Marcus walked out of the barn quietly and made his way back towards the Apple family’s house. He knocked off what mud was still on his hooves by stomping on the porch lightly and walked into the large red farm house. He slowly made his way through the cozy house, stopping every now and then for a few seconds to admire family photos. Some of them still had Applejack’s, Big Mac’s, and Applebloom’s parents in them. Everyone was smiling back then. They still d, but when the trio’s parents are mentioned, they always got somber and quiet, trying to avoid the topic. Marcus could understand that to some degree. Spartans never talked about their friends who had died in combat. He kept moving inward till he made his way to the dining room, where everyone was hard at work filling them with the Apple families’ famous food. Applejack motioned over to him with a half full mouth of some food. He walked over quickly and took his seat next to her, taking a plate and helping himself to what ever there was. He saw apple pies of course, but it ranged from apple salads to fritters to anything in-between, plus some vegetables. He noticed Applebloom trying to steer away from those a lot. He wasn’t the only one who noticed though.
“Bloom, eat your veggies now; you can’t be eatin’ nothin’ but apples for the rest of your life.” Applejack chided her. The named filly groaned out loud, rolling her eyes.
“But Applejack, Ah hate carrots! They get all up in mah teeth and get stuck in between ‘um.” Big Mac just rolled his and chewed his food slowly, listening to the two bicker. They always would when it was lunch for some reason; almost like an Apple family tradition to a degree. The two went back and forth, and Marcus tried to tune most of it out. He was enjoying his meal when he felt a hoof push his shoulder lightly. He looked over to see Applejack looking at him with an annoyed frown.
“Marcus, try and teach some sense into my younger sis’.” Marcus frowned at that; he didn’t want to be brought into the family quarrel. But his father instincts, which he had yet to perfect, were beginning to kick in. He nodded and looked to Applebloom.
“Applebloom, remember when you wanted to try and be like me? To get your cutie mark and become a….Spartan?” She nodded her head vigorously. It hadn’t worked out, but she still looked up to him. Marcus sighed and nodded.
“Well the reason I was able to get as strong as I was because I ate everything the marines gave me, including the veggies” And high dosages of body altering chemicals and augmentations. Applebloom frowned, but seemed to have gotten the picture. After that there wasn’t much argument, and everypony talked about the day and troubles that they had run into. Marcus and Mac had run into a few large stones in the fields when they were sowing it, and Applejack and Applebloom had to run off a batch of raccoons that were trying to get into the trees for apples.
“Nosy varmints, they’re almost as bad as the vampire fruit bats! And those things destroyed our crop! Not to mention turn your wife into a vampony for a short while.” Marcus was still a bit mad at Applejack for that last bit; had she listened to his wife that never would have happened.
“Well, I can lay some traps for you. None lethal of course, but it’ll do the job. Fluttershy and I can relocate them into the Everfree so they stay out of the orchards.” Applejack nodded and began to put away her dishes. Granny Smith grabbed hers and Applebloom’s and brought them over to Applejack for cleaning. It was her turn after all. Marcus finished up as well and cleaned his own plate himself; a habit of his from his combat experience. There was never a time to get anything from his mess kit cleaned in the field, so he often used a stream or a source of water to clean his things off. It calmed him it a way; maybe it was just the repeating of the motions, or the cold water. He really didn’t know. After that he headed to the barn and grabbed a few snares and headed for the section of orchard that Applejack was just in. He closed the section gate behind him and trotted through the rows of trees, selecting large choke points where raccoon’s tracks seemed to be the most at. He was finishing up the last one and sighed.
“I know your there Discord. I saw you after the third one was set and ready.” A loud and obnoxious laugh was heard, and the said Draconequus appeared before him. Discord was floating in front of him, holding the very snare Marcus had mentioned. He growled and grabbed it back from the god, walking back to where it was supposed to go.
“What do you want Discord? Just because my wife is your friend doesn’t mean we are.” Discord melted at that, literally. He reformed back into himself and mock chided him for his rudeness.
“Tisk, tisk, tisk Marcus, you really shouldn’t be so rude to a friend of the family. I mean really, what’s to hate? I’m reformed, remember?” Marcus stamped his hoof and shoved his face into Discords.
“What’s to hate is that fact that you nearly tore my world apart by the seams. If it were up to me I’d have put a bullet in you long ago.”
“Ah, but you don’t do that anymore remember? And please, it was just a bit of fun really. You should have seen what I was planning! Oh, the chocolate rain clouds would have been dwarfed in comparison….But alas, it shall never be. What I am here to talk to you about though is this upcoming meeting between the Griffons and the princesses.” Marcus backed away from the god slowly.
“How in the name of Tartarus do you know about that?” The draconequus laughed and floated close to him, a pair of large shades appearing on his face in a flash of light.
“Remember my friend, I live with the princesses. I hear things. Now what I need to tell you is this.” He turned and faced him and actually took a somewhat serious face for once.
“You need to go to it Marcus, armor and all. I’ve visited the Griffon kingdom, and what will be at that meeting…well, you should be prepared for it. I shan’t say what it is, but know that it is something you’ll need to be at your best for.” He patted him lightly and then flashed away into a tree. He was clad in some type of armor, and a large bow in his hand.
“I may actually need these soon…oh well. What do you think? Not exactly my style, but it does the job I suppose… Right, well, I should be off. I don’t want to be put in time out by Celestia again….Tootaloo!” And with that he vanished, leaving Marcus a bit confused…
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That night Marcus lay in his bed, tossing around while his dreams seemed to be taking a rather nasty turn. Fluttershy stirred awake and looked over, seeing his distress. Marcus was sweating, but most of the sheets were off of him. Fluttershy gently nudged him, but he didn’t wake. She began to shake him, softly calling his name before he finally woke up, jolting up right and hitting his head against Fluttershy’s.
“Aw….hell…what happened…?” He looked up to see Fluttershy rubbing her head where a large red spot was starting to already form. He evidently got up and hugged her, kissing the spot where they had hit and nuzzled his wife carefully. This hadn’t been the first time this had happened, but it always made Marcus feel terrible.
“Flutters I’m sorry…I’m so, so sorry…,” She began to shush him and held him back, nuzzling Marcus. She pulled back and kissed him lightly.
“It’s ok…I’m fine, really. What was the dream?” Marcus just looked at her and shook his head.
“I’m…I’m not sure. It started out normal. Emilia and I were on ship coming back from an op; we were in our bunks cleaning our weapons when it started to…to go weird.”
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She sat there, her brow furrowed. Marcus looked back down at his own weapon, the dust cover and barrel detached. He picked up the said piece and ran a ram rod into it, greasing the interior. He twisted it around, making sure the cloth connected to it covered every inch. He thought he heard something and looked up. Everything was on fire. The room he sat in was burning to the ground; outside he could see marines behind cut to ribbons by plasma fire. A brute had a man in his hand. He brought the human closer and tore off his head, devouring it in one bite. Marcus looked back towards Emilia and flinched. Her face was melting, and pieces of it were falling off.
“Why did you leave us Marcus? Why did you forsake your kind? Why did you forsake your family?” At this she was lifted into the air, a shimmering blue sword piecing her abdomen. A horrific scream left her lips as the Elite finished her off by pulling it out and decapitating her. He stepped forward. Marcus saw that it was the ship master of the Covenant cruiser he blew up.
“Human filth.” He brought back his arm and brought it down on Marcus, driving it into his shoulder. He creamed his lungs out, his body on fire. The flames had spread and had begun to engulf him and the Shipmaster.
“We burn together in this hell demon.”
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“And that’s when I woke up… I’m starting to think I need to go to this meeting Flutters.” She only nuzzled her head into his chest, sighing quietly. He wrapped her in his wings and brought her close, closing his eyes tightly.
“I…I agree. As much as I don’t want you to, I think you should go. I think whatever Luna was talking about might be connected to these dreams.” He shook his head and kissed her lightly.
“That’s what scares me sweetie.” The two were about to try and go to sleep when they heard a knock at the door. Marcus got up walked out of their bedroom, descending the stairs and walking up to the front door with Fluttershy right behind him. They both expected it to be Princess Luna, coming here for the dream, but she never usually knocked. Marcus opened the door to find a Lunar and Solar guard at his door step. One was Star Blazer, a small and noticeable frown on his face. The Solar guard Marcus did not know however, and addressed them both.
“Star, if this is your new boyfriend, I’m happy for you, but could we maybe do introductions another time; preferably at a decent hour of day?” Star Blazer’s face turned crimson as did the Solar Guard, who looked down at the ground and mumbled something about having a mare back home.
“Ah, no Marcus…this isn’t…that…um…Wow. Nice to see you too. Anyway, I’m here on official royal business. The meeting has been rescheduled to tomorrow, and the Princesses need you there in armor now.” Marcus straightened up and got serious real quick.
“You, Solar Guard; what’s your name?”
“Iron Eyes sir!” He said with a salute.
“I need you to go to the golden oaks library in town and wake Princess Sparkle. Tell her to meet me at the Apple Families Barn. The Guard saluted again and teleported away to get Twilight.
“Star, I need you to stay here and guard my family until I get back. You think you can handle a year old foal?” Star blazer just laughed.
“Think you could try and not shoot up Canterlot while I’m away?” Marcus walked past him, and began to take flight.
“No promises…”