//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: S.T.A.L.K.E.R: From Zone To Equestria/EG Universe 
// by brandonvortex 
//------------------------------//

"What was Jackal thinking?! It's suicide to go in that cursed town! Ever since that client paid a hunk of money to Jackal, everyone follows him on this damn mission just for the sake of the secret lab in Pripyat. As for me however, no thank you. I would rather leave them dying! And I didn't sign up for this shit!
~PDA Recording from former mercenary that used to be one of Jackal’s team members


The unknown place, so calm, peaceful and also beautiful. No chaos, no fighting. All these thoughts run through a mind of one Duty leader in an exoskeleton suit. His eyes observe the beautiful landscape and wide area of what it looks like an apple farm. Colonel Krugov thinks to himself, ‘When was the last time I saw a beautiful landscape?” As for the locals, should he ask for help? All these thoughts were interrupted by one of his guys ranting about something.

"This is bullshit! We’ve been here for like, hours now!" exclaimed one of the Duty soldiers in PSZ-9d Duty armor. He'd been ranting to himself for while now and, topped off with his frustration the communications officer was unable to contact Shulga back at Yanov Station, finally decided to voice his anger. The team members start to realize themselves that staying around here isn't going to accomplish anything.

"Colonel Krugov, I suggest that we should find some help. Staying here isn't going to help our current situation. With no contact from Yanov Station, our situation is in deep shit right now sir.” Asked one of the duty soldiers as one of his comrades butted in, ”And what? Just abandon our mission? No way private, our orders are to find the missing Iskra Special Field Research team and also our missing Duty soldiers. Even if we’re stuck here, we have to take the chance. Heck, who knows? We might get back to Yanov intact. " Finished the other duty member.

While the other duty members are arguing with each other, Colonel Krugov finally decides to speak to them as group. He felt that he had just found the solution to their panic.. "Team, we move out now. Our target location is that abandoned house up on the hills.” He points, “We can stay in there for a while and keep hidden, in case we encounter some Freedom bastard, while we figure out what our plan is."

One of the other Duty members tilted his head and asked confusedly, "But Colonel, what about our mission? We should at least try to find them right?” Another nods and pipes in, “We can’t just leave our guys or the research team in this world. "

“With our current situation i don’t think we can for a while.” Krugov sighed before straightening up seriously, “But I promise, as Duty we protect humanity from The Zone and we will find them all. Mark my words on this day, Duty shall accomplish their goal to protect and defend."

With Krugov’s speech over, the message stuck in his teammates heads’, the squad began to pack all their stuff so they could relocate to a safer place from any danger. While the team was walking down the road though Sweet Apple Acres, they also walk past the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse. The Crusaders were busying themselves thinking about what should they do next about finding their special talents, when they heard voices and laughing from outside. 

As the crusaders peek their heads a bit out of the window on their club house, they saw a bunch of guys in weird uniforms, each carrying what looked like weapons. The crusaders observed more, shifting their focus on the guy with the fancy hydraulic suit; the crusaders figured that must be the leader. As the group left the crusaders final spoke on what they just witness.

"Did y'all see that?!” Applebloom gestured frantically towards the window, “There's some intruders on the farm! Ah better tell mah sister about this! But where did those fellers come from anyway? And what’s up with the suit they wearing? " Applebloom exclaimed.

"Are you crazy Applebloom!?" Yelled Sweetie Belle with a frightened expression on her face. "Didn't you see the group also holding a weapons?! This is crazy, we could end up dead!"

Well ah can't just stand around in here!” Applebloom stomped her hoof to drive her point in further. “Maybe we shouldn't have lied to our sisters that we were sick today, ah don't wanna get in trouble…” Applebloom mutters, “Applejack will ground me if she finds out the truth, and there’ll be no more crusading for months."

"Actually girls I have a better idea, what if we follow them and investigate what they’re doing?” Scootaloo said, rubbing her hooves together. “Then we’d have a chance earning our special talents and we wouldn’t get in trouble. "

Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo like she was crazy. They just stared at her with scared expressions thinking to themselves, ‘Did Scoots just lost her mind or something?’ Then again: It is a good chance to earn the special talent that they always wanted, what could possible go wrong anyway?.

"Alright Scoots, we’re going to follow along with your crazy idea.” Sweetie says, in an almost defeated tone. “If something goes wrong I’m blaming you for this though. I just don't want Rarity to ground me like last time. If you recall our last crusading adventure: it ended up really ugly."

With satisfied smirk on her face, Scootaloo, alongside Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, began following the group of strange people that were headed to an abandoned house. The Crusaders followed that group of men just to earn their special talent they had wanted for so long now. But their sense of adventure and curiosity will lead them to a great danger. Unknown to the crusaders, what they were doing was indeed a suicide job to earn special talents.

Meanwhile, in other location, a group of bandits just arrived in an unknown area.It would appear that the speculation and rumors were indeed true, the dimensional anomaly did send unlucky stalkers into other worlds. As the group of bandits observed the city they realised they could raid so many valuable items and things in there, the bandits were going to be bathing in gold; as they had just found the perfect place to start their chaos. 

Their leader saw the sign and just smirked at it. " So… Canterlot huh? This going to be an interesting and fun day. " He said with a wolf-like smile, blackened teeth showing.