//------------------------------// // *Soviet National Anthem intensifies* // Story: The Guardian // by NYChris824 //------------------------------// Princess Celestia and I flew over Equestria in an open air chariot straight out of the Roman era. I was half expecting to have the wind blowing in our faces, but the chariot was enchanted to have no effect from the wind. "Who's going to be at this press conference?" I asked her "Several ambassadors, there wasn't enough time for any world leaders to arrive and several nobles from Canterlot and other cities. Once we arrive, an old friend will make you a suit to wear. We still have a few hours before the press conference." "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked, looking down at my tanker uniform, I've never been a fan of wearing suits or tuxedos. "It's not exactly what one would wear for a press conference." "Fair point, but it's comfy. Besides who there would notice that? What's preventing me from saying this is my world's version of a suit or a tuxedo." "You could if you wanted to, but may I suggest that the truth works the best when you tell it at the start." "Speaking of cultural differences, what are some thing I SHOULDN'T do? I'd rather not cause an international incident." I asked "I doubt something that big would led to a conflict." I shrugged at her response, "Still. Humans have gotten in dumb wars. Australia tried to killed emus, which offered no resistance and failed eighty yeas ago." I said, referring to the Great Emu War. "There was another where a soldier from Greece, I think, chased his dog across another country's border. Another war had the only casualty be a pot of soup." I turned to look at her reaction, I received an eyeful of cleaveage. I quickly looked up at her face, her magicly waving hair caressing the side of her face and partially hiding her left eye, her eyebrow cocked in confusion. "Twilight did say human history was filled with wars, but still." She said, and shook her head. "But I suppose you are right about gestures. Don't look minotaurs and griffons in the eye for too long, they take it as a challenge. Don't point with at zebra with two fingers, they see as you calling upon evil spirits and don't hold the palm of you hand to your head." "Don't look in their eyes may be hard, lot of countries in the West are based around heavy eye contact while talking. The others seem easy, aren't their more races on the planet?" "Yes, but buffalo are nomadic, diamond dogs love in packs underground and have no central figure and dragons stay to themselves most of the time." I immediately felt some sort of weird feeling from the buffalos being this world's version of Native Americans. We landed in the courtyard of the castle, I've been to a couple of castles on furloughs in Germany and Italy. Most were built on top of a hill and whatnot, harder for attackers to, well, attack. But none were built ON the side of a fucking mountain. "I would ask how this castle is on the edge of a mountain, but I think I know the answer to it." I said, as we stepped off the carriage. "Sound building plans and frequent checks on the foundation?" Princess Celestia asked "No. I was going to say magic." It made sense to me, Cutie Marks appear by magic, weather is controlled by magic, the sun and moon is moved by it. But construction magic doesn't exist here, that's just asking for too damn much around here. We walked down several halls and past several large paintings of people who probably played some sort of large role in history. "I have a friend who'll make your suit, he'll also be at the conference so you'll have a familiar face in the crowd." She said as she opened a door. The room itself was from a five star hotel, I took it all in quickly. "Dan, this is Fancy Pants, one of the best fashion designers in Equestria. Fancy Pants, this is Corporal Daniel Allen." He was a little on he short side, around 5 foot seven, not counting his horn. He had a thin wavy mustache and a monocle. "Pleasure to meet you, sir." I said as we shook hands. "Pleasure's all mine, old sport." I never understood why people say that. It always came off like 'You can't be happy to meet me, only I can!' or something. I thought to myself. "Do you any sort of idea of what would like to wear?" "Actually I do have one." I said, I pulled my phone out and showed him my dress blues. "Sweet Celestia!" He said "It's beautiful." "I had a feeling you might say that. What do you need from me?" "Just strip down you your skivvies and I'll measure." "Skivvies? You served?" I was totally guessing, but civilians don't exactly say skivvies. "Fifteen years in Her Majesty's Navy. Started off on supply ships finsihed off as the captain of the HMS Rainer, an armored cruiser. You?" 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. Did two combat tours in Afghanistan." I said as I stripped to my boxers. I was expecting him to ask or say something about the scars on my back. He took my measurements while we talked about our service. *** "Sometimes I forget how good I look cleaned up." I said as I looked in the mirror. The only thing missing from my new dress blues was the peaked cap, soon to be delivered, and my ribbons, something that couldn't be recreated quickly. I rubbed a hand over my face, finally getting rid of my 5'o clock shadow. Fancy walked in with my new cap and I tried it on. "Perfect." I said, looking in the mirror, just as Princess Celestia walked back in. "Everything is rea- well don't you look nice." She said as I walked out. While I'm not sure each of the military related things I've done and could do are strictly legal, but I'm pretty sure I could do have my dress blues remade. "I'll see you two there." Fancy said as he slipped out. "You ready?" Princess Celestia asked "Too late to back out now." I said as I doubled checked myself in the mirror, "Besides, I highly doubt the press will be shooting at me." I received a laugh from the Princess. "Not with bullets I hope . Shall we?" "I suppose." I grabbed my cap and we left. "Quick question, why do the griffons hate humans?" "I'm surprised you didn't answer earlier. Stories from the Anicent Griffons tell of something that look similar to you, called the Grenden Mostly hairless, walks on two legs and eats meat. From what I could remember Grenden would attack Griffon villages for supplies and their eggs. Also, you were mistaken for them, so hopefully nothing should come from this issue." "I hope." As we walked into another room. It was filled with several other species. Sure enough there was a griffon, staring at me, a minotaur, who looked like he wanted to rip me apart. Next to him was a zebra, wearing several gold earrings on his neck, I noticed while the ponies legs end with feet, his ended with hooves. Next to him was a doe, not walking on two legs either, she walked on her legs and four hooves. You could've showed me a picture of her and told me she was from Earth, I would've believed you. The rest of the room had ponies in suits or behind cameras. I took a seat at the table. "Let's get started I guess." I muttered to myself *** Michael POV We gathered around the tank, looking at it. I was never good at history, but the big red star on the turret gave away the country of origin. "Know anything about it?" Captain Beam asked "Yea, it was made in the Soviet Union. The big question though is what type of tank it is. Think anyone is in there?" I asked He shrugged, "Maybe." I climbed on top of it and banged on of the hatches. "Allo! Anyone in there?" I asked. Nothing. I opened one of the hatches and peered inside and still didn't see anyone. Did only the tank come and no one with it? But who was shooting it last night? I got inside in the tank and looked around and I saw him. He was extremely pale and sweaty, sheens of sweat running down his forehead and his breathing was extremely shallow. A large pool of blood from his chest explained why. "Captain!" I yelled "He's hurt real bad." He and several other soldiers came over and helped pull him out. One of them had a medic kit and went to work trying to stop the bleeding. "Let's take care of him here and bring him to the hospital in town." Captain Beam said. I noticed a small wristband on his, well, wrist. I kneeled next to him to give it a look at, it was all white with a blue circle and some Russian writing. "He's a diabetic." I said, a guy from my unit was a diabetic and wore the same wrist band. I remember he checked his blood sugar in flight couple times. We worked on him enough to stop the bleeding and put him behind the turret with a soldier making sure he didn't fall off. "When we get back to town, I'm sending a message to Dan. He needs to know about this." "I have to do the same with the Princess." The Captain said *** Dan POV The sun was beginning to reach the horizon when I returned to Ponyville. The press conference went over well, I think. It was standard 'Ailen in the room' meetings, I told them about Earth and my military career. As I was leaving Princess Celestia and I received messages from Ponyville, they found the other human. Granted barely alive, but alive. I was going to the hospital to meet up with Michael and anyone else there. The chariot that took me back landed outside of Ponyville Generaland I stepped off and thanked the privates for the lift. I walked inside the hospital and looked around. Standard white floors and walls, chairs lined up against the walls. I walked over to the reception desk. "I'm here to see the human." I wasn't sure what to say, but it's the only thing I could think of. "Room 213, second floor. Take the elevator and go to your left." The nurse told me. "Thanks." "Welcome." *** I walked into the room to see Michael and Twilight in there. I looked at our mystery Russian bleach blonde hair and a black beard, odd combination of colors but his hair is probably dyed anyway. "Don't you look nice." Michael said "Yea, some guy offered to make a suit for me so I requested this beauty." Twilight was about to say something, but a doctor walked in, holding some paperwork. He pulled some papers out and handed them to Twilight. "Well I don't have the most experience in the hospital, we all came to the same agreement." He said "What's that?" Michael asked "We have no clue how he's alive. He has two antigens on his red blood cells. Ponies only have one or none." "He has AB blood." Michael said "He could take blood from anyone, I have A Negative, so he could have mine, I think." "I have O type, I'm not sure if it's negative or positive." I said. I never understood the whole negative and positive part of blood. Then again, now that I think about it I don't ever remember learning about it. I sat down in a chair against the far wall and felt the sweet embrace of death sleep take me over.