//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Suiting Up // Story: The Return // by John 117 //------------------------------// Marcus soon arrived at the apple Farm, landing with little difficulty. His mind had gone from quiet villager with a family to soldier in seconds, and his concentration was now key; hence why he hadn’t stumbled on his landing. He trotted up quickly to the Apple Family barn, and saw that a light had been left on inside. Marcus crept closer, seeing that the barn door was ajar. He pushed it a bit further open with his hoof; peering inside to the right, then back over to the left. No one seemed to be in sight. He quietly walked inside, looking around at the rafters and the second part of the barn. Nothing moved. Just as he was about to make it to the trap door, Marcus heard the barn door squeak. He flashed around, speeding towards the door and tackled a thin frame only to find Twilight Sparkle underneath him. “Oh…Princess…I apologize...I-ah…shit...” Marcus quickly got up and helped her up, the both of them dusting themselves off. Twilight laughed it off mostly, and looked back at him with a small smile. “It’s alright Marcus, no harm done. And what have I told you about calling me Princess? We’re friends! Such formality isn’t needed with me.” His shoulders sagged a bit and nodded. "Sorry for that…I’m just a bit tense. The Princesses called for me…armor and all. The meeting with the Griffon empire has been moved to tomorrow.” Twilight was confused; they had been asking for Marcus to attend the meeting, but they hadn’t been pushy. If his final decision had been to not attend, Twilight was sure they would respect that. But this….this almost seemed like an order. The two trotted back into the barn and towards the front door. Marcus stopped Twilight with his hoof when he noticed the marks. “Claw marks; three sets, all over the door. Someone was here, and it wasn’t a pony.” Twilight looked back at Marcus and nodded, slowly waling forward and inspecting the claw marks. They were too short to be dragon hatchlings, and too narrow to be a Manticore. “Griffons.” Marcus nodded. ‘”They weren’t able to get in? How?” “The door is enchanted so only certain ponies can get it; emphasis on ponies.” He cracked a grin; Twilight seemed to think of everything sometimes. He grabbed hold of the metal ring and pulled up, the door opening up with a loud groan. Hay fell off and ran down the stairs, giving the room a musky smell. The two headed down stairs and Twilight flipped the light’s switch. The lights came on, and Marcus walked over to the gun wall, opening it up and taking out the weapons he needed. He set out two SMG’s on a table, as well as his shotgun, magnum, and an energy sword he scavenged from the Covenant attack. He then turned to Twilight, who only nodded to him. Marcus returned the gesture and stood back. Twilight’s horn began to glow, and Marcus was enveloped into her aura. He then waited for the change, but was unprepared for what came next. Pain; un-imaginable pain that he had only felt once in his entire life time was all he felt. Marcus screamed to the heavens, the throat already going horse from the yelling. Twilight’s magic began to falter, but Marcus cracked open an eye and stared her down. “Do…not….stop…” he groaned through gritted teeth. Twilight looked on in horror, but nodded and continued the process. He body began to change once again, and his pain only increase from there. His blood felt like someone had poured molten iron into it, and shattered a plan of glass that then traveled throughout his body. Everything was pure agony; every twitch, every clench of his fist. But Marcus had beet this test once before, and he could do it again. He pressed on until Twilight’s magic came to its crescendo, lighting the barn with a brilliant white light that left Twilight blind for a few moments once it died down. She blinked several times, trying to get the floaters out of her line of sight. Once gone, she looked around and saw a body on the floor, naked and shaking. “Marcus!” She ran up to him, and saw that he was covered in sweat, his whole body clenched tight. He shivered, and gritted his teeth hard. He opened his eyes and pointed to a locker. “T-top shelf…b-blanket…,” Twilight nodded and went to the locker quickly, opening it up with her telekinesis and bringing it back to him. Marcus grabbed it quickly and wrapped himself up in it, breathing heavily. “N-now you know….k-know what it looked l-like,” he said through chattering teeth. The pain was beginning to subside, but still everything ached like he had just bench pressed a UNSC frigate. He looked around and tried to get up, only to fall on his hand s and knees. Twilight rushed to him, but he waved her off. He stood up slowly, testing his body. Everything was the same; even his scares were where they should have been. He nodded confidently and took a step, shacking. His footing feeling sound, he took another, then another, till he reached the locker closed to the gun wall. He opened it to find his fatigues. Dropping the blanket and making Twilight blush and look away, Marcus put on boxers and his UNSC undershirt. Last he placed his dog tags around his neck and under his shirt. He then walked to the armor hanging in the Kinetic field and grabbed the helmet. “Looks like the decision was made for us.” ________________________________________________________________ Twilight was walking out of the barn when she saw the Apple family’s door open up. Applejack with a groggy Big Mac rushed out to meet her. “What in the sam-hell is goin’ on out ‘ere?” Big Mac just looked on towards the barn, a frown on his face. Applejack ignored her brother and walked up to Twilight. “Mah family and ah were resting soundly when all of a sudden we start to hear screaming and hollering, then a big ol’ light comes outa nowhere and then vanishes. What kind of magic you pulling out here Twi?” Twilight was about to explain when Big Mac trotted up to the two of them. He looked at AJ and pointed towards the barn door. Walking out was a fully armored and armed super solider, clad in armor that few would see again for hundreds of years. Walking up to the trio, Marcus smiled at them, helmet in hand. “Hey AJ, how are you tonight?” AJ just stared for a bit, not really wanting to believe it. “You….you’re you again…but the screaming? What was that about?” Marcus winced and rubbed his now rugged hair. That seemed to have changed a bit. “Well I had to get my implants and augmentations back….and they aren’t exactly natural.” AJ just gulped and nodded. He walked past the two and stressed, a few bones popping with a loud crack. EH sighed and twisted around, adjusting his armor where needed. He hadn’t gotten out of shape at all; it had just been awhile since he had worn the stuff. Things get stiff. “Right, Twilight. I’ll meet you at Fluttershy and I’s cottage outside the Everfree. Bring that Solar Guard with you, Iron Eyes I think his name was. Get him and come quickly.” Twilight nodded and teleported away, leaving Big Mac and AJ with Marcus. “You guys...well…can you look after Fluttershy and Star Chaser for me? I hate leaving them alone…I just…I can’t bear to think what might happen…” Marcus clenched his fist and held his head low. Mac walked up and placed a hood on his leg, smiling up at the super solider. “We’ll take care of the two Marcus, don’t you worry none.” AJ just smiled and decided to steal her brothers coined phrase. “Eeyup.” Marcus smiled at the two and nodded, putting his helmet on and sprinting in the direction of his home. He kept moving quickly, his breath short and controlled. His weapons cliched against his armor in their magnetic holdings; they were stuck on there unless he had to get them off, but they did move a bit. He was almost there when a screech was heard from above. He looked up only to get a face full of claws. Marcus ducked down and rolled away, reaching for his shotgun. Once on both feet and standing, he took aim towards the sky and let loose round after round at anything that moved. His weapon clicked empty, and he popped in 6 fresh shells into the weapon and pumped one into the chamber, looking down the sights around him. He finally caught sight of something on the ground and moved closer, walking with his weapon trained on the target. He lowered his weapon when he saw that it was dead. A griffon, minor amour on, with his wing torn off from the buck shot, and a gaping wound surrounded by a dozen or so smaller wounds from the buckshot slug round combo. It was dead no doubt, but if there was another around, Marcus didn’t know. He decided to shoulder his weapon and move on, heading towards the house once more. He jogged up slowly and saw that the house lights were on. He walked up and opened the front door, forgetting to duck low and hitting his head against the top of the door frame. Guess I have to go through all that again… Marcus took off his helmet and looked around the living room. Twilight was talking to Fluttershy while Star Blazer and Iron Eyes looked around, not really doing much. Fluttershy had Star Chaser in her lap, and he point up at Marcus. Fluttershy looked up and gasped. “Hi sweetie.” He said to her. She put Star down and ran up to him, hugging him tight. He bent down to accommodate the size difference and hugged her back. All Star Chaser did was sit there, confused. He looked over at his son and called at him. “Star, come on. Come to daddy.” He didn’t move, but started to look at Fluttershy with whimpering lips. Marcus sat down on the ground and patted his lap, expecting him to come. Fluttershy looked between the two and shook her head. All Star Chaser did was start to crawl away, tears rolling down his muzzle. “Daddy! Daddy!” He called out, trying to make his way up the stairs towards Marcus’s bedroom. Then Marcus realized it. He doesn’t know who I am.