> Rambo: Equestrian Redemption > by The Gunny > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Rambo walked through the forest, his trusty knife in its sheath and his Bow on his back. He had been exploring the mountains of Colorado, after his last expirience here it was nice to see the place without the Police on his tail. It truly was beautiful and the added peace of mind that everything was calming. But as if god wanted to torment him he began to hear the voices, he began to see the faces. “Will! Will Help ME WILL!” One of the voice cried out, Rambo cringed as the screams filled his ears. “I’ll give you a war you won’t believe, Let it go, LET. IT. GO.” This voice was familiar, “NOTHING IS OVER! NOTHING! YOU JUST DON’T TURN IT OFF!” “Covey leader calling Raven, Come on raven.” This one also was familiar, Before Rambo knew it he had gotten lost. To make things worse, it was getting dark and was about to rain. Reluctantly he made the choice to camp here. Taking out his knife to prepare a small fire he noticed that the timber he was around was slightly different, it looked cartoonish in nature. His hands also had this cartoonish look to them, needless to say he was intrigued. The night began to settle in and Rambo decided that instead of a fire he would just stay up and watch for danger... (~~~~) The next morning Rambo began his trek again, slightly tired from the night watch he headed towards the north east. Everything was quiet here, too quiet. Rambo unsheathed his knife, it gleamed in the sunlight coming down through the canopy. Thats when the twig snapped, Rambo turned around with lightning speed to see a massive creature. A lion with bat wings, Scorpion tale and massive claws, Rambo readied himself as it charged with murder in its eyes Quickly sidestepping its clumsy assault he brought the knife up and bore down on the Creature’s neck which elicited shrieks of pain. “RAH! AH! GRAH!” Rambo shouted as he punctuated each word with a stab, the creature grabbed him leaving the knife lodged in its neck. With every bit of strength he had he pushed the creature’s paw open and clambered onto its back. Using the hilt of the knife as a handle Rambo pulled out an arrow and plunged it deep into the creature’s neck next to the knife gaining another blood curdling shriek of pain. Rambo raised the Arrow over his head and brought it down a final time with immense force. The creature slumped to the ground with Rambo on its back, he pulled the knife from its neck and sheathed it. Without batting an eyelid he continued walking leaving the strange monstrosity behind. Several hours of uneventful walking passed but soon the dense forest began to spread and get thinner. Rambo was met by a beautiful vista, a small village in the distance caught his eye as well as a house that seemed to be made out of a tree. While he took in the view he slipped up and failewd to notice the green eyes emerging in the darkness of the forest behind him, when the wolf made of wood lunged he only had enough time to semi dodge it. The Wolf clamped down on his arm and he cried out in pain, Rambo smashed its head against a tree. “oh...my..” A faint voice cried out, Rambo continued to smash the wolves head into the tree until green sap and splinters were all that remained. “RRRRR AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” Rambo shouted as he stomped on the wolfs head angrily. “Just wanted to relax! But you had to push it!” A faint cry caught his attention, he turned his head to see a butter colored pegasus cowering behind a tree. Rambo stood straight for a moment as his arm slowly oozed blood, then he slowly approached the cowering creature. Rambo didn’t know where he was or what this thing was but he knew it was scared of him, and even as a battle hardened soldier he found it utterly adorable. Rambo knelt down next to the startled creature, his arm still bleeding. It scooted away and hid behind its mane, Rambo sighed and extended his hand. “Come on, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He said as comfortingly as he could. “Y-Y-You P-P-Promise?” The Pegasus said softly, Rambo’s hung open for only ten seconds or so before he nodded. “Is it gone? Did...Did you scare it away?” “Its taken care of, that thing won’t hurt anything for a long time.” Rambo said reassuringly, the Pegasus came out from behind her mane and slowly approached Rambo’s arm. “Oh...my. Oh that must hurt, let me help you...i mean if thats okay.” The Pegasus said meekly, Rambo nodded and the pegasus began to trot towards the small cottage in the tree. “I’ve never seen an animal like you before, what's your name?” “John...John Rambo.” Rambo replied plainly, he looked down at the pegasus. “What’s yours?” “Fluttershy...” Fluttershy replied softly, Rambo put a hand on her head and tossled her mane. “What kind of animal are you? Are there more of your kind?” Rambo asked, Fluttershy nodded. “Well theres pegasi, earth ponies, unicorns, alicorns, griffins, hippogriffs...” Fluttershy began to list off the names of the other species in an adorable way that made Rambs’s heart almost melt. Almost. “….then finally there are the dragons, Spike is a dragon but he’s a baby. Maybe Twilight will let you meet him.” “Twilight? Is she like you?” Rambo asked, Fluttershy chuckled which to any lesser man would have blown their heart apart. “No she used to be a unicorn but now shes a princess, an alicorn.” Fluttershy said happily as the two arrived at the cottage. Rambo’s arm was throbbing now and Fluttershy went to work cleaning the wound. She gasped at the sight of all the other scars Rambo had. “W-W-Who would do this to you?!” “I’d rather not discuss it.” Rambo replied as the image of Colonel Podovsky flashed through his head. He didn’t notice his muscles clench up or his sudden rage laden breathing. “i-i-i’m sorry...” Fluttershy said before hiding behind her mane, Rambo looked at her and smiled as the rage melted away. “Its not your fault, are you always this timid?” Asked Rambo, Fluttershy nodded. “Why?” “I just kinda am....I guess.” Fluttershy began but before she could get any further there was a knock on the door. She was satisifed with her work on Rambo’s arm so she went to the door and yelped in fear when what Rambo assumed was a Griffin stood staring down at her. “Oh look at Flutter Cry.” The Griffon hissed before raising a claw, Rambo had seen enough. He made his way to the door eliciting a chuckle from the griffin. “And one of her little wimpy animals is on its way to help her. What an ugly thing.” “S-Stop it Gilda....H-He didn’t do anything to you.” “Do It...NOW” Podovsky’s voice echoed through Rambo’s head as he got closer to the door, Rambo winced as he heard it. “22056 Lone Wolf Recieve?” Rambo’s voice echoed through his own head. “DO IT OR I KILL HIM!” “Murdock...I’m coming to get you....” At this point he was standing at the door and gilda had a claw up to Fluttershy’s face. Rambo lunged at her and grabbed her throat in a death grip. “G-GET OFFA ME!” Gilda said as she dug her claws into Rambo’s arm, he didn’t blink as he stared into her eyes. “You think you can push my friends around, you’re nothing and you’ll always be nothing. Go, leave or I’ll make your life so hellish you’ll be begging me to kill you...” Rambo growled as he pulled gilda’s face close to his. “Leave her alone.” He said before dropping her to the ground with blood pouring from his arm again. The Griffin bolted out the open door and Rambo turned to see Fluttershy cupping her eye and sobbing. Rambo got down on her level and looked at her, Gilda’s claw had sliced a gash over her eye. “D-D-Don’t Hurt M-Me.” Fluttershy stammered, Rambo just took the little pegasus into his arms and gave her a hug before looking at her wound. She wouln’t lose the eye if he got her to a doctor in time. “Wheres the doctor.” He said calmly, Fluttershy pointed to the building in the town with the big red cross on it. Rambo scooped her up in his arms and charged out the door, he ran through the town earning gasps from every pony that saw him five saw the pegasus he was carrying and began to follow with anger in their eyes. One of them with a rainbow mane charged Rambo and rammed into his legs causing him to fall, he flipped onto his back and covered fluttershy so she didn’t get hurt. Rambo tried to get up but felt something heavy on his chest, he felt himself almost being crushed by immense weight but at the same time not getting hurt. “Fluttershy!” A female voice called out, Rambo whipped his head around as thoughts of the torture he endured in Vietnam began to flood his head. “Get away from that thing!” “I-I-Its O-Okay..” Fluttershy said timidly as she held the wound on her eye. “H-He’s N-Nice.” “What did it do to your eye! Oh you poor dear, this brute must have been so cruel.” A posh voice said “A-Actually...it was G-G-Gilda.” Flutershy retorted though no one seemed to hear her. “Chó Mỹ!”(American Dog!) The voice of the Vietnamese Colonel echoed through Rambo’s head. HE started shouting angrilly trying to get out of the strange force. “Giữ anh ta xuống!” (Hold him down!) “You’re scaring him!” Fluttershy shouted suddenly loud before she looked at Rambo. “Leave Rambo alone! He wasn’t hurting anypony!” “RRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” Rambo roared as he felt the blade in his head slice across his chest. “But Fluttershy darling! What about your eye!” The same Posh voice as before said matter-of-factly. “Gilda did it, now please let him go!” Flutteryshy said nervousness returning to her once confident voice. Almost instantly the force holding Rambo down vanished letting him get to his feet and grab his knife. “Easy there big guy, its okay... We aren’t going to hurt you...” Rambo seemed to calm down a bit, his trembling hands stopped shaking and his slid the blade of his knife back into its sheath. A crowd of ponies was around him and the six others. “Why, Why is he trembling? I didn’t use that strong of a spell.” A purple Alicorn said nervously, she then saw the terror, the anger in ‘Rambo’s eyes. “Oh no....” The Alicorn turned to the crowd “Please disperse....” But before anything else could happen Rambo growled like an animal which sent the crowd running. “Twilight, he doesn’t know what magic is. More importantly he’s been hurt a lot! You have to give him his space.” Fluttershy explained, her eye still was bleeding though not as much. “He was just taking me to the hospital...” The looks on her friends faces were ones of sorrow and sadness even the Pink one looked deflated. Fluttershy turned to Rambo and put a wing around his shoulder, he was shaking despite his calm demeanour. “You need a doctor.” He said earning a gasp from the group of ponies, he grabbed Fluttershy and began to run towards the hospital with the five ponies on his tail. When he arrived the doctors didn’t ask any questiosn about him only what happened to Fluttershy, he explained everything and they rushed her off to surgery leaving Rambo and the five ponies in the waiting room. One of the nurses treated the scratches on Rambo’s arm which elicited several gasps at the sight of how many scars adorned his arms. “So...I suppose you want to know ours names?” The Lavender or Purple Alicorn said, Rambo really couldn’t place what color she was. Rambo nodded. “Well I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, but Twilight is fine. Thats Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash.” “Rambo, John Rambo.” Rambo grunted as he pulled out his knife, the group of ponies gasped only to be relieved when Rambo pulled an apple from his pocket and and began to slice it. “I have a lot of questions, Rambo. Uh do you mind?” Twilight asked “Let the poor creature rest a moment darling, he certainly must be tired after all that running and those rags must be so uncomfortable!” Rarity exclaimed, Rambo shot her a look but then turned back to Twilight. “Ask away...It’s good to know more about potential threats.” Rambo said plainly. “Okay, Um. Well what are you exactly.” Twilight asked “Human, very dangerous, very lethal. You’re right to be afraid of me.” Rambo replied before picking up a magazine to look at it. “I see....How old are you?” Twilight continued “sixtyish” Rambo again replied without any change in emotion. “How did you get all of those scars.” Twilight asked innocently, to her surprise Rambo tensed up and he closed his eyes. “Covey leader calling Raven...Come on Raven...” Trautmans voice echoed through Rambo’s head. “Don’t you want to know what its like back home?” A female voice added. “Its over Johnny, ITS OVER!” Trautmans voice shouted. “NOTHING IS OVER! NOTHING! YOU JUST DON’T TURN IT OFF!” Rambo’s voice echoed... “John! John rambo!” “Rambo? Rambo!?” Twilight’s voice shook him from his thoughts. “Are you okay?” “War...” Rambo blurted out. “Hmm?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. “War. I got them in war...” Rambo said more clearly, Before Twilight could ask any more questions a doctor opened the door. “She’s awake...” > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rambo walked with the girls to Fluttershy’s room, what the girls saw shocked them while he stood resolute and still. “Fluttershy! Oh deary are you okay?” Rarity asked, Fluttershy nodded. She looked at Rambo and gestured for him to come over. Her eye was covered with a bandage but she still had a smile on her face. “Hey.” Rambo said with a hint of a smile dancing across his face, he reached into one of his other pockets and took out a slightly melted hershey bar. He handed to her and she took it in her hooves. “Oh Thank you, I just wanted to thank you for everything. I don’t know why gilda was at my house, I hope she isn’t too upset that you nearly choked her to death...” Fluttershy was interupted by a gasped from the group. “What? You have a problem with me?” Rambo suddenly spat. “Baby killer!” A voice echoed through his head. “MURDERER!” His muscles tensed but a sudden hoof on his shoulder calmed him down. “Don’t be so hard on him girls, he helped Flutters after all.” Rainbow Dash said with an equal amount of anger. “Never shoulda hung around with gilda in the first place. New she’d want revenge on poor fluttershy.” “My little ponies I came as soon as I- What in the name of me?” A Regal voice interupted, Rambo whipped around thinking it was a threat only to find he was staring at a horse sized Alicorn. “Thats Rambo! He saved Fluttershy! I can’t wait to throw him a party!” Pinkie Pie shouted happily, from out of no where she pulled a cannon. This instantly sent Rambo into a frenzie and he jumped on top of the barrel only to be hit with a wave of confetti and a barrage of strange looks from every pony in the room save for the Large Alicorn and Fluttershy. “I think you may have scared him....maybe put the cannon away? If thats okay i mean.” Fluttershy said weakly as Rambo looked down at his grimy, now confetti covered, T-Shirt. Pinkie frowned but put the cannon away, Rambo looked at the white Alicorn who stared back as if reading him. “What is this, Rambo thing?” The Alicorn asked. “I am not a thing.” Rambo Growled taking the Princess by surprise. “he saved Fluttershy from Gilda, such a gentle colt.” Rarity added. The ponies nodded, Celestia stared into Rambo’s eyes again. “Is there something you need?” Rambo muttered, Celestia’s face softened. “Yes, I need to speak with you.” She said seriously, Rambo decided to give her a chance despite his track record with authority figures and nodded. She and him walked out into the hall leaving several ponies with looks of intrigue on there face. “yes?” Rambo muttered. “I Want to offer you asylum here. I can’t begin to say know how you feel.” Celestia replied, Rambo cocked an eyebrow. “Why would I stay here? I can just walk out of the forest like I walked in or is this not a fancy way of telling me you’re taking me prisoner.” Rambo snapped harshly. “Actually neither is true. You entered this land through a magic dispersal portal. Like a one way door.” Celestia explained, Rambo didn’t flinch upon hearing he was stuck. “I don’t need your help...” Rambo replied flatly, he pushed passed the sun princess without a word. “Why won’t you let us take care of you! We just want to help!” Celestia asked. “‘Cause I don’t want your help!” Rambo shot back before he walked out of the hospital... (Three Months Later) Several days after Fluttershy left the hospital with a nasty scar she was finally settling back into her routine. Feeding her animals, playing with her friends, going on adventures though most involved some sort of scary activity like finding the cutie mark crusaders trying to ride a manticore. Fluttershy was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost forgot the tiny white rabbit tapping its foot. “Oh Angel Bunny did I forget your carrots?” Fluttershy asked, the rabbit nodded and fluttershy went to the kitchen to fetch a big juicy carrot when she heard a glass in the living room break. Fluttershy went back into the living room “Angel did you-” What she saw was the Griffon that she disliked most. Gilda. “oh Fluttercry, hows your eye?” Gilda asked with a smirk, Fluttershy backed up into a wall as Gilda got in her face. “Soon it won’t matter when my friends and I help the kingdom take your puny country you’ll just be another slave.” Gilda then laughed loudly as Fluttershy cowered behind her mane. The griffon punched her shoulder hard and then walked out of the cottage. Little did the griffon know that a pair of eyes were watching her angrily from the tree line of the Everfree. Rambo had been collecting wood when he sensed something was off, he suspected as much. He made his way cautiously to the cottage with his bow drawn, he heard meak sobbing from inside. “Oh Angel bunny what am I going to do?” Fluttershy asked ehr pet bunny, Rambo sheathed his bow and walked into the open door. “Eep!” “What's the matter Fluttershy?” Rambo asked, Fluttershy relayed the information she had been told to Rambo. “We can’t let this go...” “B-B-But the guards can fight off the griffins right?” Fluttershy asked, Rambo shook his head. “This shit, this is between us and her. No one else...Tell your princess she needs to get ready if the griffons attack.” Rambo turned to leave but stopped. “And so do you....You aren’t going to be much help to me if you can’t fight.” “But I don’t want to fight.” Fluttershy said meekly... “You want to be scared of everything for ever?” Rambo asked the now cowering mare. “N-N-No” She replied “You can’t stand up for yourself if you're so afraid! You gotta get out of this rut! You're better than that! Aren’t you!?” Rambo said scincerely. “I know what you’re capable of, you have potential! Its not about how strong you are, not about how powerful your punch is, Its about taking responsibility for yourself and making sure that no one pushes you around!” “But I already tried that, I tried to be assertive...” Fluttershy replied. “Assertive? Who said anything about being assertive? You just need to know when to say ‘NO!’” Rambo retorted, Fluttershy looked at him for a moment before nodding.....