New World, Old Fight

by SGTBRONY

Chapter 17

Going Home

It had been thirty minutes since Riley’s shooter and I took down the OGA snipers. Silence had settled immediately following as we cleared every corner of the parking lot from our rooftop hide. I found my thoughts turning to Twilight, with the chaos of the last couple of hours, it hadn’t had time to sink in that I was mere hours away from holding her in my arms again, hearing her laugh, smelling her lavender scent.

I felt joy, pure and unbridled rise up within me. I quickly checked it, couldn’t afford distractions now. The stakes were too high. For another hour the parking lot stayed quiet and it was rapidly approaching 0700, daylight was getting ready to break. I reached for the PTT button on my throat-mic when Riley’s voice cut across the freq.

“Mike! My guys just reported in, they’re on the ground and rolling, being tailed by multiple contacts!”

“Fuck!” I swore loudly, “How far out are they?”

“Maybe a klick, evasive won’t work, sun up’s in twenty mikes. They’re gonna bring those fuckers right through the front door, be ready”

“Always” I replied, popping the lid on an ammo can and topping off my magazine. I turned to the other shooter, “How much ammo you have left?”

“Around eight mags, you?”

“Same”

We settled in, waiting for the inevitable fight, about a minute later Riley’s voice crackled over the radio.

“They just turned onto the street, they’ll be in sight any second, we’re set down here.”

“Rog’, draw ‘em in as close as you can”

I heard the screeching of rubber, and looked up in time to see a black van hauling ass towards us, two big black SUVs trailing close behind. I flicked the safety off on my weapon and dragged the scope up to my eye, tracking the lead SUV. I watched as the passenger side window rolled down, my heart jumped into my throat as I saw the telltale puffs of smoke, watched the suppressed fusillade rip into the side of the van. The van swerved, almost out of control before braking hard and screeching to a stop just out front of our building.

Riley‘s guys bailed out and my heart skipped a beat as the last one emerged dragging my mom by the hand. The guys set up a fast diamond formation and hustled her into the building. Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding….The SUVs took up flanking positions on either side, the doors flew open, and OGA operators jumped out taking cover behind the door and the vehicles themselves. For one surreal moment silence fell over the lot…Then Riley’s voice cracked like a shot over the team freq.

“HIT EM!”

And just like that, everything in front of the building was hit with a bewildering amount of suppressed fire, the two SUVs were disintegrating as Riley’s guys and I poured everything we had into them. I jumped up and advanced to the edge of the roof, picking and dropping targets the whole way there. I watched as one of the team advanced towards the remaining OGA guys firing a suppressed Mk.48 machine gun. Within twenty second all the OGA operators were either dead or dying. The damage was horrific but, like all the death over the last twelve hours, they‘d brought it on themselves…

“Clear up!” I shouted.

“Clear down!” Came the reply from the point man in the parking lot

“All Clear! We gotta move, status on the PC?”

“PC is secured in the main lab area”

“Rog’! ” I double-timed it down the stairs, heading for Kat’s office. The bottom floor was riddled with bullet holes and broken glass, I caught sight of Riley by the front door, “Chief! On me!”

Riley jogged over and fell into step next to me, I was the first one through the door, Kat was comforting my mom, who looked about ready to burst into tears when she saw me. I walked over and wrapped her in a hug.

“Hey Ma”

“Jesus Mike, what the hell is going on? One minute I’m making dinner, the next I’m being told to pack my stuff, that my life may be in danger.”

“I’m so sorry mom, I’ve got zero time to explain it all.. The short and sweet is that the CIA knows about my little trip, and are trying to get ahold of the data in order to recreate the effect. We both know what happens if they do.” I let the implications hang, “You and Kat are coming with me, you have to. They‘ll kill you otherwise”

Mom shook her head, chuckling softly, “I just can’t catch a break huh?… Good thing I grabbed my toothbrush, when do we leave?”

“Right now” I said straightening up, turning to Riley, handing him the prepaid cell phone detonator, “Chief? Give us five minutes, then get clear and call the number I gave you…It’s been an honor Riley”

Riley nodded “The honor was all mine Zaz, now go, keep the girls safe”

I motioned to Kat, she tapped a few keys and the Matter Accelerator began to spin up, shrouding the room in the same shimmering effect. With a bright flash the portal opened, revealing the Everfree forest beyond.

“Whoa” my mom whispered

“Yep” I said, smiling, “You’re going to love this, mom”

“Okay, it’s stabilized” Kat said grabbing her bag, and lighting a smoke, “Let’s boldly go, before I change my mind”

I put my arm around my mom‘s shoulders, “Ready?”

She inhaled sharply, “As ready as I’ll ever be”

I grabbed Kat’s hand and, with a final nod to the Chief, we walked forward into the shimmering door of light….

Falling..

“OOF!” I grunted involuntarily as I made contact with the hard packed forest floor, Kat landed in a pile of freshly fallen leaves and Mom found herself in a soft fir tree without the slightest trace of a rough landing.

Fuck my life…

I stood, brushing myself off, my vision swam as tears welled up in my eyes, joy threatening to overtake me.. I stowed it quickly, the Everfree was not a place to become sentimental. I gathered my shit together after a few seconds and looked around the clearing. We were a lot deeper into the forest than I’d ever been.

“Kat?” I called out “Keep an eye out I’m gonna climb a tree, see if I can’t get my bearings”

“Ow, my fucking ass.. Yeah, sure thing Mickey. MOM! YOU DEAD?!”

“Not yet!, Mickey? Where are we?! ” came the reply from about the middle of the fir tree closest to me.

I rolled my eyes, we were quite the team, “It’s called Everfree, Ma, the Everfree forest”

“Ah, Gotcha, Katherine?, can you get me outta this tree?”

“Yep!”

I shook my head laughing, Equestria wasn’t ready for the three of us. I scaled the nearest tree, breaking through the thick canopy, I scanned around for a moment before I found my target. Looming in the distance on it’s cliff side perch, stood Canterlot in all it’s breathtaking glory.

“Northeast” I muttered, I risked a glance at the sun, we still had about four and a half hours till Celestia lowered it, if we hauled we could make it. I climbed down a lot faster than I thought possible. Kat had gotten Mom out of the tree and they were both munching on energy bars as I walked up, Kat was scribbling furiously in her notebook, muttering about anomalies. I whistled and they both perked up.

“What’s up Mickey? Know where we are yet?” Mom asked

“I’ve got out position in relation to Canterlot… the Capital city… where the palace is” I added, seeing their blank looks. “We’ve got a good three hours of walking ahead of us, and four hours to do it in, trust me you do NOT want to be caught in the Everfree after dark.”

Mom nodded, “Let’s boogie”

We headed on, I was trying to play the tour guide, and they both had so many questions. But the closer we got to our destination the faster I walked. I was possessed by thoughts of Twilight, just over the next rise she would be waiting, I’d be holding her again. As I neared the top I could hear noises from just over the crest, I took a knee, motioning for Kat and Mom to hold up, straining to make out what it was that awaited us up ahead. I could make out a voice, a musical regal voice, barking out harsh commands.

“Keep a twenty hoof spread Captain!, I want the Pegasi kept at five and ten mile intervals! We must find the source of the distortion!”

Celestia!

“Aye Princess!, Lighthoof! Push to the right flank!”

“Aye sir!”

I popped over the ridge, my heart in my throat, “Princess Celestia!”

I watched Celestia freeze from a hundred feet away, she looked right at me, her magenta eyes boring into mine, “M-Michael?, how?”

“I had some help highness. We managed to stabilize the effect and eliminate the radiation as well, Equestria is safe”

Tears welled up in her eyes, “Oh, Michael…” She closed the gap swiftly, wrapping her right foreleg around my neck “You are a wonder..” She pulled back, sniffling.

I motioned for Mom and Kat to join me, Celestia’s eyes went wide as saucers, “Princess Celestia, allow me to introduce my sister Katherine, and my mother Angela”

Kat bowed, my Mom followed suit, “Princess”

Celestia bowed, a beatific smile on her face, “Welcome, to Equestria, It’s an honor to finally meet both of you” She favored me with a look, “Michael? Has the portal been closed?”

I nodded, “We had some friends close it behind us”

“Very well, you three will ride with me in my chariot” She raised her voice so as to be heard across the line, “LIEUTENANT! BRING THE SCOUTS BACK AND ROUND UP YOUR PONIES,WE MAKE FOR PONYVILLE IMMEDIATELY”

“AYE PRINCESS. ALRIGHT! YOU HEARD HER HIGHNESS! RALLY UP!”

A few minutes later the last of the Pegasi scouts had been called in and we were airborne, flying over the Everfree towards Ponyville. Once we’d been flying for a few minutes I nudged Celestia, “How is she?”

Celestia shook her head, sadness coloring her features, “Until today I feared the worst Michael, she has barely left the library these last few months. Trying to bury herself in study”

“I understand Princess, I’m here now, time to pick up the pieces.. As you so eloquently put it all those months ago”

Celestia nodded, wrapping a wing around my shoulders “This will be a great day”

I smiled and leaned back in my seat, thoughts of Twilight racing through my head. Kat and Mom were staring out over the landscape with wide eyes, watching Pegasi move clouds across the sky, I reached over and touched Kat’s knee, “The weather is controlled by them. Princess Celestia and her sister, Luna control the Sun and the Moon respectively.”

Kat’s jaw dropped, she looked down at the notebook in her now shaking hands….and with a loud cry of “NOPE!” promptly hurled it over the side of the chariot to a chorus of laughter from Celestia and I.

One of the guards flew close, shouting over the wind, “HIGHNESS! WE ARE APPROACHING PONYVILLE!”

“VERY GOOD SERGEANT! FLY AHEAD AND INFORM TWILIGHT SPARKLE OF MY ARRIVAL, BUT NOTHING ELSE!” Celestia called back.

The Pegasus guard saluted and flew on ahead, my heart was pounding, I could see Town Hall, and Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique….The Library.

“Ready?” Celestia asked as we came in for a landing

“More than I’ve ever been Princess”

The Chariot settled gently on the grass just off Mane street. The Library was just a few hundred yards away, I jumped out and started running. Nothing was stopping me now, I rounded the corner, two pegasi guards were flanking the library door, in between them, facing away from me…stood Twilight.

“TWILIGHT!” I hadn’t even broken stride as I screamed her name

Twlight jolted like she’d been struck by lightning, spinning around to face me, her beautiful violet eyes wide as dinner plates. She didn’t say a word electing instead to bust a full sprint towards me…

Impact.

She jumped into my arms, her lips meeting mine, I returned her kiss with equal urgency, letting her momentum carry us to the ground. Tears, hot and salty poured down my face as all the stress, fear and loneliness of the last six months poured out of me. Twi sobbed as I crushed her into my chest, savoring the taste of her lips and the smell of her fur. I broke the kiss and ran my hand down the side of her face. “I love you Twilight”

“I love you Mike”

I kissed her again, I never wanted to stop…when I had a moment of clarity. The path was laid bare.. I broke the kiss. “Twi?”

“Yes, Mike?”

“Marry me?”

“W-wha?”

“Marry me Twilight Sparkle”

Twi paused for a moment before launching herself at me and wrapping her forelegs around my neck.

“YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES”

I closed my eyes and leaned into the hug, pure joy radiating through my whole body.

I was finally…home

Comments

[no longer on]

I'm just speechless...

[The Darkened Soul]

Did I just die from amazement?