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Chapter 1: Awakening (Written By JWR832)2,825 words
Chapter 2: Warm Welcome2,020 words
Chapter 3: Back In The... Saddle?3,677 words
Chapter 4: Misery Loves Company (And Cupcakes)3,658 words
Chapter 5: We Want Answers2,133 words
Chapter 6: Everything In My Power2,673 words
Chapter 7: Hail To The Queen3,019 words
Chapter 8: I Should Kill You. Slowly.2,362 words
Ghost Stories, Part 1: Welcome to the S.A.S.819 words

Chapter 7: Hail To The Queen

"This is the dumbest thing you've ever done, Roach. You should've let me go, Roach. This was none of your business, Roach."

Roach was reciting all the sarcastic things he knew Ghost would say if Roach ever found him. He was by himself, deep in the Everfree forest. He was fully armed with everything he'd had on him when he'd first woken up in this world. But it was getting dark, and fast. Roach had taken on Timber Wolves before, but he was worried about finding anything worse than that. In order to distract himself, he let all the annoying things Ghost would say run though his mind. That only pushed him on so he could find Ghost and knock some sense into him.

"If you hadn't taken things into your own hands in the first place, I wouldn't have come all the way out here to drag you back."

He sighed to himself, his back beginning to slouch. He was tired and alone, and darkness was closing in quickly. He decided he needed to find somewhere to camp out for the night, then set out again at dawn. In the distance, in a gap between two trees, he spotted a small, rocky outcrop. Hopefully, there would be a cave or rock slide that he could use for cover. Grabbing a small utility flashlight from his belt, he clicked it on, shining it through the trees at the rocks. Just barely on the edge of what he could see of the rock, he saw the outcrop curve into itself. A cave.

He smiled under his mask, more out of fear than satisfaction.

Taking each step carefully, he made his way toward the rocky outcrop. Twigs and leaves crunched under his boots, and he kept looking over his shoulder to make sure that he wasn't attracting any unwanted travelers. When he finally reached the opening into the cave, the sun had finally set, and a full moon shined down on the landscape, illuminating the rocks and the ground around it. Shining his light inside, he saw that there was nothing but darkness leading downward into the ground. He nearly wanted to turn back, to find somewhere else to camp out, but he'd run out of time. Just to make sure it was safe, he tapped his flashlight against the rock. The clang of metal against stone echoed into the cave. He waited for anything to jump out at him, but nothing came. Too tired to look further, he assumed it was safe.

Using his combat knife to cut a few branches off of nearby trees, he used the leafy foliage to mostly cover the entrance by jamming them into cracks in the rocks. Then, once safely inside, he turned of his flashlight, sheathed his knife, and sat down with his back to the rock. He sighed, leaning his head back. After a few moments, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small silver flask. At least, it looked like a flask. It was actually his old flask converted into a locket. If he pressed the opening at the top, it clicked open to show two pictures inside. On one side, there was his wife and seven-year-old daughter, posing together by a tree in their park. Roach had taken that picture. On the other side, it was Roach and Ghost standing together when they were first recruited. Roach was on the left in his recruit gear, with simple military drab and a helmet. Ghost looked a little more commanding, with his ghost mask and sunglasses, but his usual ear covers were gone. They each had an arm over the other's shoulder. They were the best of friends then, and they still were now.

Ever since they met, Ghost and Roach had a sort of bond. They were different in many ways, but somehow, opposites attracted. Roach and Ghost balanced each other out off the battlefield. But when the heat was on, they helped each other keep a cool head and get the job done. Even though their personalities were different, their intentions were the same. Fight down to their last drop of blood, for their families, for their brothers and sisters in arms, for their country.

For each other.

Roach kept that flask with him as a reminder of why he gave up alcohol. He used to drink when he was just starting out with his wife, and they'd nearly split up because of it. But after the birth of his daughter, he tried to quit, cold turkey. But he couldn't do it on his own, so before he went off into the army, he had the flask made into a locket. The picture of his family was a reminder of his duty as a father. The picture of him with Ghost was a reminder of his duty as a soldier. After they were put together, he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since. Roach remembered sitting with Ghost in a bar the day he stopped drinking. He was about to down a shot of whiskey when Ghost stopped him.

"You better enjoy that while you can. You won't be wettin' your whistle when you're on duty."

"I'll remember that, Simon," Roach said. He began to raise the glass again when Ghost began talking again.

"I remember what my commanding officer told me when we first got here. You weren't there for this, but he sat me down and set a shot in front of me. He said, 'Right there in that glass is the last drop of America's finest that you'll ever touch again, you get me?' At first, I didn't understand. But ever since he said that I haven't drank since. If I let the thought of my next drink hang in my mind, I can't think about my family. I can't think about my next move to make sure I stay alive. Keeps me clear headed."

"I don't think a little drink once in a while will kill me," he said. Just as Roach was tipping his head back to drink, Ghost punched him in the arm. A little bit of the whiskey spilled out over the edge of the glass and onto the bar. Roach turned and glared at him but before he could say anything, Ghost went on.

"If that was a sniper round, you would've lost an arm. If you're out on the battlefield, and you lose focus, even for a second, you die. One minute, whiskey's running through your mind. The next, it's a bullet. What I think might not matter much to you, but think about your family, Gary. Your wife and your daughter. What would happen to them if you didn't come home?" When Roach didn't answer, he said, "I'm gonna tell you the same thing that officer told me. Enjoy that while you got it, 'cause I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed because you were too busy thinking about coming back to this bar stool."

Roach stared at the the glass in his hand, then emptied it as he tossed the liquid over his shoulder and onto the floor. He set the glass down, and as Ghost patted him on the back, every last thought of drinking left his mind. He struggled for a while, but he remembered every word Ghost said to him then and there, and it kept him sober ever since.

That was why he went after Ghost. They needed each other. Even if Ghost wouldn't admit it.

He ran his fingers over the pictures, memories flashing through his mind. His daughter's birthday parties. The anniversary of him and his wife. The first time Ghost and Roach met, and decided to take a jeep for a joyride outside base camp. It was supposed to be frowned upon, but the unit understood that even in wartime, it doesn't hurt to remember that you're still a human being.

Ghost and Roach hadn't seen much of each other until only recently, with a string of missions involving Makarov pushing them together again. It was a happy reunion, even though they didn't show it. All the way up until Shepherd killed them right in front of each other. Ghost was never really a hothead, but when it came to their commanding officer betraying them, and stealing them away from their families, only for them to end up on a world they're almost sure doesn't exist and have that knowledge hanging over their head, his fuse was short for a good reason.

He clicked the locket closed, and slid it back into his vest.

"I'm coming for you, Ghost. Just hang on."

But then, Roach's Kevlar helmet did nothing to lessen the blow against the side of his head, and he fell over unconscious.

---

Roach drifted in and out of consciousness. Drifted in and out, in and out...

He caught small glimpses of scenery, all of them upside down. The floor of the cave. Moonlight fading away on the stone. Darkness. Green light pouring across the stone. Large green crystals protruding from the walls. The sound of himself being dragged across stone the entire way. His vision faded one last time, and when he returned to consciousness, he was hanging upside down. The walls around him were covered in the green crystals, giving the cavern light. He could tell he was underground. The air was thinner and felt cold and damp. He could see his arms hanging down toward the floor. His gaze drifted from the floor to the area in front of him. A tunnel was dug out of the wall, leading off into complete darkness. Roach guessed that this was where he was dragged from. He looked down (or up, as it was) at his feet. They were anchored into the rock ceiling by some sort of green goo. They strangely matched the color of the crystals around him, and he wasn't sure if the goo or the crystals were turning it green.

He tried to yank his foot free, but they didn't budge. He shook and pulled, but he was slowly losing consciousness as all of his blood was rushing back to his head. He felt sick, but didn't have the strength to pull down his mask in case he couldn't hold it. He just sighed and let himself relax again, closing his eyes and waiting for the sickness to go away.

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. Or hoofsteps, as it were.

Roach looked up. In the darkness leading away from the tunnel, he saw two glowing green lights. As the hoofsteps got closer, he began to make out a pair of eyes in the darkness. But before the shape appeared in the light, it stopped, silhouetted in the darkness.

Roach waited. He didn't have the strength to talk.

Until he remembered Ghost.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Who are you? Where am I?" The figured only giggled, its voice soothing and sinister at the same time. "Hey!" He curled his arms in toward his body, his fists clenched. "Answer me!"

"My my," the figure said, still standing in the shadows. "You were much more tolerable when you were unconscious."

"How 'bout you come over here so I can show you what it's like?" he threatened. He saw something glow just above the creature's eyes, and suddenly he was struck by a rock. His body swung from side to side for a moment, and he began to lose consciousness again. When the figure spoke again, its voice was distant.

"You are not in control here," the creature's voice became a little more threatening. "You were trespassing in my home. What have you to say for yourself?"

"Sorry I didn't take my shoes off first," Roach replied.

The figure snorted in annoyance. "Pitiful creature." The eyes disappeared into the darkness, but the voice came one more time. "It seems your kind is all the same."

Roach's heart jumped, or fell, into his throat. "Hey!" He yelled. "What's that supposed to mean? What'd you do with Ghost!?"

Only one of the eyes returned in the shadows, as if the figure was casting Roach a sideways glance on its way out. "Ghost." The creature seemed to almost be tasting the word. "Is that its name?"

"He is my partner. Now where is he?"

"Partner?" The figure giggled again. "That would explain why there are only two of you. Did I interrupt your repopulation?"

"If you ever say something like that again, I'll kill you a lot slower than I've already been planning to."

The eyes in the shadows turned toward Roach again, and the light above them flared up again. But this time, no rock came. Instead, Roach felt his feet break free of the goo, and he fell to the floor. His head and back collided, and he grunted as he landed. Dazed, he began to pull himself back to his feet as the figure went on. "Normally, I would punish you for speaking to me in such a manner. But unfortunately, I am not allowed to harm you." The figures eyes began to shift away again. "You are allowed to remain free, for now. Step out of line and you will be hung back up, and we won't be so lenient with the restraints. Attempt to escape, and you will be cocooned."

"What?" Roach didn't like the sound of the word "cocooned". "How 'bout you step out here where I can see you?"

"As stubborn as you are persistent," the figure said. "Very well. If you have no regard for yourself, how much do you have for your 'partner'?"

"If you so much as scratch the paint on his helmet, so help me."

The figure laughed. "I have an army at my disposal, but I can easily handle you myself. Are you sure you are in a good position to threaten me?"

"And would that 'army' happen to be this Dysfunction guy?" Roach asked.

Roach couldn't see it, but the figure raised an eyebrow.

"Wait a sec," Roach paused, cursing himself. "Dyslexia?" Still no answer. "Disposal? Disassemble?"

"Discord," the figure stated simply.

Roach snapped his fingers. "That's the one! So is Discord the army you're talking about?"

The figure laughed again. "Discord is a brash fool who is only looking for a childish way to entertain himself. He is no army, and he is certainly the least of your concerns. No, my army is much bigger. A vast swarm of my children poised to perform my every whim."

"So you call yourself a Queen 'cause your boyfriend didn't know how to put some rubber on?" The figure paused, attempting to decipher what Roach just said. "Must've been awful, being fat for so long. I can only imagine how you coped."

"I've no idea what you're talking about," the figure responded, "but my children were conceived by me and only me. They were born in a hive and hatched by the dozens. They tower above the weak creatures you call children."

"I've got one of my own," Roach said. "A daughter. Looks like she'll have a father that loves her a whole lot more than yours loved you."

"Love means nothing to me." Roach was beginning to irritate the figure. "Love is food for me and my children. Family means nothing to me. And if you're so intent on bragging about your precious child, do you think she'll miss her dear father?"

"If you say one more word about my daughter," Roach said. "I'll cut out a lot more than that silver tongue of yours."

"Is that so?" the figure asked. "Then I will make sure to take an equal number of pieces from your friend."

Roach had enough.

He reached down for the gun in his holster, and found that it was still there. He pulled it from his waist, and aimed straight between the two glowing eyes. But before he could pull the trigger, he was thrust of his feet, and ejected toward the wall of the cave. He slammed against one of the crystals, his pistol falling from his hand. He wasn't sure if the crack he heard was the crystal or his back. A green aura surrounded his sidearm, and it was pulled away into the darkness.

"You are like an undisciplined child," the figure said. "Always fussing when asked to play nice."

"I get that way when someone takes away my toys," Roach said through gritted teeth.

"As do I," the figure said. "In fact, my children are having a wonderful time sharing theirs with your friend."

Roach cursed at the figure.

"Now now," the figure said, stepping a little more into the light. Roach made out the edge of a black face, blue hair hanging down a long neck, and a fang hanging over the lip at the end of a long muzzle. "Is that any way to talk to your Queen?"

Author's Note:

Yeah, I guess you kinda saw this one coming. But I did a good job on dragging it out, didn't I?

Brony4ever10 asked me to make a new chapter for the holidays. Well, happy late Thanksgiving/early Christmas. I hope I've satisfied you and many others with the next piece of this elaborate puzzle.

Wow. That was a terrible analogy.

~Delta 727

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The Metallic Dash

The Metallic Dash #1 · Dec 10th, 2014 · 1 · ·

OMG This was awesome.... roach is ridiculusliously (how the heck do i spell that) stubborn to be threatening Queen whats-her-face.
I wonder why she wasn't allowed to harm them?

The funniest thing ive seen this chapter is - "So you call yourself a Queen 'cause your boyfriend didn't know how to put some rubber on?" The figure paused, attempting to decipher what Roach just said. "Must've been awful, being fat for so long. I can only imagine how you coped."

Good job Delta 747

RazorWing_GB

RazorWing_GB #2 · Dec 10th, 2014 · · ·

Um... Wha-...
It's been so long since I read these, I don't remember squat.
Well, I'll mark 'em all as 'unread' and start re-reading 'em... sometime.

pahnazd

pahnazd #3 · Dec 10th, 2014 · · ·

Roach's quips against the queen were awesome
Well, things just got real for our two humans. Will they get from this situation without dying? (certainly, this doesn't have a tragedy tag) Let's find out sometime later!

Hurgusburgus

Hurgusburgus #4 · Dec 10th, 2014 · 2 · ·

"So you call yourself a Queen 'cause your boyfriend didn't know how to put some rubber on?" The figure paused, attempting to decipher what Roach just said. "Must've been awful, being fat for so long. I can only imagine how you coped."

rs1ci.memecdn.com/333/5769333.gif

Delta 727

Delta 727 #5 · Dec 10th, 2014 · · ·

5365439 I CAN'T BREATHE

Delta 727

Delta 727 #6 · Dec 10th, 2014 · · ·

5366812 W0t?
I don't see the problem.

RoadRunneR

RoadRunneR #7 · Dec 10th, 2014 · 3 · ·

Roach is wayyyy too hotblooded. If you notice you still got your pistol, you play it cool and wait for your enemy to turn his back, not pull it and start shooting away like a cowboy.

RoadRunneR