//------------------------------//
// 6. Ponyville: Introductions 
// Story: Guardians of the Elements of Harmony 
// by mcb893 
//------------------------------//

2 Hours Later...

Twilight looked out of the forest, they had finally made it home. "So this is it huh?" Twilight looked behind her at John, who was taking in the village. She nodded, a frown on her face. The dead bodies were being taken away, loved ones weeping as they walked past the foldable beds taking them away to be buried. "We got hit really hard, and the Royal Guards can barely hold them off. We've lost thirty ponies already, and almost 4 times as many have been injured." Applejack said as the group went out of the forest.

Twilight sighed. It was evident that the creatures had attacked again in the night. The large group that they had encountered in the forest was probably the same that had done this. "Twilight!" She heard a familiar voice shout. Turning her head, she saw her friends charging toward her. "Guys!" She motioned to AJ, who began to run to them, as did she. John stayed back. The friends embraced laughing and crying as they collapsed to the ground.

"Darling, we were so worried... We thought that... that..." Rarity began. Rainbow finished it for her, seeing that her fashion crazed couldn't. "We thought the Chaos Bringers got you." She said with a shaky voice. "We were so scared! I couldn't sleep at all, I just kept pacing and pacing and pacing and pacing..." Pinkie began. Twilight chuckled. "We get it Pinkie." The rest of the group laughed, except for Fluttershy, who was cowering behind her friends at something behind them. The others noticed, and looked behind AJ and Twilight. Rainbow charged forward and took to the sky, ready to attack. "Wait!" Twilight shouted. Her pegasus friend stopped abruptly and stared at her. Fluttershy peaked her head out. "W... W... What i..is..t-t-t that thing?" She asked nervously.

Moore sighed and looked away in shame. It was just what was afraid would happen. He was frightening the other ponies. Twilight smiled and introduced him. "He's a human girls, you don't have to be afraid of him. When we were lost last night, he took care of us, and guarded us while we slept." "Oh really?" A rainbow maned pegasus asked eyeing him. She flew within a few inches from his face, causing him to back up slightly. "Just what were you doing in the forest? Hm?" She asked with an angry tone. Moore remained calm, just staring at the pegasus, who became increasingly frustrated at being ignored. "Hey! Answer me!" She shouted. "No." He replied.

"Rainbow cut it out, this man saved our lives! Why if it weren't fer him Twilight and I would be dead inside that there forest!" Applejack shouted. The pegasus turned to her, as did the other three. "Is this true Twilight?" The white unicorn asked. Twilight nodded. "He made sure nothing attacked us. On our way here, we were attacked by a horde of Chaos Bringers." A yellow pegasus gasped and walked closer to her. Twilight smiled and calmed her. "I'm okay Fluttershy, We're okay." She turned to Moore and smiled. "Thanks to him. One leapt on me and was about to kill me, but... he pulled it off and let himself get hurt so I would make it." A pink pony instantly smiled and leapt up to him bouncing all around him. "Thank you so much for saving my friends! I would be so sad if they got hurt and I don't like being sad because being sad makes me feel all bad inside and I..."

Moore sighed as the pony continued her rant, going on and on about how the town wouldn't be the same and everypony would be so sad if they died. "Pinkie easy now. You don't wanna give him a headache do you?" Applejack said with a chuckle. The pink pony smiled and stuck out her hoof. "Hi my name's Pinkie Pie! What's your name?" She asked. Moore had seen jack-o-lanterns with smaller smiles. He chuckled. The upbeat and happy personality of "Pinkie Pie" was something he hardly ever saw anymore. "I'm Staff Sergeant John Moore of the 1st Bt. 75th Ranger Regiment." Pinkie 'oohed and start shooting off questions left and right. The Staff Sergeant couldn't help but hold his head. This pony was giving him a headache. "So is Staff Sergeant John Moore 1st battelions 75th wranger regimen all one name, or are they like, mixed names?" "Well actually, Staff Sergeant is my rank in the military. John Moore is my name, and the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment is my particular military group." Pinkie nodded.

The blue pegasus with the rainbow colored mane sighed. "Sorry, I guess you are pretty nice." She said unenthusiastically. "You have no reason to be sorry. I am something you have never seen before. You had good cause to be suspicious." He said. The pegasus smiled and stuck out her hoof. Moore took it and shook. "Name's Rainbow Dash, best flier in all of Equestria... what's up with your hand?" Moore looked down and saw his hand was trembling. He sighed and held it with his other hand. "PTSD. Seeing a lot of dead innocent people dead triggers it." He said sadly.

The white unicorn walked up and looked at him. There was concern in her eyes, but also curiosity. Why shouldn't they be curious? He was the first human they had ever seen. "How long have you had this disorder?" She asked. He smiled. At least their worlds had the same disorders. "Back when I was just a private. I saw an entire village get slaughtered. The only reason I survived was because a teammate sacrificed himself so I could escape." He said, frowning again. The yellow pegasus came over and held the hand, inspecting it.

"You poor thing, I'm sure that must have been horrible for you." She said with a sad look. He sighed. "It was. What's your name?" He asked. The pegasus cowered away and whimpered. He sighed and looked at the ground full of guilt, he was still scaring them. "Fluttershy..." He looked up and raised an eyebrow at the pegasus. It was so quiet he could barely hear it. "Sorry, what?" He asked kindly. The pony spoke a little louder, so he could hear it. "Um... My name is... Fluttershy." He smiled. They were warming up to him at least. "May I ask your name?" He said turning to the white unicorn. She inspected his battle gear and said; "Rarity. I run the largest fashion shop here in Ponyville. You should stop by. Those rags you are wearing are absolutely filthy." "RARITY!" Twilight shouted. "Well they are.." Moore chuckled. "Are we going to tell the Princess?" "Rainbow Dash" asked. Moore looked to Twilight with questioning eyes. "The ruler of Equestria." She explained. Turning back to her friend, she answered. "The best we can do right now is send a letter, and hope she gets it." Rainbow nodded as "Pinkie Pie" leapt around him and insisted on showing him the town. Moore had to calm her down a bit, but he accepted. "Well come on gang, let's show our new friend here our home." Applejack said as she pointed her hoof to the village.