Service to the Crown Day was turning into a day full of images, and memories in my Equestria dreamscape. After the parade and speech, Petina, Carousel and myself spent the afternoon strolling around park enjoying sights and looking at the numerous booths and stalls that had been set up just for that day. There were games to challenge ponies of all ages, and to separate them from their bits, along with ponies selling souvenirs and snacks.

Even though we ‘d eaten a large breakfast we decided that further nourishment was in order. Carousel and I decided to try the Corn Bits. These were corn fritters that vaguely looked like standard currency of the realm. They consisted of corn kernels mixed in a light corn batter that was spiced with sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. They were deep fried until golden brown and served with honey drizzled over them. Petina always wanting to be different tried the blinis. She got two of them filled with sliced strawberries, chopped hazelnuts and dark chocolate sauce. The blinis were then folded up to form a burrito-like package. A pony selling birch beer provided us with our beverages. We then retired to the shade of a nearby maple tree to enjoy our snack.

Properly fortified we started to mill amongst the various booths, displays and performances that spread throughout the park. It was like a county fair, science exposition, arts and craft festival and military review all rolled into one event. The various groups that had marched in parade and booths set up to inform curious ponies about their organizations; their were tents islands with the merchant ponies selling their snacks, souvenirs, and various arts and wares.

One area that was drawing many ponies attention was an area set aside near the parade grounds. This area was reserved for the various military units that had participated in the parade. Pavilions had been erected and the air was full of flapping pennants, standards, and flags. Officers and enlisted ponies from the various companies were there to talk to the public and to display the gear and skills they had recently used to defend the kingdom. A military band played jaunty marches and various unicorn and earth pony platoons performed drills for the audience gathered. Pegasus squadrons soared overhead in intricate patterns. However over in a roped off area there was one pegasi who was the focus of many a pony’s attention.

Hovering about ten feet off the ground a silver-gray pegasus stallion was blasting brightly colored chalk balls about size of oranges with a leg gun. A couple of pegasus ponies assisted him by tossing the spheres up into the air for him to shoot. The leg gun was type I had seen used in the battle with the Deception. He was not wearing any armor but he had leg bands with his company’s livery on them.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! In fast succession four of the balls exploded in brightly colored dust. The crowd made suitably impressed sounds at the stallion’s demonstration of skill. Another pegasus pony in parade armor called out to crowd gathered to watch the spectacle.

“That’s twenty four in rows everypony! Let’s all give around of applause to Thunderstruck’s fine demonstration of shooting skill!”

The crowd stomped their hoofs and cheered in approval, and Thunderstruck still hovering bowed to the crowd gathered. He then landed to take a short break and to talk directly to the audience gathered.

Eventually myself and Petina and Carousel were able to squirm through the crowd and talk with him. Thunderstruck immediately recognized Petina and I from the battle at Sweet Apple Acres and came over and greeted us. He was very pleased when I started ask him a stream of technical questions concerning his leg guns.

I did not get a chance to actually handle one, but Thunderstruck was more than happy to demonstrate how the mechanism worked for me. Although Thunderstruck was exhibiting some amazingly accurate shooting skills that morning the leg guns were not intended for formal target shooting. They were designed for the fast and furious world of aerial combat and ground strafing.

The model Thunderstruck and the other flier shooters were using was a first generation model, and while the shooters appreciated the firepower there were several things that would like to see improved in the next model.

Now the Royal Sisters were not keen on having random projectiles soaring all over Canterlot, so for these trick shooting demos Thunderstruck was using a very light dust shot loads that had a very, very short range but was capable of burst the soft colored chalk balls.

Eventually Thunderstruck had to go back to entertaining the crowd and our little group wandered off to see more of the troops. Further down we encountered some earth pony artillery units standing around talking to crowd. They were mobile field gunners and they were demonstrating the pulling, unlimbering and loading of their muzzle loading smoothbore twelve pounder. About every thirty minutes they’d loaded and fire one of their cannons with a blank charge. The park would then echo with thunder and a large cloud of blue grey smoke would float lazily across the parade grounds. Filling the air with the smell of sulfur and saltpeter.

Amongst the gun crews there was one earth pony stallion that was talking with the crowd there. He was not in uniform but his mannerisms and familiarity with the crews and the guns spoke of him being another of the injured soldiers who were on the disabled lists. Upon closer examination I could clearly make out telltale signs of recent surgery. Bald spots in his hide, freshly removed sutures marks and a weary look spoke of one who was on the long path to recovery.

Still he was handsome fellow with caramel brown hide and deep chocolate brown mane and tail. Brilliant, green eyes gave him an air of authority. At first I couldn’t decipher his cutie mark that was two dark gray circles. Then another gunner called him by his name Solid Shot; suddenly I realized they were cannon balls. Gathered around him was a crowd of ponies asking him questions. He fielded questions and fired back replies in a manner that spoke of years of giving orders and being asked questions.

“What rank are you, good sir?” Asked a pretty young mare with a cotton candy green mane.

“I just made Captain last year ma’am.” Replied Solid Shot.

“Is this your gun crew?” Asked a somewhat pudgy middle-aged stallion with gold-wire rimmed glasses.

“No. This crew is part of the 45thField Artillery from Hoofington. I am assigned to 22nd Heavy Artillery from Mareiland.” Answered the Captain.

“Is your cannon as big as these?” Asked a young violet dappled colt who barely came up to Solid Shot’s chest.

“Ha, Ha!” Laughed the Captain. “Oh no, the cannon my crew served makes this field piece look tiny, but then again we didn’t haul our gun over field and stream all day. “

“Served.” Asked another colt. “Don’tcha you still serve it?”

Solid Shot shook his head slowly. “No, I’m afraid we lost the gun in final battle.”

“Lost?” Asked the same colt with an incredulous look on his face. “How do ya lose something that big? It’s not like a bag of marbles.”

Solid Shot smiled at colt’s blunt comment. “Oh we know where it is, but our cannon Massive Mare-e will never fire again. She was damaged beyond repair in final battle when the Royal Sisters crushed the dragon’s lust for territory and ended the war in one swift blow.”

“You were there at the end?” Asked the pudgy stallion. “When the Royal Sisters went into battle personally. You saw it?”

“Yes.” Said the Captain. He suddenly had a distant look in his eyes “I was there when sun and the stars did the Royal Sisters bidding. I was there when mountains vanished and the sky rained fire.”

To be continued.