As explanations come in the form of answers, some are more often than not, the ones many would wish not to hear. For a certain Alicorn, those answers will reveal the hard and unfortunate truth. For a human commander, they will be the seeds of deceit that will lead to wary speculation, and ultimately, conflict...................
The arrival of Twilight's friends had come to pass rather quickly after the Princess her sent her summons away. Upon being reunited, they were relieved to see Twilight alive and well, fearing the worse when they were unable to locate her during the chaos of the human's assault. After hugs and words of comfort were exchanged, Celestia announced to the group that they were to be filled in on what had started this whole affair, and that they were to return to where it had all started that night. Twilight's Castle.
While en route, Celestia informed the Commander and those guards accompanying him context of the events that transpired over the last couple of days. As they traversed through the now barren and empty Ponyville, Twilight noted just how eerily quiet it was given all that had happened. It didn't sit too well with her, anxiety and nervousness taking an all time high after coming face-to-face with fatal odds twice the previous night. The Silence could be attested to the evacuation and how everypony was now at Applejack's farm, awaiting the all clear signal from Celestia, which most likely wouldn't be given till she was finished with whatever she wanted to show and tell Twilight and her friends. Nonetheless, it made Twilight jumpy, as if at any moment, human soldiers would pop out from the windows of all the houses to begin firing volley after volley pf death downrange at them below.
While not completely stable as she had been before the incident, Twilight knew well enough that the Equestrian guard stood very little chance against the trained human forces, whose technology, tactics, and experience clearly outperformed Equestria's best. If war was to come, or had secretively been the plan this whole time, there was no doubt that Equestria's chances of victory would be almost impossible. This led Twilight to inquire on their current course, and what information it would reveal.
"Princess, what is it we're going to find once we get there?" Twilight asked.
Celestia looked to her student.
"To put it simply, Twilight, answers to what went awry last night." she stated. "Given how your castle is where it all started, it's best we start there."
Twilight then sported a saddened expression, as one more bad thing from that night that affected her personally. Celestia saw this, and sought to give her a slight bit of consolation.
"If I hadn't said it yet, you have my sympathies on the loss of your home, Twilight." she said consolingly.
"I appreciate it, Princess." Twilight replied. "I just have to wonder why they did it. What would they have to gain?"
"Because unlike Tim, they seem to been nothing but abhorrent brutes with no regard to the sanctity of life." Rarity proclaimed strongly.
"As much as I agree with you, Rarity, I have a feeling they wouldn't do it unless it had a motive behind it." Rainbow Dash suggested. "Everything they did had the sole purpose of aiding in their escape."
"Maybe they did it to send a message?" Corporal River Breeze guessed.
"If that were the case, why not just destroy the whole castle?" Said the other guardmare, Sergeant Amber Night. "That would've send a stronger message."
"Perhaps they lacked the means to do it." suggested the pegasus guard, Sergeant Platinum Moon. "Though what's the point in sending a message if your trying to find a means of escape?"
"Maybe because the humans who did it were just jerks like that?" Pinkie suggested.
"Or they used it as a distraction. Use it to buy themselves more time to escape." Commander Spark suggested.
"That may be a likely possibility, though I have a feeling there might have been other motives behind it." Celestia proposed.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"Call it a feeling, but I have a strong hunch that they came across the portal we constructed, and may have mistook its purpose."
"Mistook it's purpose?" Fluttershy questioned. "What would they have mistaken it for?"
"They may have seen it and deduced it as a prelude to an invasion of their world." Celestia explained. "From our experience with Tim, it's clear his people are a wary bunch. The humans wouldn't have done what they did unless they felt it necessary. The explosion we saw was quite powerful, powerful enough so that whatever needed to be destroyed should have nothing left behind to work from afterwards. What else would be worthy of such a degree of destruction that a portal linking directly to their world."
The more the ponies mulled it over, the more it began to make sense.
"That's ironic. One battle with them and now we're the ones fearing invasion." Platinum quipped.
"Do you honestly think it'll come to that, Princess?" Fluttershy asked.
"I pray not, Fluttershy." Celestia said. "But even if it does, we'll be ready when they return."
As much as Celestia's optimism did well to quell any growing fears, the thought would linger in the back of everypony's head. Celestia herself grew more and more fearful of the prospect the more she thought about it. The fears both her and Luna had once thought been quelled when they finally met Tim for the first time were now a very possible threat. She instinctively drew back to the writings of her mentor, Starswirl, and the first-hand accounts Tim had shared with her, and what should happen if Equestria were subjected to a similar fate.
Meanwhile, the mere mention of the human that they had come to know over the last few days led Applejack to ask the question to both his role and whereabouts during the incident.
"Do you think Tim had anything to do with all of this?" Applejack asked.
"That's a question we all want to know." Rainbow stated. "Where in Equestria was he during all this?"
"Do you think he betrayed us?" Fluttershy asked.
"No. He.............he was dead before it all started." Twilight answered sullenly.
Everypony around her, with the exception of Celestia, shot her a glare as though she were a time-bomb that was about ready to go off. Twilight looked up to see their expressions, and felt a slight sense of anxiety from it.
"Tim's dead?" Rarity spouted.
"Y..yes." Twilight replied.
"Exactly when did you plan on telling us that?!?" Rainbow shouted.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy snapped. "How can you yell at Twilight after-"
"No." Twilight interjected. "No, Rainbow's right. I should have told you the second I had the chance to. It's just........."
"Just what?" Applejack asked.
"That it-"
"That it was an unfortunate accident." Celestia interjected.
"Huh?" They all said collectively, looks now trained on the Solar Princess.
This was news to Twilight, one she ultimately wasn't expecting. She had assumed that maybe the humans had been responsible for it, maybe as a means of keeping secrets safe or as punishment for Tim relinquishing information they considered confidential. But then, Twilight began to think back, recalling the words Celestia had told her when she had first discovered Tim's untimely death, and how she described it as an incident.
"What do you mean, accident?" Twilight said with a slightly confronting tone.
Celestia had a second of pause, as if in hesitation, but ultimately relented in responding, given that both the town was empty, and that everypony she had called for was now in attendance.
"They were here for Tim." she said with a sigh. "They're presence here was supposedly a mission to rescue him, at least that's what I collected before things turned violent as a result of his death. Princess Luna and I were on our way to speak with Tim on another matter, but then we found him sneaking through the halls with one of the other humans in tow. They knew one another very well, they were friends. His name was Achmed, if I remember correctly."
"If they were here to rescue Tim, why didn't he tell us?" Rainbow asked. "Furthermore, why did we go to all that effort to build a portal if they were just gonna rescue him?"
"He probably didn't even know, Rainbow." Twilight insisted.
"I dunno, seems kinda fishy. A guy he knows shows up to meet up with him in secret during the middle of the night? Who does that?"
"Humans, apparently!" Pinkie quipped. "Hey, wait a minute, didn't you do something like that when you wanted to keep your love of Daring Do secret?"
"T-that was different." Rainbow stammered.
As the two argued on the formalities on Rainbow's previous nighttime escapade, Twilight tried to recollect and think on why the name, Achmed, sounded familiar.
"Achmed?" Twilight spoke out loud, finding the name familiar. "Didn't Tim mentioned that name a few times?"
"Hard to keep track of everything he said, but I gotta admit, does sound familiar." Applejack said.
"I believe he did." Celestia concurred. "Regardless, Tim seemed to be helping his friend leave the castle unseen, but didn't get very far in that regard. Naturally, Luna and I became suspicious, but my sister acted too rashly, throwing out accusations of betrayal."
"Well if I'd do the same if I caught him red handed." Rainbow Dash stated.
"Like how we were when we caught you stealing a book from the hospital?" Pinkie asked.
Rainbow proceeded ignore the pink Earth pony's comments.
"Yes, but it only proved to make things worse." Celestia explained. "Achmed drew his weapon on us, but to my surprise, Tim did everything he could to deter his friend from lashing out, and was very forthcoming with the immediate questions we asked him, given how Achmed was not. Almost as if to show he wasn't trying to hide anything. When we learned there was more than one human on the premises and had asked how many more there were, Tim responded with the correct number, despite Achmed's vocal disapproval."
"What happened next?" Twilight asked.
"I suggested a more private place for Tim to explain things more clearly, and I also suggested that his friend and the humans we could find be taken temporarily into custody. Achmed clearly didn't take too kindly to that. He grew evermore nervous, and still refused to submit, despite Tim's assurances that he would not be harmed. Then Princess Luna.........."
There was a pause in her words, and it lasted long enough to draw verbal concerns from Twilight.
"Princess?" she asked. "Are you alright?"
Snapped out her deep thought, Celestia responded.
"....Y-yes....I'm fine. As I was saying, Princess Luna grew impatient trying to coerce him, and conjured a sleeping spell with hopes of knocking him out. Before either I or Tim could dissuade her, she cast it, with Tim shielding Achmed before he could succumb to it's effects. But instead, we learned a very unfortunate truth. Magic is lethal to humans."
The sudden revelation shocked a number of the party.
"W-What?" Twilight stammered.
"Instead of putting Tim to sleep, the spell burned a hole through his chest. It must have hit areas of his body that were vital, as it killed him in the process."
It was at this time that the group had finally approached their destination. While the exterior and foundation support of the castle still stood firm and strong, the structure was a stark contrast to what it once had been. Where there were once windows, now stood the charred husks of their frames, with just a few bits of glass remaining from where the explosion had shattered them. Smoke still escaped into the air from various spots on the first and second floors. A coat of ash and soot had blanketed the grounds around Twilight's once beloved home. And the most drastic and obvious change would have been the giant hole on the right side of her home, leaving scattered piles of wood, glass, and chunks of crystal.
"By the time Luna was aware of her grievous mistake, any attempt to make amends came too late." Celestia continued. "Achmed grew into a fury, and attacked us out of pure unbridled rage, a rage I haven't seen in many, many years."
"So, this whole thing was an accident?" Applejack asked. "Achmed attacked you and the rest of us because Princess Luna made a mistake in judgement?"
"I'm afraid so, Applejack." Celestia replied. "And now because of it, Equestria may be drawn into conflict."
"If it was an accident, how could this Achmed fella not have seen that?" Rainbow questioned.
"Would you see reason if that happened to you, Dash?" Applejack asked. "If one of us were killed by accident right in front of you, would you be so levelheaded?"
"Does that give him the right to take somepony else's life, Applejack?" Rarity pressed.
"That's enough!" Celestia barked. "Arguing about it won't solve our dilemma."
Twilight was still contemplating the fact that low-level magic was enough to kill Tim. To think how close Tim had been to a variety of spells she and the Princesses had cast, how close he was with death, even with the most minute of spells.
"How? How can a sleeping spell be lethal? How's that possible?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know, Twilight. Perhaps his home world and its lack of magic has something to do with it. But the answer to that will have to come later. Right now, we need to see if my suspicions were correct."
"And if they are?" Twilight asked.
"If they are correct, and the portal we constructed was the intended target of the blast, it means chances of any negotiations for peace may very well be lost to us."
And with that, Celestia began to climb up the stairs leading to the ruins of Twilight's castle, with the former occupant and company following closely behind.
The bottom floor of the portal was noticeably quieter and less busy than it had been the last few days, but many could attest that to the fact that the mission had concluded upon the return of the Fireteams. While science team was wrapping up, security stationed on the floor was lessened, consisting of only about ten personnel total all huddled in a group. Among them, were Nick and Francis, who currently held a conversation regarding the oddity of Achmed's actions, and why he had been debriefed alone.
"I bet my life it has something to do with that other portal they found." Cpl. Nabil Alblushi claimed. "How the hell did they build it to look like the one here?"
"You think Tim might have helped them?" Pfc. Trey Parker suggested.
"Doubtful." Richards said.
"Gotta agree on that one." Delp concurred. "Tim may know the ins and outs of a rifle, but he's no engineer."
"So how did they build it?" Nick asked. "They had to have had some human hand in it if it was and identical copy of the one right here."
"You think another human went to their world before Tim?" Nazif inquired.
"Like who?" Parker asked.
"I don't know. Just throwing out ideas."
"Maybe those pre-war techies that were supposedly here before the war went nuclear." Alblushi suggested.
"If that were the case, why weren't there any signs of the scientists here or on the mission?" Cpl. Nathan Brooks inquired. "And furthermore, if the natives had this portal via pre-war scientists, why wait this long to use it?"
"Maybe they were killed once it was completed?" Delp suggested. "An, outliving their usefulness, sort of thing?"
"Plus, our world was at war at that time, with most armies at full strength." Richards added. "Maybe the natives knew, and sought to wait it out, then hit us when we were weak."
"But that was like 40 fucking years ago?" Nick noted. "Plus, why invade our world now? The place is a shithole!"
"Betcha they did it by using that fancy glowy magic shit they can do." Francis claimed. "If they use it to redirect light and shoot lasers, who knows what else it can do. Maybe it can summon things at will."
"If that were the case, why didn't they summon some giant nightmare creature to wreck our shit?" Locke brought up.
"I agree, that ability of theirs seems to have limits. I mean, we kicked their ass pretty fucking hard." Pvt. Ismail Nassar
"Hell yeah we did!" Francis cheered.
"Anyways. They had to have had some level of technical expertise to construct something like this, and Tim lacked that."
"Okay, so maybe the ability has limits, doesn't mean you can't press them further to do something a little more complex." Nick argued.
"I think my idea makes more sense." Alblushi insinuated.
"Or, maybe.....................those aliens got help from other aliens! Who teamed up because they both wanted to take over the Earth!" Francis suggested.
The idiotic suggestion was met with an unusually larger amount of derision than usual as the group responded with a well-timed, in-unison, rebuttal.
"Shut up, Francis!"
The group continued as Francis recoiled from the sudden group dismissal.
"Besides, this doesn't even begin to cover the other shit that happened." Brooks added. "Like how, A, Tim wasn't found, and, B, Achmed suddenly found his balls."
"Yeah, what the hell was up with that hostage stunt!?" Nazif questioned.
"Hey, in his defense, it did effectively cover our withdrawal." Richards argued.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to do shit like that." Delp pressed.
"Don't get me wrong, I'd probably do the same, I just didn't expect Achmed of all people to pull something like that off." Nazif said. "I mean, most of the time he's kinda..............well............."
"A pussy?" Francis bluntly asked.
"Yeah, that. I mean, dude seems like he's about to lose his shit whenever Tim wasn't around."
"You think maybe something happened to Tim? And that's what led him to do it?" Nick inquired.
The group suddenly grew quiet, and started to contemplate the possibility of that assessment.
"Holy shit, do you think-" Parker asked before being cut off by a sudden shout out.
"SERGEANT ON DECK!" a voice cried out.
Four figures entered the room through the bulkhead doors. The group looked towards them and saw Harris, Ahab, Lamond, and the Sarge had returned from stowing their gear up topside. The men dispersed from their huddle, and stood at attention.
"Guess we're about to find out." Alblushi whispered to Parker's ear.
Sarah approached the group with an almost reluctant look spread across her face. Telling them the bad news was one thing, but the fact they were all huddled around clearly indicated that they had been speculating. But she was strong. Sarah put a strong face on, and approached the group of men.
"At ease. Being productive as usual I see." She opened up with a slight joke.
"C'mon Sarge, you're always a little lenient after a fight." Richards piped up.
"That I am, given when my men are sensible enough to know when and when not to let their guard down. By the way, you all did a good job with that rescue."
"Even me, Sarge?" Francis quipped.
"Yes, Francis, even you. Surprising, I know."
The men let out a few chuckles, a good way to ease them into what was about to come next. Sarah let out a deep sigh, and the slight look of amusement reverted back to a sullen expression.
"I have no doubt you all have questions." Sarah stated. "But before you ask any, know that I'm still a bit in the dark as well. But I don't make a habit of keeping secrets from you guys, I'll tell you what I know."
The soldiers looked to one another, with a general trust in their CO being clearly evident.
"I think I speak for all of us when I ask this." Nick said. "But, I guess the most obvious question would be if you found Tim."
Sarah braced herself, as did the men behind her. Lamond's hand landed on her shoulder, and as she looked behind to meet him, he expressed on nod that served as emotional encouragement. Throwing any reluctance aside, she pulled Tim's dog tags from her belt pouch, the displayed them to the group before her.
"We did." she said sullenly.
The reaction she received was a mix of anger and sadness. Though the world they lived in made loss a regular occurrence, the blows it dealt to ones soul could never be truly undone. Most within the group took it like most humans did, saddened yet making no attempt to let a crack form across the emotional armor they had built up over the years. Others cursed out it quiet tongues. Whether these curses were reserved for their enemy, fate, or simple circumstance could not be determined. Sarah herself felt they may have been directed towards her, though no man in her unit would have the nerve to say it straight to her face. However, she felt they were deserved. Tim was under her charge, and though she couldn't save them all, every life lost under her command was her responsibility.
"How?" Francis asked, his usual jesting-behavior completely devoid at the moment. "How'd he die?"
"Killed by the natives. Their leadership to be specific." Sarah replied. "Achmed was there when it happened."
"Why would they kill Tim?" Parker asked.
"I don't know, Parker. Achmed indicated they were using him, but, I'm not certain on what exactly happened."
"Is that why he took that native as a hostage?" Alblushi asked. "Is that why he's acting so...different?"
The mention of Achmed's change in behavior made her think back on what he had told her, how Tim had been used as a pawn, and how hurt he seemed to say it out loud. Whatever he saw made him snap. It threw her off on any assumptions she had previously had. To make matters worse, she barely knew the man's past, or what his story was, what had molded him into the quiet and timid man he was, and what sporadically changed his character.
"It's possible." Sarah replied. "Even though we really won't know until Achmed's done with his debriefing with Commander Sawyer, I want all of you to be keep on eye on him. Report to me if he does anything unusual."
"You think he's gone loco, Sarge?" Brooks asked.
"I don't think so, but he's clearly not the same as he was, and it has me worried. For now, all we can do is hope he can grieve and recover, but that stunt was a signal that he's definitely on edge. I hope that if we reach out, he may be able to overcome what happened, can y'all do that for me?"
The group reached a general consensus on that, with Nazif stepping up to ask the next question.
"So, what was with that portal?" he asked.
"That I actually don't know. No doubt we'll get some answers after the debriefing. All we can do for now is wait on that one."
It had been about two hours into the debriefing, most of it consisting of what Achmed had learned from Berfield, recounting the events he had experienced up to the point where he and Achmed had been reunited. From Achmed, they were able to learn about Magic, Equestria, the four races, and Tim's attempts at trying to reach home himself, with hints of alterior motives on the natives part being subtly woven in by Achmed. Most of what Tim encountered were shared in detail to the three men conducting the debriefing, with some minor details being left out to make his stay seem more cold and collective that the charitable and hospitable one that it actually was.
"So you informed him of our mission?" Andrew asked.
"Yes, sir." Achmed replied. "He seemed incessant on staying though. Felt like he could broker a deal between our two species."
"Yet Berfield might have been played from the start. Private Sabbag, explain to me in detail, what all had Berfield told you about the portal before you ran into that patrol with the two native leaders?" Andrew asked.
"Mostly what I've already said, sir." Achmed stated. "That it was constructed via their abilities for the supposed purpose of returning him home. It was only until we accidentally ran in with their leaders that some new insight came in on it."
""And what insight would that be exactly?" Viktor inquired.
Achmed was careful when approaching the question, seeing as he was well into the fabrication part of his tale. He knew very well that when he'd answer, he'd need to play it safe, while simultaneously playing it off as foul play on the native's part.
"Well, as the Commander already knows, we were confronted, and in a not-so-friendly manner at that. The blue started by charging that horn of hers. They then said some things that didn't make a whole lot of sense at the time, as I was under the assumption that they were simply helping Tim return home."
"What did they say that changed that assumption?" Andrew asked.
"That blue one started throwing out assumptions of betrayal and espionage. And for some reason sir, she knew your name. She confronted me, and presumed I was you. I informed her otherwise, and she grew even more fearful and paranoid once she realized there was more than one of us on the premises. One of the guards then piped up, saying that their project could be compromised."
"I'll assume this project was probably the portal?" Bradford said.
"Your guess is as good as mine, but I'd say that's probably the case." Achmed replied.
"What happened next?" Andrew asked.
"Well, Tim was more or less just as confused as I was." Achmed explained. "He asked what they were talking about?"
"Did he get an answer?" Viktor asked.
"Unsurprisingly, no. The white one ordered everyone to be silent just as soon as he asked."
"Did you ask anything by chance?" Andrew asked.
"No. My nerves were racked at an all time high as it was. My primary focus was trying to find a way out of there with Tim in tow."
Andrew and Vik were both analyzing Sabbag's tone and body language, seeking out any signs that may seem as if he may be lying. Surprisingly enough, there hadn't been any. No twitch of the eye, no shrug of the shoulder, no attempt to avoid eye contact when anything was said. Everything that had been said up to this point was mostly believable, and did fall in line with everything Andrew had witnessed. No gaps or inconsistencies with what they already knew to be found.
"Continue." Andrew said.
"That's when things began to deteriorate." Achmed stated. "The white one derided her counterpart for poor handling of the situation, and suggested somewhere more private to discuss the matter. She then ordered that we both be detained temporarily."
"I can see how that could lead to conflict, but how did it go from being detained to being killed on sight?" Andrew asked.
"Tim seemed to trust them, a little too much in my opinion. He tried to persuade me to stand down, I.......responded by slamming by rifle butt in his gut."
The three men raised an eyebrow, as that was a very odd way to respond, but given how Achmed had explained how he was nervous, it made some sense.
"That's one way to say no." Viktor commented.
"I know, but I was tense, and uncertain of what I should have done. Even after I knocked him to the floor, Tim tried to reassure me that we'd be alright, but I was pretty vocal that I wasn't going to come quietly."
"Is that when it happened then?" Andrew asked.
It was at this moment Achmed debated whether or not to go through entirely. What he would say next would ultimately determine his fate, and whether humanity would return to the world of the enemy as either negotiators, or conquerors. It would all boil down to who would shoot first. After some quick thinking, Achmed made his decision.
"Yes. Seeing that I was uncooperative, the blue one charged up a spell, saying it didn't really matter whether I was cooperative or not. That one way or another, they only needed one human to proceed effectively. To build past the prototype."
His last sentence caught the attention of the three men leading the debriefing.
"Prototype?" Andrew asked.
"Yes, sir. Apparently they had planned to build more, and they didn't tell Tim. Because, after she said that, Tim seemed confused, even a little angry. She continued by suggesting to her counterpart that perhaps I had more knowledge on the subject of our world and technology than Tim did. Tim wasn't the brightest when it came to the latter. The white one begrudgingly agreed. And that's when she killed him. Right in front of me."
The three men leading the debriefing looked to one another, taking everything Achmed had just said into account. While all three knew to be skeptical, it was hard to discredit the possibility of it being true. For Andrew, what he feared most may have already come to pass. Bradford, feared a war was inevitable at this point, and if what Sabbag had said were true, peace may be completely out of the question.
Viktor, however, was still unconvinced. While Sabbag's story was not completely out of the realm of possibility, he tried to find a motive for these creatures to take such a hostile course of action. To seek humanity's technology and use it for their own agenda? Subjugate the human race? Wipe out humanity before they could become a threat? All three of these possibilities seemed plausible, yet the outcome of their battle with both his and Andrew's fireteams seemed to contradict those notions.
The battle ended terribly for the native military force, so much so that any one of their plans would have undoubtedly resulted in failure. They may have just been overly arrogant in their chances, but everything from their soldiers to their tactics seemed only to work against them for any plan that involved invasion. One portal was not something to be ignored, but if they were going to invade Earth they'd need more than just portals and troops. Scientists would need to create a way to block out or repel the radiation which would assuredly kill a majority of any unprotected armed force. And what sense could be made for simply offing one out of two persons who could provide vital info on your soon-to-be adversary?
While the actions of their leaders seemed to correlate with foul play, the experience of their soldiers and the methods of carrying it out did not. Once they had concluded with their own thoughts, attention was brought back to Achmed.
"What else was said before you opened fire?" Andrew asked.
"I.......I honestly can't recall if she did say anything." Achmed replied "I had just watched my friend get murdered before my eyes. After that, I took up my rifle and opened fire. I wasn't going to help them, not after that. And that's when you showed up, sir."
That was the que that indicated that they had learned all they could from Achmed.
"Well....................thank you for disclosing the gaps for us, Private Sabbag." Andrew said, breaking the silence. "We'll be sure to write all this down in the official after-action report. You're dismissed."
Achmed got up from the chair he was sitting in, giving a salute to both Andrew and Viktor, and then proceeding to exit the room, leaving the three men to discuss what to make of what they had just been told. The room was silent for about half a minute, everyone within its confines contemplating what was to come next, both in the immediate and long term future.
"So?" Andrew asked, breaking the silence. "What do you two think?"
"That he's probably full of shit." Viktor quickly responded.
Andrew frowned at his response.
"I was being serious, Vik." Andrew pointed out.
"So was I. I don't buy what he says for a second."
"Because you were there when he was confronted, right?" Andrew remarked.
"Oh, okay, so what did you see before you decided throwing a fucking flashbang was a great idea!?" Viktor yelled.
"Pretty much as Sabbag described it, jackass! Right down to the part where he slugged Berfield in gut with a rifle stock! So I can assume that what he said probably fucking happened!"
"Gentlemen! Please, there's no need for raised voices." Bradford urged. "Things are tense, I know, but we need to bring things back down to a civil level."
Taking the advice of the young councilor, the two took a minute to cool their heads, before returning to the conversation.
"Now, Colonel, what makes you think Sabbag may have been lying?" Bradford asked.
"Andrew, you yourself saw just how pitiful their defense was against just twelve of us. Tell me, just how in the hell were they planning on invading the entirety of Earth with such a mediocre fighting force!?"
"Arrogance perhaps?" Andrew responded. "Wouldn't be the first time someone's found disaster by biting off more than they could chew."
"Perhaps they thought their magical abilities would provide enough of an advantage to overpower us?" Bradford suggested.
"Which seems to have failed. Besides that's not really the point here." Andrew stated. "Sabbag mentioned that they referred to the portal as the prototype. Prototype, Vik. Do you have any idea what that means?"
"I'm certain you're about to tell me?"
"No, he is." Andrew stated, pointing to Bradford.
"It means they have a schematic or blueprint to work off of." Bradford explained. "They could very well rebuild it using the same magic and science they did to create the first one, They might have already done so."
"And even if they haven't, Vik, it's undoubtedly guaranteed to happen after the shit we just pulled. Our actions won't go unanswered, I can promise you that."
While the two brought up some pretty fair points, Vik still wasn't buying it.
"Or he just fed us a complete lie to cover his ass!" Viktor implied again. "Tell me, Andrew, what sense is there in killing off one human for another? Why instigate hostilities with another species off the bat without even a real first impression, all it would serve is to piss someone off! An antagonistic nation like that would have had a lot of enemies, and nothing we encountered in the way of defenses or tactics fits that style of government."
Andrew mulled his friend's observations over, and slowly but assuredly began to see his point.
"Fair enough, but even so, the portal could have very well served another purpose, and Berfield still remains killed in cold blood at the hands of their leadership. Those two things still lead me to believe something was going on behind the scenes. Something that still has me worried."
"Perhaps they didn't take too kindly to trespassers?" Bradford suggested.
"I'd agree, but why take time to talk with them afterwards?" Andrew argued. "I may not have heard a whole lot, but that conversation lasted well beyond two minutes, and all we have for first hand accounts is Sabbag's."
"To which I still believe he made parts of it up." Viktor stated.
"Even so, Vik, the fact remains that if they were able to create a functional portal to Earth, they can do it again." Andrew argued. "Whether or not Sabbag's account is true or not, the possible threats are still there. And given that we left their world after shooting the place up, albeit unwanted, things have taken a terrible turn for the worst."
"And if they make it to Earth. What then?" Viktor asked. "Most of the planet is a barren lifeless wasteland, filled to the brink with radiation and mutated monsters! They wouldn't survive a week."
"Given how they were able to take down an Obelisk, I doubt that'll stifle-"
"One dead Obelisk, killed on their side of the portal mind you, doesn't warrant them to be the threat you think they are! Hell, if they were able to kill an Obelisk, how could they not handle the twelve of us!? Let me put things in perspective for you, Andrew."
"Here we go...." Andrew mouthed under his breath.
"They would need to scout the entire planet before they'd even come close to us. AND, to put them at even more of a disadvantage, We can simply evacuate an outpost to give them the slip if we need to! There's only one major concentration of human beings on the planet, one vital point in our infrastructure, which they still don't know the location to. And even when they do find us, they'd have to fight us. To them, it is literally the deadliest game of needle in a haystack."
"So what?" Andrew asked. "We just wait for them to bring the fight to us?"
"Of course not!" Viktor demurred.
"So what is your concern then!?"
Viktor looked at the two men, a slight reluctance to his demeanor.
"I doubt it's any secret that you two will argue to go back to the world once you have returned to New Damascus?" he asked.
Bradford and Andrew exchanged looks of hesitation before they both relented with a reply.
"Yes. In my case, you'd be correct in that assumption." Bradford replied.
"You already know my answer." Andrew replied. "But I fail to see how this even matters. My position as both Councilor and Commander-in-chief will no doubt be revoked by the Council once they've learned what's happened."
"Yes, while that is more than likely, do you think the Council would decide against a return to this world?" Viktor inquired.
The two Councilors pondered his question, thoroughly taking into account the tendencies and predispositions of each Council member and how the recent shortages would play into their decisions. The two both came to the same conclusion.
"Well, no. They'd have to be insane to pass this up." Andrew argued. "Even Patel would probably concede to it, though probably not off the bat."
"Exactly!" Viktor exclaimed. "Like you said, we'll be returning to this world one way or another. But when we do, we need to be ready to fight at the negotiating table, not the frontlines! My concern, Andrew, is that we're walking right back into another conflict. We need to avoid open war."
Andrew knew better than anyone where his friend was coming from. They both endured the Conflict at its most brutal and bloody point. Both had suffered the hell of a war that seemingly had no end in sight, and both knew of the sacrifices it took to achieve the very hard-earned peace that finally ended it. And both were reluctant to give that peace up. But where Vik saw a chance of maintaining it, Andrew saw only the inevitability of it crumbling down.
"That may be impossible at this point. I doubt the natives would even be willing to negotiate. If they didn't think less of us before, they sure as hell do now."
"Only if we don't try, Andrew." Viktor said. "Only if we don't try."
Andrew sighed.
"What's the time?" he asked.
Bradford looked at his watch and answered.
"Precisely 8:13 AM."
Andrew then stood up from behind his desk.
"Alright, Vik. We'll do it your way, but I'm still certain this isn't going to work. I'll get to work on writing the after-action report immediately. Afterwards, I'm going need you, Sergeant Martinez, and Private First Class Sabbag to accompany me back to Fort Bismark. Bradford, get your things together and come with us as well. Leave your team here, and oversee that the portal's maintained. I'll radio ahead and tell Bakowski and them to prep the plane. We leave for New Damascus by 1600 hours."
As the party walked through the front doors of Twilight's home, the sight that greeted them was one of battle and bloodshed. Debris and shell casings littered the ground. From the top of the staircase, the blood of those guards who had fallen in the early stages of the human's escape now seeped down the stairs, staining the carpet that lay atop it red. The scent of burning objects filled the air, making the smell unavoidable. Blackened scorch marks left in the wake of the raging fires coated the hallways where loose objects had once been.
The scene was hard to ignore, especially for its former occupant, who had come to call the place home after losing her previous home just less than a year before. Furthermore, from the way the scorch marks seemed to originate from the right hallway, Celestia's speculation was looking more likely by the second.
"This way, everypony." Celestia beckoned, as she began making her way down the right hallway.
Everypony quickly followed her lead. They traveled further down the hall, the once crystalline halls became progressively more grey, as ash and rubble became more and more frequent.
"What in heavens could they have used to do all this?" Corporal River Breeze commented.
"According to Tim, humans had a very advanced grasp on technology." Twilight answered. "No doubt the device they used was an explosive that stemmed from that technological growth."
"If that's the case, then it's safe to assume almost all their soldiers carry something similar?" Commander Spark asked.
"I wouldn't know. Tim was very reluctant to share the technology of his weapons, out of fear they could be used against his kind."
"Well his kind didn't seem to hesitate when using it against us." said Sergeant Platinum.
"Oh no........." Applejack gulped, pointing a hoof.
Everypony was now in sight of what she was referring to. They had reached the library, or where in once stood. The once proud doors that preceded it had now been completely blown off their hinges and splintered, charred and shriveled from the fires that batted against them. Now resting atop the receding hill of rubble, ash, and debris that stemmed from both the entrance and the giant hole directly behind it.
The group traversed over the hill of debris, the remains of the library itself, and found a much more disturbing sight within. The room was completely unrecognizable. Countless volumes of knowledge littered the ground, almost all burnt to a fine crisp. Bookshelves stood in crumbling wrecks or in pyres of ash. Sections of the second floor had essentially caved in where their supports had been destroyed. The tables within, blown to smithereens, and the portal itself was essentially gone. All the damage centered around where the portal had once stood, a large crater the size of the castle map table left in its wake. The sights and damage left behind lead everypony to the same conclusion. The Library had been ground zero for the explosion.
"Then it is as I feared." Celestia glumly stated. "May fate grant us fortune in the days to come."
The group walked down towards the central crater. Twilight looked over her once beloved library, now reduced to nothing. Tears filled her eyes, and though she tried to stifle her cries, her friends noticed almost instantly, and came to her aid.
"There, there, sugarcube." Applejack said, giving Twilight a much needed hug of comfort. "Like you said, home is where you make it."
"And no matter what, Ponyville is your home." Fluttershy stated.
"We promise we'll help you rebuild darling." Rarity assured her.
"Yeah, we've been through thick and thin enough times to owe you that." Rainbow added.
"No matter how many times your home blows up, we'll be there to fix it!" Pinkie added in with a joke.
Twilight let out a small laugh with that. She was still saddened by the state of her home, by Tim's death, and all those who had fallen, but she was still able to find consolation with her friends and the support they provided.
"Thank you." Twilight said. "And you're right. No matter how many times I fall down, I'm glad I still have all of you to help bring me back up, through better or worse."
Celestia looked at the scene of friendship and love with joy, seeing her pupil come out of this situation as her same old self brought her comfort. Yet her joy would have to be short-lived. With the portal destroyed and the book that detailed the instructions and how to construct it having no doubt burned in the fires that followed meant attempts at negotiating would be next to impossible.
There was always the possibility that another book housed within one of the many archives around Equestria may retain the same knowledge, and while she would no doubt send agents to collect what they could, there was no guarantee they would be successful. Meanwhile, the humans had several portals at their disposal. Then there was the publicity that recent events were almost certain to receive. News ponies and reporters from every corner of Equestria were certain to arrive in Ponyville to cover what had happened. No doubt they'd be here within the hour, if they weren't here already. Celestia could practically foresee the endless articles that would be written about it.
This would lead to political ramifications, about the ineffectiveness of the guard and the safety of Equestria as a whole, and against the potential of humanity's destructiveness, a destructiveness that apparently killed billions, the nation's chances looked slim. One way or another, Equestria was about to enter a crisis over this, possibly even a war, and it would be up to her and Luna to see to it that the nation and its subjects overcome it as best as they can.
"GAH!! SWEET CELESTIA WHAT IS THAT THING!?!" Corporal Amber Night screamed.
The high pitch tone of her voice garnered the attention of all those within the room. With all eyes on her, it looked as if she had been rummaging through some of the rubble, when a large patch of debris revealed the head of the severed head of the Obelisk that had been slain by Princess Luna. The find must have come as quite a surprise, as Amber Night had fallen on her back The guards had there weapons out, and were ready to face the threat before Celestia stepped in.
"At ease!" Celestia commanded. "It's dead and no longer a threat."
With this information in mind, the guardponies followed their Princess' directive and put away their weapons. Everypony was stunned to see that it was still here, and in one piece. The head had not only survived the blast, but that other than some heavy surface burns, the skin had stayed intact even after the inferno that had followed. The size of its head alone was still as daunting as it had been before, but with the knowledge of knowing it was dead, nopony had anything to fear from it.
"Your Majesty, what in Equestria is this thing, and why is it here?" Commander Spark asked.
"Tim called it an Obelisk. It was a creature from the human world. One of great strength and ferocity. We encountered it when the portal was first activated." Celestia explained. "My sister however was able to subdue it, but know that it was as equally dangerous as the humans themselves."
"Good gracious, that thing is ugly." River stated. "It looks like it's diseased or something."
"That's because it's mutated." Twilight added. "Something about Tim's world altered all the animals on it. Turned them into monsters."
"Well it nearly gave me a heart attack!" Amber Night exclaimed, still on the ground.
"Well if it's dead, then there's nothing to worry about. On your hooves, soldier." Commander Spark ordered.
The Corporal did as instructed. As she got herself up. The other ponies in the room approached the giant severed head.
"Out of all the things to survive the blast, it had to be this egregious thing." Rarity grimaced.
"As resilient in death as it was in life it would seem." Celestia commented.
"One tough sucker, that's for sure." Applejack added.
"What should we do with it?" Twilight asked.
Celestia would have suggested simply disposing of it, yet a thought occurred to her. This things skin was incredibly durable, at least enough to deflect the common weapons of human soldiers. A trait, that if somehow replicated, could prove incredibly useful in combat. She brainstormed a solution, a found one in a flash.
"Perhaps we may be able to learn a thing or two from it." Celestia stated. "Commander, when we're done here, see if you can't round up a recovery team. I want this transported to the Canterlot School of Magic as soon as possible, see if the minds there can uncover a way to replicate its defensive capabilities for use against another attack."
"I'll have my guards on it as soon as we leave, your majesty." Commander Spark replied.
"Thank you." she replied.
She then turned her attention to the elements, who seemed somewhat frightened by assumption that more attacks would undoubtedly follow, which at this point, was a likely scenario. Yet Celestia knew that hiding the harsh realities of the situation would only make matters worse, so she decided to go on the level with them.
"As the Elements of Harmony, you six have taken up a duty to defend this land and those within it who call it home. While the actions and triumphs of your previous exploits are no less important, the challenges and threats that face us ahead may prove to dwarf what you've previously accomplished. This time, millions of lives are on the line, and we need to prepare for any possible scenario that may follow. Should the worse come to pass and war be at our doorstep, we need everypony to pitch in the collective effort of our defense, and it may even be that this effort may cost you more than what you thought was possible. Friends, family, your own lives. I say this to you not to frighten you, but to clarify what lies ahead. But know that whatever struggle befalls on us, we will face it together. The threats you face are the threats I face, and we'll face them together. This task will require you to be away from your home, and even those you love. For how long I do not know. With all this said, can I still count on you six uphold this duty, and to see these days through with me and my sister to ensure the safety of Equestria and its subjects?"
The elements were quiet for a second, contemplating the weight of this decision. It would effectively have them at the forefront of both the political and public repercussions and reactions that were to follow this unfortunate event. How they were even going to handle this still remained a mystery, yet they found slight comfort in knowing that both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be sharing in this duty. Whatever the case, it was clear that this could not be ignored. With knowledge of this, Twilight stepped forward.
"I'll uphold this duty, Princess." she stated boldly. "I'll do everything I can to ensure Equestria is safe from invasion."
Rainbow Dash was next to answer the call.
"You can count on me in, Princess." she proudly said with a salute.
"Me too." Fluttershy chimed.
"Me three!" Pinkie shouted.
"I'm ready to do my part, Princess." Applejack promised.
"As am I." Rarity joined in.
Celestia smiled, genuinely admiring the resolve the elements had within them.
"Then let us make haste. We must find my sister, and discuss the plan of action we should take."
As they filed out of the room, Celestia, while grateful for their eager assistance, could not help but feel as if she were forcefully pressing them into duty. Despite it being their choice, the Solar princess did not pride herself in what possible danger she would have them face. If she could do things her way, she would face these struggles alone. Alas that task was quite a feat, even for an alicorn as powerful as her. Even in her many years as ruler, war was something as unfamiliar and alien as the humans who would inevitably bring it to her home.