Chapter 8: End of the line
They stepped outside. Despite the airstrikes, two Black Mesa SUVs were still intact. Harriers were dogfighting Alien aircrafts. It was evening as the beautiful sunset ruled the sky. Michael tried to open the gate with a crowbar, while Tower tried to start a SUV.
“We owe you one, Corporal. Without you and your men, we had died in there.”
“You owe us nothing, Jacob. It was our duty and our Job. I’m not only glad that I survived but that also Apple Bloom survived.” Mia handled her over to him.
“Thank you all! Without you, Ah'd had died in there!” She hugged Konrad tightly.
“Apple Bloom, it’s nothing really.”
A portal opened. Konrad and Jacob aimed their weapons at it. A middle-aged Caucasian male with a tall, thin physique, pale skin, a prominent widow's peak, black hair styled in a crew cut, and pale green eyes, dressed in a gray-blue suit stepped out.
“Hey, I know you. You were the man who saved me and Apple Bloom back in Sector E.”
“Yes Corporal Ford, that is correct. I’m impressed. You’re all managed to survive against all odds.”
“Why are you here?” Jacob asked. The man took a deep breath.
“My employers want no witnesses. But as you worked so hard together to survive and get out of here, I… will let you go. However, I have one condition: Nobody is allowed to know what happened here.”
“Nobody would believe this anyway. But can you help her get home?”
“That’s why I’m here, Mrs. Johnson.” He opened a portal. “Just step through the portal. It will send you were back were you belong.” Another portal opened.
“If you excuse me, this is where I get off.” He leaved through the portal that opened and it closed, while the portal to Apple Bloom's home stayed open.
“Ah will miss you!”
“We will too. Oh, before I forgot,” Konrad took a part of his mask off while Jacob did the same with his helmet.
“These are our helmet cameras. They record anything we have been experienced. It should help your family to find answers.” Jacob did one last hug.
“Have a safe trip home, Apple Bloom!” Tower said to her as she entered the portal.
However, she found herself in some kind of lab with a teleporter.
“Hurry up, Freeman, I can't keep it open forever!” She saw how Gordon jumped into a portal, a marine close behind. He looked like Konrad; except he wore fingerless gloves instead of normal gloves like Konrad wore and had no Uniform Patches on his arms.
The teleporter malfunctioned, and they both were sucked in. The marine tried to grab something while shouting, “No, no, no, no, nooo!” but to no avail. Apple Bloom found herself on an asteroid-like island while the marine was on another island. The marine looked around into the sky, then scratched his back and said, “Well, if I ever get out of here, Konrad will never believe this.”
Another portal opened and a pegasus pony with dark red coat with lighter red tail, a blue green mane, and blue green shades came out. He also wore a locket made of crystals, carried a pouch and had a black scarf and two sword daggers on his back.
"Hey! HEY! Get these guys off me!" He shouted as 3 other ponys dressed like Black Ops chased him. The marine killed two of them with a grenade while the last one was knocked out.
"Thanks. I thought I would never lose them. Now to us." He tackled the Black Ops that recovered through the portal they came from but dropped one of his daggers and his pouch. The Marine picked them up as he thought they could be useful. Apple Bloom was so surprised where she was, that she noticed nothing of what just happened.
“Oops, wrong portal.” The filly heard the voice of the man, who opened the portal, then she was teleported away, and she passed out.
The marine saw how she teleported away and mumbled, “The first thing I’m gonna do when I’m out of here, is gonna have a drink.”
We made it Jacob, we made it!” Mia kissed him.
“Engine is running, let’s go.”Tower said as Michael had opened the gate.
They all leaved the compound forever, to an uncertain future. They enjoyed the beautiful sunset, not knowing that it would be the last of the peaceful earth.
Doctor Stable was checking Apple Bloom after she returned. Everywhere in Equestria, portals showed up, but vanished soon after they showed up.
The filly was the only victim. She returned through a portal but unconscious. As Doctor Stable checked her condition, he noticed something strange.
First, she had a different ribbon and second, she had two small devices in her hooves.
Her head and right hoof were bandaged and Blood was seeping through. Doctor Stable ordered Nurse Redheart to open both bandages and prepare two new sterile bandages. The wounds had stopped bleeding and while that was good, he noticed something really odd.
“Is this…a bite mark on her head!?”
“I’m afraid so!” Nurse Redheart was worried.
Both wounds were cleaned and sterilized. It turned out that she had received some trauma to the head but it was a kind of trauma he had never seen before.
“Have her set for an X-Ray just to be sure she hasn't fractured anything. Other than that, she seems fine, but I wonder who cleaned her wound and more importantly, who or what caused it?”
“I think that those two devices should give answers.” Nurse Redheart pointed to them. They were on a table.
After a while, the family and friends of Apple Bloom arrived.
“Hello Doctor Stable, is Apple Bloom alright?” Granny Smith asked.
“Yes she is. I will lead you to her room.
“Apple Bloom is in stable condition and she’ll be just fine. She’s suffered some minor head trauma, a few scrapes and bruises, and…a bite from what appears to have been caused by something,” Doctor Stable explained.
The reaction was heartbreaking. Crying, Granny Smith and Big Mac ran over to the little filly and began to stroke her mane with their hooves.
“We almost lost our precious little apple!” cried Granny Smith.
“Eey*sniff*yup!” replied Big MacIntosh.
Soon, the Mane Six, followed by Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and even Princess Celestia joined them.
“Greetings, Doctor. How is my subject doing?”
“She’ll be fine your Highness. For some reason, she had those with her.” He pointed to the devices.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gave their friend a hug while Applejack cried her heart out. It was understandable at the state of their youngest family member.
"Ah never thought I'd see any of mah grandchildren like this ever! Mah poor heart!" cried Granny Smith.
“I think that those devices are called ‘helmet cameras.’ They are used by military and Security personal.” Twilight inspected the cameras. On one was standing: „Black Mesa Security Force, Jacob Johnson”, while on the other stood: “Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, United States Marine Corps Special Forces Unit, Konrad Ford.”
“Oh, we are watching a movie? I get the popcorn!” Pinkie Pie vanished and returned with drinks and a giant bucket of Popcorn in a blink of an eye.
She also managed somehow to activate the camera of Ford, showing how they were transported to Black Mesa. The pilot talked with the HQ.
“Okay, Goose 8. Proceed to sector 112 LZ and rendezvous with Alpha Bravo Tango. Over.”
“Copy that, HQ."
"Watch your vector, Goose 4. It's getting little tight in here.”
“Roger that, we copy.”
“Anyone out there got a good view of the LZ yet?”
"Negative, Goose 8. I can see some activity up there, but I can't tell what it is.” The pilot of Goose 9 replied. Then the soldiers had a conversation.
“Where are we anyway?” a marine with the nametag Tower asked.
“Well, the pilot thought we were headin' to your mother's house, heh. So far this all looks familiar.” A marine called Jackson replied.
“Yeah, that’s real cute, Jackson.”
“Anytime, anywhere!”
“Hey man, you smell that?” “Smell what?”
“Smells like... smells like another babysittin' job to me, man.”
“Heh, yeah.”
“Babysittin' job my ass. This has training mission written all over It.” a marine called David commented.
“Why else would they have kept our orders from us for so long, huh?”
“Yeah, what the hell is that all about? Throwin' our asses in this hunk of junk and not even tellin' us what we're goin' in for, man."
"Do you have a problem, private? We will give you your orders when we have reached the LZ. You got that, soldier?" a marine named Tanner asked him in a commanding tone.
"Sir, yes, Sir!"
“Well, I don't really give a damn what we're going in for. Long as I get to kill me something.”
“I heard that.” Michael commented to Jackson.
“Man, if this is another ‘search and rescue’ operation, I'm gonna be pissed.”
“Yeah, I'm gonna be pissed too when I gotta search and rescue your sorry ass.”
“Hey Konrad, can you tell us something about our mission?”
“Negative Tower, I have strictly order to give our orders when we reach the LZ.”
Twilight stopped the recording. “Since Jacob's recording is beginning earlier, we should watch it first.”
“Do that, Twilight.” Pinkie Pie was excited.
After some time
Apple Bloom awoke slowly. She was surrounded by her family and friends. “Apple Bloom! You’re awake!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed happy.
“Yeah Ah am. I’m just glad that Ah made it out of Black Mesa alive.” Applejack hugged her sister.
“Shh, It’s over, you’re safe now.”
Pinkie Pie had an Idea. “Hey, since you’re back Apple Bloom, what about a party?”
“Yes Pinkie Pie, Ah would love it. Do you want to come too, your Highness?”
“How can I refuse? Of course.”
Since Apple Bloom was still weakened, she was carried by Applejack on her back. She had only one thought.
We’re all are grateful that you helped her to survive. We will never forget what you have done for her. Applejack thought as she walked to Sugarcube corner.
She couldn’t help but smile at the thought, of Jacob and Mia being Apple Blooms parents and Konrad being her uncle.
But Nopony and body expected that Apple Bloom would meet them again. In an altered world, with new enemies and new hazards.