//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Salvation // by Sandstorm Inkwell //------------------------------// Opening my eyes, I was met with the view of a clear, blue sky. Not a cloud was present, which I found quite pleasing. I blinked a couple times as my head began to pound. Lifting I hand to my head, I frowned when it hit my helmet instead. Holding my eyes shut, I laid my hand back onto the grass and tried to content myself with looking at the- Grass! My eyes snapped open, my head rolling to the side. As clear as the sky above, I saw grass beneath me with... apple trees on the edge of the clearing. Rolling my head the other way, I saw something that sent a shock through my veins. Jones was laying on the grass with Gonzales knelt over him. Blood stained both their uniforms and I was sure I could see it staining the grass beneath Jones. Sitting up straight, I looked straight to see the Humvee. It was on it's right side, the front rammed into one of the beautiful apple trees. Of course, I also couldn't help but noticed that everything seemed... lighter in color. It was as if no “imperfect” coloring existed. The leaves were all green, the apples all bright red, the trunks a pleasing brown. Even the grass looked lush, every single blade of it. Looking down at myself, I saw that I was still in full gear. The vest was still around my torso with everything still attached. My M4 was still clipped to the one-point sling hanging from the front of the vest and I still felt the weight my M9 sitting nicely in it's drop leg holster. A slight movement of my jaw indicated that my ACU mask was still over my lower face, nose included while I used my hand to see that my goggles were sitting on the brim of my helmet where I put them. Lastly, I looked to see that my right kneepad was over the kneecap while my left kneepad was around my ankle, like how it was. As I looked, however, I couldn't help but notice the blood on my uniform. I couldn't find a wound, so I was relatively safe to assume that it must have been some of Jones' blood. Before I could delve into it any more, I heard someone walk up to me and stop. Looking up, I saw the tall, impassive form that I had grown familiar with. Without saying anything, Smiley lowered his hand to help me to my feet. Grasping the offered hand, I felt myself being yanked to my feet. Smiley, who didn't actually smile much, wore an ACU mask like I did but he also had tinted goggles over his eyes, making him seem non-human as none of his skin was showing. In his left hand, he held his M249 Squad Assault Weapon. “Where the hell are we?” I asked once I was on my feet. All I got was a shrug to which I gave a shrug back, “Yeah, me neither. How's Jones?” Smiley looked over at Gonzales before looking back at me, “Gonz says he'll make it,” Smiley answered with another shrug. I was about to ask where the Sergeant was when I heard his voice echo from the Humvee, “This is Sentinel Three. Anyone on this net, please respond!” A short pause where I could briefly hear static, “Damn it!” A pair of hands then shot out of the driver said door, which was now the relative top of the Humvee, and grabbed the edge. Sarge hauled himself out of the vehicle to sit on the frame. When he was sitting, he looked over at Smiley and me. A small smile came to his face, which was uncovered, “Glad to see you're up. I'm guessing Smiley filled you in?” “That we know nothing?” “Basically.” A loud sigh made my head turn toward where Jones lay. Slowly, Gonzales got to his feet and turned toward the three of us. He gave a brief shrug, “I was able to get the bullet out and it didn't seem to have done any harm so I just wrapped him up. We'll just have to wait and see.” Silence fell upon us as we stood pondering the fate of our friend. It was broken by a snapping twig, which was like thunder in the silence. Within a second, our guns were pointing outward. Gonzales slowly knelt down in such a way that one leg went over Jones' unconscious form in a protective fashion. A pair of eyes suddenly appeared from behind one of the trees. “Contact. My twelve.” I reported in an almost calm voice while zeroing my rifle on the tree. “Reference the Humvee.” replied the Sergeant. Glancing back, I saw how the Humvee was and where I was facing according to it. “Four o'clock,” I amended, now facing the tree again. The eyes were gone. Now I was scanning the trees again. “Six o'clock,” I heard Gonzales report. Looking, I saw eyes looking through a bush. They were... big. Too big for any being that I knew of. “And it's gone,” Gonzales added. I heard Smiley give a low growl. “Come on out!” shouted the Sergeant, his rifle still up and ready. That was when I heard the whispering. From the sudden commotion of movement, I could tell that my squadmates had heard it as well. Tired of the waiting, I took a step towards the whispering. With a flurry of... hooves, the whispering stopped and whoever was doing it started to make a hasty retreat. I hesitated. Glancing back, I saw Sarge use his rifle to motion towards the noise, “You and Smiley go! Follow them!” I nodded my head before breaking into a full sprint after whoever, or whatever, was spying on us. A quick glance back confirmed that Smiley was indeed following me. We ran fast and hard, the apple trees zipping by us as we tried to catch up to the people ahead of us. I only caught brief glimpses of hooves or a horse's ear. What I saw confused me as two of the horses, young horses by the look of things, were of unnatural colors. A voice drifted back to Smiley and me. I assumed they were yelling since it reached us, “Scootaloo! Go get help and bring them to the clubhouse!” I couldn't hear the answer, if there was one, but I did hear some of the hoof sounds break from the main source. Without saying anything, Smiley and me both decided that the bigger group would be better to follow. That meant, however, that soon we may have to deal with more of whoever these people were at this “clubhouse”. Are they kids? I thought to myself while jumping over a fallen branch. Hearing hooves on wood, I wasn't all that surprised when we came into a small clearing. In the center was a large appletree, a clubhouse built in it with a ramp leading from the ground to the clubhouse and another leading to a little observatory at the top. Skidding to a stop, I looked at Smiley. With a quick nod, Smiley and I walked close to the clubhouse. I had lowered my rifle while Smiley stood ready, glancing behind us every couple of steps for whatever “help” the other one was bringing. Motioning for Smiley to stop, I took a couple more steps to the clubhouse before raising my empty hands and standing still. “Hello?” I called out, trying to calm my voice and make it sound gentle, “I'm not gonna hurt you. Neither is my friend. We are lost and just want to talk.” A brief silence before, “Go away!” Slowly lowering my mask, I tried again, “Please! My friends and I are lost and just need to talk.” “Talk to us than.” Turning around, I saw a sight that confounded me. Standing before me were two... ponies and the little pony. The little pony, who had an orange coat and purple mane and tail was hiding behind the pony that had a lighter orange coat with a yellow mane and tail and a cowboy hat on it's head. Standing to that pony's right was a pony that was bigger than the other adult that had a red coat and orange mane and tail with a work collar around his neck. I glanced at Smiley and, even though his SAW was now aimed squarely at the bigger of the two ponies, he gave a small shake of his head. Looking back at the ponies, I saw the blonde maned one open it's mouth. “Well, do you wanna talk or not?” My mouth was agape. It just... spoke. It spoke like a human but, that shouldn't have been possible. “You can talk?” I asked, my surprise evident. “That's what you wanted ain't it?” it asked in frustration before turning toward the big, red pony, “Isn't that what this ugly Diamond Dog wanted Big Mac?” “Eeyup,” was the reply from the big, red pony. Again, my mouth hung agape. My mind was also plunged into a sea of memories from when I was in High School. I remember being at my computer watching a show about ponies and friendship and... Holy shit. “Ma'am,” I started cautiously, “My friend and I are not Diamond Dogs. We are humans who somehow ended up in your orchard of apple trees. While trying to-” “What in tarnation are you babbling about?” the blonde maned pony, Applejack I now remembered, asked. To iterate her aggravation, she stomped her hoof against the ground and snorted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Smiley tense. Realizing I was short on time, I tried to hurry up. “We are not from anywhere near Equestria and yet, by some form of magic, have ended up crashed in your orchard. We heard voices and tried to call out whoever it was but, I'm afraid we ended up scaring them. Our training took over and we gave pursuit. If I had known they were little fillies, I wouldn't have chased them.” I could feel Smiley's questioning stare boring into the back of my head. It didn't faze me though as I stared at Applejack, awaiting a response. As if by second thought I looked toward Smiley and said, “Lower your weapon.” the obvious look my way was enough to convey his feelings. “Now!” I repeated, almost shouting it. I watched as he bitterly, and slowly, lowered the powerful weapon until it was pointing at the ground. Looking back at Applejack, I raised the corner of my lips up enough so that it could be considered as a smile without showing any of my teeth. Applejack glanced between Smiley and me while her brother just stared at Smiley with malice. “Listen,” I started, “I know how hard this may be to believe.” “You're darn right it is!” “My friends and I-” “'Friends'? There's more of you?” she asked, some more protective driven anger flashing. “Yes,” I answered with a mental cringe at the response, “Three more with one of us being badly hurt. Listen we'll be in a clearing out in that direction,” I pointed, “I'm sure the three fillies will be able to tell the way. Now, if you would allow, my friend and I would like to head back to the clearing and make sure our hurt friend is still okay. If you wish to speak, which I hope you do, we will be waiting for you. And I promise, no weapons will be pointed at anypony else.” Applejack looked me in the eye before looking to calm down slightly. “Go,” she ordered while pointing a hoof to the side. I nodded my head and bowed slightly before giving Smiley a light push away from the standoff. When we were about a quarter of the way to the clearing, he turned to me. “What the hell happened back there?” “Smiley. Have you ever heard of the show My Little Pony?” A brief silence, “Yeah, one of my friends back home watched it. Called himself a 'Brony'. Even tried to get to watch it.” “What if I told you that we somehow ended up inside that show?” A longer silence, “So, what you're saying is that we are inside a kid's show? And you know this how?” I sighed and chuckled, “Because I'm a Brony. Now come on, we need to hurry.” The jog back to the clearing was... uneventful to say the least. Smiley became quiet as soon as we started to jog, probably contemplating what I had said. This didn't irritate me, however. I was used to his silence and it also gave me time to think on what I was going to say to Gonz and the Sarge. I sighed again. It was going to be a long day.