A Rarity of a soldier

by Lon35hadow

Interlude

"So, what happened next?" Spike asked.

"I think that can wait a while, Spike," Twilight said. "Besides, Rarity and I still need to know what's been going on here since we left."

"Then I believe it would be best to head to Canterlot," Celestia said. "That is, if you two want to go there."

"Sure," Twilight said as she and Rarity got up. "Just let us get some stuff." Both of the mares made their way to the pods they had come down in and leaned into them, using their magic to grab what they needed, which included a transmitter for communication with the ship they had deployed from, in case something happened, which, according to Murphy's law, was inevitable. Along with the transmitter, Twilight got replacement power packs for her rifle, a Type-55 Directed Energy Rifle/Advanced, the official designation of the Storm rifle, and extra blamite crystals for her, thanks to an invisibility spell, hidden Type-33 guided munitions launcher, or the needler.

Rarity got three replacement magazines for her assault rifle, which, in all actuality, was a custom one. Her friends hadn't noticed the diamond patterns on the weapons stock, and the muzzle shroud also had a pattern, this one being the six stars from her time as Nightmare's host, and her M6D Magnum pistol strapped to her back right leg.

"We're ready," Twilight said as she and Rarity walked back to the others.

"Then hold on," Celestia said as she lit her horn, and the nine of them vanished.

---

Twilight, Rarity, and the others all reappeared in the castle throne room. The first two stretched. "I had forgotten just how disorienting that could be," Twilight said.

"Please, it's no where near as bad as taking a plasma grenade explosion just a few feet away," Rarity said, glaring at Twilight.

"I said I was sorry!" Twilight yelled, to which Rarity chuckled.

"I'm just fucking with you, Twi," Rarity said, shocking the others at the fact she cussed. She looked at them and said, "Really? That's what you all are shocked by, given my prosthetic eye," she said as she pointed to said eye, "my scar," the scar that made the prosthetic needed, "or the fact I carry a weapon?"

"Sorry, Rares," Rainbow said sheepishly. "It's just, well, you. None of us would have been able to guess that."

"Yeah, we figured," Twilight said before her eyes widened. "Oh my god, I forgot: where's Shining and Cadence, not to mention my parents? They need to know I'm back."

"And Sweetie, too," Rarity said, "as well as my parents." Rainbow and the other Elements, as well as Spike and the Princesses, all cringed. "That's. . . not gonna happen, Rarity. Your parents, I mean," Rainbow said. "Same with Shining, Twi."

"What happened?" both Twilight and Rarity asked, fear on their faces and in their voices.

"Guess I should start from the beginning," Rainbow said. "You see, just after you guys disappeared, Griffonstone got its act together and rebuilt pretty quick. But one thing from before the idol stayed: Their greed. And right now, they all want Equestria." Rainbow sighed. "A few Griffons, including Gilda and her friend, Greta, are trying to help us, but its a losing war." She looked at Rarity. "Your parents moved to Trottingham just after you disappeared, and that was the first place they attacked.

"Nopony survived." Rarity gasped.

"What about Sweetie?"

"She moved here a year ago, and actually ran your Canterlot boutique in her free time," Rainbow said. "Actually, she and the other Crusaders discovered their cutie marks, and Sweetie's was in singing."

"What about Shining?" Twilight asked, to which Rainbow shook her head.

"MIA, maybe captured," the pegasus said. "Nopony knows. All we do know is that he was last seen just before the first battle of Manehatten, which was two years ago, and we haven't seen him since. As for the Empire, the Griffons took it, and Cadence and most of the civilians from there were able to get out and come here, and I think Cadence could use some good news, along with your parents, Twi."

"I can send for them, if you wish," Celestia said to the two mares, both of whom looked down at the floor. Yeah, they had seen more death then any should in their time gone, but losing a friend or family member? That always affects you to some degree. If it doesn't? Well, something's wrong with you.

"Yeah," Twilight eventually said. "They should know they haven't lost everything, even if it won't help. The ponies they knew before we left died when the two of us met on the front lines, and we just have their memories and names."

"No, you aren't."

Both mares looked up the one who spoke, and were surprised at the fact it was Fluttershy who said it. "You're still the Twilight and Rarity we knew before that, you two. You just changed a little, something that happens to everypony."

"Looks like you got some courage, huh, Shy?" Twilight asked with a small smile.

Fluttershy just nodded, which got a chuckle from Twilight and Rarity.

"Then I'll send for them," Celestia said as she made her way to the doors. "Rainbow, I might need help getting everypony."

"Right," Rainbow said before following the solar diarch.

"So, while we wait," Rarity said, "any questions?"

"What's a plasma grenade," Luna asked instantly.

"This," Twilight said, pulling a small orb from her armor's belt, "is a plasma grenade, Luna. A T-1 antipersonnel grenade manufactured by Iruiru armory. Its casing, when the grenade is activated, which causes the grenade to vent its coolant and thus destabilizes the plasma generator inside, allows it to stick to infantry and vehicles. Creates a mess if someone's unlucky enough to get stuck with it."

"Both of us know that firsthoof," Rarity said.

"Uh," Applejack said, "if'n I may ask, y'all, just exactly who's in yer squad?"

Twilight and Rarity looked at each, a small hint of worry on their faces. "Nopony important," Twilight said. "Though, out of the entire UNSC, we do have a. . . unique squad makeup."

"You'll see what we mean tomorrow," Rarity said. "We can't really tell you. Actually, we had hell just trying to get it to where you can meet all of them. Never did like ONI."

"Who are they?" Pinkie asked.

"A bunch of plotholes who are even less human then the Covenant, and that's saying something," Rarity said. She then grinned like a maniac. "One thing even their physical defenses can't thwart, though, a pouting unicorn, and I do enjoy having their people spill secrets I can use for blackmail to make sure they don't harm my friends, at least."

"Which reminds me, Rarity," Twilight, "we should probably get some to make sure they don't get any records on us and the others, to be safe."

"Did that back in '54, Twilight. Remember our trip to Onyx?"

"Oh, that little nugget," Twilight said with a devilish grin. "That should do it, especially if we threaten to tell the Sangheili about it."

"That's why I got it, Twilight," Rarity said with a chuckle before looking at the others. "Inside thing. Not even our squad knows what it is."

Before the others could say anything, Celestia and Rainbow walked in, with Cadence, a grown up Sweetie Belle, and Twilight's parents in tow.

"Why is it you wanted to see us, Princess," Twilight Velvet asked.

"I had something I thought might cheer you all up, given the more recent. . . hardships," Celestia said.

"Don't you mean two someponies, Princess," Twilight said, which made her family and Sweetie to stop in their tracks and, with wide eyes, look at the two mares in armor just before they tackled their respective family members and nearly strangling them in hugs.

Both Twilight and Rarity laughed with their family until the just couldn't, and they all stood up.

Those that had followed Rainbow and Celestia had tears in their eyes, with Cadence asking the question that was on all their minds. "What happened to you two?"

Twilight chuckled. "Long story, and we just got finished with the first part before we came here, but the short version of that is that Rarity and I were sent to a war zone and met people on two different factions that were fighting against one another, and we stopped at where what Rarity was on was about to get attacked by the other group, the one I met with."

"What?" Cadence asked, as Twilight spoke quickly.

Both mare facehoofed and retold the first part, ending where they had with the others. "Now, do you guys want to hear the rest," Twilight asked, to which all present nodded.

"Right, so. . ."

Author's Note:

Thank you, halo waypoint universe entries.
Also, there is a plot twist coming, which I have laid hints for in this and the last chapter, and will lay more as the story goes on.

Comments

[snowblind]

AWWW cliffhangers are a vile and cruel way to lure people to read the next chapter by making them wait on it all excited only to be dissapointed when it does not come out in a few days and they forget about the whole thing...

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

May Rarity's parent's memories live on....
And greetings snowblind!

[Bronzer]

M6D Magnum

A.K.A God's Own Anti-Everything Machine.