And The Horse You Rode In As
Six lay back on the hospital bed, her wings carefully raised behind her into a comfortable position, and fought the urge to writhe beneath the strange feelings rippling through her chest. On her left, a doctor stood, his horn glowing brightly and his face a mask of concentration as he struggled to maintain the healing spell. The spell caused a sensation akin to snakes crawling through her chest, only punctuated by brief bursts of pain as her wounded flesh knitted back together. Eventually though, the pain passed, and Six felt her lung resume its functions, savoring the feeling as she took a few deep breaths.
The doctor stepped back from Six, looking weary but satisfied. “That should do it.” He said, looking over Six’s now healed side. Though mostly healed, the wound remained, and the doctor levitated over a bandage to cover it. “I’ve sealed your lung and repaired some of the damage, but the wound is too severe for me to completely heal alone. You should be fine as long as you get some rest, and avoid any strenuous activity.” The Lieutenant nodded, and the doctor yawned widely. “Good. If you’ll excuse me, I think I require a bit of rest myself. I’ll be back to change your bandages before we release you in the morning. If you experience any pain, call for a nurse, and we’ll set you up on some local anesthetic. Goodnight, Lieutenant.” Six nodded again, and the doctor turned and trotted out of the room.
He hadn’t made it two steps however, before he collided with Carter. “Oh! Excuse me!” He said quickly, looking up to the Spartan. “Ah, Commander. Checking in on the Lieutenant, I assume?”
Carter nodded in response. “Yes I am. How is she?”
The doctor looked toward Six’s room curiously. “I have just finished healing her. The damage was extensive. To be honest, I’m amazed that she was conscious, let alone ambulatory.”
Carter laughed dryly. “Yeah, that sounds like her. Is it alright if I see her?”
The doctor nodded. “Of course! Just make it quick, she needs her rest.” The doctor yawned again, covering his mouth with a hoof. “I need some as well, to be honest.”
Carter thanked the doctor, who gave a sleepy acknowledgement in return, before striding into the room. Six lay on the bed, her helmet still in place, though the rest of her armor was retracted. Upon seeing Carter enter the room, Six gave him a stiff nod. “Commander, Sir.” She attempted to sit up, but faltered, as she attempted to hide a wince as pain blossomed in her side.
Carter raised a hoof, signaling her to lie back down. “At ease, Six.” Striding up to the bed, Carter lifted her chart from the table beside her. Looking down at the chart, he calmly began to read its contents. “Widespread bruising about the chest, three bruised ribs, one cracked rib, a sprained ankle and wing, and a deep chest wound resulting in a punctured lung.” Carter set the chart down and fixed Six with a scathing look. “If this is what you consider fit for duty, Lieutenant, then I’d hate to see you wounded.”
Six remained silent, looking down and avoiding Carter’s gaze. Carter studied her for a few moments, before speaking again. “I need to know that you won’t let something like this happen again, Six. When you joined this team, I didn’t think it needed to be said that you’re no good to me dead. By keeping quiet about this, you made yourself a liability.”
This statement drew a reaction from Six, who whipped her gaze towards him. “I did this to prevent myself from becoming a liability.” She growled. “To heal my wounds would have taken time and energy, two things that we didn’t have enough of. You and Kat were much more capable at full strength than I would have been even if you healed me.” She gestured to her side, where the bandage was already beginning to dampen with blood. “If my wounds ended up killing me, that would be one thing, but I would rather die than get one of you killed from the effort of helping me.” She looked down again. “I didn’t want to be a burden.”
Carter shook his head. “Six, one thing you need to understand is that if I had to carry you out of that forest myself, it wouldn’t have weighed as heavily on me as if you had died back there. I’ve lost enough soldiers, Six. I don’t need to lose any more.” Carter paused, and then added slowly, “You’re more valuable than you think.”
Six shrugged, still keeping her gaze locked on the bedspread. “I suppose I’m just used to being disposable.”
Carter frowned. A moment passed, before he reached over and laid a hoof on Six’s shoulder. The Lieutenant looked up towards him, and Carter gave her a solemn look. “When I told you to leave that Lone Wolf stuff behind, I didn’t mean I intended to leave you behind as well. You may have started as a replacement, but now you’re one of us. You mean a lot to this team Six; don’t forget that.” Carter released Six’s shoulder, and stepped back. “We’re deploying to Ponyville tomorrow, so make sure you get some rest.”
Six nodded. “Yes Sir.” Carter turned and marched towards the door. He was about to cross the threshold when he was stopped by a call of, “Commander.” Turning back, he saw that the Lieutenant was looking at him, her gaze locked with his. For a moment, the two remained frozen, until Six looked away, muttering, “Thank you.”
Carter chuckled. “Just doing my job, Lieutenant. Try to avoid any mortal wounds in the future, alright?”
Six gave a small laugh of her own. “I’ll do my best, Sir. No promises.”
Carter smiled. “Good to hear. I’ll let you rest, we have a busy day tomorrow.” With that, Carter turned and proceeded out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a flick of his magic. Six watched him leave, before turning on her side and shutting her eyes. Her thoughts grew muddled, and within moments she was asleep.
Twilight sat at the head of the table, smiling as each of her friends discussed their plans for the Grand Galloping Gala. They had arrived at the restaurant a few minutes ago, but every moment, as well as those spent walking to the restaurant itself, had been spent chatting about the event. Looking down at her plate, she levitated a sandwich up, before taking a massive bite.
Beside her, Rainbow looked at her bulging cheeks and laughed. “Geez Twi,” She said, grinning. “Slow down. The food isn’t going anywhere.”
Twilight gave Rainbow a sheepish look before swallowing heavily. “Sorry Rainbow.” She said. “But after the day I’ve had, I want to make sure I get to eat before something either drags me or this food away.” The group shared a laugh at the remark, including Spike, who returned Twilight’s knowing look.
Spike took another long draw from his own soda, before adding, “She’s right though, Twilight. You keep eating like that, and you’re gonna-“ He was suddenly cut off as his cheeks bulged, the dragon bringing a claw up to clutch at his mouth. Then with a loud BUUURP he released a cloud of twisting green smoke. The smoke swirled through the air before coming to a stop before Twilight, and with a flash of light, dissolved into the form of a scroll. The royal seal on the scroll came apart as the scroll unfurled, and Twilight instinctively began to read its contents. Upon finishing the letter, Twilight let out a gasp of surprise.
“What is it, Twi?” Applejack asked, looking to her friend with curiosity. Around her, Twilight’s other friends regarded her with much the same expression.
“It’s a letter from Princess Celestia.” Twilight said redundantly. “It’s about Noble Team.” This drew several excited murmurs from the others, and Twilight began to read the letter aloud.
To My Faithful Student,
I am happy to announce that Noble Team has finished their training in Canterlot, and are now ready to assume their roles as your guardians. I have given them tonight to rest and recover from the training, and they shall arrive in Ponyville tomorrow at noon. I am confident that you and your friends will give them a proper welcome, and will help them settle into their new lives here, as your friends have done for you. I hope to hear about your experiences with Carter and the rest of Noble in your next letter.
Your Teacher, Princess Celestia
Twilight finished reading the letter and looked up to her friends, hoping to gauge their reactions. Rainbow grinned jubilantly and pumped a hoof, excited at the impending arrival of her guardian. Rarity too looked animated with the news of Kat’s impending arrival and, if the thoughtful expression on her face was any indication, was already going over dress designs for the Spartan in her mind. Applejack looked satisfied that Jorge would be coming with her onto the farm, though her somewhat troubled expression suggested that she was upset at the Spartans moving in at such short notice. Fluttershy, for her part, looked to be torn between excitement at the announcement, and abject terror that Six would be not only be returning, but moving in with her as well. Lastly Twilight turned her gaze to Pinkie, only to find that the pink pony had vanished, only a quickly dispersing cloud of dust revealing that she had been there in the first place.
Surprised by her friend’s sudden exit, Twilight looked to the others confusedly. “What was that about?”
Rarity looked to the door of the restaurant that Pinkie had shot through moments earlier with some concern. “Oh, I hope the poor dear isn’t distressed by the news that Emile is returning. He was a bit of a brute, after all.”
Applejack shook her head. “Nah, that ain’t it. Pinkie ain’t the type a pony to care ‘bout somethin’ like that. Ah bet she’s just excited, probably goin’ ta plan a welcome party or somethin’.” The others nodded at this, and Rainbow Dash gave a small laugh.
“She’s just being random as usual, so who knows. And no offense to Pinkie, but I feel a little bad for Emile. Imagine him tryin’ to keep up with Pinkie!” Rainbow snickered again, and the others joined in.
“I myself am quite looking forward to Catherine’s arrival.” Rarity said excitedly. “I’ve been toying with some ideas I’m sure she’ll just adore, although it has been a bit difficult. A colt’s hairstyle and a mechanical hoof aren’t the easiest to work with, after all.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah think yer forgettin’ that Kat’s a soldier, Rarity.” She drawled. “She ain’t gunna’ be too interested in prettifyin’.”
Rarity tsked dismissively toward Applejack. “Nonsense, Applejack. Catherine seemed to be of quite a refined mind. I’m sure she’ll be able to appreciate, as you so elegantly put it, prettifying.” Applejack looked ready to retort but Rarity continued, “And what about yourself, darling? Surely you must be excited at Jorge’s impending arrival.”
Applejack stopped, and thought for a moment before answering, “Ah guess. Ah’m still worried about how my family’s gunna’ take him movin’ in all sudden-like.”
Twilight looked to Applejack with concern. “You haven’t told them yet?”
Applejack huffed indignantly. “O’Course Ah’ve told ‘em! When Ah got back from Canterlot, it was one’a the first things we talked about.” She frowned, looking down at the table. “Still, tain’t easy tellin’ yer kin that a stallion old enough ta be yer father’s gunna’ move in so he can be yer ‘guardian’.” The others winced and gave Applejack sympathetic looks as she continued, “Still, it’ll be nice havin’ an extra set a hooves helpin’ out around the farm. Ah just hope he’ll be able ta pull his weight.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Might be a problem for a guy like Jorge.” The others laughed, and Rainbow cracked a grin as she continued, “Personally, I can’t wait for Jun to show up! A week-long crash course in flying from somepony chosen by the Princess herself? Who knows, he may have even been trained by the Wonderbolts! I can’t wait to test his speed for myself; see if he can keep up with Equestria’s greatest flyer!” Rainbow observed her friends’ deadpan expressions with a grin, but felt her smile falter as she spotted Fluttershy’s nervous look. Wrapping a hoof around her friend, Rainbow Dash pulled Fluttershy close as she continued, “And maybe I’ll stop by and see what Six can do, too. I’m always up for more competition!”
Fluttershy gently extricated herself from Rainbow’s grip, before responding, “I hope Six would be up to flying with you too, Rainbow. I, um, just really hope she doesn’t mind living with me. I mean, what if she doesn’t like animals? I don’t want her to be uncomfortable, and I definitely don’t want to have to get rid of my animals, but I also don’t want to just kick her out. I-“
Rainbow then decided to silence the Pegasus by gently placing her hoof over her muzzle. “Relax, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash said. “Six doesn’t seem like the kind of pony to let something like animals bother her. It’ll be fine.” Rainbow gave Fluttershy a confident grin, which succeeded in bringing a meek smile to the latter’s face.
“You’re right Rainbow. I guess I’m just afraid of disappointing Six. After what happened last time…” Fluttershy looked down, regarding the floor for a moment before lifting her gaze, her expression now set with determination. “I owe it to her to be the best host I can.” The others looked to Fluttershy with curiosity at their friend’s firmness, but nodded in agreement all the same.
Rarity then turned to Twilight. “How about you, darling?” She asked, observing her friend inquisitively. “I imagine you must be quite excited to have a stallion like Carter staying with you.” Rarity quirked an eyebrow suggestively with this statement, and Twilight found herself blushing hotly, while the others, save for Fluttershy, laughed quietly.
Coughing awkwardly into her hoof, Twilight ignored her friends suggestive grins as she answered, “Actually Rarity, to be honest I’m a bit nervous. Carter and I never really got a chance to talk, even in Canterlot. He seemed more concerned about the rest of his team.” Twilight frowned as she thought back to her time in Canterlot one week earlier. From the moment after her vision of Carter’s death had ended, Twilight had been hoping to have a conversation with the Spartan. Sadly, his attention seemed to be entirely focused on either the Princess, or his own teammates. Being the relative introvert that she is, Twilight hadn’t pressed him, choosing instead to observe calmly as his focus strayed elsewhere. “I’d honestly love for us to be friends, with him living with Spike and I, but I don’t know if that’s what he wants.”
Applejack shook her head, chuckling softly. “Look Sugarcube, if ya want Carter ta start bein’ your friend, ya just gotta start by bein’ friendly to him. Ya can’t wait fer him ta start talkin’, you gotta go ta him yerself.” The others gave various murmurs of agreement.
“Yeah, what she said!” Rainbow Dash continued. “You got lucky with us, Twi. We all sorta came to you wanting to be friends.”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow skeptically. “You mean when you crashed into me and knocked me into a pile of mud?” Rainbow grinned embarrassedly, and Twilight sighed. “Still, you’re right. I never really went looking for friends, did I? I was just lucky enough to become friends with you girls.” The other Elements smiled at their friend’s sentiment, and Twilight continued determinedly, “But with Carter, I won’t leave it to chance. I’m sure that if I do my best to welcome him, then we’ll become best friends in no time!” The others cheered, each of them making the promise to do the same for their own Guardian.
As her friends began excitedly discussing their plans to welcome their respective Spartans, Twilight looked down, rubbing her chin in thought. “Now all I need is a plan…”
Carter sighed contentedly, savoring the wind whipping against his face and rippling through his fur as he and the rest of Noble made their way towards Ponyville. Beside him, Kat was inspecting the chariot they were riding in, as well as the Pegasus guards pulling it, with interest. From what Carter could make out of her mumblings, Kat was trying to figure out how exactly the guards were able to keep the chariot in the air, given its weight as well as that of its passengers. Chuckling at her apparent frustration with this world’s physics, Carter returned his gaze forward just in time to see a layer of clouds part, revealing the small town laid out before them.
Satisfied by their quickly impending arrival, Carter looked back to examine the rest of his team. Jun and Emile were seated in the chariot being pulled just behind his own and behind them, at the back of the group was the chariot carrying Jorge and Six, the latter having just been released from the hospital a few hours earlier. Raising a hoof to his ear, Carter was about to deliver the news to his teammates, before realizing that without their helmets, there would be no way for them to hear him. Sighing, Carter lowered his hoof and raised his voice, shouting over the roaring winds, “Alright people, we’re almost there! Once we land, we’ll split up and find each of our Elements! Remember, this is a civilian deployment, so no armor and play nice! I’m talking to you, Emile!” The Warrant Officer scowled in response, as the three chariots began to quickly descend below the clouds. Within moments, the Spartans had arrived, as the chariots came to a rolling stop in the town square.
As the chariots came to a full stop and the Spartans disembarked, Carter was met with the sight of the Elements of Harmony waiting for him. Twilight was at the front, waving excitedly. Behind her, Rarity and Applejack stood with genial smiles on their faces. At the back was Fluttershy, the Pegasus partially hiding herself behind the others but smiling meekly all the same. Finally was Rainbow Dash, hovering in the air above the others and wearing a grin. Wait a minute… Carter thought, cocking his head in confusion. Where’s the sixth one? What was her name… Pinkie Pie? Carter looked to each of the waiting mares, and mentally shrugged. They sure don’t look too worried, so wherever she is, I’m sure she’s fine.
Turning to the Pegasus guards who had been pulling his chariot, Carter gave them an appreciative nod. “Thanks for the ride, boys.” The two snapped off firm salutes in response.
“No problem, Commander.” With that, they turned and galloped away, swiftly picking up speed and lifting off. Behind them, the chariots pulling the rest of Noble did the same. Carter watched them take off before turning to address the Elements, only to find a pair of lavender eyes less than a foot from his own.
“Hello!” Twilight said excitedly, a friendly grin stretched across her face. Carter balked at her sudden appearance, and took an instinctive step back. Twilight only smiled wider in response. She certainly seems… eager. Carter thought, as Twilight continued, “It’s great to see you again, Carter! Let me and my friends be the first to welcome you to Ponyville! Again, I mean.”
Carter took a moment to stare confusedly at the mare, before replying evenly, “Right… Good to be back. So anyway, we should probably have each of my team go with one of your friends to their homes; let us all get settled.”
Twilight’s smile faltered for a moment, before returning, possibly brighter than before. It was at this moment Carter noticed that Twilight’s smile appeared to be rather forced. Feeling a nagging sense of suspicion well up within him, Carter looked past Twilight to each of her friends in turn. They looked relatively calm compared to the now decidedly anxious Unicorn, but he was still able to catch the subtle, nervous looks that they sent Twilight’s way.
As he made these observations, Twilight noticed the Spartan’s attention drifting away from her to focus on her friends. Oh no, I’m losing him! Twilight thought. C’mon Twilight, if you want to become friends with Carter, then engage him! Stick to the plan! Giving a soft ahem to draw Carter’s attention, Twilight continued in an excited tone. “Actually Carter, my friends and I have planned for us all to go back to my Library. Then we’ll take some time to chat and get to know each other. We didn’t have that much time to talk back in Canterlot, after all. Does that sound good?” Twilight smiled again, silently pleading for him to accept her proposal.
Carter easily read her slightly desperate expression, and felt his unease grow. Something is definitely wrong here. Something was affecting Twilight and whatever it was, she certainly wasn’t acting normally. Carter considered the possibility that she was being forced into suggesting this proposal. It explained the tension in her and her friends, after all. Deciding that for now playing along was the best option, Carter nodded, flashing a fake smile of his own. “Sounds good. Why don’t we get started?”
For a moment Twilight’s fake smile transformed into genuine beaming, but she quickly reined it in. Careful Twilight. She thought nervously. You don’t want to seem too eager; it might scare him off. Reining in her enthusiasm, Twilight replied, “Great! Let’s go.” With that she trotted forward, her friends moving to follow. Turning to the other Spartans, Carter motioned for the others to do the same.
As Twilight and the Elements led Noble towards their first destination, Kat sidled up to Carter, eyeing him curiously. “What’s got you so worried?”
Deciding not to waste his breath by asking exactly how she knew he was worried, Carter answered, “There’s definitely something wrong here. Twilight was acting… strange. Her friends seem to be on edge too.”
Kat glanced at the Elements, who were now chatting amongst themselves, with occasional remarks towards the other Spartans, and raised a brow. “You think they’re hiding something?” She asked carefully.
Carter shrugged. “I’m not sure. It could be nothing, but I don’t want to take any chances. Tell the others to stay on their guard. If there is a surprise waiting for us, I want Noble to be ready for it.”
Kat nodded. “Good call. I’ll tell the others.” Carter nodded, and watched as Kat stepped forward to subtly address the other Spartans.
Deciding to try and glean some information from the Elements, Carter quickened his pace until he was level with the mares. They looked to him with curiosity, and Twilight moved closer to him, saying, “I’m sorry that Pinkie isn’t here with us, but none of us have seen her since we got the letter saying when you would be arriving.”
Ah, so it was Pinkie. “You don’t know where she is? After meeting her, I thought she’d be one of the first to welcome us.” Twilight bit her lip, frowning.
“Actually, I thought so too.” She said uncertainly. “To be honest, I don’t have any idea. She disappeared last night, and I haven’t seen her since.” Noticing Carter’s expression darken with concern, she added quickly, “I’m sure she’s fine. Pinkie Pie is known for being a bit… random. She’s probably off somewhere, doing who knows what.” I just hope that “what” isn’t something I should be worried about. She added silently.
Carter raised an eyebrow at Twilight’s explanation, but after thinking back to his own experiences with the party pony, he admitted that it wouldn’t surprise him. The group continued on for several minutes, slowly making their way through the town. As they walked among the streets of Ponyville, Carter was constantly bombarded with the sense that something was off. Something was missing, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. Again falling back a bit to sidle up next to Kat, he addressed the Spartan in a quiet tone, “Something’s bothering me about this place, and it’s not just how Twilight and her friends are acting. Something is… missing.”
Kat nodded gravely. “I’m pretty sure that ‘something’ is the townspeople. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re the only ones walking around out here.” Carter looked to her in surprise, before casting his gaze about them in search of other ponies. Sure enough, besides Noble and the five Elements, the street was completely devoid of any other ponies. In fact, as Carter gave more attention to the buildings surrounding them, he noticed that all of them had their doors closed and shutters drawn as well. Feeling a growing sense of foreboding, Carter looked to the Elements. They were still engaged in various casual conversations amongst themselves, and either hadn’t noticed the lack of ponies or weren’t surprised by it. Jun, Emile, Jorge, and Six meanwhile were now looking to Kat and Carter with expectant expressions, awaiting further orders. Up ahead, the Library was now less than a minute’s walk away. The large tree house seemed strangely ominous, with its shades drawn similarly to the many buildings around them. Years of combat experience told Carter to always know exactly what you’re walking into, but a nagging voice reminded him, You’re in a civilian town. Whatever danger you find in there, IF you find any in there, do you really believe your team can’t handle it? Carter frowned, but eventually admitted that this was correct. There was very little that could be in this town that Noble couldn’t handle.
So, resigned to simply face the threat head on, Carter made no comment as they finally arrived at the Library. Twilight pushed open the door and strode inside, closely followed by the remaining Elements. The Spartans gave Carter one last glance, which he returned with a nod. As one Noble entered the Library, only to find that it was entirely dark. The open Library door cast a large beam of light through the center of the room, but beyond that the Library was enshrouded by blackness. Twilight squinted into the dark, muttering, “That’s strange, I told Spike we would be back soon. Why are the lights off?”
Suddenly, Carter felt Six stiffen behind him, before whipping her gaze about the room, her muscles tensing in preparation for a fight. “Sir! I’ve got movement!” She barked.
Carter tensed, turning to Six. He saw her agitated state and began scanning the darkness of the room himself. “Where?” He asked.
“All around us! There must be-“ The rest of her response was cut off as the room suddenly burst into light, and the Spartans were bombarded by noise.
Disoriented, the Spartans quickly recovered as a figure zipped up to them, screaming, “SUR-“ Any further noise was interrupted by a cry of “AMBUSH!” before the figure found itself tackled to the ground, pinned beneath Emile’s form as he drew his kukri and pressed it against its throat. Behind him, the other Spartans instinctively launched into action. Jorge wrapped his forelegs around Applejack and Rarity, before smothering them under the protection of his body. Kat stepped in front of Jorge and gripped the nearest object, which in this case was a shelf full of books, in her magic. The tomes flew to her side, floating next to her and ready to be turned into impromptu missiles. Six leapt towards Fluttershy, wrapping the Pegasus in her forelegs and using her wings to form a rudimentary barrier in front of them, the gleaming blades rasping loudly as the were locked together. Jun flew over to Rainbow, wrapping his forelegs around the Pegasus and before she could protest pulling her behind him. He then flared his wings and took a defensive stance, searching wildly for any threats to his charge. Lastly Carter seized Twilight in his magic, dragging her over to him before throwing a foreleg over her as his horn ignited with magic. A flash later, and both he and Twilight were enveloped in a shimmering sapphire shield.
This entire process had occurred in a matter of seconds, and it wasn’t until each member of Noble had secured their respective charges that they began to take in their surroundings. They observed tables strewn about the room and lined with all manner of drinks and snacks, the confetti, still falling to the floor, the large banner strung from the ceiling that read “WELCOME NOBLES” in large, hastily scrawled letters, and lastly to the dozens of ponies that were crammed into the room, their eyes wide as their jaws fell slack, some allowing noisemakers to fall from their mouths to the floor.
Emile, for his part, had eyes only on the pony below him. He trailed his eyes over her pink fur and fuchsia mane, down to her baby blue eyes, now wide in shock and fear. As Emile’s own eyes widened in realization Pinkie Pie smiled weakly and murmured, “…prise.”
The room remained silent as everypony fought to digest the situation. Naturally, it was the Spartans who recovered first, slowly lowering their defenses and releasing their respective Elements. Emile withdrew his kukri from Pinkie’s throat, sheathing it as he rose to his hooves. Looking down at the supine form of Pinkie Pie, Emile frowned. “Shit kid, I’m sorry.” He apologized sincerely, offering a hoof to help her up. “You startled me. You alright?”
Pinkie stared at his offered hoof for a moment, before accepting it as her usual grin blossomed on her face yet again. “Oh don’t worry about it, Emilio!” She answered jovially. “I should’ve known you guys didn’t like surprise parties!”
Emile raised a brow as he observed her rapid change in demeanor. Looking past her Emile began to take in the festive surroundings, before settling on the assembled ponies. Emile took in their dumbstruck and fearful expressions with a frown. I may have fucked this one up a bit. He thought crossly. Turning to Carter he muttered, “Uh Commander? Little help here?”
Carter turned towards Emile, glancing from him to the ponies before nodding. “Right…” He said, drawing away from a now frazzled-looking Twilight to stand next to Emile, before turning to address the crowd. “Hello everyone. I am Commander Carter. As you no doubt recall, my team and I entered your town a week ago.”
“Yeah and you tried to kill our Princess!” A voice shouted angrily from the crowd, drawing murmurs from the rest of the group.
Carter grimaced in annoyance, raising a hoof to silence the crowd. “We were involved with an altercation with Princess Celestia. The issue has since been resolved, and we are now officers in the Royal Guard.” This drew another round of agitated murmuring, but Carter ignored it as he continued, “Furthermore, we have been stationed in Ponyville to act as guards. We are here to prevent trouble, not cause it.”
“Wait just a minute.” Another voice spoke up, irritation clear in its tone. Carter followed the voice to find a tan Earth Pony mare stepping away from the crowd, her gray mane and wispy frame conveying her age. She boldly strode up to the Commander, craning her neck to meet his gaze. “You, the ponies who infiltrated our town, destroyed our streets, and nearly killed our Princess, are now the ones who will be protecting us?”
Carter met the mare’s stern gaze, his own not wavering in the slightest. “Yes. I understand that our arrival in town was cause for some alarm, but I can honestly tell you that was not my intention.” Carter began to address the rest of the crowd as well as the mare before him as he continued, “Regardless, we’re here now. You can resist our deployment, but just know that it was your Princess that sent us here. We have been sent here to protect this town, not to cause trouble.”
The crowd murmured to themselves, discussing whether to trust Carter’s words. Focusing his attention on the mare once again, Carter added, “I also have been instructed to find the mayor of this town, a Ms. Mare. You fit the description I was given, so I can only assume you’re who I’m looking for.”
Mayor Mare blinked in surprise at Carter’s statement, but quickly composed herself as she responded, “Yes, I am the mayor of Ponyville. What business exactly do you have with me?”
“I was ordered to deliver this document to you, ma’am.” Carter explained, his horn glowing as he opened a small satchel strapped to his back, and withdrew a small sealed scroll. He floated it over to the Mayor, whereupon the seal snapped open and the letter unfurled. Carter released his magic, and the letter was encapsulated in a yellow aura. Mayor Mare adjusted her glasses as she read the letter, her jaw dropping open as she scanned its contents. “As you can see,” Carter explained, “we are now Ponyville’s primary defense force. Local police will handle any crimes and minor threats in Ponyville, while we will be responsible for preventing any major threats to the town as a whole.”
The Mayor continued to read the scroll, her eyes scanning the parchment before finally scrutinizing the Princess’s signature at the bottom. Satisfied, or more accurately persuaded, by the scroll’s contents, Mayor Mare turned her gaze up to match Carter’s own, as the scroll rolled back up and the aura dissipated. Carter again seized the order in his magic, before tucking it away in his satchel once again. Carter returned his gaze to the Mayor, who regarded him for a moment, before finally giving a resolute nod. “I understand. If the Princess has confidence in you, then I suppose I can give you this chance. I’m certain you won’t disappoint.” She stuck out a hoof to shake, which Carter accepted with a nod and a resolute expression.
As the Mayor and Carter shook hooves, the remaining ponies looked on, the tension in the air slowly being replaced with relief. Any remaining anxiety the ponies was dashed as Pinkie leapt before the crowd and exclaimed, “You heard her, everypony! Noble’s here to stay, so let’s get this party STARTED!” Pinkie then zipped over to a nearby record player, and started it up. Immediately thundering music began blasting from the player, and the party was again thrown into full swing, the ponies’ previous concerns lost amid the booming music.
Noble awkwardly watched the ponies begin to celebrate, unsure how to respond. Such a rapid shift from suspicion to trust… it was odd, to say the least. Noticing Twilight sidling up to him, he turned to her and said, “They seemed awfully quick to forget this… incident.”
Twilight gave the Commander a relieved smile. “That’s just Pinkie Pie. She has a way of keeping ponies happy.”
“Yup!” Pinkie interjected. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to make ponies smile! So I guess you guys don’t like surprise parties, but what do you think?” She gestured to the party now heading towards full swing behind her.
Carter followed her gesture, but found his attention drawn toward the banner. “Pinkie, why in the world does that say, ‘welcome nobles’? I told you already, we aren’t nobles, we’re just called Noble Team.”
“Actually, Pinkie Pie, I too was wondering the meaning behind this.” Mayor Mare said, stepping forward. “I thought you said that we were throwing a party for the ‘nobles coming from Canterlot’?”
Pinkie Pie looked from the Mayor to Carter, before smiling innocently. “Well, they did come from Canterlot; they were training there!” Carter and the Mayor shared a glance, in which Carter gave a subtle shrug as if to say, She isn’t wrong.
Mayor Mare’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But what about calling them nobles? I still don’t understand that.” She said confusedly.
“I already told her that ‘Noble’ is just our team’s designation. We aren’t actually nobles.” Carter explained, looking at Pinkie expectantly.
Pinkie Pie grinned. “Actually, you never told me that, I asked if you were nobles, or dukes, or maybe lords, and then Rarity apologized and called me ‘eccentric’ and then we just sorta never mentioned it again, what with Twilight teleporting away and all.” Carter, Mayor Mare, and Twilight could only stare open-mouthed at Pinkie. Eventually, Twilight and Mayor Mare simply shrugged off their confusion thinking, It’s Pinkie Pie. Carter meanwhile, fought to bury his bewilderment with the argument that thinking back, she was technically right. I better get used to this. He thought wearily.
So, with a collective mental shrug, the quartet of ponies abandoned the argument in favor of joining the party, the remaining Spartans and Elements doing the same.
The party was lively, and each of the respective pairs was lost among the crowd. Carter found himself following Twilight, quickly approaching the punch bowl. Next to it, Carter recognized the diminutive form of Spike; a lampshade perched on his head. Upon seeing the pair, Spike beamed and waved a claw. “Hey Twilight! Hey Carter! Some party, huh?”
Twilight fixed Spike with a stern gaze. “Spike, how did this party get set up so fast? I left only fifteen minutes ago!”
Spike shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. “I don’t know what to tell you, Twilight. I went into the kitchen to get a snack, and when I went back out, all the lights were off. Next thing I know, Pinkie’s got me hiding with her. I decided not to spoil it.” Twilight eyed him critically, before sighing. She couldn’t blame Spike, after all. If Pinkie Pie planned a party, there wasn’t much anypony could do to stop her.
“I understand, Spike.” She said, before turning her attention to Carter. “Anyways, I don’t know if you two have been formally introduced. Carter, this is Spike, my number one assistant. Spike, this is Commander Carter.” Spike looked from Twilight to Carter, giving the Spartan a reverent look.
Smiling awkwardly from the admiration in the young dragon’s eyes, Carter replied, “It’s good to see you again, Spike. I’m looking forward to staying with you and Twilight.”
Spike grinned in return. “Yeah! This is going to be cool! I mean, after seeing you fight the Princess, sorry about that by the way, I couldn’t wait for you to move in! Maybe you can teach me some of your moves!” Spike looked expectantly at Carter, and the Commander found himself chuckling nervously in response. He cast a look towards Twilight, to find her subtly shaking her head in a negative.
Looking back towards Spike’s waiting expression, Carter said, “Uh, maybe Spike. We’ll see what happens.” Carter quickly turned to Twilight, hoping to change the subject. “So, where will I be sleeping?” He asked.
Twilight answered with a smile. “I’ve already set up a guest bed in the other room. After the party, I’ll give you the tour.” Carter nodded gratefully, and Twilight felt her smile grow as the pair continued their conversation.
Meanwhile, Emile sought out Pinkie in the crowd, before finally finding her talking to Jorge and Applejack. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay a while?” Pinkie asked, her eyes silently pleading for them to stay.
Applejack frowned apologetically. “Ah’m sorry, Pinkie. Ah’d love ta stay, but Ah was supposed ta bring Jorge back ta Sweet Apple Acres right after our meetin’ here. Ah still have some work ta do today, so Jorge and Ah should be headin’ back now.”
Pinkie frowned slightly, before perking up happily. “Okie Dokie Loki!” She said, grinning. “I’ll be sure to save you two some cake!”
Applejack chuckled. “’Preciate it, Pinkie Pie. Ah’ll see ya later. Tell the girls Ah said g’bye, alright?” Applejack then turned and headed for the door, with Jorge following close behind.
“You got it!” Pinkie called after them, stopping at the doorstep and waving. Turning, she found herself face to face with Emile. Pinkie jumped slightly from his sudden appearance, before smiling widely. “Oh hi! Applejack’s just taking Jorge back to her house. What’s up?”
Emile shrugged. “Just came over to chat. If we’re gonna be staying together, might as well get chummy. Speakin’ of which, where am I gonna be staying?”
Pinkie Pie grinned excitedly. “Oh, you’re going to be staying at Sugarcube Corner with me! I asked the Cakes, and they said if Celestia’s going to be paying your rent, then it’s fine by them! In fact…” She trailed off pensively, before with a quick “Wait a sec!” she dashed off into the crowd. A moment later, and she had returned, dragging a pair of ponies behind her. Emile took a moment to observe the pair. It was a mare and a stallion, who Emile could only assume were the ‘Cakes’ Pinkie had mentioned. The stallion was tall and lanky, with golden yellow fur and an orange mane. The mare, almost an exact opposite of the stallion, was short and pudgy. Or as Jorge would say, ‘matronly’ Emile added silently, flashing a small grin. The mare’s coat was light blue and her mane was pink, overall giving the impression of two-toned cotton candy.
Pinkie walked the two over to Emile before gesturing to them, saying, “Emile, meet Carrot Cake and Cup Cake! They own Sugarcube Corner, where I work and live with them!” As they approached, Emile took note of the nervous expressions on their faces. The two looked less than excited to meet the Spartan, and Emile couldn’t blame them. They had just seen him nearly slit their worker’s throat, after all.
Silently cursing his impulsiveness, Emile stepped forward, extending his hoof to shake in the hopes of easing the tension. “Good to meet you. Thanks for takin’ me in.”
Carrot Cake eyed Emile warily, before accepting Emile’s gesture. “Yes, when Pinkie told us we would be housing a guest from the Princess, we expected somepony a bit… different.” Mr. Cake made a pitiful attempt at a grin, and Emile found himself laughing genuinely at his distress.
“Yeah, I can see that.” Emile said, before directing his attention towards Pinkie Pie. “Seriously though kid, for the record, for us, surprises usually involve a lot of gunfire and shouting, so I don’t recommend using ‘em to greet us, okay?”
Pinkie Pie giggled, nodding. “Yeah. But hey, if that’s what you expect from surprises, then I guess you were doubly surprised!” She said cheerfully.
Emile cocked a brow at Pinkie’s response, and looked to the Cakes. They too were giving the mare strange looks. Then, the couple seemed to almost visibly shrug off their confusion, before smiling along with her. Emile watched their reaction with a deep sense of foreboding. Something tells me I’m gonna need to learn how to do that. He thought wearily.
After accepting Jorge’s apology for nearly crushing her and Applejack, Rarity had taken a moment to brush some of the dust from the Library’s floor out of her coat. She had just finished when she spotted Kat approaching her. “Are you alright?” She asked.
Rarity reached up to gingerly poke at her frazzled mane and answered, “Nothing a trip to the spa won’t fix. How are you, Catherine?”
Kat huffed slightly at the use of her formal name. Why did I even tell her that? She wondered silently. Putting on a false smile, she responded, “I’m fine. I think it’s safe to say that we weren’t expecting such a… warm welcome.”
Noticing the effort with which Kat was forcing her smile, Rarity’s expression became concerned. “Are you alright, darling?”
Kat glanced towards the party for a moment, her countenance tensing slightly as she observed the crowd, before she responded quickly, “I’m fine, just fine. I just… I didn’t expect this many people. I’m a bit unsure of what to do here.” Rarity was bewildered. What had happened to the confident mare from just moments ago?
Noticing as Kat eyed the party with obvious trepidation, and Rarity felt herself smile at her naiveté. She’s a bit like Twilight. Rarity pondered. Knowledgeable and confident, but so unfamiliar with common societal norms. Deciding to assist her Guardian in getting more relaxed and comfortable, Rarity cast her gaze out into the crowd, searching for a familiar face. Within moments, she had found him, chatting with Twilight by the punch bowl. Rarity turned back to Kat with a knowing grin on her face. “How about we go get some punch, and you can tell me about yourself?” She offered.
Kat had noticed Rarity’s glance, and followed her gaze to find Carter and Twilight speaking animatedly by the punch bowl. At Rarity’s offer, she felt a bit of relief from seeing the familiar form of her Commander. Smiling, nodded and the two went to join their fellow unicorns at the punch bowl. As they made their way over, Rarity began to strike up a conversation, “I almost forgot to mention, I have the most amazing ideas for an ensemble for you…”
Six stood over Fluttershy, helping Fluttershy to her hooves and muttering apologies. Fluttershy was quick to accept it, and the two took a moment to take in the atmosphere around them. Fluttershy surprised Six by smiling at the festive surroundings, and while her expression tensed slightly when she looked at the large crowds, she appeared quite excited. As for Six, she regarded the party with disinterest.
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to Rainbow; as the Pegasus roughly shoved Jun back, snapping, “Get off of me!” Glaring at Jun, she barked, “I told you I don’t need anypony protecting me, so back off!”
Flapping back and raising his hooves in a gesture of surrender, Jun snapped back, “Alright alright! Relax! I thought it was an attack, I’m sorry!”
Seeing an argument about to spring forth, Fluttershy quickly flew up between them, facing Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash,” She said soothingly. “I’m sure Jun didn’t mean to hurt you. He was just looking out for you, is all.”
Rainbow’s glare softened at Fluttershy’s words, but her gaze retained its hard edge. “I already told him I don’t need anypony looking out for me.” She answered. She peered around Fluttershy to shoot another glare at Jun, who returned a frustrated look of his own.
To everypony’s surprise, it was Six who stepped in, flying up next to Fluttershy. “Look, it’s clear that you two have to discuss Jun’s place here, and given the way you two are acting, you need to do it soon. But for now, let’s try not to ruin the party for everyone else.”
Both Rainbow and Jun froze, before taking in the festivities around them. They looked to each other, their gazes locking. Finally, Jun sighed, and his expression softened. “Look, Six is right. How about for now we just enjoy the party?”
Rainbow’s scowl remained firm, until she looked and spotted Fluttershy’s pleading gaze. Sighing, she relaxed slowly and muttered, “Fine.” She cast one last stern look towards Jun and added, “But this isn’t over.”
Jun rolled his eyes and nodded. “I get it. So… what now? I can’t say I’ve been to a party before.”
“WHAT?!” The four Pegasi turned to find Pinkie Pie standing below them, her jaw dropped open in shock. “How can you say you’ve never been to a party?”
Jun stared at her confusedly and, oblivious to the warning headshakes that Rainbow and Fluttershy were directing at him, responded, “Uh, that’s because I haven’t.”
Walking over to the group, Emile chimed in, saying, “Neither have I. What’s the big deal?”
Pinkie’s jaw dropped even further, quite literally hitting the floor in a cartoonish fashion. Both Jun and Emile only had time to cock their heads in confusion before Pinkie wrapped her arms around both of them, literally plucking Jun out of the air as she dragged both of them into the crowd, excitedly chatting, “I just can’t believe none of you have ever been to a party! I need to get you boys to some party games, STAT!”
Six observed the swiftly retreating trio with amusement, before turning back towards Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. “So,” She began. “I assume I shouldn’t mention this is my first party too?” Rainbow chuckled, while Fluttershy nodded meekly in response.
The party continued for several hours, and despite the tense beginning, was quite enjoyable for both Noble Team, and the citizens of Ponyville. After they had overcome their initial unease, the ponies had begun to express their awe at both Noble’s impressive stature as well as their fighting ability.
As a result, over the course of the night, several sheepish ponies would approach the Spartans, hoping to question them on either their arrival in Ponyville, their battle with the Princess, and their resulting time spent away from Ponyville. The most common question however, was how exactly they had gone from fighting the Princess in Town Square, to becoming Ponyville’s designated guard in the matter of a week. The Spartans, despite having grown accustom to being the center of attention, were more used to being discussed about in hushed whispers as they passed. As a result, they grew increasingly confused until finally Emile broached the subject with Pinkie Pie. The party pony had regarded him with confusion for a moment, before responding with a smile, “Of course everypony wants to talk to you guys! This is your party, after all!” Deciding to accept the answer with a grin of his own, Emile again lost himself in the festivities.
As time passed however, and the hour grew late, more and more ponies began to excuse themselves, including the Elements. First to leave was Fluttershy and Six, with the former claiming through her many quiet apologies that she had to feed her animals. Later, Rarity claimed that she wished to show Kat the ensemble she had prepared, and excused herself and Kat as the pair left for her Boutique.
Eventually, every guest had left except for Rainbow, Jun, Emile, and Pinkie. Pinkie was currently ushering the Cakes out the door with the promise to return to Sugarcube Corner as soon as she was finished cleaning up the party. Rainbow had offered to help, and with Twilight, Spike, and the remaining Spartans’ assistance the group had quickly picked up the remnants of the celebration. As the last shredded streamer was piled into a garbage bag, and the ponies regarded the sparkling Library with satisfaction.
Pinkie took a moment to thank Twilight for using her Library (despite not having asked in the first place) before grabbing Emile and zipping out the door, excitedly telling him about Sugarcube Corner as she led the Spartan towards their new home. Jun and Rainbow watched the two depart, and shared a grin at Emile’s overwhelmed expression. Despite their earlier argument, the party had done a good job of easing the tension between the two, and their anger soon fell towards the back of their minds.
Twilight gave the two a sincere smile and said, “Thanks you two for staying to help out. I’m sure it would have taken longer without your help.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged at Twilight’s praise. “Eh, don’t worry about it Twilight. You know I’d never leave you hangin’.” Rainbow cast a quick glance out towards the now-orange afternoon sky and continued, “I should probably take Jun back to my house though. It’s gettin’ kinda late, and I still have to show him his room.” Turning her attention to Jun, she said, “C’mon Jun, let me show you my cloud house. It’s pretty awesome.” Jun nodded in agreement, and together the two flew out the door.
Twilight watched them leave, before turning to Carter. “Well this whole day has been… unexpected. Anyway, I was meaning to ask you some questions once we got here, but what with the party…”
Carter nodded. “I understand. What exactly were you curious about?”
Twilight’s expression lit up in excitement. “Oh, absolutely everything!” Carter reeled back from Twilight’s massive smile, a sense of unease growing. Uh oh.
Rainbow Dash and Jun arrived at her cloud house in minutes, and Jun’s first impression was a cocked eyebrow. The tower is unnecessary from this height, the windows are obviously structurally superfluous, the pedestals are too thin to offer viable cover, that massive rainbow coming from the top destroys any hope for visual cover, and… are those rainbow waterfalls? I… I have no words. Glancing at Rainbow’s proud grin, he mentally added, I have to admit it does look pretty cool, though.
“So what do you think?” Rainbow asked, turning towards Jun, an expectant smile on her face. “Pretty awesome, huh?”
Smiling awkwardly, Jun answered, “It... definitely suits you.”
Rainbow smiled. “Yeah. Anyway let’s go inside so I can show you your room.” She then flew forward, throwing the door open and heading inside. Jun gave the house one more appraising glance before moving to follow.
Once inside, Jun took another moment to observe the similarly lavish interior, with ornate furniture and Greco-Roman architecture. His eye was drawn to the many Wonderbolts paraphernalia that seemed to line every available surface. Rainbow meanwhile zipped over towards a nearby door, landing softly and throwing it open. “This is your room.” She said, gesturing to the chamber inside. Jun walked inside, and felt his eyes widen in surprise. The room was nice, surprisingly so. It was spacious, with plenty of room to move around. A chest of drawers and a mirror sat in one corner, while a closet occupied the space on the wall next to it. Against the back wall, lay a large bed, clearly composed of the same cloudy material as the room around it.
Jun turned to Rainbow, to find her shuffling her hooves embarrassedly. “Sorry about the bed. I don’t really have the bits to get you a real one, so I kinda had to throw one together. I hope you can sleep on a bed that soft.”
There was a moment of silence as Jun simply gave Rainbow a dubious stare. “You don’t really know much about soldiers, do you?” He asked. “But yeah, it’s fine. You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
Rainbow grinned. “Nah, it’s fine. It only took me like, ten seconds flat to make this. Anyway, it’s getting kinda late, and I have early weather patrol in the morning, so I should probably get some sleep. The last thing I need is to get chewed out again for oversleeping.” Rainbow turned to leave for her own bed, but was stopped when Jun laid a hoof on her shoulder.
Turning back towards the Spartan, she found him frowning uncertainly. “Before you go, we still need to talk.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “Oh. Yeah. That.”
Jun sighed. “Look Rainbow, I get that you don’t think you need me to be your Guardian, but I have my orders, and I intend to follow them. Soon enough, you’ll see that I will be able to help you.”
Rainbow’s scowl remained firm. “I don’t need anypony foalsitting me. I can take care of myself.”
Jun groaned. She just doesn’t want to listen to me on this. Think, Jun. What can you use to convince her? Element of Loyalty… I got it! “What about your friends?” He said, inwardly smirking as Rainbow’s expression faltered. “What would you do to protect them?”
Rainbow responded instantly. “Anything.”
“Would you die for them?” Jun asked.
Rainbow nodded. “Of course.”
Jun’s eyes narrowed. “Kill for them?”
Rainbow faltered. “Well…” She was halted, however, by Jun’s raised hoof.
“There. That right there, that hesitation, is what will cost you and your friends their lives. Me? I don’t hesitate. I am ready to do anything, no matter the cost, in order to accomplish my mission. And as of right now, that mission is to defend you your friends. I do not intend to fail this mission. You can make this difficult, and continue to resist my presence here, or you can make it easier for everyone and just accept it.”
Rainbow gave Jun a hard stare for a few moments, which the Spartan returned with equal measure. Finally, she sighed, glancing down. “Fine.” She growled. Looking back up towards Jun, she continued, “But I have a few conditions.”
Jun nodded. “Alright, shoot.”
Rainbow began tapping one hoof against the other, as if counting on nonexistent fingers. “First off, I if anypony asks, you’re defending the Elements, not just me. I don’t need anypony thinking I need a personal guard.”
“Alright.” Jun answered.
“Second,” Rainbow continued, “I don’t want you giving me any orders. I’m not gonna tolerate anypony telling me what to do.”
Jun shook his head. “I can’t promise that. I won’t tell you how to live your life, but if your actions endanger yourself or the other Elements, I’m going to have to try and stop you.”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes at this. “You’re not gonna stop me from practicing my stunts, are you?”
Jun shook his head again. “Relax, I meant something that put you or your friends in mortal danger. You want to go and break your wings with those stunts, be my guest.”
Rainbow grinned in satisfaction and nodded. “Good. But I still have one more condition. If my friends are ever in trouble, I’m going to try and help them, and I’m not going to let you stop me. Nothing is going to stop me from keeping my friends out of trouble, and I’m not gonna rely on you guys to do it. You may be the toughest ponies around, but my friends are never gonna be in danger as long as I have something to say about it.”
Jun was silent, staring contemplatively at Rainbow for a few moments. Finally, he responded gravely, “No. I respect your loyalty to your friends, and I understand that you would never leave them to fend for themselves. That being said, the same could be said for myself. I’d never let you face any danger, as long as I am still able to protect you from it. It is my duty to protect you, and nothing, nothing, is going to stop me from following that order to its fullest.” Rainbow looked ready to argue, but Jun stopped her with a hoof. “I understand your concern, but you have to remember, you’re not the only one getting a Guardian here. Each of your friends is gaining a Guardian as well. My comrades, my team, will also be doing their absolute best to protect your friends from danger. Trust me, by trusting them. As long as my comrades are protecting your friends, they will be safe.”
Rainbow regarded Jun silently for a few moments, her expression remaining neutral. After a while, she gave Jun a firm nod. “Alright, I’ll trust you. For now, anyway. Your friends better keep mine safe, or we’re going to have a problem.” She poked Jun sharply in the chest with a hoof before adding, “Do we have a deal?”
Rainbow stuck out a hoof to shake, and Jun looked at it for a moment, before reaching out to grasp it firmly with his own. “Deal.” He answered. Rainbow gave Jun a grin, and he found himself easily returning it.
“I’m just so so sooo excited! I mean, I’ve never head a roommate before, except for the Cakes, and they’re technically more like landlords than roommates, which I think is weird, because everypony says landlords are mean and always asking for rent, but the Cakes are nice and only ask for rent at the end of the month, so I think they must be special. Anyway, here’s your room. Sorry if it’s a little dusty in here, but nopony’s stayed in here for like, ever! Or at least as long as I’ve been here, but I’ve been here for a while, so I guess you can say nopony’s been in here for a while!” Emile fought the urge to bury his face in the nearest wall as Pinkie led him into the Cakes’ spare bedroom. True to Pinkie’s chattering, the room was caked in a small layer of dust, including the bed, which exploded into a cloud of airborne particles as Pinkie excitedly leapt onto it. “So what do you think?” She asked.
Waving a cloud of dust away from his face, Emile responded, “It’s fine kid. I’m pretty tired, so I’m just gonna hit the sack.” In truth, Emile was feeling quite exhausted, though whether that was from true fatigue or simply out of the desire to escape Pinkie in his dreams was anyone’s guess.
Pinkie Pie meanwhile furrowed her brow in confusion. “What do you mean? What sack? And why would you want to hit it?” Suddenly, Pinkie’s eyes lit up in realization. “Oh! Do you mean like a piñata? I love those!”
Emile slapped a hoof to his face and groaned. I bet the others don’t have to deal with bullshit like this.
“Fascinating! Your species’ evolutionary path is remarkably similar to ours!” Twilight said excitedly, jotting down notes at a rapid pace.
Carter meanwhile levitated a glass of water to his lips and took a long draught, quenching his parched thirst. I’ve never talked so much in my life. He thought exasperatedly. “Are we almost done? It is getting pretty late.” He asked.
Twilight looked out the window, noting the darkened sky with some surprise before responding. “Well, yeah, but I do still have a couple questions.”
Sighing wearily, Carter answered, “Alright. What’s next?”
Grinning, Twilight said cheerily, “Well, we’ve covered your species’ evolutionary history, so now we can get started on recorded history!”
Carter sighed again.
“Oh, you look simply marvelous darling!” Rarity said, stepping around Kat from her place on the model’s stand, minutely adjusting various parts of the dress Kat now wore. “I knew turquoise was the perfect accoutrement to this outfit!”
Kat grumbled under her breath, fighting the urge to tear the itchy garment from her body and don something more tactically functional. As she looked in the mirror, she mentally added, Not bad, though.The arm-length glove is a nice touch. I never would have thought to fill it with down feathers.
Suddenly, Rarity perked up. “Oh! I-de-a! I have some sapphire earrings here that would be an absolutely astonishing addition to this ensemble!”
Kat turned her gaze from the mirror to regard Rarity uncertainly. “But I’ve never had my ears pierced.” She explained.
Rarity pouted for a moment, before perking up visibly. “No matter! You wait right there, I’ll go boil some water and prepare the needle. Oh, you’re going to look simply fabulous!”
Kat swallowed audibly.
On second thought, maybe not. Emile reflected. Refocusing his attention on Pinkie Pie, who to his exasperation was still talking, he said, “Hey, kid? It was just a turn of phrase. I-“
“How do you turn a phrase?” Pinkie asked innocently.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Emile answered, “I mean it’s a figure of speech. Look, I’m tired, okay? I want to go to sleep. Do you understand me?”
Pinkie Pie nodded. “Okie Dokie Loki! Nighty night, Emile! Sleep tight! Don’t let the bedbugs bite! I had that happen once, and it really really itches!” With that last, confusing message, Pinkie zipped out the door, and Emile was left alone with his thoughts. Sighing in relief, he reached up and, with a soft snap, unclasped his shoulder pauldron, setting it on the nearby dresser and clambering into bed. Lying back, he closed his eyes, and within moments had fallen asleep.
Six observed calmly as Fluttershy flitted about her cottage, winging her way from one area to the next as she fed her animals their dinner. When Six had first seen the multitude of animals living with Fluttershy in her cottage, she was interested, but not surprised. Fluttershy had explained that her job was caring for the many critters of Ponyville, after all.
As she watched Fluttershy care for each of her animals, Six couldn’t help but be amazed by the sense of calmness and enthusiasm with which she regarded each of the creatures. It’s like she’s a whole different person. Six thought.
Turning to Six, Fluttershy said, “Excuse me, Six. I’m sorry to keep you waiting, but I still have to feed my little friends outside. I’ll be right back, and then I’ll show you to your room. Please just wait here, um, if that’s okay with you.” She watched as Six gave an affirmative nod, before turning and flying out the door, leaving Six alone with the numerous animals in the cottage.
A soft strike suddenly impacting on the back of Six’s helmet caused her to whip around to face its source, only to cock her head in confusion as she spotted her assailant: a small, white coated rabbit sitting on its haunches before her. Looking down, she identified the object with which it had struck her; the half eaten remains of a carrot. Looking back towards the rabbit, she saw that it was glaring at her with a sharp intensity, rapidly tapping one foot as it placed its paws on its hips. From her vast experience of reading expressions over words, she recognized the rabbit’s message quite clearly: I don’t want you here.
Somewhat surprised by the intelligence behind the rabbit’s glare, Six only cocked her head to the left in confusion. The rabbit’s glare intensified, before it leapt forward, landing on Six’s head. Bewildered, Six held still as the rabbit began thumping its foot against her helmet at the same rapid pace, producing a series of sharp ting ting ting noises, much to Six’s annoyance. The rabbit then jumped back down to the floor, turning sharply to direct its glare back at Six once again.
Irritated, Six met the rabbit’s glare, before she wordlessly swiped a wing forward. With a blur, one blade shot out of her wing and launched itself towards the rabbit. The little rodent flinched instinctively, bracing itself for the blow. Upon realizing that it was in fact unhurt, the rabbit reopened its eyes and looked down. There, quivering between the rabbit’s legs and less than an inch from his fur, was the blade. The rabbit stared, open mouthed, at the blade, until it finally lifted its wide-eyed stare up to meet Six’s visor. Leaning down, Six moved her face to within a foot of the terrified animal’s. Again Six extended her wing, slowly this time, to carefully slot the blade back in place on one of her primaries. The blade connected with a soft snick, and with a blur Six swept her wing backward. Again the rabbit flinched, as a miniscule amount of fur was shaved off his belly.
Grinning wickedly beneath her helmet, Six backed away from the frozen rabbit, as Fluttershy flew back through the door. “Thank you so much for waiting Six, I- Oh! I see that you’ve met Angel Bunny. I hope there weren't any problems between you two, he can be a little difficult with strangers.”
With a smirk worthy of the Cheshire Cat hidden beneath her helmet, Six looked to the still terror-struck Angel and said, “He was no trouble. We’re going to get along just fine, aren’t we Angel?” The poor bunny finally moved, nodding his head in a swift, jerky motion.
Fluttershy beamed. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad you two are getting along. Now how about I show you your room? Um, if that’s alright, that is.”
Six nodded. “Sounds good. I’m getting tired anyway.” Fluttershy smiled again, before leading the Spartan upstairs, leaving the shivering form of Angel Bunny behind them.
Author’s Note: Well, it’s been two and a half months in the making, but it’s finally done! Sorry this took so long, but I’ve already explained all the crap that’s been going on, so I’ll just give you this with the promise of a faster chapter next time. As a quick preview of next time, I’ll simply say that we’re finally going to be beginning Noble’s involvement in the episodes! Again, sorry for this taking so long, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I’ll see you in the next one!
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Sees update.
Has this reaction:
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I will now proceed to read...tomorrow, since it's after 11:00 pm on a Sunday.
2138997
Yeah, I literally just finished it (including a quick edit process), and I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer.
Six is evil XD
it's good to finally see someone who can put angel in his place.
Somepony put Angel in his place...... FUCK YES
I don't give two shits! It updated! IT UPDATED!
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
that title has broken a rib In lols ill be sening you my hospital bill
YES!!! AN Update!!!
2139093 You spelled amazing wrong. I'm sure you meant to type Six is amazing.
Also AMBUSH!
Silly Pinkie you almost died. One does not simply startle a team of super soldiers.
Of course I feel bad for most of Noble right now. All the mares in this town are crazy!
I am so fucking glad that rabbit finally got what was coming to him.
Also, great chapter! I'm glad to this story is still going strong.
2139428 Evilly Amazing
HURRAH!!!! now to wait for the next
2139451 I find this to be acceptably awesome. Carry on.
That reaction to the surprise party made me so happy. You do not throw surprise parties at battle-hardened soldiers. They have instinctive reactions to surprises.
2139093 but he's a saint compared to angel
2139589 Six is a girl....
2139595 sorry my six is a guy
can get rather mixed up
2139629 same even though it would make more sense for Six to be a girl anyway since most of Noble is made up of dudes
>And The Horse You Rode In As
>AS
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! I ALMOST COULDN'T CONTROL MY LAUGHTER! HOLY SH*T!
Can we not have Kat be raritys bitch?
that makes sense... in a weird way.
Great chapter! When Pinkie Pie ran off, my first thought was, "She's probably going to throw a party." When it was mentioned that the town was basically deserted, my reaction was, "My party sense is tingling!"
And I also knew the Nobles would react the way they did!
And Twilight, one does not force a friendship to happen!
Can't wait for your adaptation of "Griffon the Brush-Off" and "Boast Busters"! Now shut up and take my badges of pony approval!
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Also:
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aw... didn't get to see Jorge and the Apple's reaction to each other.... It makes me look forward to the next chapter all the more. ( you evil scheming jerk
)
2138997
Indeed.
2144243 Indeed? Which part of my comment got that reaction from you?
2144489
The part after the :
2145110 But do you also agree with the rest of my comment?
I just read all the chapters in a span of 6 1/2 hours. So now I wait along with the others. Great story by the way, can't wait to hear from you again.
At the beginning, Six felt a bit out of character, as did Carter. Six would not have kept a disability from her commander, and Carter would not have tried to fix Six's wound if Six had told him to continue the mission, which is what they would have done. That's part of how SPARTANs operate: mission first, all else second. Minor detail, good chapter.
2145526
I have to disagree. I think that Carter would have healed Six, regardless of her own concerns, because SPARTANS may have been trained to put the mission first, but you have to remember that they are still soldiers, and any soldiers, no matter how they were trained, will always put the lives of their fellow men before anything else. When you're in combat, the one thing on your mind is keeping you and your comrades alive, any veteran will tell you as much. Six knew this, and it was her professionalism and her sense of distance from the others that led to her hiding her injuries. I appreciate the feedback, and I just wanted to let you know what my reasoning was. Peace!
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I both laughed, facepalmed, and braced myself for the incoming shitstorm when Noble would attacked everyone there. Things went better than expected, actually.
I was so glad to see that this updated, with a 11K + words chapter.
And a good one, too!
You, my good sir, have just won my utmost appriceciation for this story. I love the Halo series, and to see one crossed so well with the MLP universe is AWESOME. Keep on writing!
PS. I would have given like 10 thumbs up for this if I could.
I wonder how the Apples are dealing with Jorge?
2154163
You honestly think I forgot about the big man? Just wait for the next chapter, you'll find out.
How about this idea: Have the slipspace drive malfunction on a Covenant ship that's full of rebel Covenant members, thereby causing it to emerge from slipspace near Equestria! And just to make things even more interesting, perhaps John-117 could be on the ship when it happens, you know, because he's trying to stop those Covenant rebels!
This would give Noble Team access to some more weapons after they defeat the Covvies, for one thing, and they could also find out what has happened since Reach fell!
I know my idea probably won't happen, but I'm still throwing it out there!
Never have I seen Angel dealt with so swiftly. Very nice.
This is awesome.
but i demand more bad-assery.
Something like this.
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Angel got owned
I can see Jorge and Big Mac getting along just fine...
Hello, I am.... your newest reader. Good story, I like it. Plenty of laughs, and you have done your Halo homework. A couple of spelling and errors along the way (do you have a Pre-reader?), but nothing bad.
Keep up the good work, I await your next chapters.
2145408
6.5 hours? HAH! I managed it in two and a half.
I need to go sleep now, and digest all this...
2157570 Im sick of all these motherfuckin covenant in all my motherfucking halo stories!
2145526 How do you know? Six is very cryptic in reach. Six's character in one story does not mean she/he will be the same in another. You are characterizing someone by fanon belief, not canon. Also, SPARTAN belief is the same as i said before. They are like guidelines, not rules. If someone is as injured as six was, and especially to a commander who lost a soldier he believes he could have saved (thom, the previous six), and probally the other noble team members before his death, he does not want to risk losing another. Characters change through stories alot. If Carter was like that before Jorge died, i would be more willing to agree, but people change, and if they change this deep in, in an acceptable way, I accept it
2205455
It is canon. I know the ins and outs of the SPARTAN mentality. Are they unique just like every other human? Yes. Does this mean that they would change in a way that they would act in this chapter? No. They are trained to put the mission first, and if Six even mentioned the words Mission Failure, Carter would have said his goodbyes and left, despite how he felt to the contrary. Six also would have let Carter know of her injury since that would affect the mission, even if she wouldn't let anyone help her or hold her back because of it. These things are of very high importance, and as such would not be deviated from by a SPARTAN, especially not in a combat scenario. Not that it takes away from this story, of course.
2205584
ing boring, in my opinion. I want to characterize these Spartans, and yes, that may be playing with the whole Spartan mentality a bit, but if I didn't, if I just made every Spartan into some fighting machine with his only defining character trait being the weapon he holds, then all sympathy for these characters, and the hardships they face, would be gone. They could get killed off, and while you may be mad because a character you think is "cool" was killed, it won't be because you actually feel for him or her. One of the things I love about MLP is the characterization of literally every one of the main protagonists, and I wanted to bring this across in my own writing as well. To sum it all up, I wanted to make this story a bit like Mass Effect (but with a better ending), Plenty of action to keep everyone engaged and excited, but have it interspersed with plenty of characterization so that you actually care what happens to these people.
Look, I get where you're coming from, and while I disagree with it, let me just ask: Would you want to read a story about emotionless, purely dispassionate soldiers who would literally walk away from one of their own bleeding out if they think there's a way out of it? Because that would be pretty f
So anyway, that's my position. I've laid out exactly what my story is going to be about, so if you don't like it, I'm sad to say that you're not going to find anything different here. I apologize if you find yourself disappointed, but that's the way it is.
2206535
Don't misunderstand me, it's a minor detail. I am loving the story and am perfectly fine with what you're doing once I realized that it was necessary for the story to work. Also I wouldn't mind reading about the soldiers you mentioned, as I do feel attached to the characters even if they're not exactly "developed", as they don't need to be. It falls along the same lines as attaching yourself to someone because you've been through stuff together (i.e. the games and books etc). Again, I acknowledge that what you're doing is necessary and am fine with it, so please continue writing this awesome story before I come over there and MAKE you work on it.
2205584 Let me clarify. She made a mistake. She made one when carter ordered her to stand down when she was choking celestia and hesitated, nearly killing celestia. And than she made a mistake here. You know the ins and outs of spartans. They are people too. Well so do I, and nobody's perfect.
MOAR!
Please hurry with the next chapter... I... If that is alright with you.
2062784
I'm working on it, and I've already gotten 'over the hump' as it were, but I planned on doing a lot of work this weekend and then for various reasons I instead bought a new computer, so I'll be without one until tomorrow afternoon. Sorry, but just know that I'll be doing my best to get it up soon, and I'd probably expect it in about one week's time, ten days at most.
P.S. If any of you are curious what those 'various reasons' are, it's actually pretty simple. My sister's computer broke, so she needs a new one. I am going to college for engineering, so my macbook isn't going to cut it. My dad recently got a bonus, so we decided to get me a new PC and give my macbook to my Liberal Arts majoring sister. So yeah, I'm without my computer which has all my progress on the new chapter so far until tomorrow while they are putting my files from my macbook onto my new computer. Why didn't I put the chapter on a flash drive? Because I'm stupid. Very very stupid. But whatever, two days isn't really much of a setback. Anyways, I am now officially rambling so I bid you all, adieux.