//------------------------------// // Mission Impossible // Story: Flight // by JosephRascon1789 //------------------------------// "That's surprising. The laws here aren't much different from the rules back home. Just got to remember to say anypony once in a while." "Oh and there is one more thing you really really need to know." Twilight looked at Spike. "Spike can you run up stairs real quick. I think I left my good quill in my bed room." The little dragon saluted and started up the stairs. Twilight motioned me to move closer. She whispered in my ear, "Mares go through cycle called heat. When a mare is in heat, she won't think straight so just keep that in mind." I dropped back and rubbed the back of my neck. "Not sure I needed to know that, but thanks anyway." She smiled and went to a little table with a book on it. "Feel free to drop by and ask questions. I'm always around." "Thanks Twilight." I smiled and started for the door. "See you later spike!" I yelled from the doorway. I left Twilight's and started for the Inn Jason was staying in. The rules here were simple and strange. There were the simple ones: don't steal, don't destroy other ponies property, pay taxes and what not. There were some that I kind of didn't understand. Apparently whenever in the presence of the Princesses or high class pony you have to bow you head and watch you manners. I was never used to bowing to people even in my world. We didn't really have rulers so formalities like that weren't needed. I walked through the town center without a care. A lot of the ponies were watching me like I was about to punch a baby in the face. I was glad for my height, so I didn't need to look them in the eyes. It's so strange that the innocent looking ponies were so hostile. A voice called out and broke my chain of thought. "James!" I looked and saw Jason walking toward me. "Hey dude. I came to see you at the Inn, but you were gone." I said. "Look Sun Fury came by early this morning. He dropped off our last mission." He held out a scroll. "Celestia said that we would have to perform a lot of missions and tasks to earn her trust." A small gust of wind blew. "Yes but I put in a good word." We looked up and Sun Fury was hovering just above us. "Now come on my stallions are waiting." He landed and started leading us out of town. Jason brought me up to speed on where we were going and what we had to do. "Hey Sun. What's Tartarus?" I asked. He shivered. "Some where I don't want to be." I looked at Jason and he was worried. "What do you mean?" He stayed silent. The journey was quiet and long. We reached a group of soldiers around mid day. They stood around a large ravine. A golden armored pony came up to us and removed his helmet. He had white fur and a blue mane with light blue streaks. He extended his hoof. "I'm Captain Shining Armor. I'll be overseeing this operation." This place has military ranks. "I'm James, and this is Jason. In my world I would rank Captain and Jason was a first Lieutenant." His expression lightened up. "Well welcome. I'll skip the formalities and get straight to the mission. Celestia believes the creatures that live in Tartarus are getting ready to mount an attack against the kingdom. She wants us to clear it out or restore order." I shrugged. "Sounds easy enough. What exactly lives down there?" The captain's face quickly changed to one filled with horror. "I don't even want to think about it." "Okay what the fuck?! All day we've been asking what Tartarus is like and everyone keeps saying shit I don't want to hear." Jason yelled. "Tartarus is a place where monsters of Equestria live." A voice called out. I know that voice. Twilight jumped over a bush followed by Fluttershy, a pink pony, a white pony, a pony wearing a cowboy hat, and the rainbow pony. "Twily what are you doing here?" The captain asked. "Rainbow told us that a group of soldiers were about to attack the gates of Tartarus. We came here to stop you." She answered. "Twily this isn't any of your worry. Celestia gave us a direct order to go. We can not disobey. No matter the risk." I could hear the captains voice change. It sounded like he already accepted defeat, but there was a hint of depression somewhere in his words. Twilight's eyes started to water. "You know what lives in there. Why go down there? The monsters are being held back by Cerberus." Cerberus.....I've heard that name before...... ------3 Years Ago------ "Okay class. Today we will discuss Greek Mythology. Now can anybody tell me the names of the main Greek gods?" The pale face teacher asked. My head hurt for drinking the night before. I really didn't want to be here, but as long as I got a degree I could be an officer in the AirForce. "Correct. Now Hades was the ruler of the Underworld. Much like the devil is ruler of hell. The Underworld is guarded by..." "Cerberus." One of the students answered. "Good. Now according to legend what was Cerberus?" The teacher asked. "A three headed giant dog." Another student answered. "Correct, and some people say that it has the tail of a dragon, but that won't appear on a test." ------Present Day------ "Wait a minuet. Cerberus the three headed dog Cerberus?" I interrupted Twilight and Shining's argument. "Yes.... How did you know that?" Twilight asked in full tears. "NOPE! FUCK THAT! NOT GOING DOWN THERE." I yelled. Everyone looked at me strange. The silence hung in the air for a solid minuet until the captain spoke up. "Why?" I almost snapped. "What do you mean why?! That's fucking hell! No way in shit you are making me go down there." Jason walked over to me. "What do you mean? You mean the actual hell or like war is hell?" "Actual hell! Fucking devil hell." His eyes went wide. I stepped forward and tried to calm down. "Look if you want to charge in there, be my guests. All I know is that I'm not going down there." The captain put a hoof under his chin. "Well we are in a bit of a pickle." "Why is that?" I asked. "Celestia made you and your partner acting commanders of this unit." I heard sighs of relief. Seems like the loyal soldiers didn't want to die just yet. "Well if you don't want to go then I will lead the stallions in. Prepare your weapons!" The captain yelled. "Brother don't do this." Twilight pleaded while holding onto his fore legs. "I'm sorry little sister, but Celestia gave me direct orders to take Tartarus with or without these two." He looked over to us. "As for you two I'll make sure to put you as cowards in my report when I return." I almost laughed. "If you return." He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean if? We are the best the Princess has to offer and we will stop at nothing to do as she pleases." "Fucking patriot Pete here? Okay listen I was in a Military force before I came here and I lead a squad of fly boys. If I felt like we couldn't do a mission I backed down and let so other death wish squad take it. I look out for my guys." I looked at Jason and he nodded in approval. "I don't back down." The captain replied. "And you were the kind of people that would take the death missions. I always felt bad for you and your men. If that place is like hell then I doubt that any of you will make it back." I said. He stomped his hoof in the ground. "Then we would have served our purpose to our Princess." Finally I got mad. "Hey retard. If your Princess told you to jump off a bridge would you do it? For fuck sake your sister is begging and pleading with you not to go." He looked down and Twilight buried her face in is fore leg. "She knows I have to serve the Princess." "Well I'm acting commander of this unit and I say anypony that wants to stay gather around." The soldiers looked at each other and started coming toward me. Once they all gathered around me I made one last attempt to talk him off the edge. "Shining Armor don't do this. Think about your family. Your friends." "I must do as I was told." He started for the crack. I ran in front of him and pulled out my knife. "If you want to go down there, you'll have to go through me." Twilight stopped crying and being comforted by her friends and looked at us. "Why are you doing this?" "Simple. You helped me. I help you." He charged towards me and I got low to the ground and spread my legs. We were almost eye level as he closed the gap. I stuck my right shoulder out and waited for the impact. When he hit my shoulder I slide back, but I quickly recovered and forced myself under him. I up rooted his fore hooves and pushed him up where I had an advantage. I pushed him on his back and stood above him. He spun around and got on his hooves. He used his rear hooves to kick me in the gut. I got knocked off my feet and landed and couple feet away from where I was last standing. I forced myself back to my feet just as he trotted by. I turned around and jumped on his back. I wrapped my arms around him and with all my might, I picked him up and threw him back. When I walked out of the entrance he was back up and his horn was glowing. He shot a blast and I jumped out of the way. Shit. He has range on me. With in seconds he fired another magic blast. I hit the deck then sprung up after it passed. "James!" I looked to see my M16 in the air and about to land on me. I reached up and caught it. In on swift move I disarmed the safety and took a knee. "Shining Armor don't make me use this." I yelled as I centered my cross hairs on his chest. Just as he was about to reply something shook the ground. A huge boulder came flying out of the canyon and landed near Twilight and her friends. There was a loud hissing sound then two huge claws appeared from the canyon followed by a stinger and then the body. It was a giant scorpion. I quickly re-aimed my gun and shouted. "Captain get you men out of here now! We'll cover you!" "I'm not running!" "That's not a suggestion! That's an order!" Shining stayed and I yelled at his soldiers. "Get him out of here!" They quickly scooped him up and left. The scorpion's mouth was dripping with green liquid and its claws started extending. Once I saw the soldiers were clear I started firing rounds and walking backwards The shell was no match for the 5.56mm rounds. It swung its claw to hit me but I jumped away. Just as I was about to run to a better firing position I heard Twilight scream. I looked over to see Rainbow's right wing and rear right leg was caught under the boulder. To make things worse the scorpion turned and started for them. The second I went to help I could hear Jason's M16 putting rounds into the creature legs. The scorpion hissed but continued its charge. It was slow, but he was half way there. I got to the girls and stood in front of them. I got on a knee and started unloading my mag. I quickly ran out and reloaded. Each of the thirty shots was a hit, but the scorpion was hell bent on getting at least one pony. I looked back and the girls were paralyzed in fear. "Jason! Get them out of here!" I yelled. In a flash Jason was helping me lift the boulder. Rainbow got her leg and wing out and tried to run away. The scorpion's stinger was in range and it eyed Rainbow. She was on her belly and she couldn't stand because of the boulder. The stinger shot out. Before I knew It, I had my back facing the scorpion. The stinger punctured my back and put me on my knees. Jason must have shot off the stinger because it went limp after he fired a lot of rounds. Rainbow looked up with tears in her eyes and she was surprised to see me smiling. "Why?" "I-I moved be-before my body knew wh-what it was doing." Slowly everything started fading away. I couldn't feel the rock under my knees and I couldn't taste the blood coming from my mouth. My hearing started to go and I felt tired. I started leaning over and closing my eyes. I never felt the impact to the floor.