Going The Distance

by Squidly

First published

Two army soldiers are thrust into Equestria by Queen Chrysalis summoning the ultimate warriors. The two must thwart her plans for revenge.

Sam Grey and William Sparks were two soldiers, While in a hostage crisis, the two where trasnported to the equestrian outlands by Queen Crysalis using a stolen spell. With help from ponies along the way, the race is one to stop the changlings before they raid the crystal empire.

Prologue

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Pale moonlight stretched across the halls of Canterlot castle. Guards paced down the hallways, walled in stained glass. With Luna's moon at its highest point, light streamed down through the windows. The light glinted off the armor of a lone guard, with a coat as silvery white as snowflakes, parallel to a set of giant double wooden doors. The Unicorn guard kept the light of his horn trained at the doors at the end of the hallway, watching them with eyes as cold as a blizzard. The guard glanced back to the hallway behind him. Through the archway he could see another jet black guard walking past. Once out of eyesight, the guard set his spear on the ground. His eyes started to flicker from cerulean to a sickly green hue. His whole body started to shrivel and crack, holes appeared all over him. The brilliant white coat formed into skin like charcoal, shiny, rough, and covered in chips. His once radiant horn, was now a crooked and cracked mess. The armor slipped off him and dropped to the floor. He yawned, showing off rows of fanged teeth. the creature looked towards the window and turned towards the heavens. A subtle green mist was wafting down from the clouds. Hurriedly, the creature pushed open the windows as the green mist flowed into the open corridor. The mist started swirling up in a cyclone, the creature stood back and watched as a tall, black, and fearsome creature appeared in its wake. Long, blue, silk like hair flowed down its head in messy tumbles. its tall and hole filled legs made it tower above the smaller one. It unfolded its filmy, blue, almost bat like wings revealing them to be tattered at worn. Above its almost infectious green eyes, lay a crooked horn, emitting green light. Licking its lips the creature walked over to the smaller one and spoke.

"You have done a great service for the changelings today, your efforts will not be discredited," she spoke in a serpent like tone.

"Oh, thank you Queen Chrysalis!" the small changeling replied. "My Loyalty to you is everlasting!"

Queen Chrysalis turned to the archway leading to the other hall. With a quick blast of magic she formed a green barrier in the arch.

"We cant have poor Celestia be woken up by us," she said in a condescending voice. "Surely that would be rude."

With a snicker and a swish of her tail, she turned back to the other changling.

"You, report back to the hive, this is a task best suited for one."

With a flash of green light, the changling vanished, leaving the queen in the silent halls. Turning towards the Large wooden doors, Queen Chrysalis walked up the the door and touched the lock with her horn.

"Your not the only one with secrets Celestia, don't you know its rude to keep things from friends."

With a soft click the doors slowly opened to a rounded room with shelves of books and scrolls Pushing off from the center, like the suns rays. At the center of the room was a levitating statue of Starswirl the bearded surrounded by water pouring down from the ceiling like a waterfall. Surrounding the fountain was a circular desk adorned with quills, ink wells, and dusty tomes. Only a select few were allowed to enter Starswirl the bearded's archives. Queen Chrysalis trotted down the isle of Starswirls unfinished works. She scanned the titles of each work with care. After the defeat at the wedding of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. She had sworn revenge against the acursed pony folk who had make a mockery of her. She had to decided to strike them in their home, the Crystal Empire. Miles away from the help of Celestia, Luna, and the elements of harmony. It would not be as simple as how she had in filtrated Canterlot castle. She would need a strong army to hold back all who opposed her during the attack. To be blunt, her changelings simply weren't cutting it, with that she had snuck into the starswirl the bearded archives to find the means to her end. She knew as simple summoning spell should do, but she didnt know any thing in Equestria that was a strong enough warrior. As she flipped through the pages of the summoning book, she checked things off in her mind.

" A minotaur or griffon surely wont do, but those are the strongest beings in equestria besides the alicorns in Equestria. Wait, in Equestria."

She flipped to the table of contents and spotted a chapter on trans dimesional summoning.

"Imagine the strength of a creature never before seen in Equestria! If I can summon the most powerful warrior from similar dimesions like this book says! No pony will know how to combat it!"

She giggled to herself with glee as she flipped to the page containing the spells. With the moons light falling onto the pages of the book, she powered up her horn and read aloud.


I summon from far and wide

A creature that will turn the tide

A warrior to smite my foes

A hero to end my woes

From other worlds I sommon thee

I bring you here to fight for me!

Wind started to roar and around the room. Loose parchment and quills were flying around her. Queen Chrysalis tilted her head up and fired a beam of magic into the sky, through the ceiling. as the spell concluded the wind died down and Queen Chrysalis returned to her normal state. Walking out, she locked the door behind her and disengaged the magic barrier. as she slipped out the window, she wispered to herself.

"Celestia thinks she knows everything, but I'd like to see Discord beat this ultimate warrior."

She flew up into the cover of the clouds, blissfully unaware of the results of her actions.

How did I come this far with him?

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Earth
July 22


Stepping out of the car, the wind flying from the transport helicopter hits me as I adjusted the strap on my M16. My best friend, William Sparks and I had been sent to join a team clearing an enemy controlled town behind enemy lines. After a briefing we all piled onto the helicopter. As I sat next to Will and adjusting my standard army infantry gear, checking my Beretta and various grenades as well as checking my reflection on the blade of my knife.

“You all right Sam?” Asked Will tapping my shoulder. I dont know how he did it, after all of my training he could still see through my military facade. It made sense as we pretty much grew up together, with his sensitive nature I was pretty much morally obligated to protect him from douchebags a plenty.

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine,” I replied. My heart was pounding a mile a minute the closer we got to that hell ridden town. Staring around at the hardened faces around me, the people I had trained with and bonded with after all these years. With a single word being said we knew the severity of every single decision we would make. After a few hours of cold chills and the sounds of armor and weapons bouncing around in the helicopter, Will turned to me and finally broke the quiet.

“ Just because I’m a medic, does not mean I'm obligated to carry you out on a stretcher.”

Our squad leader pepped up as the town waited below us, firefights between our boys and the bastards holding Innocent people against their will. I looked over at Will and I just had to wonder, what the hell was it about me that kept us together, If it was my hygiene, then he has been friends with the wrong guy since high school. Anyway, whatever it was, I was grateful for a friend like him. You know a friend is loyal when he gives you money for the bus after some fat kid took your ticket in middle school, but I digress. Looking out of the bloody scene, I couldn't keep out of my mind the promise I had made to my girlfriend two years prior.


Two Years Ago

"I cant believe your about to do this shit man," Will said as he turned to me as we drove down the highway towards my moms house near the lake.

"Just keep your head on and we'l get through this, with your help I can finally convince uncle Vince That my college scholarship isn't something to wipe his ass with."

I had turned off the main highway onto the little road spattered with trees all over. It looked like what you would see on a postcard, orange and yellow Autumn leaves flew around us as they let little patches of sunlight hit the window. Fields of wheat sat behind the trees with a wood fence riding parallel to us. Hell if I wasn't going to enjoy it, this might be the last time I would get to see my family and friends for a long time.

"Sam, just listen to me, I know Amanda is upset about you leaving home, but you don't have to make yourself out to be a super soldier for her to understand that you have to go. I'm exited to meet your family, so lets just go and have a good time with everyone.

Sighing, I turned to face him, and of course, he had on that face like he knew I was gonna do it, it was just a matter of time. Giving in to temptation, I pressed my fingers to my forehead and gave my trademark smirk. Anyone who had known me long enough was familiar with the smirk. It was the face that said, "Okay I get it, now fuck off," I had practically perfected it by now.

"Asshole," Will scoffed as he turned his head to the steadily approaching white brick house resting on the edge of kentin lake. It was a sight for sore eyes, the feeling of tranquility rushed over me as I looked back on all the memories I had made here. I would never forget the time my mom walked in on my younger brother and I playing pretend in his room, keeping in mind the fact that at that point he was seven and I was thirteen. Or a year ago when my mom told everyone over dinner that she wished I had Wills auburn hair, clean shaven face, and soft brown eyes. I replied to this comment with, " If you hate my Chestnut hair and rough beard, then you can you can hire a stylist for my funeral". Yeah, that wasn't my best snark filled comment, I'd rank it as number twenty five. I Pulled to the side of the road, spotting my girlfriend's car in the driveway.

"Does this really count as a family reunion?" I questioned, looking at the car and Will.

"Shoot, I thought we could pass as brothers! In all seriousness, we practically are family." Will shot back sarcastically.

Oh my God...

It was at that precise moment that I knew that shit had officially, one hundred, percent gotten real. After what Will had just said I thought I would of pissed my damned pants in happiness. Will considered me the brother no one could ever have because they got along to well and would only happen in a bad 90's movie starring Macaulay Culkin and some other stereotype!

Stepping towards that door I knew I was about to have my manhood destroyed, and no, not that kind. With Will behind me, I take the knocker and knock on the door, of course being the hipster I am. It was in those seconds after knocking I knew one thing. As the door swung open I saw my mom, with her frizzy hair and hand firmly grasping a glass of whiskey I knew what would happen.

" Sammie! Oh I'm so glad you could make it! your father didn't think you could make it being the big busy man you are now but I knew my son wouldn't forget his own mom.


I had only three words running through my head at this point in time....

Oh Fuck me!