//------------------------------// // Know Your Role... // Story: The Noble Guardians // by nobreiner //------------------------------// “Holy Horseapples, look at this guy!” “You think he’s a new recruit?” “Must be. But look at the size of him!” “I’m just glad he’s on our side.” These voices gradually drew Jorge back into the waking world, and he slowly opened his eyes, yawning loudly. Blinking the sleepiness from his eyes, Jorge hauled himself out of his cot, instinctively rising up on two feet, before gravity reminded him of his new physiology and he crashed down onto all fours. Eyes shooting open in realization, Jorge looked down and sighed as he saw the two massive orange hooves beneath him. Looking up, Jorge cocked his head in confusion as he beheld the two ponies before him. One was a Pegasus, the other a Unicorn, and both were staring at him in wide-eyed astonishment. The Pegasus looked like any of the Guards he had seen previously, with a white coat and blue tail, while his golden armor and helmet hid his mane and Cutie Mark. The Unicorn, however, drew his attention. For some odd reason, his coat was two-toned. From his neck upwards, he was coal grey, with a helmet obscuring his mane. His body, however, was colored a ruddy orange, with a forest-green tail and a Cutie Mark depicting, of all things, a Maple Leaf. Aside from the helmet, the Unicorn seemed to have shed the rest of his armor. As Jorge looked on, the two guards seemed to realize they were staring, and quickly looked away sheepishly. The Pegasus guard gave an awkward cough before stepping forward, extending a hoof to shake. “Hey there, rookie. Name’s Corporal Whirlwind. This here’s Private Autumn.” He gestured to the Unicorn, who gave him a nod. Taking the offered hoof in his own, Jorge gave it a firm shake, responding, “Chief Warrant Officer Sierra-Oh-Five-Two. Call me Jorge.” Quickly realizing he was in the presence of a superior officer, Whirlwind released Jorge’s hoof to bring his own up into a crisp salute, Autumn doing the same behind him. Jorge gave a small laugh at their expense, shooting them a grin. “At ease.” The guards relaxed, and the Whirlwind opened his mouth to stammer an apology, but was stopped as Jorge raised a hoof to silence him. “No worries, Corporal. I just transferred in from another unit.” He lied smoothly. “I don’t expect you to recognize me out of uniform.” Whirlwind sighed, and grinned in return, as Autumn gave a relieved sigh. “Thanks, sir.” The Corporal said. “Anyway, we were just ending our shift, so don’t mind us.” Jorge nodded, and the to guards turned back to their own cots. As Jorge looked on, Autumn’s horn was shrouded in a green glow similar to his tail, and after being enveloped in a similar glow, his helmet lifted from his head. To Jorge’s surprise, as the helmet was removed, a flash appeared around Autumn’s head, starting from his neck before moving up to envelope his face. As the glow died, Jorge saw that his head and neck had lost their dark coloration and now matched the rest of his body, and a forest green mane now adorned his head. Jorge curiously looked to Whirlwind, to see him removing his own breastplate, the same flash of light revealing an off-white coat on his chest. Guess their coats are just part of the uniform. Jorge mused. His curiosity sated, he cast his gaze about the room to find most of his teammates were still asleep, though Carter and Six were both absent. This didn’t surprise him; besides Carter, Jorge had usually been the earliest to rise after Noble got some R&R. As for Six, well he hadn’t seen the Spartan sleep for more than a couple hours at a time. How she managed to function that way was anyone’s guess, but Jorge chose not to mention it. It was obvious she was more than capable with or without sleep. Jorge became curious as to the whereabouts of the two Spartans, however, and turned to Whirlwind and Autumn. They had both shed their armor, and were chatting idly. Walking up to them, Jorge gestured to the two Spartans’ empty cots and said, “Any idea where my mates went? I know we’re supposed to meet the Princess later, but I assumed she meant all of us.” The two guards only looked to Jorge in confusion, before Autumn responded, “Sorry sir, but we just got here. We don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” Next to him, Whirlwind nodded in agreement, and Jorge thanked the two before turning back to the sleeping forms of his squad. He considered waking them, and decided it would be best for them to be ready to meet the Princess. Walking up to Emile, Jorge regarded his prone form for a moment before lashing forward with one hoof, slugging him in the gut and causing him to fall out of the bed with a cry. The groggy Spartan looked up at Jorge with a glare. “God dammit Jorge, I hate it when you do that!” Emile groaned, slowly pulling himself to his hooves. Looking down at them, then scanning Jorge’s form with a critical eye, he muttered, “Ah crap. So much for this shit just being a dream.” Jorge, still chuckling at Emile’s misfortune, answered, “Why do you think I do it? Now come on, help me wake up the others, we need to be ready when the Commander and Six get back.” Sparing a glance towards Carter and Six’s empty cots, Emile nodded reluctantly, and trotted over to Jun, roughly shaking the marksman into consciousness. Jorge, meanwhile, walked over to Kat and laid a hoof on her side, gently shaking her. The Unicorn gave an incomprehensible mumble, before her eyes cracked open to regard Jorge curiously. Casting a look over to Emile waking Jun, Kat nodded to Jorge. Jorge stepped back as Kat pulled herself to her hooves with a grunt. After working the kinks out of her neck with a series of small pops, Kat glanced about the room, before turning to Jorge and saying, “Where are the Commander and Lieutenant?” Jorge shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe meeting with the Princess, getting our training set up. Could just be getting breakfast, who knows?” Jorge’s question was answered as the door to the Barracks flew open and Carter stepped inside, closely followed by Noble Six. Carter regarded the assembled Spartans with approval, before saying, “Good to see you on your feet, Noble. Or, hooves at least. Six and I have just met with the Princess; we have our first training session in ten mikes. Let’s move.” The Spartans nodded in affirmation, a chorus of “Yes sir” answering him. Quickly turning around, Carter strode out of the Barracks with Noble Team in tow, proceeding to where Celestia had instructed him to meet her. The trip was short, and within minutes the Spartans stepped through a set of doors into what appeared to be some sort of courtyard. It was large, roughly the size of a baseball field. The ground was covered in dirt; there was no grass growing there. Several areas had been roped off into small arenas, most likely for sparring. In other places, racks of weights and targets took up spaces near the walls. Jorge scanned the field before focusing his gaze on the three lone figures besides Noble in the room. The first he easily recognized as the Princess, her tall stature and flowing mane making her easily recognizable. The other two, however, were strangers to him. The first was a Unicorn, his blue armor matching his rather scraggly two-toned mane, and his white coat matching that of the Princess. Unlike the other guards, his Cutie Mark was visible; a blue shield overlaid with an image that Jorge found to be somewhat familiar, but couldn’t quite place. The second figure, a Pegasus, was decked out in the traditional Guard armor, albeit with a unique red trim. His coat was unaltered, a slate grey similar to Carter’s mane. His Cutie Mark was obscured, but his tail wasn’t; it’s jagged shape and blonde coloration immediately drawing Jorge’s attention. As the Spartans approached, the two eyed Noble with some interest, mixed with a small amount of trepidation. Drawing up to the Princess, Carter snapped a salute. “Reporting as ordered, ma’am.” He said, as Noble gave similar salutes behind him. Celestia smiled. “Good to see you, Commander. I am happy to see you are all well rested. You will begin your training today.” She gestured to the two Guards behind her as she continued, “These two will be your Unicorn and Pegasus combat instructors. Royal Guard Commander Shining Armor and Royal Air Force Wing Commander Maelstrom.” The two guards nodded in turn as they were introduced, and stepped forward to greet the Spartans. Shining Armor spoke up first. “I’ll be your and the Lieutenant Commander’s Instructor.” He said to Carter. “I look forward to working with you.” He stuck out a hoof to shake, and Carter accepted it, smiling appreciatively. Maelstrom stepped up to Six and Jun. “I’ll be teaching you two how to dominate the sky. By the time I’m done, they’ll be afraid to take off without your say-so.” The two Pegasi nodded affirmatively. Emile and Jorge, meanwhile, looked on awkwardly, looking to the Princess in confusion. She shrugged apologetically in response. “I’m afraid your instructor hasn’t arrived yet. But not to worry, he should be along soon. His name is-“ Suddenly the doors to the training field flew open, and an Earth Pony stallion marched into the room. He was large, nearly as tall as Emile, and his coat was a solid steel the same as Six’s. His mane, a chestnut brown, was shaved into a regulation crew cut, and his tail was sheared almost completely off as well. Unlike the other Guards, this stallion’s armor covered almost his entire body, stopping only at his neck, with the rest completely enshrouded under dark metallic plates. On his shoulders were marked with the image of three triangular stripes atop two rounded ones, and between them was a set of two crossed swords. This new stallion strode past the Spartans without a word, stopping before the Princess and delivering a crisp salute. Celestia eyed him for a moment. “You’re late, Gunnery Sergeant.” The stallion lowered his hoof. “Apologies ma’am.” He said. “I was off duty when I got your message. Your courier had to wake me up.” He chuckled. “No easy feat, I can tell you that.” Celestia nodded. “I understand. I apologize for disturbing you.” The Gunnery Sergeant shrugged. “Yeah well, here I am. So who’re these ponies I’ll be giving a combat crash-course to?” Celestia gestured to Emile and Jorge. “These are your charges, Warrant Officer Emile and Chief Warrant Officer Jorge.” Turning to the Spartans, Celestia continued, “Nobles Four and Five, I would like to introduce you two to your instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Double Buck, of the Equestrian Royal Maritime Service.” Double Buck stepped forward. “Just call me gunny. Everypony else does. So, are you two green as grass, or have you gotten your hooves wet?” He asked, scanning over the two with a critical eye. Emile laughed. “I can’t imagine us getting much wetter.” The Gunnery Sergeant nodded, cracking a grin. Celestia eyed the assembled ponies for a moment, before saying, “Very well. You all have your orders. I must attend to my duties, but I will be back in a few hours to check your progress.” The soldiers nodded, and the Princess returned the gesture before turning and marching off the fields and through the doors, as they magically drew shut behind her. Shining Armor was the first to speak up after the Princess’ departure, saying, “Alright, let’s split into groups of three. We’ll keep our training separate, so we don’t get in each other’s way. Got it?” The ponies nodded, and split into three groups, Carter, Kat and Shining taking one corner, Jun, Six, and Maelstrom taking another, and Emile, Jorge, and Buck remaining near the door. Turning to the Spartans, Buck began, “Alright, so first things first, I need to know your specializations; I wasn’t given enough time to be fully briefed on the way over here. So, what’re your roles?” Jorge answered first. “Support Gunner and Heavy Weapons.” Buck nodded and looked to Emile. “Close Quarters and Assault Specialist.” Buck smiled. “Couldn’t find a role better suited to Earth Ponies then.” Buck began to pace back and forth in front of them. “Now, you may think that Earth Ponies got the short end of the evolutionary stick. A Pegasus will always be faster, and a Unicorn will always be more versatile. You may think that being born an Earth Pony made you suited to being a farmer, while combat could be left to those who can actually wield a blade. This is Horseapples.” The Spartans said nothing in return, and he continued, “We may not have wings, or magic, but Earth Ponies have something that makes us more dangerous than any other type of pony out there: Tenacity. You will never find a tougher son of a bitch than an Earth Pony Marine. We can take hits that would cripple a Pegasus, and shrug off blows that would leave a normal Unicorn’s shield completely shattered. Furthermore, we are easily the strongest of the three. A solid buck from an Earth Pony is a damn sight more powerful than any Pegasus or Unicorn can hope to make.” Buck ceased his pacing, before looking over Emile and Jorge with a critical eye. “That means that in combat, it’s our job to take the hits. We can handle it, the other races can’t. You take the brunt of the enemy fire, and you dish it back out tenfold, got it?” The Spartans nodded in confirmation. Buck smiled. “Good. Now let’s get to work.” Commander Shining Armor looked over Carter and Kat with a curious eye. Just this morning he had received orders that he would be training two new additions to the Guard. He was confused at first, and this confusion only grew when he learned that the two ponies he had assumed would be recruits were in fact a Commander and Lieutenant Commander, respectively. Now, seeing the two Unicorns before, him, his confusion gave way to outright bewilderment. They were massive, with even the mare standing a half a head taller than himself. Many questions ran through his mind, namely how these two could have achieved the status of officers without even being trained in how to use combative magic. Clearly they were experienced in combat, the mare bore deep scars and even had an entire foreleg missing, replaced by what Shining could only assume to be a robotic replacement, something several decades ahead of modern Equestrian medicine. The stallion too, bore scars, though these came in the form of a weary depth to his gaze, one that suggested he had been through many sleepless nights. But, Shining reflected, it wasn’t his job to ask questions. He had orders to train these two in magic, and if he wanted to have any hope of taking Captain Aegis’ place when he finally chose to retire, he would be wise to do just that, no questions asked. “Alright.” He began. “Before we begin, how much experience do you have in magic?” The two Spartans looked to him dubiously, and the mare looked to the stallion, who nodded. “Basic levitation.” Kat said, shrugging. Shining blanched at the distinct lack of experience, but nodded, looking to Carter. “None whatsoever.” Carter said, his tone flat. This caused Shining Armor’s mouth to nearly drop open in shock, but he reigned himself in. “Well.” He said, searching for the appropriate response to the situation. “I wasn’t expecting that. But, it could be worse. I think.” He cleared his throat, preparing for a lecture worthy of his LSBFF, and continued, “The first thing you need to know about magic is that it is a Unicorn’s greatest tool. Magic gives Unicorns like us a versatility that in a combat situation allows us to single-hoofedly control the flow of battle. That being said, magic can also be dangerous. It requires concentration, control, and most importantly, will. A skilled magician can hold off an army with a single spell. A poor one can kill every one of his men just as easily. In regards to combat, there are two major classes of magic: Offensive, and Defensive. You will quickly find that one will come much easier to you than the others.” He paused to turn to his right, displaying his side for them. Gesturing to his Cutie Mark, he continued, “As you can see here, I am personally exceptional at Defensive Magic.” As an example, his horn lit up in a magenta glow, and in a flash he was surrounded in a shimmering bubble of the same coloration. “This is just a basic shield,” He continued, “but if I so desired I could make one powerful enough to protect all of Canterlot.” The shield dissipated, and Shining looked to the two Spartans expectantly. “So, now that you know that, lets get started on how to harness your magic. I need you to clearly focus on your horns, feel your energy pour into them.” The Spartans complied, focusing their energy, and were surprised to find that their horns ignited into a pair of magical auras, Carter’s blue and Kat’s cyan. Shining Armor sighed, relieved to see that they at least had the ability to harness their magic without incident. “Good, very good. Now, I need you to try and control it. We’re going to try a basic levitation spell.” Trotting over to a nearby rack of weights, Shining scanned them briefly before settling on two large 50-pound weights. Lifting them with his magic, he brought them back to Carter and Kat and deposited them on the ground before them. “Let’s see how long you can keep these in the air. Just focus your attention, try and picture them lifting up.” The Spartans nodded, and each looked to their respective weights, concentration etched upon their faces. Kat was the first to succeed, her previous experience allowing her to lift the weight with relative ease. After a moment, Carter’s weight did the same, slowly lifting into the air, coming to a halt at eye level. Looking over the two Unicorns, Shining Armor nodded. “Good work. This is just the beginning. When I’m done, there won’t be a single situation that you won’t have the spell for.” Commander Maelstrom led Six and Jun to the center of the courtyard, before turning to face them. “Alright. My name is Wing Commander Maelstrom. For the next week, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to truly be a Pegasus. When I’m done, you two will own the sky, and you’re going to have to if you’re going to be any use. You may be the toughest Pegasi around, but if you try to engage your enemy head-on, then you’re being an idiot. Our agility and speed are our greatest assets, and if you intend to forget that, you may as well clip your wings right now. If you don’t then your allies may very well just do it for you. They’ll rely on your speed. It’ll be your job to land the first hit, and to keep hitting before your target can recover. I’m going to teach you to use your wings to their full potential, so that when you engage the enemy, you’ll actually be worth a damn. Understood?” The two Spartans nodded in confirmation, and Maelstrom smiled. “Good. Now try to keep up.” With that, Maelstrom flared his wings and in a flash was gone. Six looked to Jun, who met her gaze with a cocksure grin, and in unison the Spartans leapt into the air, following the Commander. 5 Days, 16 Hours Later… Carter sat on his cot, silently recollecting Noble Team’s time training under Shining Armor, Double Buck, and Maelstrom. Overall, he was thrilled at how quickly Noble had adopted the new forms of fighting, but as he looked about the room and saw each of his fellow Spartans settling down to sleep, he smiled and conceded that he wasn’t surprised. He and Kat had quickly adopted magic into their repertoire, the latter to an almost overzealous degree. For each spell that Shining Armor presented to them, Kat quickly grasped it, be it simple levitation to a complex incineration spell. He himself had also expanded his magical knowledge considerably, quickly mastering a respectable array of spells that would prepare him for most enemy engagements. Carter quickly learned that Commander Armor had been correct in saying that they would quickly find a preferred class of magic, but what he neglected to mention until later was that the opposite held true as well. No matter how he practiced them, his offensive spells remained relatively weak, unable to do much damage and at best only capable of incapacitating a target, not killing them. To compensate for this, however, Carter’s talent in Defensive Magic was nearly unparalleled, matched only by that of Shining Armor himself. Upon testing the strength of his shield, Carter quickly discovered that the ground beneath him was likely to collapse long before his shield did, be it stone or even the marble halls of the Castle (He mentally noted that he still had to apologize to the Princess for that particular incident). Kat meanwhile, had found her talents to be Carter’s opposite. Her offensive spell strength was staggering, and her levitation allowed her to propel objects with the force of a cannon, with little regards to its size. Unfortunately, her defensive spells left quite a bit to be desired. Her shields could be considered weak at best, and nonexistent at worst. It was clear that in a combat situation, Kat’s MJOLNIR shields and any cover she could find were her only options for defense against attack. Thankfully, there were other spells meant for purposes beyond combat and while Carter had little patience for them, seeing as they would be much less effective than simply using combat spells against the enemy and preferring to maintain the basic range of spells, Kat had dedicated herself to memorizing as many of them as possible. Transformation, diagnostic, and surveillance spells proved to be little challenge for the Spartan, and she added them into her arsenal with impressive ease. With regards to the Earth Pony members of his team, Carter was more than satisfied with their progress. Buck had originally begun their training with a harsh exercise regiment to test their endurance, one that left most recruits exhausted long before they could finish. After seeing the Spartans had not only finished the course, but had done so without becoming so much as winded, he quickly upped the ante. What followed was what could be considered cruel and unusual for any but a Spartan, as he pushed them to their limits. 50-Mile Marathons while bore down with hundreds of pounds of not only gear, but simple bags full of weights, were among the easiest of the tasks that the two had to complete. Surprisingly, rather than reject the brutal conditioning, the Spartans seemed to relish it. Emile had attacked the challenges presented to him with an unsettling amount of glee. When Carter had questioned him about it, the Warrant Officer had simply answered, “Are you kiddin’? I haven’t felt this alive since basic!” Whatever his reasons for accepting the training, Carter was glad he had, as the improvement in his abilities was clear to see. Emile’s previously augmented strength was now nothing short of herculean, his strikes now capable of shattering rocks and denting steel. His speed, meanwhile, had grown to the point that he could run at speeds that Jorge had referred to as “Kelly-worthy”, turning the Spartan into a blur that left anything in its wake in pieces. Jorge, meanwhile, had developed similar improvements. His strength, which before had been greater than any other Spartan, was now augmented to the point of being godlike. What was more, his endurance had increased to the point that strikes that would have possibly staggered him before now bounced off him like they were rubber. In one instance a mishap during his training had resulted in him being shot in the side by a cannon at point-blank range. An attack that would have blown even Emile off his hooves only sent Jorge stumbling back slightly. He had continued the exercise; despite later learning he had cracked two ribs and bruised four others. Carter mentally noted his relief that the healers within the Castle had been able to fix the damage, allowing the Spartan to return to duty the next day. Speaking of magic, Carter took a second to once again consider the abilities that the two Spartans had gained from becoming Earth ponies. Apparently, Earth Ponies possessed what Shining Armor referred to as “ambient magic” though Buck simply called it “horse sense”. Essentially, Earth Ponies’ connection to the Earth gave them a strange sort of what could loosely be considered precognition. It gave no true view into the future, but as Buck described it, Earth ponies sometimes get a “bad feeling” that could warn them of danger. It was very vague, however, with the warnings possibly meaning dangerous conditions, incoming attacks, or even simply ill intent from another pony. Emile was apparently dumb to this sense, saying that he, “never felt weird around danger”. Jorge, on the other hand, was akin to a savant. At random moments, Jorge could detect incoming attacks that would have hit anypony else. Carter recalled one exercise in which Jorge had been asked to walk through a room blindfolded, avoiding a veritable maze of tripwires that if triggered would launch a volley of flat, stone-tipped arrows into the Spartan. Emile had carefully made his way through the maze, setting off two of the tripwires and avoiding all but a single hit. Jorge had simply sprinted through, arrows pelting toward him but never hitting him, for at the last moment before being struck Jorge would dodge out of the path of the arrows, almost as if he had predicted their trajectory before they had even been launched. Overall, the two had become true powerhouses, and Carter knew that they would prove lethally effective in combat. Lastly were the Pegasi, Jun and Six. Maelstrom’s form of training was one of demonstration, soon followed by a test of application. Soon after teaching them to fly, Maelstrom had tasked them with going through an advanced flight course belonging to a flight group known as the Thunderbolts or something, Carter honestly couldn’t recall. He could however remember that both Spartans had passed the course in record time, however in uniquely different ways. Between the two, Jun was the fastest. If Emile was a blur, then Jun was a ray of light itself, his speed allowing him to burn through the straightaways faster than the eye could follow. His maneuverability, though, left something to be desired. On tight turns, he had to dramatically reduce his speed to have any sense of control, as a long string of crashes soon taught him. Six on the other hand, was notably slower than Jun, but also unquestionably more agile. Her top speed was still remarkably fast, but her true strength was in her ability to dodge and weave through the air. Jun could shoot through the air, but Six could dance. He thought back with a grin to one of Maelstrom’s exercises. It was profoundly simple: a game of tag, between Jun and Six. Jun had been “it” first, shooting off after Six and within moments closing the distance between them. Six however had flared her wings and promptly turned 90 degrees straight upward, letting Jun go barreling past below her. For hours it continued like this, with Jun time and time again coming close to touching the Lieutenant, only for her to evade him by mere inches. Outside of their flight abilities, Jun and Six each possessed talents in their own respective fields. Maelstrom had introduced weather manipulation, specifically the use of lightning strikes in combat, to the two Spartans, and it was Jun who took to the activity with gusto. His talent with marksmanship had certainly transferred over to his control of thunderclouds, allowing him to launch volleys of electricity with pinpoint accuracy. Six too was accurate with her lightning attacks, but if hers were the equivalent of a pistol, then Jun’s was that of his favored sniper rifle. Not to say that Six didn’t have her own talents, though. Maelstrom issued both of them their own pair of what he called “combat sheathes”. They were intricate, individual blades, personally fitted for their bearers, which fit over the primaries of the wings. They were the Pegasus Guards’ primary means of Close Quarters Combat, allowing them to use their own wings as makeshift swords. Jun proved competent with the blades, his own CQC training allowing him to use them to some effectiveness. As for Six, she became an artist, with the blades as her tools. Her skill with them was unmatched, allowing her to not only reduce targets to ribbons within seconds, but her dexterity gave her the ability to manipulate them into rudimentary shields, and even enabled her to remove the blades from her wings with one flap, sending them rocketing outward and turning them into airborne flechettes, which she could utilize with deadly accuracy. And now, they only had one more day of training. Despite the excitement of entering active duty again, Carter was worried. Shining Armor, Buck, and Maelstrom had each ended the training today with a cryptic lack of detail on what their final day of training would entail. Carter’s gut told him that tomorrow would be a very busy day. However, as he looked about the barracks and observed the sleeping forms of his team, he reflected that worrying about it wouldn’t serve to accomplish anything now. Turning over onto his side, Carter closed his eyes and fell asleep. “Hurry up, Noble Four!” “I’m going as fast as I can, sir! You can’t exactly rush this.” “Well, we got Covvies incoming fast! Blow that damn door!” “Just one second… got it! I- Oh SHIT! GET BA-“ BOOM “Three, get up on that ridge.” “Copy.” “Come on, Noble. We move through the base while she provides overwatch.” “Sir! Contacts!” “Where?” “Here! SpecOps! Dozens of them! Need assistance!” “Emile, get up there and help her!” “On my way.” “Sir, I’m pinned down, go on without me!” “Noble Four is moving in, just hang on!” “I’m sorry sir, I don’t think- Augh!” “Noble Three! Respond! Dammit Emile, get your ass up there!” “Don’t bother sir. I’m hit. It’s messy. Goodbye Carter. Noble Three, out.” “Come on, come on! Get in!” “It’s getting hot here, sir, we need to leave now!” “Negative, pilot. Just a little longer! Five, get out there and assist!” “Copy that, I’ll hold ‘em back, sir, give them time to extract!” “Alright, we’re clear! Five, get back here!” “Hang on, sir. Let me finish a few more of ‘em off!” “Negative, Spartan. Get your ass in here!” “Alright, alright, I’m coming. Good thing these bastards can’t sh-“ Schting! “Oh, shit!” “No!” “You Mother Fuckers!” “Five is down, repeat Five is down! Get us outta here!” “Noble Six, what the Hell are you doing?” “Delivering the bomb, sir.” “What? Where’s Kat, what happened to her?” “Noble Two is wounded, sir. The timer’s countin’ down, I have ta get the package to the carrier.” “Thom, there’s less than two minutes on that timer, you gotta disarm it!” “No time, that Carrier’s gettin’ ready ta glass the whole area. It’s now or never.” “…Understood. Good luck, Rifleman.” “Thank you, sir. Thom, Alpha Two-Nine-Three signing off.” “Get clear, give her some room!” “Sir, it’s no use. She’s gone.” “You don’t know that, Lieutenant! Get her helmet off!” “Sir, you don’t want to see this, she-“ “Now, Noble Six!” Sigh … “No…” “I’m sorry, sir.” “…” “It was quick. She died instantly.” “…” “Sir? Talk to me.” “Have Emile go check on the door. Make sure it holds against the glassing, and no Covenant try to cut through later. Take Jun and check the civilians, make sure none of them are injured and if they are, treat them. There are medical supplies near the back.” “…Yes, sir.” “Well? Get to it.” “What about Kat?” “… I’ll take care of her. Go.” “Yes, sir.” … … … “I’m sorry.” … Carter’s eyes snapped open, as a gasp escaped his lips. He dragged himself into an upright position, panting heavily. He quickly cast his gaze about the barracks, reassuring himself that his violent awakening hadn’t woken the others. Thankfully, all the Spartans remained sleeping in their beds. Even Six, the Lieutenant most likely having spent the night awake doing God knows what. As per the usual schedule, Carter leapt out of bed and prepared to meet the Princess so as to get his assignment for the day. It had mostly been a formality, every day she sent him to train with Shining Armor, after all, but Celestia had made it clear that he reported to her, and that’s exactly what he intended to do. However as Carter made his jump out of bed he heard a distinct rustling sound, and looked down. There, on the floor was a scroll. Lifting and unrolling it in his magic Carter scanned the message. Commander, As you know, today is your final day of training before you depart for Ponyville. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to arrange a test, a “final exam” for all of you. It is quite simple: Stay alive until the end of the day. I will contact you for extraction at sunset. Good luck. Princess Celestia Stay alive? Extraction? Carter thought, a sense of dread building up within him. Confused, Carter looked up from the letter, only to find a shocking surprise: the barracks, save for the Spartans, was empty. His mind instantly sending orders to his body, Carter rushed to the side of each Spartan, roughly shaking them until finally Noble Team was awake and on their hooves. Carter quickly relayed the message to the rest of Noble Team, to mixed results. Kat, like Carter, looked worried. Jun and Jorge appeared determined. Emile upon hearing the message gave a manic grin, his eyes flashing dangerously. Six remained silent, her head slightly tilted to the left. “What does she expect us to be facing?” Jorge asked. “The rest of the Guard?” Kat shook her head. “Doubtful.” She said. “If we were fighting the Guard, we would probably have woken up in a cell, not the barracks.” “Guesses and predictions won’t help us now.” Carter interjected. “Let’s get out of here, and find out what we’re dealing with.” The Spartans all nodded in consent and, after activating his armor and waiting for Noble to do the same, marched to the doorway of the barracks, before throwing it open. What met him beyond the doorway was the last thing he expected. Thick, lush foliage had replaced the walls of the Castle, and as Carter stepped through the doorway to get a better look, he was suddenly blasted by the noise of bird calls, animal screeches, and the soft rustling sounds of the forest. Behind him, Noble filed through the doorway, turning their heads about in order to examine their new surroundings. “Well, there’s something you don’t see every day.” Jun said, gazing up at the treetops, from which sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves. “I certainly didn’t expect that.” Jorge agreed. “This isn’t so bad.” Emile said. “I mean, it’s a forest, so what? Onyx was all forests; we can survive out here. Plus, we got the barracks, so shelter isn’t a problem.” “Actually,” Kat said worriedly. “We don’t know if any of the foliage here is edible. This isn’t like Onyx; we certainly can’t just find a map, and I don’t know if any familiar plants even grow here in Equestria, so we can’t scavenge food.” “Also,” Six continued. “I think the barracks are out of the question.” Confused, the Spartans followed Six’s gaze to find that the doorway they had passed through into the forest had vanished, without so much as a single trace it had ever existed. Emile shrugged. “Still, it’s just a forest. What’re we going to run into out here? More of those Timberwolves?” RAAAAAAAAWR!!! The Spartans simultaneously flinched as a monstrous roar echoed throughout the forest, dangerously close. Six looked back at Emile and grimly answered, “Worse.” Author’s Note: Okay, that chapter’s done! Let me know what you think, and I hope you all enjoy it! Just a quick note, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Kelly, she is a SPARTAN-II who is recognized as the fastest Spartan of the bunch. And, since she’s a SPARTAN-II, Jorge would know her from training. Also, it is recorded in Noble Team’s dossier that Carter and Kat are the only surviving members of the original team. The Nobles Three, Four, and Five that are not mentioned by name are the original members, not Jun, Emile, and Jorge. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and I’ll see you in the next one!