//------------------------------// // Recovery // Story: A Noble Cause // by Sarkastik Menace //------------------------------// Haze was all that filled the Spartan’s vision as she stepped out of the cryo tube, wobbling in her SPI armour.                                “Spartan!” A male voice called from out of sight. She quickly put on her helmet. The figure revealed himself as none other than one of the ODSTs onboard the ship, a little winded. “Oh thank god I caught you! The ship is under attack, and The Captain gave the order to abandon ship. You gotta follow me, we have a pelican a level down being prepped.” Offering nothing but a nod she gains her bearings, being so quickly plopped out of Cryo sleep by the ship’s AI. “Follow me, this ship won’t last more than five minutes!” The two engaged in a dead sprint, The Spartan laying off, barely knowing the ship at all. Suddenly a rippling explosion came from one of the vents to her side, knocking her off her feet backwards. Instantly getting up, she found the ODST, groaning in pain, a shrapnel melting through his shoulder piece. She helped him to his feet, as he grunted. “Which way?” She asked, quiet but forceful.        The ODST turned his head towards her,”Urngh, to the left! Elevator’s out, there’s a maintenance ladder there we can use!” The soldier’s head dropped, too exhausted from his wounds and starting to conserve energy. The girl spotted an electrical box discarded to the floor and an opening large enough for the two to fit through. “Grab onto my neck. I can’t hold you on the ladder.” The girl instructed, and the ODST painfully latched onto her. Six bent over carefully, gripped the ladder and turned so she could use her hands to slide down. Six began to slide slowly, worried the soldier could lose his grip and fall at least forty feet. All of a sudden a large plume of smoke and fire ripped through the maintenance shaft as a rattling boom thundered and shook the ladder. The girl all but let go of the ladder as she slid down, the soldier gripping her legs with his. The steel floor rippled as it absorbed the spartan’s impact. The ODST screamed in pain, losing his grip and hitting the floor. The girl picked him up again and ran out, looking both ways of the corridor and spotted a marine. “This way Spartan! We gotta take off now!” Another explosion came from a wall the other way as the spartan sprinted into the hangar bay. She paused for a second and saw the scene. A pelican took off from the cruiser as a covenant CCS cruiser passed in sight far away, firing it’s torturous plasma at the fleeing UNSC fleet. Longswords and seraphs passed the bay in mere milliseconds, as if a boy running past a single speck of dirt. The pelicans though, they weren’t fleeing to other ships. They were flying towards the planet under siege!                                   The spartan didn’t know what to do. For the first time in her life Nothing she trained for prepared her for this, a fight on a planet surrounded by covenant ships. The people who had taught her how to end another’s life knew that once the UNSC ships were gone from a planet you were on, your fate’s already been sealed. The girl looked at the ODST she carried in her arms, numb from the pain, and assured herself one creed. She was going to fight, and she would fight until either her or the covenant were nothing but a bloody pile of limbs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight had assembled the other five members of the Elements of Harmony in her library, and told them all she knew of the monster. Very skeptical of the information given, they began to question, some more than others.                                  “So basically Twi, what yer’ sayin’ is that the royal guard can’t catch this “monster” on their own? I gotta get the rest of mah’ quota by the end a’ this week! It’s our core business!” Applejack said, pausing and blinking afterwards. “No pun intended.” Rainbow Dash started to giggle hysterically. “Don’t worry AJ, but,” Rainbow Dash started in between laughs and putting on her best mock country accent,”Ah’ reckon you’re gonna need some in’cider help with this!” Rainbow Dash laughed again, Pinkie chuckling as well. “Ummm, I don’t think I can really leave my pets again. The only pony available is Vinyl Scratch..” Fluttershy said, remembering the temper tantrum Angel Bunny through,”And I don’t think they’d forgive me again if I let her sit them.” The rest of the group began to erupt into similar complaints about their schedules, partially truthful and another half simply not wanting to deal with more problems. “Guys,” Twilight started, not even acknowledged. “Guys!” The group quieted, hearing Twilight. “I know it’s a drag, I’m just as annoyed as you are. But Luna entrusted us with this herself! I know she had her reasons, and we need to trust her, because you know it had to be big, otherwise she’d trust only the guard!” The others murmured, accepting Twilight’s reasoning halfheartedly. “And besides, it’s just one monster! We’ll beat the hay outta’ it in no time!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trying to boost the group’s confidence, gaining gratitude from the lavender unicorn. “Well Ah’ guess I can pay Caramel to cover my spot, he said he needs the bits anyway. But when are we supposed to leave?” Applejack asked, trying to figure out how to make it work most conveniently for her. “Well actually, Princess Luna said that the sooner the better, but no later by two days from now. But it’s only four in the afternoon, so I figure the sooner we get this over with the better.” The group nodded in consensus, though still a little confused about the details. “While I think that seems like a fitting idea, when do you plan on us going to wherever Luna wishes us to be, and how?” Rarity said calmly, sitting down on the couch. “Well actually, Princess Luna can send a carriage for us anytime, just as long as I give her an hours notice, so I figured I’d ask you all when would be the best time to go?” Twilight said, getting ready her quill and parchment. “Anytime’s alright with me! Though the carriage is a drag, I hate those.” Dash responded, annoyed at sitting while two guards fly her around. Twilight remembered something, replying. “Well we don’t necessarily need to take a carriage, Dash.” “Oh what are you gonna, do Twi?” Dash began, chuckling a little, “Magically grow a pair of wings out of nowhere like in one of those horrible kids stories?!” “N-no!” Twilight replied, sheepishly, remembering Dash’s antics about hearing her dream about a high school where she never even went to one class, but loafed around the hallways. Not to mention horribly unfashionable, uncomfortable boots that she wore, along with every girl wearing the same cheesy outfit with slight changes from each other. Though Twilight got even when she said Dash wore a skirt as well. Not to mention the horribly unoriginal demon thing, Yuck! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Six saw smoky trails in the mud for about ten meters, ending at a tree. Another pegasus slumped against it, unconscious. Holding her rifle with one hand, Six inched closer, looking around to make sure nothing was awry. The coat of the pony was hidden mostly by the mud covering it, though there was a little orange tinge of hair sticking out of it. No way am I gonna use the last of my medicine to help it. Six assured herself inwardly. But still, leaving an unconscious pony where I am can’t hurt.  The Spartan thought, feeling a little empathy for reasons unknown, but trying to find a sound reason to reason with herself. Slinging the pony over her shoulder, Six walked back looking very observant, knowing the pony could be a trap, or a test. Clearing the thoughts from her mind, Six remembered her training. “Do not overthink anything you have no evidence for or against. Any commander can be doomed by this way of thinking.” Six said in her mind, just looking for anything resembling an equine. As she reached her field camp, Six dropped the ponies’ saddlebags to the side, Dropping the pony in a shallow part of the river, Six tried to get a better look at the pony, clearing mud off with her gloved hands. As the mud cleared off of it’s fur Six got a better look. Cyan coat, hair and tail with two shades of orange. It’s “Cutie Mark”, as the ponies called them, was a Lightning bolt with three stars around it. Though the water began to get murky, with the pony’s blood from what Six believed was a her, since the pony was identical in shape and size with Daring Do. But the blood came from her head, above her eyes. Sighing the Spartan picked her up and placed her gingerly in a patch of grass, looking at the wound. It didn’t warrant medication, though bandaging wouldn’t hurt. No, Six said in her head. It wasn’t as serious as Daring’s case, granted head injuries are usually the worst. Six decided to look through the pony’s saddlebag, making up her mind, but maybe the pony by some miracle had bandages. No bandages, not to Six’s surprise. Though at the bottom of the emptied bags lied a picture of the pony, in better times of course, of her and another pony. She was hugging the pony tight, and the other pony looked resemblant to the one lying a few feet from Six, but smaller. They both had very happy smiles, the pony here looking a little more doggedness, but what looked like her sister overjoyed. Sighing she tossed the picture to the grass and pulled out bandages. Nothing more than the freaking bandages. After all, as primitive as the natives were, they had to at least have basic medical supplies, right? Six unwinded the roll of bandaging until there was nothing left, and that didn’t take long at all. Lifting up the pony’s head with one hand, Six began to wrap over the gash. After Six was done she rested the pony against the bark of a tree, thinking. When was the last time I slept? Six thought. Didn’t sleep yesterday, or the day before because I rushed with Daring. The night before, I think I got an hour in. No, I faked that. Six let out a quiet yawn, tired. So when will I sleep? Six said in her head, looking at the pegasus lying against the treetrunk. A half hour catnap would be enough for the evening. Six tried to reason with herself inwardly, Still, the pegasus could wake up and just scurry off. Still, why would I need to keep her? The only reasonable idea is to have a hostage, and I’d need to leash her around, and the second I give it leeway it’ll just fly off. Six got up and put her body against a boulder, sitting up. Resting her assault rifle in her lap, the Spartan shut her eyes and ceased to think, attempting to get a quick rest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As soon as Six shut her eyes, someone, or somepony else, opened their eyes.                         “Where the hell am I?” Daring Do asked no one in particular as her eyes fluttered open, revealing the insides of an olive drab tent, and a bed, which she was sleeping on.         “You're in the field hospital, scout. Camp Resolute to be precise.” A corporal replied, keeping a calm yet sophisticated accent clear in her voice.               “Oh, damn.” Daring replied, rubbing her forehead with her hooves. “How long was I out, and who are you?” Clearing her throat, the Corporal removed her helmet revealing a white face, courtesy of the uniform, but a red ruffled mane. The uniform of the guards were enchanted to change the coat of the guards to either white or grey, depending on the position the wearer is assigned. Only the helmets made the wearers mane the signature blue, though. “You were out cold when the night guard brought you here, and I’d say it was around two and a half days since then. And my name is Patches by the way, Corporal Patches.”                          “Damn. Didn’t think it would be that bad. But um, where is she?”                                                             “Where is who?”                                                 “You know, Six. Where’s Six?”   “I beg your pardon, but I don’t know necessarily know who this ‘Six’ figure is.”   Daring sighed. “The, well..” Daring paused for a moment, remembering she had what Six was. “She was with me, carried me when I was knocked out. The guys couldn’t a’ missed her.” The Corporal mumbled something under her hooves, trying to think of a way to tell Daring what she was thinking in her head, “Listen, the ‘Six’ who carried you crippled almost all of the night guards who tried to capture her. The Royal Guard is on orders to apprehend ‘Six’ by any means short of killing it.” Patches saw the look on Daring’s face get a little flustered, and tried to calm her down. “I have no idea went on with ‘Six’ but that’s what the Captain wants to find out. I’ve been told when you woke up to escort you to his tent” The guardsmare got up and opened the tent flap as Daring walked though. Walking next to each other, Daring looked around the camp as she closely followed the corporal. “I don’t remember the camp being this big.” Daring observed, annoyed but keeping a relatively calm tone of voice. “After the fiasco with the night guard getting, well, whomped, reinforcements were sent. I think you were in better shape than some of the guards we treated.” Daring didn’t respond, but looked at the quartette of tents occupying a big amount of the clearing the small camp was in. This has to be at least company strength, Daring thought to herself. Still Daring couldn’t think of the guards that were injured. Did Six really do that? The night guard were the most elite soldiers in the Guard’s arsenal. “Here we Are. The Captain’s tent.” Patches started as Daring started to walk in, but the Corporal stopped her. “But uh, listen, I don’t know if you met the Cap’ yet, but he can be intimidating, and well, a hardass.” Daring turned, with an agitated expression. “Thanks.” Daring said dryly as she walked inside. Patches put on a wry face, walking back to her post, sighing audibly at the thought of filling out more of the infernal papers.                            “Ahh. Speak of Discord, you’re awake. Was wondering when you’d get your senses back.” Daring just stood there, not knowing what to do, and not eager to show her displeasure with something she had no idea what it was, to a captain nonetheless. “Here, sit down.” The Captain pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the desk. Daring complied.                    “No offense, but well, why am I here? Sir.” Daring asked, trying to keep calm, but shifting in her seat slightly.                       “I doubt you know this. Noone else does, but I’m the new Captain of the Guard since Shining Armor, my predecessor, is in the Crystal Empire now. Captain Typhoon to be precise.” He paused for a second, thinking through what he was about to say. “Now listen, We’re hunting down whatever was holding you captive, and I need to know of any information you have on it. I have an assortment of plans that could use the information.” Daring deadpanned a little, not surprised at all. “Sir, permission to speak freely?”                     “Cut the formalities, that’s probably the shittiest thing about my recent promotion.”            “The ‘monster’ isn’t a bloody monster. I don’t know what you assumed, since I’m injured, but it wasn’t Six that caused it. And yes that’s her name.” Daring paused, as the Captain’s eyebrow raised. “Yeah, she’s a girl. And she didn’t hurt me at all. If anything all Six did was help. I don’t know whatever you cooked up on those papers, and I have no idea what happened with the guard encounter, But I swear to Celestia She didn’t mean for anypony to get hurt!”                “Yeah, is that why Several of Equestria’s best are in the field hospital right now? I never heard of somepony ‘Accidentally’ Breaking a guard’s leg like a popsicle.”             “What would you do? Six is a soldier like you. What would you do if a bunch of aliens, threatening as hell ones might I add, approached you?”           The Captain grunted. “It doesn’t help that they told ‘her’ to surrender either.” Sighing the Captain stacked his papers. “Well that really takes the jam out of my Doughnut” Captain Typhoon ripped the sizable assortment of papers in half angrily. Tossing them to the side he heard a carriage land. “That’s gotta be the elements of Harmony. My lieutenant will take care of them, come with me.” Daring followed the gruff stallion out of a tent flap opposite of the tent entrance. “Sir, why the hay are the elements here?” Daring asked hesitantly, a little confused by Typhoon’s actions.  The Captain let out another sigh, stressed out, partially because he didn’t drink that seventh cup of coffee in the morning. “I don’t want em’ fuckin’ here either. This is a military operation. I’ll probably find some way to dispose of them or something. Can’t stand civies anymore, I swear.” The Captain walked further, making sure to get as far from the elements as possible. “Listen, Daring. I can tell you’re no bullshitter. We’ll try to stall and search as I make some new plans. Frankly What I originally called for was anything except for killing ‘Six’. That included anything you can think of that can stop something in their tracks. Anything.” The Captain repeated, trying emphasize his point. “Alright. I know Six. She wouldn’t kill unless someone deserved it. I never witnessed it personally, but considering the fact that those guards are crippled for the next few weeks or maybe month and not dead I think that’s enough proof.” Quite frankly, I don’t so much as care if I’m gonna hurt something that doesn’t deserve it, I’m more concerned that Luna’s gonna have my head served on a golden platter if I kill this ‘Six’.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blinking Six slowly gained her senses, not moving a muscle as she heard the frantic clopping of hooves, and even flapping of wings. Yawning noiselessly Six immediately knew what was going on, but really didn’t care. All she did was raise her helmet enough to see the pegasus take off. Getting up Six looked around, looking for anything near her to make sure there were no traps. Six picked up her weapons, holding her assault rifle in her hand, and a strapped a shotgun on her back with the other, stretching her back a little eliciting a few pops. Six watched the pegasus fly off quickly into the distance. At least Six knew now to tie up a pegas.. Pegasuse… Pegasi’s wings if she planned on it not leaving, because Six really didn’t feel like shooting it, especially after using some of her, albeit easily replaceable medical supplies on it. Still, Six thought about flight, being able to go in the air like these pegasi could. Six continued to ponder on the idea, until she heard a mass of hoofsteps not far off.