Chapter 1:A Freezing night in the Everfree
Howls of wind and snow stormed Ponyville, most of its populace taking cover in theirs homes and houses. A small number of ponies moved throughout the town, mostly just random ponies making their way to the train station, guards patrolling the streets, or ponies leaving to go back to their homes after visiting family for hearts-warming eve. The Everfree was strangely quiet as most predators laying inside deciding to sleep, rather than hunt on such a peaceful night.
Although the peace was soon ruined gone as the quite night was interrupted by what sounded like a loud ‘CCCRRRRRAAACCCCCKKKKK!!!’ Sounded off from the everfree forest, almost like a hundred trees snapping in unison.
Multiple heads turned as some ponies stopped and stared off into the dark outline that was the deadly and dangerous forest. Three guards, two regular Pegasi and a single night guard mare took to the sky, flapping as they sped towards the forest, the snow suddenly seemed to crash at them. The risk was extreme with such sever weather, flight was a serious hazard in the heavy snow as it slammed against there wings.
“B-be careful, t-t-the Everfree is escalating the storm, l-locate the source of the noise and get back to Ponyville before it gets any worse!” The head officer yelled as he flapped quickly, trying to avoid clouds as they flew.
Among the three, it was Sergeant Shield spire, Corporal Dawnsville, and Private Nightshade, as they flew the blizzard exploded into a massive burst, and the air behind them became all most impossible to navigate, but they kept going, hoping to find what they seeked, whatever it was.
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Silence filled the clearing that had been created, trees had been thrown aside like they weighed nothing, branches snapped. One unfortunate tree was no more than a stub. With the massive snow storm bartering everything they quickly became covered under the terrifying storm that pounded the ground in hales of freezing snow.
In the clearing lay two new beasts, both made of metal and large, with passengers sat inside of them, although both groups of passengers where incapacitated.
The first massive metal monstrosity held two passengers, one was a stallion, the other a griffin male. The first one, the stallion, was covered in crimson colored fur, with a pitch black tail and mane, he had massive wings, easily spanning 6 feet wide each. They were also very deadly, the feathers had metal tips, sharpened somehow to a knife like idea. They were also crimson colored,and he wore a thick armored vest with a Vector laying strapped to his body, a Barrette .50 caliber rifle lay next to him, although it was not strapped to him.
The second was a griffon who was slumped over the steering wheel, he was Brown colored for his neck fluff, but dark gray on the rest of his body, he himself carried a few weapons, specifically a AKM, and second rifle lay on the seat next to him, a M16 military assault rifle. He had 2 M1911’s slipped into the vest, concealed from view, as his sidearms.
Inside this monstrosity, lay a number of crates with the markings “PROPERTY OF THE U.S. ARMY” stamped to the wooden side in Black lettering. Although the snow kept coming down hard, it seemed to fall off the canvas outside of the massive truck, almost giving a white blending look.
In the second monstrosity of machinery that looked a fortified cart with a long round metal pipe sticking out of it, 5 different creatures lay inside. In the commanders hatch of the vehicle (the hatch on top of the vehicle) a black bug like equine lay slumped in the command chair. She had a M4 tucked under her body, her hooves holding it like a child. Her body was peppered with the heavy snow as she groaned and breathed shaking breaths of cold steam.
Just below her in the Machine Gunner seat, another griffon was slumped over the gun, snoring lightly. She wore a heavy coat, a sidearm lay tucked into it, it was a 44. Python, a large revolver made to tear apart just about anything within its range, it hit hard, with a capacity for 6 rounds.
A third creature lay against the main firing mechanism, it was a dragon with a gray color scheme that blended with the tank. He wore a tight grey and blue colored uniform, similar to a naval one, he had two sidearms, one on a hip holster and another strapped to his thigh. The one strapped to his waist was a scorpion sub machine gun, it carried 20 .380 rounds on a single mag, along with one more in the chamber. His second sidearm was strapped to his thigh, tucked under his pants, it was a Glock 17, with 3 mags of 15 rounds each.
Next to him lay a second horse like creature , it had tufts on its ears and bag like wings. Although it’s eyes were closed, it had Cat like irises, and a pair of fang like teeth. He had a dark olive green uniform jacket on, carefully concealing the double barrel snub shotgun that lay under it, strapped a
The last occupant lay on his back in the middle of the tank, a dog like creature, with a somewhat stockier build, lay slumped in the back of the vehicle.
“UURK” the griffin gagged as he fell out of he vehicle and threw up onto the ground, coughing, several of the other strange characters followed suit, diving from their vehicles to empty their stomachs as soon as possible.
“I knew I shouldn’t have eaten dat second MRE” groaned out the dog like creature groaned, his slight southern accent slipping in as he coughed a few more times over the side of the massive metal tank.
“Gots to agree with you man, I feel like I just ate a bunch of nails, and their scrapping my throat on the way out!” Mumbled a rather sickly stallion who lay out the back of the transport truck, finishing cleaning out his stomach contents.
A few others threw up as they groaned out, after several minutes of doing so, they stopped, all of them sagging against their respective vehicles, one of them, a griffin who sat by the supply truck scanned the passengers of the massive tank. His talon slipped into his pocket and slowly withdrew his M1911 and raised it at the bug like creature.
Her response was to slowly lift her own M4, taking careful aim at his chest. “H-how about you lower that peashooter of yours.” She said with a smirk, causing the griffin to chuckle.
“Jeez alright, bit only if you lower yours as well.” He did with a shrug, his eyes glinting in the moonlight through the heavy snow. She stared straight into his eyes and he stared back, not daring to drop her gaze.
“Sure.” She answered and lowered her rifle, seconds after the griffin followed, holstering his handgun, and flashing a sharp and short salute, chucking.
“uh... sorry to interrupt but...” groaned one of the tank crew, a pitch black griffin hen “What the hell is going on?” She mumbled out weakly as she attempted to stand, only to cling to the vehicle in a tired hold to stay standing up.
“N-not sure completely...” groaned out a second crew member, a dog looking figure wearing a uniform and wearing a pair of prescription glasses, on his back was a M21 M14A sniper rifle, set with a variable scope.
A third soldier crawled out of the hatch, a thin looking dark red male dragon, who’s tail followed him as he fell unceremoniously out of the tank, giving a grunt as he landed.
“Uh...guess we aren’t in Kansas no more.” A British accented voice called out as somebody peaked out through the hatch, his pistol floating next to him in a small deep dark blue hand.
“I would have to agree with you toto!” Replied back to Brown furred mare, floating the M4 still pointing at the griffin.
“Inde-hey don’t call me toto!” The annoyed soldier said, looking up at the mare with a annoyed expression. The mare gave a dry chuckle and looked back to the griffin, intrigued by him.
Said Griffin was examining rather strange change and was examining himself, nodding with a pleased expression, “I don’t look to bad at all, no sir” he said with a chuckle, looking at how his body’s seemed to be covered in feather, enjoying the feeing of warmth in the night as the snow slowly fell down from the sky.
Most of the others hard started to feel the snow and observed their surroundings, one of the tank crew, who seemed to be similar with his appearance to a big like pony, who’s name ‘Priv. Clank’ marked on his uniform started to check the others, “Is everyone alright?” He asked,looking to both the soldier and the two heavily armed civilians.
“I’m tired and confused, but otherwise as good as I’ll get.” replied the griffin as he walked over to the stallion laying in the back of the truck who was starting to go through some of the crates checklists to see what they now had.
“So...what now..?” Asked one of the soldier,who could be identified as the sleek and skinny dragon, red in color and standing at 6,1.
“Well...I’m not entirely sure, but form our location, and the fact that we’re in a rather different environment, I advise we don’t kill each other?” Offered the mare as she jumped out of the hatch and landed gracefully on her four legs, her M4 floating next to her.
“I don’t mind that one bit, what do you think James?” Asked the stallion as he looked to his griffin companion.
“I’m good with that.” He replied and stretched out his wings, slowly flapping them to test them, he grinned and gave a strong flap, propelling him into the air and onto a cloud.
“HOLY CRAP I CAN STAND ON CLOUD, YESSSSS!” He cried out excitedly and quickly focused himself on searching the area around him, trying to spot something indicating society. It was a few minutes as his eyes scavenged the frozen waste.
“Hey I see something! It’s some massive fire! Burning pretty bright, about 20 minutes from out current location, bearing East!” He called down, listing off the locations.
The soldiers listened intently, “Roger that, hop on down here” the unicorn mare, her name being Lieutenant Lea March, shouted up to the griffon, who jumped and landed, using a combat roll to break any possible risk of injury.
The mare smiled, “Alright, our objective is to locate where we are, then why we are here, our nearest location is the fire, let’s check it out, then we’ll figure out what’s next!” She shouted, “Am I clear!”
she received several nods and shouts of “yes ma’am!” from those in the clearing, as everybody quickly got to work, one of the extra soldiers who had been riding the tank, the dog carrying. The tactical rifle, jumped into the truck bed, right next to James, who nodded to him as the truck started up and they started to move, the tank plowing through the snow, pushing past heavily snowed over trees and grass, intent for a short journey to stay that way.