinzessin Luna commented as she landed, "Now Organizer, where are we supposed to be when this festival begins?" Nikolaus simply sighed as a great weight lifted off his shoulders -not as great as keeping everyone that got enslaved by the Empire still alive but still a great weight- and spirited itself away.
"You'll be with the banner bearer, that would be me, and lead the band into the main tent," Nikolaus answered, "Since this is
also your first Oktoberfest celebration, you've don't really have to have a great speech prepared or anything… unless you want to." The three Prinzessinnen sighed in relief.
"That is wonderful!" Celestia said with a great smile, "I thought this would be making a speech and made one!" Celestia quickly pulled a small scroll out of her left breast pocket. "Most foreign festivities I've been in had that requirement." Twilight and Luna looked a mite embarrassed at the situation and produced their
own scrolls, likely speeches, as well.
"If you want to, I really can't stop you," Nikolaus emphasized, "but I'm saying that since it's literally your first Oktoberfest and you're the patrons of said Oktoberfest, you don't have to make a grand speech unless you want to." Celestia quickly cast a minor flame spell, turning her speech into ash.
"I was
never the one for grand speeches anyway!" Celestia joyfully said while Luna and Twilight rolled their eyes a little at Celestia's antics, "Now, we should start before the crowds get restless!" Nikolaus couldn't really argue with that and so he signaled the band to
begin the march.
--
Now Twilight had been in many festivals in her time -comes with the territory of being a daughter in the minor noble (although if you ask some of the noble families like a significant portion of the Blueblood family,
faux noble and barely a step up from
commoners) family of Sparkle-Armor
and the most powerful student of Celestia
to date- but this
Oktoberfest had to take the metaphorical cake. The 'march' isn't anything like she had listened to, as it was far too festive to be like the marches she had listened and gotten used to over the years. The band had been playing for the last three minutes as everyone poured into the tent and grabbed seats while beer-ponies in somewhat
risqué -apparently no matter how much work Rarity (despite being a practical
goddess of fashion) put into the outfits, some ponies simply make them risqué- outfits passed the largest glasses of beer she had ever seen.
The music soon ended, and everyone waited impatiently to start the festival in earnest. Nikolaus simply nodded and began his speech.
"Welcome one and all to the first Equestrian Oktoberfest!" Nikolaus announced through the mana-microphone, "I hope everyone is ready to have a good time because this is going to metaphorically blow your mind. The alcohol and food are ready, the games and activities prepared, and the musicians have a wide selection of music both traditional and modern to choose from. Before we start, I'll ask the Princesses if they have anything to say before we begin." Twilight quickly ceased the indicative and raised her hand. Nikolaus simply nodded and allowed her the use of the microphone.
"The humans here today came to me a few weeks ago, asking me if they could set up for this festival," Twilight began, "I readily agreed, my thirst for knowledge begging me to allow it. While everything was being set up, I noticed something else… this was also something to help them heal from the injustices and horrors that they suffered from the Holy Empire of Alnus." The humans in the crowd murmured in confusion. "I hope this little slice of home will help you on the road to recovery. As the Princess that authorized this festival, I decree that the First Equestrian Oktoberfest begins
now!"
Everyone in the tent roared in applause and the band began playing a
new song.
"Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!"
"Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!"
Twilight simply stood there as the band played and all the humans were singing along.
"Wir versaufen unser Oma ihr klein Häuschen, klein Häuschen, klein Häuschen!"
"Wir versaufen unser Oma ihr klein Häuschen mit der erste und der zweiten Hypothek!"
Her right hoof started tapping as the song continued. Magical music is a recognized field of magic for
centuries within Equestria and the nations on the northern and southern continents. This is partially why the Empire failed in their conquests, as the Equestrian Army's field music bands can utilize music as numerous support spells. Here, while there is no magic involved, another aspect of the magical aspects of music is being played out.
"Ja, wir versaufen unser Oma ihr klein Häuschen, klein Häuschen, klein Häuschen."
"Wir versaufen unser Oma ihr klein Häuschen mit der erste und der zweiten Hypothek."
Twilight started drinking, deciding to be in on the fun… figuring out that this might just work out…