High in the atmosphere of Earth, a spaceship flew. Onboard were several Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. The ODST’s rushed to get their equipment and get into their drop pods. Their target was a covenant ship floating above the city. As the last of the ODST’s got into their pods, the officer controlling the system pulled the lever to release them. They burst through the cloud layer, and an ODST with a red stripe on his armor looked down at the covenant cruiser.
“We’re supposed to hit that thing!? You gotta be kidding me!” said a voice from over the radio. He checked his weapons, making sure they were secure. Suddenly, the front of the covenant ship began to glow and a hole sprang into existence in front of it.
“Slipspace rupture! It’s going to jump!” yelled one of the commanders through the radio.
“Shit I’m heading right for it!” the ODST said as he tapped at the controls of his pod, trying to steer away from the rupture. As his pod hit the field, he tried to relax. Slipspace was a dangerous place, even for full size destroyer-class ships. Some ships had even entered slipspace to never exit. They simply vanished along with their crew. Nobody knew how it would affect something as small as a drop pod. His vision began to blur and he shook himself, trying to stay awake. His pod exited slipspace after what seemed like an hour later, and began to fall toward the surface of an unknown planet. Following his training, he popped the flaps of the pod to slow his descent then waited for it to hit the ground. A moment later, the pod slammed into the ground in a thick forest of trees. He kicked the door open, stepped out, and grabbed his sub-machine gun. Attaching it to his waist, he looked back to his pod. It had been almost completely torn apart. Huge chunks were missing and he was amazed that there weren’t any ruptures. He reached into the remains of the pod and grabbed his other weapon, an assault rifle with five spare magazines to go with it.
“Now to find out where the hell I landed.” he said. He walked through the trees with his rifle at the ready. His black face plate polarized slightly whenever the sun became too bright. When he finally reached the edge of the tree line, he looked around and spotted a hill. He climbed up on top of it to get a better vantage point. What he saw when he got there was interrupted by a snapping twig. He spun to face the sound with his rifle raised. Standing near him was an orange pony with a blonde mane. On top of her head, she wore an unmistakable cowboy hat.
“FREEZE! One wrong move and you get a bullet through your skull!” he shouted. The pony froze in place and looked at him with frightened eyes. Its eyes darted to the right, and he spun around to face a cyan colored pony zooming towards him. He hit the ground, letting the pegasus zoom past him directly into the dirt. Jumping back to his feet, he turned and aimed the rifle at the two ponies. His finger was halfway done pulling the trigger when his vision went blurry again, and he blacked out.
---
“What is that thing in its hand?” Twilight asked. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had dragged her up here to investigate something clad in some sort of black clothing. It held something in its hand that looked like a weapon.
“Ah don’t know but it sure didn’t sound happy when it saw me.” said Applejack.
“We should to take it to Nurse Redheart and see if it’s okay.” Twilight said after a moment.
“You want to HELP this thing Twilight!?” asked Rainbow Dash incredulously.
“Well we’re not going to kill it unless it really is dangerous. Applejack may have simply frightened it.” she replied as she levitated the creature into the air.
---
The ODST opened his eyes groggily. Looking around, he saw that he was in a bed with clean white sheets in a white room. He looked down at himself to see he was in his black uniform.
“Where the hell am I?” he wondered aloud.
“You’re in a hospital.” said a feminine voice. He whipped his head around to see a purple pony with a horn sticking out of her head. His hand immediately shot toward his side where his sub-machine gun was supposed to be. When he didn’t find it, he jumped to his feet on the other side of the bed, his eyes darting around the room until he spotted his armor and weapons lying in the corner.
“Calm down! Everything’s alright, we’re not going to hurt you.” she said, causing him to stop for a moment.
“How do you know English?” he asked uncertainly, still uncomfortable without his weapons. He sounded calm, but in truth, his mind was going crazy. He had heard the various covenant species speak English, but a pony? That just didn’t make sense to him. He quickly put his mind in check. Seeing aliens that at one time had been previously thought to not even exist taught you to think that anything was possible.
“English?” she asked curiously. “Is that what you call your language? We call it Equestrian.” She seemed oddly comfortable talking to him, as if she had met an alien before.
“Why are you helping me?” he asked, keeping his fists raised in case she decided to turn hostile.
“Well I wasn’t going to let my friends kill you unless you were really dangerous, so I brought you here.” she said.
“Well how do I know you’re not just going to kill me later?” he asked, his eyes darting to the assault rifle poking out behind his armor.
“Oh the ponies here on Equestria are rather peaceful really.” she said. “I can’t even remember the last time there was a war or any kind of battle for that matter.”
“So in other words, no weapons or soldiers or anything?” he asked.
“Well the princess has guards who occasionally use weapons to guard events, but other than that, no.” she replied. He finally lowered his fists.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name's Twilight Sparkle." she replied happily. "What's yours?"
"Daniel." he said, and started walking over to his gear. When she didn’t stop him, he put it on and placed his helmet on a hook on his waist. His weapons went on separate hooks, one on his waist for his sub-machine gun, and one on his back for his assault rifle.
“Does anyone know where my pod landed?” he asked.
“Rainbow Dash might know.” Twilight replied after a moment of thought.
“Let’s go ask her then.” he said. They walked out of the hospital and Twilight spotted Dash clearing some clouds in the sky.
“Rainbow Dash come here!” she called. Dash turned around with a smile then froze when she saw Daniel looking up at her warily.
“Is he friendly?” she asked without coming down.
“Yes he is now get down here! We need your help.” Twilight replied impatiently. Rainbow Dash complied and touched down in front of Twilight.
“Do you know where my pod landed?” Daniel asked.
“You mean that thing you came out of? Ya I know where it is. I saw a couple more of them touch down a few minutes after Twilight took you to the hospital.” she replied.
“Take me to those too.” he said. His face didn’t show it but he had a flicker of hope that he might have other soldiers with him on this planet. He followed Dash to his wrecked pod and searched through it for anything he may have missed. Once he was sure it was empty of anything important, he asked her to lead him to the other pods. They were just passing between a pair of trees when three ponies jumped out at them.
“Well well well, what do we have here?” The lead pony said with a smirk as he pulled out a knife. Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to charge, but Daniel stopped her with a ticked off look on his face.
“Back off.” Daniel said as he grabbed his assault rifle and leveled it at the threats.
“What a cute little toy!” The lead pony said mockingly, causing the two ponies following him to laugh. Daniel grinned and pulled the trigger. The two other ponies watched as their leader fell to the ground, a small hole in his forehead.
“Anyone else think it’s a toy?” he asked threateningly. They looked at each other with hesitant looks before turning and running. With two more bangs, they dropped dead in their tracks. Dash watched all this with an almost scared look on her face. Daniel may seem friendly, but he would kill in a heartbeat if he was threatened with a weapon. He walked over to the leader and picked up the knife he had dropped. It had a cruel sharp edge while the other side was slightly serrated. He pocketed it and walked over to the other two, pocketing their similar knives after he had searched them. When he turned back, he noticed that Rainbow Dash was staring at him with her mouth agape.
“What the hay was that!?” she snapped suddenly. “You didn’t have to freaking kill them! I could’ve taken out all three of them without killing them.
“They were going to kill us. It’s a rule where I come from. ‘Kill them before they kill you.’” he said, staring her right in the face with a very angry scowl. She hovered there with her own scowl for a moment before continuing. He followed her around the side of a hill to find another pod lying on its side. It was missing several pieces and chunks from its protective armor. Daniel walked over and knocked on the side of the pod.
“Hello!? Is someone out there!? GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!” cried a voice from inside the pod.
“Oh shut up Roger and hold on.” Daniel replied as he recognized the voice. He pushed the pod over so that the door pointed up. It popped open a moment later, and a relieved ODST climbed out.
“I thought I was going to die in there!” he said as he pulled out his submachine gun and a shotgun. When he turned around, he froze at the sight of Rainbow Dash. He started to raise his sub-machine gun, but was stopped when Daniel grabbed his arm.
“Don’t worry Roger. These things are friendly.” said Daniel. Roger relaxed and removed his helmet. He had short brown hair and hazel colored eyes.
“God that thing always gives me a crick in the neck!” he said as he twisted his head around to fix it. Daniel shook his head. Out of anyone he knew, Roger was always the strangest. He would switch from one thing to another in a heartbeat if you gave him the chance.
“Roger, this is Rainbow Dash. Dash, this is Roger.” Daniel said when Roger was done.
“Nice to meet you.” he said with a cautious nod, still not quite trusting the pony.
“So where’s the next pod Dash?” Daniel asked.
“Not very far.” she replied and started gliding away. Daniel walked after her with Roger close behind. They entered a small clearing moments later with a pod sitting in the middle, its door was closed.
“Probably an ammo drop.” said Roger.
“We’ll see.” Daniel replied as he walked up to the pod. He grasped the edge of the door and pulled. It gave way and popped open to reveal an ODST still strapped in. Daniel quickly placed his fingers on their throat to check the pulse.
“Still alive.” he said as he undid the straps and pulled the ODST out. The body armor was smaller and thinner than the armor that Daniel and Roger wore.
“Maybe it’s Rachel.” Roger said as he noticed the female armor design.
“Let’s take a look.” Daniel replied as he laid her on the ground and pulled off her helmet. She had dark brown hair and her eyes were closed.
“Ya its Rachel. She’s the only one I know who has the tattoo on her neck.” On her neck was the symbol the ODST’s used, a skull with crossed battle rifles and the word Helljumpers written beneath it.
“She’s unconscious right now. Grab her weapons and follow me.” Daniel said with a grunt as he slung Rachel’s unconscious form over his shoulder. Roger complied and grabbed Rachel’s sniper rifle and battle rifle out of the pod.
“How can she carry all this crap!?” he asked as he followed Daniel.
“Oh shut up and keep moving.” Daniel replied with an annoyed sigh. Rainbow Dash followed them, still unsure whether they were truly friendly or not. The one named Daniel had killed three ponies. Sure they were thieves but they were still ponies.
“You okay Dash?” Daniel asked, concerned about the look on her face.
“What? Oh, ya I’m fine.” she replied. The answer was good enough for Daniel and he kept walking, careful not to let Rachel hit anything. They were just entering the town when he felt her stir.
“She’s waking up.” said Roger.
“Well no shit sherlock.” Daniel replied as he set Rachel on the ground. She groaned and placed a hand on her head. When she didn’t feel her helmet, her blue eyes snapped open, but she relaxed when she saw Daniel.
“Sleep well?” he asked with a grin.
“Hahaha very funny.” she replied as she got to her feet. Upon spotting Rainbow Dash, she tensed up, reaching for a rifle that wasn’t there.
“Calm down Rachel, they’re friendly.” Daniel said, and she did.
“Here are your guns.” Roger said as he hefted the rifles. Rachel grabbed the sniper and put it on the hook on the back of her armor, and then grabbed the battle rifle.
“Where is the extra ammo?” she asked.
“Oh, here you go.” Roger replied as he pulled out a few magazines. She grabbed them and placed them in the pockets on her armor. Once she was done, she followed Daniel and Roger into the town.
“Apparently the place is called Ponyville.” Daniel said before Roger could open his mouth.
“Seems like a good name.” Rachel commented as she scanned the area, a habit that was forced upon her through battles with the covenant, a genocidal alien race that was bent on wiping out every single human world they could find. Daniel led them to the hospital where he had met Twilight. She was waiting for them in front.
“Are they your friends?” she asked.
“Ya, these two are from my squad. Roger the loudmouth and Rachel the marksman.” he replied.
“Hey!!” said Roger indignantly, causing Twilight to laugh for a moment.
“Are you hungry?” she asked when she recovered.
“Heck yes! I’m starving!” Roger replied eagerly.
“I could go for something to eat.” Rachel agreed.
“We can get you something at my house.” Twilight said. They followed her back through the town to her house, which was actually a hollowed out tree. Daniel was surprised it was alive. When they entered, they were surprised to see a small purple creature curled up in a little bed.
“Is that a dragon?” asked Roger.
“Yes, his name’s Spike.” Twilight replied.
“Cool!” Roger said with a grin. Twilight led them into the kitchen and began to cook while they waited patiently. She finished about ten minutes later and levitated bowls of soup to each of them.
“This is amazing!” Roger said after his first taste. He tossed his spoon aside and drank the soup straight out of the bowl.
“He’s right Daniel! Try it!” Rachel said as she ate her soup more slowly. Daniel took a sip and his eyes widened. He set his spoon down and drained the bowl in a few quick gulps.
“That’s the best soup I’ve ever had!” he said happily.
“I’m glad you like it!” Twilight said with a smile. “You can stay here for the night if you would like.”
“Thanks for the offer, but for now I want to explore this town.” Daniel said as he set his bowl on the kitchen counter.
“I better go with you then. Ponies might react better if they see me with you.” she replied.
“Sounds good to me.” Rachel said. They walked outside then Twilight began to show them around the town. They saw plenty of ponies giving them strange looks and whispering to each other as they passed. Some even slammed their doors and shut their windows as the group passed. Roger had a sheepish look on his face and Rachel’s hands were tensed on her battle rifle. Their first stop was an apple orchard, where they met and orange pony that Daniel recognized as the one he had threatened to shoot.
“Sorry for threatening you.” he said while Roger and Rachel were picking apples.
“Aw it’s okay. Ah’m sorry for scaring you there. Mah name’s Applejack” she replied with a kind smile.
“I’m Daniel.” he said.
“Hey Daniel, think fast!” Rachel called as she tossed him an apple. He caught it one handed and took a bite.
“Jeez is all the food in this place delicious?” he asked as he ate the apple. Applejack only smiled wider and laughed. They were there for about an hour, eating apples and joking, before they left with Twilight. She led them to a place called the “Carousel Boutique” where they met a snow white pony named Rarity. After she got over her shock of seeing Daniel and his friends, she immediately started fussing over their armor and how it wasn’t “in style.” Daniel motioned for Twilight to hurry up so they could leave. She happily obliged and they were on their way after a couple minutes. Twilight led them to a small cottage just outside of a large forest. She knocked on the door, which was soon answered by a bright yellow pony with wings. The pegasus froze up when she saw Daniel.
“It’s okay Fluttershy. They’re friends.” Twilight said calmly. Fluttershy relaxed a bit but Daniel could see she was still nervous. They left moments later so as not to scare her any further. Their final stop looked so much like a gingerbread house that Daniel was afraid Roger would try to take a bite out of it. Twilight said the place was called “Sugarcube corner.” They entered only to be immediately confronted by a shockingly pink pony. She began to speak so fast that Daniel could barely make out anything she was saying. The hyped up pony didn’t even walk. She bounced everywhere she went. Once she finally calmed down, they bought some cupcakes and a few cookies before leaving to head back to Twilight’s house. Daniel swore he saw the pink pony wink at Twilight, but dismissed it as meaning nothing.
“I think we finally found someone who talks more than you do Roger.” Rachel said as she ate a cupcake.
“Hey that’s not funny.” he said with his mouth full of his own cupcake. They reached Twilight’s home a few moments later and stored the rest of the cupcakes and cookies. Twilight used her magic to levitate a few sleeping bags for them to sleep in, then walked upstairs to go to bed herself. Daniel unhooked his guns from his armor and set them aside, then began the annoying process of getting the armor off. Roger had already set his weapons on the floor and was halfway done with his armor. Rachel’s sniper was leaning against her wall with her battle rifle directly beside it. Once their armor was all set to the side, they climbed into their sleeping bags, and it wasn’t long before Daniel heard Roger’s quiet snoring.
“So what do you think of this place?” Rachel asked quietly.
“I won’t lie. This place is amazing. Much better than what’s going on back on Earth.” he replied.
“Do you think we’ll ever see Earth again?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” he said sadly. Rachel gave him a concerned look before going to sleep. Daniel, who had gone through plenty of sleepless nights, soon began to feel his eyelids droop as he fell asleep as well.