As the brilliant light faded, the six soldiers uncovered their eyes, and viewed what had appeared. A Challenger 2 tank. Whatever they were up to, they saw the need for heavy fire power, or at least wanted it just in case.

"Sir, we've got a settlement on the eastern edge of the forest." Said the female voice, now known as Claire.

"Varying time periods. Some have thatched roofs, while other's have a Victorian style decor. Nothing past 1800's style." She said, peering through her telescopic goggles.

"Multicoloured ponies. I'm looking at a market area, they seem to be going about business, buying goods, having conversations. It all looks like it's straight out of a cartoon for little girls." She said, taking off her headgear. She passed it to the commander, who put them on and to take a look.

"By god. What is this? Some of them are flying. Is that a unicorn? What the hell is going on here!" The commander had been in dozens of battles, and had seen men die right in front of him, but nothing could prepare him for the overwhelming level of sugar coated, rainbow, absurdity that he was seeing, and he lost his composure. The commander was good at his job, but he did not enjoy it. One should never take pleasure in war. This was the opposite of war. This was the opposite of everything he knew, and he actually felt a little happy. He had to keep up appearances though. Claire on the other hand, being the only female member of the group, was giddy.

"There is no way in hell I'm gonna tell the head of Vendetta Securities that I'm looking at candy coloured, sentient ponies!"

Vendetta Securities is a mercenary group, sanctioned by the government, that provides protection of personnel and product being transported through dangerous territory. They also go on manhunts, to capture or eliminate fugitives, corporate protection and sabotage, and various other hazard pay jobs.

"Can it Mitch, you're too much of a loose cannon to be in command of a troop." It was true. Mitch had an itchy trigger finger, and a shoot first, ask questions later mindset.

With the tank, also came supplies, enough to set up a temporary base camp, and feed the whole crew of 3, plus the tank crew, for three months. There were medical supplies, fuel, and ammunition. After setting up their tents, and hiding the tank under a camouflage net, Claire, the commander, and Mitch headed into town, in order to have a closer look around. These ponies didn't seem hostile, and the soldiers had weapons, so it's not like there was anything to be afraid of.

"Claire, you stay here, at the edge of town, we need you to cover us as we go in. We don't know what the deal is with this place." The commander ordered. Claire was a sniper, and so she was often out of the action. She took up a position just outside the forest, on top of a house that appeared double as a maple syrup shack. It even had an engraved plaque, 'Shade and Shy's Sugar Shack' hanging in front of it. She was a little upset that she couldn't go see the ponies, but she had a job to do, and besides, where she was laying down was oddly peaceful. Looking through her scope, she saw a carriage, pulled by a number of pegasi. It landed in the center of town, and out stepped a number of ponies, plus a human with black wings.

"There are humans here? I thought it was just ponies." She said to herself. Seeing the human's face made her blood run cold. She recognized him from the briefing. He looked a little different, but there was no mistaking his face.

"Thanks guys, alright, let's head home. Being gone for three days, we're definitely behind on our work. AJ, tomorrow after I finish helping Fluttershy with the animals, and Pinkie with the Sugar Shack, I'll drop by the farm." Nightshade said.

"Aww shucks, you don't need ta do that sugarcube." Applejack said, not one to easily accept help.

"Sure I do, if you can get the apple's harvested ahead of schedule, then you won't have any excuse why we can't all go to Fillydelphia beach this year." He wasn't going to let her get out of having fun that easily.

"Commander." Claire said over the radio. "I've spotted the target. He's 200 meters northeast of your position, on the other side of the gingerbread house. He is surrounded by a group of the natives, and has black feathered wings. You can't miss him."

The two soldiers had been hiding in the evening shadows, not wanting to cause a commotion. They headed in the direction of the group, and spotted them.

"Okay, we move in on my signal. 1. 2. Ah shit, he's gone." The commander watched as Nightshade, a rainbow maned pony, a yellow one with pink mane, and a smaller, orange one took to the air. The rest headed in different directions, but the group of four were headed straight for her.

"Claire, they're inbound to your position, get out of there!" She heard on the radio.

"Well well well, what have we here. I never thought I'd see another human in Equestria. From the look of you, you're military. Don't tell me that after all these years, that bastard Richie's business friends still haven't given up on finding me." The imposing figure said. Claire swallowed hard again.

"Davis, by order of the government of the United States of America, and Vendetta Securities, you are under arrest. Do not resist, and you will not be harmed." She didn't know what it was, but having him just standing in front of her, she felt like she was being crushed. He was not the same as the last time she had seen him, back when he first disappeared. in the flash of light. She had been one of the troops that surrounded him when he first came to Equestria.

"Rainbow, remember how I told you that I had to run away from my own people? Well, apparently, after five years, they finally figured out a way to come after me. This is one of the people hired to chase me, that thing she's holding is a weapon, like a cannon you hold in your hands. It can kill from over a mile away, but it almost useless up close."

"Nightshade? But you're Davis!" Claire yelled. Rainbow looked at him, and began to laugh.

"Now you know why I changed my name. Don't go telling anyone, or I'll have to tell everyone about that time that you..." Rainbow stopped laughing and cut him off, wide eyed.

"Well, she's a support fighter, so there are obviously more, I want to know how many, where they are, and how they got here. I already know where their base camp is." He said, showing Claire his teeth. She shuddered.

"Let's get her inside, and get these weapons and armor off of her. I'd like to have a chat with her without a gun in my face." He said, turning off her radio.

Mitch and the commander headed back to base in the forest, still having not been seen. They passed right by where Claire was supposed to be, but didn't find any sign of her. She didn't respond to her radio. They arrived at the camp, very upset.

"Calm down, we don't know that." The commander was trying to prevent the hotheaded youngster from blowing up.

"There's no sign of her, and she isn't answering her radio. There's no way she'd just bail. Face it cap'n, she's been nabbed."

Claire awoke to the smell of raspberries, maple syrup, carrots, and celery. Fluttershy had made a fried vegetables, using a maple glaze, and some fruit sauce, but Claire didn't know that. She got up, and found that her combat armor was gone, and just her rifle was standing in the corner of the room. She grabbed it, and swore.

She opened the door of the room she was sleeping in, and heard faint singing. She headed down the stairs, to find a yellow pony with pink mane making a breakfast of some kind. Taking a step, one of the boards creaked, and the pegasus turned around. Claire instinctively pointed her rifle at it, only to see it drop to the ground, cover it's head with it's hooves, and hide under the table, shaking. Realizing that she was scaring the poor thing, she put the rifle in the corner, and bent down.

"Hey, I'm sorry for scaring you. It's just, I woke up here, and got a little scared." She said in as soft a voice as possible. The pony stopped shaking, and looked up to see her smiling face. She got out from under the table, and looked at her.

"Listen, Fluttershy, I'm looking for someone. He looks like me, but is male, and has wings. He's very dangerous. He's a criminal, and I need to arrest him." She said, trying to convince.

"No he's not. He's kind and caring. He risked his life many times to save the innocent. He blocked this sting of a manticore, taking the venom into himself to rescue a filly, He ran into a burning building without a second thought to save a student and teacher. He took an ancient evil on himself to save it's host, then let himself be turned to stone to bind it forever. Through blind luck, he's free, and that evil is gone for good. He's a hero. Yesterday, he was knighted. We built this house together, started the worlds first maple sugar business. He adopted an orphan, who became one of this worlds best fliers, after he taught her to fly." Fluttershy recounted the things he had done for them. Her tone was not one of fear, or anger, or joy. It was plain.

"He killed a man at the head of medical research, he ran from the authorities. He killed three men who were chasing him. He crashed a helicopter, killing the pilot, and those who were near the crash." Claire told her in the same tone.

"Any who died chasing him did so by their own hooves. When they tried to kill him, he turned it back. Every injury inflicted was passed to the one who gave it to him, nothing more. When he first arrived here, he was stained with blood, ALL of it, his own." Fluttershy did not yell, but her tone was getting a little more forceful.

"We chased him because he killed an innocent man." Claire started crying, finally starting to realize what she had been doing all this time was wrong, not wanting to admit it.

"You chased him because you were lied to, and those of you who know the truth were paid to ignore it. You chased him because you wanted to get paid for catching him. Those who want him want him so they can make money off abusing his power. He ran from your world to prevent his power from being used by the rich to oppress the poor. To prevent your world from ending because of greed. He came here, and despite his pain, made this world a better place for all of us. I am truly sorry." Fluttershy said coldly. She was the element of kindness, but Claire needed to hear the truth. Once she heard it, she needed to be left alone with it for a while.

"You're lying to them and brainwashing them!" Claire screamed, not wanting to believe.

"No, that isn't my power." He said, drawing the knife he had taken from her. He handed it to her, and turned his back.

"If you don't believe her, or me, then go ahead, stab me in the back. Do your job, then go home, and get paid." Claire stood there for a moment, holding the knife. She didn't understand. Now looking at him, he didn't seem scary at all. The crushing pressure she felt when she first saw him was gone.

Claire took the blade, and quickly slashed along his arm, causing a thin line of blood to appear. She felt a pain in her own arm, and found that it was bleeding profusely. It caused her to drop the knife. He turned around, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"And now you know." He said with a frown, and walked out. Fluttershy came back in, dressed the wound, and hugged her. She knew beyond a doubt what Fluttershy had been saying was the truth. If she had gone for a lethal stab, she would have died.

"I know you've done things you regret. I can see it in your eyes. I see the same regret in his. He would never kill unless he didn't have a choice. Neither would you. But now you have to think, how many jobs have you done that you may have been lied to? I know it hurts, but it's something that needs to be done." Claire just sat there, crying into the pegasus' shoulder. She wasn't evil. Sure, she killed people, and she got paid for it. But she was killing evil people. Criminals, fugitives, assassins, terrorists, gang members, was that all a lie? Was she really just eliminating people who got in the way of big business? There was no way for her to know.

Claire had worked in the American military, and was later given a promotion to Vendetta. Every time she went on a mission, she had always been told that she was busting a crime lord, a terrorist, something. She thought that there was nothing wrong with protecting the world from evil people, and getting paid well. Vendetta were the go to guys for the really important missions.

She thought for a while. Davis, or rather, Nightshade, was no threat to them, he was in an entirely different world. As for justice, by testing his powers, she knew what Fluttershy had said to be the truth. The fact that she had been lied to about this job led her to believe she had been lied to on other jobs as well. How many innocents had she killed, or captured, who had just been trying to live their lives, and who those with more money than morals wanted out of the way? It completely broke her resolve. What about the others? Was the rest of her team being lied to as well? Or did they know the truth, but just not care? There were too many questions and no answers.

"By the way." Nightshade had poked his head back in. "Princess Celestia is on her way here. I had Spike send a letter. The rest of the group are coming as well. I'll be meeting them at town hall. Fluttershy, do you think you can bring her there after?" Fluttershy just nodded. "Thanks, now I've just gotta go pick up our other guests."

Taking to the air, Nightshade spotted two life signs. He flew down directly in front of them. The younger one fell over in shock, while the older one stood his ground. Both bringing up their rifles.

"Oh she's fine. She's just resting at my place. She'll be at town hall later, you'll see her there." He explained.

"Yeah, except we're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy, your laws don't apply, and you have no authority. Besides, attempted murder is a much more serious crime.." He spat back. The man prepared to fire his gun, only to pass out.

"Commander!" The younger one yelled. Nightshade grabbed the commander by the neck of his armor, then did the same to the soldier on the ground.

I'm moving the tragic tearjerker to the next chapter. Also, notice how he's got absolutely no patience for dealing with humans. Fluttershy was a little harsh, but Claire needed to see what was happening, and was quick to comfort her once she had the realization that she was actually one of the bad guys. Come're cupcake is one of the phrases of the TF2 Soldier.

Ps. Claire is actually a nice gal, she's just been fooled. You know how easy it is to brainwash someone into believing they're doing the right thing? Actually pretty easy. Unlike other military types who just follow orders, she won't do something she thinks is wrong, meaning she is actually pretty strong willed.

Ascended

by BlackWing

Revelations (9)