The Equestrian Honor Guard
Chapter 4
By Honored Service
"This shit for brains used a flash bang during the training op. I am recommending harsh punishment if not immediate tours around the field. At least 50."
"Thank you Mr. Allan. I'll make note of your recommendations for this cadet's punishment. How's the victim doing?"
This was a worst case scenario that the Army ROTC Captain was dealing with. One cadet messing up another cadet; and the victim actually had a bright future in the Officer training program.
The judge shifted uncomfortably where he was standing in front of the long wooden desk. He scratched the top of his balding head trying to come up with his next statement.
"Sir, we couldn't find him."
"WHAT?!" The Captain pounded his fists on the desk causing a stack of papers to cascade onto the floor. "Where did Johnson go? He would be blind for Christ sakes; at least for a few minutes. He couldn't have wandered off into the woods with everyone right there."
Captain Rogers had been in action. A lot of action. He knew what flash bangs could do; blind someone but they should have fallen down in shock, not run off into the woods surrounding the building.
"Ok so he's missing, is that what you're telling me?"
Mr. Allan moved closer to the desk to try and offer some support to the Captain. Johnson had had a promising outlook in the Army, he was a good leader, everyone enjoyed him, he could keep moral up, and we was brave when it truly counted.
"He just couldn't have vanished Rogers. He is just out there in the woods, a little dazed and shook up from the flash bang. That's all. He'll navigate his way back in no time at all."
"I hope so Allan. You know what happens to a cadet that isn't back by 12:00pm. Expulsion."
••••
To a degree Allan was right. Johnson had ended up in some woods. But he hadn't wandered into them; he more off fell into them. And the woods certainly where not the woods near the training grounds.
"HOLY SHIT THAT'S BRIGHT MOTHER FUck...." I slowly turned around in a circle observing my surroundings. I was not in the asbestos infected building I had just been in. I was in some woods, but not the woods I had just walked through with my training squad.
This wooded area was dark. And gloomy. And really fucking creep and or scary. I could feel the dark, dank feeling of the forest just creeping into bones. It sent a shiver through my spine and cut into my soul.
"Fuck this place." I began to move off in a direction. I just wanted to get out of here. Or at least get moving and stay moving.
"Just keep your cool Johnson. Remember if they can make it through this, so can you, and I'm a killer... In training. A solider, you can make it through this."
My little pep talk made me feel just a bit better. If the Mane 6 could do it, so could I.
I was defiantly in the Everfree forest. Anyone who had seen they pilot could tell by the gloomy shadows and the sinister trees.
But if I was in the Everfree forest then...
"OH MY GOD IM IN EQUESTRIA!"
At the thought of that I collapsed against a tree to think. If I'm in Equestria, how could this play out. I needed to think this through and plan accordingly.
I reached into my inside chest rig pocket and pulled out the ops manual that Ryans had given to me. Removing a small golf pencil I made a list of possibilities on a blank page.
Things to Do... Carefully
• Go to Ponyville- meet Mane 6. Let adventures ensue.
• Go to Canterlot- cause chaos and declare myself the new lord of chaos...No just no- Try to meet the Princesses and find a way home. Possible, if i wasn't a six foot tall human.
• Camp out in the Everfree and observe the ponies and determine further action.
With my list made, I picked myself up from the tree and moved out to establish a camp for the night. Assuming that my watch was right and night and day followed the same time frame as it did on Earth.
The sun (when I could see through the canopy) looked to be nearly overhead.
The time was 11:50.