//------------------------------//
// Operation Takedown (Part 1: Quiet Before the Storm) 
// Story: The Insecurity 
// by RandomExpert781 
//------------------------------//


The Insecurity
RandomExpert781
Chapter 1: Operation Takedown
Part 1: Quiet Before the Storm



Saturday, September 26, 2111
6:24 AM, Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse
Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. She took a deep breath and let out a small groan. Ugh, I’m too tired, she thought. I’m gonna go back to sl- A thought jolted her awake.
The dream. She had been pondering it for a lot of the night. Something was bothering her about it. Something about the dream – the things that were happening, the message it was trying to convey - it seemed all too eerie, ominous, and- a third idea popped into her mind that gave her the chills. Was it . . . real? Was it a prediction? She had no idea. Yet something, a part of her consciousness, a deep part inside her, told her, yes, it was real. All too real.
Why last night, she thought. Why now, instead of before, or later? Is it something about today? Is something gonna happen . . . today? The only thing to do is wait . . .
Taking out a sticky note and a pencil, she wrote a note for Applebloom and Sweetie Belle when they woke up. She finally opened the door into the cool, still air and flew towards Ponyville.
I need to talk to . . . somepony, she mused. I like talking to Dash, but I’m not sure if she can understand it the way I want her to. Maybe . . . maybe Fluttershy could listen and understand. Yeah, Fluttershy seems to be the only fit. She picked up some speed and hurried towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

6:26 AM, LDR Main Base, Mt. Kayosi
Sen. Sgt. Aleksei had a small feeling of excitement as he prepared for his first mission. But most of that feeling was not excitement, but worry.
He, along with seven other soldiers, and Colonel Safi who was leading, were preparing to go on one of the most important missions yet in the group. And this was only is first mission! This is working better than expected, he thought cheerily.
It was amazing how high-tech the LDR actually was compared to Aleksei’s first impressions. He expected to get an ordinary and worthless AK-47 rifle and a M1911 pistol as a sidearm. Instead, the new troop was given Heckler & Koch MP7A1 submachine guns with red dot sight, and a Glock 34 pistol with a GTL 22 laser attachment. They even had some body armor. This might go better than he thought.
“Okay, everypony,” Safi called out in the small room, gathering the group of soldiers together. “Here’s the plan: We’re going to drive near Ponyville in two HUMVEEs. One will be driven by Aleksei, carrying Kashar, Nabel, and Suha. The other will be driven by Faruq, with me, Huller, Kir, and Grekk. Faruq’s HUMVEE will depart right on the edge of town, near Fluttershy’s cottage, while Aleksei will drive around the border of the town near Sweet Apple Acres. Then everyone . . .” Aleksei started to worry a little bit, zoning out. This is a very complex mission. Am I sure I can do this?
Lt. Faruq glanced at Aleksei, noticing the expression on his face. “Don’t worry,” he reassured, giving him a pat on the back. “This mission will work out fine.”
Aleksei gave a weak smile. But his mind was thinking differently. Succeeding in the mission is not my goal. I have a deeper motive.

6:30 AM, Fluttershy’s Cottage
Fluttershy rocked back and forth in her chair. Thankfully for her, most of the animals were asleep, and the few that were awake were being very quiet. She finally had some time to relax – and think.
Last night was a very weird night. For her, at least. Something had happened last night that was . . . a bit confusing. She had a nightmare – it wasn’t like this was unusual, she’s had nightmares before. It was just the nightmare itself that was confusing. Like it was a . . . prediction of some sort-
Fluttershy’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. Who could that be? she wondered. Somebody knocking on her door alone was rare; never mine the fact that it was 6:30 in the morning. “Well, there goes a relaxing morning,” she sighed. She got off her chair, walked to the door, and slowly opened it, a happy grin on her face.
The first thing she noticed was that the sun’s first rays were coming from the horizon, turning the sky into a beautiful orange. A beautiful day, indeed. The second thing she noticed was Scootaloo, sitting on her haunches, looking at her with a weak smile. Her own smile instantly disappeared from her face.
Immediately assuming the crazed, hyper part of Scootaloo was coming to her house, her first impulse was to shut the door and hide behind it, hyperventilating in the process. Fluttershy, without any hesitation, did just that. Why would Scootaloo be here? At this time of day? It made no sense . . .
“I’m not in the mood to be hyper right now,” Scootaloo called, as if reading her mind. “I just want to talk to you. About something a little . . . personal.” Her voice was cracking, like she was crying. When Fluttershy still didn’t come out, she continued, “A-and I thought you’d be a good pony to talk to. I thought you might understand the best.”
Fluttershy slowly opened the poor to peek outside. Scootaloo was still there, sitting in the same spot, looking at the ground, almost shamefully. She looked up at Fluttershy, still giving that weak smile, a single tear running down the right side of her face. Fluttershy hadn’t seen anyone like this, let alone a filly. She couldn’t take it anymore. She opened the door, gesturing her inside. “Come in,” she said softly, giving a small, warm grin.
Scootaloo looked back at the ground, mellow, and walked in slowly, almost painstakingly. It was then Fluttershy realized what was going on: Scootaloo was scared. No, no, petrified.It was a hard concept to understand. Scootaloo was sturdy emotionally; she wasn’t the type of pony that would breakdown easily, unlike herself. What could put her in a state like this?
“What happened?” Fluttershy asked, sitting down next to her and rubbing her arm gently. “Was it something from last night? W-w-was it Sweetie Belle? Applebloom?”
Scootaloo grimaced and took a long, deep breath. “No,” she whispered as calmly as she could, even though her voice was still shaking. Another tear ran down her face. “It was a nightmare,” she whimpered.
Fluttershy saw the emotional pain she was in. “C-can you talk about it, maybe, please?” When she didn’t respond, she comforted, “I-it’s the o-only way you can get better. Please?”
Scootaloo looked up at Fluttershy humbly, who gave her a small nod. Scootaloo took another deep breath. “Well,” she explained, “It all started with me running . . .”

6:32 AM, Exit of Mt. Kayosi
Colonel Safi looked out the window in the front seat of the HUMVEE. He was very pleased with how things were working out so far. The other HUMVEE was a little ahead of them, and neither truck seemed like it was undergoing any trouble.
Safi was thinking about all the members of the team. This is a pretty well-put group for the LDR’s first important mission, no doubt. Most of the solders are very dedicated and accomplished ones – specifically Suha, one of the most decorated soldiers in existence – all except one. It was the driver of the other HUMVEE, Aleksei. He had never been on any mission, and he wouldn’t be on that mission if Suha hadn’t talked about him and convinced him to put him on the mission.
“This newly-recruited Private came into the shooting range, picked up and prepared the gun like he had done it all his life, looked away, and fired a hole about as big as a plastic bottle cap,” Suha explained excitedly. “He’s perfect for a mission like this. I also saw him on the track driving around that HUMVEE; he was pretty good, even driving something as heavy as that.”
“Are you sure?” Safi said. “I mean, he’s never been on any mission, and you know how some soldiers lose their calm during actual missions. We can’t afford anything like that on this one.”
Suha gave Safi a withering look. “He’s the last one that comes even close for the level needed for a mission like this. On the training course, I have never seen a soldier so composed and sure of himself, on the battlefield and in the driver’s seat. There are very few as good as him. I should know, ‘cause I’m one of them. Besides, his cutie mark is the cutie mark for a stunt driver.”
Safi had trusted Suha’s recommendation and put Aleksei on the team, and so far, he didn’t seem to be any bit nervous. But he knew that could all change in an instant.
All I need to do is keep my eye on him, he thought. Nothing could go wrong with that, right?

6:34 AM, Fluttershy’s Cottage
Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The dream Scootaloo just described – it was almost the exact same dream she had last night!
B-b-but t-that’s i-i-imp-possible! she thought, shocked. Two ponies having almost the same dream on the same night! That’s too much of a coincidence! How –
“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo called, looking at her with a quizzical expression. “Fluttershy?” She started waving her hoof in front of Fluttershy’s wide-eyed face; first slowly, then frantically. “FLUTTERSHY!!”
Fluttershy, suddenly snapping out of her trance, shook her head. She then turned to the filly, “Scootaloo,” she said, with a confused look on her face. “Why are you talking to . . . me right now, instead of, I don’t know . . . Dash, maybe?”
Scootaloo looked to the side, pondering the question. “I didn’t think Dash would have as deep of a – what’s the word? – understanding as you would.”
Fluttershy gave a small nod. Damn right about that, she thought to herself. Suddenly feeling stressed, she started rubbing her temple with a hoof and pacing around the house. “This is going to be a long day,” she sighed.
She had no idea how correct she was.