“We are the Regiment that “Of the Troops” was born,
We are the Regiment that “For the Troops” was formed.
Military Police Corps,
In peace and war is there,
To Assist, Protect, Defend our own,
No matter when or where.”
- The Military Police Corps Regimental March

No response was made as the soldier manning the radio threw the mic down in frustration. Bullets were flying from almost every direction, and the leading Humvee was down and out after getting hit by an IED moments earlier. The convoy section was ambushed by Taliban fighters shortly after that explosion. How could they let their guard down easily like that?

“We need to use that old house for cover!! We gotta move as the gunners provide suppressive fire!!” Private Wyatt yelled out as he pointed to an old-looking stone building 15 meters from the right side of the convoy.

“Good thinking!! All right, everyone. On my go, we head for that house!!” Staff Sergeant Baker said as he readied himself and watched the others do the same.

“You and the others do that! I’ll stay out here and see if I can call for help again.” First Lieutenant Reyes said as he entered the passenger side of his Humvee to man the radio. “Now get going!!!”

Twenty-four-year-old Specialist Garrett Mitchell looked from the Humvee gunners to the old house and back again. The Humvee he was hiding behind was right behind the one the sergeant was hiding behind. Deep inside, he was beginning to feel nervous and breath heavily as bullets kept flying over his and the others’ heads while other bullets ricocheted from the trucks. “Damn, this just gets uglier and uglier.” He said with concern.

“Yeah, tell me about it. I hope you’re enjoying your second time downrange, Mitchell.” Another private complimented with sarcasm in his voice.

The Specialist rolled his eyes at the compliment. “Shut your mouth, would ya? This is serious!!”

The sergeant looked up at the sporadic directions of enemy fire waiting for the perfect opportunity. “Hold it... Hold it...” He said himself as the firing from one direction began to die down. “Go, go, go!!!”

As Humvee gunners stayed to continue firing back, the soldiers entered the house one by one. Some were left behind to assist the gunners. Garrett sighed in relief after entering the old house, but they were not out of the woods yet. “We have to hold them off here until help arrives!” The sergeant said before getting replies from his remaining squad – including Garrett.

Eventually, they began to fire back at the enemy once again. Garrett fired a few rounds from his M4 carbine before ducking behind cover. The only noticeable attachments he had on his weapon were an ACOG scope and a fore-grip. He also had a Beretta M9 pistol secured in his drop holster on his upper-right thigh and two M67 fragmentation grenades in their respective pouches. He got up to fire again, but caught site of an enemy aiming an RPG-7 at them. “RPG, RPG!!” yelled the specialist as the rocket flew through the air and hitting the ground near the house. Another rocket went off near the convoy and followed by a couple of others.

“You got to be kidding me!!” Another specialist yelled out as he covered his head behind cover. The Taliban fighters were showering them with rocket-propelled grenades. Things may be turning for the worse.

Garrett peaked up from cover only to see a rocket flying directly at him. He was about to move out of the way, but it seemed it was too late for him. He heard the cut-off sound of the explosion as his vision turned to white.

So this was it... This was his time now. He was afraid this moment will come for him, but it happened anyway. The soldier survived his first tour, but his second became his last. His family... His friends... All of his loved ones... They will never see him again. As he lingered in his thoughts and trying to relive some of his memories, all what Garrett can do now was accepting his fate. At least there will be no pain, sorrow, suffering, or anything like that where he was going... Hopefully.

Eventually, his world turned to black. Funny... It looked like someone turned off the light in the room.

Garrett began to open his eyes weakly as he heard what sounded like trotting and wheels turning. Despite his blurred vision, all he could see now was the clear blue sky through his dark shaded ballistic glasses and... Trees? Was he really dead?

“Fluttershy, are ye sure you wanna bring this fella to your place? He looks kinda... Weird...” A female voice with a cowgirl accent can be heard and the injured MP soldier tried to turn his head to see who it was exactly, but to no avail. Wait... Someone here is speaking English and has that country accent. What was going on here? From his peripheral vision, however, he could see that was lying down on some wooden carriage.

“Yes... I’m sure of it. I just don’t want to leave the poor thing here alone in the forest with all these wounds, Applejack.” Another female voice was heard and this time; the tone sounded timid.

A third female voice rang out. “Just let me know when he’s awake, Fluttershy. I have so many questions to ask him. The others may like to see this too. I’ll fetch them after we bring him to your cottage.” Before he got the chance to turn his head to the direction of the third voice, Garrett was slipping back to unconsciousness. Odd, he could have sworn he barely saw a lavender colored figure and a yellow colored one...

“I just can’t believe my eyes... I never thought I would actually be able to see one up close. I thought they were all just a myth.. I gotta write letter about this to Princess Celestia.”

Those were the last sentences Garrett heard coming from the third female voice, before slipping into unconsciousness again. What was going on? What the heck was she talking about anyway?

Assist, Protect, Defend... Equestria?

by Dat Merc

Prologue