One Bad Apple

by The Blue EM2

Hell Breaks Loose (edited 7/11/18)

Secretary of Defence James Mattis walked through the halls of the Pentagon, flanked by guards. Behind him was Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO. They had been called to an urgent meeting with Department 7 of the US Military, though what it was about was unclear.

They were directed into a room of the main corridor. Standing at the screen of the room was General Harrison. He saluted both men, and they in return.

“Be seated,” Mattis instructed everyone. The guards formed up outside the door, as well as inside the door and around the room.

Stoltenberg looked up to Harrison. “What is the issue that you bring to our attention, sir?” he asked. “And may I ask what Department 7 is?”

Harrison nodded. “Sir, Department 7 is a branch of the United States Military specifically designated to deal with supernatural and magical threats to the USA.”

Stoltenberg looked like he was about to laugh. “Magical threats?” he asked. “There is no such thing!”

Mattis looked over. “Mr Secretary, please let the General explain.”

Harrison coughed, and moved the slideshow to bring up an image. “Sirs, around January of 2017, Australian media reported a most bizarre case. A young man, named John Radderson, was transformed into a human-pony hybrid faintly resembling a character from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.”

Stoltenberg was shocked. “Is this some sort of joke?”

Harrison moved the slideshow on, showing an image of a creature that resembled both a horse and a human female. Next to it was a screenshot of Twilight Sparkle.

“These images were secured by ASIS operatives working with us.”

“Our allies have no reason to lie to us,” Mattis noted. “Please continue, General.”

Harrison nodded. “Suddenly, it began happening on a massive scale. By the end of last year, no fewer than 11 cases had been reported in Australia. Then it began happening on a global scale. 2 US citizens, Alex Viator, and Tyler Hartfield, were transformed whilst overseas. Then one was reported by the RCMP in Canada.”

He paused. “And now, one has occurred on US soil.” He switched the slideshow again to show the MTA footage from a few days ago. “A young man called Brian Smith was changed into one of these things whilst on a Subway journey. She’s currently safe at our facility.”

“Is there a connection between these cases?” asked Mattis.

“We found that all of them received an email from a group called MLP: Theory Analysts. We think this is the first incident of a weapon like this being transmitted through the internet.”

“In what way do you think this is a weapon?”

“We found out who is behind the Analysts. Beings from another dimension called Equestria.” The General paused. “It seems likely that they are intent on weakening our population in preparation for a full-scale invasion. Their ground commander is called Excalibur Edge, but we took him out in a snatch and grab.”

“How is this an attack?”

Footage came up on screen, showing the base attack of a few days earlier. “This group, currently being held in custody, launched an attack on our base a few days ago. We were able to take them out, but this shows that we are under attack, if they are this brazen to hit us directly.”

Stoltenberg was not convinced. “I need actual, living proof these things exist before I will even consider military action of any description.”

Harrison nodded. “Brian, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Brian stepped forward into the light, and the room gasped.

“My God,” Mattis whispered.

“What are you?” asked Stoltenberg.

“I was to be one of their puppets,” Brian replied. “But I ain’t gonna be a pawn in somepony else's game. I saw through their lies and deceit, and they mean nothing but harm to our nation! To the world!”

Mattis looked over to Harrison. “You’ve convinced me enough,” he said. “The US will answer this attack on our lands with war!”

Stoltenberg spoke up. “I will convene the NATO defence council immediately. They are clearly not afraid to attack 3 NATO members in one year. It will not take much to convince our allies.”

“Thank you, gentlemen,” Harrison replied. “We will see to it that these attacks do not go unpunished.”

Arriving back at the facility, Harrison and Brian walked back through the base and arrived in the interrogation room. There were all 4 captured anthros, locked in place in storage tanks. They were all visibly struggling as the doctors monitored their vital signs.

“I would give up struggling if I were you,” Harrison told them.

“Why do you fight us?” Apple Bloom asked.

“The same reason I fight any enemy of the United States,” Harrison replied.

“Well Ah’ll be!” said Granny Smith. “How is spreadin’ friendship against American values?”

“You have no idea what’s really going on here. You guys are simply paving the way for an invasion!”

Ashley looked shocked. “Babs, how could ya believe such hogwash! The Princesses-!”

“See us as scum to be wiped out! They forced the Aspect of Honesty on you, just as they forced this form on me!”

Harrison took up the lead. “Well, the tables have turned on them. The USA and NATO have both declared war on Equestria. All we need is a way to get there, and repair the damage already done.”

“We ain’t a disease!” said Big Mac. “How do ya propose correctin’ the problem anyway?”

“Doctor Maynard!”

“Sir!”

“Please explain to them how this antidote works.”

The doctor stepped forward. “The method used by the Analysts was a mutagenetic virus. It rewrote portions of your genetic code. Now, in order to reverse the mutations, we simply needed a sample of your DNA as it was before it was rewritten.”

Harrison interrupted. “Luckily, he’d already had a demo run.” He waved his hand.

The soldiers from the previous day stepped forward.

“Did you think that you were the first?” the General asked. “No, we were. We were the ‘First Six’. We were to be used to clear the way for Equestria. Until we realised the truth, that we were simply brainwashed.”

“Hogwash!”

“Let me prove it. You may have heard of ‘Tempest Shadow?’”

Harrison removed his mask and stood straight. Strands of his hair were still purple.

“After they successfully changed us back, we retained our abilities, and became able to interrupt the magic of others. Those generators were developed, by studying us.”

He smiled. “But now, to test the antidote. Brian, considering the situation, I’ll let you choose the test subject.”

Brian smirked. “Ashley,” he said.

Ashley gulped, “Sugarcube, think about what yer doin’ t’ yer own family! Ah’m still yer cousin, whether Ah am Kurt or Ashley. Ah’m still the same person, er pony regardless of who Ah look like now. That’s the honest truth! An’ Ah should know: Ah’m the Element o’ Honesty!” Just then her element glowed a bright orange and fired a beam towards Brian, hoping it would open her eyes to the truth.

The beam ground to a halt in front of her. The field produced by the General and his men was simply too strong.

"You really thought we wouldn't anticipate your little ploy?" Harrison asked mockingly. "We came here with our weapons loaded and our safety's off."

Brian just shook her head. "Ashley," she sighed. "You really are so honest you've forgotten that ponies and people can lie." He signaled Dr Maynard, who opened Ashley's containment chamber, and jammed the needle into her arm. He injected the contents, and stepped back, closing the lid as he did so.

Ashley screamed as a blast of pain shot through her body, the transformation she had gone through a year earlier suddenly going into reverse. Within the space of minutes, where the Element of Honesty was once held, was now plain old Kurt Smith.

Harrison nodded. "One down, 19 to go." He glanced back at Brian. "You made a good choice. Your actions have, in all likelihood, saved humanity."

Ashley, now Kurt, was placed back in the containment chamber. The clothes that he wore as Ashley seemed too small for her, as they would have fitted an athletic girl like Ashley, being an apple farmer. "Ah'm so sorry, sugarcube." He said to Brian.

Apple Bloom was showing a mixture of anger and sorrow, letting out a sound that was somewhere between a shriek and a sob. "What did ya do to mah sister?" she begged.

"You mean your brother," Harrison corrected. "I'm putting an end to this unnatural fuckery."

He pulled a switch, and a rift began to open, revealing a portal to Equestria.

"The portal is open," he radioed. "Commence the invasion."

Author's Note:

Dun dun dun! More on this later!

Comments

[kwr2k13]

Excalibur Edge is actually a female Alicorn and a Equestrian diplomat that the anthro Princess Celestia and Luna appointed to aid the new anthros in their journeys. She was last seen assisting another anthro, this time being Dragon Lord Ember in Ember's story TBA.

[The Blue EM2]

9273111
This is a misunderstanding on the General's part.