2022 Rewrite in Progress... The wreckage of Forward Unto Dawn lands in Equestria. Separated from Cortana, John is forced to deal with the consequences.
2022 REWRITE IN PROGRESS
After being rudely awoken from Cryo-sleep, John-117 finds that the Forward Unto Dawn has been sucked into a gravity well, causing it to fall towards an unknown planet. In the crash, he is separated from Cortana and falls alone into the Everfree forest. In addition to this new complication, old memories from a scarred and tragic past haunt his dreams, putting his remaining sanity on edge.
However, he has little time to ponder these thoughts, as he encounters the planet's... peculiar... inhabitants.
John shouldered a large boy aside, his legs burning as he struggled to climb the hill. Although it wasn’t too steep, it was still a long climb. The summer sun blazing overhead, John squinted, trying to see who was holding the top of the mound. The current “king” of the hill was wrestling with two boys, completely oblivious to John.
Grinning deviously, John flew forward in a burst of energy; ramming straight into the ex-king’s back, giving him a powerful shove into the two boys. They all tumbled down the slope, shouting obscenities and curses through the crowded schoolyard.
Forcing his burning quads to push forward, John surmounted the hill, bellowing a cry of victory. The other children shouted their disapproval, advancing up the hill with renewed vigor.
However, their game was cut short. “John!” Came the voice.
John froze, looking around for the source. And then he spotted them. Standing at the schoolyard entrance were two adults: A man and a woman. The man was a tall, neat gentleman fiddling with a pipe. The woman wore a small summer hat and a pair of eyeglasses. She was also staring straight at him. She had obviously been the source of the voice.
“Yes, you. May we talk?” She asked. Knowing refusal meant a beating, John shrugged, stepping off the mound. A few kids blew raspberries as he passed. They resumed their game, excited now that the best of opponents had left.
John strode up to the two adults, chin held high. He didn’t care if they were going to beat him. Most of the teachers that beat him nowadays were used to the task, and took it as a chore rather than the honorable duty. John failed to see what was honorable about it, though.
The woman glanced back at the hill. “So, John, I see you like to play games.” She said, kneeling down to meet his gaze.
John nodded. “Yeah. I like to win.” He said simply.
The woman laughed, confusing John. “I saw.” She replied, still chuckling. Her hand fell into her pocket, and she withdrew a shiny coin. It was an ordinary coin, from what John could tell.
“How about we play a game of our own?” She asked innocently.
John shrugged. “Sure. I’m just gonna win anyways.” This drew another laugh from the woman.
“Okay, take a look at the coin.” The woman handed him the quarter, which he turned over and over. On one side, there was a man wearing a powdered wig, his silver features chiseled into a frown of sorts. Below his neck, there was a number: 1983. On the other side, there was an eagle, wings outspread. Clutched in its claws was a bundle of arrows, and below that was an olive branch.
“The side with the man’s face is ‘heads’ and the side with the bird is ‘eagle.’” The woman explained. “I’m going to toss the coin into the air, and then you need to catch it. You call out which side you think will appear face-up in your palm. If your answer is correct, you win.”
John’s eyes narrowed. “What do I get when I win?” He asked.
“You get to keep the coin.” The woman said, smiling.
No catches. Might as well go for it. “Okay. Flip it.” John said.
He handed the coin back to her, which she promptly placed on the top of her thumb and flicked it upwards, sending the coin flying into the air with a melodic “ching” of the metal scraping her thumb. John caught it deftly, immediately calling out his winning assumption. "Eagle.” He stated, opening his palm.
The eagle gave him a fierce scowl, as if unhappy that John emerged victorious.
John grinned at the woman. “Told you I’d win.” He teased.
She smiled in return. “You are one lucky kid.” She complimented. Adjusting her eyeglasses, she extended her hand. “My name is Dr. Halsey. It was nice to meet you."
Immediately, the lazy summer’s day faded, the doctor and the tall man disappearing. An explosion sent John sprawling to the ground. Pressing an armored hand to the ground, John struggled to his feet, instinctively drawing his assault rifle. He brought it to bear, quickly scanning the area. A tell-tale whine of incoming artillery filled the air around him.
Instinct taking over, John sprinted towards an overturned Warthog balanced precariously on a bed of rocks. The whine grew louder, filling the speakers in his helmet. Abandoning the weapon, he dove under the safety of the damaged vehicle, covering his head. A blinding flash followed, as well as a powerful shockwave that blew the Warthog off of the crouching Spartan.
Glancing back at the once-operable vehicle, John’s head swiveled back to search for the source of the explosion. His jaw dropped at what he saw.
Standing before him was a grizzled, older-looking Sergeant. He chewed a rapidly disappearing cigar, and wore a cap dyed in the classic green of the space marines. A bushy mustache wriggled as he moved his upper lip. The UNSC insignia was emblazoned on the front of his chestplate.
Sergeant Johnson
“Chief?! What’re you doin’ here?!” Johnson asked, lowering the Jackhammer launcher he was carrying.
John hopped over the rocky outcropping, glad to see a familiar face. “I had better ask you the same thing, Johnson.”
Johnson cocked his head. “What’re you gettin’ at, Chief? You know that’s classified information.” He asked cautiously.
John blinked. “You’re dead. I watched you die on the Ark. Shot through the chest by 343 Guilty Spark. There’s no way you’re alive.” He stated.
A sudden blow from the sergeant sent the Chief crashing back into the rocky outcropping. The sergeant’s right arm exploded, two large tentacles in place of where his hand should have been.
With inhuman speed, the sergeant dashed forward, viciously slamming his left arm into the Chief’s neck. Caught completely off-guard, the Chief dropped his weapon, his hands groping helplessly at the sergeant’s arm.
Johnson’s head lolled to the side, an infection form materializing in his now-open chest cavity.
John flailed and kicked wildly in an attempt to loosen the grip, but to no avail. The ever-tightening grip encroached on his trachea, making every breath a marathon.
A sudden feeling of mercury entering his consciousness made him jump involuntarily. “Chief!” A voice identical to Dr. Halsey’s rang inside the Chief’s helmet.
“C-Cortana…?” He wheezed.
“Chief! You’ve got to wake up!” She cried desperately.
“Wh-what…?” John rasped, still struggling for air.
“The Forward Unto Dawn! She’s being sucked into a planetary gravitational well!” She explained quickly.
“I don’t get—” The Chief started, before his body convulsed in electrocution. -- "Chief, you've got to wake up!" Cortana cried desperately.
The Chief didn’t respond, stirring slightly in his cryogenic slumber.
“The Forward Unto Dawn! She’s being sucked into a planetary gravitational well!” She explained quickly.
When the Chief still refused to respond, she groaned mentally. Time for plan B… She flipped a switch, sending a quick jolt to the MJOLNIR’s power supply. The sudden overflow of energy sent a backlash of electricity coursing through the Chief’s body, jolting him awake.
“Agh! What the—!” John cried, kicking the cryo tube’s single door into the opposing wall in surprise.
“Chief, you might want to find somewhere to hunker down. The Forward Unto Dawn is heading straight for the dark side of the planet!” Cortana advised sternly.
Quickly glancing around, John stepped cautiously out of the cryo tube. Struggling to climb the constantly rotating corridor, John managed to claw his way to a large opening in the Titanium-A metal. He risked a glance into space, taking in the sight.
A green planet stretched below, a large ocean visible on its surface. It looked identical to Reach, except all of the familiar continents were in different places. A large sun was setting on the horizon, like a large pat of butter melting onto a hill of pancakes. However, the sun was quickly blotted out by the planet itself, sending John into total darkness, the only light coming from the hull as it began to glow, heating up in the planet’s atmosphere.
A sudden collision bucked John out of the Forward Unto Dawn. Levitating in the frightening weightlessness of freefall, John scrabbled at the shredded titanium, hoping to find some reprieve. A small rod of steel jutting out from the hull was his last chance. Clawing madly towards the rod, he managed to get a decent grip on the edge…
A loud screeching noise of metal on metal ensued, eventually ending with a loud “thunk” as the metal ripped off of the hull entirely as the Dawn began to accelerate towards the surface at an alarming speed.
“Chief!” Cortana cried.
John reached haplessly for the accelerating craft, only to be smacked upside the head with the same rod which had separated from the hull seconds earlier. Seeing stars dance before his eyes, he watched helplessly as the craft flew onwards, embedding itself in a distant desert near the horizon.
His descent, however, continued straight down, aiming towards a thick forest below. A heat cone quickly formed as he accelerated planetside. Reacting quickly, John hit the “armor lock” failsafe. Needles pricked at his arms and legs as the gel layer in his armor rapidly expanded, cutting off circulation in his extremities. He had only seconds to brace himself before smashing into the ground. -- ambient
Smoothing out the edges of the blanket, Twilight called to Pinkie Pie. “Okay! You can bring out the snacks! The tablecloth is ready!”
A familiar pink pony trotted out, toting a large saddlebag chock-full of hoof-food. Cupcakes, sliced poundcake and assorted fruit tarts clattered haphazardly on their separate plates as they settled onto the tablecloth. “Okie dokie lokie! All done!” Pinkie Pie chimed cheerily.
Rarity set down her small basket of Alfalfa-on-rye sandwiches, wiping her brow. “Oh, goodness. Carrying this basket around has got me worked up! Spike! Could you be a dear and bring me a glass of punch?”
A purple dragon toting a pitcher and paper cups waddled out to meet her. “I don’t know about punch, but Fluttershy gave me a pitcher of water to carry from her cottage.” Spike explained, pouring Rarity a glass before letting her magic take it from his claws.
“Water is perfect, Spikey-wikey!” Rarity exclaimed, nuzzling Spike with her muzzle before taking an elegant sip. Spike rubbed his cheek, blushing furiously. “A-anytime, Rarity…” He said wistfully, wobbling off towards Fluttershy’s cottage.
Twilight sighed with satisfaction. The hot summer day had cooled off after the sun had set, making the temperature perfect for a bit of late-night picnicking. Although Rainbow Dash had yet to bring the punch, Twilight felt that she would have to fly much slower to keep the punch in her container.
Applejack settled on the checkered tablecloth, dropping her load of different apple-intertwined foods before sitting back to gaze at the night sky. "Gosh, Twi. I’m glad you thought of this; it’s warmer than a hamper full of bedsheets out here!” She said.
Twilight smiled. “Well, thanks for agreeing to bring a sampler of your latest apple cuisine!” She replied. “I’ve been waiting to try this new ‘Mountain High Apple Pie’ everypony’s been talking about.”
Applejack grinned. “Big Mac will be bringin’ that over in a jiffy. Let’s jus’ say it lives up to its name.”
A flicker of light caught Twilight’s eye as she turned to look at the farmpony. Distracted, she looked up, her eyes lighting up in surprise.
A beautiful array of starry streaks filled the sky, dazzling the young mares. “Ooh’s” and “Aah’s” accompanied the sudden flurry of activity, although they immediately stopped when a large meteor appeared in the sky alongside the falling debris.
“In Celestia’s name…” Twilight breathed.
They all jumped in fright when a second meteor slammed into the Everfree forest near Fluttershy’s cottage. “Wh-what was that?!” Fluttershy squeaked, peeking out from behind Twilight. The lavender unicorn gritted her teeth.
“Whatever it was, we’ve gotta take a look! C’mon!” Twilight charged into the foliage, dragging a hapless Fluttershy by the tail. The rest of the ponies followed.
Spike emerged from the cottage, toting a plate of carrots. “Hey! Look what I found in…” He trailed off, looking around the empty tablecloth. “Uh… Guys?” He asked hesitantly.
Bursting into the smoky clearing, Twilight and the others took a quick glance around. Immediately, their eyes rested on a smoking form in the center.
Applejack squinted, her eyes watering. “Ah, horseapples! I can’t see nuthin’ in this smoke!”
Rarity waved uselessly at the fumes, entering a coughing fit. “What’re you *cough* whining about? I can’t even *cough* breathe!” She sputtered.
Twilight’s horn lit up. “Hold on, everypony. I’ll sort this out!” The horn glowed brightly, illuminating the entire clearing in an instant. The smoke parted, disappearing in small puffs of blue clouds. Twilight’s horn glowed brighter, summoning a breeze to blow the remains away. Once the smoke had cleared, the light vanished, bathing the group in complete darkness, save for Luna’s moon, which shone dully overhead.
After their eyes adjusted to the lack of light, Twilight and her friends slowly approached the crater. Peeking over the rim, they could see a metal figure laid back against the earth.
Two appendages were crossed tightly over what appeared to be its chest, as if it was still anticipating an impact. The olive-green metal that covered its body was scarred with paint loss and even some cuts that delved into the metal itself. The skin of the creature was black, although it somehow held the armor in place. An opaque, polarized visor glinted dimly in the moonlight. It was criss-crossed with geometrical designs that matched the patterns on the armor. Some of the metal on its broad shoulders was still glowing a dull red, wisps of smoke trailing from the tips.
“Twilight? You know your way around astronomy. Is there anything in those books you’ve read that talks about these?” Rarity suggested distractedly, her eyes scanning the figure up and down.
Twilight shook her head, sitting back. “This isn’t any sort of organic object from space. It’s obviously an extra-Equestrian life form of sorts, although I can’t really put my hoof down on what it is.” Twilight explained. A thought suddenly dawned on her. “Actually, the library didn’t have any books on organisms from other planets, since no pony has ever been able to even make a journey into space.”
Rainbow drifted dangerously close to the body, a brow raised curiously. “An alien from outer space… This is exactly like Daring Do’s adventure!” She exclaimed.
“Rainbow, now is not the time t’be fangirlin’.” Applejack sighed.
“So now we’re dealing with aliens?!” Pinkie bounced in place. “Ooh! Ooh! That’s awesome! You think it’ll have some sort of cool alien gadgets? I love alien gadgets! Ever since that last time when…”
“When have you EVER met an alien before, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, moving back from the smoking body.
“Oh, lots of times! Usually from a bunch of other crossover fanfictions with videogames!”
Twilight’s face contorted into confusion. “Pinkie, what are you talking about?!”
Rarity tentatively approached the body, her expression a mix of disgust and wonder. “I-is it dead?”
Twilight took a quick glance at the body, noting that the arms looked like anything but relaxed. “I’m not sure… I’ll check for a pulse right now.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Oh, come on! There’s an easier way!” She trotted up to the body and gave it a hard cuff on the side of its head.
Everypony gasped, leaping back several feet. They cowered in apprehension, watching the body carefully for any movement. The arms relaxed, falling to the sides. However, the rest of the body remained still.
After waiting several seconds, Rainbow Dash flashed a devious grin. “Dead. What’d I tell ya?”
Twilight stepped closer. “Hold on. I’m going to check for a pulse.” Her horn lit up, bathing the area in a mysterious purple glow. Everypony watched silently as Twilight scrunched up her face in concentration.
Twilight’s eyes suddenly snapped open. “It’s still alive!” She exclaimed.
At that moment, the body’s left arm moved, grabbing Twilight’s foreleg. -- Muffled voices again. John could hear a couple of men chatting quietly.
“This ain’t good.” “Damn… How far did he fall?” “Two kilometers, easy.”
A more familiar voice barked an order.
“Stay sharp!”
John felt a presence kneel by his right side.
“His armor’s locked up. Gel layer could’ve taken most of the impact.” Came another voice.
The Spartan’s arms fell to his sides as the armor lock disengaged.
“I-I don’t know, Sergeant Major…” The voice said hesitantly.
John could feel a tug at the back of his helmet. Whoever it was had taken out Cortana’s empty chip.
A long pause ensued, followed by the familiar voice again.
“Radio for V-TOL. Heavy lift gear. We’re not leaving him here.” -- John instinctively reached out for Cortana’s chip, not entirely willing to part with that piece of his hardware. “Yeah. You’re not.” He croaked.
A high-pitched squeal filled his helmet’s speakers. Confused, he blinked, trying to clear his blurry vision. More muffled voices erupted from all sides.
“Twilight! Look out!” “Oh, goodness! It moved!” “I’ve gotcha, Twi! Hang in there!” “Wh-whoa! It’s movin’!” “I knew my Pinkie Sense was right!”
John fumbled his headlamp switch, quickly turning it on. His eyes widened at the sight.
Talking, miniature horses with colorful coats and manes were arrayed before him. They stood about five-feet high, making them hard to distinguish as ponies. They were just too large. Some sported wings and horns, while others had a severe lack thereof. They froze when he turned on the light, their eyes growing wide.
After a pregnant pause, the purple one ventured a greeting. “H-hello?” She asked hesitantly.
A sky-blue winged horse quickly shushed the unicorn. “Twilight! Shh! Maybe it can’t see us!” She hissed.
If I couldn’t see, I still would’ve heard you. John thought.
A second winged horse approached, this one colored a creamy yellow. “Wait! Let me try talking to it.” She said, although she faltered in mid-statement. “Uh, if that’s okay with you, Twilight.”
The unicorn nodded, brushing the sky-blue pony off of her. “Let Fluttershy work her magic, Rainbow. This thing might be friendly.” She said comfortingly.
The yellow horse, apparently named Fluttershy, approached John, giving him a warm smile. “Why, hello there, little guy.” She said comfortingly.
Little? John said nothing, remaining completely still.
Fluttershy glanced back nervously at the other horses that were struggling to see over her shoulders. “These are my friends, and we’re not here to hurt you.”
Again, John decided to remain quiet. He wanted to see what they would do.
The sky-blue Pegasus scoffed. “Hmph. He probably can’t understand a word you’re saying, Flutters. Quit wasting your breath.”
The yellow Pegasus shuddered. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I’m trying my best.” She squeaked, as if on the verge of tears.
A white unicorn trotted up to the blue Pegasus, giving her an unfriendly nudge. “Rainbow! Please! Just sit back and watch.”
The lavender equine spoke again. “Go ahead, Fluttershy. We’re right behind you.”
The yellow Pegasus took a deep breath, then turned back to him. “Can you understand me? Do you know what I’m saying?” She asked.
John nodded involuntarily.
A pink horse darted out from behind Fluttershy. “Whoa! You can speak Equestrian?! How cool is that?! I mean, you fell from the sky and everything, but, wow! You speak Equestrian! I mean, I thought you’d speak some kind of language from planet Zeebo, or wherever you come from! I guess it’s convenient for the plot of this story, and—”
“Hold it, sugarcube!” An orange horse wearing a wide-brimmed hat yanked Pinkie away. “All we know is that he understan’s what we’re sayin’. He ain’t spoken two syllables and you’re suddenly jumpier than a jumpin’ bean!” She gushed.
Pinkie shrunk back. “Well, so-ree!” She sighed, retreating to stand next to Rainbow.
Equestria… Doesn’t ring a bell. John thought back to where Cortana had mentioned them getting through the portal right as it had collapsed, sending them to unknown and unexplored quadrants of the galaxy, if not the universe.
The purple equine approached again. “Sorry for that; that’s Pinkie Pie. That’s just how she is.” She apologized.
A long pause followed before Twilight realized that this thing wasn’t going to talk back. “So…” She started, pawing at the ground.
“Oh, for crying out loud! Let me handle this!” The sky-blue Pegasus darted forward, butting her forehead on John’s visor. “Who sent you?! Are you an alien?! Is that why you’re here?! To conquer this planet?! Or do you just want to fight?! Well, then, put em up!” The Pegasus moved back, giving herself room to maneuver. Suddenly, she charged forward, taking off at the last second with the intent to ram him.
John moved quickly, scrambling out of the crater. He looked back, seeing the blue Pegasus struggling forward—head jammed into the dirt pile he was just sitting on. John stifled a chuckle.
The horse with a southern accent quickly pounced on the flailing Pegasus. “That’s enough outta you! You’re interruptin’ negotiations!” She drawled.
The yellow Pegasus approached him again. “S-sorry about that; Rainbow Dash can get a little edgy.” She explained quickly.
John glanced back at this “Rainbow Dash”, who, upon removing her head from the dirt, glared daggers at him. It was almost enough to pierce his polarized visor.
“But she’s only afraid for us. She’s afraid that you’re going to hurt us. I hope you understand.” The yellow Pegasus continued.
John nodded again. He could sympathize with that.
He continued his silent stare, still not really wanting to speak aloud. Although these ponies seemed friendly, his instincts told him to keep his mouth shut. Then again… where do I even have to go? John wondered. His thoughts drifted back to the horrible separation, Cortana still reaching out for him, her mouth moving, but no audible words were coming out.
A gentle nudge on his hand brought him back to reality. He glanced at the ponies, who were all standing wide-eyed in front of him. Huh. I thought the initial shock had already… John’s gaze roved downwards, suddenly noticing that the yellow Pegasus had moved uncomfortably close to him. She nudged his hand again with her nose, looking up at him expectantly.
John gazed back into the pony’s azure irises, his stare just as expectant. “You must be a little sore after taking a fall like that. Come on, you can stay at my cottage for now.” The Pegasus cooed comfortingly.
John nodded slowly, simultaneously doubting that this was a good idea. His legs moved on their own, however, as he dutifully followed Fluttershy back towards the pathway. As he passed, he heard a whisper from one of the ponies. “She’s a walking contradiction! She goes from 'wimp' to 'fearless' in the blink of an eye!”
As they walked, the ponies continuously chatted amongst themselves, although John didn’t really care much for what they talked about. His mind was still replaying that single critical moment of his separation from the ship. Each time, he thought about the ways he could have avoided the possibility. The ideas were endless. I shouldn’t have risked a glance at the planet before impact. I should have moved more quickly when I grabbed a hold of the steel jutting out of the hull. I could have made it if I shaved off a few seconds off of my reaction. I…
“Well, here it is.” Fluttershy said. John looked up, taking in the humble building. He was surprised how these ponies would be capable of building anything so close to human architecture, although it had a more “naturalistic” touch to it. The roof was made out of thatch and green leaves, while the khaki walls were built with a European style, bars of wood dividing out sections of the walls.
It reminded him of pictures of houses from William Shakespeare’s day, back when Déja taught his history class. Memories of the obstacle course and his two friends, Kelly and Sam, bounded unbidden into focus. He shook his head quickly, hoping that the ponies would miss him doing so.
“We were going to watch the annual meteor shower, but then you fell straight into the Everfree forest over there.” Fluttershy explained, nodding towards a small blanket set up on a small hill. Several plates of food were already set out, along with a bowl of punch and two picnic baskets.
A noise from the house drew their attention towards the door. It swung open, and a miniature purple creature trundled out to the front porch. “Hey, Twilight! Where were you guys?! I was worried…” It trailed off when it set its eyes on John. “W-who’s that?” It asked hesitantly, hiding partially behind the door.
The purple unicorn stepped forward. “It’s okay, Spike! This thing is friendly.” She cooed.
The creature, aptly named Spike, shook its head curtly, hugging the door as if it was some sort of lifeline. “B-but… it looks kind of… dangerous.” It managed to mumble.
The unicorn rolled her eyes. “If Fluttershy can talk to it without running away, you can do it too!” She said irately.
Spike raised his brow. “What?! Fluttershy talked to him? That’s… breaking the laws of physics.” He said doubtfully.
Fluttershy frowned. “But I did talk to him! He just… didn’t talk back.” She mumbled.
The orange pony with the Stetson hat chuckled. “He’d make Big Macintosh look like quite the yapper!” She exclaimed.
The purple unicorn suddenly became worried. “Wait, where is he, anyways? I thought you said he was bringing the ‘Mountain High Apple Pie’?” She asked.
The Stetson pony opened her mouth to answer. John wasn’t able to hear it over the commotion of a red-and-yellow freight train slamming into his side.
John watched as the world suddenly flipped 90 degrees to the right, a heavy force smashing into his left side. Grunting with surprise from the blow, as well as shock of the lack of shielding, he and his assailant tumbled several feet before the weight of John’s armor brought them to a stop.
Shield generators and motion trackers must’ve been fried in the fall. John thought, berating himself for such carelessness. However, the fight was long from over.
As the creature latched on to John’s back, quickly swinging a foreleg around John’s neck, John responded by hunching his shoulders to prevent a choke, then jerked his elbow backwards, getting a loud, “Oof!” from his enemy. However, the hold around his hunched shoulders held.
John grunted again as he forced himself to his feet, which was surprisingly much more work than John expected, despite the armor’s strength-enhancement system. The enormous creature was still gripping his helmet tightly with a bent foreleg, as if its life depended on it. John tried several softening techniques, repeating the elbows into his attacker’s stomach and banging his helmet against the creature’s head. This gave John the slack he needed, and he wasted no time in taking advantage of this. Suddenly gripping the offending foreleg in a vice-grip, John threw his weight forward, throwing the creature over his head. Keeping his center of gravity low to keep himself from tumbling forward with the creature, John couldn’t help but notice this thing was a little heavier than he thought. He might as well be fighting a full-sized stallion; the damn thing weighed a ton.
This sent his opponent flying several feet, sending it into a long roll until it collided with the side of the humble cottage. John took a couple of steps back, his eyes squinting as he hit the x2 zoom on his visor.
His opponent was a medium-sized horse (although almost twice the size of the miniature horses that had found him) wearing a large, brown yoke on its neck. White freckles dotted the horse’s cheeks, and a wild mane of blond hair, now a little messier from the scuffle, sat atop its head. Its apple-green eyes glared angrily at him, as if ready to ignite.
Without warning, the large workhorse charged again, although John was prepared this time. Lowering his stance to provide extra stability, John received the charge into his right shoulder, pressing forward with his left hand. The horse slammed straight into him with more force than John expected, nearly sending the Spartan falling backwards. However, with the strength-enhancing armor capabilities hard at work, John was able to match the creature’s unnatural strength. After a quick struggle to overpower one another, John quickly stepped back with his right, throwing the horse off-balance. He pushed off of the same foot, bringing his Titanium-A kneepad right into the horse’s jaw, its teeth clacking loudly when his mouth suddenly jammed closed. The large horse tumbled backwards senselessly, colliding with the side of the house again.
John advanced quickly, moving in for the kill. He grabbed the Sergeant’s pistol, cocking it in one swift motion.
“Chief, wait!” Johnson cried.
The Spartan ignored the Sergeant, grabbing the stealthed Elite’s intricate chestplate. He viciously jammed the muzzle of the weapon between the split jaws of the alien, his finger already on the trigger.
“The Arbiter’s with us!” Johnson barked.
John glanced back at the Sergeant, but kept the pistol where it was. His finger still hovered over the trigger, his instinct now under control. The Arbiter shifted his head upwards uncomfortably. John would have none of it, pressing the muzzle back into the creature’s jaw.
“Come on, now.” Johnson tutted. “We’ve got enough to worry about without you two trying to kill each other.” He said, putting a hand on the Chief’s shoulder.
John hesitated, not exactly willing to release his enemy. However, after several seconds of nervous stares from the Marines, he was finally convinced that the Arbiter wasn’t there to kill them.
He lowered the pistol, reigning in his instinct. The Arbiter’s jaws clacked gently as he shook his mouth to get the feeling back. “Were it so easy…” The Arbiter growled before John finally released him.
The creature fell back to the ground, its mouth bleeding from broken teeth. John blinked several times, suddenly disoriented. The memory faded from his eyes, the lush jungle canopy replaced by a violet sky full of stars. Johnson and the others disappeared, the miniature horses materializing before his eyes.
John raised a gloved hand to his temple where a powerful headache was starting to form. He shook his head, his thoughts struggling to process the possibilities of what was going on. The small horse with the Stetson hat took this moment to take a protective stance in front of the stallion that had attacked John. Her face was streaked with tears, which surprised John. “S-stop! Don’t kill mah brother!” She cried.
However, John had little say in the matter as he felt himself being lifted, suddenly unable to move. A cascading mane of fuchsia, lime-green, indigo and sky-blue filled his view, along with the majestic Pegasus that it was connected to. However, upon further scrutiny, John realized she also had a unicorn horn. The only thing that really rang a bell for John was that it was probably an Alicorn. According to Déja, these creatures were strictly mythical, appearing in numerous folk tales worldwide. Suddenly, John found something very funny about how well the name Equestria matched with its inhabitants.
His mild amusement quickly faded in the face of the creature’s cold frown. “By Starswirl’s beard, what is going on here?” Came its voice. John shivered at how similar the voice was to Cortana’s. Although different in pitch, it still had the chilling quality of liquid-mercury that Cortana always had. The Alicorn began walking forward, moving herself and John back into the forest.
The purple unicorn rushed to the Alicorn’s side, keeping pace with her. “Princess Celestia! Thank goodness, you’re here!” She gushed. The Stetson horse had returned to trying to wake up her brother, sobbing quietly behind the two.
The Alicorn drooped her head to meet the unicorn’s, rubbing their muzzles in an apparent show of affection. “Twilight, I’m sorry I didn’t arrive sooner. I had to see Luna off before she returned to stargazing to watch for any more meteors.”
The unicorn shook her head. “I-It’s fine, Princess. That thing scared us too.”
They arrived in the same clearing that John had landed in earlier, although the earth had finally cooled to where the smoke no longer rose from the crater. The Alicorn turned her attention back to the levitating Spartan. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to have a discussion with our guest.” She said.
The lavender equine opened her mouth to speak. “But—”
“I’m sorry, Twilight. It’s one of my duties as a Princess. Please go.” The Alicorn spoke again.
The unicorn glanced back at John, then slowly nodded. She left the clearing, defeated.
John watched the unicorn go, his hopes sinking. She saw it. Why can’t she explain what happened…
The Alicorn cut off these thoughts by releasing John, narrowing her eyes at him. “So,” She started. “What makes you think you can beat one of my ponies to the brink of death?”
Ponies? John thought.
“Yes. Ponies." The Princess answered, her expression unchanged.
John gritted his teeth, now hesitating to even think at this sudden invasion of privacy. After several seconds, the Princess shrugged. “Of course, if you give me no explanation, I have no reason to spare your life.” She said nonchalantly. “You’ve invaded my kingdom and even beaten one of my own into near-death, which is a crime that deserves equal punishment.”
“It was self-defense.” John said finally. He wasn’t going to die just yet. Not until some questions of his own were answered. “I was following the yellow Pegasus out of the forest, and the red workhorse tackled me when I wasn’t looking.”
A smile curled the corner of the Alicorn’s mouth. “That’s more like it.” The Princess said. She eyed him curiously. “What are you? You look like a human, but you look anything but organic.” She asked.
“I am a human.” John answered, not really sure how to explain it.
The Princess’s brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing. She eventually shrugged her wings. “I guess you’re right. You may look like a machine, but if Twilight could get a pulse out of you, you’re probably telling me the truth.”
There was a long pause before the Princess ventured another question.
“Why are you here? Although it’s obvious that your landing did not go as planned, you must have a reason for coming here in the first place?” The Alicorn asked.
John remained still. “Why don’t you just read my mind like you did before?” He asked.
“Well, unless you like having my spells dig through your private thoughts for what could be interpreted as an answer, I will refrain from doing that again.” She answered.
Surprised by the Alicorn’s small show of kindness, John spoke slowly and clearly. “I never came here because I wanted to.”
“Then how did you end up here? Something go wrong?” The Alicorn asked.
John hesitated. Halo and the Ark would have to remain a secret for now. God knows what they'd do with that kind of knowledge; the last race tried to annihilate them. John spoke slowly as he fabricated a new story from the top of his head. “My ship was… disabled in an engagement with enemy ones.” He explained, using simple vocabulary. He doubted the Alicorn would know much about spaceships, let alone a UNSC Frigate. “As I tried to flee, I used something called a ‘slipspace jump’, a kind of travel that can be achieved by opening a hole in a different dimension that allows rapid movement, randomly picking a location in my haste. When I arrived here, the ship was unable to escape this planet’s pull of gravity.”
“That explains the large meteor we saw…” The Alicorn nodded slightly, her crown briefly mirroring the moon as her head moved. She looked at him again. “Are you alone? Or was there someone with you?”
“I came alone.” John lied again.
The Princess raised a brow. “Are you sure?”
John made sure not to hesitate. “All of the crew on the ship were dead from hull breaches and the lack of oxygen.”
The Princess sighed. “Well, I see that you are a victim of circumstance rather than an aggressor.” John watched as she smiled for the first time. “I am sorry that I jumped to conclusions earlier. However, I still expect an apology to Big Macintosh; don’t think you’ll come clean from that.” She said, her smile quickly replaced with a straight line.
John's pride stung at the request, and his anger flared. However, he remembered what kind of situation he was in, forcing himself to nod. “Of course, ma’am.”
The Alicorn smiled a second time. “Oh, call me Princess Celestia. ‘Ma’am’ sounds a bit too… starchy… for me.” She cocked her head. “What’s your name?”
“My name…” John said slowly.
The Alicorn nodded, her eyes expectant. “Yes, your name.”
John bit his lip inside his helmet. What was making a simple gesture of etiquette so tough? Just give her his callsign. She didn't have to know his real name. No one even called him by his real name, anyways. The last time he had heard that was when Cortana...
“Equestria to human? You there?” Came the liquid-mercury voice.
“It’s John.” He said automatically.
“Well, John, I would like you to come with me to the castle. We have… diplomatic topics to discuss.” She said.
John remained silent, following the Princess wordlessly out of the forest. Wake up, John. Why did you give her your name? He asked himself.
However, he cooled off upon remembering that he had little choice in the matter. No use crying over spilled milk. Although his urge to move to the crash site of Forward Unto Dawn was making his entire conscience scream in frustration, he knew it would have to wait. Once he could get the lay of the land, however, as well as a few maps of the region, it would be easier. He was no longer armed, or supplied by friendly UNSC forces. A particular Pelican pilot came to mind, the call-sign burned into his memory from his days on the first Halo installation. Her grinning face, her confident voice, her cheery attitude. Foehammer.
The memories faded again, leaving John nearly tripping on a tree root that hooked his toe as he stepped over it half-heartedly.
Princess Celestia looked back at him nervously. “John? Are you well?”
John shook his head, attempting to re-orient himself with the environment. “Just a little tired.” He lied a third time, successfully stepping over the root this time.
They returned to Fluttershy’s cottage where all of the ponies that had led John out of the forest initially were waiting. They shot anxious glances between each other as John approached.
“Twilight Sparkle, you were right. Your friend was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Princess Celestia announced.
Twilight sighed with relief. “Well, that’s good news.”
The Stetson pony scowled fiercely at John. “What about Big Macintosh? He’s still layin’ there all battered and bruised ‘cause o that no-good hunk of space-rock!” She growled, glancing at her dazed sibling.
The Princess turned to John. “About that,” She started, nodding John onwards.
Looking at the Princess, then to the Stetson pony, John took several tentative steps forward, quickly closing the distance between him and the pony. He crouched low to meet her gaze. Part of him couldn’t believe he’d been reduced to this, but his survival instinct prodded him onwards when Celestia’s gaze intensified.
“I need to apologize to your brother, ma’am.” John explained.
The Stetson pony shook her head fiercely. “I h’ain’t letting you lay ah finger on mah brother again! Jus’ stay back!” She yelled hoarsely, crouching low in an aggressive stance.
John remained motionless. “Ma’am, I…”
“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me!” The Stetson pony replied, turning her body and bucking with her rear legs. John easily dodged it, although guilt from seeing her tear-stained face almost tempted him to take the hit.
“Whoa! Applejack!” Twilight started trotting towards the orange farmpony.
“Stay back, Twi! Or you’ll end up like Big Macintosh!” Applejack warned.
Rising to his feet, John shrugged at the princess. She nodded towards Applejack. Looks like you have more than one apology in order. Her voice whispered in his ear. Mentally grumbling, John stooped to one knee again.
“It was all in self-defense, you know that?” John asked. He soon realized it was the wrong thing to say when a foreleg was swung wildly at his faceplate. He moved to evade again, but his body disobeyed, his control overrun by the suddenly-crushing guilt. He felt his head jerk sideways from the force of the hit. -- The human failed to dodge this time, the hoof smacking neatly on the side of his helmet.
“Applejack!” Twilight gasped, now intent on reprimanding the farmpony. An enormous white wing stayed her approach. She turned to the Princess, a confused look on her face.
“Wait.” The Princess said sternly.
“Consarnit! I thought I told you to stay back!” Applejack yelled, pawing at the ground.
Come on, John. That wasn’t smart at all… John cursed mentally. Taking a moment to compose himself, he started again.
“Applejack? Is that your name?” He asked.
The orange pony flinched visibly at the use of her name. “Th-that depends on who’s askin’!” She spat, the edge in her tone still sharp.
“Well, Applejack,” John began, his voice lowering to a more sincere tone. “I’m sorry I've caused you so much distress.”
When Applejack didn’t respond, John continued. “I can understand why you’re upset. Seeing someone close to you get hurt is never a painless process.” Memories of his original team surfaced in the sea of hazy thoughts. Fred, Linda, Kelly. Sam’s pained grin emerged among the other faces, his face illuminated by the violet lights of the Covenant carrier’s interior… "It may be strange to hear this, but I'm what you would call a soldier. And I've lost my fair share of good teammates." He said, struggling with the last sentence.
After a moment of silence and reminiscence, John continued. “But where I’m from, if I didn’t react like that to every confrontation I’ve been through, I wouldn’t be alive today.” John’s eyes clouded over as more memories of the once-green surface of Jericho VII erupting into orange blossoms emerged. “Where I’m from, the only weapon against the enemy was only to be more ruthless than they were. When your brother attacked me, this mindset, this instinct I’ve developed over years of fighting took over. I defended myself to the best of my ability. Instinct dictated action; that’s all this was.”
John sat back, crossing his legs. “Before you pass judgment, I just wanted you to know my circumstances. What else would I have done? Your brother attacked me. Being a soldier, I only reacted the way my training and experience taught me to. It's my way of life, and I can't apologize for that.”
There was a long pause as John and Applejack gazed at each other, neither one betraying any emotion.
"In short, I'm apologizing for distressing you; not for defending myself against your brother."
Applejack shuffled awkwardly, looking at the ground. "Ah can honestly say that ah haven't taken that into account.." She mumbled, guilt finally overcoming her features. She lifted her head, giving John a sidelong glance. “Is that the honest truth?” Applejack asked.
John struggled to push his mounting frustration down, keeping his voice level. “What reason would I have to lie to you?”
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “I need to see that you’re not lying.”
John cocked his head. “Miss Applejack, I don’t follow.”
“Take off your helmet.” She blurted out.
John stiffened. He didn’t want to lose his anonymity so quickly to these ponies, but, then again, if this got him one step closer to getting his supplies for the search for Cortana, so be it. Not to mention the Alicorn standing behind him would probably make quick work of him if he gave a flat-out rejection. Reaching upwards, he tapped the "equalize atmosphere" at the base of his helmet, giving it a quick jerk and slowly lifted it off.
Applejack watched passively as the human pressed a button at the base of his neck, a hiss accompanying the gesture. A loud click could be heard as the human jerked the helmet to the left, then slowly raised it above his head.
She was slightly surprised to see the face of the human, although she didn’t know why. Her best guess was the outward appearance being much like some sort of Flim and Flam mechanized scam.
His long, greasy hair hung down to his jaw; it remained flat against his scalp from what Applejack assumed was from wearing the helmet for long periods of time. His skin was almost a ghostly white; possibly due to the same reason. His skin was almost transparent, veins and arteries appearing at certain intervals. The dark-red blood that caked the side of his face provided a stark contrast, almost giving him a healthy tone where it ran down his cheek. Grizzled stubble coated his wide jaw and rose up to meet his developed cheekbones, which bore ragged, ugly scars that crossed over his nose and mouth. Her eyes traveled up the smooth ridge of his nose, eventually stopping at his twin jade irises. They locked eyes for several moments, Applejack slowly finding herself lost in his pupils. She felt a strange comfort staring at them, the dull sheen of the jade bringing a sense of serenity and security. However, the longer she stared, the more a horrifyingly raw sense of fear began to build in her stomach. Stories of unimaginable tragedy, courage and sacrifice almost began to seep from them, consuming her, snuffing out her own memories with an overpowering veil of—
She broke eye contact, gasping quietly in shock. To her relief, the human replaced his helmet with obvious alacrity, not exactly comfortable with showing his face. “O-okay, Ah believe you.” She stood back up to her full height, looking up confidently to the soldier. “Apology accepted.” She paused, kicking at the ground again. “A-and Ah’m sorry for suddenly assumin’ that you were only out to hurt mah brother. I shoulda’ put myself in yer hooves before I start jumpin’ to conclusions..” She mumbled dejectedly.
John simply nodded. “Care to pass the sentiment to your brother?”
She nodded back, trotting back to her brother, a smile replacing the angry expression from before.
John couldn’t help a brief smile before turning back to the Princess. “There. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a rendezvous.” He started off towards the west, eyeing the pillar of smoke that was supposedly rising from the Dawn’s wreck. He had given up too much to these ponies (for lack of a better word). He should have left when he gave them his real name; he wouldn’t have had to take off his helmet.
He felt a tug on his hand stop him. “Wait!” He recognized the purple one’s voice. “Can’t you stay for a bit longer?” John glanced back at his hand, the glove enveloped in a purple aura of sorts.
I just beat one of your friends into near death, and you want me to stay..? This place is weird… John pulled his hand away from her magic’s grasp. “As I said,” He said sternly, “I need to go home.”
The cool touch of liquid mercury filled his ears. “A rendezvous with who? You told me you came alone?”
John cursed under his breath. “Unfortunately,” he said, in a louder voice than last time “That information is classified.” John stated flatly, pulling the card ONI always did to him. He figured out why ONI had always liked using the phrase.
Unfortunately, this ended up piquing the princess’s interest. “So… You’re not alone?”
John frowned. “Yes and no.”
The Princess looked up at the moon. To John’s relief, her interest was waning with her waxing fatigue. “Well, it’s getting late… I think I’ll head back now.” John was about to sigh with relief before the Princess gave him a disapproving stare. “But at any rate, I can’t have a lethal soldier from space wandering Equestria.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, it’s not like I don’t trust you…” She said, shrugging her wings.
John scowled underneath his helmet.
“That’s why I’m entrusting you to Twilight and her friends. They’ll keep an eye on you for me while I’m away.” She explained.
John’s heart sank. Dammit, why can’t she just let me go?! John thought furiously, his irritation slowly escalating into anger.
His self-control battling his emotions, he was silent for a time. He finally spoke once he knew he could keep his voice level: “If you insist, ma’am.” He replied, his emotions silently screaming obscenities at the Princess.
“Good. Glad to see you’re cooperating.” The Princess sighed, turning to leave. “Good luck, Twilight. I trust you’ll keep an eye on him.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ll keep two.” She said, her voice trembling.
John looked down at her curiously. Is she okay…?
As soon as the Princess left, Twilight leapt up with joy. “Wow! Finally, I can ask you some questions!” Twilight squeaked happily.
John took a step back from the purple pony, unnerved by her excitement.
Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Well, first, we need to figure out where he’s going to sleep.” She cut herself off when the group was staring at her expectantly, including John. She lowered her head, batting her eyelashes nervously. “Um, unless you guys would rather set that aside for now..”
Rainbow Dash yawned cavernously. “It was late when you guys invited us to see the meteor shower to start with.. I think I’ll have to head home before I’m too tired to fly there.” She glared at the Chief briefly before taking off. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow! Bright and early!”
As Rainbow flew out of earshot, Applejack chuckled. “Knowing her, that’s probably not true.”
Rarity started off, Pinkie close behind. “I think we’ll have to turn in as well.” Rarity sighed, struggling to hold down a yawn. “Pinkie, care to walk with me? The Boutique is on the way to Sugarcube corner.”
Pinkie bounced off soundlessly, a smile pasted on her face.
Fluttershy frowned. “Wait, we never figured out where he’s gonna stay…” She trailed off as Rarity and Pinkie disappeared over a hill.
Twilight blinked. “Well, he’s too big for the treehouse. The door’s probably a good four feet too short for him!” She said.
Fluttershy nodded. “My house is even smaller than Twilight’s, so I don’t think he’d fit here either.
Applejack remained silent for a few seconds before speaking up. “Well… he can sleep in the barn.” She said, almost sounding disappointed. “Should be plenty big enough for ‘im.” She sighed.
John flinched visibly. Now he had to steel himself for a long, awkward walk with that farmpony.
Applejack smiled sheepishly. “Ah’m sorry to ask you this, mister, but… Could ya carry Big Mac for me?
John finally let out a sigh. The walk just became a mental marathon. -- After for what had seemed like an eternity, a bright red barn came into view. Rows of apple orchard seemed to extend off towards the horizon under the gentle vibrance of the harvest moon. Or what he thought was the harvest moon.
He immediately noticed how many similarities this “Equestria” had to Earth. Moon, stars, normal-looking trees and landscape. Even the wildlife was similar to Earth’s organisms. There were green planets such as Reach, but the native life was always alien to newcomers. However, this place shared many characteristics with Earth.
A polite cough broke John out of his pondering, turning his attention to the stallion tossed over his shoulder like a rug. “Y-you can put me down. Ah think Ah can walk from here.” He managed to wheeze.
Feeling somewhat awkward now that he was awake, John eased the red stallion onto the ground, stepping away. He watched as the large workhorse trekked back to the farmhouse, his sister at his side, supporting him up the hill. John blinked as the red stallion was replaced with Sam, and the farmpony with Kelly.
John shook his head, dispersing the memories springing unbidden to his mind. The last thing he needed right now was to lose it in front of complete strangers.
Applejack returned, a smile gracing her features. “Big Mac’ll be alright; he’s pulled through much worse.” She nodded towards the barn. “Well, I s’pose ya got barns back where ya live?”
John simply nodded.
“Well, same thing. Jus’ head inside an’ pick a spot ya like.” She said simply as they approached the red door. She nosed it aside, nodding for John to step through.
The interior was surprisingly spacious, the barn coming close to normal dimensions of an officer’s meeting room. The roof was at least six feet from John’s head, which worked well enough for him. He would be laying down, anyways.
Applejack indicated a large pile of hay in the corner. “You can jus’ pull out the pitchfork an’ it’ll make a fine bed. I’ve slept on it plenty of times, so no worries. It’s about as comfy as it gets. Least ya got yer armor to keep the itchy hay off yer skin.” She said, yawning. “Well, I think I’ll hit the hay, too. C’ept it’ll be back at the farmhouse,” She quipped, chuckling at her own joke.
John watched her go, his eyes following her as she entered the house, the porchlight snapping off after the door closed. A grin tugged at the side of his mouth. At least I can leave now. Too bad these creatures are a bit too trusting. Closing the barn’s door, John quickly snapped on his armor’s headlamps, removing his ammunition pouches and emptying their contents on the floor. He frowned at the lone combat knife joined by a few stray bullets that had fallen out of their magazines. Stuffing the combat knife into its holster on his chest, he replaced the bullets into the ammunition pouch, standing up and looking around for anything that could be used.
His eyes fell on a trough full of what appeared to be clean water. John’s dry throat ached just looking at the water’s inviting surface. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get hydrated before I leave… John absentmindedly ran his hand across the air filters that were situated on the helmet’s mouth guard. Maybe even shave.
After making a quick check around the barn to make sure no one was around, John removed his helmet, setting it to the side so the headlamps still shone light on the trough. The Spartan gazed at the clear water, his reflection wavering in the ripples and the blue-white lamplight. Without hesitation, John pressed his cracked lips to the water, taking a grateful sip.
The water wasn't ice cold, but it was cool from sitting outside during the night, which was enough for John. After he had drunk his fill, he set about washing his face, rubbing off the dried blood and rinsing out his shoulder-length hair. Once it was justifiably less-greasy, he started shaving his face with the combat knife, reducing the prickly stubble to a smoother, more manageable surface. After momentarily admiring his own handiwork, he replaced his helmet, dumping the trough out in the corner of the barn.
He took a final look around the interior before sighing. Time to move. He pushed the door open, mumbling a silent thanks to Applejack before sprinting away towards the pillar of smoke that was still rising in the distance. -- John slowed to a walk. After a twenty klick sprint, he felt that there wouldn’t be anybody following him.
He glanced back at the now-distant town that was merely a speck between the distant rolling hills. They’d probably be finding the empty barn right about now. A near-indiscernible pang of regret flitted about in John’s chest cavity before he pushed westward, hoping to reach the desert soon.
However, he stumbled on a small incline, suddenly realizing his legs weren’t agreeing with him. A wave of fatigue washed over him, threatening to make his knees buckle. John cursed at himself; it was practically his own fault for not giving himself ample time to slowly work his muscles back up to their previous capacity after being in cryo for so long. Nothing seemed to be working in this place.
Desiring somewhere out of plain sight, John searched the horizon, spotting a sparse forest ahead. He jogged up to it, passing through the skinny trees. He needed a larger one that would be easy to lean up against and become invisible from any oncoming equines. Or whatever else lived on this planet.
He spotted a wide oak, giving a rare smile. He sagged against the bark, his armor scratching the tree’s rough exterior as he sat down. His eyes fluttered closed as another wave of fatigue hit him like a tsunami. John sighed in relief. Time for some R&R… He thought, his consciousness quickly swept under the blanket of complete blackness. -- The lazy buzzing of a bumblebee coming through John’s helmet speakers woke him up. Waving the insect away, John blinked away tiredness, arching his back and stretching out his arms, shivering as the feeling flowed back into his extremities. He gave another smile as his back cracked satisfyingly. Relaxing, he moved his leg to stand up… However, something was holding it down.
John’s head turned slowly; he didn’t want to make any sudden moves. His eyes widened when he noticed a purple hoof resting on his shin. His eyes followed the foreleg attached, his eyes resting on the purple unicorn from before, sound asleep. How…?!
He tried to move again, slowly moving his leg out from underneath her hoof. He winced as the hoof collided with the ground with a dull thud. To his dismay, her eyes slowly opened, and she flashed a weak smile. “Heh. Caught you.” She mumbled.
Twilight’s smile slowly faded as the creature continued to stare at her. The polarized faceplate always befuddled her; she never knew what this thing was thinking, let alone what its expression was.
“Um… I guess you’re wondering how I was able to catch up to you…?” She asked.
He gave her a curt nod.
She smiled proudly, standing up. “Well, it all happened last night. I was really eager to ask you some questions, so I snuck down to Sweet Apple Acres when I thought everypony was asleep, hoping I could catch you and ask then; I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t.”
She frowned. “That was when I spotted you running away from the barn. Luckily, I was able to keep up with you by teleporting, although I kept my distance. I actually wanted to ask you… Why did you run?”
The human shook his head, starting to stand up on his own. Twilight’s frown deepened. “Why did you talk to the Princess, but refuse to talk to me?” She asked.
The human returned to simply staring at her, her frustrated expression appearing in his polarized faceplate. “Why don’t you answer me? I mean, I did nothing wrong! I only want to help, but you’re just too stubborn to let me!”
“You can't help me.” The human finally stated, turning away from her.
Twilight’s frustration grew. “Why?! Why won’t you trust me?! I don’t care if you’re a soldier, and there’s ‘classified this,’ and ‘top-secret that’, but all I want to do is help, and you’re not even going to let me try?!” She hissed through gritted teeth.
“Yep.” He said simply, starting off at a walk.
Twilight’s horn glowed purple, her face set in determination. The human stopped walking, his torso and legs enveloped in a purple aura. He swiveled his head to face her. “Release me.” He said, reaching up to something on his chest.
Twilight clenched her jaw. “Not until you tell me where you’re going.”
“Final warning.” The man said, gripping onto a sheath that protruded from his armor’s breastplate.
Twilight shook her head. “Tell me where you’re going!”
In one swift motion, he pulled the knife from his breastplate, hurling it at the unicorn. -- John’s upper lip curled. “Final warning.”
The unicorn shook her head stubbornly. “Tell me where you’re going!”
You asked for it. John removed the knife from its sheath, flicking his wrist and sending the knife towards the unicorn. She gasped, ducking down in hopes of dodging. John smirked. He had never aimed to kill in the first place.
The knife embedded itself in a tree several inches to her right, but the throw had broken her concentration, giving the Spartan all the time he needed. John’s legs freed up, allowing him to move. He immediately broke for the thicker bushes and undergrowth. Let’s see if you can still work magic without a line of sight. Crashing into the foliage, John pushed through the mass of leaves and branches, not daring to slow down. He didn’t want to hurt the creature; she really did seem to want to help him. But the data aboard the Forward Unto Dawn was too valuable for anyone to see, no matter how harmless they may seem. Although it would seem that they meant no harm, he still had to regard them as potential hostiles. If they discovered about the existence of the Halo rings, the Ark, and ultimately, the location of Earth, he wouldn’t be able to stop them. His jaw set upon realizing the grim truth. If they did see what was aboard her, he really would have to kill them.
He sighed inwardly. Hopefully, that knife throw would discourage any further engagement. Another—this time, more prominent—pang of regret swept through John. The fear and hurt he had seen in her eyes was something he did not want to cause, but he knew that was better than eyes glazed over in death. -- Twilight sat down, hard, staring dumbly at the knife handle that protruded from the tree. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her heart beating in her throat. He... He tried to kill me? She had once felt something like this. It was something like when she was falling from a cliff in Everfree Forest. Except somehow, this felt much more close, as she didn’t have the reassurance of Applejack that she would have been okay.
She slowly backed away from the knife, scrambling to her hooves. She gazed at the bushes where the man had disappeared. The burning questions she had once held in such high priority had retreated to the back of her mind, leaving another question in their place.
Why? She had done nothing wrong; all she wanted to do was help! She started back for Ponyville, her eyes burning with tears. Her heart still thumped loudly in her chest, accompanying the rhythmic heaving of her deep breaths. Struggling through the hyperventilation, Twilight blinked hard, freeing the tears from her eyes.
She turned back to the bushes, a determined expression on her face. No. She told herself firmly. She recalled the incident with Trixie; when she had tried to help her, she ran off, not giving Twilight a chance. She still felt terrible for not going after her, pursuing her as a friend. To this day, she would never know if she could’ve helped Trixie become accepted, rather than allow her to become an exile from Ponykind.
She gritted her teeth. She wouldn’t let anyone else end up going through a life of such loneliness ever again. She glanced back at the knife sticking out of the tree. Using her magic, she yanked it free and brought it closer for examination. At least he doesn’t have any more of these… She thought. -- John took a quick glance around, deciding that there was sufficient cover for him to take a breather. Sitting down against the tree, he sighed at the relief it gave him. He eased himself to the ground, once again beginning to doze off. He glanced up, noting that it was about midday. He frowned. The unicorn had woken him up only a few hours after he had fallen asleep: nowhere near the amount of rest he really needed. He did have a long slumber in the cryo tube, but that was more of a state of near-death, which he didn’t think counted.
Lolling his head back, he knew he had to listen to his body while he still had the luxury of this free time. He knew there would be a long run to the ship across the desert he had seen while falling to this planet’s surface, and without water or food. Rest was the only thing he could get plenty of, and he would take advantage of his hard-earned freedom.
As John lowered his guard, his fatigued body took care of the rest, sending him into a deep, dreamless limbo. -- “Ponyfeathers.” Twilight grumbled.
It had been several hours of searching through the underbrush, and she still had no idea where he had gone. She hung her head, taking a seat at the foot of a tall beech tree. Now she even doubted if she could make her way out of here without getting even more lost.
Teleporting was out of the question, as it only disoriented her sense of direction further. She squinted at a few beams of moonlight gently breaking through the forest canopy. Guess my only consolation is that Luna’s night is prettier than ever. Twilight mused.
The twinkling stars reminded her of the strange creature that had fallen from space, supposedly a human. But there hadn’t been humans in Equestria for thousands of years, potentially before the Princess’ time. The last known presence of humans was the founding of Paradise Estate, and then their disappearance during Discord’s reign, and the splitting of the three pony species.
She was so deep in thought, that she didn’t notice the four of pairs of eyes watching her from the brush, which narrowed in fiendish delight. -- The hum of the Pelican’s rear engines dominated the silence of the dropship’s interior. A sudden jolt brought John back from the brink of nodding off. It was strange… he could’ve sworn that he was just—
“It just keeps repeating. Regret, regret, regret.” Cortana mused.
“Catchy. Any idea what it means?” Commander Keyes asked, her hand rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
“Dear humanity,” Sgt. Johnson began. John smirked. This should be good.
“We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the corps just blew up our raggety-ass fleet!”
“Hoorah!” The pilots cried in unison.
“Regret is a name, Sergeant. It’s the name of one of the Covenant’s religious leaders: A prophet. And he’s calling for help.” Cortana explained.
The pelican dipped slightly as it eased into a headwind. Two marines pressed their noses against the glass, pointing at something. “Whoa, check it out!” One said.
Out of curiosity, John risked a glance out of the window. The bulbous nose of a Covenant carrier peeked out from the corner of the glass, the sheer size of the ship sending shivers down John’s spine. Even having seen one on his encounter with the Covenant on Halo, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact they could build things of such magnitude.
A sudden burst of static jolted the rest of the fatigue from John’s body, startling him awake. “Immediate; Kilo 2-3 is hot. Recommend mission abort.”
The dropship’s pilot keyed the mic. “Roger, recon.” He waved Johnson to the cockpit, yelling to the sergeant. “It’s your call, Sarge!”
Johnson peered between them, barely hesitating in his answer. “We’re going in.” He turned to the squad of marines milling about behind John. “Get tactical, marines!”
The clacking and clanking of Marines going through their final gear inspections chorused behind John as Lord Hood came on the channel.
“Master Chief, get aboard that carrier and secure the Prophet of Regret. This is the only place on Earth the Covenant decided to land. That Prophet is going to tell us why.”
“Thirty seconds out!” The pilot chirped. “Stand by to… Whoa.”
Whoa?
The entire Pelican suddenly rocked, nearly sending the Spartan tumbling out of the dropship. Securing a handle in his grip, John managed to get a glimpse of a gargantuan machine firing a burst of plasma at another unfortunate Pelican dropship before the view suddenly turned upside-down, sending John crashing to the roof of the loading bay. Another jolt as the Pelican skidded across the flat rooftops, eventually tumbling into an open courtyard. John’s teeth—
Rattled as he fell flat on his back, letting out a quiet grunt as his head whipped backwards from the force of the fall. A heavy weight pressed on his chest. He started to look up, nearly bumping noses with a wolf.
Instinct kicked in as John headbutted the creature, making a solid thunk as they knocked heads. Unfazed thanks to the half-inch of Titanium-A alloy protecting his head, John pressed his arms to the ground to stabilize the powerful kick he delivered to the creature’s chest, sending it flying into the oak he was just leaning against. A loud splintering noise ensued as the creature was nearly bisected by the thick trunk. It collided with the ground and lay still.
Quickly rolling to his feet, John brought his arms up, eyeing the surrounding bushes carefully. His eyes drifted to his motion tracker, which was now online. The only blip on the small blue circle was his own yellow dot. However, that only meant there were no moving threats.
Crouching low, John decided to take a quick glimpse of what had just attacked him. He risked a glance at whatever lay at the base of the tree trunk.
It resembled a wolf, but it was almost entirely made up of wooden planks. The boards had nearly split on its back where it had collided with the tree; probably what had killed it. The abdomen was split open, revealing nothing but an empty chest cavity. John’s brow raised in a moment of confusion. Inorganic lifeforms? he thought.
He jolted when he heard an all-too familiar voice. “Hello?! Anypony out there?! Could use some help!”
John started for the voice, but stopped himself. If he went out there, he’d be back to square one. And she seemed capable enough to handle herself anyways; she could just throw them into a tree like he did.
As he slowly turned away, he felt something almost unnoticeable. However, his training had always taught him never to ignore the feeling.
The wheedling touch of doubt. -- Twilight kicked out with her rear legs, smashing the Timberwolf’s jaw. It rolled away, wimpering. Twilight slowly stood, a bit of blood trickling down from her hind leg. She had aimed right for its mouth, forgetting about the teeth there in the panic. She gritted her teeth; she couldn’t afford any more close calls.
She turned to face the three remaining Timberwolves that faced her down. The ethereal glow of their eyes seeped through the bushes they hid behind, giving the illusion that the bushes were seemingly on fire. Twilight’s horn lit up, a purple aura surrounding the injured Timberwolf behind her. She hurled it into their direction, sending them scattering away from their comrade.
Taking the chance, Twilight made a 180 and sprinted towards what she hoped was safety. She ignored the wiry branches pulling at her coat and mane, occasionally leaving a burr or twig stuck in the latter. Her heart had leapt into her throat, its beating making breathing somewhat difficult. She risked a glance backwards, noting that they hadn’t followed her.
I’m going to make it! Twilight thought desperately.
Her hopes sank as the heavy panting of the Timberwolves began to accompany the beating of her hooves, sending fear into Twilight’s thoughts. She pushed herself to her limits, willing her body to do the impossible.
A hot iron poker was suddenly shoved into her right foreleg as it slipped off of a rock awkwardly, accompanied by a wet snap. She tumbled forward into a clearing, clutching her now-broken ankle. She whirled around at the sound of the approaching creatures, a cold sweat forming on her brow. She scurried backwards as fast as her broken appendage would allow her, pressing herself up against a mossy boulder.
She gulped as the first Timberwolf appeared from behind a tall ash tree, soon joined by its comrades. The fourth leapt over a clump of bushes, its busted jaw swinging with every movement. She winced at the grim spectacle, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
In her desperation, she flicked a few decent-sized rocks that lay at her hooves towards the Timberwolves using her magic. The Timberwolves were unfazed as the rocks bounced off of their wooden hides. Their eyes gleamed with malice, and their lips curled back in a fierce snarl. They slowly surrounded her, crouching low.
One took a step too close, sending Twilight’s brain into action.
“Stay back!” Twilight roared, firing a burst of magic at the nearest Timberwolf.
It stumbled backwards, stunned by the blow. As if it was some sort of signal, the rest of the Timberwolves leapt forward, howling their victory. Twilight curled into a tight ball, preparing herself for the pain to come.
John leapt from his vantage point atop the boulder, his left boot smashing the ringleader’s head into splinters. The remaining creatures jumped away, now wary of this new arrival. John slowly stood, bringing his arms up near his collarbone and bending his knees in a low crouch. His eyes darted from quadruped to quadruped, attempting to assess their body language.
John started forward, then suddenly stopped, frowning. He had forgotten he couldn’t move away from the unicorn; they’d probably circle around and take the unicorn if he put too much distance between himself and the equine.
The wooden wolves slowly began to circle the Spartan, stopping once they had spaced themselves fairly far apart, surrounding him from three ways, forcing John to have his back face the boulder. John gritted his teeth. This would be so much more helpful if Cortana was there to watch his back.
All at once, the creatures let out fierce snarls as they charged. John braced himself for an impact, pulling his arms up to protect his face while simultaneously looking for an open shot.
The one on his right leapt up in hopes of hitting him from above. John lowered his arms temporarily, heaving his right leg into a powerful roundhouse kick that sent the rightmost creature crashing into the middle one. The final creature smashed into John’s left side, sending him tumbling backwards. John firmly planted his feet into its abdomen, shoving it violently with a quick thrust of his legs. It collided with a tree, a sickening crack accompanying the impact. It rolled into the bushes that covered the base of the tree, out of sight.
John hopped to his feet, assessing the situation. The two that collided in midair were already on their feet—or paws—and were already circling again. The one he had just sent flying into a tree was still nowhere to be seen.
A large red blip appeared on John’s motion tracker.
And it was practically on top of him.
Whirling around and bringing his fist to bear, John swung a vicious right hook—straight into the boulder. The ancient stone shattered, raining John and the unicorn with shards and fragments of the rock. Momentarily stunned by the explosion of dust and debris hindering his vision, John was quickly sent sprawling to the ground with the creature.
John instinctively brought his arms to his face, which were promptly swept aside by a powerful sweep of the creature’s foreleg. It brought its maw to his visor, clamping down on his helmet. Loud screeching filling John’s helmet speakers as the predator dragged its sharp canines across the Titanium-A plates that made up his helmet.
Unfazed, John grabbed the two sides of its jaw, slowly but surely forcing them apart. His visor was soon filled with wood shards and sawdust as the creature’s head splintered into two pieces, followed by the rest of its body. John rolled over, barely having time to brace himself as the last two collapsed on him, snarling and barking.
Two purple bolts of magic sent them flying backwards into the far side of the clearing. John glanced back at the unicorn, whose horn was now aglow with the purple aura he had seen earlier.
The two quadrupeds took a quick glance at their fallen comrades, suddenly realizing that this was probably not worth the risk any more. They made an about-face and fled into the forest. The sudden silence of the clearing eventually filled with the ambient noises of the night, save for the panting of both the Spartan and the unicorn.
“You…” The unicorn started, struggling to keep off of her injured foreleg as she shifted to a sitting position.
John turned to face her, his face impassive behind his visor.
“I… Why? I thought you were trying to stay away from me?”
John took a knee. “I may be a soldier, but I can have a heart, too.” John stated. His gaze drifted to the unicorn’s foreleg, causing him to frown. “Is it broken?” He asked.
She nodded slowly. “Y-yes. I heard it crack when I s-slipped off of a rock while I was running.” She said, struggling to keep her voice even. “All I n-need is a splint, really. C-can you get me a couple of boards f-from that timberwolf’s body?” She pointed a shaky hoof at the one whose head was smashed into the ground.
Nodding, John stood up, ripping two boards from its abdomen and returning to the unicorn. He set down the two planks at her hooves, and then stood up, staring expectantly. The unicorn’s horn glowed violet, and the boards pressed themselves against her foreleg. Very carefully, she removed a roll of bandages from her saddlebags, wrapping it tightly against the planks.
Once the bandage was secured and holding the planks in place, the unicorn slowly forced herself to her hooves, gingerly resting her now-weighted limb on the ground. “That should keep it from moving…” She winced as she tried hobbling forward.
John leaned forward, holding out his hands as she stumbled over a fragment of the boulder he had shattered a few minutes ago. Fortunately, the unicorn was able to steady herself with a bit of magic, righting her leg so she could easily lean on the wooden boards rather than her leg. “Oh, horseapples; I don’t think I’ll be able to head back to Ponyville like this!” She huffed.
She immediately turned back to the Spartan, smiling gratefully. “I… uh… Never thanked you properly for helping me back there.” Her face scrunched up adorably. “Oh! I don’t think we’ve ever been introduced. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She offered her good hoof, using the wooden planks as a crutch.
John took her hoof gently. “Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117.” He said.
Twilight cocked her head. “That’s quite a mouthful… What kind of name is that?”
John stood up back to full height. “It's my designation. It’s what my teammates call me. It’s also the name I give to civilians.”
Twilight frowned. “Well, I’m sure you have the name you were born with, right? I mean, my brother is a Captain of the Royal Guard, and I still call him by his name, Shining Armor.”
A grin tugged at John’s face. Not like there was a big difference between those names anyhow. He thought. However, John simply remained silent. He wasn’t going to be fooled twice into giving away his real name.
“So…” Twilight ventured, breaking the silence. “I kind of need a lift out of here…”
John frowned. “I thought you could teleport?”
Twilight shook her head. “I need a line of sight to Ponyville if I want to teleport there. I can only teleport short distances anyhow, and I haven’t rested since I started chasing you in the first place…” Twilight sighed. “Besides, I don’t think it’d be healthy for me to use my magic in my current condition; take away energy that my body needs to mend the bone.”
John could see what was coming next. “So now you need a lift.”
Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Y-yeah… I was just about to ask you that.”
A spine-chilling howl rent the air, driving the forest back into silence. John whirled on the forest, scanning the foliage for the source. He felt slight relief when he didn’t. He bit his lip. We certainly can’t stay here…
“Okay, I can help you.” John muttered. “But you’ll have to do EXACTLY as I say. This is strictly my business, and I can’t have you mixed up in it. Or you’ll end up like those ‘things’ that attacked you.” He explained.
“Timberwolves.” Twilight corrected.
Is she listening…?
“Sorry… it’s a habit.” She said, shrugging. John noticed a hint of uncertainty cross her face as she answered, “Okay, I understand. I’ll do what you ask, as long as you take me with you.”
John crouched, nodding. “Okay. Let’s head out. We really don’t want to stay here.”
“Right; can you help me up—Whoa!”
John scooped up the equine, whose size made it more convenient for him to give her a piggyback ride in oppose to slinging her over his shoulder. She squeaked quietly as her foreleg was jostled from the maneuver.
“Is this okay?” John asked. “We’re going to be walking for a long time.”
Twilight shifted slightly in his grasp. “It’ll do for now; let’s just get out of this place.”
John quickly padded out of the clearing, eyeing his compass to ensure the arrow was pointing west. He felt the unicorn grip his neck tightly with her one good foreleg. Confident that she wouldn’t fall off, John doubled his speed as another howl pierced the night air. -- The crisp night air air felt cool on Twilight’s face as the human continued his trek through the desert. They had entered the Mild West, according to Twilight’s memory of traveling here to visit Applejack’s cousin in Appaloosa, a small frontier town on the eastern coast of this sea of sand and tumbleweeds.
She shivered. The only noise that could be audible was the rhythmic clomping of the human’s boots and the gentle whooshing of the wind blowing past her ears. I guess now would be a good time to ask those questions.
She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it, suddenly realizing something embarrassing. “Uh… What should I call you?”
The human glanced back. “Hm?”
“I mean, I know your name is ‘Master Chef Sierra-107’ or whatever, but what do you prefer? I mean, is there something shorter I can call you by?”
“Just call me Master Chief.” He mumbled, not even looking back.
Twilight frowned. It wasn’t much shorter than what she already had to say. It would have to do… She cleared her throat. “So, can you at least tell me where you’re from?”
He was silent for a moment before answering, “I came from space. I thought you knew that.” He replied.
Twilight scowled before continuing. She wasn't going to give up just yet. “You have any brothers or sisters?” Twilight asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
There was a long pause before he answered, “In a way, yes.”
Twilight cocked her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I was an only child. But when I…” He paused again. “When I enlisted, I found that my teammates became a family closer than my biological one.” He finished carefully.
“Ah, I see.” She said quietly. The silence began to creep back in, which was the last thing Twilight wanted. Where were those burning questions when she needed them?
“So, how did you get all this armor?” She asked.
“That’s classified.”
Shoot.
“What’s it made of?”
“Classified.”
“Can you at least tell me what basic elements it’s made of?” Twilight ventured, a hint of frustration making her way into her voice.
He paused for the umpteenth time. “Well, the technicians who built this told me it’s made of Titanium-A plates. And the circuitry that assists in the movement of the suit.” He fell silent as Twilight leaned forward on his shoulder expectantly.
“And?”
The human glanced back at her quizzically.
“What else? Why does it need to assist in movement of the suit?”
“Because metal is heavy, and without the circuitry, I wouldn’t be able to move as quickly as I have been.” He finished.
She smirked. A very small victory, but a victory nonetheless. Now if she could just get him to talk a bit more. She supposed more conversation would help; any topic would be helpful at this point. Simple talk always helped strangers get to know each other, right?
“So, can you tell me about your friends back home?” She asked.
She couldn’t tell if he either chose to ignore the question or didn’t hear it, as he never acknowledged her. She made a face at the back of his helmet. Well, if you’re not going to talk, then I will.
“Okay, well, I’ve got friends, too.” She said, nearly facehoofing at how awkward she sounded. “I believe you’ve all met. There’s Rainbow Dash, the cyan Pegasus that sort of… Well… Attacked you.” A question suddenly popped to Twilight’s head. “If you were attacked by Rainbow Dash, why didn’t you do anything about it?”
“I knew she wasn’t meaning to kill.” He said. “She looked as scared as any of you, really. I’ve seen it before.”
Twilight was taken aback by his answer, shocking her into silence.
He looked back at her. “Does that answer your question?” He asked, his voice patient.
She nodded absentmindedly. “Yes…”
He looked back ahead, staring at the horizon. “Why do you look surprised?” He asked.
“I didn’t think a soldier would be able to—”
“I may be a soldier, but I’ve still got experience.” He said dismissively. “Just because I’ve been trained to kill doesn’t mean that killing is all I know about.”
“Experiences like what?” Twilight asked.
The human fell silent, thinking of an answer. Before Twilight could start talking again, he interjected. “I’m old enough to have had a few experiences of my own.”
Twilight cocked her head. “Just how old are you?”
The human mumbled to himself for a few seconds (probably making calculations), and finally answered, “Forty.”
“Forty-what?”
“Just over forty.”
“You can’t be forty pony-years! That’s practically ancient!”
“…What?” -- Applejack rapped loudly on Fluttershy’s door. The timid cream-yellow Pegasus slowly pulled the door open a crack. “Good morning, Applejack…” She mumbled blearily.
“Flutters, that thing ran off!” Applejack cried.
The Pegasus cocked her head. “What thing?"
"You know! The space-soldier! Crashed into the Everfree Forest?!"
"O-oh!" The Pegasus blinked twice, her expression changing from one of confusion to one of worry. "Is he okay?"
Applejack threw her arms up. "How should I know?! He just upped and left!"
Fluttershy shrunk at the sight of the angry farmpony. "I-I'm sorry... I..."
Applejack groaned. "Jus' lissen to me, Fluttershy! I think he took Twilight, too!”
The Pegasus’s eyes widened visibly. “How do you know? Are you sure? I mean, it is a bit early to be—”
“I h’ain’t jokin’! I went to Twi’s library after I noticed he had disappeared, and she was gone too! Spike says he saw her go t’bed, too!” She pawed the ground, grinding her teeth. “Thing must’ve taken her while everypony was sleepin' and run off!”
Fluttershy frowned. “B-but I don’t get it. Why would he take Twilight? She tried to help negotiations with the Princess go more smoothly last night; she hasn’t done anything wrong to him.”
Applejack reached through the door, putting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Look, I don’t know why he took ‘er. But he and Twi are missin’! We gotta get the others and go after ‘im! You go get Rainbow Dash, and I’ll fill in Rarity and Pinkie. We’ve gotta find Twi while the trail’s still hot!”
Fluttershy nodded firmly. “Right. I just need to feed my animals first, then I’ll go wake up Rainbow.”
Applejack returned the nod, galloping away back towards Ponyville.
A spectacular wreck of metal, flames and smoke lay in front of John, filling the air with the stench of burning chemicals. The Dawn had crashed into the planet, engines-first, making a large impact crater around her crumpled aft section. Bits and pieces of metal shrapnel lay scattered in the sand, accompanied by the odd chunk of circuitry or even a door.
John eased the unicorn to the ground, who simply gawked at the Dawn’s crumpled heap. “I-is this...?” She started.
“Stay here.” John cut her off. “I’m going to see if there’s anything I can use to get off of this planet.” He explained, vaulting over the side of the impact crater and sliding down to the side of the ship. Walking alongside the hull until he found a hole, John eased himself into the ship’s battered interior, taking a quick glance around.
Since the ship had initially impacted vertically, but had fallen down to lean against the side of the impact crater (right-side up), the only thing that seemed distorted was the slight incline of the deck, which wasn’t too much of a bother to John. Flicking on his headlamps, John forced a door open, making his way further inside the ship. -- “C'mon, Fluttershy! Fly faster!” Rainbow Dash yelled over the wind.
As the yellow Pegasus flew as fast as her wings would carry her, two earth ponies and a unicorn sped over the grassy hills below.
“How do we even know where they went?! We could be running in the wrong direction, for all we know!” Rarity cried.
Applejack scowled at the unicorn. “Where else would he be goin’?! He’s gotta be goin’ to whatever fell out of the sky! And he’s taken Twi with ‘im!” She turned to face forward again. I can’t believe I let myself trust him! I even gave him a place to sleep! she thought, fuming.
“Maybe Twilight bugged him to take her to whatever fell out of the sky!” Pinkie suggested, somehow able to keep pace with them despite bouncing in oppose to running.
“Ah don’t think he’d be inclined tah do that for her! Remember how hush-hush he was with us when we were askin’ questions?! He didn’t even give us his name!” Applejack said dismissively.
“Then again, we didn’t really ask any questions, Applejack!” Rarity retorted. “Although, we did search Ponyville prior to leaving and never found her, she could have followed him! Who knows?”
Applejack shook her head. “Still! She shouldn’t be followin’ that feller on her own! It’s dangerous, him bein’ a soldier an’ all!”
Pinkie bounced up next to Applejack. “I wouldn’t worry about it that much. Twilight’s pretty good at taking care of herself. She’s a pretty capable pony, period.” She said.
Applejack frowned. “Ah know… Still, I jus’ can’t shake this feelin’ that she’s in trouble!”
Rainbow Dash banked to the right, now flying within audible range of Applejack. “Well, the faster we get there, the faster we’ll find out who’s right! Can’t you three run any faster?”
After receiving fierce glares from two of the three grounded ponies, Rainbow Dash flashed a sheepish smile before returning to fly alongside Fluttershy. -- John tumbled through the now-open doorway, landing with a heavy thud on the deck. He slowly stood up, brushing himself off. He took a moment to thank whoever had painted the “cryo” arrows on the ground before moving on with renewed vigor.
A strange feeling assaulted his stomach, giving him the impression that he had swallowed a large, frozen stone. He recognized it as an emotion that he had to recognize and set aside daily. Except now, this fear was no longer for his life. Combining itself with waves of doubt, the fear coursed through John’s veins. The fear of losing her again.
He barreled through the charred corridor, searching for any arrows marking “cryo”. The hall dead-ended in a T-intersection, although another cryo arrow sent John skidding around the corner, taking a sharp right. His pace quickened as the fear grew, threatening to burst out of his abdomen.
However, John’s resolve quickly returned, forcing the fear down into an almost imperceptible level. He knew he would find her. He would keep his unspoken promise, just like the last one. -- Rainbow couldn’t help a grin as the wind beat gently at her face, the tailwind allowing her to enjoy a relaxing glide rather than a frantic race against the ponies on the ground. Unfortunately, this caught the attention of a particular farmpony that was running beneath her.
“Rainbow! How can you be so calm at a time like this?!” Applejack cried.
Rainbow left the comforting jet stream, banking right and landing to run next to Applejack. “Well, I can’t help flying! I mean, what Pegasus in the right mind would choose to run rather than fly?” She replied.
Applejack blew her mane out of her face, which was starting to stick from the sweat. “Well, if you’d be so kind, I’d ‘preciate it if you’d use those wings an’ fly ahead! Mayhaps ya can scout it out?” She suggested, struggling to talk as she vaulted over a fallen cactus.
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Heh. I’ll be there and back before you can say ‘go’!” She jumped up, pumping her wings as she ascended. Without another word, she sped off, leaving clouds of dust and a polychromatic trail in her wake. Her relaxed mood melted as a cacophony of roaring wind and the occasional hissing of dry brush parting filled her ears, adrenaline now coursing through her veins. She squinted at the pillar of smoke in the distance. It wouldn’t be long now… -- John eased himself under the half-closed blast door, taking care not to bump his helmet on the scorched metal. Slowly standing up, John noticed another arrow next to the “cryo” arrow as he pressed his hand to the floor to support himself. It read, “Hangar”. John’s eyes followed the arrow, which pointed to a door on the right. He gazed into the door, which was ajar. Guess it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. See if there’s anything salvageable to start with.
Hoping to get this over with quickly, John quickened his pace, stepping through the door into some sort of mechanic’s bay. A pile of assorted tools and spare parts was collected at the bottom of the sloped floor. Avoiding the haphazard jumble, John edged into the main hangar.
His eyes swept the ruined bay, his hopes quickly sinking as he noticed parts of the once-numerous Pelican dropships that once populated the bay. None of them in a single piece. As he continued to sweep the hangar, he almost gasped at seeing an intact Pelican resting on its side. Avoiding the fires that were somehow still burning in the bay, John maneuvered his way over to the dropship.
He ran his gloved hand over the rugged hull, brushing off some ash off of the ‘MARINES’ logo emblazoned on the side. He stepped to the back of the ship, where a frown made its way back onto his face again.
Both of the rear thrusters had been smashed upon impact against the Dawn’s hull, practically pancaked by the force of the landing. John recalled the pile of spare parts and tools in the mechanic’s bay. He could still fix this. It wouldn’t exactly be a cake walk, even with Cortana, but she would at least point him in the right direction.
John turned around to face the loading bay of the Pelican. He quickly made his way to the cabin, not surprised to find the windshield shattered. This certainly complicated things, as he had no idea if the ship’s mechanics would keep a spare windshield around.
Something else caught his eye, however. Laying on the ship’s console was a pristine M6D Personal Defense System, its silver slide gleaming brightly in the cockpit’s dull interior. John instinctively reached forward, plucking the handgun off of the controls. He turned it over in his hand, smiling.
These things were practically antiques; he hadn’t seen one since he had escaped from the first Halo ring. As he continued to inspect the weapon, his armor’s weapon detection system quickly pulled up the weapon’s schematics, and a small blue reticule appeared in his HUD. A familiar face flashed behind John's eyes. I don't keep it loaded, so you'll have to find ammo as you go.
Shaking his head to disperse the memory, he tapped the weapon’s magazine release, pulling out the slender container. His smile quickly faded when he noticed the magazine didn’t contain any rounds. He sighed unconsciously. Well, it wasn’t like he would be needing it, since it was obvious that this planet’s occupants were nowhere near discovering the technology of projectile or energy weapons. And there was still magic to count for; they’d probably stop the bullets as it left the barrel.
He pulled the slide back, his eyebrow raising slightly when a single bullet was ejected from the chamber. It clattered to the Pelican’s deck, rolling on the sloped surface. Bending over awkwardly, John picked it up, gingerly pressing it back into the magazine, which he returned to the pistol’s handle. Maybe Cortana was right. Maybe he really was lucky.
Pressing the weapon to his magnetic holster, he made his way back to the exit, not wasting any time as he returned to his search for the cryo bay. -- Although she held her flying skills in high respects, she didn’t expect to arrive so quickly. The cerulean Pegasus circled the enormous wreck, her eyes scrutinizing the strange exterior of the craft. Large letters were printed on its side. It read, ‘FORWARD UNTO DAWN’.
Rainbow cocked her head at the strange name. This is definitely that space soldier’s ship. Upon her third lap around the smoke pillar, she noticed a familiar lavender unicorn sitting at the ship’s base.
“Twilight!” She yelled instinctively, pulling her wings in for a tight dive. She flared them at the last second, pulling up and landing relatively close to Twilight.
The unicorn whirled around. “Rainbow D—Agh!”
The Pegasus chuckled. “It’s only been a day and you’re already butchering my…” She trailed off at the sight of the splint on Twilight’s foreleg. “T-Twilight?! What happened?!”
Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Well, you see—”
“It was that soldier jerkface, wasn’t it?!”
“Actually—”
“Don’t worry, Twi. Applejack and the others are already on their way.”
“Well, that’s good because—”
“In the meantime, I’m gonna have a heartfelt chat with this guy! So—whoa!”
Rainbow Dash felt herself being lifted, tail-first. She glanced back at Twilight, whose face bore an angry expression. “WILL YOU LET ME TALK?!” Twilight cried.
Rainbow scowled. “But that thing kidnapped you and broke your leg! What else—”
Rainbow was silenced under Twilight’s icy glare. “S-sorry… Go ahead.” She muttered.
Twilight set her down gently, still giving her a fierce glare. “If you had let me speak, I would’ve told you that he didn’t kidnap me!”
Rainbow scrunched up her face. “He didn’t?”
“No!” Twilight cried out exasperatedly.
“Then what happened, if you’re so informed?!” Rainbow shot back, now frustrated at Twilight.
“I… Well… After you left, we decided that he should sleep at Sweet Apple Acres, since the barn was probably the only thing that would be even close to accommodating him. After that was sorted out, we all went home, Applejack walking him to Sweet Apple Acres."
Rainbow let out a low whistle. "Man. That must've sucked for Applejack."
Ignoring her, Twilight continued. "That night, I was feeling restless. I really wanted to ask him some questions that had been bugging me about his home planet, or wherever he’s from. So I snuck to Sweet Apple Acres hoping to catch him before he went to sleep.” Twilight frowned. “That’s when I noticed him sprinting away from the barn.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “So you followed him?”
“Well, I couldn’t just let my promise to the Princess go down the drain, now could I?” Twilight replied. “So I followed him, and saw that he had stopped to rest in copse of trees near a forest. Feeling tired from a sleepless night myself, I decided to rest…”
Rainbow lay down near Twilight, nodding at certain intervals as the story progressed. Twilight went on about how she had ‘caught him’, and then pursued him further into the forest, only to get attacked by a pack of Timberwolves. She sped through the rescue and the walk to the wreck, and then recounted the human’s instructions for her to stay outside.
Rainbow Dash eyed the wreck suspiciously. “What do you suppose he’s hiding in there? I mean, maybe there’s some sort of device that’ll… um…”
Twilight stared blankly at her friend. “Go ahead. Let’s see what irrational fears you’ve thought up.” She said, wearing a deep frown.
Rainbow Dash shrugged her wings. “Oh, I don’t know any more. All these unknowns just make me nervous, is all.” She confessed.
Twilight looked back at the wreck. “But that’s just it, Rainbow. I’m pretty sure he’s not here to harm us. He could’ve done so long ago, when you first tried to take him out.”
Rainbow flinched, recalling how quickly he had taken out Big Macintosh.
“I asked him why he didn’t retaliate when you tried to hit him. And he told me that he could recognize when someone was fighting because they desired harm to him, and when they were fighting out of fear.” Twilight explained.
Rainbow Dash’s mouth opened to defend herself, but she thought better of it, closing it immediately.
“That’s why I think he really does mean no harm. To us ponies, anyway. It’s just that he keeps so many secrets, it’s hard to prove this unless you talk to him. Which, in truth, is another challenge.” Twilight said, turning back to Rainbow Dash.
They both turned to look at the ship’s wreck, their eyes resting longingly on a single opening in the side.
Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “I know he did kinda give you an ultimatum and all, but maybe if we investigate and don’t run into him inside…”
Twilight held a hoof up to debate, but slowly nodded. “I’d say I have a bad feeling about this, but for some reason, I don’t think he’ll be able to go through with it.”
With Rainbow’s help, the two of them made their way to the ship, entering it through the very same opening they had seen earlier. -- John’s knees buckled, the control of his body relinquished as his mind struggled to control all of the emotions pouring through.
He cradled Cortana’s empty chip, his shoulders sagging from the gravity of the situation.
Twilight squinted as the Canterlotian carriage began to circle their destination. She looked back at the Master Chief, who sat with his legs partially crossed, cradling a curious metal chip. She sighed quietly. It had been a silent two-hour ride from the ship’s crash site to Canterlot, the human electing silence as his answer for every question that her friends had asked him. Twilight was completely baffled by how quickly he had changed. She recalled the conversation during the long walk to the crash site, how he had at least tried to respond to anything he was ‘allowed’ to answer.
All of that had changed as soon as she and Rainbow had ventured into the ship to find him. After about an hour of searching, they found him kneeling in a strange room filled with metal pods that lined the walls. And that same metal chip that he was currently carrying was pinched between his thumb and forefinger while he looked forward, entranced by something unseen to both her and Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy, who had volunteered to accompany Twilight on the carriage ride, gave her a gentle nudge. “You think he’s okay? Maybe he hit his head…?” She said, glancing back at the Chief.
“I don’t think so. Last time I checked for injuries, it didn’t seem like there were any signs of a concussion.” Twilight said, shrugging.
Fluttershy frowned. “Oh, dear. He looks kinda sad…” She said, now gazing at the Chief with her brilliant teal eyes.
Twilight glanced back at the Chief, now realizing he did look a little lonely, slowly turning the chip over in his hand. The metal chip fell under Twilight’s close scrutiny as she inspected the individual grooves on the surface, noting that it was actually shaped like a horseshoe of sorts. Except that it was a metal chip, and there was a large hole in the middle that gave it that resemblance. Maybe there used to be something there…? But why would that make him so depressed? Twilight thought.
She was jolted back to reality as the carriage bumped to a stop, landing in the Royal Courtyard. Half a dozen guards approached the sides, their gold armor glinting brightly in the waning sunlight.
“Off ya get, ya brute!” One barked, flying to land in the cart and nudging the Chief none-too-gently with a spear.
Twilight almost yelled out for him to stop when the Master Chief looked up slowly, eventually standing up. She watched as he stepped off of the carriage, balling his right hand (supposedly containing the chip) into a fist. She was even more shocked when the guards slapped heavy metal cuffs onto his wrists, and he didn’t even do so much as flinch. She watched as he was marched into the castle, dragging his feet as he went. Fluttershy was right. He did look pitifully sad.
Another guard saluted in front of Twilight, snatching her attention. “Ma’am. The Sun Princess would have a word with you.” He said, turning on his front hoof to march towards the castle. Twilight gritted her teeth. Time to sort out some misunderstandings…
Without another word, Twilight followed the guard at a brisk pace, while Fluttershy scurried to keep up. -- John stumbled forward, shoved into the less-than-adequate-sized cell. The guard cleared his throat. “You have been given a 24-hour sentence in the dungeons for attempted evasion of Princess Celestia and your captor, Twilight Sparkle. In addition, you will apologize to the Princess herself for having declined her hospitality.”
John heard the heavy metal gate slam home, joined by the guard’s retreating hoofsteps. He looked down at the chains that held his wrists together, easily pulling the thick metal into pieces as he yanked his wrists apart.
Slowly opening his right hand, he looked longingly at the empty AI chip that rested there. His sudden desire to escape faded with the crushing weight of Cortana’s absence, bringing him back to his knees.
The soldier in him truly wanted to escape, search for her, and possibly escape this crazy planet. However, his logic was quick to kick in. Where would she go if she happened to live? She couldn’t have just stayed in the fried circuitry of the ship; she would’ve remained in the chip, where she knew he would find her.
He hung his head, letting the truth wash over him. She was gone, for all he knew. She wasn’t in the chip, and finding her in the ship was out of the question. He had no clue how to fish an AI out of a tangled wreck of the Dawn’s wiring. He didn’t even know if that could be done.
But the fact that she was gone still remained. Without her, he could never return home, as rebuilding the Pelican would be impossible.
Hell. Even if he somehow discovered how to rebuild it, he still wouldn’t leave until he found Cortana again. If that was even possible at this point.
Pressing himself into a corner, he slid the chip back into his helmet’s AI slot, pulling up his knees and resting his helmet on his arms, which he had crossed over his kneecaps. His motivation to escape now lost, he found himself only capable of simply waiting. What else could he do in the meantime, anyways?
His eyes dropped to the pistol on his side. In the guards’ ignorance of human technology, they had assumed it was a part of his armor and left it alone.
His hand slowly drooped to brush the handle, suddenly gripping it tightly and gently yanking it off of his armor’s magnetic holster. He thumbed the safety off, his face set in stone. -- Twilight frowned at the guard. “Just let me see him. He’ll talk to me!”
The guard gestured to her leg. “It’s not healthy for you to even be up and about, ma’am. Besides, the Princess—”
“What about the us?” Asked a familiar voice. Twilight turned quickly, nearly bumping into Princess Luna.
The guard snapped a starchy salute. “P-Princess Luna! Ma’am!”
Twilight glanced up at Luna, but frowned when Luna did not look her way.
The Princess of the Night approached the guard. “At ease, Private. We’re going to have a little chat with our prisoner.” She said.
The guard frowned. “I… Uh… Permission to speak freely, ma’am?”
“Permission granted, Private.”
“With all due respect, I only take orders from Princess Celestia herself. I’m a part of the Solar Tower Guard, not your Lunar contingent.” He said, frowning.
Luna huffed irritably. “Yes, we know this. Tia asked us personally to negotiate with the human. Isn’t that a command from my sister?” She asked.
The soldier failed to respond. “I… uh… I’m… not—”
“And my point is proven. Come, Twilight Sparkle. You are to assist me.” Luna stated flatly, walking past the stuttering guard. Without hesitation, Twilight trotted after the lunar princess, taking care to keep pace with the Alicorn.
“Did Princess Celestia really send you down here, Luna?” she hissed, unsure if they were out of auditory range of the flabbergasted guardpony.
“No, we wanted audience with this human we hadn’t met despite hearing so much about.” Luna admitted, hooking a right down the gloomy-looking stockade. “For some reason, Tia did not want me meeting the creature.” Luna stuck out her lower lip. “She always has to keep secrets from us… I know she’s doing what she can to shelter us from numerous things… But we are a Princess, just like she is. We’re going to have to shoulder her burden eventually.”
Twilight looked to Luna, eyes brimming with curiosity. “Luna, did you ever learn anything about the humans? You use the word as if you know it well.”
The Alicorn shrugged her wings helplessly. “I know little more than you do, Twilight. Paradise Estate and their disappearance during the Discordian reign are all I know about. I was hoping that I could answer this and more things if I talked to the human you met the other night.” Luna explained.
Twilight looked forward again. “I’m not sure what he’ll be able to answer, Luna…” She said, frowning. “He’s been very hush-hush about everything, and I doubt that…” She trailed off as they arrived at the cell.
The human was sitting on his knees, his bonds obviously shattered. He was fondly hefting a strange device in his hand. A short barrel protruded from the silver ‘nose’ this thing bore, accompanied by a long handle that jutted out from the middle of the device. She watched as the human pressed something on the side, slowly lifting it to his head.
“What’re you—” She started.
The human’s head suddenly lifted, although it didn’t look like he was too surprised. He slowly turned, lowering whatever he was holding in his hand.
Luna’s horn glowed blue, and the device flew out of his hand, bumping into the bars to levitate in front of her. “We have some questions for you.” She said firmly, slowly opening the door.
The human looked at the levitating weapon, then back to his knees, facing the far wall again. “I’m not answering any.” He replied, his voice rasping.
Luna frowned. “We’ll see.” She said, her voice dangerously low. She approached him, much to Twilight’s dismay.
“Princess! Wait! He’s—”
“He’s not going to do anything.” Luna replied calmly. “He may be a different species entirely, but we can still recognize something we were forced to live with for a thousand years.” She turned to face the human, ensuring that she was in front of him. She tipped his chin up with her magic, here gaze piercing the polarized faceplate.
“Loneliness.” She said, almost whispering.
The human perked up at the word before pulling his head away from Luna’s telekinetic grasp, choosing to look to the side.
Twilight suddenly realized the man’s body language. His slumped shoulders, the lethargy plaguing his every move. But what could have caused this—
“Oh, goodness. We’re sorry; where are our manners?” Luna apologized. She bowed her head. “We are Princess Luna, sister of Princess Celestia, and Ruler of the Night.” She said.
The human simply nodded, remaining silent.
Luna looked at Twilight, shrugging her wings. Twilight simply shrugged back. Turning to face the human again, Luna ventured a question. “Are you sure you weren’t alone?” Luna asked, taking a seat in front of the soldier. “My sister informed me that you had arrived alone, and you told her that you were indeed alone. But I know that from the look on your face…”
The Chief raised his head. “How did you…?”
“It’s a simple spell, really!” Twilight chirped. “You just—”
“Twilight.” Luna stated firmly, glaring at the lavender equine. Twilight smiled sheepishly and backed away.
Luna turned back to the Chief, her expression serious. “But from the look on your face, you’re telling a rather tall tale to us, ‘Master Chief’.” She said, saying his name slowly.
The human didn’t even look up. “I’m alone. I always have been.” He stated simply.
Twilight’s jaw dropped when Luna reached forward, using her hoof to turn the Chief’s head towards her. “Please. From one lonely soul to another.” She asked, her voice sincere.
The Chief gazed into her eyes for several moments before looking down. “Her name was Cortana.” He blurted out. “She… She was an artificial intelligence construct. A “smart” AI, if you will.” He started.
Twilight cocked her head. “Artificial intelligence? You just… manufactured consciousness?”
“No. We always based them off of real human beings.” John corrected. “In this case, she was based off of my m—” He paused for a second before continuing, much to Luna and Twilight’s befuddlement. “My… superior. Dr. Catherine Halsey.” He said carefully.
Luna scrunched up her face. “So, how did you and Cortana become separated?”
The Chief hung his head. “She was in the ship’s systems when we crashed. I was separated from her during the rough landing, which was why I had fled the hospitality of Twilight’s friends in the first place.” He admitted. Reaching to the back of his helmet, he removed something, bringing it forward in a fist. He opened his hand, holding up the metal scrap Twilight had seen before. “This was her storage chip, which was empty when I found it at the crash site.” He lowered the chip, his head lowering again. “I haven’t seen her since.”
Luna and Twilight looked at each other, both bearing looks of despair. “Oh my…” was all Twilight could manage.
“So… how did you and Cortana first meet?” Luna ventured.
The human went on to recount meeting her for the first time before running a hellish obstacle course, recalling that he wouldn’t have survived it without her help. To their surprise, that was where he stopped.
Luna raised a brow, curious. “So… That was it? You only knew this… AI for a few weeks?”
“I went through a hell of a lot more than just a few weeks.” The human growled.
Luna leaned forward. “Well, would you mind if you showed me?” She said, indicating her horn.
The human hesitated. “I don’t follow.”
“It’s another simple spell!” Twilight said, leaping on this opportunity to explain something. “We unicorns and Alicorns can use magic to either restore or view the memories of an individual. In this case, Princess Luna is asking to do the latter.”
The human looked away. “I can’t.” He said. “I’ve already said too much.”
Luna frowned, turning back to Twilight. “Hm. I think we’ve gotten as much as we could out of him tonight.” Luna said. “I need to lower the moon in a few hours, so I must take my leave, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight bowed. “If it’s okay with you, Princess, I’d like to share a few words with him.”
Luna nodded. “Sure. Just… remember to call us ‘Luna.’” She said, smiling.
Twilight giggled. “Yes, Luna.” She waited for the lunar princess to leave before approaching the Chief. “So… Uh… I wanted to apologize for their treatment. I didn’t think they’d be so harsh as to throw you in the castle’s stockade.” She said, pushing a small pile of hay around.
The Chief simply glanced her way before turning back to face the far wall.
Twilight continued to stare at his backside. “I just wanted to let you know about something I’ve learned.”
The Chief let out an empty chuckle.
Twilight pouted for a moment before continuing. “When I was fighting against a draconequus named Discord, I was temporarily separated from all of my friends.” Her eyes burned at the memory, tears threatening to form. “My closest friends, all turned into the enemies that hampered my progress.” She said. “I lost all hope, and almost abandoned my friends, thinking that I couldn’t ever restore things to normal alone.”
She smiled. “But that’s when the Princess taught me that with friendship comes hardship. There are times where you’re separated, turned against each other or even driven to fight. However, that’s all a part of having a connection between two different personalities. Friendship isn’t always smooth sailing. It sometimes requires work, and a little bit of faith.”
Twilight set a hoof on the man’s shoulder. “So, Chief, just have a little faith that Cortana isn’t gone. That she’s out there, somewhere.”
The human didn’t even turn. “The only place she could be is at that crash site, in the ship’s systems. And even if she was, she would’ve known when I was aboard and looking for her.”
His shoulders sagged further. “You still held on to the hope that you could bring your friends back. I can’t have any faith if I know she’s already gone, Twilight.” His head lowered further. “Just as Luna had her sister. Unlike you two, I’ve lost all of my friends.”
“B-but—”
“My friends are dead, Twilight Sparkle.” He finished. “Be happy that you still have yours.”
Twilight’s nose stung, bringing tears to her eyes. “Aren't I a friend to you, Chief?” Twilight choked out before taking off, not even caring to close the door behind her. -- “My friends are dead, Twilight Sparkle.” John said, struggling to keep his voice level. “Be happy that you still have yours.”
He was caught off-guard by a sniffling behind him. What followed nearly broke his very essence. “Aren’t I a friend to you, Chief?” he heard Twilight croak before the sound of her retreating hoofsteps followed.
John slowly turned, gazing longingly at the open door. Confusion overwhelmed his mind, along with the horrible knot of regret sitting in his stomach.
John fell to his knees, cracking the pristine marble as the 1,000lb suit came down with him. He felt the piercing stare of the Solar Princess boring into the back of his hanging head.
“Good to see you again, John.” She said, her voice betraying a hint of sarcasm.
He kept his mouth shut, his anger already starting to bubble up again.
“Well, I apologize for the… seemingly exaggerated treatment… I couldn’t having you, a lethal super-soldier, running rampant around my country. After what I saw you do to Big Macintosh, I was unnerved by your raw power. I hope you understand.” She waited for a response. When John gave none, she continued. “I was surprised that you didn’t try to escape again, John.”
He ground his teeth at her using his name so callously, but said nothing.
“The guard reported that the door was left open after my pupil, Twilight, visited you, although I have a feeling she wasn’t the only one…” The Princess explained. “At any rate, I wanted to ask you why you didn’t try.”
Out of anger, John chose to remain silent.
“You were so eager to get to that crash site before. But it’s almost as if you couldn’t find something you were looking for.” The Princess stood up, starting to descend the steps that led up to her throne. “My guards had searched the ship from top to bottom, finding nothing but ruined machines.” She brought forth an item with her magic. John recognized the pistol that he had salvaged from the wreck earlier. “However, I’m quite familiar with what this is, albeit a little different from what I’ve encountered before.”
John’s head rose slightly. “Encountered?” He blurted out.
The Princess’s mouth curved into a smile, obviously glad that she had his attention. “Yes. I’d be happy to share those details if you would be willing to share just what is aboard that ship.”
John bit his lip inside the helmet. “It’s… There’s… There’s a ship there that’ll let me get home.” He felt himself ease up. It technically wasn’t a lie; he really was telling the truth.
The Princess smiled. “As I thought.” Her smile disappeared. “However, I don’t think you’re being completely honest with me, John.”
John resisted the urge to grind his teeth, his own name now grating on his nerves.
The Princess sighed. “Look, John. I’m very sorry to say this, but you might leave me no choice.” She turned to face her throne. “I’ve already been told by Twilight that you almost killed her. That was a dirty trick, throwing a knife while she was off-guard.”
"I gave her a warning to release me." John explained.
The Princess's horn glowed for a moment. John felt a sudden migraine blossom in his forehead, the earth seemingly shaking around him momentarily before the quakes subsided. The migraine withered to a gentle throbbing in his forehead.
“Had it not been for her counsel, I would have turned you to stone as soon as I set eyes on you.” She said, her voice quivering with rage. “First Big Macintosh, and then my very own student.” She turned to face him again, her eyes serious. “You’re already treading on very, very thin ice, John.” She smirked, although John could sense no goodwill behind it. “If you refuse to loosen your lips, it would be too easy for me to simply turn you to stone as of now, and be rid of you.”
John couldn’t believe his ears. Didn’t she tell you that I carried her out of that forest? His thoughts began to buzz with activity, his mind trying to churn out a solution to get him out of this situation. If he was going to give information, she would give him something in return.
“I’ll make you an offer, then.” He stated boldly.
He withheld a chuckle at the Princess’s confused look. “Excuse me?” She asked.
“A compromise, ma’am.” He said.
She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. “Well, speak up, then.”
“I’ll give you the information you need.” John stated flatly. “You ask, and I answer. Nothing off the table.”
He paused. Unfortunately, it didn’t have the desired effect, as the Princess knew he wasn’t finished. “And the catch?”
He scowled under his helmet. When she said it that way, he sounded like a wily merchant trying to trick her out of her money. “I’m free to wander as I please. Specifically in and around the crash site.”
The Princess recoiled, obviously strictly against what he would gain from this. “That’s a bold proposal, John.” She said warily. “And as I said before, I’m already having a hard time trusting you. What makes you think—”
The doors to the palace burst open to reveal a very-distressed Twilight Sparkle pushing past two Royal Guards. “P-princess!” She cried.
The Princess in question frowned. “Twilight? I’m sorry, but I’m currently trying to negotiate with your…” The Princess sized up John with a disapproving glance. “Your guest.” She spat.
Twilight took a step forward. “Shining Armor told me that you planned to turn him into stone!” She shouted. “Please! Tell me that it’s not true, Princess!”
The Solar Princess’s frown deepened as she slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but it cannot—”
“It is a he, Princess!” Twilight said. “He means us no harm! If he truly wanted to destroy this planet, I’m sure he could’ve killed me and my friends long ago!” She turned to gaze right at John, her expression somber. “But he didn’t. When Rainbow Dash tried to attack him in the depths of the Everfree Forest, he hesitated to do just that!”
She looked back at the Princess. “And you’ve seen his potential. He could’ve easily… killed her. You want to know why he held back?” She asked, taking another step towards the Princess.
When the Princess didn’t answer, she continued. “He told me himself. He recognized that she was simply fighting out of fear, and not aggression! He held back just because he saw her intent was only to help her friends, and not to bring him down!”
“Twilight, that’s enough.” John said.
Both the Princess and Twilight looked at him, their looks of surprise mirroring the other’s.
The Princess coughed politely. “Yes, Twilight, I think you’ve actually helped me arrive at a decision.” She said.
Both John and Twilight looked up to the Alicorn, curious at just what executive decision she had made in her head.
“As judge and jury to the Royal Court, I grant you your freedom, John.” She said.
John felt relief flood—
“As long as you retain one of the Elements at your side, you’re free to wander where you please.”
Hm. Still sounds like freedom… Element…?
“However, in the following session, and in the times to come, you are to answer any and all questions proposed to you. As you said, nothing is off the table.” She said. “Anypony who notices a break in this decree shall immediately report to me, and I…” She narrowed her eyes again. “I will make sure that I take the appropriate measures.”
John shivered unconsciously, although the armor hid it fairly well. To his relief, the Princess turned around, facing the throne once more. “Twilight. Can I trust you to escort John to his previous quarters in Ponyville?”
“I will, Princess.” Twilight replied gratefully.
John felt something tug on his hand, forcing him to stand up as Twilight’s magic pulled his arm away from where he was kneeling. Making their way to the exit, John yanked his hand free from Twilight’s magic, standing up to his full height. He looked down at the purple unicorn. “Why are you helping me?” He asked, his voice firm.
“Because…” Twilight started. “I don’t want you to be alone.” She looked back at him, her eyes somber. “When I was fighting that draconequus, Discord, he turned my friends against me. Isolated me from my closest friends and companions.” She blinked back what appeared to be tears. “That feeling nearly tore my very being asunder… And if that device you put to your head is really what I think it is… I realized that you were going through something similar to my previous predicament.”
John’s anger blew a gasket, escaping from the iron confines within his mind. “What I’ve gone through is nothing—” He started.
“Just listen to me!” Twilight yelled. “I know you’re a soldier! And that you’ve lost comrades that are practically brothers and sisters to you! And now you’ve lost the only friend that’s survived through it all, leaving you truly alone!” Her voice broke. “It’s just that I don’t want to see someone that’s as kind as you are to fall apart! I can’t just stand by and watch!”
John’s anger retreated like heat leaving a hot poker dunked in a vat of water. When he didn’t respond, Twilight continued.
“You saved me from those Timberwolves, and you went through the trouble to get me to my feet and piggyback me out of there. That’s proof you’re a good person.” She turned back to him, eyes brimming with grim determination. “Just give me this. If you lose all hope in life, I’m going to lose hope in my potential as a pony.” She finished, giving a small smile before looking down at her hooves.
John looked down at the pitiful creature, sizing up his options. It seemed genuine; her concern for him. The knot of regret returned, making his gut feel like it was full of stitches the longer he gazed at her sullen expression.
“Okay.” John said simply.
Twilight looked up. “W-what?” She asked.
“If it means that much to you.” John added quickly.
Twilight gave a little smile. “Thanks, John.” She cocked her head. “It’s okay if I call you John, right?”
John shrugged. “I would’ve had to give you my real name anyways, with that decree your ‘teacher’ laid down.”
Twilight’s smile disappeared. “We also still have to ‘reveal’ you to ponykind.” She kicked the cobblestone. “And I’m not sure you’ll be accepted by all.”
John looked ahead. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Twilight’s smile returned. “Speaking of that royal decree earlier…”
John turned to face her, only to nearly leap out of his armor when she had closed the distance between each other in an instant. “I have several questions for you…” She said, eyes gleaming in childish (or fiendish; John couldn’t tell the difference) delight. -- “So you’ve somehow managed to access this… Slipstream space?” Twilight asked as the carriage rattled to a stop. They had arrived at the very farmhouse that John had escaped yesterday.
“Well, just a way to get in there. The drive that does this only manages to simply ‘tear’ a hole in this, and squeeze a whole ship into it before shutting door behind it.” John explained, obvious fatigue in his voice. He stepped off of the carriage, glad to be on solid ground again.
Twilight smiled. “Thanks for giving me a chance, John.”
John could only nod as they both approached the farmhouse. Twilight looked up to John. “I believe you and Applejack have already met, so I think I’ll take my leave.” Twilight said, trotting away towards Ponyville.
John turned to watch her go. “Did you tell her what happened?”
“Yes, I did. You’ll be fine! You’re a super-soldier, remember?” She teased.
John gritted his teeth under his helmet. She sure warmed up fast. Turning to face the door, he raised a fist, pausing for a moment to steel himself before he rapped twice on the door.
There was a quiet scuffling inside, as well as a few panicked whispers. The door creaked open, and a small, younger equine answered the door. A pink bow that seemed a size too large for it sat on the back of its head, contrasting to its mane of darker red hair. It stared up at him with large, curious eyes. “…N-no way…” It squeaked.
John simply stared at it. This one sounded no older than a young child. “Uh, hi.” He said.
The small horse leapt up at the sound of his voice, squealing and slamming the door in his face. A sheepish-looking Applejack opened the door again. “Ah’m sorry; Apple Bloom has problems showin’ her manners in front of strangers.” She said, eyeing him curiously. “I’d say it’s good t’see ya again…” She said, trailing off.
John simply nodded, knowing where she was going. “Twilight left me here; she wanted—”
“Yeah, Spike dropped a letter off earlier explainin’ the situation.” She said dismissively. “The Princess let you off the hook; said somethin’ about Twilight sayin’ you were a good guy.”
John was about to downplay it humbly when Applejack narrowed her eyes at him. “She also said I could ask anythin’ I want, and YOU would hafta answer me.” She finished.
John simply stood there, jaw partially open. Twilight had already barraged him with a plethora of questions about UNSC technology on the entire three-hour flight back to the farmhouse. He wasn’t exactly eager to answer any more.
After a short period of staring, Applejack broke the silence with a laugh. “Never thought I see a super-soldier get all flustered from somethin’ as little as a question!” She said, chuckling.
John couldn’t help a shit-eating grin, but it quickly faded.
“I guess I’ll start by askin’ what you wanna eat.” Applejack said simply. “We’ve got corn chowder an’ biscuits tonight; care for some?” She asked, smiling.
“That…” John started, catching himself. He felt somewhat embarrassed; the first opportunity he got at getting hot chow and he was already champing at the bit.
However, he found himself mentally shrugging. If he was going to be staying here, it might be smart to at least get himself fed. The last way he wanted to die was of something as trivial as lack of food.
“That sounds delicious, ma’am.” He finished.
“An’ call me Applejack! No more o’ that ‘ma’am’ and ‘missus’; ya make me sound like an’ old lady!” She said, turning to go inside. “Wait out here, and I’ll bring you a platter.”
John took a seat next to the door, reaching to the back of his helmet. He removed the chip, thumbing the metal fondly.
He couldn’t help a sad smile before replacing it into the back of his helmet, staring up at the moonlight.
Suddenly, even with the thought that hot food was on the way, John felt very cold.
Chapter 10: You Told Me There Wouldn't Be Any Cameras
She brought forth an item with her magic. John recognized the pistol that he had salvaged from the wreck earlier.
"However, I'm quite familiar with what this is, albeit a little different from what I've encountered before."
John frowned, shifting in the flattened hay. What did she mean by that…? Encountered. He thought. His gaze drifted to the moon that peeked through the barn's roof, moonlight sifting through the boards in the roof. John suddenly felt very tired, the hopelessness immediately beginning to settle back in his limbs again. He let his head bump the side of the barn as he leaned back, drifting into an uneasy slumber.
--
"Me, inside your head, now," Cortana barked.
John hurried to the pedestal, setting his hand on its glowing surface. Cortana vanished, and his hand flickered with energy momentarily. Balling that hand into a fist, he jogged over to the Covenant bomb, setting his palm on what appeared to be a timer.
As soon as he made contact with the timer's flashing screen, the violent red faded to a cool aqua.
John stood up. "How much time was left?" he asked.
"You don't wanna know," Cortana replied.
A sudden burst of static turned John's attention away from the bomb. "Cairo. This is In Amber Clad. The carrier shield is down. I'm in position and ready for immediate assault," Miranda said.
"Negative, Commander. Not against a ship that size. Not on your own," crackled Lord Hood's voice over the comms.
John suddenly had either one of the stupidest ideas he'd ever conceived… Actually, no. It was just plain stupid.
"Sir. Permission to leave the station," he asked.
"For what purpose, Master Chief?" Lord Hood inquired.
John smirked beneath his helmet. "To give the Covenant back their bomb."
There was a pause before Lord Hood replied, "Permission granted."
John gripped the bomb's spikes with two gloved hands, leaning backwards and pulling with all of his might. The bomb gave a little initially, the spikes leaving shallow scratches in the titanium deck. It eventually jumped as the Chief squeezed out a bit more effort, screeching in protest as metal dragged against metal. The Chief finally managed to get it into the elevator behind him, easing off of the spikes as the doors closed. He felt a moment of light-headedness as the elevator began to descend.
"I know what you're thinking," Cortana started, "and it's crazy."
John shrugged, "So? Stay here."
"Unfortunately for us both," Cortana continued, "I like crazy."
The elevator door opened again, allowing John to step out. He pulled the bomb out of the elevator, leaving it sitting a few yards away from the dispenser controls. He strolled up to the glass window of the airlock, gazing through its translucent surface.
A scene of pure chaos reigned outside, dozens of UNSC ships and Covenant cruisers engaged in deadly broadside battles outside of the station. Blue puffs of deadly plasma detonations and the red trails of Archer missiles lit up the vacuum, painting a picture of horrible beauty. It was the largest space battle that John could ever imagine, although he feigned disinterest.
Turning back to the dispenser controls, he tapped the ‘VENT AIRLOCK' button, looking up at the lever that flicked open in response.
"Just one question…" Cortana ventured.
John put a hand up to the lever and paused, waiting for her aforementioned inquiry.
"What if you miss?" She finished.
John thought for a moment, and then replied, "I won't."
He yanked the lever, pressing himself against the dispenser controls as the airlock doors opened. A loud whooshing was all he could hear as the air rushed out into the vacuum of space.
John looked back at the bomb when he heard a gentle scraping noise, barely audible over the roar of escaping air. It began to inch towards the now-open airlock, before being caught entirely in the pull of the vacuum. It slid across the titanium deck as if it were ice, quickly approaching the open door.
John grabbed one of its spikes as it passed, allowing it to drag him out past the doors. Slowly looking up, John shielded his eyes from the sun that was rising over the Earth's horizon. The light was blinding…
John blinked once, twice, three times as the sun beat upon his visor. He turned up the polarization, ceasing to squint once it darkened noticeably. The cheerful calls of morning birds danced over his ears, along with the gentle rustling of hay shifting beneath him.
When he turned to lay on his back, John winced as a wave of soreness washed over him. He cursed his own ignorance. He had forgotten how uncomfortable the armor is to sleep in, let alone sit.
It was morning, judging by how low the sun was in the sky, which was visible through the barn's only door. John slowly sat up before a realization hit him.
He hadn't left the barn door open before going to sleep.
He finished sitting up and stopped, eyes darting between the motion tracker and his surroundings. To his right was an overturned wheelbarrow, partially buried by a pile of hay. Next to that was the water trough, now refilled to the brim with more of the life-giving liquid. Three conspicuous bales of hay sat to his direct left.
Slowly standing up, John feigned indifference, walking towards the water trough. He stooped to it, gazing at his own reflection.
After waiting for a few moments, he could hear some loud whispers being passed behind him, as his motion sensor tracked three blips that trailed him.
"You sure he talks? He seems pretty quiet to me." "Tha's because there's nopony for him to talk to! He talked to me!" "Girls! Shh! Maybe he can hear us!" "Sweetie Belle, he didn't wake up when you busted up that lantern earlier opening the barn door, I'm pretty sure he can't hear well. The helmet prolly cuts off all sound… right?"
"Wrong," John said flatly.
The three blips froze on the motion tracker, eventually disappearing. Gripping the sides of the water trough, John whirled on the unfortunate hay bales, emptied the trough's contents onto them.
The hay parted as ten gallons of water swept it away, leaving what appeared to be three younger mares standing before him. Depositing the water trough behind him, John stood up to his full height, towering above the soaked equines.
He stood in silence, ignoring the fact that they could not see his frown of disapproval. He found it hard to stay mad as they continued to stare up at him with eyes. Eyes full of fear. John recognized the emotion all too well. Perhaps these three were simply curious. They looked quite young compared to their larger counterparts; their bodies were significantly smaller and stubbier, from their snouts to their legs. They still did retain characteristics of the "ponies" he had encountered previously, an orange one sporting a pair of wings (presumably a ‘pegasus') and a purple mane, a white ‘unicorn' with a purple/pink mane, while the last one had no wings or horn, a long red mane pulled back into a ponytail behind a large pink bow. Their eyes, however, were massive, considering that the eyes were probably fully grown while the head and body were filling in around them. Possibly young. Obviously reckless.
Before he could say anything, the three foals scrambled backwards, screaming in unison. They quickly retreated from the barn, leaving a somewhat-flustered Master Chief standing in the barn door.
John glanced at the horizon, pausing for a moment to take in the beauty. The sun had already left its resting place on the horizon, currently resting at its midmorning mark. And there was no one there to enjoy it with.
Mentally dispersing the unwanted thoughts, John's eyes drifted to his mission clock. It read 1730 Hours. November 28, 2582. John frowned again. The date was probably correct, but the time was definitely off. He would have to reset that later. Something to do, at least. His eyes roved his HUD, looking for other possible maintenance issues.
His search was cut short when a familiar southern drawl reached his ears. "Well, look who's awake!"
Applejack galloped up to him, panting slightly, "Sleep well?" she asked.
John glanced at the barn, "Reasonably. Had some visitors," he replied.
Applejack cocked her head. "Wha…? Who? What did they look like?"
John recounted what had happened to him in the barn, and the proper countermeasures he had taken. To his surprise, Applejack found this quite amusing.
"Well, ya did have me a bit worried about Apple Bloom for a second. Thought you were gonna throw the trough, lumber and all." She couldn't help a grin. "But this'll teach her not to sneak up on a pon—uh—person when they're sleeping."
John looked away. There was nothing he thought was amusing in this matter, but the fact that they were probably siblings would explain the lack of remorse Applejack felt for her sister. Or maybe that this kind of thing happened a lot.
"Anyways, Ah've got some news for ya, John," she continued.
John instinctively gritted his teeth. He preferred his callsign over his real name; it made him feel like everyone was looking down at him.
"What is it?" he asked, keeping his voice level.
"Not sure if Twi told ya about this las' night, but the Princess is havin' a… an announcement of sorts. They're gonna ‘reveal' ya to the pony public, since you'll be hangin' around Ponyville until you can go home," Applejack explained.
John's spirits rose, but promptly fell when he remembered why he wouldn't be able to return. He simply nodded. "Okay. When is this?"
"Twi said it'll be around noon, when everypony's awake. Pinkie Pie will be here later t' escort ya to the Town Hall. That's where it'll be takin' place." Applejack tapped her chin, "I think Pinkie's supposed to make a detour to Carousel Boutique; get you somethin' nice t'wear."
John stiffened at the idea. He wasn't getting out of his armor, period. A whole team of technicians would be required to take this armor off, and even then, he would rather face the Princess's wrath and attempt escape.
Applejack shrugged. "At any rate, I think we should all start with a bit o' breakfast," she said, turning back to the farm.
John shook his head, "No, thank you, ma'am."
"It's Applejack, and you're gonna need t' eat. You'll probably be going without lunch, jus' like the rest of us," she shot back, not even looking at him. "The thing's at noon, after all. You won't get a chance to eat again until suppertime."
Nodding, John followed her to the farmhouse, taking a seat outside to wait for the food.
--
John found himself sitting outside once again as he waited patiently for Pinkie Pie to fetch this "Rarity."
The walk to the boutique had been a strange one. Pinkie Pie was the only one who could evade all five of his senses, not to mention his motion tracker. Unless she wanted to be detected, of course. Together, they had silently weaved between the town's back streets, John occasionally having to pull the pink pony aside and ask that she not try to greet everyone they almost ran into.
Quickly trying to forget the uncomfortable experience, John's attention returned to the back door when another familiar face had shown itself. It was the alabaster unicorn that he had seen in front of the forest.
She gave him a disapproving look before replacing it with a forced smile. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and magnifique!"
John simply nodded, "Thanks."
She stepped out from behind the door, looking up at him. "I'd ask you to come inside, but I believe the door frame is a few sizes too small for you," she quipped. "I can take measurements out here, though. So, if you could please stand still while I take these down."
A floating band of measuring tape flew out from the doorway, flitting around as she mentally jotted down his physical characteristics.
John coughed politely. "Thank you for doing this, but I—"
"Not now, good sir. I am in the zone! Please hold all questions until I am finished!" Rarity replied.
John frowned. "Miss Rarity, I'm sorry, but I can't exactly remove this armor."
The unicorn pulled the measuring tape to his shoulders. "Oh, but of course you can, dear. Nopony's looking over here, and I'll just head inside if you wish to change out of that," she said. "Arms down, please."
Lowering his arms, John pushed his case, "A team of technicians is usually required to simply remove one piece of this armor." John explained.
The unicorn stopped her antics, finally getting it. "Oh… You… you don't want a suit?" She asked, her eyes sad.
John hesitated, "No… I am grateful for your efforts, ma'am. But I wouldn't be able to wear it over the armor," he explained quickly.
She lowered her head, puffing out her lower lip, "Not even a bowtie?"
John slowly shook his head, "No, thank you, Miss Rarity."
The unicorn nodded, "I suppose you're right." She glanced up at him, turning up her nose. "Olive green clashes with everything, anyways."
John frowned. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to reject your generosity," he started.
"Oh, no, no. It's quite alright, John," Rarity replied, rolling up the measuring tape with her telekinesis. "Please forgive my rudeness; it's just I do enjoy a fashion challenge every once in awhile, and this was something of an opportunity."
John opened his mouth to speak again before Rarity interrupted him, "But thank you, John, for being so quick to make up." She gave him a warm smile. "I'm surprised by your knowledge of etiquette; you're quite polite for an alien."
Once again, John could only nod. These ponies sure warm up to people fast.
His inward smile turned to inward despair when Rarity wrinkled her nose at him, covering it with a foreleg, "However, you must do something about that… odor. Imagine! Sitting next to the Princesses, smelling like that!"
I have. On two occasions. John let the unspoken words disappear into the back of his mind as he stood silently. It was understandable, though. Almost two months of non-stop fighting, through a variety of environments, not to mention a Flood-infested High Charity when he went looking for…
John let out a sigh. Why do things always go back to her…?
"John? Is something wrong?" Rarity inquired.
Broken out of his stupor, John shook his head. "It's nothing, ma'am."
The unicorn started back into her shop, "Well, let's get you some cologne. I just received a new scent from Fancy Pants last week! I think you're going to love it. I'll bring it out back for you."
As the door closed, John could already tell he was not going to ‘love it'.
--
"Goodness, John! We could smell you from a mile away!"
John frowned. He didn't know what was worse; a subtle ‘stench' or an overpowering smell of rose water and fresh grass. He had to admit: The cologne wasn't bad. It was the quantity that the alabaster unicorn had applied that made it a problem.
Princess Luna sighed. "Well, We believe that's what happens when you decline Miss Rarity's services. She'll always make you leave with something." She glanced towards the purple curtains that were directly in front of her. They were sitting in the back room of the town hall; luckily, the rear entrance was designed for freight, so the doorway was built oversized to allow larger items, such as ice sculptures and decorative statues, to be brought inside. It was just large enough for the super soldier to squeeze through.
"When my sister goes out, get ready," she said. "Just say a few words. Introduce yourself. A few questions will be asked to get the public comfortable with you," she explained quickly.
John nodded, "And after that?"
She shrugged. "You're done, We think."
John sat in silence for a few moments before asking, "Why is your sister so upset? Didn't Twilight explain to her what happened after the knife incident?"
Luna continued to watch the curtains as if they were going to suddenly fly open. "Yes. It's just that she cares so much for Twilight. She's very protective of her because Twilight is actually Princess Celestia's personal pupil."
John's mouth fell open. "What does she teach Twilight?"
Luna shrugged her wings. "Spells, mostly. But they've been close since Twilight was a little filly. She took Twilight under her wing upon Twilight's entrance to the School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot and personally tutored her." Luna smiled. "It stayed that way until Twilight moved to Ponyville to study the quirks and characteristics of friendship."
John almost scoffed, but allowed the Princess to continue.
"They're very close; Twilight and the Princess. That's why she was so upset at you. She was scared of what ‘almost' became of Twilight, but that's just her protective nature," Luna explained.
John suddenly understood. The threats, the arguments. All because he had threatened Twilight's life for a single moment.
And the things he had done to anyone who threatened Cortana. He felt surprised that he had lived this long.
"I can sympathize," John mumbled.
Fanfare erupted from behind the curtain. A voice, seemingly distant, accompanied the fanfare, "…to present our ruler, Princess Celestia!"
"Make ready, John," Luna advised, "And good luck."
John could only nod as he waited for the inevitable unveiling of his existence.
"Hello, my subjects," the liquid-mercury voice flowed over his ears. "Now, you are all wondering what exactly was the large meteor that passed over Ponyville two nights ago. I can assure you…"
John tuned out as she rambled on. He wished he had known about Twilight's relationship with the Princess before, although it was his own fault for not noticing it sooner. There was meaning behind their sudden closeness when the Princess showed up to the forest the other night.
"Now, I have brought him before you so that you will not be afraid of him, and accept him into pony society," the Princess continued. "Ladies and Gentlecolts... Spartan-117."
John strode through the curtain, bombarded by a flurry of camera flashes and an eerie silence.
“Ah don’t know ‘bout yall, but Ah think he’s a good po—I-I mean, person,” Applejack said, shrugging.
“I agree; he was very polite in his declination of my services,” Rarity added, “Albeit, he tends to lose himself occasionally, but that’s acceptable considering his knowledge about proper etiquette around a lady.”
Four mares were seated inside a deserted Sugarcube Corner, which had been closed in the event of the “unveiling” of the super-soldier. Twilight had called Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie here to discuss their experiences with John, and hopefully piece together something about the mysterious human.
“I think that’s just how he is around everypony, Rarity,” Twilight chuckled.
“Well, not around me!” Pinkie Pie cried, frowning. “He was super-duper quiet! I asked him, like, a bajillion-million questions! And he didn’t answer a single one! And I know he can talk, since I heard him talk back in the Everfree Forest, and I was all, ‘*GASP* YOU SPEAK EQUESTRIAN?’, and you guys were all, ‘Pinkie, what’re you talking about?’ And I was—”
“Well, for starters, Pinkie, did you even let him speak?” Twilight asked, raising a brow.
Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm... Nope!”
The girls shared a moment of laughter. “That’s Pinkie for you!” Twilight squeaked out between giggles.
After they had all calmed down sufficiently, Applejack turned to Twilight, addressing her, “So, why exactly have ya gathered us here today, Twi? Somethin’ on yer mind?”
Twilight nodded, “Yes. I wanted to ask you all a few questions about experience with John. Applejack,” She turned towards the farmpony, “You’ve had the most contact with him; any quirks that you’ve noticed?”
Applejack scrunched up her face. “Well, Ah’ve noticed that he has a tendency to stare off into space a lot. Like he’s… remeniscin’ ‘bout somethin’,” She said.
“Yes, I’ve noticed that, too. And I’ve only met him once,” Rarity added.
“Did you girls ever ask him any questions?” Twilight inquired.
Applejack smiled sheepishly. “Other than askin’ him what he’d like from the table, no.”
Rarity shook her head. “He never said a word other than, ‘thank-you’.”
“He didn’t even say a word to me!” Pinkie Pie cried exasperatedly. “You girls are so lucky!”
Twilight took a sip from her glass of milk before looking up. “In any case, I think we should all do our best to uncover what we can about him.” She gazed at the table sadly. “It bothers me to see him so down all the time. I’m sure it’s just an average case of posttraumatic stress disorder, but coupled with the fact that he just lost someone important to him, I don’t know how well he’ll be able to cope.”
Applejack and Rarity exchanged nervous glances. “I don’t know, Twilight,” Rarity said cautiously, “This doesn’t seem like something you can just ask about. He’s very secretive about his past, and I know that ponies with PTSD usually dislike talking about the events that caused such mental trauma.”
“I agree, Twi. Even though he’s not a pony, he’s practically one at heart,” Applejack said, “Maybe we’d rather have him try an’ forget his past instead of acceptin’ and movin’ on. It’s a big step to be takin’ so quickly,” She explained.
Twilight frowned, turning away from the table. “I know, girls. It’s just that it pains me to see him like this. I just feel terrible, since he saved my life back in that forest. And all I can do is watch him retreat into himself.”
Pinkie Pie appeared next to Twilight, resting a foreleg on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Twilight. You’re already doing everything you can for him, and I’m sure he appreciates it. Just give him some time to wrap his head around the recent events. If Applejack was right about him being a pony at heart, time is the best medicine for him right now.”
The three mares slowly turned their astonished gazes towards the pink pastel pony. Pinkie Pie blinked. “What? I can be intelligent, too!”
“Pinkie Pie, you are so random!” They all cried in unison, collapsing into another gale of laughter.
--
John watched as the late afternoon sun slowly began to sink behind the distant buildings. He sighed, fatigue washing over him. It had been a four hour-long process of answering questions about how he had arrived, and what he was, not to mention convincing these equines that he really meant no harm, and that he would do his best not to interfere with their everyday activities.
For now, he only wanted to be alone.
A single red blip appeared behind him on the motion tracker. “Who’s there?” John asked without looking.
“U-uh, Mr. Spartan, sir?” inquired an unfamiliar feminine voice.
John slowly stood, turning to face the speaker. It was a young unicorn; this one bearing a turquoise coat and mane, a white streak running through her flowing hair. She gazed up at him with a pair of dazzling gold eyes. A smile lit up her face. “Wow! A human up-close… This is just too cool!” She squeaked under her breath.
John narrowed his eyes at her. “You need something?”
“O-oh! I just wanted to talk, considering you’re the first human I’ve ever seen!” She replied happily, “I always knew you guys were real! My friends never believed me,” She said, her eyes drifting downwards.
John’s eyebrow flicked upwards, but he remained silent.
“But you’re living, breathing proof that I’m right!” She squealed happily, moving closer to John. She extended a hoof, beaming a smile. “I’m Lyra Heartstrings! Nice to meetcha!”
John looked at the hoof stupidly before realizing what gesture this was. He knelt and took her hoof gently, shaking once before releasing her. “Likewise.” He took a step back, unsure of what to make of this unicorn. She didn’t seem hostile towards him; just a bit unnaturally friendly.
“So, what’s it like?” The unicorn inquired, “Back home, anyways.”
“It’s…” Memories flashed behind John’s eyes. The Covenant finding Earth. Discovery of the portal. Flood arriving. Elites glassing half a continent.
John shook his head, looking at the buildings behind her. “It’s a lot like your world; only more technologically advanced.”
The unicorn was temporarily stymied by his delayed reply, but all signs of confusion quickly left her face. “O-oh. I see. Like, exactly the same? I always imagined that humans would live something dynamically different from us.”
John turned away, gritting his teeth. Simply talking to anybody always caused him to recall unwanted memories. “Sorry to be cutting our chat short. I’m a bit weary from standing for four hours.”
“O-oh… I see,” The unicorn replied, her voice sounding crestfallen. “Can we talk tomorrow, then?”
John shook his head, “No. I need… I need to collect myself.”
“Oh. Okay… Sorry to bother you…” The unicorn’s voice trailed off as her retreating hoofsteps became fainter and fainter. Eventually, John was left in the silence of the fading sunset.
There it was again. That brief moment of regret…
He barely blinked when the Princess of the Sun sidled up next to him. “Come with me. I need to show you something.”
John glanced at her. “Pardon?”
The Princess started off, talking as she went, “It’s time that I explain why I’ve been so hostile to you. I think you deserve to know; it is about humans, anyways.” She stopped a short distance away, fixing him with a serious gaze.
John’s eyes narrowed before he approached the Princess, nodding once. Her horn glowed, and the two of them disappeared, leaving the small hillside barren of any activity. Save for one pair of curious eyes.
--
John felt himself being pieced back together, atom by atom. A quick spell of dizziness washed over him before disappearing completely. John took a quick glance around him, noting that they were no longer in the clearing.
They had materialized in a library of sorts. Large red curtains were draped over enormous windows that lined the walls. Enormous shelves, packed with books, formed hundreds of rows, some equipped with ladders while others had a severe lack thereof.
He could feel the Princess’s gaze fixed on him. “What?” He asked, turning to face her.
“Nothing; it’s just that I’m surprised you took to teleporting so well.” The Princess said, raising a brow.
“I’ve been through it before,” John replied.
The Princess looked as though she was going to ask a question, but she obviously decided against it by changing the subject, “Well, then, keep up. We have much to talk about, although there is little time to explain,” She passed several rows of bookshelves before arriving at a large cul-de-sac in the walls, the bookshelves forming a palisade of sorts. “As this is something that not even my sister knows, and I must share this with you before she returns.”
John took a glance around the surrounding bookcases. “Why must it remain secret?”
“To protect my subjects, many things must remain a secret.” The Princess stated simply. John felt an involuntary chill run down his spine.
“Then why am I not a secret?” John asked.
The Princess of the Sun frowned, staring back at him. After a pregnant pause, she answered him, “If you put it that way, it was because I didn’t find you first, and I lack the ability to wipe minds of their memories, specifically of fairly shocking ones.”
John sighed. For some odd reason, it was a relief to him that she couldn’t do everything. He also felt a bit guilty for putting words in her mouth upon realizing why she had given him that look.
“As for this secret…” Her horn lit up with an azure aura, and four books immediately lit up with the same glow. They were pulled back at random in a sequence John couldn’t exactly keep up with. As soon as her aura faded, the bookshelves gave a low groan, and the closest shelf swung outwards, towards the Princess. A space just large enough for three people standing shoulder-to-shoulder to enter through appeared behind it, although nothing was visible inside due to the lack of light.
“John, your lights, please.”
John’s hand drifted to his headlamp switch, flicking it on. A spiraling staircase revealed itself in the darkness of the passage, the walls only broken at certain intervals by a torch brazier.
John nearly stumbled when the floor suddenly evened out, the staircase ending at a large door. John squinted, examining the carvings that decorated the oak structure.
Hundreds upon hundreds of carvings were etched into the wood. Many depicted enormous battles being waged among nearly incomprehensible bipeds, obviously humans, the long lines of phalanxes and arrows raining down on opposing armies, the battlefield’s line being drawn down the middle of the door.
“This… This is man-made.” John breathed, reaching out to touch the door.
“Yes; this is one of the last human artifacts known to this world, John,” The Princess said, “This door was wrested from the great Gryphon-Pony wars during my post-Discordian reign.” She flicked her tail, glancing back at John. “Few know of its existence.”
John returned her gaze. “So, I’m not the first human to arrive?”
“I’m sure Twilight must’ve mentioned something about humans existing in Prequestria?”
“…Prequestria?” Was all John could manage.
The Princess sighed. “Just stay close; I’ll explain as we go.”
The doors swung inward, the handles enveloped in the glow of Princess Celestia’s azure magic. A long corridor stretched before them, the walls lined with iron doors at certain intervals. More ‘secrets.’ John supposed.
“Prequestria is Equestria before it was known as such,” The Princess began, “It was long ago, when the three species of ponies, the pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns lived together in one city-state. This was known commonly as Paradise Estate. For many years, they lived in relative peace, although their numbers remained small due to the fact that nearly the entire population remained dominantly female.
“One fateful afternoon, a villain by the name of Tirek arrived near Paradise Estate, carrying one of the most frightening weapons known to ponykind. The Rainbow of Darkness. This ‘rainbow’ had the power to transform anything it touched into a mindless beast, with only the desire to serve the holder of the ‘rainbow’.”
John couldn’t help a scoff. These names were sounding like something out of a long-cancelled cartoon.
Ignoring this, the Princess continued, “He attacked Paradise Estate from his newly-built fortress of Midnight Castle, raiding the city-state for its pony populace in hopes of acquiring beasts to pull his sky-chariot. If he used the Rainbow of Darkness while he was airborne, he would be able to enslave animals into his will by the hundreds. Using this method, he could raise an army large enough to conquer the entire planet of Equus.
“However, the ponies of Paradise Estate had other plans. A lone Pegasus, Firefly, left the castle to search for outside help. What she found was something that was suspected to be long-lost, and long forgotten. A human being.”
John’s ears perked up. She had his attention.
“Her full name is still a mystery, but she went by the name of Megan. With the help of this human, the ponies left to find a way to defeat Tirek and his Rainbow of Darkness, converting it into a Rainbow of Light.”
Original. John coughed to mask his chuckle.
“When Tirek’s reign was lifted, his servant was transformed into a prince, revealed to be the heir to a throne long forgotten. The ponies praised this man as their new ruler, who provided a long and prosperous rule,” The Princess stopped at one of the doors, this one no different from the rest. John presumed that this was their stop. “It was towards the end of his reign that this long-held peace crumbled.”
The door swung open, a relatively large room yawning within the darkened doorway. She stepped through, her horn flaring once, causing two massive braziers on the opposing walls to ignite. John’s eyes widened at the sight.
Rows and rows of human weapons, from melee to a variety of projectile weapons, lay in a huge array. Swords, maces, lances, falchions and axes lay arranged in rows, their surfaces glinting dully in the orange torchlight. His eyes swept across their wooden handles and hafts, eventually reaching the projectile weapons. His brow raised at the sight of a flintlock pistol, the metal barrel gilded with gold.
“Is that…?”
“Yes; That is how I knew what your ‘weapon’ was.” The Princess said, revealing John’s M6D pistol among the ‘relics’. With a flick of her magic, she tossed it to John, who caught it deftly before holstering it.
“But it sounds as if humans were able to peacefully co-exist.” John asked.
“They did, but only under the first and last of the human kings,” The Princess replied, “When a particular draconequus appeared, he was easily able to stir the aggressive nature of humans. Especially one particular weakness humans had a tendency to share…”
Princess Celestia’s face darkened. “…Greed.”
John had seen this coming. When he didn’t respond, the Princess continued, “With the assassination of the king, encouraged by our dear draconequus, Discord, came the fall of the human reign. Small civil skirmishes escalated into full-scale war for resources between different nations, and the humans even cast off their pony-allies, turning against them when they attempted to resolve the conflict with treaties and compromises. Eventually, war was all that encompassed the world of Equis. It was only a matter of time before the motivation of the war drove them to develop powerful and advanced weapons, both sides attempting to one-up the other in how many they could kill with a single device."
“How was it resolved?” John ventured.
The Princess blinked. “It wasn't. You wiped yourselves out.”
The Spartan was slightly taken aback, but managed to keep his composure.
"Your species' greatest advantage turned out to be your greatest weakness: Your ability to invent." The Princess turned away, facing the massive array of weapons. "All it took was a gentle nudge over the edge, and instead of beneficial inventions, your creativity was turned to items of more malicious intent. Although I'd say your greed and eagerness to fight are just as terrible."
The alicorn turned to face John. "That is why I had my doubts about you. Especially after you nearly killed Applejack's brother. I did realize you were defending yourself, however, so I refrained from immediately labeling you as one of those miserable creatures that had destroyed our home eons ago. But when I heard that you nearly killed my student, my views were quick to change. I'm sure this was obvious when I brought you in after incarcerating you?"
"It wasn't hard to notice," John admitted.
"So why I brought you down here is to ask you a question."
"Which would be?"
"Why should I tolerate you, a member of a species that brought upon its own extinction, and nearly devastated the world beyond repair?"
John paused, thinking for a moment. "Ma'am, how long did the humans live here in Equis?"
"It was an eon-and-a-half. Why do you ask?"
"With all due respect (Although, deep down, he really didn't mean it), my species has been living around ten-thousand years. We've had major wars in that duration, but we still exist today, despite having the means to completely destroy each other in an instant."
When the Princess's face registered slight surprise, John continued. "As for fighting, it is in our nature. But it can be controlled, and even turned against those that wish to exterminate us."
"Who would want to exterminate you?" Celestia ventured.
The soldier opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it. After a few seconds, he turned away. "All I ask is that you do not pass me as something that enjoys killing my own species."
"Why do you do it, then?"
"Because I must. It's why I exist; I am a soldier."
"Isn't it your duty to protect people rather than slaughter them?" the Princess shot back.
"My duty is to follow orders," John replied sternly. "Just as your soldiers are expected to do the same. And if my orders entail me being forced to subdue others with lethal force, I will follow them."
"And what were you saying earlier about enjoying killing your own kind?"
"I never said I enjoy it."
"Then why do you continue to be a soldier?"
John thought for a moment. "I can easily tell you how to eliminate a hostile that has you in a sleeper hold. I can calculate adjustments I would need to make if I was trying to take down a high value target from exactly a mile and a half away, taking both the Coriolis effect and windspeed/direction into account. But..." The Spartan thought for another moment before continuing. "I don't have a perfect golf swing."
This caught the Princess off-guard. John went on. "I don't know all the words to a single song. I don't know how to bake a cake. I can't play basketball to save my life."
A third pause followed. "I continue to be a soldier because being a soldier is all I know."
The Princess regarded the soldier with a curious stare. Ignoring it, the Spartan moved towards the door. "Besides, if I truly enjoyed fighting, you'd be dead already."
He pushed his way past the partially closed door, leaving a very confused Princess behind.
"So, what d'ya suppose we do, Twi?" Applejack asked as the four mares walked out of Sugarcube Corner.
"Well, Pinkie is right. For now, I think it would be best to leave him be," Twilight sighed, wincing as she hobbled on her foreleg's cast. "I'm not sure that bringing up and inquiring about his past is exactly a good thing for him right now. I'm sure that him adjusting from his life as a soldier to a peacetime society is hard enough."
"That's wise of you, Twilight, but I still think something should be done for him," Rarity added. "I was especially worried when you mentioned what he was doing in the cell before you and Luna asked him those questions."
Twilight nodded slowly. "Yes. That's why I'm so worried, Rarity. I'm afraid just to even leave him alone!"
Rarity blinked. "Well, then why don't we engage in some harmless activities? Maybe we will be able to speed up this ‘peacetime adjustment'? And we will be able to keep our eyes on him."
Pinkie giggled. "You just wanna keep your eyes on the dreamy space-alien hunk, don'tcha?"
"W-what?! Of course not! Didn't you see his face?! It was simply—"
"Girls!" Twilight barked. The two mares fell silent as Twilight began again, "Okay. We'll do just that, Rarity. However, I'm a bit busy with running the library during the daytime; could you and Applejack give him a tour?"
"But of course! One of the perks of running your own business; you can take as many off-days as you require!" Rarity replied, beaming a smile.
"Ah've got a long list of chores t'do, Twi. Ah don't think Ah can walk him around. Pinkie, you free tomorrow?" The pink pastel earth pony suddenly broke into maniacal laughter. – John held a hand to his visor, shaking his head a couple of times. Although he was used to teleporting, that only meant he knew what the side-effects are. Looking around, he noticed that they were back at Sweet Apple Acres.
Luna trotted up next to him, "Master Chief? Art thou okay?"
John sighed explosively. "Tired," he lied.
The Princess of the Night flashed an apologetic smile. "O-oh. Please, don't let me keep you."
John nodded, turning towards the barn.
"Are you sure it is only fatigue that ails you?" Luna ventured.
John stopped in his tracks, but didn't answer.
"…Dost thou wish to talk about it?"
John sighed again. "I would if I could." Without waiting for her answer, he continued towards the barn, the only noise being the rhythmic clomping of his boots and the crickets playing their moonlit sonatas to the night. Pulling open the door, he quickly stepped inside, shutting and locking the barn door behind him.
He collapsed onto the slightly-flattened hay, wincing when he simply slammed into the ground, crumpling his makeshift mattress. I really need to be more careful… John mused. Ignoring the slight discomfort of the armor forcing him to lay awkwardly, John removed his helmet, sighing a third time.
The pistol felt heavy on his side, causing John to subconsciously lay a hand on the slide. I wasn't the first human to live here… But now I'm the last, he thought, his gaze drifting to a single crack in the roof, where a sliver of moonlight spilled between the boards.
He watched as the moonlight filtered through the dust particles, his troubled mind enveloped in thought. Not only did the Princess fear his species, he only had made it worse with his attempt to scare Twilight out of pursuing him.
The Spartan wondered if his words had affected the Princess's opinion of humans at all. He couldn't imagine humans fighting to the point of extinction, even with all of the powerful technology that he saw back on Earth. When population began to become a problem, people colonized other worlds. The only problem was the Then again, the humans here didn't have a crazed collection of religious fanatics trying to wipe out their kind to motivate negotiation.
Somewhat satisfied with his answer, John arched his back, stretching for a moment before settling down to sleep. However, a new thought popped into his mind. How would she react if I told her about the Covenant? Would that possibly change her opinion of humans? John closed his eyes, clearing his mind of the results of his pondering. Why was he worried? Her opinion didn't matter. Besides, whatever the case, he wasn't going to tell the Princess anything about his past, let alone anybody else. Royal decree or not. -- A gentle knock woke John from his light slumber. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up, staring at the ground between his knees. His eyebrow shot up. No flashbacks? No nightmares…? Shrugging, he leaned over, reaching to pick up his helmet.
Taking care to brush out any hay that had gotten in his hair overnight, John replaced his helmet, slowly getting up to answer the door as another knock came. Taking a quick moment to stretch his aching body, he unlatched the lock, slowly opening the door.
The alabaster unicorn from yesterday flashed a dazzling smile. "Oh! Hello. I'm sorry… Did I wake you?"
John shook his head, "It's okay. I was oversleeping, anyways."
They sat there for a few moments before his suspicions were aroused. "Do you… need something?" He inquired.
"O-oh! Yes. Being a new arrival to Ponyville, Twilight decided that you're going to need to know your way around this town eventually, so I'm here to give you a tour of this quaint establishment!" She said, smiling.
"…With all due respect, ma'am, I was going to give myself a haircut today." He said slowly, struggling to think of things he could do instead of walk in front of the town's populace.
"That's perfect! I was planning to show you the spa today, and they could help you with that! They could even go further than just a simple haircut, of course. Maybe a perm if you wish to keep your hair long…"
"I was just going to cut it short," he stated flatly.
The unicorn huffed irritably, "Yes, yes. They do that, too."
"In my own style."
"They can match your preferences; I assure you."
John sighed. "Look, I'm not really up for touring the town today. I wanted to visit the crash site and see if there's anything that I could salvage. I still need to get home."
Rarity bit her lip. "But… but—"
"I'm sorry." He turned away, starting to close the barn door.
A sudden screeching assaulted his ears, causing him to involuntarily hunch his shoulders. When he turned around, he realized it was the unicorn's crying.
"Oh, woe is me!" She wailed, "I had everything planned out! I even rented out the entire spa for the day so you wouldn't be disturbed by curious customers, and I had a whole tour set up and we were going to eat lunch at my favorite café! And Twilight is going to be so upset if she finds out I wasn't able to show you around today, and—"
"Stop!" John cried, holding out his hands. "Just… stop."
The unicorn peered at him with unnaturally sad eyes. John sighed again. "I'll take your tour, but I need to see if there's anything salvageable in that ship later."
The unicorn opened her mouth to speak, but turned away. "No. You're busy."
"Please. I insist," he deadpanned.
After a few moments, Rarity stood up, "Well, I think that's as close to a yes I'm going to get. Come along, then! Let's go get some breakfast!"
John watched her retreating figure stupidly before cursing under his breath. Making sure to grab his ammo belt and pistol, he shut the barn door, jogging after Rarity. – "Welcome to Heaven-on-Equestria!" Rarity squealed, bursting through the spa's door.
John crouched low, careful not to bump his head on the low door. If it wasn't for the over-sized doorway, he wouldn't have been able to fit inside the building, period. He instinctively jerked his head down when he bumped the service bell off of its resting place, which clattered to rest at his feet. Slowly rising to a stoop, he took in the surroundings.
The interior was painted a dark, royal blue with a sudden splash of white where the walls met the ceiling and the floor. The carpet was a pale violet while the ceiling was painted a similar color, fading to a sky-blue in the middle. Many potted plants (Whether they were real or not, he couldn't tell the difference) were placed around the edges of the small waiting room, giving the place a very nature-oriented feel. An azure horse with a pink mane, lacking both a horn and wings, manned the counter, holding a clipboard between its forelegs. The shorter snout and ridiculously large eyelashes it sported pointed to it being a female; John really had no other way of telling. A picture of a strange kind of flower was tattooed onto her flank. She nodded to Rarity before fixing him with a curious stare.
"Hello, Lotus Blossom! This is who I was talking about. We're going to need the full treatment! Is the spa currently empty at the moment?" Rarity asked.
"Yes; all I had to do was mention that the creature was going to be coming today, and it's been deserted ever since we opened." Lotus replied, a hint of frustration in her voice.
John flinched at being called a ‘creature', but remained silent. He realized that he was mentally calling these things ‘creatures' as well, and it was only a placeholder for his name. And he wasn't ready to tell the world all about that yet. One alien knowing his name was one too many.
"Oh, good!" Rarity sighed, oblivious to Lotus's slight irritation. "Well, shall we start with the sauna?" She asked to nobody in particular.
Lotus nodded, setting down the clipboard and stepping out from behind the counter to stand in front of a pair of oversized double-doors. "This way, Miss Rarity." She said, pushing the door open.
The now-ecstatic unicorn trotted through, followed by a sullen, heavily-contrasting John.
After following a short hallway, they stepped through a doorway on the left-hand (or hoof) side. They entered a room entirely made of hand-finished wood. To John's relief, it opened up to a large ceiling, allowing him to stand at his full height. Benches with small hay-woven cushions surrounded the sides, one of the edges bearing a small rack of heated rocks. A bucket of water and a wooden ladle lay ready beside them. The room already bore a hefty amount of steam, which gathered at the top of the room.
"So… Master Chief…" Rarity said slowly, working her way around his foreign callsign, "you know what this is, right?" "A process that is shown to raise blood cell count in athletes, promote performance in endurance sports, protect against oxidative stress and raise levels of beta endorphins in the body," he replied quickly, taking care to slowly lower himself onto the wood bench. Luckily, it was pure oak, only creaking and groaning for a few seconds before falling silent.
Rarity stared at him for a moment before forcing a smile. "Good! Glad to see you know this is a beauty treatment! Helps the body sweat out toxins and debris clogging your pores!"
John opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it and shut it again. This little spa excursion appeared to mean a lot to the unicorn, and it wasn't like him to nitpick on facts.
Lotus Blossom stepped in behind John, pushing past him to take a seat at the heated rocks. Dipping the ladle in the bucket, she dumped a spoonful onto the stones, creating a jet of steam.
"So, you know you need to take off your helmet to…"
"Yes. I know."
"…Then aren't you going to remove it?"
"I'd rather not sweat in the armor that I can't take off," John replied.
John looked about, struggling to fill the awkward silence with conversation. "…What do you do for fun around here?" he asked, resisting the temptation to punch himself in the face for how stupid he sounded.
"Well, this is how I spend most of my days off." Rarity gestured to the sauna. "Other than this, there's always being able to do things outdoors; the Pegasi keep the days clear with their ability to clear the skies of any clouds," Rarity explained, "although it is seldom that I find myself taking nature walks. I'd rather let my hooves touch carpet than dirt."
The Spartan frowned. "What's wrong with a little dirt on your hooves?"
"Dirt is dirt, Mr. Chief," Rarity shot back. "For me, it is an unpleasant thing that makes anything it touches simply unsightly!" She turned to face him, her eyes now curious. "Why? What does it mean to you, Master Chief?"
John shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's certainly not something to worry about. Being a soldier and all, it's one of the last things your mind really touches bases with. I don't let it keep me from setting foot outside and experiencing whatever the world has in store for me," he coughed politely, "especially if ‘weather control' guarantees sunny days practically every day of the week."
Rarity raised a brow. "I didn't know you were much of a philosopher, Mr. Chief."
Halo tearing itself to pieces flashed behind John's eyes. "I didn't know I was a lot of things."
After another pregnant pause, Rarity hopped down from her bench. "Well, I think we've sat in this place long enough; I think it's time for some refreshing mud masks!"
John stifled a groan. – John glanced up, noting how low the sun had sunken into the sky. His brow furrowed. His visit to the crash site would have to wait until tomorrow; he would require Twilight's teleporting abilities, or her ability to call over those weird magical carriage-taxis.
His escort had fallen quiet, which drew slight suspicions from him. After glancing up at her as she walked ahead of him, he shrugged. She was probably tired from doing all the talking for the entire day.
It hadn't been a bad experience; the only problems were his inability to sit in the mud bath (It was too small), going on without lunch (Salads apparently came with grass) and his strange encounters with several townsfolk (He almost wanted to shoot himself just to escape the awkwardness of the scenarios).
His eyes fell on the treehouse library that the purple equine apparently lived in; He was to wait outside while Rarity picked up a few cookbooks, and then she would escort him home, as per the ridiculous "royal decree".
"Well, here we are! I'll be back out in a jiffy!" Rarity said, practically answering John's thoughts.
"Yes, ma'am." Was all he could manage. The unicorn trotted inside, quickly shutting the door behind her.
John turned to rest his back against the tree, sliding down it to ease himself to the ground. Before he could even take a seat, though, Rarity poked her head out again, "Oh, Mr. Chief, could you come inside for a moment?"
He turned to face the unicorn, a slight suspicion arising. However, it faded when he remembered what he was going to say earlier, "Thank you for showing me around today; Despite the complications, I… I had a good time." John lied for the umpteenth time.
Luckily, the mare didn't pick up on it, "Oh, it's nothing, darling! I'm glad you got a haircut out of the spa, although I think you'd look rather dashing if you did something with your lovely long hair."
The Spartan couldn't help a small chuckle, "Unlikely, ma'am."
He followed Rarity inside, ducking inside the small doorway. As soon as he entered the main floor of the library, he nearly leaped out of his suit when confetti and streamers burst from the darkened doorway. "SURPRISE!" Came a unified cry, followed by another unified gasp.
John lowered the pistol when four familiar faces revealed themselves from the darkness.
"Whoa! Chief! It's okay! It's just us!" Twilight cried, stepping in front of her three startled friends behind her.
The talkative pink equine from yesterday bounced up to him, beaming an enormous smile, "Hey! I thought I'd throw you a surprise ‘Welcome to Ponyville' party, but then I realized that anypony I invited would probably ignore me, and I knew that Twilight wanted to keep this event private, so it's a ‘Private Super Sleepover Surprise Slumber Party!'"
John stifled another groan. It was going to be a long night. – She blinked once, twice... nothing. She still couldn't see anything. Where was she? Was she dead? No… She wouldn't be able to think, let alone know she was conscious. Let's test that theory… What is my name?
"My name… Cortana, UNSC Artificial Intelligence. Serial number: CTN 0452-9."
All around her was darkness. Not a single speck of light… Wait, there…! A single dot sparkled in the distance. She pushed herself towards it with all of her might, practically swimming in the strange, empty limbo that was her apparent prison.
Reaching out, her fingertips brushed the light…
And another consciousness pulled her in.
This is not your grave. But you are welcome… in it.
Twilight crept down the stairs, careful not to make a racket as she descended into the main floor of the library.
Her four friends were sprawled out in various places, each one dozing peacefully under a spare comforter she had provided. Her eyes drifted to the clock on the far wall. It read 3:48 AM. Her mouth curved into a small grin. Perfect.
Carefully stepping over her friends, she made her way over to the basement door. Nosing it open, she entered the musty-smelling basement, slowly making her way down the stairs. She froze when she spotted the super-soldier sitting up against the far wall, eyeing her cautiously.
After a few tense moments, she relaxed when she noticed the black suit (where she assumed his abdomen was) rising and falling slowly and rhythmically, indicating he was indeed asleep. Glancing around the dank underground chamber, she felt a pang of sorrow for the Chief, who had chosen to sleep here in the first place. Did he always like to be alone like this…?
She advanced on the sleeping figure, her horn aglow with her lavender aura. Her jaw was set in grim determination. It was time to see what this super-soldier was all about.
“…Twilight? What are you doing?” came a harsh whisper.
Biting her hoof to keep herself from yelling out, she turned around, nearly bumping noses with Rarity. She spat out her foreleg, raising a brow in confusion, “Wha? How’d you notice me?”
Rarity rubbed sleepiness from her eyes. “You stepped on my ear back there; how could I not notice you?”
“That still doesn’t answer my question, though,” Rarity continued, “Why are you down here?”
Twilight turned back towards the sleeping human, her eyes dancing over the polarized visor. “I… I need to know.”
Rarity looked between the human and the lavender unicorn, a confused expression on her face, “What..? Oh, dear. Is this about his past?”
“Yes,” Twilight responded.
“B-but I thought we were going to leave him alone! Not bother him about something he’d rather forget.” Rarity asked, her voice elevated with worry.
“I know… It’s just that it’s always bothered me ever since I saw him in that prison cell. I’m really worried, Rarity. I want to know what in his past could be so horrible that it still bothers him to this day. But, if he won’t tell us about his past, I’ll just have to see it for myself.” Twilight replied, her face now set in stone, “So, are you with me or not?”
Rarity squirmed in place, “…Oh, dear. Why not? I’m curious as to see what will happen.”
Twilight nodded, “Just be aware that we’re entering the mind of a soldier; worst comes to worst, we may end up in the middle of a firefight and getting caught in the crossfire.”
Rarity gulped audibly, “Will we be okay if we… erm… die in the memory?”
Twilight nodded, “Yes; we’ll be noticed by the occupants of each memory, but what will be in the memory are only be projections of our consciousness. If we... y’know… we’ll just wake up here, back in the library.”
“As if it were only a bad dream?”
“Yes,” Twilight replied, her horn glowing slightly, “Anyways, are you ready?”
Rarity sidled up to Twilight, nodding shakily, “As ready as I’ll ever be, Twilight. But I don’t know the spell…”
Twilight smiled, “As long as you’re in contact with me, we’ll both technically be ‘casting’ the same memory spell. At least, that’s how it’s worked in the past for me.”
Rarity took a deep breath, her expression now similar to Twilight’s. She set her foreleg over Twilight’s back, “Okay. Go ahead, Twilight.”
Nodding, Twilight’s horn brightened for an instant before it tapped the soldier’s helmet, their vision fading to a vast whiteness. -- Twilight blinked once, twice, three times, struggling to clear the white spots in her vision. A terrible stench met her nose, causing her to gag involuntarily. She blinked again, her vision still blurry, but various shapes danced in and out of her vision. Rubbing at her eyes with a hand, she rolled to her side to push herself up.
She stopped herself, staring at her hand that was pushing her upright. She pulled the appendage away from the ground, wriggling her fingers in front of her face.
Realization slowly setting in, she looked down at her feet, waggling her toes experimentally.
She was human. No doubt that she was in John’s memories, now.
Struggling to two feet, she leaned heavily against the wall, taking in her surroundings.
She was in a sewer of some sort, sitting on one of the raised platforms that ran along the side of the central canal. The water was a murky brown, obviously the source of the stench. Light filtered down from above through small grates, revealing a blood-red sky above. To her left, the sewer continued down several meters before ending in a large, metal grate. The other way beheld similar conditions, except the grate had been melted open by whatever had passed through earlier.
She was still examining the melted bars when a voice whispered from behind her.
“H-hello?”
Twilight turned slowly, careful not to trip on her longer, more cumbersome legs. Before her was another human. She wore a short red jacket, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A pair of dirty red pants adorned her legs. Long brown hair fell to the woman’s elbows, most of it drawn back so it stayed out of her face. Luminous azure eyes stared fearfully into Twilight’s own before they widened in recognition.
“Twilight? Is that you…?” The woman asked.
“…Rarity?” Twilight ventured, taking a wobbly step forward.
“Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness!” Rarity exclaimed, stepping forward to sweep Twilight into a quick hug, “I thought I had materialized all alone in a different memory than yours!”
Twilight smiled, returning the gesture, “Don’t worry; since you were in physical contact with me in the real world, we wouldn’t be separated into different memories.”
Rarity broke the hug, stepping away, “Well, you could’ve told me that before you cast the spell.”
Twilight nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”
Rarity shivered, glancing at the central canal’s contents, “Ugh… This place could use a change in décor. I’m guessing this is some sort of sewer system, judging by what I see floating in that muck.”
“Yes; the Chief should be around here somewhere, if the spell worked correctly,” Twilight explained.
“How do you even know it worked correctly?” Rarity asked.
“Well, we’re not alone in different memories, are we?”
“Y-yes, but how do we know if we’re in Mr. Chief’s memories?”
Twilight grimaced, “I… I honestly have no idea. Once we find the Master Chief, we’ll know for certain. For now, let’s explore.”
Rarity winced, “Okay; just be careful, Twilight.”
The two girls moved towards the melted grating, stepping under the splayed metal bars and continuing down the side. They reached a wide side passageway that led to the left, eventually ending where a rusty ladder hung down. The manhole cover above them had been melted away in a similar fashion, the smell of burnt paste in the air.
Ascending the ladder, Twilight peered into the room above them. It appeared to be a basement of sorts, boxes stacked in neat piles at the base of large shelves that lined the walls. On these shelves were many glass jars, each one containing insects and caterpillars of various kinds. After a few minutes of scrutiny, Twilight realized that many of the species she was seeing here were common species back in Equestria.
“Rarity… These insects…”
“Yes; disgusting, I know.”
“No. They’re just like the ones back in Equestria.”
Rarity inspected a jar, plucking it off of the shelf before returning it to its rightful place, “You’re absolutely right… Are you sure we’re in Mr. Chief’s memories?”
“Positive. We wouldn’t be humans, otherwise.”
“…Very true.”
They continued up into a medium-sized atrium. More of the same jars lined the walls, their contents keeping an eye on the two in an eternal silent vigil.
Twilight was examining another one of the jars when she heard Rarity gasp through an open doorway. Rushing through, Twilight tripped on an object that lay at the threshold, also slipping in some sort of warm liquid. Scrambling to her feet, she stood up next to Rarity, suddenly biting back the urge to throw up at the scene.
Four bodies of strange humanoid creatures lay at their feet, purple blood leaking out from their facial orifices. Their heads were almost avian in shape, their noses ending in large serrated beaks rather than a flat human face. They had small hands with three long fingers, and long, spindly legs with three clawed toes.
Rarity retched, holding a hand to her mouth. Twilight brought a single finger to her lips, flashing the universal sign to be quiet. Now shaking uncontrollably, Twilight stepped over their corpses, moving on into the next room. A circular stairway lay beyond, spiraling up into the darkness.
Twilight looked back at Rarity, who was still staring, horrified, at the corpses that littered the room. Striding up to the shell-shocked human, Twilight set a comforting hand on Rarity’s shoulder, squeezing slightly.
“Come on; we’ve got to find the Chief,” Twilight said, her voice shaking.
Rarity stared at the corpses for another minute before slowly standing up, pulling Twilight into another hug.
“I-I’m scared, Twilight… Please, can we leave?” she pleaded.
Twilight was about to reply when loud banging could be heard upstairs. Rarity screamed. Keeping her terrified friend close, Twilight retreated into the atrium they had passed through earlier, her eyes wide with fear.
The banging continued, followed by two enormous thumps. The entire building shook with the noise, dust raining down upon the two frightened humans.
Suddenly, dozens of small projectiles flew into the room through the roof over their heads, peppering the ground in front of them and tearing through the floor above. After a few moments of the floor groaning, and a few panicked shouts, the ceiling collapsed.
Twilight tackled Rarity into the storage room, narrowly avoiding a huge hunk of what appeared to be metal and marble from crushing them underneath it. She scrambled away from the doorway, coughing and struggling to see through the dust cloud that had risen.
Two enormous bipeds stood before them, large chunks of angular blue metal appearing to serve as an armor of sorts. A large plate that was set on its back sported large spikes which moved as the creature stumbled forward from the sudden drop. Underneath the armor, hundreds of orange worms squirmed and wriggled, making up the entirety of the being’s physical mass. While its other arm was blocked from view, an enormous cannon was mounted on its right arm, several green protrusions decorating the exterior. Luckily for Twilight and Rarity, they seemed distracted, dazed from their drop through the floor.
Another shout came from above, drawing the creatures’ attention. Twilight blinked, a terribly loud WHUMP echoing fiercely in the small space. She suddenly noticed the massive block of what appeared to be pink quartz trapping the two creatures underneath it.
Paralyzed with fear, Twilight could only stare in pure horror at the creatures, which now squirmed and thrashed underneath the massive rock. She had imagined war to be scary… But experiencing a battle was something completely different. Fear gripped her in a vice, rooting her to the spot. Her attention was drawn upward when another shout came down, which sounded something like, “Grab it!”.
A small box appeared, but suddenly disappeared, grasped by a hand clad in green armor. After another exchange of words from the apparent owner of the hand, a clunking of boots could be heard—and it was heading straight for Twilight and Rarity.
Snapping into action, Twilight pulled the shell-shocked Rarity into a darkened corner, searching around for what could possibly be used as a weapon. She gripped a splintered board, wincing as the broken fibers poked at her palm as she held it up, pointing it at the doorway.
The clumping was practically outside of their room, making it hard for Twilight to tell the difference between their boots and her heartbeat. She froze when a tall figure stepped through.
Its appearance was very similar to the Chief, although the armor was much blockier and cumbersome-looking than the armor she saw back in Everfree Forest, as well as the figure being at least two heads shorter than him. The similarities included a polarized visor, the olive-green color and the black under-armor. In its right hand, it carried a strange, angular device that bore a short barrel on its front and a blocky stock that jutted out from the end, near the biped’s hand.
It spotted her, fixing Twilight with its gaze. A female voice could be heard as it spoke, “…Sir, we’ve got civilians.”
Another one of the bipeds entered the room, pushing past its subordinate. This one was taller than its comrade by a full head, although the armor was the same. It knelt in front of Twilight, holding out a hand, “Ma’am, come with me. We’ll get you out of here.”
Judging by his voice, it wasn’t the human she and Rarity were looking for.
“…Who are you?” Twilight asked, backing away and still flourishing her makeshift weapon.
“Ma’am, it’s okay. We’re part of the UNSC. Just come with us, and we’ll have you evacuated with the rest of the citizens.” The man cooed, keeping his hand extended to Twilight.
“S-stay back, you hooligan!” Rarity cried suddenly, slapping his hand away. She pulled Twilight backwards, backing into a corner, “I said stay back! J-just leave us alone!” She cried, obviously on the verge of tears.
“What’s the hold up, Fred?”
“Uncooperative civs. Nothing I can’t handle.”
Another one of the bipeds, this one supporting another one of its comrades, entered the doorway, which was barely wide enough for the two of them. Twilight raised her hands to cover her mouth when she realized the other’s right arm was burned off at the elbow.
“Dunno, Fred. You’ve always managed to scare civvies off with that ugly mug of yours.” The female mused.
“Cut the chatter, Blue Team,” The third biped barked, lowering his comrade to lean against the wall. Twilight’s ears perked up at his voice. Something about it was strangely familiar.
“Kelly, check up on James for me. I think he’s unconscious,” the man said, nodding to the one leaning on the wall. The one named Kelly nodded, leaving Fred to help their injured teammate.
The man crouched in front of Twilight, his polarized faceplate revealing nothing but Twilight’s frightened expression. Rarity sat up again, brandishing the stick, “S-stay away!” She cried, swinging the board viciously.
The man ducked underneath the blow, “Ma’am, it’s okay. We’re UNSC forces and—”
“I don’t care who you are!” Rarity howled, now flailing the makeshift weapon madly. “Just leave us alone!”
The man backed off, unnerved by her outbreak. He turned to Fred, “…How’d you manage to rile her up that much?”
“Hey, all I said was that I was from the UNSC and that we were here to evacuate ‘em.”
“…Maybe Kelly’s right. I should let her handle all civvy negotiations from now on.”
“Oh, come on, John… That’s harsh.”
“Noted. I’ll take it from here.”
Fred sighed, leaving the man to go check on the injured one. John turned to the two frightened women, holding up his hands, “Okay, look. Right now, we’ve got to move; the Covenant are preparing for one last orbital strike, and they’re targeting this city,” he extended his hand again, “Please; I can’t have someone I could’ve saved on my conscience when the city is destroyed.”
Twilight glanced back at Rarity, who had lowered the stick, her lip trembling, “W-why are they doing this…?” She asked, sniffing.
“Because they can. It’s a casualty of war,” John sighed, “We’ve got to go; it won’t be long now.” he moved his other hand forward, offering it to Twilight.
Without hesitation they both took one of his hands, and he pulled the two girls to their feet with ease. “Steady, now,” he mumbled as Rarity teetered where she stood. “Can you walk?”
“Y-yes… I think I can,” Rarity replied shakily.
“Good girl,” John turned to his teammates, “Pack it up, Blue Team. Time to go.”
Fred shouldered there unconscious squadmate, slowly standing up, “They coming or what?”
“Yeah. Kelly, cover our six. I’ll watch our twelve,” John barked, pulling a device identical to Kelly’s off of his back. Twilight suddenly noticed that they all carried one, even their injured teammate.
They went out back the way they came, descending down the rusted ladder and exiting the sewer through a gate that Twilight had failed to notice before, which was part of the mesh she had thought was whole.
Outside, they entered a thick jungle, the humidity almost unbearable for Twilight. They walked quietly for a few hours, John occasionally telling the group to halt with a raised hand to let an enemy patrol pass. Although Twilight was still genuinely frightened, she had at least gotten used to the fear.
After about twenty more minutes of walking, John ordered another halt, except this time, he and Kelly didn’t tell them to get down. He mumbled a few words to nobody in particular and then removed a small device from a brown satchel that was slung over his shoulder, gripping the top of the device and twisting it to the left. Blue smoke began to pour out, accompanied by a loud hissing noise.
John threw it into the brush ahead of them before passing through the smoke. Fred followed with their comrade, Twilight and Rarity close behind.
They entered a clearing where a large metal vehicle sat waiting. Other “civilians” sat nearby, some chatting quietly, others staring silently at the smoke rising in the distance, towards the city. A few armed guards jogged up to John, asking him several questions. When they were done talking, Twilight, Rarity and the other civilians were moved into the loading bay of the vehicle, taking seats on either side of the wide storage bay.
Twilight eyed the group of Spartans seated at the opposite end of the storage bay, the determined expression from earlier sneaking onto her facial features. Rarity raised a brow, “Twilight? What’s with that look?”
“I’m going to get some answers. I need to see what this war is all about.” Twilight stood up, wobbling precariously as the ship hit a bit of turbulence. Carefully weaving between the other passengers, she was almost there when a loud thunk filled the cargo bay, as well as the ship being jostled violently by an impact. Twilight was knocked off of her feet, giving a small cry of protest when a strong grip supported her right arm, keeping her upright.
“Are you alright?” John’s voice asked from behind her.
“I-I’m fine,” she mumbled, easing herself to two feet again as the soldier let her go.
“You should take a seat; it won’t be long before we make it back to the Iroquois,” he advised, pressing her firmly into the seat behind him, “These suits make it impossible to sit as it is, so you can have my seat.”
Twilight smiled a little, “Thanks, John,” she stopped herself, “I-It’s okay if I call you John, right?”
The man paused before shaking his head. "Sorry. Protocol. Call me Sierra-117 for now."
Twilight clamped her mouth shut as started to nod, but a sudden feature about him intrigued her: His voice was still so familiar. In addition, something about that name seemed familiar.
117... Could this really be him? He seems too talkative and friendly…
"Is... Is that your call-sign?"
Sierra-117 nodded, "Yes; how did you know?
Twilight searched her mind for an excuse, “Er… My… brother is in the military.” she said slowly.
John cocked his head before responding, “Marines?”
Twilight paused again, “… Er… Executive… Guard?”
The soldier sat still for a moment before letting out a low chuckle, “Can’t say I’ve heard of that before. So he’s part of your home planet’s militia?”
“…You could say that.”
After a short pause, Twilight shifted her gaze to the window where the planet they had left behind was shrinking from view, “So… Why did those things want to kill us?” She asked, her voice trembling slightly, “Why are we fighting them?”
John knelt so he was below her, his polarized faceplate betraying no emotion, “You don’t know why the Covenant are fighting us?”
Twilight shook her head, “I… I’ve never seen them before.”
John sighed, “Well… It all started when—”
Twilight’s vision flashed red, and a horrible migraine assaulted her mind. She slapped a hand to her temple, falling limp in the seat.
John put a hand on her shoulder, his voice sounding distant, “Ma’am?”
She shut her eyes from the pain, eventually blacking out. -- Twilight’s eyes snapped open, the pain still leaving her head. Rarity lay sprawled in the opposite corner, although she was still unconscious. They were back in the basement of the library, the moldy scent invading her nostrils.
Shaking her head to disperse the pain, she looked at the Chief—who was now hanging in midair.
Another biped, this one apparently female, was lifting him effortlessly off of the floor, as if she had simply forgotten the soldier weighed half a ton. She was naked save for what appeared to be numbers and symbols scrolling across her body, and a messy mop of hair on her head, which fell just short of shoulder length. Her entire being glowed blue, and the air around her crackled with powerful magic.
She turned to face Twilight, murderous intent flashing behind her angry red eyes. She flashed a crooked smile.
John felt himself being lifted, an intense pressure slowly restricting his windpipe. Instinctively, he groped for his throat—only to feel a hand blocking his progress. He gripped his assailant’s arm in a vice-like grip, attempting to break their wrist. However, he discovered that whatever was choking him was made of something hard and inorganic, the surface of its forearm not even giving a little. He felt his head being forced backwards as gravity pressed his chin into the attacker’s wrist, his feet now leaving the ground.
Now desperate for air, he flailed weakly, throwing a jab or kick into the thrashing in an attempt to soften the powerful grip preventing him from breathing. His attempts met the same failure as his previous attempt with the forearm; the body was also made of the same inorganic material, and the assailant made no reaction to his attacks.
John’s eyes snapped open, now wanting to see just who—or what—was throttling him. His body relaxed momentarily in surprise.
An all-too-familiar purple entity stood before him, her voluptuous curves partially covered by black patches covered with scrolling data. Her short, chin-length hair fell neatly around her face, which wore an expression wracked with fierce anger.
“C…Cortana?” he croaked.
“Where is it?!” she screeched.
John was taken aback by the sound of her voice. Although it had its familiar ring to it, he hadn’t heard her this angry since her encounter with 343 Guilty Spark. In addition, it lacked the cool, mercury touch it once possessed. Something about it simply rang false. He should expect that much… She was trying to kill him.
“You’ve… You’ve gone rampant..?” he whispered, unable to speak any louder.
The pseudo-Cortana pulled him close, her bright violet eyes glaring murder through his visor.
“You will give me that tether, Chief!” she snarled.
John’s arms fell limply at his sides, his hands flopping against his sides uselessly. The edges of his vision began to dim, his lungs threatening to burn out of his chest cavity. Mustering up what little strength he had left, he opened his lips, struggling to form his question,
“W-why…?”
Cortana was about to answer before she suddenly looked up, turning away from the Chief. An evil smirk appeared on her face, and a scream from John’s right jolted the soldier away from the encroaching darkness of his vision. His head swiveled to the source: a lavender unicorn.
Twilight?
Cortana’s murderous grin widened, “If you won’t tell me… Maybe she will.”
Her grip momentarily loosened. Before John could even gasp for air, he felt himself flying away from Cortana, the impact of his back slamming into the far wall knocking what little air he had accumulated back out of him.
He gasped, from both pain and desperation, hacking as he gulped greedily at the cool air of the basement. Wincing as the feeling painfully returned to his deprived appendages, John struggled into a sitting position, forcing himself to one knee.
Cortana was still advancing on a shell-shocked Twilight, the eerie smile still plastered onto her face, “So, do you know where it is?” she asked, her own voice trembling as much as Twilight’s body.
Twilight backed into the far wall, shaking her head, her mouth widened in a silent scream. Cortana’s evil grin grew, “I didn’t quite hear you,” she roughly grabbed the unicorn by the mane, lifting her without difficulty, “Care to speak up?!”
Twlight’s eyes shut tightly in concentration, her horn suddenly emitting a shower of sparks. A long silence filled the room as Twilight’s eyes opened again, her expression even more panicked. John gritted his teeth. Dammit, Twilight! Why don’t you teleport out of here?!
A white blur zipped past John’s vision, smashing itself into Cortana. The two tumbled past Twilight, colliding with the stairs. Rarity emerged on top, smashing her hooves into the AI’s face. She punctuated every crack of Cortana’s head smacking into the stairs with a syllable.
“Don’t—touch—my—friend—you—rogue!” Rarity roared, mercilessly pounding Cortana’s face into the stairs. Her advantage of surprise was quick to fade, however, as the blows didn’t seem to be dazing the entity at all. Cortana’s arm whipped around, swatting the unicorn away as if she were a pesky insect. Rarity somersaulted into the wall next to Twilight, a line of blood dribbling down her lip.
John was already in motion, sprinting while winding his arm back in preparation for a vicious right hook. Just as Cortana turned to face him, he was already in mid-swing. His fist collided with her cheek, the force of the impact jarring his arm painfully, as if he had punched a wall of solid ice. A sharp pain lanced out from his finger as ligaments snapped.
Cortana recoiled, taking a step back from the force of the blow. Unfazed by the pain in his right hand, John immediately followed up with a left uppercut to her abdomen, his arm shaking violently as it connected. Cortana stumbled backwards, somehow managing to back up the stairs.
John lowered his guard, pointing accusingly, “Who the hell are you?! You’re not Cortana!”
The pseudo-Cortana cackled crazily, throwing her head back in maniacal laughter, “Ahaha! Oh, it’s me, all right,” she lowered her head, wearing another crooked grin, “I know who you are, Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117. And about Earth, Halo, the Ark and the Flood.”
“S-so what?! You could have used a memory acquisition spell, just like I did!” Twilight cried, surprising the super-soldier.
Just like…? John dispelled the thought with a shake of his head, Snap out of it. What matters is that she’s right. he berated himself. His breathing slowing to a more comfortable pace, he lowered his arm, his hand drifting to his sidearm, “I’d be a fool to believe that you’d be the real Cortana. Now where is she?!”
“Why, John…” The entity said, lowering its head, “She’s right here.”
Cortana’s body jerked like that of a novice puppeteer’s handiwork, her head tilting back at a strange angle and her arms bouncing loosely. When she raised her head, her expression was tinged with unimaginable sorrow.
“Chief..?” She said slowly, blinking once in disbelief. -- Twilight watched in horror as the strange human cackled crazily, “Ahaha! Oh, it’s me, all right,” she lowered her head, wearing another crooked grin, “I know who you are, Petty Officer Master Chief Spartan-117. And about Earth, Halo, the Ark…”
Something suddenly clicked in her mind. There was one thing that didn’t add up…
“So what?! You could have used a memory acquisition spell, just like I did!” Twilight blurted out. Not to mention an illusionary spell! she thought quickly.
The super soldier’s hand lowered, his hand drifting to the strange device still attached to his thigh. Much to Twilight’s relief, he wasn’t buying it either, “I’d be a fool to believe that you’d be the real Cortana. Now where is she?!”
Twilight was taken aback by the sudden change in the soldier’s demeanor. Doubts about what John had told her in the Canterlot dungeon were aroused, about if they had really known each other for only a few months, but quickly stuffed back into the recesses of her mind. It was obvious this was not the ‘Cortana’ the soldier had told them about; she had just tried to kill him.
“Why, John…” the creature spoke, “She’s right here.”
Suddenly, it began to twitch and jerk about, like a rag doll on the end of a pull-string. The head rolled back, resting at an awkward angle before throwing itself forward. Slowly, it looked up, although the unicorn noticed something change in her facial expression. The malicious grin it wore before had disappeared, leaving a sad, somber one in its place.
“Chief…?” the human asked, almost no louder than a whisper. Its voice had changed as well, taking on a deeper, more languid tone; almost like icy water flowing over Twilight’s eardrums.
The Master Chief remained silent, unsure of what to think. Twilight did the same.
“Chief! Go to the crash site! That’s where he—!”
The being called Cortana froze, her face twisted in an unmistakable expression of pain. She screamed, clutching her head in her hands. Falling to her knees, she supported herself with her left hand, still clutching her temple with her right.
The Chief took a sudden step forward as Cortana knelt, for reasons unknown to Twilight. Her suspicions were still too high for this entity to be trusted.
The creature slowly stood, its faced twisted into the all-too familiar frown she had seen before, “Persistent wench…” it muttered aloud.
The Chief drew his pistol, aiming at the creature, “Let her go.” he stated firmly.
“Now, now,” the creature tutted, “Wouldn’t want to blow away your precious mistress, now would you?” The Chief’s grip on the pistol loosened visibly for a millisecond before tightening as he found his resolve.
Twilight bit her lip as a pregnant silence followed, the tension making it almost impossible to breathe.
“Now… if you will,” Cortana extended a hand, “The tether.”
The unicorn was about to inquire after this ‘tether’ before the Chief cut her off,
“No.”
Cortana’s frown deepened, “Did you think I was asking you for it?”
She flashed a brilliant white, temporarily blinding Twilight and the Chief. When the spots disappeared from vision, she realized that Cortana had teleported forward—straight into the Chief. In a deft flick of her wrist, she knocked the soldier’s arms aside, sending the pistol skittering across the basement floor next to Rarity’s prone form. Cortana slammed her fist into the Chief’s chin, forcing the super-soldier to stagger backwards to maintain his balance. Swinging her left arm back down in a downward punch, the entity forced the Chief’s head to snap back down, before bending her elbow and jamming it sideways into his midsection, knocking the Chief onto his posterior.
As she advanced, the Chief rolled onto his left side, keeping his right leg elevated and bent. As soon as she came close enough, the Chief lashed out with a powerful side-kick, striking her on her collarbone. The entity roared angrily as it flew upwards, smashing through the roof and sailing into the library above them. A few startled screams came from upstairs, the realization suddenly hitting Twilight like a tidal wave. The others!
The soldier rose to his feet, trudging up the stairs and pushing past the small doorframe, shattering it. This elicited a few more screams from above. Twilight waited for a few moments before rushing to Rarity’s side, cradling the fashonista’s head in her forelegs, “R-Rarity! Speak to me! Say something!” She whispered furiously.
A loud WHUMP from upstairs made Twilight jump slightly, turning her attention to the gaping hole in the basement’s ceiling. The unicorn shivered unconsciously before staring at the blood trickling down Rarity’s lip.
Why…? Why wasn’t I able to teleport before? And why did she…?
She shook her head, dispersing the numerous questions surfacing in her thoughts, “Ngh, no! I need… I need to round up the others! It's time to end this!” She glanced forlornly at her unconscious friend, "And for that, I need to get Rarity awake." -- John ducked under a left hook, dropping his shoulder and slamming it into what once was Cortana. A loud clank ensued from the crystal colliding with the armor, followed by an even louder WHUMP as they smashed through the tree’s outer wall, sending the two tumbling out into the street.
As John slowly started to rise, he felt himself being flung upwards by a solid palm-strike to his chest. He landed a few feet away, clutching where he had been hit.
Cortana rose slowly, unfazed by the dozens of blows he had managed to land on her. John forced himself to one knee, gritting his teeth. Nothing was working. Physical blows obviously had no effect on whatever the hell this thing was; even the power enhancements of the MJOLNIR suit didn’t even leave a scratch. She, however, was certainly getting her licks in. Every blow would’ve killed him had he not been for the titanium-A plates that kept bone-shattering blows down to bruising ones.
“You don’t have to die, Johnny-boy,” Cortana said in a tone that was too playful, even for her. Then again, it wasn’t her, “Just give me the tether, and I’ll leave you to your bestiality, or whatever you’re trying to accomplish here.”
“Fuck you.” he spat angrily, still struggling to his feet.
“Oh, my, and he thinks he’s all grown up because he’s speaking their language!” she tutted again. Suddenly, her eyebrows shot up, causing John to turn around to see what she was looking at.
Six figures emerged from the interior of the library, all of them familiar. Even that sky-blue Pegasus, who he had thought hated him, was standing there. Twilight and her friends lined up, now wearing what appeared to be gold-plated necklaces. Each one bore a symbol that looked identical to the pictures that decorated their haunches. The only difference was that Twilight was wearing a sort of tiara in oppose to the necklaces her friends wore. John realized that this must’ve been what the Princess meant by ‘Elements’.
“Alright, Cortana! That’s quite enough!” Twilight cried, stopping before a bewildered John. She gave him a wink, flicking something with her magic. He caught it out of the air, scrutinizing the object. The silver slide of his M6D pistol glinted in the dim moonlight. A quick smile adorned John’s features; it was a more-than-welcome sight, aside from Twilight and her friends.
“I can’t allow you to hurt anypony else! We tried to negotiate with you, but you just won’t stop trying to hurt us! You’ve left us no other choice but to use the Elements of Harmony!” Twilight continued.
Much to her horror, Cortana’s grin widened, “Oh, what? Do you truly think magic can save you?”
“O-of course! The magic of friendship!” Twilight retorted, although obviously unsure of herself.
“You fool,” Cortana lifted an arm, pointing at Twilight, “I am magic.”
Twilight’s horn suddenly glowed an angry red. The unicorn’s eyes bulged out of her head as she scooted forward towards Cortana’s extended arm. No matter how much she fought the influence, however, her horn continued to pull her forward towards the entity.
“If I cannot get the tether for this host, I’ll just use you instead!” Cortana exclaimed.
John raised his pistol, pulling the trigger.
The bullet flew true, neatly landing on Cortana’s pupil. However, John’s stomach sank as the bullet was stopped cold, forced to slowly move away from the creature’s eyeball through some sort of unseen force.
Cortana raised her arm, causing Twilight to float upwards. “Ch-Chief! Help!” She squeaked.
John dropped the pistol, sprinting towards the two.
Cortana leaned her head against Twilight’s before her own body emanated a red identical to Twilight’s. In a brilliant flash, she disappeared, leaving only Twilight’s suspended body. The horn was grossly deformed, now bearing pulsing red crystals jutting out at every which angle.
Twilight turned to face John, tears staining her face, “J-John… Help…”
John opened his mouth to reply before a booming voice, different from before, echoed around him.
How touching.
Twilight’s eyes shut in pain, her face contorted. She thrashed about a few times while John could only look on in horror, taking a step back.
The unicorn’s convulsions slowly came to a stop, and her eyes snapped open. In place of Twilight’s lavender irises were glowing orbs of blinding light. Twilight’s mouth curved into a grin.
She is mine, now.
There was a sudden whizzing noise, and an explosion of pain blossomed in John’s abdomen. In a third flash, Twilight disappeared, only leaving her tiara, its shattered pieces laying where she had been suspended in midair.
Suddenly, John felt extremely cold, the feeling quickly leaving his extremities. His knees buckled, forcing him to kneel. A spatter of red invaded his blurry vision. There was a muffled scream as he keeled forward, resting on his polarized faceplate. A huge hand pressed down on his consciousness, squeezing it until he could no longer breathe. His vision faded to black, and everything became very still.
Initially, all Twilight could see, hear and feel was nothing, nor could she see her own body. It was as if someone had splashed black paint onto the very surface of her eyes. However, she could still feel the trembling of her legs, reminding her that she was still connected to her body.
And that she was conscious.
She continued to spin blindly, trying to spot any possible light sources in the unending dark. Was she dead? Didn’t most ponies who had come back from the dead tell of ‘seeing a light’? Twilight bit her lip unconsciously. If she wasn’t dead, then what was she? She shook her head. No, the better question was where was she?
Suddenly, she could hear a distant rumbling. Rather, she felt it. However, she couldn’t even discern the source, as everything around her remained pitch-black. She twisted her body to the left and right, disorienting her groggy mind.
A slight tugging sensation could be felt on her tail. She turned quickly, wincing a little when the one responsible would not let go, pulling her strands taut. She tried to yell, but no words could be heard. She could feel her vocal chords beating at the wall of her throat, but no sound would come out.
The rumbling noise grew closer, and the tugging sensation on her tail became more urgent. Now, an eerie red light could be seen in the distance. Initially, Twilight dismissed it as an illusion. However, it soon became apparent that it wasn’t one, especially when it flashed briefly when the rumble intensified.
Now thoroughly panicked, Twilight cried out again, although she couldn’t hear her own voice.
Instead, someone else’s voice was heard.
“Do you want to be caught by him?! Come with me, dammit!”
Caught…? Him? Who’s ‘him’?
The rumbling grew closer, and the red light became brighter. “That’s it! You don’t have a say in this anymore!” the voice growled.
Twilight’s limbs jerked forward as she started flying backwards. Panicking, Twilight wriggled furiously, struggling to pull her tail free. Unfortunately, it was no use.
The red light was close enough for Twilight to see her forelegs now, and the rumbling had escalated into a deafening roar. She arched her neck in an attempt to see her kidnapper, but her tail and flank were still lost in the dark. However, there was another light in the distance, this one an icy blue. Her rear legs suddenly burned, as if they had burst into flame. After a few moments, she realized that it was the cold that was causing it. Her short, quick breaths were now visible, fading away into the piercing red glare, which was threatening to overtake the two, and the roar was ringing painfully in her ears, as if her eardrums were going to rip themselves from her ear canals.
Again, Twilight tried to face whoever—or whatever—was dragging her towards the blue sphere at a maddening pace. She briefly wondered if Rainbow Dash could fly this quickly backwards, as she was doing now.
The biting cold was practically unbearable; despite her rear legs and posterior being almost completely numb, she could feel the steady, burning pain of her frozen limbs, as if they were smoldering logs in a dying campfire. She struggled feebly as the cold sapped her strength. Obviously, to no avail.
She bit her lip, her tears freezing fast to her cheeks. Is this the end…? Am I going to die?
“NO! You’re not going to die!”
Twilight’s head jerked up as she collided with the blue sphere. She cried out soundlessly as her body was submerged in subzero temperatures, painfully numbing everything all at once. She shut her eyes, her wild mane flapping in the bitterly cold winds the last thing she saw.
And then everything was very still. -- “Why do I have to tell him?!”
“Because you ‘looked into his mem’ries’, or whatever! That’s why!”
“Girls… please…”
“Well, you seem so eager to do it! And he lived on your farm, too! So why don’t you do it?!”
“What about that day you took him to the spa? Ah thought you talked with him that entire day!”
“Girls… He’s just inside…”
“Well, you made him breakfast!”
“What does that hafta do with—”
“GIRLS!”
Both ponies looked to the yellow Pegasus, who shied away from their sudden attention. “…Um… Please don’t get too loud… He’s just inside.”
The three mares peered a few feet down the hall at a door marked “527”, quickly turning their attention back inwards.
“…So, what’re we gonna do? Miss ‘Prissypants’ here don’t wanna do the talkin’.”
“Speaking of, look who’s talking.”
“Ladies!” A male voice exclaimed.
The two equines faced a tired-looking colt wearing a long white jacket, which read, “Dr. Greenbone”. He eyed them both with a withering glare. “I simply loathe to break into your… disruptive conversation.” Both Rarity and Applejack suddenly became very interested in their hooves. “Is this about that fellow in room 527?”
They all nodded.
He sighed. “Well, if that’s the case, then why don’t I break the ice for you? I need to give him his diagnosis, anyways.”
Again, they nodded in unison.
“Well, then. This way.”
The doctor blazed a path towards the door, rapping twice on it before entering. The girls followed quickly, filing in behind the doctor.
The soldier had been left on two hospital beds pressed together, the footrests lowered so that he could rest his legs on the other bed comfortably, although it was a tight fit. He was sitting upright at the moment, looking rather peculiar amidst the clean, white bedsheets still wearing his battle-scarred olive armor. A square of the “under-armor” had been cut away at his stomach, revealing a neat line of stitches in the middle of his abdomen. His helmet sat on an end table next to him, facing the window on the far side of the room. Upon noticing his helmet, their eyes were immediately drawn to the soldier’s haggard face.
John’s eyes didn’t even move, nor display any reaction to their entrance. Rather, they had dulled the last time they had seen them. They were set on the toes of his boots, a crestfallen expression adorning his facial features.
In his left hand, a peculiar metal object lay in his palm, its inner ring glowing with a soft, almost imperceptible blue light. In his right hand lay one of the broken fragments of Twilight’s Element, the golden tiara glinting gently in the afternoon sun streaming through the window.
“Hello, John! My name is Dr. Greenbone. I was the one who operated on you when you arrived here, although you were unconscious, so this is the first time we’ve officially met!” the doctor announced cheerily; it was practically the opposite of the annoyed, exhausted-looking colt that the three had seen outside earlier.
The human remained eerily silent.
“Anyways, I’m sure you’re wondering just what we did to keep you alive, so I’ll just bring you up to speed.” The doctor removed a clipboard from within his jacket, glancing over it. “Initially, we were practically stumped as to what we were supposed to do, but with a little deductive reasoning, we were able to see that there was a ruptured artery or something causing all of the internal bleeding. Although the placement of the organs was unfamiliar to me, it didn’t take much reasoning to figure out just what had happened, judging by the location of the wound.
“You were ‘shot’ in your abdominal aorta, which caused a rapid loss of blood from your circulatory system. This was what drove you into unconsciousness. It may also have caused severe numbness and loss of feeling in your extremities. So, of course, we had to find the artery and repair the damage. It was a rather delicate operation, but with a little help of some unicorn magic, as well as with the help of... a most unusual mare... We were able to patch you up.”
John’s right hand shifted, and the tiara fragment slid across its inclined surface. Other than that, he was still.
Now a bit flustered, the doctor continued, “I don’t know what kept you alive on your way here; most ponies would bleed out in minutes. And according to your friends here,” he nodded to the three mares standing behind him, “It had taken them at least ten minutes to drag you all the way over here. You’re very lucky to be alive.”
Silence reigned again.
“Well, then, if you need anything, just press the blue button on the side of your bed, and a nurse will be here to attend to your needs. You’ll be served your regular three meals a day, along with a couple of pain medications. Just take them with a glass of water, and you should be fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe these ladies would like to have a word with you.” The doctor paused at the door, gave a polite nod, and departed.
Another pregnant pause dominated the small living space. It had been at least several minutes until Rarity broke the silence with a soft cough. “Ahem… Er… John? How are you feeling?”
To her surprise, his hands balled into fists, and his eyes suddenly hardened, “Why were you in the basement with Twilight?”
Rarity bit her lip nervously, “Um… Well, you see—!”
“I already know she was using a ‘memory acquisition spell’,” he growled, “and you were there with her. So is there something you’d like to tell me?”
Her eyes widened momentarily, centering on the soldier momentarily before dropping to the floor again. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Chief. I tried to tell Twilight otherwise, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She was… always a bit too curious for her own good.”
The human scoffed. “Unbelievable. I respected her wish, and she just completely ignores mine.”
Applejack raised her brow. “What was this wish, John?”
“I said don’t call me that!” he snapped.
The orange farmpony practically wilted, falling to silence.
“All I wanted her to do was to respect my privacy. To not sift through my memories,” the soldier’s voice softened almost imperceptibly. “I didn’t want her to end up traumatized like I am.” John’s hands clenched into fists, the rubber pads on his gloves squeaking quietly in protest. “But that doesn’t matter now… She’s gone, along with Cortana.”
“Yeah. We kinda noticed,” Applejack sighed.
A long pause followed before Rarity finally plucked up the willpower to speak again. “I’m sure Princess Celestia is going to do—!”
“Nothing. She’s done nothing,” John stated simply. “She doesn’t even know her precious student is missing.”
All of the mares were quite surprised; none of them had known that the human had this level of knowledge. Her apprenticeship with the princess wasn’t something that she’d just tell to anypony.
“And to think she went on and on about how much Twilight meant to her,” the soldier mused.
“She means more to me than you shall ever know, John,” a familiar voice whispered.
Everypony but John gasped in surprise as a tall, white Alicorn strode through the doorway, a hint of anger burning in her lavender eyes. The three mares bowed instinctively. “Princess Celestia!” they cried in unison.
“I did sense a disturbance in the magical ley-lines, but I did not know what it was,” the Princess continued, practically ignoring the three equines. “I am not all-knowing, nor am I capable of discerning and classifying every single magical disturbance that occurs! By the time I even had a clue of what was going on, it was already too late.”
The soldier slowly turned, his eyes narrowed. “This had better not be another one of your secrets. Another one of your problems that you decided to bury.”
“As a matter of fact, John, it is.”
John shakily rose from his bed, swinging his legs over the side. He slowly stood, pocketing the trinkets in his palms in one of the empty pouches that were strapped on his waist. His eyes were bright with fury, his hands shaking from rage.
“Don’t. Call me that.,” he said slowly, his voice trembling.
“Now is not the time for arguing, as much as I’d like to,” the Princess stated with obvious difficulty. “For now, we need to focus our efforts on—”
“Stop brushing me off!” John’s fist disappeared into the wall, sending chunks of drywall skittering across the tiled floor. Fluttershy squealed in fright, fleeing the room. The soldier strode up to the Princess, jabbing a finger accusingly. “I'm tired of playing your game, Princess. From the start, I was tired of it. I had never sworn any sort of loyalty oath to you, as the first and last oath I ever swore was to the United Nations Space Core. The only reason I decided to follow your rules was because of Twilight. She earned my trust by expressing her concern for me. She assured me that you were one of the wisest beings she knew; that you worked hard to keep everyone safe.
“Of course, we all saw how well you took care of her. And now you expect me to obey you, after you failed to protect your prized pupil. You expect me to play along, be nice and be quiet? Well, let me tell you this, you half-rate goddess,” he leaned in close, nearly butting foreheads with her, “you don’t have any authority over me. You never did. All you had was my trust and respect, both of which have disappeared along with your overeager student.”
He remained staring defiantly at the Princess’s face for another few seconds before turning to face the window. He plucked the helmet off of the end table, setting it on his head. He turned to face the goddess, his angry expression now hidden by an emotionless faceplate. “Now move, before one of us does something we’ll both regret.”
The Princess remained unmoved by John’s tirade. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To the crash site. I’m going to get Cortana back, and then I’ll repair a dropship and leave this godforsaken planet,” he growled.
“After the Archmage wiped the floor with you? Do you really think that’s the best idea?”
The human was caught off-guard. “…Archmage?”
A victorious grin tugged at the corner of the Princess’s mouth. “Yes, Archmage. He is certainly not somepony to be trifled with, especially now that he has not one, but two minds at his disposal.”
The soldier crossed his arms. “And yet you simply decide to dawdle while an extremely dangerous magical entity is on the loose?”
“He’s not an entity; he was once a pony.”
John clenched and unclenched his hands. “As you said before, Princess, now is not the time to argue; say what you’re going to say, or clear out.”
The Princess acknowledged this by moving on to her explanation; “The Archmage was… my original student. As you know, I’ve lived thousands of years. When I…” she trailed off, gazing at John expectantly. He narrowed his eyes, but he slowly nodded his head, “It was after all that. When my sister and I were left to help lead the ponies towards rebuilding their society, he was the first unicorn to approach us. I can’t really remember his face that well, as he was among many other close friends in the royal court… But he was definitely the most eager to learn, and to use his knowledge to bring convenience and comfort to the lives of our species.
“It wasn’t long until he asked if I could provide lessons to help him further his abilities, and I simply couldn’t refuse. He had been invaluable in helping us bond with the ponies, and it was the least I could do to repay him. I soon made him the first Royal Archmage of Canterlot. I even granted him the gift of immortality, after he had proven himself quite worthy of the gift through earning his position. It was… unbelievably foolish of me. I was young and without cares; we had just vanquished the only being that had ever threatened our existence. It didn’t seem like a terrible idea at the time, but it wouldn’t be long before I would come to regret that decision.
“When his wife fell ill of an incurable plague that was ravaging our kingdom, he came to me for help. He asked me of how to heal her, to grant her immortality like I had done to him a few years before. When I told him that I could not share such a secret, he grew angry with me. After a heated exchange of insults and faults, he just… stopped showing up to our regular lesson sessions. He practically disappeared for two weeks. I respected his privacy and decided not to intrude by sending a guard to his home. I believed that he just needed some time to cool off; I could not give him the secret. Even so, granting his wife immortality would do nothing for her. It could give her the capacity to live forever, but only if she recovered from the illness that ailed her. And… I lacked the courage to tell him that it was hopeless, regardless of whether or not she received longevity. When she passed… he decided to make one last appearance in our royal court.”
The Princess fell silent, her gaze growing serious and hardened. She took a slow breath before continuing, “He was furious at my decision to have held back, that I had the chance to help his wife, and I had just left her to die. When I retorted that immortality could not save her, and that it only prevented the body from aging, he doubted my words, claiming that I was only trying to brush off the guilt, burying it under honeyed lies. He would not listen to me, and every attempt to help him see my reasoning was blocked. It wasn’t long before we were back at where we were two weeks ago, unable to reconcile with the other. It was here where I made my second mistake.
“In my anger, I exclaimed that the plague was incurable, and that there was nothing that anypony, not even I, could do. He retaliated by swearing an oath that he would find a way, even if he had to surpass me. And to do that… He would break the most important rule of magic. You see, to create something from nothing is forbidden in our world. For example, you cannot use magic to create material items, such as gold or weapons. But his goal was much more ambitious. He wished to create life from nothing. He would bring back his wife, and return to overthrow the kingdom that we both had struggled to pull back on its feet.
“This was enough to set my sister towards stopping him, but I had already taught the Archmage almost everything I knew of offensive magic, which nearly led to the demise of Luna. I was left no choice but to use celestial magic to shear his consciousness clean of his body, storing it in a sound crystal.”
“Wait… You just tore his soul out of him and threw it in a container?” John asked, suddenly unnerved.
“Well… Yes.”
“How?”
“It is forbidden for me to speak of it.”
“It just doesn’t seem possible.”
“It’s classified. I believe you know what that means.”
For several seconds, the Princess and John stared into each other's blank expressions.
Rarity nearly jumped out of her skin when the soldier started to laugh.
“You’re right. I do,” John admitted after his laugh had tapered off.
The Princess raised an eyebrow expectantly before the soldier only nodded. Her small smile quickly faded as she returned to her explanation. “As I was saying, we stored his consciousness in a sound crystal, and were forced to bury him in the Mild West desert. Once we had successfully bound the crystal to a binding totem—”
“Er.. Totem?” Applejack inquired.
“A magical artifact. Its common use was for trapping and storing magical energy for more taxing unicorn spells; like a magical crutch, if you will,” Rarity explained.
“If you buried it in the desert to the west of here, you believe that the shipwreck landed directly on the buried totem?” John asked, ignoring them completely.
“Correct. Although, I do not blame you,” the Princess continued. “Besides… This was something I had to deal with eventually.”
The Spartan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter; Cortana did mention a shipwreck before she was silenced. That’s got to be where this guy has settled down.”
After a long pause, John ventured another question. “Actually… I’ve been meaning to ask you this. Is there any sort of… mineral that’s relatively unbreakable? Other than diamond? And that glows?”
The Princess’s eyebrow rose, “I am not familiar with what you speak of. I haven’t really encountered any other glowing minerals other than magical crystals.”
“That might be it then…”
“What? What did you see?”
“The Archmage appeared in the shape of a… close friend of mine. When he attacked me, I found that he was virtually invincible; a solid punch to the jaw didn’t even faze him. And when it took Twilight, the same mineral had accumulated on her horn in large crystals,” the soldier explained quickly, “At least, that was what I had seen.”
“I cannot explain this… I don’t believe I’ve ever seen or heard of anything like this,” The Princess admitted, shaking her head, "I can say, however, that I taught him how to animate and manipulate inanimate, inorganic objects. It's like telekinesis, but extremely complicated. It's very possible that he has used this ability to create a replica of your friend. If he has control over her mind, or at least latched on to her consciousness with his own, it would not be hard for him to create a replica out of crystal. As for this mineral... I have no idea of what it could be,"
The Princess's jaw set. “However, I realize that the Archmage has taken Twilight for no apparent reason, other than to hurt me.”
“Perhaps…,” Fluttershy whispered. She squeaked in dismay when all eyes in the room were riveted on her. She lowered her head, hiding behind her pink mane. “I-I’m sorry… I’ll… I’ll just leave now…”
“Consarnit, Fluttershy! Just say it! We’re not mad atcha!” Applejack exclaimed hurriedly. Unfortunately, this only made it worse for the cream-yellow Pegasus, who darted for the door.
“Fluttershy,” John began, startling everypony, “we’re going to need every clue we can get. Your opinion matters. Just tell us. We’re all ears.”
The Pegasus nervously peered out from under her mane before setting her jaw, “O-okay. Well, I was thinking… Maybe he could have figured out a way using magic to save his wife… And that it involves taking Cortana and Twilight.”
“So you mean that this mage fella could be usin’ them as some sorta magical ingredient to bring back his dead marefriend?!” Applejack asked, not noticing her voice’s overbearing volume.
“This also means we’ll have less time, counting on the fact that he’s not using them as hostages, but rather as a piece of his ‘project’,” the Princess sighed.
“Then we need to get to the crash site!” Applejack cried.
“Oh, I’m sorry, darling! We should have listened to you in the first place!” Rarity apologized.
“You can make it up to him later; we can’t waste any more time!” Applejack exclaimed.
“We can take my carriage there; it’s waiting outside the hospital.” The Princess nodded towards the open doorway. “Meet us there; we’ll be right behind you three.”
“Right! C’mon, everypony! We’ve gotta grab Pinkie and Rainbow before we can head off!”
The three mares made a swift exit, leaving the Spartan and the Alicorn alone.
John moved as if to push past the Princess, but she stopped him with an outstretched wing. “Wait. I must ask you something first,”
“Spit it out. You heard what she said,” the soldier began.
“John, how could you have just brushed everything off so easily?”
“What?”
“You were just... so quick to change your demeanor. You were going to bite my head off a few seconds ago.” The Princess shifted uncomfortably. “What changed?”
“Our interests happen to coincide. That’s it.”
“So… you've forgiven Twilight and Rarity?
John paused before answering simply, “I’m trying to.” With this, he gently moved her wing out of his path, ducking out of the low doorway and making his way towards the stairs in an awkward crouch, struggling to keep his head from smashing into the ceiling. Eventually, the Sun Goddess left the hallway, not noticing a familiar pair of golden eyes peering into the room. There was a flash of cyan, and the twin golden orbs vanished.
“It was similar to how you started off, but it was much more immediate,” Cortana explained. “That sea of nothing we were dropped into; it was like nothing I’ve ever encountered.”
Twilight’s confused expression began to wane as she sighed. “Yes, although I’m confused as to why you were so desperate back there. I mean, why would you want to help me? We’ve never met. You owe me nothing, and yet you risked your life for me. Why?”
“Well, you are the first consciousness that I’ve happened upon in the last four years that didn’t try to assimilate or delete me. Also, having the possibility of contact with another entity seemed attractive at the time… which may or may not have influenced my previous desperation.”
Twilight frowned. “I guess four years is a long time to be alone.”
A long silence passed between the two before the unicorn mustered the courage to break it with another question. “Do you… have any friends?”
Cortana gave her an irritated expression. “I’m a combat artificial intelligence, Miss Sparkle. I’m sure making friends is one of my top priorities while on the battlefield.”
Twilight opened her mouth to give an example of a friend she’s made, but thought better of it and clamped her mouth shut. The construct was right; why would she want to make friends? Such a stupid question, Twilight! Her ears drooped, much to Cortana’s dismay.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be sarcastic. My… previous partner usually ignored it.”
The purple equine smiled a little at the thought; a sarcastic AI chatting incessantly in the super-soldier’s ear, driving the poor man to near-insanity. She immediately shook her head. “It’s fine.”
Twilight shifted in her sitting position so she was now facing Cortana. “So, do you have any idea as to what this thing is? Why it’s doing all this?”
“I’m not sure. He just snatched me up out of the Dawn’s circuits before I even noticed him. By the time I was aware of his presence, he had already trapped me.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Could you elaborate? And it’s a he?”
“It was very strange, really,” the construct began. “I was running diagnostics on what was still functional aboard the Dawn when I was suddenly surrounded like nothing, just like you described. Everything was dark. I also noticed that I no longer had access to the Dawn’s functions. A few hours must’ve passed before I noticed something else in the dark. A distant light source of sorts; a single spark in the unending void. Naturally, I moved towards whatever this thing was, thinking it was an exit. That’s when I ran into him.”
“What do you mean? Like you just turned around and he was there?” Twilight inquired.
“Well, no. He spoke to me.”
“What did he say?”
Cortana hesitated before continuing. “He made contact with my awareness. Gave me an introduction. His name was Snowflake, if I recall.” She chewed the words carefully as she pronounced the full name. “Ephemeral Snowflake. Sort of a silly name for someone as dangerous as he is.”
“What did he say after that?”
“That I was going to help him pull off some great achievement in the history of Quesentria… something along those lines. I didn’t catch everything. I was preoccupied at the time,” the construct explained quickly.
“Doing what?” Twilight asked, her frustration building with the construct’s ambiguity.
“Making this place,” Cortana replied, gesturing to the white emptiness that surrounded them. “I’ve run into situations like this before, and I wasn’t going to take any chances in letting him get that close to my consciousness.”
The unicorn glanced around, her brow raised quizzically. “Could’ve made it a little less bland,” she mused.
“I’m an AI. I may have a real mind’s personality, but personal preferences aren’t something I honestly care about,” the construct replied, waving a hand dismissively.
“Actually, I wanted to ask you about that,” Twilight began. “Who were you based off of?”
“Long story,” Cortana cut her off. “Look, do you want me to tell you what else I heard from this guy or not?” she asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.
“Ah; sorry…” Twilight apologized. “Continue.”
“As if I needed any more encouragement,” Cortana grumbled, rising to her feet. “Anyways, he needs two minds to control in order to do whatever he’s trying to pull off.”
“How do you know that?” Twilight asked, her tone skeptical. “He just… told you?”
“Villain monologues. Didn’t think they actually did that,” Cortana mused. She put her hands on her holographic hips. “So that’s why we’re both here: We’re those two minds he’s trying to control.”
“But… it doesn’t seem like he’s done anything yet, other than possess our bodies,” Twilight retorted.
“Right. And that is because he hasn’t been able to destroy our tethers.”
“I do remember him asking John about—”
“Wait, John’s alive?”
Twilight blinked. She had forgotten to tell the construct about her experiences with the super-soldier, despite them not being the most pleasant. “Y-yes. At least, when I was still in control of my body, he was.”
“Is he hurt? Is he—” Cortana paused in mid-sentence before continuing calmly, “Well. I guess this is good news.”
Twilight lost it. “You guess?! What was all that just now, then?!”
“What was what?” the construct asked innocently.
“Ugh. You know what? Never mind. Just tell me what those tethers are. I remember hearing this before Mr. Snowflake took over my body.”
“Well, think about it this way: Other than this barrier I put up, why do you think he wasn’t able to take us over as soon as he made that ‘contact’ with us?”
“Er… Contact as in what?”
Cortana sighed. “That ‘nothingness’ you and I experienced earlier. Technically, it’s a sort of telepathic contact, since he did have control over our senses, right?”
“Right.”
The AI paused, mulling over in indecision. “…Okay, I know this will sound weird, but I’ve been through something like this before,” she began. “But there’s no time for me to explain, so I’m just going to ask you to trust me on this one.”
Twilight cocked her head. “You’ve been through something like this before?” Her tone was even more skeptical than before.
“Just trust me, okay?!” Cortana hissed. “Usually, when they’re trying to occupy your body, you’d think that you’d both occupy the same mind, right?”
“Uh, sure. Why not?” Twilight replied, trying to appease the angry construct.
“Well, you don’t feel a presence or anything, do you?”
“Only yours because you’re standing in front of me.”
“That’s the power of this ‘tether’. I’m guessing it’s an item that bonds you to somebody else, or to another consciousness,” Cortana explained. “When fighting another consciousness, I discovered that it’s important to cling to something you believe in.” Twilight’s ears perked up when the AI’s voice softened momentarily. “Or someone.” Cortana turned on the unicorn. “And you said John was with you when you encountered Snowflake?”
“Yes; he asked him for a tether.”
“Then he must be looking for my neural interface chip.” The AI’s eyes bore into Twilight. “Think! What could he use as a tether for you?”
Ideas began to fire off in Twilight’s mind. What could a tether be for me? The Element of Magic? My first textbook from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns? She shook her head, cutting off any more ridiculous assumptions. “I-I don’t know. The only one I can think of has already been broken.” Her Element of Magic drifted in front of her mind’s eye.
A loud series BOOMs shook the entire enclosure. Cortana stumbled, struggling to remain upright. Twilight scrambled to her feet. “W-what’s going on?!”
“Damn! How can he get through that firewall I put up?!” the AI cursed. Cortana glanced upwards, eyeing a spider-web crack appear in the seamless ceiling, spreading quickly with each BOOM. “He must be getting desperate…” The construct bit her lip. “Although, he can’t do anything to us even if this barrier didn’t exist… He doesn’t have the tethers. He should be powerless…” Twilight thought she heard the construct gulp. “…Shouldn’t he?”
The entire ceiling shattered in an explosion of plaster and dust.
--
John stood at the head of the carriage, ignoring the two guards’ stares. His eyes were fixed on the smoke pillar in the distance, where the Dawn would be located. His mind drifted back to the fearful ponies behind him.
C’mon, John. All of this was circumstantial. You’ve got to understand; they’re not at fault.
He frowned. As much as he wanted to blame this situation on them, he knew he couldn’t. His anger flared again, however, upon remembering that he wasn’t to blame either. The ship had crashed on the planet from its gravitational pull, not to mention the control of the engines was lost with the—
“Why can’t I just fly ahead?! I could get Twilight outta there in a snap, but I’ve gotta wait with you guys!” a scratchy voice complained.
“It’s not that simple, Rainbow! I know you weren’t there, but the creature that attacked us in Ponyville was more than a match for all of us!” Rarity exclaimed. Her voice lowered noticeably as she continued. “Even for him…”
John felt six pairs of eyes bore into the back of his head. Once again, he ignored them. Although it was a bit of stubbornness behind the gesture, he knew he had to avoid talking with them if he was going to keep his anger under control.
Unfortunately, this provoked “Rainbow.”
“WHAT?! Whaddya mean?! That super-soldier wasn’t able to take down whatever that thing was?! There can’t be a single creature in all of Equestria that could take down this guy so easily! Sorry for bringing this up again, Applejack, but he beat the tar outta your brother! And there aren’t very many ponies—or living things, for that matter—that can out-muscle Big Macintosh! He’s the strongest pony in Ponyville!”
The Spartan felt some comfort in that. She really did have faith in him.
“But all of a sudden, when he’s confronted by his old girlfriend, he can’t even swing a punch!”
That was it.
The Spartan whirled on the owner of the voice, marching over to the Pegasus. He stared down at her, to which she responded with a defiant glare. “Leave her out of it.”
“I said—!”
“Enough! Both of you!” Fluttershy shouted, shocking the two into silence. She immediately backed off, squeaking in dismay. “O-oh! Sorry! I… um… I hope I didn’t…meep!”
“Fluttershy! I thought you were supposed to be on my side!”
Rarity stepped forward, putting herself between Rainbow and the yellow Pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, you have no idea what you’re saying!” The unicorn glanced at the Spartan, her eyes brimming with sorrow. “You have no idea what he’s been through. What… they’ve been through. And throwing around fault needlessly isn’t going to help us closer as a team!”
“When did you ever think there ever was a team, Miss Rarity?” John asked quietly.
Rarity’s head swiveled around, an appalled look on her face. “But aren’t you coming with us to help—”
“I’m only helping Cortana.” John strode up to the rail, his eyes fixed on the approaching column of smoke. “I don’t owe any of you a single favor. None of you have done anything for me, after all.”
“But, you do owe Twilight,” Celestia’s deep voice intervened.
John turned on the Princess, his voice dropping dangerously low. “Owe her what?”
“She saved you from my recklessness!” she exclaimed. “I was ready to have you executed for all that you had done; beat one of my subjects to near-death, intentionally evading those I had assigned to watching you, and then you come within a hair’s breadth of killing somepony that truly meant everything to me. And yet, even after you had thrown that knife at her, she still intervened on your behalf.”
“She was repaying me for carrying her away from the forest she chased me into,” the Spartan muttered dismissively.
"Chief, she told me what she wanted to do with you. She told me about what she thought of you. You're not a bad person, and that she wanted to give herself to you as a friend, ever since you told her that you had none."
The Spartan turned away, staring at the approaching smoke column of the Dawn's wreck. "I don't need her."
"You're not even going to give her a chance?"
"Why should I?"
"All I'm asking you do is at least allow her the opportunity."
The Chief turned on his heel, facing the alicorn. "And if I refuse...?"
"STOP! PLEASE!"
Several surprised gazes rested on a cream-yellow pegasus. "Please... Stop arguing... We're all in this together, now, and I don't think the ones we're trying to save would want us to break up..."
"Ah think what she's tryin' to say is that arguin' and fightin' over who did what ain't gonna help us get closer to our goal," Applejack explained. "We can't get angry at each other over whose fault it was; everythin's in the past, now. All we kin' do is try to deal with the situation."
"Yeah; the faster we do this, the faster we get to all go our separate ways," Rainbow added, a hint of contempt in her voice.
"My apologies, my little ponies. It's just that I wanted to inform him of Twilight's intentions before any incorrect assumptions could be made. After all..." She glared at John's visor. "An old friend told me not to be so quick to pass judgement."
The Spartan returned her glare with a cold gaze, unmoved by her recycling of his words.
The scene was interrupted by one of the pegasi pulling the cart. “Ma’am! We’ll be touching down in twenty seconds!”
Giving the alicorn a quick nod, the five mares crowded at the opposite end of the carriage to get a glimpse of the crash site. Five gasps sounded off almost simultaneously.
The Dawn’s wreck was almost completely enveloped in a series of purple crystalline formations, similar to the crystal that they had seen in Ponyville a day before. Thousands of small facets jutted out from the hull in various angles, bringing the image of a porcupine or pincushion to mind. The plume of smoke still rising from the crash site seemed to be blown upwards by a draft that seemed to emanate from the crystals, keeping the view devoid of obstruction by the fumes.
The carriage set down at the sand on the eastern rim of the impact crater. The two pegasi guards detached themselves from the carriage while the occupants disembarked in silence. The seven figures faced the crash site, jaws set in grim determination.
“Sorry about earlier.”
John’s head swiveled to the source of the apology: Rainbow Dash.
“I shouldn’t have said that; it really is nobody’s fault. It was the heat of the moment, and I just wanted someone to blame. But… I was wrong to think that way.”
John returned to staring at the crash site. “Sometimes, there are some things that just happen. Even if you don’t want them to.”
Rarity chuckled. “Are you sure you’re not a philosopher, Mr. Chief?”
Everypony gave her a stern glare. “…Tough crowd,” she muttered.
Again, they faced the crash site. In unison, they all took their first steps forward.
The sand in front of them bulged outward, bursting with an earsplitting CRACK. Particles flew everywhere, obstructing their vision. Coughing and sputtering, the ponies retreated a few paces backwards.
John felt a painful blow impact the stitches below his underarmor, forcing him two steps back. He straightened up, crouching slightly and bringing his arms up. He glanced at his motion tracker, finding a single red blotch in addition to the six red blotches which marked the Princess and the others.
And he watched it split into two. After another ten seconds, it split into four.
Curiosity made John look around, struggling to see through the sand whipping in the updraft of the glowing crystals. The Spartan jolted a little when he saw one of the crystals move. An arm pushed up out of the sand below the crystal, before the sand gave way, revealing a little humanoid that resembled something of a golem.
The sharp crystal shard jutted out of its back, while its two feet and arms were made up of sandstone. Two glowing violet eyes peered out from the gritty shell, a small mouth curved into a permanent frown. It howled an inhuman roar, which resembled the earth’s rumbling when there was an earthquake.
Other crystals that were poking out of the ground began to shift and move, revealing dozens of the little golems. They surrounded the group in a wide half-circle, their beady eyes glimmering maliciously.
The golem responsible for the first hit, however, was a larger, more “developed” one. It was three times the height of the other golems, and instead of a large shard protruding from its back, it boasted a smooth, crystalline surface with only occasional areas of sandstone around its hands and feet. Its face was shockingly human, wearing a mischievous smirk.
“What are these things, Princess? Ever encounter these before?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Ooh! They look kinda like sugar crystals!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing in place.
“These are magical golems. Usually made with magical crystals that seem to be in abundance around here…” the Princess trailed off. “It’s only with pure magical essence that such crystals can be made. I have a feeling that Twilight may have had a hoof in this.”
“How d’ya know that?” Applejack inquired, her eyes darting between the encroaching golems.
“Their color; it’s purple, just like her magic,” the Alicorn replied. “If I recall correctly, the Archmage’s magic was a pale blue; he shouldn’t have been able to channel any magic of his own except through Twilight’s body.”
“Explains the distasteful décor…” Rarity mused.
“So, any plans, Chief?” Rainbow asked, turning to John.
Except John wasn’t there.
The Spartan threw a vicious right hook into a golem’s face, easily crumbling the pitiful sandstone. The large crystal shard in its back went flying, thudding against the sand a few yards away. The dozens of golems let out another roar before collapsing on the Spartan, their collective running creating a small earthquake.
The six mares charged all at once, moving to assist him.
“Ugh! C-Cortana? You okay?!” Twilight managed to yell between coughs. She blinked furiously, trying to clear her eyes of the painful pinpricks of dust. She held her breath, her ears perked up, struggling to hear anything above the last pieces of the ceiling thudding against the ground.
“Cortana! Where are you?” the unicorn continued, spinning in a circle. Her squinted eyes scanned the immediate area, finding nothing but more dust clouds. Stumbling forward over a large chunk of plaster, Twilight instinctively summoned a gentle breeze to clear the dust, just as she had done before in the smoky clearing a few days ago.
The dust swirled upwards, leaving through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Cortana’s “firewall” seeped through, fingers of ice already grasping the edges of the makeshift entrance. Twilight shouted upon seeing a pair of cold, blue eyes staring at her from a few meters away. The owner of the eyes fell under her scrutiny.
It was an older colt, his messy, snow-white mane accented by his brilliant glacial-blue coat. An ornate purple robe decorated his chest and flanks, including a hood that draped partially over his wild mane. A sharp horn poked out from between his long bangs, glinting dimly in the whiteness. He gave her a little smile greeting her with a delicate, feminine voice.
“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise? It’s nice to finally meet you, Miss Sparkle.”
Twilight was surprised at how well he enunciated his words. A magic user powerful enough to break through Cortana’s barrier, and apparently a skilled orator to boot. She gritted her teeth, a feeling of unease settling into her gut. “W-Who’re you?” she asked, although she already knew what he was going to say.
“I thought you’d never ask, my dear.” The unicorn lowered his hood, tossing his head so his bangs parted. “My name is Ephemeral Snowflake. I am the ex-Arch Mage of Celestia’s Court. And your name is Twilight Sparkle, judging from your memories that I’ve acquired along with your body.”
The purple unicorn’s expression turned into one of disgust. “So you’re behind that whole masquerade back at my library. Why are you doing all of this? Just so you can have your name put in Equestria’s history books?!”
To her surprise, Snowflake laughed. It was a musical, but simultaneously harsh and terrifying, echoing in the large chamber. “Ohoho, it is much more complicated than that, my dear.”
He stood taller, grinning confidently. “You see, my wife was killed by your mentor and teacher, Miss Sparkle. As indirect as it was, that fact is irrelevant. She refused to teach me the magic to renew my beloved, leaving her to wither away with the infernal rot that plagued ponykind during my time.” He raised a foreleg at her. “And you, as well as that other construct that I’ve captured, will be assisting me in bringing her back from the void.”
Twilight scowled. “How’s that supposed to work? Starswirl the Bearded himself claimed that there is no magic that can restore life! Life is precious and fragile; built upon memories and experience! It’s not something that can be simply conjured out of thin air!”
Snowflake chuckled. “Oh, my, my. Starswirl the Bearded? Is that what he called himself? The young pipsqueak could scarcely grow a single speck of facial hair when he served as my understudy…” His expression darkened. “Well, my dear, it’s quite simple. All I need to do is exchange your lives for hers. And with the assistance of the ley-lines that are in abundance here, I’ll be able to conduct the channeling ritual with your body, which you’ve so kindly donated to the cause.”
“You’re insane!” was all Twilight could think to say.
“Hm. I’m disappointed that you think so, my dear.” The purple unicorn’s scowl deepened. She was getting tired of that. “For you see, things have already been set in motion, and I can’t have you getting in my way. I’ve waited thousands of years for this opportunity, and I’m not going to let it slip through my hooves.” His horn began to glow. “So if you’re not willing to cooperate, I’ll have to make you understand.”
A massive purple orb of energy materialized out of thin air, thrumming loudly. Snowflake tossed his head, and the ball accelerated forward, rocketing towards a hapless Twilight Sparkle. Shouting in panic, Twilight focused on a spot several feet to her right, her horn flashing brightly. She disappeared just as the energy smashed into the floor, vaporizing the fragile plaster.
Reappearing a couple meters away from the smoking crater, Twilight immediately cast a barrier around herself, gritting her teeth as she directed her energy into sustaining and strengthening the shield. The Archmage now wore a crazed grin, his cold eyes now wild with power. “Aha! Another student in magic! Now this should be fun!”
“You’re crazy!” Twilight cried from within her shield. The Archmage responded with a barrage of purple projectiles, which smashed into the shield’s surface, washing it with a lavender glow. The purple unicorn winced, her horn brightening as she struggled to keep the flow of magic constant in repairing the barrier. Each impact generated a small burst of smoke, eventually encasing the shield entirely in an opaque violet fog. Whirling around wildly, Twilight’s eyes scanned the mist, biting on her lip.
“I prefer the term ‘unorthodox.’”
The purple unicorn started to turn to the source before a splash of something practically molten impacted her right side. The shield shuddered as Twilight’s concentration wavered momentarily, eventually vanishing. Rolling to her hooves, the mare glanced at the source of the pain.
Her coat was singed badly from a magical projectile that the Archmage had fired from within her shield, revealing a patch of charred skin underneath. Biting her lip to keep herself from crying out, she turned back to the purple haze that was still dissipating. An unimpressed Snowflake emerged. “You’re way out of your league, my dear. It’d be easier to quit while you’re ahead.”
Twilight shook her head violently. “My mind is my own! And I intend to keep it that way!”
“Wrong answer.”
Snowflake reappeared in front of Twilight, his horn already aglow. Before Twilight could yell out, a shockwave passed through her, sending her flying backwards. She tumbled end-over-end, eventually skidding to a stop.
“I’ll ask you again,” the colt sighed. “Will you aid my cause? This can all end if you just say—”
“No! That’s my only answer!”
“That’s rather unfortunate.” The colt’s horn flashed with magical energy. “I can’t let anything get in my way, even if that means having to find another mind to subdue.” His expression softened. “She didn’t deserve to die. It was unlucky, and nopony deserved a fate as cruel as hers. The cure was there… and yet the Princess didn’t give it to me!” He stomped the ground, his eyes alight with anger. “She reserves the right to her kind! To Alicorns! Leaving us normal ponies in the dust! To rot, while she is allowed to exist for all eternity! It’s unfair that she keep it to herself, and I’m going to resolve this injustice at any cost!” He cantered forward. “I’ll just use one of your friends’ minds instead!”
Twilight began to backpedal away from the Archmage, fear running rampant in her mind. “S-stay back!” was all she could muster. “My m-mind is… My mind is—!”
“Ah’m comin’, Twi!”
An orange blur crashed into the Archmage, bowling him over. As the blue colt tumbled over, the creature lashed out with its hind legs, bucking him square in the jaw. He flew another four feet before colliding with the ground, raising a cloud of dust as he landed.
“Somepony call for artillery?”
Snowflake looked up—straight into a massive cannon. An explosion of confetti and streamers later, he was airborne again, tumbling end-over-end in midair.
“C’mere, flankface!”
Twilight blinked, and Snowflake was gone. Glancing around, she could faintly hear a whistling noise from above. As soon as she looked up, the ground in the distance exploded, spraying bits of stone and plaster everywhere. A very angry-looking Rainbow Dash landed next to her, giving the impact crater a raspberry.
Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie sidled up to her, seemingly out of nowhere. “Twilight! You’re hurt!” Rarity exclaimed.
“Girls… How…?”
“Here. Let me help.” Fluttershy dropped a small picnic basket, opening it to reveal a host of medical supplies. She selected a salve, holding it down and unscrewing the cap with her mouth.
“No. It’s not possible…” Twilight blinked several times. Her friends were definitely standing in front of her. They looked real enough. The cool touch of the salve was real. Their voices certainly weren’t imagined.
“No worries, Twi. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters!” Rainbow flashed a grin.
“Sorry that it took us so long to find you…” Fluttershy kicked at the ground bashfully.
“Stop!” In surprise, everypony shut up momentarily. “As much as I appreciate the help, it’s not possible for you to be here,” Twilight began. “This is in my head. And I don’t think any kind of magic could—”
“Ah, the power of memories.”
The six mares whirled on the impact crater, which now sported a frazzled-looking colt atop it. His robe was tattered, but his mane and complexion were still pristine, save for a small cut on his left cheek, which dribbled blood down his chin. “It is not magic that brought them here, Miss Sparkle. You did.”
Twilight cocked her head, as did her friends. “Remember, this is all within your head. You have the ability to bring in whatever—or whomever—you wish. However,” the colt pawed the ground. “It will still do you no good.”
“Oh, yeah? Bring it then!” Rainbow started forward before a purple hoof stomped on her tail.
“Hold up!” Twilight cried.
The Pegasus obeyed, turning to face the unicorn. “What for?”
“Listen! Just because you managed to land a few decent blows on him, that was only because you all had the element of surprise. And even when you were all working together, all you managed to get was a scratch.” The unicorn hung her head. “Guys, he’s too strong. I… I’m not sure that we can even win.”
“Oh, come on, we’ve got this!” The Pegasus flapped her wings, taking off to hover in place. “We’ve beaten Nightmare Moon, a powerful Alicorn! Prob’ly as powerful as Princess Celestia herself! We wiped the floor with Discord, probably the most dangerous Draconnequus in all of Equestria! And this time, we’ve got it easy! We’re going up against a unicorn! Not a god or a celestial being!”
“You can’t just give up so quickly, Twi,” Applejack advised. “Rainbow’s right; we’ve faced tougher things in the past; this’ll be a snap as long as we use our numbers to our advantage.”
“B-but… You’re just memories. You’re not real.” Twilight’s voice broke.
They all exchanged nervous glances before fixing their gazes on the unicorn. “We don’t know if what you’re saying is really true or not, figuring how we simply appeared here in the first place,” Rarity began. “But we’re not going to let you submit to that stuck-up unicorn!”
Everypony’s eyes drifted to Rarity. Upon her realization of the meaning of her words, she stomped a hoof angrily. “That stuck-up unicorn! Not me!”
“She’s right; we can’t let you just lay down and give up.” Fluttershy lowered her head. “Even though you think we’re not real… We still want to help you.”
“Yeah! Even if we’re just in your head, we’re still your friends!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Twilight bit her lip, her gaze sweeping through the doppelgangers. “I…” She gulped audibly. “I… Y-you’re right. I can’t give up. Now that you’re here,” she rubbed at her eyes. “I’ve got a chance. We’ve got a chance.”
“That’s the Twilight I know!” Rainbow cheered.
“Are you all done, yet?”
The six mares turned, each one wearing a grim expression, their jaws set in determination. Snowflake returned their glares with an emotionless mask. “I’d very much like to end this little farce now.”
“Call it what you will,” Twilight ventured, “But over the months of adventuring with my friends, I’ve learned that there is nothing more powerful than the embodiment of companionship; of comradery; of friendship!”
“Then show me, my dear.”
Twilight gave her friends a quick nod, and they all charged forward, their individual tasks already in mind.
--
Grabbing the golem’s head, John smashed it into his left kneecap, the brittle sandstone fragmenting against the Titanium-A metal. He dropkicked the crystallic remains into a large group crowding his front, bowling through the smaller golems like a row of ninepins. A large red blip appeared on his motion-tracker behind him. Whirling on the ball of his foot, John lashed out with his right arm in a vicious back-knuckle, his fist smashing clean through the larger golem’s head. He glanced at the armor-plated glove, wincing upon seeing the deep scratches the crystal had left in his armor. This stuff is harder than Titanium-A plating?
He glanced around at the numerous golems surrounding him. If this keeps up, I’ll be down to my underarmor in a matter of minutes. He eyed a hole in the ship’s hull. Maybe I can find the armory. It wouldn’t be too hard navigating; as long as the interior’s still intact and unblocked.
“Chief, watch out!”
Something heavy yanked on John’s back. Thrown off-balance, the Spartan tumbled backwards, landing on the golem responsible. The remaining ones swarmed him, rushing forward in a maddened charge, eager to tear the soldier’s armor to shreds.
“Don’t worry! Pinkie’s bringing the party!”
Pink filled John’s vision, blotting out most of the light. A weight could be felt on his chest, along with a sudden increase in pressure accompanied by a loud bang and whistling noise. “Woohoo! Didn’t think confetti could hurt so much, didja?!”
“I’d say thank you, but you’re sitting on my face.”
The party pony rolled off of the Spartan, bringing her party cannon with her. “Whups! Didn’t see you there!”
Wiping his visor off, John scrambled to his feet. Glancing around, he quickly surveyed the battlefield, his eyes subconsciously drifting to the equines still duking it out with whatever remained of the exterior “guards.” However, something curious caught his attention. The Princess wasn’t using her magic, and neither was Rarity.
Whirling, kicking and punching, the Chief made his way over to them. “Why aren’t you flinging them away with that telekinesis?”
“I can’t use magic! All I receive is a shower of sparks from my horn!” Rarity cried.
“I have fared no better,” the Princess added, rearing up to stomp on a smaller golem daring to take her on alone.
That must’ve been why Twilight didn’t teleport back at the library. This crystal must neutralize magic. “Well, see if you can hold your own for awhile longer. There’s a breach in the hull, and I’m going to keep going; see if I can find myself something to even the odds a little bit.”
“I’m going with you, then,” the Princess replied. “I think I might be able to talk some sense into the Archmage if we see him.”
“With all due respect, Princess, you did bind him to a totem in the middle of a desert for over a millennium. I’m sure wanting to talk it out is the last thing he’d think of.”
“But it is still my student that is in danger!” The Princess shook her hind leg, freeing it from a golem that had clung to it. “Regardless of whether or not the Archmage is willing to negotiate, I’ve got to get to Twilight.”
“Trust me, you’ll only get in the way,” John retorted.
“Then so be it! I will not stay here while my student is in danger inside that wreck!”
John glanced back at the golems rising out of the sand, good as new. No time to argue.
“Fine. Follow me. But if all of you are coming along, you’d better keep up. I’m not slowing down for anybody.”
“Oh, yeah? I should be saying the same thing to you!” A sky-blue Pegasus shot off towards the ship, landing near the hull breach. “C’mon!”
The remaining party members sprinted towards the entrance, encircling it in a rough semicircle as they tried to slow their attackers’ advance.
“Keep moving. Once we get to the hole, I’ll need two to stay behind and keep the rest from coming in. The hull will act as a choke point and keep it down to only a few engagements at a time,” John advised.
“Rainbow and I can stay; y'all git a move on!” Applejack cried, planting her hooves firmly on the charred metal near the breach.
“We’re counting on you guys!” Rainbow went into a low crouch, her wings outspread.
“Same with you two! Good luck!” Rarity added before following the Princess and the others down the hallway.
John’s eyes were automatically glued to the ground, scanning for any arrows for direction. He let out a breath he had been holding upon seeing a red arrow marked “Armory.” He quickened his pace, ignoring the shouts of protest from behind him. Skidding around a corner, he instinctively let himself fall backwards when a vicious punch from a taller golem nearly decapitated him. Bringing his knees to his chest, he kicked outwards, his heavy metal boots smashing through its center. John grinned. They’re not invincible like the library encounter; must’ve only been the Archmage keeping his previous body that way.
Hopping upright, John continued down the hall, following the arrows deeper into the ship. He slowed as he approached a heavy door blocked by a large crystal jutting out into the doorway. Gripping the crystal tightly, John heaved himself backwards, easily ripping the mineral off of the metal. He repeated the process several times before finally clearing the doorway. He planted his hands in the door’s seam, groaning as he exerted his full strength on forcing it open.
As soon as there was enough room, he jammed himself in between the door panels, sandwiching his hands between himself and the door. Spreading his legs a little, he struggled to straighten out his arms, lowering them when the familiar “click” of the door locking in place echoed through the silent hallway.
“Everybody in.”
The six mares moved inside, giving the doorframe a nervous glance, as if it was going to snap back into place. John followed, giving the door a deft cuff on the side. The door lock released, the panels slamming closed. He swiveled around, turning away from the door.
As usual, the shelves were brimming with weapons, although not all of them were in their proper places. Many had found their new homes on the floor. Some had even been partially crystallized inside more of the crystal growths that jutted out through the metal depressions which held the weapons.
In addition, the ordinance locker was shut tight, its surface sealed shut by a layer of crystal which had glazed it over. Opening it was out of the question; trying to forcefully open a locker of explosives just didn’t seem like a good idea.
As he moved to the shelves, the Princess cleared her throat, obviously distressed. “You had this kind of firepower the whole time?”
“It’s a military frigate. It’s standard regulation to have an armory aboard.” John selected an MA5D, retrieving a full magazine from the floor and slapping it into the stock. He placed the weapon in the magnetic holster on his back, moving to a partially open munitions locker.
Rarity nosed an empty M90 that had managed to wind up on the floor. “Just what are these things? I know that they’re probably weapons, since this place is an armory, but what do they do?”
“Think of a normal bow and arrow. Then imagine the arrow traveling fifteen times faster than it normally would, and change the projectile,” John plucked a 7.62mm round from a magazine he was packing into his ammo pouch, tossing it at the feet of the alabaster unicorn. “Into that,” he finished.
“How awful…” Fluttershy murmured.
The Spartan turned away from the munitions locker, hefting a fragmentation grenade and a pair of MA5D magazines. Setting the two magazines back inside the munitions locker, he slipped the grenade into his last ammunition pouch. He removed the MA5D from his back, clicking the safety off. “Okay. I’ll need all of you behind me. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to shoot around you if you suddenly stumble in front of me.”
“We’re not helpless, you know,” the Princess chided, moving to block John’s passage to the door.
Unfazed, the Spartan pushed past her. “Shut up and get behind me… Ma’am.”
Chapter 17 (Part 2): Third Floor. Guns, Crystals, Epic Boss Fights
The speedster began making rapid circles, stirring up a powerful dust devil around the Archmage with the remaining ceiling debris.
“Great work, Rainbow! Keep it up! We’ll need those winds fairly strong if this is going to work!” Twilight turned to the rest of her friends. “Alright, everypony, he’s blinded and trapped! Get to work!”
The five mares began kicking and pounding at the smooth plaster beneath them, chipping the paint and breaking larger chunks out of the floor. With a little help from Twilight and Rarity, they were able to move them closer to the swirling dust devil.
“Rainbow! Break off! Now!” Twilight cried.
“Hit him hard, girls!” Rainbow pulled away, leaving Twilight and the others standing behind a few dozen large chunks of floor.
“Okay! Hit him with a volley!” The unicorn barked. They lined up their rear legs with their target: The dust devil. With a quick pulling back of their hindquarters, they lashed outwards with all of their might, sending the chunks flying into the swirling cloud of dust and debris. With every THUD of each chunk sent flying came another satisfying CRACK as each piece collided with something solid within the storm. After two more volleys, they ran out of ammunition.
Fluttershy collapsed, panting heavily. “Did… did we get him?”
Everypony froze in place except for Rainbow Dash, who was still circling back around to rejoin them. The settling dust bulged outward as an unseen breeze pushed it away, dispersing the disturbed sediment. In the middle was an unharmed Archmage. “You forget that I can use magic as well, Miss Sparkle. Conjuring barriers is something that I’m a little rusty at, but I think I’m getting the hang of it again, thanks to you.”
Twilight cringed. “Shoot! I thought we had him!”
“It’s been in my favor since the start, Miss Sparkle. You, of all ponies, should know this,” the colt tutted. “Obviously, none of you are exactly high-caliber magic users, with the exception of yourself, of course.”
The purple unicorn ignored his compliment. “But we’ve still got numbers, Snowflake!”
“Ah, my dear, numbers in this sort of fight doesn’t really mean much.” He took a step forward, while Twilight instinctively took a step back. “Because in this case, this just gives you more ponies to protect from my magic.”
Twilight’s mouth opened slightly. The colt grinned. “Glad you’ve finally realized it. Now, if you don’t mind,” his horn glimmered with violet energy. “It’s my turn.”
Before anypony could react, he vanished, reappearing before the group. With a flick of his head, a powerful shockwave of magical energy burst forth from his horn, knocking everypony back.
Upon colliding with the ground, Twilight scrambled to her hooves, wincing as her back screamed in protest. “E-Everypony! Move towards my voice and stick together! Don’t let him single you out!”
A bruised Applejack and Fluttershy limped back towards the unicorn, both shaken but their resolves still intact. Pinkie Pie emerged from a cloud of dust she had kicked up upon impact, shaking the bits of plaster from her hair. Rainbow Dash appeared leaning against a battered Rarity, who had bumped her head from the fall. A small cut above the fashonista’s eye was the only evidence of the injury.
“Ah, so quick to flee to the comfort of each other. Afraid to face me alone, eh?”
“We ain’t afraid of you, Snowflake! What kind of a name is Snowflake, anyways?” Rainbow taunted.
A purple missile materialized out of the dust surrounding the mares, aimed for the Pegasus responsible for the insult. With a deft flick of her head, Twilight’s horn flashed, sending the projectile went flying towards the open hole in the ceiling.
“Let’s leave petty insults out of this, before somepony does something they’ll regret,” Snowflake replied.
“Angsty, aren’t we,” Rarity teased.
“No, seriously? What kind of a name is Snowflake? Kinda sad name for an evil guy,” the Pegasus mused, pushing her point.
“If you’re done arguing over there…”
The boom of thunder surrounded the mares, causing them all to jump at once. A crack appeared between Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, spreading rapidly. The six fillies sped away from the schism, which continued to spread outwards, bringing the floor with it. In seconds, a massive chasm split the group, trapping Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight on one side, while Applejack and the others on the opposing cliff.
“Quick, grab a hold, girls!” Twilight cried. Pinkie and Rarity rested a hoof on the unicorn’s back, gazing at Twilight expectantly. The lavender unicorn bit her lip, making mental connections with the ley lines around her and resting her intense gaze on the opposing cliff, near Applejack and Fluttershy.
The three disappeared, reappearing on the other side of the fissure, now reunited with the others. “Whew… There,” Twilight mumbled, panting slightly.
The dust was split by a conjured breeze, which would’ve been pleasant had it not been terribly cold. “Oh, dear. Getting winded, are we?”
The unicorn stiffened. “I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Well, then; I’ll have to pick up the pace. I can’t keep going easy on you, now can I?”
The six mares charged while an impassive Archmage looked on. His horn flashed. -- Ejecting the spent magazine from the MA5D, the Spartan removed a fresh one from his ammo pouch, pausing only to bash the encroaching golem with a nasty flourish of the rifle’s stock before slapping the magazine into the bullpup.
After hosing the remaining golems down with a withering hail of gunfire, and a final visual sweep of the hallway, John moved forward, quickly stepping over the bodies. His eyes flicked to the ammo counter before fixing on the corridor laid out before him. Shattered crystals and piles of crumbling sandstone littered the hallway, marking where the golems had fallen. Paying no heed to the equines following him, the Spartan doubled his pace, only pausing to replace the half-spent magazine before turning the next corner.
A single red arrow filled his lower peripheral vision. Instinctively, his gaze drifted downwards. The white lettering stood out in stark contrast to the rich mahogany arrow, reading, “HANGAR.” Looking up, he noticed a single closed doorway blocking any forward progress, about twelve meters away. Numerous crystal facets jutted out in various angles from the door, pulsing and flashing randomly.
John’s gloved hand moved to one of the ammunition pouches strung on his waist, removing a fragmentation grenade. The dull sheen of its exterior caught the Princess’s eye.
“What is that?”
The soldier’s finger thumbed the primer, pressing it firmly. “Improvisation.”
John’s fingers grasped the spoon, immediately releasing it and flicking it away. “Cover your eyes and look away,” he commanded.
The mares obeyed as John drew his arm back, lobbing it at the foot of the door with some effort. Just as he turned away, an explosion rang out in the close space, small bits of crystal bouncing off of his armor and skittering around him. After everything fell silent, he risked a glance to inspect the damage.
The door had been blown backwards, its middle torn to pieces by the explosion. The crystal, which had left dozens of punctures where it had once occupied, was now cracked in several places, but hadn’t budged much at all.
The Spartan frowned. If a fragmentation grenade wouldn’t do the trick, he realized he didn’t have anything in his arsenal that possibly could break it down.
“GANG-WAAAAAY!”
Everybody ducked instinctively, narrowly dodging a sky-blue blur that passed overhead. It smashed through the crystals, shattering them on impact.
John slowly stood, shock momentarily overpowered by thought. So explosives are effective… John suddenly regretted his decision to not bring the rocket launchers.
“Hey, yall! Sorry we’re late!”
A familiar farmpony brought up the rear, looking beaten and bruised but very much alive.
“Applejack! You made it!” Pinkie exclaimed.
The orange mare spit on the ground, flashing a weary grin. “O’course! Can’t leave mah friends to fight on their own!”
The speedster reappeared in the shattered doorway, waving them on. “Hey! Let’s get a move on! There’s something up ahead!”
Without delay, all eight of them pressed forward, carefully stepping through the shattered crystal. Fluttershy hovered near Applejack as she ran. “Are you two all right? How did you escape the golems back there?”
“We didn’t escape, really. They just stopped attackin’; they just retreated out of sight and left us alone,” AJ explained.
“After seeing about a couple hundred of their comrades bein’ totally annihilated by me and Applejack, here, they probably wet their crystal undies and turned back. I mean, I can understand; I’d be afraid of me, too!”
John’s brow rose as he ran, glancing back at the Pegasus. For a strange reason, the saying sounded familiar. Immediately shaking off the nostalgia, his focus returned to the widening corridor, which eventually ended in a door held ajar by crystal formations partially blocking the doorway.
Several hexagonal rods pushed out from the sides, blocking the progress of the blast door and preventing it from closing. They glowed brightly, humming gently unlike the ones they had seen before. Another red arrow was partially obscured by the aforementioned formations, the four letters visible reading, “H-A-N-G.”
The Princess’s jaw set. “This must be the place. I can detect a powerful magical entity past this doorway.”
The Spartan cocked his head. “You can sense other magical presences?”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Of course I can. It’s how I sensed the Archmage was in Ponyville, although I had no idea what it was until I heard from the Royal Guard just what was transpiring there.”
“Would’ve been helpful if you’d used that earlier,” John muttered.
“It’s hard to detect anything in this place, as it’s brimming with dozens of magical crystals storing quite a bit of energy. I need to be very close to whatever’s generating a presence to sense it in a place like this,” she explained.
Breaking his frustrated stare, the soldier advanced, MA5D at the ready. Easing himself through the door, he swept the room with the barrel of his rifle, his eyes searching for any movement or figures in the spacious chamber. His sights lingered on a beautifully carved stone formation that jutted out of the floor of the hangar. His brows raised when he noticed that there were words—words that he could read—inscribed on the side, spiraling around the stone. Ignoring the babble that they dictated, he followed them up until he noticed they were cut off at the middle. The ship had broken off the front of the formation, which was left in multiple pieces at the base of it.
The Spartan turned back to face the group, flicking the safety on the assault rifle. “We’re safe for now, although I believe I found the totem you were talking about.”
When the Princess fixed him with a curious gaze, he pointed to the formation. Her eyes widened momentarily before nodding. “You are correct; so our suspicions were rightly placed. The Archmage may be close by…”
Rarity glanced at the crystal formations that littered the room, which filled the chamber with their quiet humming. “It would explain the differences in these crystals that are lying about. They actually resonate with magical energy, rather than just glow.”
“So… The Archmage is nearby…?” Fluttershy asked.
“Right you are, my dear.”
The poor Pegasus nearly leapt out of her skin, while everypony else crouched low, suddenly on guard. What truly frightened them was how familiar the voice sounded.
“I don’t know whether I should be impressed or upset at your progress, but, then again, I haven’t really been giving you much thought until now; hard to be trying to convert minds and keeping you away at the same time, you know.”
John’s head swiveled left and right, his MA5D following his gaze. An irked Rainbow Dash shook an offending hoof at the empty chamber. “Come out and stop us, then! We’re not afraid of you!”
“Oh, but you will be, very soon, my dear.”
“Ephemeral Snowflake!”
Heads turned to face the Alicorn princess, whose expression was one of anger.
“Ah, well, if it isn’t Princess Celestia,” the voice spat venomously, dropping the name as if it were a poisonous snake. “I’d say it is good to see an old face again, but, to be honest, I can’t say that I’m truly glad to start, milady.”
“Return my student at once, Snowflake! This does not involve her!”
“Oh, but it does, Princess. It’s all a part of my lesson, you see.”
“A lesson?!”
“I just thought I’d give you an idea of the feelings I experienced one-thousand years ago: The utter helplessness I felt while watching my wife die, the frustration I held towards you when you withheld the immortality spell from me, the thirst for revenge after you committed such an unfair act against me.”
“Snowflake, you know that I cannot—!”
“YOU WILL BE SILENT!” A horrible BOOM echoed around the chamber, stunning the Alicorn. “I have waited for a thousand years for this day. Listening to you preach your ‘lessons’ to my replacement about idealistic rubbish about the importance of having friends. Now, I shall do the talking!”
When the Alicorn obeyed, the voice continued. “You knew of the spell. You could have given it to me so that I could save the one pony I cared so much about. You had the potential to prevent death. You… You could have saved her. And yet, you chose not to. You did not think that I could be entrusted with such knowledge, and so you refused.”
“…And what lesson do I learn from this, Snowflake?” The Princess’s voice lowered dangerously.
A smirk could be discerned in the voice’s speech. “Those who do you harm, do harm in return.”
“I see you’ve twisted the meaning of revenge to your benefit,” Celestia growled.
“Where’s Cortana?” John asked, his voice thrumming with irritation.
“Ah, greetings, Sierra-117.” The Spartan twitched involuntarily upon hearing an enemy use his call-sign. “Serving as the Princess’s pet super-soldier, I see. How adorable.”
“Cortana. Where is she?” he asked again, gripping his rifle tightly.
“Oh, she’s with me. She’s told me so much about you, John,” the voice chuckled.
“Give her back.”
“And why would I do such a thing, Master Chief?”
“You don’t have to see what happens if you don’t.”
A brilliant flash appeared behind the group, turning everypony’s heads to the source. A purple unicorn, eyes awash with an angry red. “Show me.” Twilight’s face curved into a contorted grin.
Before anypony could react, the floor shook violently, nearly throwing the group off of their hooves.
The Spartan dropped to one knee, bringing up his face just in time to see a flash of purple. A magical bolt collided with his visor, snapping his head back and sending him somersaulting backwards several feet.
The six mares began to move into a semi-circle, hoping to trap the unicorn. To their surprise, Twilight turned on her hoof, blasting them with a powerful gust of sand. The mares crouched low, covering their eyes and momentarily stunned.
Just recovering from the impact, John rose to his feet, raising his rifle to shoot.
STOP! DON’T SHOOT!
The Spartan hesitated temporarily, giving Twilight enough time to notice him. She lowered her head, knocking him down with a stream of lavender energy. The assault rifle tumbled from his hands, skittering to a crystal formation and stopping underneath it.
Cursing himself for not taking the chance, John rolled sideways to avoid a conjured whip of magic. Pressing two hands to the ground behind his head, he brought his knees to his chest, quickly kicking out and hopping upright. His gaze locked onto the MA5D in the distance. Automatically, his legs started pumping, covering a meter with every stride.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Upon hearing the words, the Spartan dove for the rifle—only to come up a few inches short, held back by an unseen force. He struggled wildly against it, but it gave him no reprieve. In an instant, he felt himself flying backwards, the rifle growing smaller in his vision. John landed on his back, sparks scattering around him as metal met metal, a horrid screeching invading his ears as he ground to a not-so-gentle stop against another one of the crystal formations.
Instinctively, Twilight’s five friends charged, pushing through the waning sandstorm with little difficulty. Unfortunately, it wasn’t hard for the Archmage to hear them charge—especially when they all began to yell.
“Time to dance, my dears!”
Applejack stopped just short of being impaled on a vertical crystal formation that emerged from the ground several feet in front of her, smacking against it instead. Pinkie somehow managed to dodge numerous formations springing out of the ground around her, taking a large leap and twisting her body in midair. Rainbow Dash struggled to anticipate when the next formation was going to appear, zig-zagging her way towards the unicorn. Her progress was stopped when she made the mistake of drifting too close to the wall. A large spike sprang out of the metal plate nearby, clipping her wing and narrowly missing her midriff.
Rarity and Fluttershy were faring the worst—they had been forced into a corner by the formations, now back-to-back. “H-help! Somepony!” Rarity squealed.
In desperation, Fluttershy embraced Rarity, struggling to fly out of the corner and back into the open area of the hangar.
“A big mistake, Miss Fluttershy.”
A massive pillar appeared out of the ground, rapidly rising. It caught the pegasus and the unicorn by surprise, pushing up from underneath them and accelerating their upward progress—straight for the ceiling. With a terrible THOOM, the pillar crashed into the ceiling, sending dust and metal raining down on the group. John felt his stomach twist with horror while a piercing cry rent the air. -- “NO! Fluttershy! Rarity!” Rainbow reached towards the pillar, her eyes tearing up and her nose already burning. “N-no! No…”
“Rainbow…” The pegasus turned to the source of the voice, finding a gaunt-looking Celestia. “They’re… They’re going to be okay,” she sighed, collapsing next to a frightened cream pegasus and a startled alabaster unicorn.
Rainbow sped over to the two, embracing both of them. “Sweet Celestia! I thought you two were goners!”
“A teleportation spell, eh? Wouldn’t expect any less for the Princess of Equestria to be able to use one despite all of these muting crystals laying around,” Snowflake mused.
“Muting crystals..?” Pinkie ventured.
“These c-crystals drain enormous amounts of spell power from any cast nearby, p-preventing anypony with a low level of magical output from attempting to use a spell. In other words, I-I was lucky to have moved your friends this far away,” the Princess stuttered.
That crystal from the library, and the crystals outside… Rarity thought.
“But why isn’t the Archmage affected?” Rainbow asked.
“It’s a complicated process to become immune… N-normally, crystals form near crossroads of magical ley-lines, b-but there is a way to tap into their power and control them. Y-you have to b-bind a part of yourself to the ley-lines to bend their natural abilities to your will, and after much practice, you eventually learn how to c-conjure more of these crystals…” Celestia’s gaze locked onto the smug lavender unicorn watching them. “I just have no idea how he harnessed these powers so quickly. Normally, it would take weeks.”
“Ah don’t think we should underestimate him, then…” Applejack advised.
“H-hey… Where’s the Chief?” Rarity mumbled, glancing around the room.
A distant THUD drew everypony’s attention to a figure laying in a smoking crater on the far side of the hangar. “Question answered.” Rainbow replied dully.
“H-he’s too powerful… We can’t win this…” Fluttershy squeaked, her voice trembling pitifully.
“And without Twilight, we can’t use the Elements…” Rarity added.
“Even if we did use the Elements, we’d end up doin’ goddess-knows-what to poor Twilight!” Applejack exclaimed.
“All of you, please, calm down.”
The five mares turned to face the Princess, who eyed them with a serious gaze. “You cannot always rely on the Elements of Harmony to fix everything, as there will be situations like these where they will be rendered useless. As hopeless as it may seem right now, you can’t give up.”
“We know, but what’re we supposed t’ do? He can hit us, but we can’t hit him back without runnin’ the risk of hurtin’ Twi!” Applejack inquired.
“Twilight may be under his control, but she can still hear you, as she shares a body with the Archmage. They occupy the same consciousness, which means they share the same senses. It’s possible that you can rile up Twilight to push out the Archmage.” She forced a grin. “He may be powerful, but he’s still only one pony. If we can get Twilight fighting back, he doesn’t have the mental agility to go toe-to-toe on two fronts.”
“But what good will that do? He’ll just occupy somepony else!”
“Not if I can rebuild that totem over there.” The Princess nodded towards the shattered stone. “It’ll draw him back and seal him within, and we’ll have our Twilight back.”
A quiet collection of gasps and murmurs followed. Emboldened, Celestia continued. “You see, there is still hope for us. However, I must ask you to distract him from me. Although the last spell I used did have some effect on my store of magic, it was mostly a feign to make him think I’m drained. But if he sees me working on the totem, he’ll know that the totem still has the potential to seal him away, and he’ll make sure we don’t get near it again.”
Rarity tapped her chin. “Hmm… I suppose it’s possible. As long as you keep up the act, Princess. I’d help you with the ‘helpless damsel’ act if we had more time…”
“Nonsense, Rarity. I’ve had plenty of practice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean…?” Applejack began.
“However…”
“P-Princess? Something the matter?” Fluttershy ventured.
There was a short pause before the Princess dismissed her. “Oh, it’s nothing, Fluttershy. I’ll be fine. Just keep him distracted, and I’ll stay down until he’s focused on all of you.”
“Seriously? Hah! Do you really think I’ll give it to you that easily?!”
Six heads turned to watch the Spartan sail over their heads and into the wall opposite the totem. Another hideous cackle followed the impact.
“So much for the super-soldier! Hahaha!”
“I think we’d best get working! John’s given us this time to work on a plan—now it’s time to execute!” Rarity exclaimed.
“What she said!” Rainbow Dash added, propelling herself upwards with a powerful flap of her small wings.
“Yeep!”
“Yeehaw!”
“Party time!”
The five mares, despite being unsure as to what they were going to do, immediately charged, finding themselves caught in the heat of the moment. Twilight’s mouth curved into a crooked grin.
“It’s almost time…” she whispered in a voice that was not her own.
Twilight blinked stars from her eyes, too dazed to respond.
“I must say, that was an impressive show of talent. Even against somepony of my caliber, you managed to stave off my efforts for quite some time now.”
Struggling to her hooves, the unicorn reached out to her friends’ minds, finding slight relief in finding signs of life. Her eyes slowly drifted towards an icy blue hoof invading her vision.
“Pity that our time is running short. My beloved is on her way, and I can’t have you still here when she arrives!” An appendage made entirely out of ice gripped Twilight’s throat, slowly lifting her into the air.
“Be honored that with your death, you will save somepony else’s life.”
Twilight kicked feebly, drawing in a single ragged breath before speaking. “You… You…”
“Speak up, young lady. It is rude to mumble!” The Archmage cackled.
“How… How do you know she wants… She wants to come back..?”
“How? How, you say?” The appendage wrenched itself to the side, tossing Twilight several yards away. The unicorn gasped for breath, breaking into a fit of coughing.
“It is because she told me.” His tone was exaggeratedly sarcastic, as if it were obvious.
Twilight struggled to prop herself up with her forelegs. “T-told you…?”
The Archmage’s voice trembled as his mind tread on painful memories. “She told me before she died. She whispered to me… that she wasn’t ready. She said that she wasn’t ready to leave. And yet…”
The Archmage glared hatefully at Twilight through tussled bangs. “And yet, she died right there, in the poisonous light of my mentor’s morning rays.”
Twilight could feel herself being lifted by telekinesis. Her limbs began to go numb, starting at her hoof-tips. Her head was turned to face his. “Don’t… D-don’t do this,” she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.
“I’ve come so far…” The Archmage whispered. His mouth curved upwards slightly. “Why stop now?”
The numbness had enveloped Twilight’s extremities. It was now accompanied by a bitter cold, which bit into her eyes after every blink. Her sight faded to black, before her senses abandoned her altogether.
There was a muffled thump and a sudden rush of energy as air returned to Twilight’s burning lungs. Instinctively, Twilight coughed and retched as she hyperventilated, the feeling slowly returning to her limbs. Wincing as thousands of tiny needles jabbed into her appendages, the unicorn struggled to her hooves for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Cortana dropped the smoking weapon and helped the beleaguered unicorn the rest of the way. “Good; you’re still alive,” she mused casually.
Twilight scoffed at her uncaring tone, but decided not to retort with something unpleasant upon remembering why she was still alive. “Somehow. I m-must be quite lucky,” she managed.
“I’ve discovered something quite interesting, and I think it will work to our advantage,” Cortana continued, ignoring Twilight. “You see, your friends are obviously not your real friends, correct?”
“Of course they’re my real friends!” Twilight replied angrily, although she immediately regretted her decision when her aching body screamed out in protest.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Cortana groaned. “I mean your real friends are out there, somewhere. Not in your head, unless you’re clinically insane,” Cortana explained. “It’s so simple; I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. Our rescue—or, your rescue—was all around us the whole time.”
“And what might that be?” Twilight asked, annoyed at the construct’s cryptic explanation.
“Remember where we are. I hadn’t realized that this guy was in control of your body until you showed up here, and when you brought out those reflections of your companions into this… abstract dimension, for lack of a better term. We’re inside your imagination; it is your head, after all.”
“Then how did you get that?” Twilight asked, nodding towards the green device that Cortana had used earlier.
“Since we’re inside my firewall, I have joint control over those powers of creation I mentioned earlier, which gave me an idea to get you out of here.”
After a few seconds of piecing everything together, Twilight could see where this was going. “What, no. There’s got to be a way to get us both out. We just need to think this through. It’s my head, so I should be able to force him out if I want to, right?”
“What do you think we have been trying to do this entire time?” Cortana asked. “We haven’t exactly been pussyfooting around with this Arch-Bastard.”
A few more seconds of rationalizing and logical reasoning later, Twilight could see no sure-fire way to get them both out of there. However, it did rise another question. “But why me? Why do I get to leave? I’ve only just arrived. You’ve been stuck with him for much longer, right?”
“Do I have to spell everything out for you?” The AI sighed before continuing. “There is a reason why he didn’t just stick with me; why he wanted to control you as well. I was just a temporary asset. I don’t know what he’s up to, but he couldn’t do it with just my body and abilities. He had to have your capabilities to do… something. Although I don’t know what that ‘something’ is, I sure as hell am not letting him get what he wants.”
Cortana’s eyes shifted to the dust cloud in the distance. “We don’t have much time. He’ll be back soon. And mad as hell,” she added. “We’ve got to execute this now.”
They stood in silence for several seconds. Twilight broke the quiet with a sigh. “John really wants to see you again.”
For a brief moment, Cortana smiled.
“I know.”
The shifting of marble slabs wiped the expression off of the construct’s face as the dust cloud grew. “Leave your friends here. I’m going to need the extra firepower.”
Nodding, Twilight closed her eyes in concentration. After a soft pop, a clone of herself appeared next to her, its eyes fixated on the dust cloud. Twilight took a moment to admire her handiwork before turning back to Cortana. “What should I tell John?”
“Tell him… Tell him not to make a promise that he can’t keep.” Cortana replied without turning. The cloud of dust began to settle, an outline of a figure visible within. “Now move.”
The unicorn nodded, closing her eyes once more to prepare a teleportation spell. With a flash, she disappeared as the dust parted, revealing a very angry-looking colt.
“I’M GOING TO CUT OUT YOUR FILTHY LITTLE INNARDS!” The Archmage howled.
Cortana smirked, raising her left hand towards the bodies of the clone and Twilight’s friends. They all glowed white, floating upwards before setting down upright. The light faded, revealing six color-coded MJOLNIR armor sets and gold faceplates. The six equines turned to face the Archmage, their determined gazes made invisible by the polarized visors.
Another flash, and a heavy clank followed. Climbing into the Mark I prototype suit, Cortana held up a single finger in a rude gesture before closing the hatch. Stepping in front of the clone, Cortana leveled the six-barreled chain gun at the livid Snowflake. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.
***
“Oh, horseapples! Everypony down!”
The enormous golem swung its right arm, which was transmogrified into a deadly, curved blade. The five ponies dropped to the floor, instinctively covering their heads with their forelegs.
After the blade had passed, Applejack was the first to stand up. “Everypony!” She barked. “Scatter! We can’t let ‘im get lucky and take us all out at once!”
The golem swung its other arm in an overhead smash, narrowly missing the group as it spread out across the massive hangar around it.
“W-we can’t fight it!” Fluttershy sobbed.
“Well, beats getting smashed by doing nothing!” Rainbow exclaimed, flapping her wings rapidly to avoid getting grabbed by a massive hand.
“But we’re not helping Twilight like this!” Rarity cried, struggling to yell in spite of her burning lungs.
“Don’t stop for anythin’! Even if it does seem pointless!” Applejack shouted, skidding across the crystalized floor after attempting a sharp turn. “We’ve got priorities!”
“Argh! How long does it take to put a few rocks together?!” Rainbow roared in frustration.
The golem suddenly whirled on the totem in the corner, zeroing in on the motionless Solar Princess, who had her eyes closed in concentration. With a mighty bellow, it charged, brandishing its sword.
“P-Princess Celestia!” The five girls cried in unison.
As the golem neared the Princess, a metallic whine filled the air, followed by a triplet of chirps. After a handful of thumps, a salvo of Anvil-II missiles slammed into the back of the golem, weakening the crystalline elemental. Forced forward by the sudden explosion, the creature collided with the hangar floor, shattering into large chunks.
Five pairs of eyes turned to face the rear of the hangar, their gazes settling on a crippled Pelican dropship, its missile pods still smoking from their recent action. A gold faceplate and olive-green armor could be seen in the forward cabin.
“Woo-hoo! That was amazing!” Pinkie cheered.
“I was wondering where he went,” Rainbow muttered.
“You do realize there is more where that came from?”
The crystal chunks on the floor trembled, pulling themselves back together. The grating noise of rocks grinding against one another filled the room as the giant was reassembled. Rising from a one-knee crouch, the golem stood to its full height, now turning on the immobile Pelican dropship.
“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me!” Applejack cried exasperatedly.
Before the golem could advance, however, a piercing cry rent the air. After a few seconds of looking around, the group could see that it wasn’t coming from any of them. They raised their heads, staring at the single floating unicorn in the middle of the hangar.
The farmpony cocked her head. “What in tarnation…?”
“N-No! How is this—?!”
“It’s over, Snowflake.”
The Princess approached the writhing unicorn, a calm expression on her face and her eyes afire with sunlight.
“What…?! How did you—?”
“I didn’t do anything. You merely underestimated my student’s abilities,” Celestia corrected.
Snowflake could only snarl angrily as he fought to keep control.
“You have nowhere to turn to; nopony else to use as your shield. And I will certainly not allow you to roam free after this incident,” the Princess boomed. “But, before I seal you away, there is something you must know.”
“No, Princess. There is something that you must know,” the unicorn croaked, a single crazed eye glaring underneath its bangs. “I may have lost this vessel, but you’ve forgotten I still have one more!”
As Celestia opened her mouth to respond, whiteness enveloped the unicorn, expanding rapidly to encompass the Princess, as well as everything in the immediate vicinity.
The five ponies blinked the blindness away, the only thing audible being a thrumming noise and the clomping of heavy metal boots approaching.
“Chief? Is that you?” Rarity ventured nervously.
“What’s going on? Where did they go?” he asked, leveling his assault rifle at the sphere of white.
Before Rarity could explain, the sphere expanded outwards again, disappearing entirely. A figure flew out from the light, crashing into the five blinded equines. Despite the polarized visor, the light was still bright enough to put the Spartan in a hard squint. As the whiteness faded, a familiar form was now added to the collection of horses that lay before him.
“Twilight? Are you… you?”
“Girls..? I’m not dreaming, am I?”
A brief pause before all six of them embraced each other tightly. A flurry of excited cheers and affectionate pleasantries were exchanged.
“Girls! You’re real!”
“Twilight, we’re so glad yer okay!”
“Whee! Twily’s back! Twily’s back!”
“It’s so wonderful to have you back, darling!”
“We thought we’d lost you!”
Amongst the happy cries, a single male voice pierced the conversation.
“Where is Cortana? Did you find her?”
Twilight struggled to her hooves. “Yes; she was with me. She helped me escape.” She frowned at the super-soldier. “She stayed behind so I could regain control; I’m sorry…”
John was already in motion, sprinting towards the sphere of light, which was fading rapidly.
A pained grunt followed by a deity flying out from said sphere knocked the Spartan onto his back.
“I’m sure you won’t mind if I take my leave, since I’m obviously not welcome here!” the Archmage cried as he ran to the crippled Pelican.
“I’ll be back, though. You can count on that much!”
Twilight moved to help the Princess off of John, who was already beginning to do it herself.
“Ungh… I’m sorry; I didn’t know he…”
“It’s okay, Princess. It’s over now.”
Master Chief frowned. “No, it’s not.”
Twilight looked up at the Spartan. “Chief, I know it’s hard, but she wanted me to tell you to not make any promises you can’t keep. She knew that she wouldn’t be leaving. I’m sorry.”
John paused, his arms drooping slightly.
“She said that?”
“I wouldn’t ever lie to you; especially about something this important.”
The super-soldier watched as Cortana’s figure jumped in the Pelican, whose forward engines began to spur up. To his surprise, the craft had little trouble taking off. He noticed two large chunks of crystal were pasted to the rear engines, providing some sort of unseen thrust and allowing the bird to function normally. He must’ve gotten the schematics from Cortana.
A realization hit him like a powerful right hook.
“I can’t let him go off-planet.” The Chief started towards the Pelican.
The Princess stopped his forward progress with an outstretched wing. “Your companion requested you stay here; as hard as it is to accept, we can’t beat him without possibly killing her.”
Twilight decided to add to her mentor’s argument. “I know closure may be important to you, Chief, but…”
“No, it’s not about that.”
The Princess frowned at the Spartan. “Is there something you’d like to tell us, John?”
There was another long pause, the only noise being the whirring of the Pelican’s engines.
“If I don’t go, we all die.”
“You can’t be serious…?” Twilight started.
“No; the Archmage did say he would return. The question is with what? More humans? Or perhaps your enemies?”
“Worse." And with that, the Spartan was off. If Snowflake escaped, there were limitless possibilities. The Covenant, Halo, or worst of all, the Flood. The thought spurred him on as he sprinted towards the Pelican. Luckily for him, the troop bay door was jammed open. With a powerful leap, he vaulted himself skyward, gripping the lower half of the broken hatch. Putting the MA5D on his back, he hoisted himself into the troop bay, moving quickly towards the forward cabin door.
Before he could rip it open itself, it fragmented, sending razor-sharp titanium shards flying everywhere. The majority bounced off of his armor, while a few buried themselves into the bullet-resistant under-armor. Knocked backwards by the force of the blast, he managed to stay on his feet.
A crystallized fist materialized out of the smoke, which he narrowly dodged. Instinct taking over, he hopped back, trying to create some distance between him and his unseen target. Cortana’s figure emerged, her face contorted into a scowl that wasn’t very befitting.
“You just don’t give up, do you?!” she cried in a voice that was not her own.
John stayed silent, keeping a good distance between himself and the construct. They circled for a few moments as the Pelican’s autopilot continued the ascent of the craft.
The Spartan moved quickly, ducking under another powerful swing and gripping the construct in a bear hug under its arms, smashing it against the wall separating the forward cabin and the troop bay. As Snowflake moved to try and release himself, John brought himself back a foot, and followed up with another crushing ram.
Snowflake responded with an elbow to John’s back, and then an overhead smash with both fists. The screaming of metal ripping and the cracking of something in his back caused the soldier to flinch, loosening his grip on Snowflake; this allowed the construct to get his hands between the soldier’s body and his, pushing him back with a mighty shove. John stumbled back a couple of steps before stopping himself at the rear of the troop bay. He took a few steps forward before bringing up his arms again.
The construct smirked. “Oh, John. Always in over your head. I’ve seen everything, you know. Your past successes; they always seemed to be completely hopeless in the beginning. However, there is something you must realize.”
Snowflake gestured to the empty troop bay. “You are alone. You’ve usually had someone to pull the heat off of your haunches while you finish the job. Blue team, Johnson, Cortana, the Arbiter; the list is a long one. This time, though…” Snowflake’s right hand balled into a fist as crystals sprang from the appendage, converging into an evil-looking spike. “It looks like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, and there is no one to help with the leftovers.”
Ignoring the threat, John feigned a forward charge before stepping back, tempting the Archmage forward. Leaning back to avoid a jab of the spike, John parried with his right hand, twisting his wrist to wrap his hand around his opponent’s forearm. The construct countered with a solid punch with its free hand, which the Spartan deftly caught in a powerful grip. John smashed his helmet against the construct, hoping to stun it. Snowflake responded with an even more powerful headbutt, severely cracking the left half of John’s visor.
Abandoning that strategy, John released the construct’s fist and gripped the back of its neck. Pinning the other arm against its side, he brought his knee into Snowflake’s midriff, managing to get two strikes in before the construct planted its left hand on John’s visor, shoving the soldier into the wall of the troop bay and forcing him into one of the seats.
Shaking his head to clear his vision, John jerked his head to the left to avoid a skull-crushing punch. Keeping low, he kicked out at the construct’s legs, knocking them out from under it. Pushing himself upright, he quickly brought his boot down on the construct’s face. He felt something slow his foot, eventually stopping it. Suddenly, it pushed upward, flipping him backwards, towards the forward cabin. Falling into the doorway, the Spartan’s eye caught a pistol sitting on the console in the cockpit. Rolling onto his stomach, he started to push himself upright before he was pushed back down.
Struggling to see over his suit’s backpack, he could see Snowflake had taken a knee on John’s back. Before he could reach back, a hot poker ran through his right shoulder before his arm went completely numb. He glanced over, eyes widening slightly at the spike that impaled his arm to the deck. The automatic biofoam injectors sputtered to life, causing immense pain in his shoulder, but his arm still felt quite numb.
“I told you…”
The screeching of tearing metal filled John’s helmet speakers. He felt the backpack come off, and the thud of it landing a few feet behind him. Warning lights popped up on his HUD, indicating that the suit had a breach, as well as a power shortage.
“You are in over your head!”
The Spartan’s one good arm was wrenched backward, neatly tearing the metal shoulder-plate clean off. More warning lights popped up on his HUD.
“Your armor cannot withstand my might!”
John felt something grip his helmet beneath his chin and begin to yank upwards. Desperately, he grasped at the arm responsible, trying to hold it down. Alarms began to go off inside his helmet as the seals began to tear from the brute force of the pulling. It wasn’t long before he lost the power-struggle. The lights faded as their connection with the suit was forcefully severed, the HUD darkening and disappearing. The roaring of the wind filled John’s ears as a blast of desert heat entered the temperature-controlled space within his helmet. The soldier’s head jerked backwards as the helmet was ripped off, bouncing once off of the rear of the troop bay and out the door of the Pelican.
“Your strength cannot match my own!”
Cold crystal gripped John’s head, squeezing it uncomfortably tight.
“And now, you will die at the hand of your own companion. How rich!”
John’s one good arm reached feebly at the offending appendage, his senses beginning to fade, one by one.
“I will find this Halo, and the universe will feel my wrath.”
“Not if we have something to say about it!”
John felt himself suddenly lighten as the construct was knocked off of his back. A screech followed as the spike in his left shoulder was removed, sending a wave of pain through his body. It woke him up, sobering him of any lethargy received from blood loss. He rolled over, glancing at what had saved him.
A familiar cyan Pegasus struggled to lift a familiar purple unicorn, who lifted a familiar-looking ARC-920 Railgun, whose barrel was smoking.
“You WENCH!”
Snowflake hurled John’s shoulder pad at the Pegasus, clipping her left wing and causing something to snap. The two plummeted towards the ground, screaming the whole way.
As Snowflake turned, the Spartan noticed several cracks on the construct’s back and chest. His eyes darted to the backpack at the back of the troop bay; the rear hatch was ripped off and the small fusion reactor exposed, heat waves rippling from the small compartment.
“Now, let’s finish what we started, shall we?” Snowflake began to limp forward towards John, a wicked smirk on the construct’s face.
The Spartan retreated inside the forward cabin, trailing biofoam and blood-filled gel leaking from his armor. Drunkenly, he grabbed the pistol, whirling on the construct and taking aim.
It was John’s turn to smirk. “Yeah. Let’s.”
John fired, the bullet passing the construct and hitting the miniature fusion reactor. There was a spark, drawing Snowflake’s attention away from the Spartan. The shockwave from the ensuing explosion shattered the construct into tiny pieces.
The cold touch of liquid mercury filled his head for a moment.
***
"You've found me."
The Spartan's gaze fell on the figure huddled in the center of the projection table. The construct flinched, curling herself into an even tighter ball.
“So much of me is wrong… Out of place… You might be too late,” she finished.
John knelt. “You know me. When I make a promise,” he started, staring expectantly.
The sky was partly cloudy over Canterlot Castle. An excited shiver ran up Twilight's spine as she roamed the castle gardens. The Princess told her that it was near the hedge maze, among the statues.
Passing various monuments and figures frozen in striking poses, she finally stopped at a small pedestal with a new, glossy plaque decorating the base. Engraved was, "John, Sierra-117. Live on in Legend."
Her eyes traveled upwards, eventually reaching John's damaged helmet, which was enshrined in a glass block. The visor was badly cracked, and the front was slightly mangled, but it was relatively intact. She smiled at the familiar sight.
"It's certainly been a while," she began.
A long pause. The sun shone through the clouds for a moment.
"I brought you these; the girls wanted you to have them." Twilight set a basket full of various gifts from her friends at the base of the pedestal, next to the plaque. "We all wish you had stuck around; you were quite the character."
Another long pause. The sun faded.
"You're a mysterious character. You know that? I remember the first time we met; you tried to kill me. And then, the next thing I knew, I was riding on your back, after you had gotten me out of the timberwolf-infested forest. What astonished me was that I was pursuing you, but you came back. I don't think I can ever understand that logic. But, I do think I have one thing figured out about you."
She smiled at her reflection in the visor.
"You keep your promises."
The distant tolling of a clock bell caught her attention.
"Oh, dear. I've got to go; my train home leaves in a little bit."
Pulling her own gift out of her saddlebag, she placed it on top of the glass case before setting off.
"Here; don't lose it again!"
Galloping off, the unicorn turned the corner and disappeared from sight. The sunlight broke through the clouds again, reflecting off of a metal chip with an empty gap in the middle strung up on an intricate chain.
His heart beating in his throat, the boy shoved his adversary to the ground. Scrambling over the grasping hands and kicking legs, he returned to the top of the small hill he had recently lost—palming the back of the current 'king's head and pushing it forward as hard as he could. His victim went tumbling ass over teakettle onto the kids he had been teasing—the four of them crumpling into a tangled heap much farther down the dirt mound.
Chest heaving and eyes darting left-and-right, the boy gazed out across his kingdom and subjects. He threw his arms into the air and proclaimed his victory—his ragged vocal chords only managing an airy squeal mixed with a primal scream. He couldn't help a grin in response to the anguished cries of his opponents as they rose again, unhappy to see the real king had returned to his throne.
"John!"
He glanced up upon hearing his name, his breath catching in his throat. The boy looked at the source: Two grown-ups standing near the mesh gate of the play area. One was a young woman wearing a large, wide-brimmed hat. The other was a stern-looking old guy in a crisp officer's uniform. He was mildly surprised that they weren't either of the teachers that normally harrassed him but knew if he didn't move, there would probably be consequences.
Ignoring the jabs and condescending laughs of his classmates, he descended the mound and jogged over. Wiping the blood from his nostril and cleaning himself on his stained tank top, he slowed to a walk as he approached the two grown-ups.
"Hello, John."
The woman extended her hand in greeting. The grumpy officer said nothing but watched with interest.
His focus honed in on the woman for now.
"Yeah?" "Nice to meet you, young man. I see you like to play games."
She gestured to the mound where his classmates carried on without a care in the world.
"I like to win."
The woman laughed. A musical sound—cool yet with an edge, like liquid mercury.
"Of course you do."
Her hand came forward again, a coin sitting in her palm.
"Why don't we play one together?"
He looked back at the mound—the other kids had dispersed, returning to class. The game was over.
"Sure," he said halfheartedly. "I'm going to flip the coin. Call heads or eagle before you catch it. Then we'll see if the face you call lands upright."
He crossed his arms.
"What do I get when I win?" "You keep the coin." "If I lose?"
She smiled.
"You get nothing."
That coin looked pretty shiny.
"You're on."
Her smile widened as she set the coin on her thumb. With a flick, she cast it upwards, the metal ringing as it was sent flying.
"Eagle."
The coin fell, landing in the boy's palm. He peeked inside, his grin complementing the stoic frown of the eagle.
"Lucky guess."
John gripped the coin hard, relishing the diminishing chill of the warming metal.
"Anything else?"
The woman smiled, removing her hat. Her blue eyes stared into his.
"Chief."
He raised an eyebrow. He looked over at the grumpy officer—the man nowhere to be seen. The school behind him began to fade into mist. Behind it all, a pair of sea-green eyes stared back into him—through him.
"Chief. Wake up."
He tore his gaze away from the floating teal orbs back to the eyes of the woman. She glowed blue, her arm cocked back.
"Chief! Get up, now!"
Her hand blazed with electricity as she brought it to bear—striking him across his cheek. Sparks exploded behind John's eyes as he felt himself falling...
***
"Chief! I need you!"
Everything ached. Everything burned. Definitely cryo-burn. He stifled a groan as he slowly regained consciousness.
"John, move! Now!"
The pod door hissed as the cryo tube began to open. A red light blinked on as sparks ignited along the edges. That wasn’t normal.
The metal screamed as it the door sheared away—the entire cryo hangar glowing a deep red. He felt the ground beneath him jump and heave as the ship began to tear itself apart.
"Terminal, now. I've set a Nav point."
Not needing any further instructions, John burst out of the cryo tube. He floated through the heated space, his suit's thermometer flashing red. 99°C.
He tucked his arms in as he adjusted himself mid-flight, letting his boots take the heat instead of his gloves.
He heard the hissing of his boots touching the super-heated metal before shunting himself towards the hangar door. Zero-gee travel was infuriating.
He could be running far faster than he was flying right now but judging by the fact the ship was only half of a ship, there would be no chance that any of the artificial gravity systems would be restored anytime soon.
He sailed down into another corridor, heading towards the Nav point. It looked like it marked the nearest security office. Inside would be a terminal along with a first-aid kit and other equipment. He could stock up before leaving. Then it would be time to get out.
He had fallen to Earth on a piece of starship hull. He could do it again.
A distant explosion rocked the ship, turning the corridor in such way that he was no longer flying straight down it. Raising his arms up, he deflected clumsily off the side—helplessly spinning from the impact. His speed slowed from a couple of hits as he stuck out his limbs to scrape them along the walls—he had to kill the spin with an impact in the opposite direction. He managed to make contact with one of the support beams, quickly righting himself and shoving off once again.
Fear seeped into his judgement. This was taking too long. This ship was already a wreck—there was no telling when a passageway he was in would suddenly break away. Again, the fall wasn’t what terrified him.
It was being separated from Cortana.
Another explosion rang out from somewhere behind him. He didn’t glance back—any more unnecessary movements could jeopardize his current trajectory in zero-gee. Bringing his hands up to the ceiling, he drove both fists into the glowing metal to anchor them. Wincing as the heat boiled his knuckles, he swung his legs forward as he threw himself to the far wall—planting his feet and leaping again.
More disconcerting explosions and vibrations continued to rattle the ship—undoubtedly more wreckage than ship at this point. He was cutting it close, closer than he had ever cut it before.
He always made it. This time would be no different.
Setting his fears aside again, he spotted the Nav point in the distance. It was the last door on the right of his current hallway. Just past it, he could see the bright orange-red of exposed hull. Beyond that, the darkened surface of a planet loomed like an eerie statue watching his chaotic descent.
If he overshot it, he was going straight out into space. If he undershot it, he’d be stuck in zero-gee with no way forward and left to boil alive inside his armor.
Firmly launching himself forward, he aimed for the corner of the doorway. He gritted his teeth as another explosion shifted the hallway—his initial angle now far too wide to make it to his goal. He was going to fly into space.
Just before passing the doorway, he reached out his hand—grasping the superheated metal of the nearest support beam. He groaned as it instantly seared the cryo-blistered palm beneath his glove, swinging his legs into the security office as he did everything he could to keep himself steady and calm. Letting go of the beam, he went straight for the terminal, grabbing the chip and putting it into his helmet.
At first, there was nothing. And then, still nothing.
Cortana wasn’t there. She should be there.
The room jerked, then split into two. He was out of time. Grasping at the supply locker attached to the wall closest to him, he tapped a switch beneath the corner of his chestplate.
ENGAGE ARMOR LOCK? [Y] [N]
He wrenched one of his arms into the locker, punching through the metal and wearing the locker like a backpack. Crossing his arms over his chest, he closed his eyes and breathed out. He was ready.
Taking the signal from his neural implant as a yes, his armor counted three beeps a second apart. After the last beep, he felt needles assail his arms and legs as the gel layer hardened, completely paralyzing him.
In that moment, his wall broke away from the rest of the room and began to fall. John grunted as he felt the force of several gees shunt the blood into his legs. He passed out within seconds.
***
“Turn out your lights, everypony!” “You sure we won’t be jumped by somethin’ out here?” “Ooh, somepony sounds scared.” “I think Applejack is right, Rainbow… I don’t know if we should.” “I wouldn’t be too worried, darling. We haven’t gone too far from Ponyville. It should be just over that hill behind us.” “Don’t worry, AJ! If somepony comes over here in the dark, I’ll stuff ‘em so full of cupcakes it’ll be sure to give them the craziest sugar crash after an hour! And severe indigestion after several hours!”
Twilight smiled and shook her head as she laid out the blanket, her magic giving it a brief purple outline before disappearing. As she and her friends took their seats, she glanced up at the stars—eyes aglow with wonder. It had been a while since she had studied them—not since before she had gotten her wings. Having been busy with teaching Starlight Glimmer and assisting with any map-related matters, she hadn’t had much time to herself for personal studies—let alone free time.
She was glad Ponyville was still a small country town—the night skies even close to the city were still impressively populated with stars. Even the galaxy was visible: the ethereal belt of stars stretching across the darkened skies.
“Wait, is that…?” “Ooh! It’s starting! Are ya looking? Are ya looking?” “Feel free to point it out to us anytime, Pinkie.” “Second star to the right!” “Right of what?!”
Applejack’s protests fell silent as a silvery veil of glinting streaks began to cascade across a large portion of the sky. Gasps and exclamations rang out as the mares soaked in the beautiful curtain of falling stars in the distance.
“It’s gorgeous!” “Well I’ll be. Ain’t that ‘purty. Good call, Twi—this was a great idea.” “If only Spike could see this. I told him not to stay up too late last night…” “My favorite one’s that BIG one!” “Pinkie, they’re all the same.” “No, no! That one!”
All five of the mares’ jaws dropped as a larger, brighter streak joined the starry salvo. This one looked much more fearsome than the tiny pinpricks of the other shooting stars: smoke trailed a fiery ball that careened out of the sky like a rock flung from a trebuchet, moving far slower than its smaller brethren. More small fireballs broke off from the main one, half of them burning out after a few seconds of departure.
Twilight’s eyes widened when one piece broke off just above them, the distant roar of the falling meteorite barely audible over the silence of the town fringes.
“I-is that one coming closer…?” “Uh oh. Should we move?” “Perfect! We get to see it up close!” “I don’t think I want to see it up close…”
The girls cried out together as it whizzed just a hundred feet above them—the mares just barely able to feel the heat of the falling space-debris as it sailed into the forest nearby. A series of crashes and falling trees followed by the scattering of birds rang out before the area fell silent again. The larger comet had worked its way to the horizon, vanishing into the distance. Almost a full minute passed before the sound of the crash came—a single, earth-shattering boom.
A few seconds of silence followed before Pinkie broke it.
“Let’s do that again!”
Rainbow tapped Twilight on the shoulder, pointing at a pillar of smoke.
“I think the one that landed near us might start a fire. We should make sure it doesn’t burn anything.”
Twilight nodded. “Best we move now—the peace of mind will be worth it.”
Rarity stood up from the blanket, followed by Applejack and Pinkie. Fluttershy whimpered as she joined everyone at the edge of the forest, the six mares staring down the darkened trees with a varying array of emotion.
Twilight trotted forward, disappearing into the foliage. Her friends followed her wordlessly—the six mares swallowed up by the eerie quiet of the woods.
"Keep coming this way," Twilight hollered to her friends below. She flew slowly, constantly checking to ensure those without wings were going the right way. While she trusted their senses to pick up the smell of smoke, she figured better to be safe than sorry.
She glanced ahead, knowing Rainbow had flown to the site of impact to make sure the fire wouldn't grow into something unmanageable while those forced to walk traversed the mildly inconvenient terrain. In the daytime, this forest seemed spacious and was easy to navigate. Nighttime brought on a boatload of issues ranging from nocturnal wildlife to missing otherwise obvious tripping hazards underhoof.
"Rainbow hasn't come back yet, so she's probably working to keep the fire under control," Twilight reported to the trio of grounded ponies below.
"Then she must think it's safe to continue rather than flee the flames instead," Rarity chimed in. The unicorn glanced at her dirtied hooves and sighed.
Pinkie's eyes narrowed as she turned to glance at Applejack, "Just think... What if..."
The farmpony leaned away, worried about what she was in for, "Uh, what?"
Pinkie held up her hooves.
"...Aliens."
Applejack's guard went back down.
"Oh, c'mon. Those ain't real. And that's considerin' that somethin' survived that crash. Nothin' coulda survived a fall like that."
"But it could be anything! Something with acid blood! Or something that could suck out our brains! Or creatures that could replace us with fakes to take over the world!"
"You mean Changelings?"
Pinkie raised her hooves as threateningly as she could.
"The Pony Snatchers...!"
Fluttershy shuddered while Applejack remained unconvinced.
"Wait, I think I can hear Rainbow. Everypony hang on a sec."
The five mares stopped in their tracks. In the distance, they could just make out Rainbow’s voice.
"...been put out. But you gotta check this out! It's an Alien!"
"Is it the Pony Snatchers," Pinkie cried.
Twilight shook her head and called back, "We're coming! Stay right there! And don't touch anything!"
***
He could hear voices. Muffled ones. Male. Multiple. Speaking English. One was familiar.
"...Corpsman?" "Armor's... ...layer could’ve... impact. I don't know, Sergeant-Major."
There was a long pause. The armor hissed as the gel layer began to loosen, allowing his arms to fall to his sides. The needles returned in full force as his limbs slowly regained precious blood flow. Something yanked the chip from his helmet.
The familiar voice spoke again.
"...heavy lift gear. We're not leaving him behind."
Then it clicked. Sergeant-Major. Johnson.
With what little strength he had, he reached out—grabbing at what he perceived as the marine's wrist.
A muffled scream rang out, shocking his senses into full wakefulness.
He blinked rapidly to clear his vision, his eyes focusing on a darkened blotch struggling in his grasp. With his free hand, he switched on his headlamp—almost letting go in shock.
He was grasping one of the hind legs of a horse-like creature. Small wings flapped furiously on its back—somehow miraculously keeping it airborne. It bore a bizarrely-colored coat of sky-blue with a tri-colored mane. Large, expressive eyes were locked onto his—most likely looking at its own reflection judging by how unfocused the creature's gaze was. The emotions it expressed appreared to be a mixture of fear and confusion. What made things strange was how human those emotions were. Other than flattened ears, the face was almost cartoonishly distorted into a terrified expression.
To see that face on an animal shook John to his core.
Upon seeing Cortana's emtpy chip in its teeth, he reached forward—and then he froze. Not willingly, either.
His entire arm was encased in a purple glow before he felt his head being turned to face another direction.
And then he heard words he could understand.
"Let her go."
***
As they drew closer to the impact crater, Twilight flew back down to join her friends along with Fluttershy. While they didn't have far to go, she felt a little extra unicorn illumination wouldn't hurt anypony.
"Aliens... There's no way." "It's okay to be scared, Applejack... I'm sure Pinkie was exaggerating." "I was? I don't think—!"
"What she means to say is that reality is often more disappointing than our imagination," Twilight offered.
Then they heard it. Rainbow’s muffled scream.
Without warning, they all took off for the impact crater. Leaping over roots and brush with renewed vigor, the five mares burst into the clearing ready to face their friend's assailant.
A huge, bipedal creature had a hold on Rainbow's hind leg. Large green plates with intricate overlays and peculiar shapes created a strange armor-like carapace on top of a blackened skin that peeked out between each piece. A pair of bright lights projected from its head, illuminating its prisoner perfectly.
Twilight reacted immediately, spreading her wings and grasping the creature in a powerful telekinesis spell. She turned the creature's head to face her, wincing as the lights washed over her face. A polarized glass visor blocked the creature's face from view.
"Let her go," she stated firmly.
"Twi, can't ya just force it to let her go," Applejack ventured.
"I want to see if it understands us," Twilight replied, not turning around.
For a few seconds, the two parties stared at each other with suspicion.
Finally, Rainbow managed to wiggle free of the creature's loosening grip. She flitted over to Twilight, scowling at the alien with distrust.
"If I let you go, will you promise not to hurt anypony?"
She waited several uneventful seconds. To her surprise, the creature nodded.
Amid the gasps of her friends, she smiled. "Good. I'm letting you go."
Slowly releasing the spell, she straightened up to her full height while the creature did the same. At least two feet taller, the "alien" struck an imposing figure in comparison to the alicorn.
Suddenly, the creature pointed at Rainbow Dash with one hand, the other opening to expose its palm face-up, as if expecting something.
"Huh? You want something from Rainbow?"
The creature tapped its palm twice before pointing at Rainbow again. Immediately, Twilight understood.
"I thought I said not to touch anything, Rainbow..."
"What?! Whaddya 'ean," Rainbow whined through gritted teeth.
"Spit it out!" "That thing just tried to ri'y leg off and so'ehow it's still 'y fault!" "It doesn't belong to you! Just give it back!" "Fine! Ptooie!"
The strange glowing metal scrap Rainbow was holding in her teeth sailed forward. The creature deftly caught it in its palm before aligning it with the back of its head—slotting it inside.
For a moment, the two parties stared at each other as if expecting the other to do something.
With a sudden burst of speed, the creature took off—vanishing into the brush.
"W-wait! Come back!"
Rainbow crossed her arms. "Nice meetin' ya, jerk..."
***
"W-wait, come back!"
Ignoring the plea, John dashed through the foliage in a desperate attempt to distance himself from the purple horse. The way it effortlessly rendered him harmless worried the SPARTAN-II. He had to make sure it couldn't do it again—being captured was something he never anticipated could happen to someone with his skills.
Then again, running into something that could psychically paralyze him with a single thought wasn’t something he had anticipated either.
He lamented the loss of his equipment he had been forced to leave behind in the locker. While he had no idea if any of the gear even survived the landing, leaving any scrap of UNSC tech in the hands of any dubiously-intentioned parties was never a good thing.
After a few minutes of hustling through the dense undergrowth, he noticed lights dancing between the tree branches ahead. Flicking his headlamp off, he felt his way forward as he slowed his pace to a crawl. Moving as quietly as his MJOLNIR Mk-6 armor allowed, he crept up to the forest edge to peer through the leaves.
Beyond stretched a few gently sloping hills dyed blue by the full moon in the sky. Nestled between them was a large, brightly-lit town composed almost entirely of Tudor-style homes with thatch rooftops and stone chimneys. John hit the 2x zoom on his helmet, the small camera's feed broadcasting directly across his visor. He counted at least a dozen more of the small horse-creatures patrolling the streets.
The longer he watched, the more he noticed how peaceful it all was. A young couple walked side-by-side, eyes locked as they shared sheepish smiles. An even smaller horse—most likely a child—pranced ahead of its parents who both looked on with a warm, appreciative smile.
"Heya!"
John froze, the source of the voice barely a few feet away from him. He checked his motion tracker, frustrated by the lack of warning he had received. Perhaps his stalker had moved below the minimum movement threshold of his armor's hardware, although it would have had to been slower than a crawl—a highly unlikely possibility. He had been sitting there for only a couple of minutes. He'd been scanning his motion tracker for the duration of his prior retreat and was certain he hadn't been followed.
"Are you a Pony Snatcher?"
John burst out of the woods, sprinting full-speed towards the western horizon—keeping himself parallel to the town. While he didn't want to get closer to any sort of civilization, he also could no longer return to the forest. In addition, running too much could also cause more harm than good—he was still suffering the side-effects of being brought out of cryo too quickly. Any movement requiring effort required a larger amount of focus to enact as his half-frozen muscles demanded more time to thaw.
For now, his objective would be immediate evasion.
His brow furrowed inside his helmet—the Spartan had never been the best at being stealthy. While he had learned to camouflage himself in any environment thanks to his training, the difficulty added from wearing MJOLNIR Mk-6 Armor made almost all of that knowledge completely useless. The extra bulk, general noise and single paint color made being stealthy in it far from inconspicuous. Every step was obnoxiously loud and every movement was punctuated by the suit's actuators.
That was without mentioning he had been found so rapidly despite being completely concealed in the forest.
He briefly thought about eliminating his pursuers one-by-one but dismissed the notion. The last thing he wanted to do was to make himself a wanted criminal of the only civilization around for what could be hundreds of miles. Disabling them was a possible solution, but it would most likely lead to the same consequences as simply killing them. For now, running was his only option.
A red blip appeared on his tracker, approaching fast. The whistling of the air being split over something flying above filtered in through his helmet's speakers.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
He recognized the sound of the winged horse that he'd caught earlier.
"While we're here, why don't you answer some questions for me," she began, lazily gesturing at him just out of arm's reach.
Weighing his options, John realized he would have to default to Plan B.
Hopping once to plant both feet on the ground, he leapt straight at her—wrapping his arms around her middle. She gave a squeak of surprise before he looked straight at her, holding her in front of him.
"Sorry about this," he half-lied. With a forward heave of his upper body, he slammed his helmet into the horse's forehead in a vicious headbutt.
She made no sound during and after the cranial collision, her eyes rolling back into her head. Slowing to a stop to kneel in the grass, he gently set her down on her side. He hoped they wouldn't be too upset by his actions—at this point, he was getting a tad desperate to get them off his tail.
As soon as he was sure her condition wouldn't worsen beyond a bitch of a headache, he took off again—following the large smoke trail still lingering in the sky. Without anyone having eyes on his position, he felt was free to pursue his own objectives without tipping his hand to the enemy.
The longer he eyed the Dawn's fiery wake, the more concerned he became. Anyone with half a brain could probably figure out where he'd be headed. All he could do was try to beat them to it.
As he crested another hill, he noted a large forest filling the valley up ahead. He contemplated settling down for refuge—killing himself to get to the ship first didn't sound appealing. A few hours respite would slake his body's cries for rest and let him keep a brisk pace for future encounters. Then again, physical rest might be the only need John could meet.
While he didn't need to worry about water thanks to the suit's fluid recycling system, food was going to be an issue in the long run. The cryo supplements he consumed while unconscious wouldn't last him a day—they helped the body return to normal function after exiting cryo-sleep but weren't exactly calorie-rich. There was no telling how long the journey to the Dawn would take. Intense cardio wasn't exactly a low-calorie workout, either.
After a few minutes of moving through the woods, he slowed his pace to a walk as he began to cool down. Taking deep breaths to slow his heart rate, he continued walking for a few more minutes.
As he counted out the seconds, he noticed how much this world resembled the Earth-type worlds he had been on. The abundance of nature reminded him of the training camp in the mountains surrounding FLEETCOM. Memories of stalking fellow SPARTAN-II candidates in the darkened forests of Reach sprang unbidden to his mind. It was meant to be a competition—with a single loser being left behind to fend for themselves on the mountain. John had stubbornly disobeyed the order by leading the other candidates in an attack on a guarded Pelican dropship.
He remembered how pissed CPO Mendez was after he learned they had both disobeyed the order and beaten his personal marines unconscious. It was one of the scariest and simultaneously most gratifying moments of his training.
Slowing to a stop, John slumped against one of the larger oaks—his weight causing the leaves to rustle from the impact. A tiny part of him grew worried someone would see the tree shake before his fatigue carelessly pushed the thought aside.
Fighting off sleep for a moment longer, he brought up his suit's mission clock. At 22:57 hours, he reasoned that the clock needed no adjusting. The moon had yet to rise meaning the night was still on the early side. He set an alarm for four hours—a generous amount of time by his austere standards. Tucking himself into a large hollow facing the direction of the crash site, John's head lolled back against the tree as his eyes slid closed.
It was as if someone had searched her room and attempted to hide signs of their tampering—leaving a subtle feeling of change and unease.
An unfamiliar presence lurked in her astral domain, and Princess Luna was going to find out what it was.
Riding her incorporeal wings through the gentle updrafts of her ethereal realm, the lunar regent scanned the thousands of dreams populating the space surrounding her like stars in a night sky. So far, the dreamers had all been her loving subjects. Berry Punch successfully rescued a filly princess from the evil dinosaur, Derpy Hooves managed to open her first muffin store, and Big Mac had the misfortune of showing up for a hectic morning of chores only to realize he had been missing his pants for the first hour... Whatever that meant.
That lingering unease remained despite all signs denying anything out of the ordinary. Some dreams visited darker territories and themes but even these didn't warrant her growing dread.
She left the outskirts of Ponyville, gliding through the rolling hills at breakneck speeds. In her astral form, however, she felt no resistance or other side effects of flying beyond the safer speeds she normally did in the material plane. With the mental acuity afforded her from thousands of years of practice, she leapt from dream to dream with lightning speed—effectively skimming each one like a lakeside falcon taking a mid-flight drink. Images of the woodland creatures' various fantasies flitted through her consciousness, the repetition of these simplistic dreams quickly burning through her thinning patience.
While she was capable of maintaining saint-like fortitude regarding important matters, this was a pursuit that she alone was forcing upon herself. Nopony would be disappointed in her if she abandoned her search prematurely. To go so far as to search outside the cities for this mysterious something progressively seemed more and more obsessive rather than logical. Perhaps she was thinking too hard about—!
There it was. For a split second, she had seen something different. Something foreign.
Alien.
Screeching to an impossibly quick halt, she expanded her consciousness to the nearest dreaming creatures.
A family of squirrels. A pair of sparrows. A fox in a borrowed burrow.
There.
She stopped above the ancient oak, her eyes alight with curiosity. At the tree's base lay a single figure. It was slumped over, its abdomen rising and falling with gentle breaths. As she moved around to the front of the tree, she gasped in shock.
It was a human.
A human in Equestria?
Questions raced through her mind as she approached, her eyes studying the creature's face—the obscured visage exposed thanks to the projection of its astral form in Luna's astral domain.
It bore short-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and a clean shave. It had a heavy brow that gave its face a grim, almost irritated appearance that partially cast its closed eyes in shadow. A square jaw and the turned-down corners of its mouth enhanced the dark expression of its upper face to frightful effect. Wrinkles had spread into the tops and sides of the soft cheekbones and edges of the eyes, indicating a lengthy life.
Who is this, she wondered. A tiny spark of triumph burned at the back of her mind—her premonition had been dead-on.
She glanced at the orb above the creature's head, her jaw setting with determination. Whatever questions she had, most if not all of them would be answered by entering the creature's dream. Bowing her head, she tapped her horn against the glowing sphere. Warmth flooded her appendage as her vision swam white, momentarily blinding her.
***
The acrid stench of smoke stung her nostrils as she came to, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the chaos below her.
A city sprawled before her—thousands of narrow buildings crowding together like a bundle of cast-iron needles stretching to the sky. Lit windows twinkled on each one, creating a stunning tapestry of light that stretched to the distant horizon. It would have been beautiful if it weren't for the smoke.
Hundreds of pillars of thick black smoke choked her view of the city, an occasional explosion ringing out and birthing yet another smokestack to join its inky predecessors. Frightened cries and bizarre sounds peppered her like flies crowding a corpse as she drank in the familiar ambience.
War. A grand war on a scale she had only seen once before.
She closed her eyes as she seeked her dreamer—immediately finding it a scant handful of miles away. Willing herself to join her quarry, she opened her eyes again as she studied the interior of her new surroundings.
She was inside a metal box, several bipedal creatures similar to her dreamer conducting some kind of inspection.
More humans. She had never seen so many in one place before!
A series of clicks and metallic snaps filled the silence as these humans wordlessly prepared themselves. They moved with practiced smoothness probably achieved from endless drills and rigorous training. Soldiers. She noticed one of the humans wasn't moving—sitting completely still by the edge of the box.
Her dreamer was enormous in comparison to the other helmeted bipeds—almost three heads taller than any of the other creatures sharing the space. It wore olive-green plates on top of its darkened skin, covering most of its body. Its visored helmet stared straight ahead, rocking gently as the box seemed to jump and heave from outside stimuli. It cradled a strange device in its hands—not unlike the ones the other humans were busily inspecting.
A door appeared on one side of the box—the wall lowering and serving as a ramp as it revealed the battle-scarred city the Princess had seen before.
"Pile out! Go, go, go!"
In an instant, the flying box as emptied as all seven humans leapt out—hitting the ground running as they moved towards a cluster of tents set up at the foot of a larger building.
"I'll circle back for the wounded. Keep me posted, Cortana." "Of course, Sergeant."
She spied her human standing before a smaller human. Unlike the ones in the flying box, this one wore an open-faced helmet.
"...company. CP's this way."
The two dashed off towards the tents. Luna followed like a silent spectre, keeping her ears open for any and all possibly significant details.
Another familiar smell made her wrinkle her snout as they approached the tents. Blood. Lots of it. Her eyes narrowed as they passed a couple of triage tents. Worryingly few medical staff moved between dozens of blood-soaked cots—each and every one occupied by a wounded soldier. Some cried out in pain, others pleaded for death and a few remained quiet and still.
"The Lieutenant got hit as soon as we dropped in." "Who's in charge now, Corporal?" "Sergeant Banks, ma'am. He's pinned down up front. Come on, I'll show you."
Luna blinked, appearing at the top of a large staircase. Three humans crowded around a larger version of those elongated devices her human was carrying. The tip of the barrel belched a stream of fire, the ratatatat interrupted by the frantic discussion of the soldiers.
"No, no, no, behind that S-T! Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Three more, comin' left!" "I'm runnin' low, man!"
She looked to her right, her human moving out onto a large balcony.
"Friendlies moving out! Covering fire!"
The humans moved to the edge of their vantage point, aiming their devices into the space below. They jerked and jumped as each device began to bang and pop with what could only be described as small explosions. As the Princess moved to the edge, she caught her first glimpse of the enemy.
What had once been a cornerside plaza was now the site of a ferocious battle. Dozens of strange creatures swarmed the courtyard below, roaring and screeching in a language Princess Luna couldn't quite make out. They wielded strange objects that glowed a variety of blues, greens and purples, launching salvoes of white-hot blobs back at the humans on the balcony. One human was hit—falling backwards as he screamed in agony. His wound bubbled and sizzled as the blob melted into his chest cavity, his screams devolving into panicked gurgles as blood filled his lungs.
As another human dragged the dying soldier away, Luna looked back just in time to see her human leap over the edge, a heavy WHUMP punctuating its landing below. It raised its device—the barrel flashing three times. Three of the creatures fell forward, leaking vibrant fluids from large holes that appreared on what would be their foreheads.
The barrel blazed several more times—an equal number of the creatures prostrating themselves as the life left their bodies. The remaining creatures began to make a break for the cover of the ruined building across the street, crying out in horror.
"The demon is here! Retreat," they screamed, hoofing it into cover.
Seemingly satisfied, her human raised its device, a large box ejecting out of the back of the weapon. Rummaging in a pouch at its belt, it removed an identical one and slapped it where the other once resided.
"When I asked for reinforcements, I didn't think they'd send a Spartan."
Behind the human, a wounded soldier crouched against the wall holding his side—the armor there burned black. Crimson spilled over the soldier's fingers as he spoke.
A sudden explosion shook the plaza as the balcony the humans had descended disappeared into a bright blue blaze. The Princess's eyes traced the source—a massive purple structure sitting in a gap between two buildings overlooking the plaza.
"We gotta take that thing out. Cover me!"
Her human nodded, standing upright and moving to a strange device set up against the railing.
"Enemy counterattack! Across the street! Down low!"
The device blossomed into flame, a withering hail of projectiles arcing towards the doorway of the building. It fired in short bursts, the barrel of the weapon starting to glow red from the constant use.
Something moved into the doorway below—a bright blue pair of translucent ovals barring the path of projectiles. The strange barriers flashed as her human's efforts were diverted harmlessly to the sides, more of the creatures breaking out behind the shields and moving to cover at the left and right of the building.
"Dammit, HQ! Is anybody on this freq?!" "Sergeant, this is Major Eavesly. Hang tight. We're inbound."
A wail echoed above her as a pair of fish-like machines flew overhead, something falling from their undercarriages and landing atop the large cannon in the distance. It disappeared in an orange-blue inferno.
"Verify delivery of ordinance on-target." "Head-on, major! Target neutralized!"
Her human glanced down at the soldier.
"Take my weapon! You'll need it," he panted. He slumped against the railing, coughing a couple times. Then he lay still and didn't move anymore.
Her human stood there for a moment as it hefted its comrade's weapon. Then, drawing a second one from its side, it charged into the ruined building ahead—at least a dozen humans following behind. The Princess glided down to follow, following the trail of projectile-riddled corpses and smoking craters left in her human's wake.
It was dark inside the building, the only illumination coming from the flashes of each combatant's weapon. Her human moved with incredible speed, dispatching any opposition with ruthless efficiency. Not a movement was wasted in the dance of death, the dervish of destruction mowing through the enemy with frightful alacrity.
A pair of clicks synced with the temporary cessation of the deadly advance. Throwing its arms out to the sides to deposit the spent weapons, it removed the one on its back and resumed its homicidal efforts.
It had only been half a minute before they arrived on the other side, having crushed all enemy opposition within the building.
"Look! In the sky!" "Oh, shit...!"
She followed the gaze of the other humans, her eyes widening as a massive flying object flew overhead with blinding speed. Thick, brown-green smoke billowed out the sides as it descended—large fleshy chunks flopping all around them.
For the first time, her human spoke.
"No..."
There was a blinding flash as she felt herself being pulled upwards by the scruff of her neck—!
***
"Is she going to be...?" "You've nothing to worry about, Miss Sparkle. While she's lucky she didn't suffer from any additional side effects, Rainbow Dash should be good to go once we're done here."
The girls all sighed in relief.
"Thank you, doctor." "Don’t mention it. Feel free to wait in the lobby. We'll wheel her out as soon as she's done."
Taking seats facing each other, the five mares began discussing their next move in hushed tones.
"I'm sorry, girls. We should have left this one alone." "S'alright, Twi. We underestimated that thing." "I'm just glad Rainbow's going to be okay..." "Ooh, I can't wait to get my hooves on that thing! We only needed to talk!"
Twilight glanced at the abnormally quiet Pinkie Pie.
"You okay?"
The earth pony shook her head.
"...We need to talk to Rainbow as soon as possible."
Her friends watched her warily as she looked up, eyeing each of them with a concerned expression.
"We need to find out if it's the real Rainbow, or if it's a replacement created by the Pony Snatcher!"
Their gazes rested upon Pinkie for a half-second before their conversation resumed without missing a beat.
"Wonderin' if we should keep goin' after it." "The question would be 'where do we start,' as Rainbow was our only hope of tracking it." "I'll be informing Princess Celestia of everything that's transpired. She'll know what to do next." "In that case, I will save you some time."
Five gasps echoed around the waiting area as the solar princess stepped into the fluorescent lights. Two gold-armored pegasi flanked her, their steely gazes looking straight ahead.
"I came as soon as Luna informed me what was going on."
Twilight bowed her head.
"Princess Celestia, I'm sorry. We were right there and... it got away from us. There's no telling what mischief it could be up to now."
The Princess smiled, approaching her student.
"Do not worry yourself, Twilight. You and your friends have done all you can."
She nuzzled her snout affectionately against her pupil's, her smile making the purple alicorn melt into her.
"We will work together on this one."
Twilight looked up, excitement welling uo in her chest as she spoke, "We're working alongside you?!"
The Princess's expression darkened.
"First, I need you all to promise me something."
The five mares leaned in expectantly, jumping slightly when they heard Princess Celestia’s voice in their minds.
"What I am about to tell you, you must not tell another living soul. Can you promise me this?"
The five friends shared a hesitant glance before nodding.
John’s boots crunched on the hard-packed dirt as he jogged, his eyes locked onto the distant smokestack indicating the wreck of the Dawn. The short respite hadn’t helped much, but he hoped it would be enough to get him to the crash site.
The lush grasslands had dulled to drier, more savannah-like terrain after continuing his endless sprint to the wreckage without rest for another couple hours. While he managed to keep a six-minute mile pace for more than half that time, he was already feeling the effects of not taking things easy after an indefinitely long cryo-sleep. His eyes felt dry and fuzzy—his furious blinking barely keeping him focused.
He glanced at the purpling sky, his frown deepening. Sunrise was probably only a few hours away if his mission clock was to be trusted. While the similarities to Earth were only growing in number, he was still somewhere that simply wasn’t Earth at all. The talking horses he had encountered upon landing were a powerful reminder that he was somewhere very, very far from home.
Hitting the 2x on his helmet, John spied an ominous glow in the distance—it appeared to be a small brush fire working its way towards him.
He was close, now.
His shields flared briefly as he vaulted over the knee-high flames—one less thing he would have to fix—the Spartan working his way between the burnt-out husks of the occasional bush or tree. While the fire had made things much easier to navigate by eliminating the tall grasses, he was sure he was leaving big, fat super-soldier footprints in the charred earth behind him. He reminded himself again that it was obvious where he was headed—all he had to do was to find something to get him off-planet or broadcast a distress signal before his pursuers arrived. Cortana would’ve called that an overly optimistic idea and chide him for relying on his luck for every solution.
John sighed as his stomach tightened into a knot. He hoped she was still aboard, let alone still around.
***
“So he’s the first human you’ve seen since before Equestria was formed?!”
Twilight gazed over the side of the carriage in disbelief. She and her friends were immediately escorted out of the hospital alongside a very confused Rainbow Dash and onto three waiting pegasi carriages. Once in the air, the Princess had dropped several bombshells on their unprepared heads in the form of these so-called ‘humans.’
“While I cannot say what happened to these humans, I must warn you that this particular human is quite dangerous.”
Twilight saw that same determined expression on the Princess’ face before facing down the Changeling Queen in Canterlot. Her softened, matronly features hardened into a stern captain of the guard as she spoke.
“It is a weapon of some kind. Something designed for precision, efficiency and ruthlessness.” “Sounds a mite specific…. And how d’we know all’a this?” “Princess Luna viewed the creature’s dreams. She claimed to have seen it in action.” “Is it possible that this ‘human’ only dreamt of its ‘superhuman’ abilities?” “Yes, but it is also possible that it was simply ‘remembering’ something it had already done.”
The Princess draped a wing over Twilight, giving her a sidelong glance, “That is why my guard and I will be escorting you there. Although my guard prefer to think of you as the Element Bearers rather than ambassadors of Friendship, I know your talents lie in negotiation and compromise.”
Twilight blushed as she kicked the floor bashfully, “I’m glad you have faith in us, Princess.”
“Yeah, but just remember we can kick a little flank, too,” Rainbow chimed in.
“All I ask is that if I leave the talking to you, you can let my guards and I handle any ‘conflict,’” the Princess replied.
“You have our word, your majesty.” “Alrighty, then.” “Okie-dokie!” “Fine.” “If that’s okay with you…” “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but you can trust us to step aside if necessary.”
The Princess bowed her head in gratitude. She turned back to face the front of the carriage, her features hardening once more, “Remember what I’ve told you about humans. Be ready for anything, my ponies.”
The purple alicorn gulped as she joined her mentor’s stare towards the pillar of smoke in the distance.
***
The Spartan skidded to a halt at the bottom of the sandy slope—his entry point a large hole in the hull left from the chaotic landing. He had made it to the Dawn’s wreck an hour after the sun had risen. He appeared to be the only soul around although there was no telling when he would have company. John’s concern was that winged one that caught up to him earlier—it should have been awake a little over an hour after knocking it out. It could already be inside the wreck searching for anything that looked important.
The Dawn had landed off-kilter, leaving the hallways slanting roughly 30° to one side. While it was troublesome navigating her ruined interior, he was lucky that she hadn’t landed on her side or completely upside-down.
Following the arrows on the floor, he made his rounds towards any areas holding potential supplies. One-by-one, each potential resupply disappointed him. The armory was completely inaccessible, the infirmary was bone-dry save for a few empty syringes, and the remaining security stations were unpowered and emptied of anything useful.
Moving towards the hangar, he stopped at another terminal inside an alcove of one of the Dawn’s many hallways—the seventh one he had come across during his inspection of the ship. He knelt beside it, carefully inserting Cortana’s chip into the slot. He waited for a single minute before replacing her chip in his helmet and moving on. With every failed attempt at finding her, he felt his body grow heavier as the prospect of a permanent absence hung above him like the sword of Damocles.
He arrived at the unpowered doors leading into the control tower of the hangar. Grasping at the small crack between them, he gave a mighty pull—the mechanism screeching as the Spartan exercised his full might against the stubborn threshold. With a sudden jump, the doors cracked open a couple of extra feet. Shimmying his way between them, John took a quick look around the ruined hangar.
What had once been a place of organized chaos was now just one giant mess. All of the equipment, vehicles and crates had been shoved to one side in the crash. Some small fuel fires still burned near the detritus pile—the pitch-black smoke filtering out through the dozens of large holes and tears in the hull at the top of the ruined hangar.
John spied a few Pelicans cluttering the trash pile at the bottom—their varying levels of ‘derelict’ not giving him much hope. Perhaps he could repair one if he had a schematic, spare parts, and a long, long time. He winced as a wave of dizziness passed over him.
For now, it only looked like he had spare parts.
Winding up, he slammed his fist into the window—the bulletproof glass cracking badly from the hit. Three more powerful punches managed to make a fist-sized hole. John sighed, stepping away from the window. This was taking too long.
Lowering his shoulder, he charged, tumbling through the window as he let the weight and bulkiness of his armor create an opening through the treacherous glass. Tumbling almost sixty feet, he tucked his legs as he flipped, barely managing to get his legs under him as he landed.
John felt something in his legs pop as the metal floor was deformed under his half-ton suit impacting at near-terminal velocity. Working himself upright, John felt discomfort in one of his ankles and both of his knees. Briefly chiding himself for his carelessness, he began to move towards the pile of equipment lining the bottom of the hangar. He briefly noted how the gravity on this world was identical to Earth’s as he navigated between the small fires towards the Pelicans. At this point, he felt it safe to assume a great many things were identical to Earth—other than the natives.
He moved to the first Pelican, climbing inside as he inspected the loading bay. Sparks leapt from punctures in the paneling on the sides as he searched for any loose gear—finding absolutely nothing. The other birds were similarly empty. Bowing his head, John sighed. Perhaps his luck had run out after all.
“Human, we know you can hear us.”
John crouched low, holding as still as possible as he listened for the voice’s direction. The reverb from the hangar played hell with his ears—it was obviously outside, but pinpointing it was impossible from here.
“We also know you are inside that wreckage. All we ask is for a chance to talk.”
The Spartan began to glance around as he began to think of various distractive ploys. Trusting whatever was out there seemed like an infinitely bad idea.
“We are ponies of Equestria. We are a peaceful nation that works in harmony with our neighbors to ensure a lasting, mutually beneficial truce. We do not wish for conflict.”
Maybe he could set off the fuel as a distraction? He glanced at the large tanks sitting around the Pelicans. The drums were almost the size of the birds themselves—there would be no way he could move them on his own. Detonating them here would also destroy his only hope of getting off this planet. While that hope was miniscule, he still infinitely preferred an alternative. He clambered up to the back of the Pelican, exiting the loading bay and moving towards the edge of the hangar.
“We will not hurt you, but please understand that a creature of your capabilities roaming freely around our country is something we cannot afford to ignore. We must learn each other’s intentions and work together. Once we understand one another, we will allow you to roam Equestria freely.”
It was moments like these where Cortana would pull up the ship’s schematics and find a way to get around these ‘ponies.’ The empty chip in the back of his head burned like a fresh wound as he stood there, staring at a darkened terminal.
She was gone.
“We understand that you may have some things that you wish to keep a secret. That’s okay. You don’t need to tell us anything important. We only wish to know how we can help you. There’s a lot we can do with our magic—perhaps even get you home.”
John hesitated at the half-open door leading back into the Dawn’s inner hallways. It almost sounded too good to be true.
“Good morning!”
John whirled on his heel, knife at the ready as he faced down a pink ‘pony’ only inches away from his visor. It smiled and patted him on the helmet.
“Sorry about calling you a ‘Pony Snatcher!’ I brought you some ‘sorry-for-calling-you-a-Pony-Snatcher’ apology cupcakes!”
He raised his knife-hand—only to find a pink bakery box there instead. He looked back at the pink pony as if expecting it to be holding it but saw no sign of his weapon.
“I figured you’re probably hungry—the Princesses say they saw you running over here through the night. You seemed pretty desperate and scared if you wanna run from us! I mean, Fluttershy also used to run away when ponies said they wanted to ‘talk,’ but I feel like that’s different. Also, I thought a cheat-meal was in order. You must’ve run like ten marathons all at once! Or maybe even more! We were flying on our carriages for a loooooong time before we got here.”
It munched on a cupcake it pulled out from thin air. John glanced at his box—it had been opened; one of the nine cupcakes inside gone missing.
“All this thinking’s making me hungry. Hope you don’t mind. They’re really good. Mrs. Cake doesn’t mess around when it comes to confectionaries! She’s got something that she does that makes everything taste wayyyy better than what I bake! Not that I’m saying you weren’t worth baking cupcakes for—it’s actually the opposite because Mrs. Cake’s cupcakes are clearly superior to my cupcakes and it would almost be doing you a disservice if I gave you my inferior ones! Only thing I wish I brought was some milk. Milk and cupcakes are a winning combo! Only if you’re not lactose-intolerant, of course. I knew a pony that didn’t tell us about that and…!”
Princess Celestia’s horn glowed briefly before her eyes opened, her gaze locked onto the entrance of the ship.
“She’s coming back out. The human is with her.”
Before Twilight could ask how her mentor had determined this, her friend’s voice rang out below their vantage point at the top of the sand dune.
“Twiliiiiiiight! I’m baaaaaack! It wants to make a deeeeeeaaaaaaaaal!”
All eyes locked onto the two figures emerging from the wreckage: The bouncing, festive pink party pony hopping alongside the enormous, 7’ olive-green suit of living armor holding a pink bakery box.
“Where’d he get that,” Rainbow mused, squinting at the ill-fitting bakery box.
“Okay! I’m coming down so we don’t have to yell! I promise not to use any magic! Is this acceptable to you, human?” “Twilight…!”
The Princess of Friendship glanced between her mentor and Pinkie before her gaze rested on the human expectantly.
The helmeted head briefly turned towards Pinkie Pie before giving a stiff nod to Twilight.
“Okay! I’ll be right there!” “Twilight…”
The purple alicorn faced Princess Celestia who regarded her with a worried smile.
“Please be careful.”
Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry, Princess. Remember: I’ll be doing the talking.”
Spreading her wings, she descended towards the strange couple waiting for her at the bottom of the dune.
***
John stared down at the purple horse with trepidation. His eyes jumped between that horn and its eyes—waiting for any signs that it was going to forgo negotiations and attempt capture.
“First thing’s first, I think introductions are in order.” The creature smiled. This one seemed more genuine than the pink one’s excessively wide grins.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle. Princess of Friendship and one of Equestria’s four rulers.”
John quickly pieced together his own introduction, avoiding any unnecessary or confidential details. “Master Chief Petty Officer 117. United Nations Space Command.”
“Military, huh? My brother’s a solider, too,” Twilight mused.
John paused at the remark before awkwardly continuing, “I’ll be brief. I want to return home. Preferably to somewhere under UNSC jurisdiction. What assurances can you give me regarding helping me achieve this?”
Twilight frowned as she kicked the sand bashfully, “None, I’m afraid. While I specialize in magic myself, it’s a big field. There is no specific guarantee that we can help you. My guarantee was that we will do everything in our power to help you—be it returning home and/or giving you a place to stay in the event of temporary or permanent residence.”
“Can you guarantee that I won’t ever be held against my will,” John ventured.
“The only grounds for that would be if you harm any citizens of Equestria,” Twilight replied, “On our way here, the Princess informed me about humans and their capabilities for… violence.”
John’s ears perked up. These creatures knew about humans?
“I want to be completely transparent with you—but only if you tell us more about humanity.” “How much more?” “If I share my history with you, we require an equivalent level of exchange.” “Specifically?” “Answer any questions we have regarding the history your kind. If we require answers regarding other topics, further deals can be made. Does this sound acceptable?”
The Spartan pondered his options for a moment. While he could care less about these ponies and their history, he knew he wouldn’t survive here without their help. His body was running on fumes at this point. He was glad his visored helmet protected his eyes from being visible—his hungry gaze distracted by the cupcakes in his hand.
It seemed he was out of options for the moment. And so long as they didn’t ask him about the Halo installations or other sensitive topics that were outside of basic anthropology, he wouldn’t have a problem.
"So, what's your real name?" "Not part of the deal." "I understand, but I don't think it feels right just to call you '117.'" "Lemme guess! Lemme guess! Maybe it's Greenstalk! Or Tall-live!" "You can address me by my rank." "Master Chief Petty Officer?" "Okay, Mister Master Chief!"
He did his best to hide his sigh inside his helmet. At least most of the others chose to talk amongst themselves. The one with the rainbow mane—the one he had knocked out—looked rightfully pissed. Their expression was mildly amusing, but John knew he had given the ponies one less reason to trust him.
"So, Master Chief Petty Officer, can you tell us more about this 'United Nations Space Command?' You mentioned you're one of their officers." "The UNSC serves the United Earth Government as a military force." "And what function do you serve in the UNSC?" "I can't tell you."
He could feel the Princess's eyes boring into the side of his helmet. She cleared her throat before trying a different approach.
"So what do humans eat?" "Humans are omnivorous." "Interesting. So you eat fish, too?" "Among other things." "Fascinating. What other meats do you consume?"
John paused, unsure if he should continue.
"...The majority of meats consumed mostly center around poultry, pork, sheep and beef."
"You eat yer farmed animals? What's the point o' wastin' yer livestock like that," the orange one interjected. If he recalled correctly, she'd introduced herself as Applejack.
"We... enjoy the taste."
The yellow Pegasus fainted, much to the dismay of her friends. Pinkie Pie frowned but made no reply.
Then the question came.
"Do you... eat ponies too?"
The Spartan thought for awhile, looking for a different way to discuss the carnivorous behavior of humanity.
"There isn't really anything we don't eat. There have even been recorded cases of cannibalism, although almost all of these records describe the act as a last resort."
Pinkie turned a bit green while Twilight's eyes widened with awe.
"Intriguing! So in a worst-scenario, humans can sustain themselves off of each other. While it can only be assumed with other carnivorous species, this is the first time we've gotten one such species to confirm our suspicions!"
John, as well as all of Twilight’s company, all stared at her with concern. She gave a sheepish grin.
"Anyway, just taking some notes for when we start taking care of you."
She shared a glance with the rainbow-pony. John felt a rock form in his stomach as Twilight turned back around.
"I think it's time I address the elephant in the room," she began, stepping back so that the rainbow mare could look directly at John. She didn't strike an imposing figure but the Spartan couldn't help but feel nervous at what might happen next.
"I think this is a good opportunity for the two of you to apologize to each other."
"What?" "What?!"
John turned back to face the rainbow-maned pony in confusion as she did the same.
"Rainbow, you took something without permission when... Er, Master Chief Petty Officer first landed. And," the purple mare sighed again.
"Just call me Master Chief," he offered. Her expression warmed.
"Master Chief, you knocked her out when all we wanted to do was talk."
"I will not apologize." "I'm not doing that!"
The two shared an irritated glare. Twilight's brow furrowed in frustration.
"Alright... then if you both feel justified, why don't you explain yourselves!" "You first, big guy."
John opened his mouth to speak before noticing the taller, much more regal pony named Princess Celestia was now watching him with a keen eye. The eyes of Twilight's friends were also locked onto him.
He would have to choose his next words carefully.
"My goal at the time was to evade capture. When Twilight showed me her... 'magical' capabilities upon my arrival, I had to run."
Twilight seemed to sift through his words before replying, "So you knocked her out because you thought we would capture you if we found you?"
"It's what I would've done," he stated, shrugging.
"And why would you subdue an unknown creature when there's a chance to negotiate?"
John paused. He thought about simply answering with 'he wouldn't trust an alien,' but felt it might put himself in a bad light. He had another alternative, but it would raise more questions that he didn't feel like answering.
"Because humanity is embroiled in a conflict with extraterrestrial life."
John and the ponies slowly turned towards Celestia—the Princess's eyes cold.
"I never said that." "But it's the truth, isn't it? My sister saw your dream."
John felt a chill run down his spine.
"What are you talking about?" "When you were sleeping under that oak tree last night, my sister visited your dreams. She saw your war. And the fact that your species has managed interstellar travel means those creatures were something you found—or found you."
John stood tall, his fists clenching. Just what couldn't their magic do?
"Maybe I was dreaming that. But I doubt a 'dream' can be counted as relevant information." "Do you deny that the dream was a memory?" "With all due respect, Princess, this wasn't part of the deal." "This information was collected when you were still a wanted fugitive." "Okay, enough!"
Both parties turned to Twilight—the Princess tossing her mane in frustration. She looked towards Celestia with a sorrowful expression.
"Princess, please leave the negotiation to me. Like you promised," then she turned to John, "And Master Chief, you do not have to elaborate about your intentions or your 'war.' I understand your caution. We ponies just do things more... peacefully, so forgive what may seem like ridiculous questions."
John felt relief wash over him.
"But I still think an apology to Rainbow won't hurt."
He knew it.
"I think it's a comparatively light punishment for coming close to setting off an entire human-pony war."
John glared daggers through his visor while Celestia did the same. Twilight gave another sheepish smile.
"Uh, tough crowd today."
Celestia turned towards John, brow raised, "I thought soldiers follow orders—just whose orders were you following when you harmed one of my ponies? You are outside UNSC jurisdiction, after all."
"Protocol dictated my response," John replied cooly.
"And this is our protocol," Twilight interjected, "We don't leave any unfinished matters open if we can help it."
John turned towards her, his eyes narrowed inside his helmet. She broke eye contact, looking at her forelegs.
"I just don't want anypony to get off on the wrong hoof," she mumbled dejectedly.
"I'm sorry!"
John looked across the carriage at Rainbow Dash—the Pegasus now standing tall.
"Sorry for stealing your helmet-thing. It wasn't mine and... I shouldn't have done that."
Twilight smiled at Rainbow approvingly as the two shared a short moment of understanding. As Rainbow’s magenta eyes turned back to John, they hardened once more, "You don't have to apologize. You were just defending yourself. And... you hit like a wimp, anyways."
Flicking her tail as she turned, Rainbow turned to face the side of the carriage— returning to her skyward vigil. All onboard—John included—seemed to take a collective breath.
A merciful quiet fell over the carriage.
"Soooo can we call ya 'Mister Chief?'" "No."
***
"The Royal Palace of Canterlot will be your temporary home until further notice."
Having left Twilight and her friends at one of the dozens of sitting rooms in this massive castle, John followed Celestia at a distance. Being near her felt like she would crumple him like a giant beer can if he got too close. He caught himself unconsciously holding his box of baked goods with both hands—the edges slightly crinkled from his vicelike grasp.
"For now, you will be staying here."
John stepped into the lavish room. At least, it would be lavish if he was a couple feet smaller.
It was well-furnished and spacious—a sitting area complete with a couple of couches and armchairs surrounded an excessively large coffee table. A king-sized canopy bed occupied the far wall with a pair of matching pastel end tables, each hosting a large lamp. The left wall was crowded with bookshelves, a number of elegant-looking hardcover books occupying them. A wide vanity took the last of the walls, flanked by an empty space decorated with a wooly rug. Again, all lavish but two sizes too small for the 7' Spartan.
"If you are ever lost and cannot find your way back, talk to any of my guardsponies and they will escort you back here."
He turned to Celestia, surprised to see she was looking away distractedly.
"Breakfast is at eight bells. Lunch is at twelve bells. Dinner is at five bells. If you find yourself hungry between meals, you can ask any of the staff for assistance."
"When do you start helping me get home?"
That got her attention. Celestia's expression wavered for a moment, then melted into a smile. Whatever hostility she displayed earlier was eerily absent.
"We will start tomorrow morning. We assumed you might be exhausted after that escape attempt earlier today. If you wish, we can fly you back to your ship this evening."
Best not push his luck. John shook his head, "I can wait until tomorrow, then. Thank you."
Celestia bowed as she began to turn away, "Then I will take my leave."
Her horn glowed gold as the door slowly swung shut. John listened closely, hearing her footsteps outside the room. He heard some soft words spoken to the guard outside before the footsteps started again, eventually fading into silence.
Dropping the box of cupcakes to the floor, the Spartan sat down as slowly as he could, narrowly avoiding collapsing ungracefully as he sat hard on his rear. The floor barely even quivered as he eased back—a good sign that he didn't have to worry about falling through it if he fell.
John sighed as he leaned back, resting fully on the floor. He felt his injuries, bruises and cryo-blisters all begin to burn through his fatigue as the last of his adrenaline evaporated from his circulatory system. His legs ached the most—stiffness quickly working their way into the exhausted limbs. Hunger pains punched him repeatedly in his stomach, an undignified growl rolling forth like a peal of miniature thunder.
He smiled to himself—he had never felt so pathetic.
Grunting, John managed to sit himself back up as he pulled the box closer. The Spartan gingerly opened the lid, his ravenous stare immediately locked onto the eight cupcakes sitting inside. Removing his helmet, he plucked one of the disheveled pastries from its cardboard holder, giving it a quick sniff.
Sugary. Choclatey. Probably little-to-no nutritional value. Exactly what he’d expect from a sweet confectionary item. While aware of such things existing, they had never been John's favorite. His time in the UNSC's chow halls taught him that looks could be deceiving. However, this looked and smelled like the real thing. Did these ponies have a similar sense of taste to humans?
He peeled the paper cup away from one side, taking a small bite.
Then he took a bigger bite.
Before he knew it, he had finished the cupcake.
His embarrassment burned his cheeks as he glanced down at the remaining cupcakes, his mouth starting to water. How far the mighty Spartan had fallen—surviving on handouts from a race of peace-loving horses.
He thought back to Deja's history lessons, Napoleon's famous words chiding him like a wise grandmother.
"An army marches on its stomach."
He grabbed another cupcake.
***
"C'mon, Twi. You know us. Ah don't think we can jus' go back to the way things were," Applejack complained, shaking her head.
"Perhaps we can stay nearby in the event that our assistance is required," Rarity offered.
"I could stop by after practice with the Wonderbolts—y'know, just to check in," Rainbow added.
Twilight couldn't help a smile, "I know today has been one for the record books, girls. I'm afraid that Princess Celestia was very specific on her instructions."
"What if the Elements are needed? We can't help if we're all the way back in Ponyville," Fluttershy noted.
"The Princesses vowed to keep an eye on him—I doubt their power will be matched by a single human should things go awry."
"I dunno. Not hating on the Princesses or anything, but they seemed kinda intense," Pinkie mused. "Hope Mister Chief's gonna be okay."
"Ah'll admit, I ain't envious of our guest in the slightest. Bein' watched by two Princesses..." "I would not mind being a prisoner if my cell was the entire Royal Palace!"
Fluttershy frowned, her eyes on the floor, "If I knew I couldn't go home no matter what I tried, I wouldn't be too happy..."
"Not to mention not knowing anypony where you're stranded! And being kept in a place where the only other ponies are servants and guards," Pinkie noted.
"I'unno. He seems pretty uninterested in making friends. I learned that the hard way," Rainbow countered, tapping her forehead, "Also, he's kind of a stick-in-the-mud."
Twilight sighed, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I know he never finished his apology to you. And maybe he is a little self-centered," she looked up at Rainbow, now smiling approvingly. "However, I think you did the right thing back there. He may not have said anything but you did take some heat off his back by forgiving him—I'm sure he's grateful. Maybe he just has trouble showing it."
"Sure seems that way," Rainbow scoffed, crossing her forelegs.
Pinkie suddenly started chuckling to herself. Her friends all shared concerned glances as their focus shifted to the pink earth pony.
"Do you find something funny, Pinkie?" "You're being weird again..."
Pinkie looked up, her eyes squinted in mirth as she giggled furiously, "H-he reminds me of Cranky Doodle! And then I imagined him as a s-stubborn old mule! Heehee!"
Rainbow tried to hide her smile behind a hoof, "Pfft! Dead on, Pinkie! Bahaha!"
Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Hmm, you may have a point there... How did you help Cranky acclimate to Ponyville?"
Pinkie shrugged, "I found out he was looking for somepony special!"
Twilight hummed to herself as she processed Pinkie’s words.
A cold breeze rushed over him, chilling the Spartan to the bone.
Opening his eyes, John found himself alone in an empty void. Stars winked on the fringes of his enhanced vision as he spun on his heel, taking it all in.
Chief.
He looked for the source of the voice—a cool, musical sound with the hint of an edge beneath it all. The sound of flowing mercury.
Don’t make a girl a promise...
He saw it, if only for a moment: A faint shimmer of blue in his peripheral. When he looked over, it had vanished. An ominous sea-green light bathed his ethereal form.
It's been an honor serving with you, John.
A hand clasped his. He glanced down, surprised at the sudden warmth. His eyes met hers—the haunting cobalt pupils staring deep into his own blue ones.
He blinked again—his blurred vision taking in the moon's rays streaming in from the window. Gingerly sitting up, he leaned forward as he began to scan his initially unfamiliar surroundings.
The events of the day prior flashed behind his eyes, allowing him to push the panic down as soon as it had surfaced.
Pushing aside the emptied bakery box, he worked himself to his feet one sore limb at a time. Grasping the pink container, he moved to the woefully short entrance of his woefully undersized room. Leaving the box on an end-table, he stepped out into the hall—ducking under the doorway. His motion tracker flared red as the guard snapped to attention beside him.
"Do you require something, sir?"
Instinctively, John glanced at the Pegasus' uniform to search for her rank. Unsurprisingly, he found nothing indicating a rank other than an elegant medal with a pair of wings flanking a star.
"I would like to walk around. Alone."
The guard clanked her forelegs together, her posture ramrod-straight, "Understood, sir!"
Mildly pleased he had some freedom to wander, John left the Pegasus staring at the wall in front of her. The ceilings were much higher here, allowing him to walk with his back straight as he wandered the darkened halls.
Other than the occasional maid or butler and numerous pairs of guards patrolling the palace it was peacefully quiet. John found his thoughts wandering a castle of their own as he descended and ascended wide staircases, studied strange artifacts from bygone ages, and eventually found himself in one of the many gardens surrounding the palace.
This particular garden seemed to be full of memorials and statues of important historical figures. He noted the dates seemed to pertain to one of three “year-types”: PQ, EQ, and FE. Something he would have to ask the Princesses during one of those future “history lessons.”
It was the sudden clap of metal on stone that shocked the Spartan back into the present. He found himself standing in front of a rectangular clearing in the simple-yet-lush plant life. A large, featureless slab of marble supporting a statue of an armored guard sat in the middle of the symmetrical yard. Two similarly-armored guards currently patrolled the memorial—their footsteps in perfect sync as they marched across the yard.
The clopping of metal greaves on gravel approached from behind, John’s motion tracker flaring red as a guard approached from the rear. The Spartan turned towards the familiar Pegasus moving to his left, “I thought I was free to roam alone.”
The guard ignored him, staring at the memorial, “You’re a soldier, aren’t you? Then show some respect.”
Stifling a stinging remark, John faced the marble slab again. A large plaque etched into the stone read:
May our brothers and sisters sleep soundly under the watchful gaze of Celestia’s Sun and Luna’s Moon. May they rest knowing they bear the heaviest burden of all. May we honor them with our gratitude for their deeds. May they be known as heroes henceforth.
It was no surprise that sentient life would also honor their dead, but it still blew the Spartan away just how alike humanity and “ponykind” were in the aspects of military tradition. It was almost comforting to see a blemish so grim on the otherwise “friendship-this” and “cupcake-that” image these ponies upheld.
John suddenly began to wonder what sort of history these ponies had. Surely things were peaceful now but the concern of Celestia at his arrival was what he reasoned would be a normal response. Why the other ponies hadn’t thought the same puzzled him. What did that big pony know that they didn’t?
He suddenly felt a little better about attending that history lesson later in the day.
He pulled himself a little straighter, eyes staring directly ahead. His left hand pressed against his side, he snapped a crisp salute with his right—palm down, fingers at the rim of his helmet’s visor.
Exactly twenty-one seconds later, he lowered his hand and turned on his heel—walking back towards the palace. At least he felt tired enough to try sleeping through the rest of the evening.
***
“So, mind filling me in on what happened over there?” “Sorry, Starlight. I’ve been instructed not to tell anypony about what happened to us last night.”
Starlight Glimmer’s brow furrowed, “I understand. It’s just that you’ve been way less talkative than normal. I hate to say it, but I thought you’d want to throw another weird friendship lesson at me since it’s been a couple weeks.”
Twilight brought a foreleg to her head, “I knew something was missing! I’ve completely neglected to progress with your lessons!”
Starlight waved a hoof dismissively, “N-no, no, it’s fine! Really. I’ve almost enjoyed taking a break from it all, so don’t feel like you’re letting me down or anything.”
Twilight raised a brow, smiling and shaking her head, “Guess I’d better get on it, huh? Can’t have you getting too complacent,” her smile shifted into a concerned frown, “Unfortunately, I’ll have to come back to those later. Maybe just focus on what you’ve already learned and write a short report on your progress with Trixie.”
“That, I can do.” “Good. Thanks for understanding, Starlight. I promise things will be back to normal after a few days. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I’ve been awake for almost thirty hours.”
Giving the Princess a nervous smile, Starlight backtracked into the hallway, her expression fading into a worried stare. In all the years she had known the Princess of Friendship, Twilight had never worried about confidentiality. Usually Starlight could be trusted with sensitive information regarding potentially panic-inducing threats or emergencies thanks to her prowess in magic. Something above even a changeling invasion?
It was no wonder Twilight was so distracted—and it all had to do with watching the meteor shower the night prior. Could it mean…?
Starlight glanced through a nearby window, studying the cloudless sky beyond.
A shiver ran down her spine.
***
The carriage rocked as it rolled to a stop. John hopped off of the vehicle, his eyes locked onto the still-burning wreckage of the Dawn. If his mission clock was correct, she had been his home for almost five years. Johnson would have something to say about “treating his ladies right.”
“You are free to explore your ship until the sun reaches the highest point in the sky, as the temperatures become hazardous to anypony staying here for long periods of time,” Celestia explained, nodding to the shining orb just starting to leave the horizon, “We will call for you when high noon is reached. Until then, you will report to Captain Brightsteel with any needs or concerns.”
She stepped aside as a guard trotted forward, his gauntleted hooves scraping against the abrasive sands of the desert they tread upon. Like the other guards, his coat was a shade of gray—a far cry from the colorful civilian types. Unlike the other guards, he was a ‘Unicorn.’ Further differentiating him from his brethren, Brightsteel had an elegant blade at his side. The unicorn’s sparkling green eyes flicked up and down John’s form before locking onto his visor.
“He has served us in times of war or great distress. His physical and tactical prowess are invaluable—so much so that he now reports directly to my sister and I. Should there be anything to have slipped through our perimeter in the night, you may leave it to Brightsteel.”
Probably in case John decided to try anything funny and report all findings back to the Princesses.
“Should you require any assistance in moving around the wreckage, you’ll find Brightsteel more than capable in making entrances and exits. Good luck, Master Chief.”
Giving Celestia a nod, John started off towards the Dawn at a brisk pace. The footsteps of his warden followed close behind—the suit’s motion tracker blinking red as he tailed the Spartan. He began to weasel his way through a tear in the Dawn's hull before the tear became a large hole—sending him skidding down a sandy slope into the hallway beyond. He brushed himself off as Brightsteel slid down behind him—the Captain's horn dimming as the magic faded. Flicking on his headlamp, John set off into the darkened corridors without a word.
He stopped at a holotank in the hallway, removing Cortana’s chip and slotting it into the AI uplink port. Brighsteel eyed him warily, “What are you doing?”
“Looking for schematics,” John lied, removing the chip and replacing it in his helmet. He had to be careful to hide any reaction should he find Cortana—there was no telling how either party would react to each other. John wasn’t eager to be the mediator of that conversation.
He spent the next hour checking every holotank, terminal and AI access port he could find. He was forced to cut his search short when one of the holotanks tried to “eat” Cortana’s chip, prompting him to forcefully pry the machine apart and retrieve the precious cargo. John straightened up to his full height and sighed, his shoulders slumping.
Still nowhere to be found. Where had she gone? Maybe she’d found a way to power everything down to keep herself alive? Or did the ship have some sort of “flight recorder” she could hide away inside? John shook his head to disperse his speculation.
For now, he would have to go it alone.
Returning to the hangar, he started for the first of the Pelican dropships. While it wouldn’t be able to go very far due to lacking the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight drive, it would at least get him out of the atmosphere. Combined with fitting a cryo-tube onboard, there was a chance he’d be able to wait for rescue.
From what he could recall, the Dawn carried D77H-TCIs—the top of the line when the Dawn had left Earth all those years ago. Normally, it’d be good news. For John, it meant a bigger pain in his ass. In contrast to the simpler four-engine D77-TC Pelicans, the “heavies” had eight fusion drives to power each of the adjustable Bussard-Ramjet engines. The four secondary engines at the rear would be relatively easy to remove and repair with some basic tools and elbow grease. The main engines towards the center of the craft would require specialized tools and someone with a lot of know-how of the inner workings of the bird—both of which were sorely lacking aboard this ship. Even if he could direct the ponies to help him with their magic, he’d be helpless when it came to the actual direction.
“Anything I can assist with?”
John didn’t even glance in Brightsteel’s direction.
“Watch my back.” “As you wish.”
He inspected the first Pelican, ducking into the cargo bay and rummaging around the pilot’s seat. He found a datapad containing a pre-flight checklist—his first useful discovery on this otherwise unproductive tour of the Dawn. After eliminating peripheral systems like exterior lights and cargo bay intercom, he compiled a bare-bones checklist to follow.
He’d save making a “Before Takeoff” and “After Takeoff” checklist for when he knew he could get one of these Pelicans in the air. For now, it was time to take inventory.
Over the course of the next two hours, he visited each of the three ruined Pelicans while visually inspecting the battered chunks of any identifiable Pelican pieces—ignoring any of the main engines since he wouldn’t be able to get them open anyway. He ran through his checklists, finding that two of the three Pelicans had suffered catastrophic damage to most of their main engines. The last Pelican had managed to hold on to most of her fusion drives and directional nacelles—making a measly five of her Ramjets functional. John wasn’t sure he could even get it in the air. He would be forced to attempt repairs on her other three engines unless he really enjoyed being stranded.
“You have two hours remaining, Master Chief.”
Shooting a glance back at Brightsteel, all John could manage was a tired sigh. For now, he would have to see if he could even attempt repairs, let alone finish all of the necessary tasks to get the Pelican working again.
The last two hours consisted of meticulous searching in the pile for the tools and parts needed for repairs. Brightsteel offered to help once again, but the Spartan figured explaining what the tools looked like would be a waste of time—instead sending the Captain back to keeping a watch on the perimeter. Thankfully, John’s efforts didn’t go unrewarded: He’d landed himself half of a mechanic’s toolbox along with several hydrogen fuel cells—essential for propulsion if the Pelican left atmosphere. He noted the large amount of terrestrial reconnaissance vehicle parts for a potential future side-project, although he admitted to himself it might not be worth the effort.
Returning to the Dawn's exterior, he found himself face-to-face with that infuriatingly-disarming smile. “I trust you found what you were looking for,” Celestia asked, bowing politely.
John stared back at the wreckage, his hand twitching as he recalled the previous night’s dream.
“Not quite.” “I can send you here tomorrow, then. Brightsteel will accompany you again, but the terms are the same.”
John’s eye darted towards Celestia, studying her face as she continued her warm smile. For a moment, he wondered if her magic could help him find her.
He clasped his hands in the small of his back.
“Understood, ma’am.” “Then let us depart. You have a history lesson to attend, after all.”
John glanced around the empty lecture hall—almost a hundred seats and all of them were vacant. At the center, Celestia stood on the decorative compass dais at the center. Four guards stood at rigid attention on the arrows of the design at their hooves. John’s boots reverberated around the deserted chamber as he started to walk down the steps between the desks.
“Join me at the center. This lecture is going to be a little more ‘hands-on’ than what you’re used to.”
Descending the entire staircase, John easily stepped over the squat gate separating the desks from the center stage. He stopped a few feet from Celestia, gazing down at her expectantly, “Hands-on?”
“If you’ll allow me, I will project the lecture straight into your mind. It will allow you to see the history I have watched with my own eyes.”
John blinked inside his helmet. This ‘magic’ stuff seemed limitless in its capabilities.
“How do I know it won’t be a two-way connection?” “Unless you can channel magic, this spell won’t have anything to transmit back. Even if you did, it would require you willingly reciprocating the spell back at me for a proper exchange. Extracting information from an unwilling creature is difficult—almost as difficult as simply fighting them or interrogating them.” “If you say so, ma’am.” “Now, take a seat on the ground. I shall prepare the spell.”
Rocking back onto the floor, John watched as Celestia elegantly folded her legs beneath herself. She bowed her head, a golden glow beginning to materialize at the end of her horn. The Spartan watched as the glow intensified, a small sun beginning to form at its center. As his visor automatically increased its polarization, he noticed small images dancing about inside the sphere.
“Best to avoid looking at it directly—you might want to close your eyes.”
Defiant to the end, John continued to study the orb’s images. He saw a pair of creatures not unlike the one sitting in front of him—facing each other with their heads bowed. He couldn’t make out their expressions but noticed while one had a white coat, the other had a dark-blue one—their eyes a familiar sea-green color.
“The story of Equestria is a lengthy one—I pray this spell will assist in keeping your attention,” Celestia stated, keeping her eyes closed and head bowed.
“Are you ready, Master Chief?” “Affirmative.” “Then let the tale begin.”
Even with the polarization maxed, the light framed in the visor continued to brighten—forcing John to shield his eyes. The two ponies faded into the all-encompassing void of white as the world around him was consumed.
***
One-by-one, his senses began to return. The chirping of birds, the kiss of a breeze on his forearms, the gentle earthy aroma of damp soil and the eyelid-invading rays of sun winked into existence around him.
Long ago, there was no Equestria. The land was untamed and dangerous, prompting many creatures to unify into small “city-states.” What few ponies existed at the time were no different—banding together and establishing “Paradise Estate.”
John opened his eyes, finding himself in an empty plain flanked by tall mountains on each side. The familiar pastel palette greeted him in its sugary glory, enhanced by the soft rays of amber sunlight bleeding between the cloud-spotted sky above. Before him, a sizeable castle stood a few stories tall—composed entirely of bubblegum-pink bricks. Surrounding it were many similarly colored ponies socializing eagerly. Some engaged in picnics while others chased each other as a form of play.
One day, their way of life was threatened by the villain Tirek and his Rainbow of Darkness.
The sky immediately darkened as a lone figure approached. Its general shape resembled a centaur—the lower half equine in nature while the upper-half sported both human and goatlike features. It threw forward its palm, a small leather pouch sitting on top of its hand. From the bag, a billowing cloud of lightning and smoke rushed forth—heading straight for the unsuspecting ponies. John felt his chest clench involuntarily as he watched the violent cloud-mass consume two of the fleeing equines, their screams devolving into animalistic roars. Their shapes warped and twisted within the confines of the darkened storm clouds—which whipped away to reveal their new forms: Enormous, midnight-purple dragons with wicked talons and savage maws. With a snap of his fingers, a carriage materialized—the bridles snapping around the transformed ponies like angry pythons. With a gale of manic laughter, Tirek leapt aboard his conjured craft, violently jerking the reins to prompt his new steeds into service. The dragons took off, Tirek’s sinister laughter fading into the thunderous boom of the forming storm.
In the maelstrom, a single pink Pegasus briefly followed the carriage but was unable to keep up. Helplessly, it watched Tirek fly away with its transformed friends in tow. He saw its head rise, a determined scowl on its muzzle. With a brisk turn, it flew in a different direction.
The pegasus, Firefly, took initiative and began a search for somepony to help. She traveled to distant lands, finding strange sights and creatures. One such creature was the first human ponykind would ever encounter: A young girl named Megan.
Soaring over the rapidly-changing countryside, Firefly zoomed over a row of inconspicuous houses—clipping a weathervane and tumbling down a well with a large splash. Out of the house came the girl in question: Perhaps early into her teens and dressed like the daughter of a rancher. Cranking the well’s winch, Megan helped Firefly out of the water before being comically drenched as the Pegasus shook herself dry.
After a brief conversation, Megan hopped onto Firefly’s back—the two setting off towards an uncertain horizon.
With the help of Megan and a motely crew of ponies from Paradise Estate, the group found a powerful enchanter that granted them the ability convert the Rainbow of Darkness into one of Light. Together, they confronted and defeated Tirek—ushering in a new age of collaboration between the Humans and Ponykind. A time not recorded in any books or scrolls—my sister and I call it “The First Generation.”
Lightning flashed as the raging storm was renewed—the battleground set at Tirek’s castle. The terrible centaur opened the small pouch once more, the billowing storm clouds heading straight for Megan and her group. With a flourish of her arm, a small mote of light flitted forth—immediately being consumed by the terrible storm.
Suddenly, the Rainbow of Darkness began to glow. The glow turned into a shining brilliance as it began to change, now bearing the aurora of a true rainbow. It rushed over Tirek and his dragons, reverting them back into ponies while the former simply vanished. As Megan and her friends rushed over to the reverted ponies, a new figure emerged from the castle: standing upright, resembling a gargoyle with a scorpion tail. The prismatic ribbon danced over it, transforming them into a male human dressed like royalty.
It turned out that Tirek had a younger brother named Scorpan who was forced into servitude of the other. The Rainbow of Light reverted Scorpan into his true self: A human prince kidnapped from his distant kingdom. With Megan’s help, he established a new, benevolent rule over Paradise Estate and the surrounding lands. For fifty years, Scorpan proved to be a fair and kindhearted monarch. But, like all mortals, he could not rule forever. With Megan’s blessing, they created the the first Alicorns—myself and my sister.
Alicorn. The word was unfamiliar, and yet he instantly recognized what it meant: Powerful immortal beings possessing both unicorn horns and Pegasus wings. John watched two small ponies approach the older, wizened-looking prince. Bowing his head, he opened his hands—the Rainbow of Light bursting free. Cocooning the two equines, it stretched taller and longer—eventually unfolding like a giant flower to reveal two Alicorns standing at its center. One bore a white coat with a billowing pink mane—a large estoile emblazoned on her flank. The other had dark-blue fur with cream-blue curls cascading down her neck—an inky patch of night sky with a moon in the foreground on her haunches. The Rainbow had disappeared—consumed in creating the demigod creatures.
However, not all humans were happy with relinquishing the Rainbow of Light to Ponykind. Some did not trust the ponies to be true allies while others only trusted themselves—believing humans had no defense against darkness without the Rainbow. Fear drove them to despise their former ruler, for he had given the ponies everything rather than selecting a successor from his kind. It wasn’t long before the more xenophobic humans formally seceded from our rule—vowing to reclaim the Rainbow’s power to safeguard Humanity’s future.
Two sides loomed at the edges of a wide, empty plain. On one side stood the two Alicorn sisters—faces drawn into masks of sorrow. No more than several dozen ponies and the occasional human formed ranks behind their leaders with similarly pained expressions. On the other side of the field were hundreds of armored forms. Human soldiers armed with gleaming halberds and tall war bows stood defiantly, their eyes looking over their enemy with steely-eyed determination. The Alicorn sisters nodded to each other, their side enveloped in a bright purple flash—vanishing from sight.
After several meaningless battles, we found our forces and morale depleted. Horrified by the casualties inflicted, my sister and I could no longer watch our previous allies slaughter our loyal subjects. We fled to the far edge of the realm, beyond the Great Sea. There, we found peaceful, unsettled lands to call our own.
The army dispersed, both ponies and humans morphing into small hovels—creating a large town as several moments passed. A large flag bearing a yin/yang-esque symbol was raised at the center of the burgeoning settlement.
The last of the remaining humans lived peaceful lives with their pony brethren, but they could not hide their shame and guilt. At their final request, we struck them from all written records and muddled the minds of our small settlement to prevent any recollection of the First Generation. When the last of the humans had passed from old age, our promise had to be fulfilled. We buried our ponies’ memories with the body, thus beginning the first official recorded age of our people: Prequestria.
The houses flipped into larger, more permanent-looking buildings. The town grew into a city while other small settlements began to pop up all around. Suddenly, the image held perfectly still as if paused on a screen.
That is as far as the history of humans go on this planet.
The black void below the “stage” rushed up to meet John—his eyes blinking back open in the real world.
He glanced about at the four guards surrounding the dais—the rays of a late afternoon sun starting to appear through the hall’s windows. Slowly working herself to her hooves, Celestia looked up at him with that damned smile still plastered on her face. Her voice resonated in his mind but her lips did not move.
I hope you understand the sensitivity of the information I have shared with you. You understand that it must never be repeated to anypony—or anyone.
John glanced at the guards before giving Celestia a quick nod.
“I trust that you will be forthcoming when the time comes to share your history with us. Of course, there will be no need to be so visually-driven in your explanation.”
She bowed her head, “I must take my leave, Master Chief. I look forward to hearing about your kind tomorrow.”
She paused for a moment, as if waiting for a response from John. After not getting one, she turned away and strode off—nodding to her guards as she moved out of the lecture hall.
***
“My lord, I bring news of the object.” “Leave us.”
Gaspar eyed the retreating forms of Geraldine and Garret as they moved to the exit—their hulking armored forms disappearing into the hallway beyond shutting the ornate wooden doors behind them.
“Speak.” “The ponies have secured the impact crater and keep a careful watch. Our scouts could not afford to get very close. They did well to keep the skies—!” “I did not bid you enter to hear your excuses. Do you have anything for me or not?”
The messenger hesitated. Gaspar couldn’t help a smirk—best to drill bad habits out of them while they were still green. A little tough love always went a long way. That is, if the recipient survived.
“We spotted a carriage flying towards the meteorite. It ferried a foreign creature clad entirely in strange armor.” “What did it look like?” “It stood on two legs and had no eyes or mouth. Like nothing we’ve ever seen before.”
Gaspar clacked his beak with mild surprise. After a long pause, he rose, putting a scarred claw on the young messenger’s shoulder, “Very well. Continue to watch. Report to me if you see this creature again or the Equestrian perimeter dissipates.” “Very good, my liege.”
He snapped his other clawed hand—Garret and Geraldine moving back through the doorframe. The messenger scurried away, ignoring the discerning gaze of the two burly gryphons.
“Ready my airship.” “Your grace?” “It is time I have a little chat with our Equestrian neighbors.”
***
Starlight exhaled as the guard dropped like a stone. She didn’t like using force, but the guard had refused her entry repeatedly. He had even threatened to inform the Princesses of Starlight’s insubordination. That had been the last straw.
Hiding the unconscious guardspony inside an enormous decorative vase, she continued towards the guest quarters of the palace. If she recalled correctly, she had stayed in the same room when the Map had sent her to solve a Friendship problem between Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. That must be where Twilight would be staying.
The thought of something falling from outer space had frightened Starlight so much she hadn’t been able to sleep. Combined with her lack of patience, the unicorn believed that this wasn’t something that could wait until morning. Packing her saddlebags with her necessities for an overnight stay, she had teleported herself into Canterlot proper, then into the Palace itself. The lack of hospitality from the guards was surprising, but expected. Judging by Twilight’s instructions, it seemed that nopony outside of the ex-Element bearers and the highest echelons of pony government were kept in the loop. Lucky for her, none of the royal guards were as well-versed in magic as she.
She peeked around the corner, managing to glimpse her mentor’s room and the single guard keeping watch. Ducking back and closing her eyes, she prepared a simple but powerful compliance spell—her horn glowing a light teal as she unraveled and re-raveled the arcane at will. Reopening her eyes, she rounded the corner and released her magic at the unsuspecting guard. The hallway flashed blue as the magic permeated the tall corridor—the guard suddenly going wide-eyed and staying that way.
Satisfied the spell had done its work, Starlight trotted over to the door, smiling at the guard, “I’ll be heading inside. I’m expected.”
“Of course, Starlight Glimmer,” the guard replied, her voice monotone. Starlight felt a pang of guilt for the pegasus, but this was an emergency. She noted the light spilling out between the door and the carpet. She felt a little less guilty about coming over in the middle of the night—at least Twilight was going to be awake.
Grasping the handle with her magic, she swung the door open and entered the room. As soon as her eyes saw it, she stopped—jaw hitting the floor.
Before her stood a massive biped. More than seven feet tall, armored, faceless, arms crossed and staring directly at her.
The two shared a moment of silence.
The creature leaned forward.
“Boo!”
Starlight screamed, her horn flashing bright teal.
To her surprise, the creature obeyed—taking a step back and uncrossing its arms. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to get her breathing under control. Terror gripped her mind in a vice as her eyes darted up and down the biped’s battle-scarred armor plating—almost resembling carapaces of giant insects glued onto a black bodysuit. The faceless visor stared vacantly into her being as she found herself face-to-face with her own horrified reflection.
“Yes, Starlight Glimmer,” came the monotone reply. A deep, gravelly voice. Probably male.
Starlight blinked, her panic abating as she realized she’d recast her compliance spell. Exhaling deeply, she turned away from the creature and began to pace the room.
There was no way that this thing was from this planet, let alone from Equestria. She’d seen yaks, dragons, diamond dogs, minotaurs and sea serpents—this creature was in an entirely different class of technology, let alone genetics.
It was time for some answers.
“Who are you,” she demanded.
“Master Chief Petty Officer John-0117. United Nations Space Command.”
Military, although she probably could have guessed that judging by the dangerous-looking armor. Starlight wasn’t familiar with a rank like that—probably unique to this ‘UNSC’ he was talking about.
“Got anything shorter?” “John.” “Great. John, what exactly are you?” “Human.” “Would you say you’re an average member of your species?” “No.”
Thank Celestia. If all of these “humans” were this dangerous-looking, Equestria was in trouble.
“You said you’re a ‘master chief petty officer.’ Is there anything else that might make you more… exceptional than your peers?” “I am a SPARTAN-II commando. Graduate of the SPARTAN-II project directed by Dr. Catherine Halsey. Classified as a Hyper-Lethal Vector by the Office of Naval Intelligence.”
Commando. Hyper Lethal Vector. This thing was a weapon—and an exceedingly dangerous one, according to this “Office of Naval Intelligence.”
“How many of these ‘SPARTAN-II’ graduates are there?” “Only a handful of us remain active.”
Starlight felt some relief. As powerful as the ‘UNSC’ and ‘ONI’ seemed, something as terrifying as this could only be produced in such limited capacity.
“What are your intentions regarding Equestria?” “To ignore it.”
If it didn’t want to conquer them, why had it come?
“How did you get here?” “My ship, Forward Unto Dawn, crash-landed in a desert one-hundred fifty klicks southwest of here. She was pulled into the gravity well of this planet and was unable to break free.”
A crash landing explained the lack of interest in this place. It also explained why Twilight never returned from watching the meteor shower the night before—she must have seen this Forward Unto Dawn fall from orbit.
“What are your current objectives?” “Find Cortana and conduct repairs on a craft to fly us to the nearest UNSC system for retrieval.”
Starlight’s ears twitched upon mention of another name.
“Who is Cortana?” “A third-generation ‘smart’ artificial intelligence construct created by the UNSC.”
Artificial… Intelligence? Had she heard that right? These humans were manufacturing “intelligence?!”
Sapience. Sentience. Life.
“Why do you need to find her?” “In accordance with the Cole Protocol, it is imperative that I ensure the retrieval or destruction of any smart UNSC artificial intelligence constructs. Additionally, she is a close friend.”
A rock suddenly formed in the unicorn’s stomach. While the voice lacked sincerity, she knew the parameters of her compliance spell demanded any answers be earnest and truthful. Perhaps this creature was not as alien as she thought. And how had it become attached to something as artificial as… Artificial Intelligence?
“Who put you in this room?” “A joint decision from Luna, Celestia and Twilight.” “That’s Princess to you.” “Of course, Starlight Glimmer.” “Are you here against your will or have you struck a bargain?” “In exchange for information regarding the history of humans, the Princesses have agreed to shelter me and assist in my repairs to leave this planet.”
That word again. Why would the Princesses be so interested in these “humans,” enough to shelter a potentially dangerous alien and help them leave the planet as soon as they arrived? Was there something they knew that no one else did?
Before she could formulate her next question, she was struck by a dizzy spell. Blinking furiously, Starlight took a step back as her balance abandoned her temporarily. Putting a foreleg to her head to steady her wavering equilibrium, she focused on the creature ahead of her—the “human” mirroring her in movement.
Something was wrong.
Her horn flickered, synchronizing with a wave of nausea washing over her. She winced as her grasp on the spell faltered for a moment before fizzling out completely. Her legs gave out as her strength left her—the energy required to sustain her compliance spell having drained her of her unicorn magic. Why? Was the creature resistant? Or perhaps more powerful?
Her mind scrambled as she realized her sudden helplessness. She drew in a breath to yell—but not before her muzzle was squeezed shut by a thick glove. She felt herself being lifted as an armored forearm pressed her against the nearest wall, keeping her weakened body from moving.
“No talking.”
The polarized visor nearly pressed up against her nose, her frenzied breaths fogging her contorted reflection.
“Use any magic and your windpipe gets crushed.”
Starlight could only whimper behind the glove as John stood to his full height, his forearm now starting to hinder her panicked breathing.
“Blink once for yes and twice for no. Do you understand?”
She knew she had lost. For now, she had to cooperate until her magic returned—hopefully it didn’t try to kill her before then. Her eyes searching the featureless visor, Starlight blinked once.
“You used magic on me back then, didn’t you?”
It knew about magic? Starlight blinked once.
“Did you extract information from me?”
Starlight hesitated before blinking once.
“Did it have to do with something other than humans?”
She blinked twice rapidly. She saw the creature’s shoulders briefly relax before squaring up once more.
“Did the Princesses send you?”
She blinked twice. Her body began to shake involuntarily as the adrenaline kicked in.
“Are you doing this for another official of Equestrian government?”
Starlight blinked twice before she felt her windpipe being compressed.
“You can’t expect me to believe this is for your personal benefit. You’re working for the Princesses, aren’t you?”
Starlight blinked twice again—throttled, wet grunts squeaking from her tortured vocal chords. Her hooves scrabbled for purchase on the wall, a nearby painting rattling in its frame from her struggle.
Suddenly the door burst open.
***
“You’re working for the Princesses, aren’t you?”
He watched her watery eyes blink twice. John applied a little more of his body weight onto her windpipe in frustration.
Come on. Admit it, already.
The door to the room burst open. That familiar Pegasus looked over at both of them, surprise and confusion crossing her face. She glanced out into the hallway, “Contact, on me!”
Her gaze returned to the room’s sole occupants, eyes narrowing towards the current aggressor, “Drop the unicorn, soldier!”
John didn’t turn away, the faceplate glued to the unicorn’s tear-stained muzzle, “She used magic to control me and forcefully extract information. I’m taking a precaution.”
“Drop her, now,” the pegasus barked. Hoofbeats echoed from the doorway behind the guard. John watched as the unicorn gazed towards the guard pleadingly.
“Your Princess promised there’d be no more magic.” “You hearing me, son?! Put her down or I’ll put you down!”
John’s faceplate slowly shifted towards the guard before facing the unicorn. Taking a step back, he allowed her to fall to the floor in a coughing heap. The guard rushed forward, a thick metal ring cradled in one of her wings. With a deft, practiced movement, the ring snapped onto the unicorn’s horn. She winced visibly, her head drooping either with shame or fatigue.
Several more guardsponies appeared at the doorway, dispersing into the room and around the coughing unicorn. The Pegasus regarded the one next to her with a stern look.
“Notify Princess Luna—we had an intruder.” “What about the creature?” “What about it?” “It was gonna kill her, ma’am.”
The Pegasus looked up at John before shaking her head.
“Our orders are to leave it alone.” “But ma’am—!” “If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to join our new prisoner in the dungeons, Corporal. It’s treason to oppose your Princesses.”
The corporal glanced up at John with a mixture of anger and fear. Wordlessly, he turned and departed the room to fetch Luna.
The Pegasus sidled up to John’s side as they stared at the disheveled unicorn hanging her head.
“She got us both, huh?”
John gave the Pegasus a sidelong glance but chose to say nothing. They stood in silence as they glared at the source of their woes that evening.
“Sorry.”
John looked over at the Pegasus, noting her sullen expression. He went back to staring at the unicorn. For a moment, he debated on whether he should reply.
Before he reached a decision, the rapid approach of a runner’s footsteps pulled John’s attention to the door. The insubordinate corporal rushed through the doorway, his eyes wild.
“The crash site is under attack!”
***
“Princess Twilight. I’m surprised to see you.”
The Princess of Friendship bowed her head respectfully, “Good evening, Captain Brightsteel. Could you help me look for something?”
The captain raised an eyebrow but nodded, “What will we be looking for, Princess?”
Twilight grinned, “A friend.”
Both of Brightsteel’s brows shot up before he nodded to the two guardsponies flanking him—both of whom took off to return to their posts. He turned back to Twilight, “This way.”
This was the first time Twilight had entered the ship—the last time she was here, Master Chief and Pinkie Pie were the only ones to enter. While she figured Pinkie knew some things about the layout, her next actions would require some secrecy, and everypony knew how Pinkie was with secrets.
As the old saying went, telegram, telephone, tell Pinkie. She had never figured out what the ‘telephone’ part was, but it somehow just made sense. Everything simply attributed to Pinkie being Pinkie.
“Let’s stop here.”
Brightsteel paused mid-step, glancing back at Twilight. The Princess had already closed her eyes, her horn aglow as she began to weave the spell in her mind. She imagined herself drawing the diagram in Old Equuish. A freshly-sharpened quill dipped in a rich dark ink with a red base glided and scribbled the circular pattern on the imagined parchment as she breathed her magic into it.
Show me life.
Her horn flashed as her eyes scanned the environment. In the maze of the ship’s interior, she saw a number of small flashes—motes of light representing her spell’s search parameters. Over the next few minutes, she identified lizards, scorpions and even a few snakes that had taken residence here within the past couple days. Nothing that seemed likely to be any of Chief’s friends. Her lips curled into a frown of annoyance.
She trailed off as she discovered a group of new motes had joined the rest—not even a thousand feet away. Puzzled, she focused on these new stimuli—six dots moving in a single line. The sizes of their motes were comparable to Twilight and Brightsteel’s. She dropped her voice into a low whisper, “Captain, do you have patrols inside the ship?”
Brightsteel cocked his head before whispering back, “Yes, although we only patrol in the daytime.”
Twilight gulped, “We might have some unexpected company.”
Brightsteel’s eyes widened momentarily before narrowing in concern, “Are you sure?”
“The spell I’m casting detects any life in a certain radius. I’m seeing six creatures moving together. They’re close. One-hundred feet and closing fast.” “Understood. Follow me. We need to link up with my contingent outside.”
The sudden scrabbling of claws on metal made both of their ears twitch and swivel. Turning towards the source, they crouched low as they faced the darkened hallway. The rasping of metal punctuated a quick flourish of Brightsteel’s sword—an elegant silver rapier with an ornate basket handle depicting Luna’s cutie mark. Twilight dropped her divination spell, trading it for a powerful light spell that bathed the entire hallway in a harsh purple glow. The noise stopped as soon as the light filled the hall, a series of whispers echoing down the corridor.
“Reveal yourselves, tresspassers,” Brightsteel barked as he glared at the nearest darkened alcove—some thirty feet away.
Twilight was surprised to hear a gruff voice answer, “We’re friendly! Don’t attack us!”
“Enter our hallway slowly. Hooves and claws where we can see them!”
Twilight watched as six hooded figures rounded the corner. Their vicious-looking claws extended in front of them for Brightsteel to see—empty and open. They were tall, their hoods about a foot away from brushing the tilted ceiling. Tufted tails and lion’s haunches peeked out from beneath their long cloaks, shiny yellow beaks poking out from under each hood.
Griffons.
“What business do you have with this place? My guards should have spotted you, so don’t bother lying about wandering here by mistake.”
The tallest of the hooded griffons stepped forward, “We were sent to investigate the meteorite that crashed in Equestria. We promise that our only intentions were to observe.”
“Then how and why did you get past my perimeter?”
One of the smaller figures pulled their hood back, revealing a younger female griffon beneath. She gestured back at the tunnel behind them, “There’s something out there swiping away your precious guardsponies. We ran in here before it got to us.”
Before Brightsteel could reply, everyone felt the ship rock to one side. A muffled cacophony of metal shearing and a series of accompanying vibrations rang out from further inside the wreckage. The distant trumpet of a guardspony demanded a call to arms.
Brightsteel glared at the griffons, his sword hovering dangerously close to their beaks, “All of you will follow me to the ship’s exterior.”
Twilight balked, “You don’t mean to send them out there…?”
“No, ma’am. But I can’t let them out of my sight,” he glanced between each of the griffons, “You will do as I say until I release you from my custody. Is that clear?”
The griffons looked at each other before all starting to nod in unison.
“Good enough. Now move.”
As they began to pass between Twilight and Brightsteel, the Princess went to follow—stopping suddenly as Brightsteel shook his head.
“I need you to stay here, Princess.” “Acknowledged and ignored, Captain.” “Princess…!” “Before I was the Princess of Friendship, I was the Element of Magic. I will also have you know I am not some frail mare who will sit on the sidelines and wait for my rescue.”
Brightsteel regarded her with his steely gaze—one she met with a hardened stare of her own. He sighed as he turned away, “As you wish, Princess.”
The two moved to the exterior as Brightsteel directed the griffons back the way he and Twilight had entered the ship. The shouts and calls of the guardsponies became clearer and clearer as they came upon the exit, the group moving out into the open.
The small camp that had been erected near the entrance had been completely destroyed. Embers of the campfire still smoked in the sand next to dozens of hoofprints—telltale signs of mobilizing troops. The tent lay in tatters atop a girder embedded in the sand like a rotting banner of a long-forgotten castle. A few scattered pegasi had moved towards the wreckage, huddling in recesses as if hiding from something.
“It’s coming back round! Get down!”
A feathery mass slammed into the wreckage behind them, the structure shuddering from the impact. Screams echoed around Twilight as the griffons and Brightsteel hit the sand below. Reopening her eyes, she stared at the headless corpse of one of the cloaked griffons—their blood soaking into the sand next to her foreleg. She watched the globules of crimson in wonder as they dribbled from the ragged stump, her eyes following the trail of splatters to the giant bird crouching on the wreckage behind her.
It was huge—the wings spanning almost a third of the ship’s width. Thick, sandy feathers coated most of the body, a single strip of teal iridescent plumage draped around its neck like a scarf. It turned to face them—its vicious beak stained red with its previous victims.
“Roc!” “Orders, Captain?!”
Twilight looked up to Brightsteel—the unicorn’s head swiveling around as he desperately scanned his surroundings.
“Sergeant! Sound off!”
A stocky khaki pegasus with brilliant red eyes popped up from one of the recesses in the hull, “Captain!”
“Take half our remaining chalk into the air above the wreckage! Get it to ram itself into the structure!” “Shoots! Arrow! Get your guards in order and on my flank!”
The two armored pegasi in question began shouting orders as Brightsteel turned to the heap of griffons and Princess at his hooves, “Salvage weapons from any nearby bodies and meet back at the entrance in one minute. Try to run, and I’ll personally be hunting you down. Try to kill me or the Princess and consider our nations at war. We both know how that will turn out.”
The remaining griffons glanced at each other, grinding their beaks at the Captain’s harsh words before moving off into the darkness.
Brightsteel turned back to Twilight—her wide eyes locked onto the headless corpse bleeding onto the sand.
“Princess? You okay?”
Twilight blinked before turning to face him, her jaw set and eyes watering, “Captain, a word?”
He nodded towards the wreckage—the two ponies ducking into the alcove the Sergeant once occupied. Twilight took a moment to wipe her eyes, exhaling shakily before taking a deep breath.
“If that creature is a Roc, you’ll find that normal weapons are ineffective. Their feathers grow bigger than most dinner tables. Best to put that sword away unless it can cut through stone.”
Brightsteel winced as he sheathed his weapon, “Can’t you use your magic to hold it still or shoot in down?”
The Princess shook her head, “Rocs have a natural resistance to magic. Combined with their size, restraining them or injuring them with magic alone is impossible.”
“Then what do we do,” Brightsteel asked distractedly, his eyes darting up towards the Sergeant shouting and waving his forelegs to draw the Roc’s attention.
Twilight forced a smile, “I have an idea, but we’ll need to get the Sergeant and his guards out of the way for a moment.”
The captain nodded, gesturing for her to break cover with him. The two darted towards the entrance, arriving just in time to see the Sergeant escape being disemboweled by the Roc’s bloodstained claws. Two fresh pony corpses lay still at the base of the wreckage, their armor glittering in the fading light of the dying campfire.
“Now’s the time, Princess.” “When I give the signal, have your Sergeant and his team break away.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as she searched for what she needed. Her magic prodded and probed any protrusions on the ship’s battered hull, quickly finding her weapon of choice.
“Now!”
Brightsteel raised his head, a red flare bursting from his horn and ascending into the sky. The Sergeant braked mid-air, steering away from the Roc as his squadmates began to put down some distance. Twilight’s horn sparked bright purple, a ragged chunk of hull yanking itself from the wreckage and flying towards the Roc blindingly fast. The trajectory looked good as the space-metal flew true—piercing the Roc in its side and exiting at the base of its wing.
Founts of blood burst from the entry and exit wounds as the Roc toppled soundlessly from the sky, slamming into the desert below in an explosion of sand. A chorus of ragged cheers broke out from the Sergeant and his squad as they converged on the fallen beast.
Brightsteel nodded with approval, “Using magic to enhance a nonmagical projectile… Not bad, Princess.”
Twilight opened her mouth to reply—her voice throttled by a sudden impact on the back of her head. She slammed into the desert muzzle-first, the forward momentum from the slam sending her spinning and tumbling several feet before she rolled to a stop.
Brightsteel’s muffled cries barely reached her peripheral senses as she lay there, warmth trickling down the back of her neck and a coppery tang stinging her tongue. The world moved as if submerged in molasses, her blurred vision making out the backside of another Roc. A mated pair, she mused. She remembered that Rocs would spend one week together to mate before parting. While rare, it had been observed once or twice in the wild by researchers. Her eyes slid closed as drowsiness washed over her.
She hoped Brightsteel would be okay.
***
Greta frowned at the proportionately small spear in her claws as she waited by the entrance along with her companions. The sounds of battle had died down somewhat after the Princess had finished off one of the Rocs with her telekinesis. The griffon had admittedly underestimated her.
“Storms, that was close,” Gaius grumbled. The tall griffon sat down in the sand as he leaned back in relief.
“We’re not out of this yet,” Greta noted. She eyed that unicorn’s sword glinting menacingly in the moonlight—even if they were set free, King Gaspar would have their hides for being discovered by Equestrian forces. The frayed relationships between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom were tested on almost a daily basis as border squabbles and accusations of espionage constantly arose between them. Judging by how easily the Princess had handled that Roc, the inevitable war between them would easily go to those damn ponies and their all-powerful rulers.
She blinked as the Princess was sent sprawling—another Roc swooping from above and managing a glancing blow. The alicorn tumbled several feet before skidding to a stop, the unicorn captain rushing to her side in a vain effort to get her moving.
“Storm’s wrath… There are two?!”
Greta’s heart leapt into her throat as their one chance at beating the beast began to bleed out into the sands she lay upon—the Princess remaining very still.
“If things look bad, retreat into the ship.” “Have you lost your mind, Greta?!” “I’d rather die quickly by the sword than be eaten alive by a storming Roc.”
The other griffons crouched low as they watched the spectacle unfold. The unicorn captain stood defiantly in front of the Princess as the Roc turned to face him. It regarded the captain with a single piercing eye, the heavy brow creating the angriest of scowls as it studied its prey.
“Let’s go,” Greta remarked, starting towards the entrance.
“You’re leaving him?” “You want to watch?” “Who knows, they might see our inaction as an act of war.” “Then go and die, Gaius! Die for these ponies who you love!”
Gaius bit back his retort. It was no mystery that he sympathized for the friendship-loving ponies—another hopelessly optimistic recruit from that incident in Griffonstone.
“If you wish to live, then—!” “Wait, did you see that?”
Greta whirled, her eyes scanning the conflict unfolding behind her.
“What did you see?” “A flash of light. Somewhere in the sky.” “A star?” “Brighter.”
They waited for a few seconds before getting their answer.
The Roc suddenly toppled forward with surprising force as if being crushed. It lay still, unmoving like the Princess it once hoped to consume. The unicorn captain inched towards the corpse, inspecting it for the better part of a minute while the other pegasi began to fan out and secure the area.
Then she saw it.
A biped stood atop the corpse of the Roc, rising as if it had just fallen from a great height. Viscera and gore covered its hands and legs, clouds of steam billowing off ichor-stained limbs as the heated lifeblood met the frigid desert air. It turned to face the captain—its face a featureless mask flecked with crimson.
The creature in the chariot. The alien from outer space.
John stared at the massive bird through the 2x zoom on his HUD. The damn thing was big—even bigger than the corpse laying near the comparatively miniscule purple blob of the other Princess. Like most creatures on this planet, it defied all scientific logic and Darwinian principles.
"What about magic?" "Those beasts came before most other creatures in Equestria—they are not affected by our magic as a result."
John watched as the Roc approached a grey unicorn guard.
"Then what's the plan?"
Hearing no response, he glanced over to make sure the Princess was still there. Fortunately, she was.
Unfortunately, she regarded him with a suspicious stare.
"Let us see if you truly are a powerful 'weapon,'" she mused.
For the second time this evening, his stomach turned upside-down—he was being teleported again.
As he regained his senses, he felt his stomach start to rise into his throat.
He was falling.
He glanced up at Luna who hovered above him, her horn aglow as she showed visible strain in sustaining some kind of spell.
John looked down, seeing the top of the Roc approaching him quickly.
Not a bad plan. Hopefully his legs would still be intact.
He slammed into the top of the bird, his immense weight carrying him through the creature's neck and to the sands below. Wincing as his knees creaked and groaned from the sudden compression, John shut his eyes instinctively as the desert exploded around him. His legs burned fiercely and his ankles popped inside his armor, but he remained otherwise unharmed.
He wasn't sure if it was worthy of being called an assassination attempt, but a part of him still felt pissed about being dropped like a living guillotine. Then again, he felt that something had cushioned his fall—judging by how the Roc had crumpled beneath him, he'd bet it had something to do with that spell Luna was sustaining.
John slowly reopened his eyes, blinking as his eyes struggled to focus on the gore flecked across his visor. Pulling his arms and feet free of the flesh entangled with his limbs, the Spartan rose back to his full height as he studied the corpse he stood upon.
He had fallen on the base of the Roc's neck, his boots and hands crushing and blending the skin against shattered bone and his armor plates. Judging by how it no longer moved, it hadn't survived John’s landing.
"Brightsteel!"
Luna cantered towards the gray unicorn, the latter regarding her with surprise.
"Princess!"
They embraced—a strange sight to see such a human gesture emulated by equines. Also wildly unprofessional.
"Are you hurt?" "No, Princess. Was that...?" "Simple improvisation, Brightsteel."
They both turned to face him—one ecstatic, one concerned.
"For a stone, thou flew most admirably!"
***
“Welcome back to Equestria, King Gaspar,” Celestia greeted, bowing her head respectfully. Bringing her gaze to the griffon’s piercing eyes, she flashed one of her winning smiles, “I pray your journey was uneventful.”
The griffon king looked every part of the “Warrior King” her cabinet had made him out to be. Atop his head sat a worn bronze circlet designed to resemble the northern mountain ranges of the Griffon Kingdom. He wore a thick green cape that draped over his right shoulder and most of his glittering chain cuirass. A single polished steel pauldron adorned his other shoulder, the straps attached to his cream-colored gambeson peeking out beneath his freshly-oiled chain. A thick leather belt cinched around his trim middle with a bulky sword frog hanging from it. A black sheath dipped beneath his cape while the sword’s hilt jutted majestically from his hip, its ornate carvings occasionally catching Celestia’s eye.
The fact that he had brought his father’s blade to her chambers didn’t bode well.
“Aye. It was quiet,” the griffon sniffed. He took several steps towards the Princess as he gave a short nod. His eyes darted towards the space behind Celestia, as if looking for somepony.
“Where are the other Princesses?” “My apologies, your grace. The short notice of your visit has made it difficult to prepare a proper reception—they attend to matters in their respective domains.” “And your sister?”
Celestia’s cheeks began to ache from holding her smile.
“She is currently resting—she had an eventful evening.”
She cracked an eye open. Gaspar regarded her with an uninterested look.
“I understand. Know that I bear no ill will towards any of your fellow Princesses—even I must admit that this meeting was arranged on such short notice.”
He wasn’t taking the bait. Gaspar was a slippery one. Thankfully, she had all her proof in five cells hundreds of feet beneath her hooves.
“Two days ago, a meteor shower struck the southern side of Equestria.”
Her muzzle began to relax as her smile faded. Gaspar was done with pleasantries.
“The entire continent was witness to the spectacle. Whatever fell from the sky that night was scattered across the southwestern deserts of your nation.”
“And is that the reason for this visit?” “Perhaps.”
Celestia reapplied her smile as she turned towards the nearest window, “What is it you wish to know?”
“What was on that ship?”
Strike one.
“The ship? You mean the meteorite?”
Gaspar flashed a grin of his own. Only his wasn’t very disarming or warm.
“I ask that you treat me as a fellow ruler and not an uninformed country bumpkin, Princess. We both have our methods of retrieving information.”
She couldn’t hold it in any longer, glancing back at the griffon despot with an irritated expression, “I believe I met some of yours the previous evening, Gaspar.”
The griffon’s jaw tightened but Gaspar remained silent. Celestia turned back to face the window.
“Espionage is a direct violation of the Treaty of Stalliongrad.” “Please, Princess. That never stopped you, did it?”
She faced the griffon once more—the disarming smile evaporating into an icy stare.
“It seems that this treaty doesn’t stop a lot of things, your grace. However, I will have you know that what it does do is prevent further bloodshed between our nations.”
King Gaspar stood resolute as she approached, the Princess stretching herself to her full height. She stood at his side, facing the other direction as she spoke over his shoulder, “You think me a warmonger and a tyrant, but I can assure you that the no side was victorious back then. I do not wish for more of these conflicts, nor do I seek more efficient methods to fight them.”
“What assurances can you give me?” “Only my word, Gaspar. Nothing more.”
They stood in silence, uncomfortably close to each other. Celestia could hear the gentle whistle of air passing through Gaspar’s beak as he weighed his options.
“I wish to meet it. Your guest.”
The Princess sighed. A high price.
“I can arrange that.” “Then you will show me the ship.”
She frowned. Master Chief would have something to say about that.
“As you wish.”
Gaspar turned on his heel, striding towards the double-doors to the chamber. He stopped near the entrance, “My father worked hard to ensure peace would endure between our kind. That I would rule our people in that peace. He told me there was no glory in war.”
The griffon turned slightly, his proud swagger now reduced to a pathetic limp, “Know that the steps I take are only to protect my people and ensure fairness is observed.”
Celestia nodded, the beginnings of a genuine smile working across her muzzle.
“Of course, Gaspar.”
The king clasped his claws behind his back and sighed defeatedly. He looked back into Celestia’s eyes, sorrow flashing behind his tired expression.
“I ask that you release my scouts. It was a mistake to send them in the first place.” “You have my word. Should I send them to your quarters?” “Yes. Thank you.”
Gaspar seemed to relax slightly before turning towards the front door, his cuirass jingling as he departed, “I look forward to meeting your other guest. From what I hear, they’re a fellow warrior.”
The Princess bowed at the back of Gaspar’s head, “I will notify you when they return from their daily duties.”
The griffon ruler left without another word, his green cape billowing as he moved to the doors. His guards bowed as he passed, each turning on their footclaws to follow him out.
As the door closed behind him, the Princess lifted her head. Her ear flicked towards a large fresco depicting her sister’s triumphant return from the moon.
“At ease.” “Your grace.”
A unicorn appeared from behind a veil of invisibility. While she loathed the use of illusion magic within castle grounds, she had to admit its use when nonmagical guests came to visit. She turned to face the unicorn colt, his ashen coat and jet-black mane contrasted by his piercing blue eyes.
“Did you find it?” “Captain Brightsteel opened it yesterday. Shall we bring the contents to the castle?” “Wait until our guests have departed. Discretion is your utmost priority. Are we clear?” “Crystal, your grace. Will there be anything else?” “You have your mission.”
The unicorn bowed before his outline shimmered and vanished, leaving the Princess alone with her own disgust.
***
Twilight winced as her head throbbed against the tightly wrapped bandage. While the pain was entirely from her head wound, the nausea in her gut stemmed from a much deeper issue.
She walked in a grungy dungeon hallway, her hoofbeats the only sound echoing alongside the drips of water as she traversed the bowels of the Royal Palace. Somewhere in these forsaken halls, her student resided—guilty of forced entry and magical manipulation.
A mixture of anger and guilt bubbled in her belly as she turned a corner, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes rested upon a slumped figure facing the far wall. The shadows cast by the nearby light source hid their identity, but Twilight knew who it was. A guard bearing a brass lantern patrolled the rows of cells, giving Twilight a nod in acknowledgement.
“May I speak to her in private?” “Of course, your grace.”
The alabaster pegasus trotted past the Princess, retreating around the corner. She waited for the hoofbeats to fade into silence.
“I’m sorry,” Starlight murmured, the shadows cast by Twilight’s horn dancing as she shifted in her cell.
“I know.”
Twilight’s jaw tightened. Her wings slowly unfurled as her eyes flashed with anger, “But the amount of damage you caused in such a short time…”
She looked up at Starlight—her anger faltering as she saw the unicorn meeting her eyes with a sorrowful expression. She redoubled her resolve as she continued.
“It was a delicate situation, and you almost undid all of our hard work. We had gained his trust and were working through each other’s terms. And then you waltz in, casually enthralling the Royal Guardsponies and our resident extraterrestrial—breaking our promise and committing high treason against Equestria!”
“Nopony was supposed to know,” Starlight mewled pathetically, her eyes falling to her hooves.
“When has that intention ever made anything justified?! Not to mention the use of forbidden mind-magics! If done incorrectly, you could have caused permanent damage!”
“I knew what I was doing,” Starlight murmured, even quieter than before.
“No, you obviously didn’t!”
Twilight groaned as a lance of pain pricked the back of her head.
“You’re right.”
The Princess stared at the back of Starlight’s disheveled mane.
“And yet… You’re wrong, too.”
Twilight arched her eyebrow, “How so?”
Starlight remained motionless as she spoke, “You were wrong to believe I could be reformed.”
The Princess’ lower lip trembled but she remained resolute.
“The knowledge I have is dangerous. Combined with the way I do things, maybe it’s best that I stay here.”
Twilight felt her chest squeeze painfully tight, but she said nothing.
“Is there anything else you wanted to say to me,” Starlight asked, her voice breaking.
“I heard about the circumstances. Master Chief told me what happened.”
Starlight twitched.
“He told me you were frightened and reasoned that the spell was a reaction.” “He said that?”
Twilight’s expression remained stern, “He gave you the benefit of the doubt. Of course, he wasn’t happy that you extracted information from him he would have otherwise not given up. But he conceded that he might have carelessly spooked you without considering the consequences.”
She saw Starlight’s head rise briefly before falling towards the floor.
“Still.”
Twilight’s frown deepened. She remembered something very familiar—it was during her first Winter Wrap-Up in Ponyville. A day that had gone down in infamy.
“I should have told you.”
Starlight’s head rose again and stayed up—her watery eyes illuminated by Twilight’s horn.
“If I had told you what was going on, none of this would have happened.”
Starlight let out a dry chuckle, “You don’t have to lie to me, Twilight. Just say it.”
“Say what? That you’re ‘irredeemable,’” she shook her head, “You’re barking up the wrong tree, Starlight.”
The unicorn gave her a sidelong glance over a shoulder, “I can’t take back what I did.”
“But you can atone. The fact that you’re guilty about it is a good thing.”
“I mean, if you didn’t, that’d be categorical psychopathic behavior. So, at least you’re not… one of those?”
The unicorn giggled to herself as she walked to the bars, “Very reassuring, Twilight.”
The Princess smiled, “Glad you’re feeling better.”
“So, any ideas on getting me out of here?” “Nope. You’ll have to serve at least a week’s sentence.” “…Oh. You’re serious.” “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still angry with you.” “Fair enough.”
Starlight sat down, wiping her eyes. Twilight watched her expectantly.
“So… Wanna know his name?”
***
“Are you going to turn that thing off?” “Don’t know how.”
Cortana kept silent as the Banshee’s strange alarm continued to chime. Thankfully, it had the subtlety of a gentle reminder in comparison to the “imminent death” alarms of most UNSC ships.
“I still can’t raise anybody. Alpha Base is quiet, and Major Silva isn’t answering his comms. I’ve left a message about our current objectives, but I think we’re on our own.”
John’s eyes flicked to a blinking light on the dashboard. The subtle chime stopped—replaced by a louder, more obnoxious klaxon.
“Can you please do something about—!”
The Spartan’s fist slammed into the console, rocking the aircraft with its force. A large section of lights winked out on the console as the alarm stopped. One of the wingtip propulsion engines flared out, the smoke trail vanishing as John felt his hackles raise.
Five seconds later, the wingtip began trailing smoke once more as the propulsion drive coughed to life.
“We can leave it on next time.”
John grunted in reply as he focused on the screen in front of him. His helmet’s compass still pointed directly at Cortana’s nav marker, the miles continuing to tumble.
“I still can’t believe they took him.”
The Spartan tightened his grip on the twin control sticks, “It’s why we’ve got to take this ring out.”
“If we can take it out,” Cortana mused. “I’ve been running the numbers. We’ve done well so far, but I don’t know how much longer our luck is gonna last.”
“You said it yourself. We’re all that’s left. We’ve got to do this.” “Well, I’m glad at least one of us is in a chipper mood.”
John chose not to give in to the goading. Cortana fell silent again, the craft’s throttled whining filling the space.
“Are you scared, Chief?”
John hesitated.
“…Yes.” “Good.”
He waited for the snide remark, but none came.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one.”
A few more minutes passed before a burst of static jolted them out of their introspection.
“Echo 419 broadcasting on all frequencies. Does anyone read? I say again, Foehammer broadcasting on all frequencies. Respond if read, over.”
“Foehammer, this is Cortana. We read you. It’s good to hear you, over,” Cortana gushed. A grin tugged at John’s mouth.
”The platform is cleared, sir.”
John blinked the memory from his eyes as he glanced up from the preflight checklist, “Thanks. I’ll take it from here.”
“Just give us a holler.”
Waving off the unicorns, the Spartan approached the Pelican—now elevated on a smooth sandstone plinth. The least-derelict of the three Pelicans sat on its wheels, one of its rear spars resting on top of an empty munitions crate to keep it upright. She was in a sorry state and was going to need a lot of work. John briefly wondered how many months it was going to take to get it running.
He moved to the pilot’s seat and began to run through the checklist, confirming the correct settings for each item before circling back to the dreaded engine-check. Just as he remembered, only five of the eight engines were working—with one of the three broken Ramjets being an internal engine located in her starboard wing cluster.
That was if it even was an engine problem. It could be the drive not powering the engine, or even an issue with the starter itself—the options threatened to overwhelm him right off the bat. He wasn’t even sure where to start.
He could see Cortana shaking her head in disbelief at his helplessness. He narrowed his eyes before powering everything down, returning to the ship exterior. He looked up at the right wing’s engine cluster, his armored gloves feeling for any obvious imperfections on the surface of the nacelles. Finding nothing glaring, he hit the zoom on his visor and took a second pass. Blood flushed his cheeks—he felt like a child playing with his parents’ toys: He could only make educated guesses at what the function of each part was, never truly knowing the purpose of any of it.
He moved to another Pelican whose starboard wing cluster was intact according to the internal readout, studying how everything looked and comparing it to the other. Finding no obvious differences, John knew it had to be something internal.
Wanting to avoid working on the central engine clusters for the moment, John opted to work on the rear engines instead. From what he could remember, it was also the starboard side that was causing issues when starting her up minutes before. He took careful notes on the removal and placement of each armored plate, sometimes having to retrace them as he found other parts obstructing his progress.
Almost two hours had passed once he reached the engines themselves. Despite his armor’s best efforts, he could feel the sun beating down through his visor as the brutal desert heat began to seep into his suit’s interior. The lack of progress combined with the rising temperatures had pushed his patience to its limit.
It was infuriating. It was impossible.
It was hopeless.
He took a seat on the crate, resting his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together.
“Sir?”
One of the unicorns approached him in his peripheral.
“Did you want something to drink?”
John glanced up at the colt—the young technician a far cry from the stoic guards he had been dealing with until now. A total stranger. One of many he was trapped here with.
He sat in silence as the reality of his predicament began to set in. The colt cocked his head.
