Into Hell, and out to where?by DarkAscensionChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 125 June, 0915 hours. I walked down the loud, busy street of Ta'if. It was hot, to hot. To hot to be in all this gear I had on. I was supposed to meet some guy by the name of Tom Mu at the cafe an hour ago. When he didn't show, I had Nick stay put while I went looking. I completed another lap around the market area and took a seat by a fruit shop. The owner yelled at me, "Buy or leave! You scaring away business!" With a sigh I grabbed an apple and tossed him a dollar. He shut up after that. After a few bites I got up and grabbed another one. "Thanks" I nod to him and walk away. I go back to the busy streets and continue looking. "Ice 0-1, Tom arrived at location. Waiting for you to get your fat ass back here." Nick said over the radio. "Copy that 0-2. On my way." I turn off my radio and break out into a slow run. "Fucking finally..." I get back to the cafe a few minutes later. Nick sees me and stands up, followed by who I assume is Tom Mu. I shake his hand and take my seat by Nick. "Mr. Hewson, so glad you can join us. I apologize for being late, I had a rough morning." He says with a slight Asian accent. "Happens to us all. You have our info?" He slid a folder across the table. Grabbing it, I flip it open and thumb through the pages. Once I got to a picture I stopped. "That's him. Haliaf Al Hassim, leader of the Terrorist cell responsible for..." I tune him out as I study the picture. He looked like any other guy that was from these parts. Short spiky hair, long beard, AK. Only thing that stood out on him was a scar that ran across his nose. Started from his right eye, and ended at the left side of his lips. He also had one blue eye. 'This is going to be easier then I thought.' I think to myself. I close the folder and hand it to Nick. "Well Mr. Mu, thank you for everything you've done getting us this information. But now it's time for us to get to work. Have a pleasant day." I bow in respect and walk off to our hotel. I hear Nick say something to Tom but I couldn't tell what it was over the volume of the streets. 26 June 1537 hours. I sat perched up on a hill top overlooking a vast valley. Nick was slowly making his way to a group of American Marines who spotted us. I adjusted the stock and aimed down the scope of my XM2010 sniper rifle. I could see four HMMWV's with mounted 240b's, and one MK19 grenade launcher, and about twenty Marines total. Now being American myself, you'd think this situation would be no problem. But that's not the case. We Mercs don't get along with your average soldier, and we're technically not allowed to be in this part of the country. Nick made his way to the Marines and stood at the ready. Every Marine had their gun trained on him, through the scope I could see him talking with who I assumed was the CO of the unit. Scanning the group I found none were paying me much attention. This went on for some time, Nick and him talking, me sitting behind a scope. It was to fucking hot out for this. I hate this fucking Hell hole. "Ice 0-1." A voice came over the radio. "Go ahead 0-2." "The Marines have agreed to help us find Haliaf Al Hassim. Turns out, they were hunting him too. Tracked him to a cave not so far from here." "That's a shock. Alright, coming down." I grabbed my rifle and stood up, popping my back as I stretched. With a heavy sigh I walked down the hill and up to the Marines. "Ice 0-1? Lima 2-4. Lieutenant Conners, Force Recon. Seems we're going after the same man." The Marine Nick was talking to earlier said. He stuck out a hand which I took. "It appears so. 0-2 said you know his location?" I asked. He nodded and pointed to the mountain range to the south. "He's held up in a cave system in those mountains. We were on our way when we spotted you and your spotter. Come, you can ride with me." He raised his hand and waved it in a circle. Every Marine returned to a HMMWV. Nothing more was said. Me and Nick sat in the back as we rode into the mountain pass. All eyes were scanning the landscape. "These guys can be anywhere. Stay sharp, ETA 5 Mikes." Conners called out into the radio. We drove on in silence for those five minutes. Nothing said, nothing heard. The driver stopped and got out. Conners soon followed. I shrugged to Nick and opened the door. The Marines were gathering in a circle, so we joined in. "Alright, the cave is just over this hill. We haven't seen any signs of them, so that means they don't know we're here, or it's a trap. I want to roll in HMMWV's first. Driver and Gunner. The rest will follow once the shooting starts. 0-1, you and your spotter head to that hill and provide sniper cover for my boys." He points to a hill that overlooks the mountain side.\ "Copy that. Lets move." Me and Nick took off running for the hill. Staying low we climbed the back of it and set up on the top between some rocks. Nick pulled out his M4 and took aim. "No contacts." I nodded and positioned my XM2010 in a wedge of the rocks. I pulled my extra mags and set them aside. I peered through the scope and scanned the entrance of the cave. "Lima 2-4 the area looks clear. Green light." I said through the radio. I didn't even get a response. The HMMWV's just started up and made their way to the mouth of the cave. The stopped, "You sure this is the right cave-" Pop A shot range out and the Gunner of the first HMMWV dropped down. "Contact!" A Marine yelled as all hell broke loose. Shots range through the air as dozens of Insurgents came pouring from the cave. Dozens more appearing at random all over the mountain. "Shit. Open fire." I told Nick as I pulled the trigger. My shot found its mark in the chest of one of the many targets that littered the area. I racked back the bolt and pushed in a new round. Nick rained round after round at them as I took aim. I lined my crosshairs on another Insurgent and pulled the trigger. His head turned to a red mist as he fell back. His friends saw my shot and started to put rounds our way. The shots chipped at the rock we hid behind, causing me at flinch when one would get to close. The Marines weren't having any more luck then us either. They were pinned behind the HMMWV's returning fire as best they could. I set my sights on a man with an RPG. He aimed it at us and shot. Time slowed down. I watched as the Rocket Propelled Grenade flew straight and true right at us. I closed my eyes and awaited my doom. I heard the round fly by over head "Holy shit!" Nick cried out. I looked up. The smoke trail missed us by inches. "Thank God RPG's are shit." I realigned my sights and shot him. He doubled over and shot off his new round into the ground at his feet. An explosion rocked the mountain, causing rocks to fall, and enemies to become exposed. The Marines took this opportunity and came out guns blazing. It was beautiful. Every shot hit a target, not a single Marine missed a step on his way to the caves. Within five seconds, the mountain side was almost clear, and the Marines reached the caves. "I'll leave clean up to you 0-1. Good luck." Conners said. "Copy that. Bag that son of a bitch." With the Marines gone, we were the only targets. Bullets rained down on us hard. But we couldn't move. We were pinned in the rocks. We returned fire, Nick spraying his M4, while I dropped one after another. I dropped the mag from my rifle and picked up a fresh one. As I inserted it, Nick yelled, "RPG! Get out!" Before I could react, he grabbed me and threw me out from cover just as the RPG hit the rocks. 'Nick...' The rocks exploded in a fiery ball of dirt and shrapnel. The force sent me flying threw the air. I hit the ground, rolling violently down the hill until I hit something hard. I was in a daze, my vision was blurry. "0-2....0-2 do you copy. Nick....Nick!" I called out through the radio. I got static in return. I got to my knees and looked around. 'Grass? Trees?' I stood up, trying to get a better view. All around me was bright green grass and forest life. "Where the hell am I?" I grabbed my radio. "This is Ice 0-1, does anyone copy?" Static. "This is Ice 0-1, please, if anyone is hearing this, respond." More static. I sigh in defeat and look to the sky. The sun was, what I assumed, just rising over the horizon. So I went that way. I'm bound to run into someone at some point right? Chapter 2I've walked for the better part of the day. The sun still shines bright, high in the sky behind me. I felt like I was walking in circles. Everything looked the same to me, same bright forest that almost seemed alive in a sense. Everything had a warm aura to it, it seemed like they were, almost glowing with life. It was clear I wasn't in Saudi anymore, but where could I be? I stopped and focused on my surroundings. Spotting a small opening by a tree, I made my way over for a quick break. I slid off my pack and sat against the tree. Catching my breath, I look around. Everything still looked the same to me, for all I knew, I landed here just behind the next tree. "Guess it's as good of time as any." I breath out reaching for my bag. I open it up and start to take inventory of what I had left. I turned my pack upside down and shook it free of its content. Once everything was out, I started pulling everything off my body. 'OK, I lost my rifle in the explosion back in Saudi. That leaves me with my USP, and my Mateba Auto-revolver. I have 72 rounds of .45, and 24 rounds of .44. Not the most Ideal set up, but it'll do for now. 'I got my grandfathers knife still, four smoke grenades, a med kit, a pair of Night Vision goggles, Suppressors for my rifle and USP, and a dark green and black Ghille suit. Which will help a lot considering my A-Tacs Au BDUs don't really help me in this environment.' Giving a depressed sigh, I start to put everything back in place. I slipped on my vest and holstered my side arms. I put the Ghille suit on over it and hid my pack. I went North, hopefully to find some sort of food or a town. Birds seemed to be plentiful, chirping wildly as I walked the forest floor. I looked up to see nothing be leaves. 'Fuckin birds...probably warning all the animals I'm here.' I continued walking for quite some time. It was dark, and yet, the birds still yelled to one another. "Fucking dammit! Really? You guys can't stay quiet for for five God damn minutes?!" I shout above a whisper. To my surprise, they went quiet. The only sound was my breathing. It seemed strange but I liked it, I continued my trek deeper into the forest. But then it hit me. The birds are quiet. When do birds ever stay quiet? When there's danger. "Shit." I lifted my USP and waited for something to happen. And for a moment, I didn't think anything was going to happen. But then I heard a scream. I took off in the direction it came from. The screams grew louder and louder. I stopped and swept the area. I didn't see anyone, but i heard foot steps. I hid behind a tree and waited for whatever it was to come out. The screams and foot steps grew louder, and I saw a rustle in the bushes in front of me. I took aim as two small creatures jumped out. They both screamed and froze when they saw me. "Ahhhh!!!" They both cried. Wait....Did they just scream? The bushes started to rustle again and they quickly ran behind me. Utterly confused for the moment, I just went with it and aimed back at the bush. Whatever it is, it had to be bad. I mean, they were running away from it. When it jumped out, the little creatures behind me screamed again. So I shot it. Bang Bang It hit the ground fast and didn't move. I walked over to it and gave it a quick kick. It was a fucking warthog....Well at least I have food now. I turned around and saw the small creatures cowering in each others arms. 'Little, tiny, ponies?' I crouched down and spoke softly. "Hey...you two alright?" They looked at me, shaking heavily. "Thams yu..." It spoke....I knew it could scream, but, it could talk! I stood back up to my full height. Bad Idea. The little ponies eyes widened in fear as they watched me rise up. They backed away from me frightened. I took a step towards them, but that only caused them to run away and scream. "Hey wait!" I called out. But it was to late, I succeeded in scarring off the only Intelligent life I found so far. Sighing, I picked up the warthog and carried it back to camp. 'Maybe I'll see them again.' I thought as I made my way through the dark forest. Later that night, Canterlot. Luna sat on the throne in a empty room. The only others in the room, were the two guards that flanked her on each side. Luna hated nights like this. Not a single pony coming in with problems, nothing to sign or read over. Nor did she have the guard she thought of as a friend. If she were here, certainly they would talk and keep this boring atmosphere away. Luna sighed lightly and thought to herself. 'Maybe if I put up a sound dampener, I can teleport away without anypony knowing...' She smiled and went to light her horn. She stopped when the doors burst opened and a guard came rushing in. "Princess, Urgent news from a small settlement south of Unicorn Range." "Proceed." She said, a little too excitedly. "Two Fillies were out playing in White Tail Woods, they say they were chased by a warthog." Luna deflated a bit. "Is that all? Are the Fillies alright?" "The Fillies are fine Princess. But they say that they ran into a huge creature that killed the warthog with a 'weapon that made a very loud noise.'" "Where is this creature now?" The guard shook his head. "It is unknown Princess. The Fillies say after it tried communicating with them, they ran home." Luna nodded. "Smart thinking. Guard! Organize a search party, I want my Lieutenant leading a team through the forest by sunrise!" The guard bowed and ran out of the throne room to gather more guards. Canterlot Barracks. 0520 hours. The Night guard slowly made her way to the locker by her bunk. She opened it and started taking off her armor. When she removed her helmet, her white coat turned back into her natural Midnight Black color. And her mane from Golden yellow to a Light Blue. Resting a hoof on the backside of her neck, she gave it a solid twist, getting a satisfying pop from her sore neck. Letting out a firm sigh of relief, she went to undo her chest piece. "Jeez Midnight, that's so unladylike like of you." A voice sounded from behind. Midnight Seas turned around to see her bunk mate, and best friend getting ready for her shift. Midnight smiled. "Hey Summer Breeze. How did you sleep?" Summer smiled back and hugged her friend. "Pretty good, have a fun shift?" Midnight scoffed, "Oh yeah, loads of fun..." "What are you about to do? Sleep off the stress?" "Na, think I might go out for a early breakfast. Not really all that tired yet." "Sounds fun, with I could come with. I'd love some pancakes or-" The door to the barracks opened with a tired looking pony stumbling in. "Midnight Seas, Princess Luna has requested you lead a search party into the White Tail Woods. Summer Breeze, we'll need you as well. Meet the Princess in the Throne room ASAP." With that he turned around and slowly trotted away. Midnight frowned and put back on her Helmet. "Well, lets go..." Midnight and Summer made their way to the Throne room where a dozen more guards were assembled. They made they're way up to the Princesses and saluted. "Princess Luna, Lieutenant Midnight Seas reporting ma'am." Luna nodded with a small smile. "Thank you Lieutenant. I know you just got off duty." "I'll be fine Princess. What services do you require of me?" Luna's smile grew bigger as she looked up to the other guards. "Guards! It has come to our attention that a large creature is hiding somewhere in White Tail Woods. We would like for you to search the area for this creature and bring it here.It is believed that this creature is highly Intelligent and dangerous, so us caution when approaching it. If necessary, use force to capture it. We cannot have such a threat so close to civilians. Any questions?" One guard raised his hoof. Luna nodded, acknowledging him. "Do we have any information on what this creature looks like?" Luna closed her eyes. "The only thing we know is, that it is extremely tall, and bipedal. The Fillies that encountered it say that it can speak, but they did not recognize its words." "Fillies?" Multiple guards muttered to themselves. "Ma'am, we're supposed to search the White Tail Woods for a creature that Fillies said they saw? There doesn't sound like much credibility to this." "And what if they were telling the truth? You would do nothing to keep a dangerous creature away from innocent ponies? Regardless if the Fillies actually saw it or not, we have a duty to protect everypony. We owe it to them to check it out." Midnight snapped at the guard. Luna raised a hoof. "Lieutenant. I share your concern sergeant, but Midnight Seas is correct. Our duty is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Now if there is not any further questions, you are dismissed." Everypony bowed and trotted out the room. White Tail Woods, 0945 hours. I awoke to a soft snap of a stick breaking in the distance. My senses slowly returned as I screwed on the suppressor to my USP. I stood up and rounded the tree. And there I was. Face to face with an armored Pony. Chapter 3There I stood, face to face with an Armored Pony. Its armor was a shiny Gold, barely covering anything, just a chest piece and helmet. Its Blue eyes were wide with fear as it looked up at me. I started to lower my gun. "Summer!" The voice surprised me, I turned around to find thirteen other armored ponies pointing what looked to be crossbows at me. "Shit..." I raised my USP and grabbed the pony behind me. It screamed as I lifted it off the ground. The ponies tensed up as it squirmed in my grasp. "Less hert gest!" A pony yelled. It was the only one in Purple armor. Though it still looked the same as the rest. White body, with a golden mane and tail, and...a tattoo? Its voice was feminine, quiet, yet commanding and strong. Was she in charge? "Put your weapons down first!" I yelled back. Most seemed shocked that I spoke, but Purple armored pony stood strong, "Less hert gest! Vow!" I pulled my USP back and placed the barrel against my captive. The helmet made a soft ting as the barrel connected. "Weapons. Now." No one moved, save for the shaking pony I held on to. I scanned the crowed in front of me. 'One, Two.....Twelve. Twelve? Where did the other one go?' I chance a look to my right and left. But I couldn't see anything. 'Shit.' The purple armor pony raised her arm in the air, and slowly started to wave it down. "Loster yur bows..." Slowly, they all lowered their crossbows. Once they were all down, I let out a sigh of relief. "Good, now lets start-" "Wair!" The pony jumped forward pointing a hoof towards me. No, behind me! Before I could react, I was tackled from behind. Pfft! My gun shot off as I was pushed to the ground. "NOOOO!!!!!!!" Rolling on the ground, I let my training take over. I forced a stop with my ambusher on top of me. Placing an arm beneath its chin, I lifted it up and put three rounds into its stomach. "Feer! Feer!" A pony yelled. I pushed the dead pony away as arrows hit the ground around me. I scramble to get up as I blindly fire three more rounds at the ponies. Once I finally get up and start running, time slows down as I look upon the scene in front of me. The lifeless body of my pony captive laid on the ground, a single hole in the side of its helmet. The purple armored pony sits next to it, a hoof to her mouth as the other shakes the dead pony. "Summer?......S...Summer?..." Time returning to normal speeds, I bolt past her and run deeper into the forest. Arrows fly past me as the other ponies give chase. I ran as fast as I could. Weaving in and out of the trees to throw off their aim. I jumped over a tree root, nearly tripping as I landed. Keeping my momentum, I rounded another tree and slid down a steep hill. I found myself in an open field once I hit the bottom. Looking back up, the ponies were right on my heels. Some sliding down the hill, while others flew in the sky overhead. I took back off running, arrows whizzing past me as I go. I turn around briefly and fire three more rounds, emptying my gun. Holstering it, I continue my run back into the tree line a few yards away. Entering the forest again, I continue my zigzag pattern with the trees. The arrows stopped firing, probably down to their last shots. Not chancing a glance back to make sure, I turn right behind a tree. The Ghillie suit I was wearing snagged a branch which knocked me off my feet. I got the wind knocked out of me as I hit the ground. Breathing heavy, I slowly got up and made my way deeper into the trees. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as I was pushed back to the ground. I screamed in pain as the arrow shifted when I hit the ground. I reached up and winced as I touched it. I tried to get up, but the ponies caught up to me. "Halt!" One yelled. We all breathed heavily, as they pointed their crossbows at me. I looked up to see the pissed off, Purple armored pony loading a fresh round into her crossbow. Her face was stained by tears, her wings flared out in anger. She took off her helmet and threw it to the ground roughly. I starred in disbelief as her fur turned Black and her mane turned a light Blue. Taking her crossbow, she aimed it at me a fired the round into my leg. I tried not to scream, but failed as the arrow pierced my right thigh. I looked back up as she walked up to me. "Go...go to hell." With that, she hit me with the butt of her crossbow, knocking me out. Canterlot Throne Room, 1253 hours. Midnight Seas sat in front of Princess Celestia, finalizing her report. "Good work on bringing the creature in Lieutenant. But was it really necessary to shoot it?" The Princess asked. "It resisted ma'am." Midnight replied. "I mean the second time." "It killed Summer Princess!" "That is no excuse! Your report stated that he was unarmed and surrounded at the time. There was no need for further violence." "It also killed Jump Zone, and wounded Platinum Dust! It could run fast, and possessed great-" "Midnight Seas, I still-" "It was a safety precaution ma'am! I didn't want to take anymore chances with it!" Celestia took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Midnight, is that all you have to report?" "Yes ma'am." "Then you are dismissed." Celestia waved her hoof to the door. "I request permission to guard the creature ma'am!" "Absolutely not." "What!? Ma'am, its my prisoner! I brought it in, I want to guard it!" Midnight slammed her hoof to the ground as she stepped closer to the Princess. "Midnight...Your exhausted, and you just lost your friend. You need time to mourn her. Please, take a few days off-" "I don't need time off! Nor do I need time to mourn Summer! I'll do-" "IF YOU KEEP INSISTING ON INTERRUPTING ME, I WILL SUSPEND YOU LIEUTENANT!" Celestia yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice her sister was found of using. "Now, you are dismissed. If you truely want to guard the creature, report to me in two days time. I will station you there with another guard of my choosing. Now go." Midnight just starred at Celestia. Threw up a salute and trotted out the Throne room. 'I'll get you for what you did to Summer. I swear it.' Canterlot Dungeon, 1540 hours. I awoke on a soft, small bed looking at stone ceiling. "The hell?" I quietly say, glancing around the room. It looked like a cross between a medieval dungeon and a hotel room. The room was made of stone, and was slightly to short for me to stand up fully. Like I could though. When I tried to sit up my shoulder and leg throbbed in pain. I winced and laid back down. The bed was so small my legs hung off the end of it. Sighing in defeat, I call out to get someones attention. "Hello? Is anyone there?" After a moment of silence, a white pony clad in golden armor peered its head through the bars on the door. We starred at each other for a second until it pulled back and walked off. I sighed again. "Great. Now what?" I looked down at my body. The front of my Ghille suit had droplets of blood stained on it, and my leg and shoulder were horribly wrapped up. Lifting my good arm, I slid the hood of my Ghille suit off, and pulled down its face mask. Realizing how hot it was, I reached down and unzipped the Ghille suit. Grabbing the collar of my jacket, I rapidly tugged at it to circulate air down my body. But it wasn't really working. It was hot and muggy in my cell. I was torn from my thoughts by the door unlocking. It opened as I looked over, a tall and slender pony walked in. Her coat was a brilliant white with the slightest tint of pink, and her mane was a combination of Blue, Green, Pink, and Purple. That, along with her tail, seemed to flow naturally in an unknown breeze. But what really stood out was her wings and horn. Now I saw those other ponies flying before so that didn't surprise me much. But the horn, what was it for? Defense? It spoke to me, but I couldn't understand, "Greetings. I am Princess Celestia, Co ruler of Equestria. You are currently inside Canterlot Castle. Can I ask your name?" I just starred at it and raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand you. Sorry." It softly smiled and pointed to herself. "Princess Celestia." Than pointed at me. 'Princess? It's Royalty? Or rather she is? Celestia must be her name then.' "Princess Celestia." She repeated pointing at herself. She pointed back at me. "Matt. Matt Hewson." She smiled brightly as I told her. "Twilight, would you come in now?" I looked over at the door as a Purple pony with both wings and a horn walked in. I looked back and forth between the two. Celestia pointed at the purple pony, "Twilight Sparkle." I gave a slow nod acknowledging her. "Twilight, this is Matt Hewson." Celestia gestured at me. Twilight stepped up to my bed and looked over my, observing my every detail. "It's a pleasure to meet you Matt Hewson. I have to ask, these are cloths your wearing correct? What are they called? What's their purpose?" She spat the questions rapidly. I gave an unsure smile, "Um, I'm sorry but, I don't know what your saying. I can't understand you." Twilight deflated as I spoke. "It doesn't speak Equestrian...." Celestia put a hoof on Twilights shoulder. "Indeed. That's why I need you to do something for me. It's speech doesn't seem that different from Equestrian, so I believe a spell might be able to bridge the gap between us. Do some research, and come to me once you feel confident you have the right spell." Twilight had a look of determination as she nodded to the Princess. She ran out the room and stopped as she rounded the corner. Peeking back in she waved to me. Smiling, I gave a short wave back, getting her to smile as she left. I turned back to Celestia who looked to be in deep thought. "Though I doubt such a spell exists. It would be greatly appreciated if you could find one..." She said to herself. She looked at me, "For now, it seems we need to better understand each other." She smiled and turned around to leave. "I will return soon Matt Hewson. Get some rest." She said as she left. The door closed and locked as I was left alone. "Better get some sleep. Not much else I can do anyway..." Chapter 4Canterlot Throne Room, 0230 hours. Princess Luna let out a long sigh. Still a little disappointed that her sister forbid her to see the strange creature sleeping in the dungeon. The conversation played in her head over and over again. - "But sister! Why can I not visit the creature?" She shouted. "I do not fully understand it yet. Until I do, I will be the only Pony to speak with it." Celestia calmly said. "That's not fair Tia! I could help you too...." "Too? Nopony is helping me with this-" "You let Princess Sparkle talk with it! And now you have her looking for a language spell! Though one does not exists, you still let her do more than me..." "Look at you, using modern terms. I'm impressed you-" "Don't change the subject Tia!" - Luna let out another deep sigh. It wasn't fair, ever since her return four years ago, Celestia has always babied her. And now that Twilight became a Princess...Lunas face scrunched up in anger. 'She's only been a Princess for less then a year, and already she has more duties then I do! Buck you Tia! I'm not a Foal!' Luna started to visibly shake with anger. Something the Guards took notice of. With faces of concern, they asked if she was alright. "I'm fine!" Luna snapped back. The guards quickly shifted back forward, one slightly shivering in fear. Luna sighed, "Apologies. I'm not in a good mood tonight, thank you for your concern." The guard nodded and returned to his stoic silence they were known for. It was a slow night for Princess Luna. There were no Royal documents to go over and sign thanks to Twilight. She took a lot of paper work out of both Luna and Celestias hooves. No Diplomats to entertain, and no subjects coming in to the Night Court. Luna was almost begging for something to happen. Just when she was about to give up hope, the Throne room doors opened to reveal a lone guard. He trotted up to her and bowed. "Princess, the creature requests your presence." Lunas eyes widened. Did Celestia not tell the guard she wasn't 'allowed' to see the creature? Luna stood up smiling brightly. "Very well, Take me there at once." With that, she followed the guard through the halls of the castle, all the way to the dungeon. Luna was so excited, she gets to see the creature! And more importantly, she can show Celestia she wasn't a helpless foal. With a short little dance, she rounded the corner and walked up to the cell door. Canterlot Dungeon, 0235 hours. I sat in my cell, waiting for the guard to return with Princess Celestia. When she said that she would be back, I thought maybe she had some things to take care of and she'd be back in a few hours. But I slept all day. I wonder if she was even up? Would she just put sleep off to learn more about me? 'Wait. I got more pressing issues than that. Like where the Hell I am?' I looked over to the door as I hear a faint...squee? And the sound of someone bouncing? What was going on? The door opened and a Pony walked in. The Pony was dark blue, with a mane like the star-y night sky. Like Celestias, it seemed to dance in a unknown tune of wind. It had both wings and a horn, and the most beautiful teal eyes. And by the looks of it, a foot or so shorter then Celestia. My gaze was broken when she cleared her throat. She had a faint look of irritation on her her. I wonder how long I was starring for? "I'm Princess Luna." She said. Of course, the only thing I understood was Princess and...wait, wasn't Luna Latin for Moon? That's when my gaze fell upon her flank. A crescent moon on a black drop. I tried to sit up, only to wince in pain as my right leg flared in pain. 'The fuck is up with this? I've had worse injuries, why does this hurt so Goddamn much? Did they do something to me?' "Shhh..." Luna walked over to me and looked at my poorly bandaged leg. My eyes widened as her horn started to glow. Luna looked at me with a reassuring smile. Slowly, she brought her horn to my leg and held the tip just above the wound. As soon as the tip touched me, a surge of pain shot through me causing me to grunt. But just as fast as it came, it diapered. And a cool feelings tarted to spread around my leg. It soon found its way to my shoulder. The feeling stayed for a few seconds after her horn stopped glowing. Luna smiled up at me and nodded towards my leg. "I healed what I could. But I'm afraid it will still be sore." I gave her a confused look and gave my leg a test move. Sure enough, I was able to bend it all the way. It was still sore, but it was better none the less. "Thank you, Luna." I said with a smile. Now it was her turn to give me a confused look. " You don't speak Equestrian? I wonder if..." She turned away and bit her bottom lip as if in deep thought. We sat like that for a few moments before she gave a sharp nod. she wore a mischievous grin. But that didn't scare me as much as the look on her face. A look of determination, and defiance. What was she planning? Her grin grew as she leaned forward, horn glowing once more. We were face of face. I could feel her warm breath wash over me as she stared into my eyes. 'What's going on?' She started to move closer, ever so slowly closing her eyes. I felt a slight tickle as her fur brushed over my lips. I started to panic. Was I really about to be kissed by a Pony?! What the hell is she doing?! My answer came quickly as her head shifted so her horn hit my forehead. There was a bright flash, and then, everything was dark. My vision started to return to me. Blinking a few time to adjust to the new light, I notice I wasn't in the dungeon anymore. "Where the Hell..." I look at the landscape in front of me. I'm standing on top of a building, a Helipad behind me. It was night, clear star filled sky. Yet, it seemed bright like the middle of the day. I walked to the edge and peered over. Small little lights littered the ground. Moving back and forth all over the place. Smaller buildings dotted my view in all directions. And the Space Needle stood tall and proud....Was I in Seattle? "Can you understand me?" I span around to meet the voice behind me. Reaching for a none existent gun. I relaxed once I saw Princess Luna. She trotted up to me and asked again. "Can you understand me?" Surprisingly, I did. "Where are we?" I asked. She smiled and looked up at the sky. "In your mind." "What?" "we're in your mind. This is a place from your memory that you felt most at peace. And, I can see why. The sky is quite stunning. Where are we?" Looking up at the sky, I see my 'oh so familiar' stars. "Seattle. A city where I spent a lot of time at." "Is this where you are from?" She turned to me. "No, I'm from a smaller city close by. More importantly though, how can I understand you?" "We are in your mind. To me, I'm speaking normal Equestrian. But to you-" "Your speaking English." She only nodded. "My name is Princess Luna. Co ruler of Equestria. What's your name?" "My names Matt Hewson. Small time Mercenary." "'Tis very nice to meet you Matt Hewson. What sort of creature are you?" I gave a small chuckle. "Matt is just fine, I'm Human. You some kind of Horse, or Pony?" Luna smiled and nodded softly. "Indeed. Like my sister, I am an Alicorn. Gifted with both flight, and magic." "Magic? That stuff's for real?" I looked at her questionably. She nodded again, still looking at the stars. "Correct. It is how we are in your mind right now. We can also levitate objects, and teleport. 'Tis basic though. Magic has almost unlimited possibilities." "Sounds more like advanced psychic abilities to me....But, whatever." Things went quiet after that. Luna just looked up at the stars. Studying them, almost like she was memorizing the constellations or something. Every once and a while she'd gasp or let out a low 'oh'. And every time she did, her smile got bigger. My eyes traveled her body once more. She stood at about four and a half feet tall. A good foot shorter then Celestia. She had strong looking wings that molded perfectly with her sides. Her dark blue fur looked as soft as silk the way it shined in the moon light. I looked up at the moon. It was a full moon here, really close too. A truly beautiful sight to behold. My admiration was cut short by Lunas soft voice breaking the silence. "Tell me. What is this Planets name?" I turned, finding her looking up at me. "Why?" "I wish to paint my night sky with these constellations tomorrow evening. I only want to give credit where credit is due." She smiled at me reassuringly. I starred at her for a few moments. Not really thinking of my answer. Just reading her face. Her eyes spoke truth, and her face gave no signs of deceit. "Earth, or if you want to get all scientific, Gaia, Terra, or my favorite, Tellus." She shook her head in confusion. "Why so many names?" "Hell if I know. I just blame science and get on with my day. No use trying to figure out why someone did something in the past." "Uh huh...Well, thank you for entrusting me with this information Matt." "I don't trust anybody." I said coldly. "I just respect you enough." "Well...thank you none the less..." She looked hurt by my comment. The way she looked, ears back, eyes shifting away from me, the slight frown on her face. It...it got to me. I felt really bad, and I got the urge to just hug her. Sighing, I put a hand on top of her head. To my surprise, her mane was really soft. I couldn't help but stroke it softly. At first she tensed up to my touch, but quickly relaxed when I started to run my hand through her mane. "Come on, lets get back. I'm starving for a good meal." I say with a smile. She looked up at me with a relaxed face and nodded. The area went black, and I soon found myself in my bed with Luna starring at me. She slowly pulled back and stood up. Her once long, free flowing Star-y Night Sky mane, was now a short, light blue color. "I'll get you some food." She walked out with the door closing behind her. I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes to wait. And that's when I realized...My eyes shot open. "I understood her..."
Chapter 125 June, 0915 hours. I walked down the loud, busy street of Ta'if. It was hot, to hot. To hot to be in all this gear I had on. I was supposed to meet some guy by the name of Tom Mu at the cafe an hour ago. When he didn't show, I had Nick stay put while I went looking. I completed another lap around the market area and took a seat by a fruit shop. The owner yelled at me, "Buy or leave! You scaring away business!" With a sigh I grabbed an apple and tossed him a dollar. He shut up after that. After a few bites I got up and grabbed another one. "Thanks" I nod to him and walk away. I go back to the busy streets and continue looking. "Ice 0-1, Tom arrived at location. Waiting for you to get your fat ass back here." Nick said over the radio. "Copy that 0-2. On my way." I turn off my radio and break out into a slow run. "Fucking finally..." I get back to the cafe a few minutes later. Nick sees me and stands up, followed by who I assume is Tom Mu. I shake his hand and take my seat by Nick. "Mr. Hewson, so glad you can join us. I apologize for being late, I had a rough morning." He says with a slight Asian accent. "Happens to us all. You have our info?" He slid a folder across the table. Grabbing it, I flip it open and thumb through the pages. Once I got to a picture I stopped. "That's him. Haliaf Al Hassim, leader of the Terrorist cell responsible for..." I tune him out as I study the picture. He looked like any other guy that was from these parts. Short spiky hair, long beard, AK. Only thing that stood out on him was a scar that ran across his nose. Started from his right eye, and ended at the left side of his lips. He also had one blue eye. 'This is going to be easier then I thought.' I think to myself. I close the folder and hand it to Nick. "Well Mr. Mu, thank you for everything you've done getting us this information. But now it's time for us to get to work. Have a pleasant day." I bow in respect and walk off to our hotel. I hear Nick say something to Tom but I couldn't tell what it was over the volume of the streets. 26 June 1537 hours. I sat perched up on a hill top overlooking a vast valley. Nick was slowly making his way to a group of American Marines who spotted us. I adjusted the stock and aimed down the scope of my XM2010 sniper rifle. I could see four HMMWV's with mounted 240b's, and one MK19 grenade launcher, and about twenty Marines total. Now being American myself, you'd think this situation would be no problem. But that's not the case. We Mercs don't get along with your average soldier, and we're technically not allowed to be in this part of the country. Nick made his way to the Marines and stood at the ready. Every Marine had their gun trained on him, through the scope I could see him talking with who I assumed was the CO of the unit. Scanning the group I found none were paying me much attention. This went on for some time, Nick and him talking, me sitting behind a scope. It was to fucking hot out for this. I hate this fucking Hell hole. "Ice 0-1." A voice came over the radio. "Go ahead 0-2." "The Marines have agreed to help us find Haliaf Al Hassim. Turns out, they were hunting him too. Tracked him to a cave not so far from here." "That's a shock. Alright, coming down." I grabbed my rifle and stood up, popping my back as I stretched. With a heavy sigh I walked down the hill and up to the Marines. "Ice 0-1? Lima 2-4. Lieutenant Conners, Force Recon. Seems we're going after the same man." The Marine Nick was talking to earlier said. He stuck out a hand which I took. "It appears so. 0-2 said you know his location?" I asked. He nodded and pointed to the mountain range to the south. "He's held up in a cave system in those mountains. We were on our way when we spotted you and your spotter. Come, you can ride with me." He raised his hand and waved it in a circle. Every Marine returned to a HMMWV. Nothing more was said. Me and Nick sat in the back as we rode into the mountain pass. All eyes were scanning the landscape. "These guys can be anywhere. Stay sharp, ETA 5 Mikes." Conners called out into the radio. We drove on in silence for those five minutes. Nothing said, nothing heard. The driver stopped and got out. Conners soon followed. I shrugged to Nick and opened the door. The Marines were gathering in a circle, so we joined in. "Alright, the cave is just over this hill. We haven't seen any signs of them, so that means they don't know we're here, or it's a trap. I want to roll in HMMWV's first. Driver and Gunner. The rest will follow once the shooting starts. 0-1, you and your spotter head to that hill and provide sniper cover for my boys." He points to a hill that overlooks the mountain side.\ "Copy that. Lets move." Me and Nick took off running for the hill. Staying low we climbed the back of it and set up on the top between some rocks. Nick pulled out his M4 and took aim. "No contacts." I nodded and positioned my XM2010 in a wedge of the rocks. I pulled my extra mags and set them aside. I peered through the scope and scanned the entrance of the cave. "Lima 2-4 the area looks clear. Green light." I said through the radio. I didn't even get a response. The HMMWV's just started up and made their way to the mouth of the cave. The stopped, "You sure this is the right cave-" Pop A shot range out and the Gunner of the first HMMWV dropped down. "Contact!" A Marine yelled as all hell broke loose. Shots range through the air as dozens of Insurgents came pouring from the cave. Dozens more appearing at random all over the mountain. "Shit. Open fire." I told Nick as I pulled the trigger. My shot found its mark in the chest of one of the many targets that littered the area. I racked back the bolt and pushed in a new round. Nick rained round after round at them as I took aim. I lined my crosshairs on another Insurgent and pulled the trigger. His head turned to a red mist as he fell back. His friends saw my shot and started to put rounds our way. The shots chipped at the rock we hid behind, causing me at flinch when one would get to close. The Marines weren't having any more luck then us either. They were pinned behind the HMMWV's returning fire as best they could. I set my sights on a man with an RPG. He aimed it at us and shot. Time slowed down. I watched as the Rocket Propelled Grenade flew straight and true right at us. I closed my eyes and awaited my doom. I heard the round fly by over head "Holy shit!" Nick cried out. I looked up. The smoke trail missed us by inches. "Thank God RPG's are shit." I realigned my sights and shot him. He doubled over and shot off his new round into the ground at his feet. An explosion rocked the mountain, causing rocks to fall, and enemies to become exposed. The Marines took this opportunity and came out guns blazing. It was beautiful. Every shot hit a target, not a single Marine missed a step on his way to the caves. Within five seconds, the mountain side was almost clear, and the Marines reached the caves. "I'll leave clean up to you 0-1. Good luck." Conners said. "Copy that. Bag that son of a bitch." With the Marines gone, we were the only targets. Bullets rained down on us hard. But we couldn't move. We were pinned in the rocks. We returned fire, Nick spraying his M4, while I dropped one after another. I dropped the mag from my rifle and picked up a fresh one. As I inserted it, Nick yelled, "RPG! Get out!" Before I could react, he grabbed me and threw me out from cover just as the RPG hit the rocks. 'Nick...' The rocks exploded in a fiery ball of dirt and shrapnel. The force sent me flying threw the air. I hit the ground, rolling violently down the hill until I hit something hard. I was in a daze, my vision was blurry. "0-2....0-2 do you copy. Nick....Nick!" I called out through the radio. I got static in return. I got to my knees and looked around. 'Grass? Trees?' I stood up, trying to get a better view. All around me was bright green grass and forest life. "Where the hell am I?" I grabbed my radio. "This is Ice 0-1, does anyone copy?" Static. "This is Ice 0-1, please, if anyone is hearing this, respond." More static. I sigh in defeat and look to the sky. The sun was, what I assumed, just rising over the horizon. So I went that way. I'm bound to run into someone at some point right?
Chapter 2I've walked for the better part of the day. The sun still shines bright, high in the sky behind me. I felt like I was walking in circles. Everything looked the same to me, same bright forest that almost seemed alive in a sense. Everything had a warm aura to it, it seemed like they were, almost glowing with life. It was clear I wasn't in Saudi anymore, but where could I be? I stopped and focused on my surroundings. Spotting a small opening by a tree, I made my way over for a quick break. I slid off my pack and sat against the tree. Catching my breath, I look around. Everything still looked the same to me, for all I knew, I landed here just behind the next tree. "Guess it's as good of time as any." I breath out reaching for my bag. I open it up and start to take inventory of what I had left. I turned my pack upside down and shook it free of its content. Once everything was out, I started pulling everything off my body. 'OK, I lost my rifle in the explosion back in Saudi. That leaves me with my USP, and my Mateba Auto-revolver. I have 72 rounds of .45, and 24 rounds of .44. Not the most Ideal set up, but it'll do for now. 'I got my grandfathers knife still, four smoke grenades, a med kit, a pair of Night Vision goggles, Suppressors for my rifle and USP, and a dark green and black Ghille suit. Which will help a lot considering my A-Tacs Au BDUs don't really help me in this environment.' Giving a depressed sigh, I start to put everything back in place. I slipped on my vest and holstered my side arms. I put the Ghille suit on over it and hid my pack. I went North, hopefully to find some sort of food or a town. Birds seemed to be plentiful, chirping wildly as I walked the forest floor. I looked up to see nothing be leaves. 'Fuckin birds...probably warning all the animals I'm here.' I continued walking for quite some time. It was dark, and yet, the birds still yelled to one another. "Fucking dammit! Really? You guys can't stay quiet for for five God damn minutes?!" I shout above a whisper. To my surprise, they went quiet. The only sound was my breathing. It seemed strange but I liked it, I continued my trek deeper into the forest. But then it hit me. The birds are quiet. When do birds ever stay quiet? When there's danger. "Shit." I lifted my USP and waited for something to happen. And for a moment, I didn't think anything was going to happen. But then I heard a scream. I took off in the direction it came from. The screams grew louder and louder. I stopped and swept the area. I didn't see anyone, but i heard foot steps. I hid behind a tree and waited for whatever it was to come out. The screams and foot steps grew louder, and I saw a rustle in the bushes in front of me. I took aim as two small creatures jumped out. They both screamed and froze when they saw me. "Ahhhh!!!" They both cried. Wait....Did they just scream? The bushes started to rustle again and they quickly ran behind me. Utterly confused for the moment, I just went with it and aimed back at the bush. Whatever it is, it had to be bad. I mean, they were running away from it. When it jumped out, the little creatures behind me screamed again. So I shot it. Bang Bang It hit the ground fast and didn't move. I walked over to it and gave it a quick kick. It was a fucking warthog....Well at least I have food now. I turned around and saw the small creatures cowering in each others arms. 'Little, tiny, ponies?' I crouched down and spoke softly. "Hey...you two alright?" They looked at me, shaking heavily. "Thams yu..." It spoke....I knew it could scream, but, it could talk! I stood back up to my full height. Bad Idea. The little ponies eyes widened in fear as they watched me rise up. They backed away from me frightened. I took a step towards them, but that only caused them to run away and scream. "Hey wait!" I called out. But it was to late, I succeeded in scarring off the only Intelligent life I found so far. Sighing, I picked up the warthog and carried it back to camp. 'Maybe I'll see them again.' I thought as I made my way through the dark forest. Later that night, Canterlot. Luna sat on the throne in a empty room. The only others in the room, were the two guards that flanked her on each side. Luna hated nights like this. Not a single pony coming in with problems, nothing to sign or read over. Nor did she have the guard she thought of as a friend. If she were here, certainly they would talk and keep this boring atmosphere away. Luna sighed lightly and thought to herself. 'Maybe if I put up a sound dampener, I can teleport away without anypony knowing...' She smiled and went to light her horn. She stopped when the doors burst opened and a guard came rushing in. "Princess, Urgent news from a small settlement south of Unicorn Range." "Proceed." She said, a little too excitedly. "Two Fillies were out playing in White Tail Woods, they say they were chased by a warthog." Luna deflated a bit. "Is that all? Are the Fillies alright?" "The Fillies are fine Princess. But they say that they ran into a huge creature that killed the warthog with a 'weapon that made a very loud noise.'" "Where is this creature now?" The guard shook his head. "It is unknown Princess. The Fillies say after it tried communicating with them, they ran home." Luna nodded. "Smart thinking. Guard! Organize a search party, I want my Lieutenant leading a team through the forest by sunrise!" The guard bowed and ran out of the throne room to gather more guards. Canterlot Barracks. 0520 hours. The Night guard slowly made her way to the locker by her bunk. She opened it and started taking off her armor. When she removed her helmet, her white coat turned back into her natural Midnight Black color. And her mane from Golden yellow to a Light Blue. Resting a hoof on the backside of her neck, she gave it a solid twist, getting a satisfying pop from her sore neck. Letting out a firm sigh of relief, she went to undo her chest piece. "Jeez Midnight, that's so unladylike like of you." A voice sounded from behind. Midnight Seas turned around to see her bunk mate, and best friend getting ready for her shift. Midnight smiled. "Hey Summer Breeze. How did you sleep?" Summer smiled back and hugged her friend. "Pretty good, have a fun shift?" Midnight scoffed, "Oh yeah, loads of fun..." "What are you about to do? Sleep off the stress?" "Na, think I might go out for a early breakfast. Not really all that tired yet." "Sounds fun, with I could come with. I'd love some pancakes or-" The door to the barracks opened with a tired looking pony stumbling in. "Midnight Seas, Princess Luna has requested you lead a search party into the White Tail Woods. Summer Breeze, we'll need you as well. Meet the Princess in the Throne room ASAP." With that he turned around and slowly trotted away. Midnight frowned and put back on her Helmet. "Well, lets go..." Midnight and Summer made their way to the Throne room where a dozen more guards were assembled. They made they're way up to the Princesses and saluted. "Princess Luna, Lieutenant Midnight Seas reporting ma'am." Luna nodded with a small smile. "Thank you Lieutenant. I know you just got off duty." "I'll be fine Princess. What services do you require of me?" Luna's smile grew bigger as she looked up to the other guards. "Guards! It has come to our attention that a large creature is hiding somewhere in White Tail Woods. We would like for you to search the area for this creature and bring it here.It is believed that this creature is highly Intelligent and dangerous, so us caution when approaching it. If necessary, use force to capture it. We cannot have such a threat so close to civilians. Any questions?" One guard raised his hoof. Luna nodded, acknowledging him. "Do we have any information on what this creature looks like?" Luna closed her eyes. "The only thing we know is, that it is extremely tall, and bipedal. The Fillies that encountered it say that it can speak, but they did not recognize its words." "Fillies?" Multiple guards muttered to themselves. "Ma'am, we're supposed to search the White Tail Woods for a creature that Fillies said they saw? There doesn't sound like much credibility to this." "And what if they were telling the truth? You would do nothing to keep a dangerous creature away from innocent ponies? Regardless if the Fillies actually saw it or not, we have a duty to protect everypony. We owe it to them to check it out." Midnight snapped at the guard. Luna raised a hoof. "Lieutenant. I share your concern sergeant, but Midnight Seas is correct. Our duty is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Now if there is not any further questions, you are dismissed." Everypony bowed and trotted out the room. White Tail Woods, 0945 hours. I awoke to a soft snap of a stick breaking in the distance. My senses slowly returned as I screwed on the suppressor to my USP. I stood up and rounded the tree. And there I was. Face to face with an armored Pony.
Chapter 3There I stood, face to face with an Armored Pony. Its armor was a shiny Gold, barely covering anything, just a chest piece and helmet. Its Blue eyes were wide with fear as it looked up at me. I started to lower my gun. "Summer!" The voice surprised me, I turned around to find thirteen other armored ponies pointing what looked to be crossbows at me. "Shit..." I raised my USP and grabbed the pony behind me. It screamed as I lifted it off the ground. The ponies tensed up as it squirmed in my grasp. "Less hert gest!" A pony yelled. It was the only one in Purple armor. Though it still looked the same as the rest. White body, with a golden mane and tail, and...a tattoo? Its voice was feminine, quiet, yet commanding and strong. Was she in charge? "Put your weapons down first!" I yelled back. Most seemed shocked that I spoke, but Purple armored pony stood strong, "Less hert gest! Vow!" I pulled my USP back and placed the barrel against my captive. The helmet made a soft ting as the barrel connected. "Weapons. Now." No one moved, save for the shaking pony I held on to. I scanned the crowed in front of me. 'One, Two.....Twelve. Twelve? Where did the other one go?' I chance a look to my right and left. But I couldn't see anything. 'Shit.' The purple armor pony raised her arm in the air, and slowly started to wave it down. "Loster yur bows..." Slowly, they all lowered their crossbows. Once they were all down, I let out a sigh of relief. "Good, now lets start-" "Wair!" The pony jumped forward pointing a hoof towards me. No, behind me! Before I could react, I was tackled from behind. Pfft! My gun shot off as I was pushed to the ground. "NOOOO!!!!!!!" Rolling on the ground, I let my training take over. I forced a stop with my ambusher on top of me. Placing an arm beneath its chin, I lifted it up and put three rounds into its stomach. "Feer! Feer!" A pony yelled. I pushed the dead pony away as arrows hit the ground around me. I scramble to get up as I blindly fire three more rounds at the ponies. Once I finally get up and start running, time slows down as I look upon the scene in front of me. The lifeless body of my pony captive laid on the ground, a single hole in the side of its helmet. The purple armored pony sits next to it, a hoof to her mouth as the other shakes the dead pony. "Summer?......S...Summer?..." Time returning to normal speeds, I bolt past her and run deeper into the forest. Arrows fly past me as the other ponies give chase. I ran as fast as I could. Weaving in and out of the trees to throw off their aim. I jumped over a tree root, nearly tripping as I landed. Keeping my momentum, I rounded another tree and slid down a steep hill. I found myself in an open field once I hit the bottom. Looking back up, the ponies were right on my heels. Some sliding down the hill, while others flew in the sky overhead. I took back off running, arrows whizzing past me as I go. I turn around briefly and fire three more rounds, emptying my gun. Holstering it, I continue my run back into the tree line a few yards away. Entering the forest again, I continue my zigzag pattern with the trees. The arrows stopped firing, probably down to their last shots. Not chancing a glance back to make sure, I turn right behind a tree. The Ghillie suit I was wearing snagged a branch which knocked me off my feet. I got the wind knocked out of me as I hit the ground. Breathing heavy, I slowly got up and made my way deeper into the trees. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as I was pushed back to the ground. I screamed in pain as the arrow shifted when I hit the ground. I reached up and winced as I touched it. I tried to get up, but the ponies caught up to me. "Halt!" One yelled. We all breathed heavily, as they pointed their crossbows at me. I looked up to see the pissed off, Purple armored pony loading a fresh round into her crossbow. Her face was stained by tears, her wings flared out in anger. She took off her helmet and threw it to the ground roughly. I starred in disbelief as her fur turned Black and her mane turned a light Blue. Taking her crossbow, she aimed it at me a fired the round into my leg. I tried not to scream, but failed as the arrow pierced my right thigh. I looked back up as she walked up to me. "Go...go to hell." With that, she hit me with the butt of her crossbow, knocking me out. Canterlot Throne Room, 1253 hours. Midnight Seas sat in front of Princess Celestia, finalizing her report. "Good work on bringing the creature in Lieutenant. But was it really necessary to shoot it?" The Princess asked. "It resisted ma'am." Midnight replied. "I mean the second time." "It killed Summer Princess!" "That is no excuse! Your report stated that he was unarmed and surrounded at the time. There was no need for further violence." "It also killed Jump Zone, and wounded Platinum Dust! It could run fast, and possessed great-" "Midnight Seas, I still-" "It was a safety precaution ma'am! I didn't want to take anymore chances with it!" Celestia took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Midnight, is that all you have to report?" "Yes ma'am." "Then you are dismissed." Celestia waved her hoof to the door. "I request permission to guard the creature ma'am!" "Absolutely not." "What!? Ma'am, its my prisoner! I brought it in, I want to guard it!" Midnight slammed her hoof to the ground as she stepped closer to the Princess. "Midnight...Your exhausted, and you just lost your friend. You need time to mourn her. Please, take a few days off-" "I don't need time off! Nor do I need time to mourn Summer! I'll do-" "IF YOU KEEP INSISTING ON INTERRUPTING ME, I WILL SUSPEND YOU LIEUTENANT!" Celestia yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice her sister was found of using. "Now, you are dismissed. If you truely want to guard the creature, report to me in two days time. I will station you there with another guard of my choosing. Now go." Midnight just starred at Celestia. Threw up a salute and trotted out the Throne room. 'I'll get you for what you did to Summer. I swear it.' Canterlot Dungeon, 1540 hours. I awoke on a soft, small bed looking at stone ceiling. "The hell?" I quietly say, glancing around the room. It looked like a cross between a medieval dungeon and a hotel room. The room was made of stone, and was slightly to short for me to stand up fully. Like I could though. When I tried to sit up my shoulder and leg throbbed in pain. I winced and laid back down. The bed was so small my legs hung off the end of it. Sighing in defeat, I call out to get someones attention. "Hello? Is anyone there?" After a moment of silence, a white pony clad in golden armor peered its head through the bars on the door. We starred at each other for a second until it pulled back and walked off. I sighed again. "Great. Now what?" I looked down at my body. The front of my Ghille suit had droplets of blood stained on it, and my leg and shoulder were horribly wrapped up. Lifting my good arm, I slid the hood of my Ghille suit off, and pulled down its face mask. Realizing how hot it was, I reached down and unzipped the Ghille suit. Grabbing the collar of my jacket, I rapidly tugged at it to circulate air down my body. But it wasn't really working. It was hot and muggy in my cell. I was torn from my thoughts by the door unlocking. It opened as I looked over, a tall and slender pony walked in. Her coat was a brilliant white with the slightest tint of pink, and her mane was a combination of Blue, Green, Pink, and Purple. That, along with her tail, seemed to flow naturally in an unknown breeze. But what really stood out was her wings and horn. Now I saw those other ponies flying before so that didn't surprise me much. But the horn, what was it for? Defense? It spoke to me, but I couldn't understand, "Greetings. I am Princess Celestia, Co ruler of Equestria. You are currently inside Canterlot Castle. Can I ask your name?" I just starred at it and raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand you. Sorry." It softly smiled and pointed to herself. "Princess Celestia." Than pointed at me. 'Princess? It's Royalty? Or rather she is? Celestia must be her name then.' "Princess Celestia." She repeated pointing at herself. She pointed back at me. "Matt. Matt Hewson." She smiled brightly as I told her. "Twilight, would you come in now?" I looked over at the door as a Purple pony with both wings and a horn walked in. I looked back and forth between the two. Celestia pointed at the purple pony, "Twilight Sparkle." I gave a slow nod acknowledging her. "Twilight, this is Matt Hewson." Celestia gestured at me. Twilight stepped up to my bed and looked over my, observing my every detail. "It's a pleasure to meet you Matt Hewson. I have to ask, these are cloths your wearing correct? What are they called? What's their purpose?" She spat the questions rapidly. I gave an unsure smile, "Um, I'm sorry but, I don't know what your saying. I can't understand you." Twilight deflated as I spoke. "It doesn't speak Equestrian...." Celestia put a hoof on Twilights shoulder. "Indeed. That's why I need you to do something for me. It's speech doesn't seem that different from Equestrian, so I believe a spell might be able to bridge the gap between us. Do some research, and come to me once you feel confident you have the right spell." Twilight had a look of determination as she nodded to the Princess. She ran out the room and stopped as she rounded the corner. Peeking back in she waved to me. Smiling, I gave a short wave back, getting her to smile as she left. I turned back to Celestia who looked to be in deep thought. "Though I doubt such a spell exists. It would be greatly appreciated if you could find one..." She said to herself. She looked at me, "For now, it seems we need to better understand each other." She smiled and turned around to leave. "I will return soon Matt Hewson. Get some rest." She said as she left. The door closed and locked as I was left alone. "Better get some sleep. Not much else I can do anyway..."
Chapter 4Canterlot Throne Room, 0230 hours. Princess Luna let out a long sigh. Still a little disappointed that her sister forbid her to see the strange creature sleeping in the dungeon. The conversation played in her head over and over again. - "But sister! Why can I not visit the creature?" She shouted. "I do not fully understand it yet. Until I do, I will be the only Pony to speak with it." Celestia calmly said. "That's not fair Tia! I could help you too...." "Too? Nopony is helping me with this-" "You let Princess Sparkle talk with it! And now you have her looking for a language spell! Though one does not exists, you still let her do more than me..." "Look at you, using modern terms. I'm impressed you-" "Don't change the subject Tia!" - Luna let out another deep sigh. It wasn't fair, ever since her return four years ago, Celestia has always babied her. And now that Twilight became a Princess...Lunas face scrunched up in anger. 'She's only been a Princess for less then a year, and already she has more duties then I do! Buck you Tia! I'm not a Foal!' Luna started to visibly shake with anger. Something the Guards took notice of. With faces of concern, they asked if she was alright. "I'm fine!" Luna snapped back. The guards quickly shifted back forward, one slightly shivering in fear. Luna sighed, "Apologies. I'm not in a good mood tonight, thank you for your concern." The guard nodded and returned to his stoic silence they were known for. It was a slow night for Princess Luna. There were no Royal documents to go over and sign thanks to Twilight. She took a lot of paper work out of both Luna and Celestias hooves. No Diplomats to entertain, and no subjects coming in to the Night Court. Luna was almost begging for something to happen. Just when she was about to give up hope, the Throne room doors opened to reveal a lone guard. He trotted up to her and bowed. "Princess, the creature requests your presence." Lunas eyes widened. Did Celestia not tell the guard she wasn't 'allowed' to see the creature? Luna stood up smiling brightly. "Very well, Take me there at once." With that, she followed the guard through the halls of the castle, all the way to the dungeon. Luna was so excited, she gets to see the creature! And more importantly, she can show Celestia she wasn't a helpless foal. With a short little dance, she rounded the corner and walked up to the cell door. Canterlot Dungeon, 0235 hours. I sat in my cell, waiting for the guard to return with Princess Celestia. When she said that she would be back, I thought maybe she had some things to take care of and she'd be back in a few hours. But I slept all day. I wonder if she was even up? Would she just put sleep off to learn more about me? 'Wait. I got more pressing issues than that. Like where the Hell I am?' I looked over to the door as I hear a faint...squee? And the sound of someone bouncing? What was going on? The door opened and a Pony walked in. The Pony was dark blue, with a mane like the star-y night sky. Like Celestias, it seemed to dance in a unknown tune of wind. It had both wings and a horn, and the most beautiful teal eyes. And by the looks of it, a foot or so shorter then Celestia. My gaze was broken when she cleared her throat. She had a faint look of irritation on her her. I wonder how long I was starring for? "I'm Princess Luna." She said. Of course, the only thing I understood was Princess and...wait, wasn't Luna Latin for Moon? That's when my gaze fell upon her flank. A crescent moon on a black drop. I tried to sit up, only to wince in pain as my right leg flared in pain. 'The fuck is up with this? I've had worse injuries, why does this hurt so Goddamn much? Did they do something to me?' "Shhh..." Luna walked over to me and looked at my poorly bandaged leg. My eyes widened as her horn started to glow. Luna looked at me with a reassuring smile. Slowly, she brought her horn to my leg and held the tip just above the wound. As soon as the tip touched me, a surge of pain shot through me causing me to grunt. But just as fast as it came, it diapered. And a cool feelings tarted to spread around my leg. It soon found its way to my shoulder. The feeling stayed for a few seconds after her horn stopped glowing. Luna smiled up at me and nodded towards my leg. "I healed what I could. But I'm afraid it will still be sore." I gave her a confused look and gave my leg a test move. Sure enough, I was able to bend it all the way. It was still sore, but it was better none the less. "Thank you, Luna." I said with a smile. Now it was her turn to give me a confused look. " You don't speak Equestrian? I wonder if..." She turned away and bit her bottom lip as if in deep thought. We sat like that for a few moments before she gave a sharp nod. she wore a mischievous grin. But that didn't scare me as much as the look on her face. A look of determination, and defiance. What was she planning? Her grin grew as she leaned forward, horn glowing once more. We were face of face. I could feel her warm breath wash over me as she stared into my eyes. 'What's going on?' She started to move closer, ever so slowly closing her eyes. I felt a slight tickle as her fur brushed over my lips. I started to panic. Was I really about to be kissed by a Pony?! What the hell is she doing?! My answer came quickly as her head shifted so her horn hit my forehead. There was a bright flash, and then, everything was dark. My vision started to return to me. Blinking a few time to adjust to the new light, I notice I wasn't in the dungeon anymore. "Where the Hell..." I look at the landscape in front of me. I'm standing on top of a building, a Helipad behind me. It was night, clear star filled sky. Yet, it seemed bright like the middle of the day. I walked to the edge and peered over. Small little lights littered the ground. Moving back and forth all over the place. Smaller buildings dotted my view in all directions. And the Space Needle stood tall and proud....Was I in Seattle? "Can you understand me?" I span around to meet the voice behind me. Reaching for a none existent gun. I relaxed once I saw Princess Luna. She trotted up to me and asked again. "Can you understand me?" Surprisingly, I did. "Where are we?" I asked. She smiled and looked up at the sky. "In your mind." "What?" "we're in your mind. This is a place from your memory that you felt most at peace. And, I can see why. The sky is quite stunning. Where are we?" Looking up at the sky, I see my 'oh so familiar' stars. "Seattle. A city where I spent a lot of time at." "Is this where you are from?" She turned to me. "No, I'm from a smaller city close by. More importantly though, how can I understand you?" "We are in your mind. To me, I'm speaking normal Equestrian. But to you-" "Your speaking English." She only nodded. "My name is Princess Luna. Co ruler of Equestria. What's your name?" "My names Matt Hewson. Small time Mercenary." "'Tis very nice to meet you Matt Hewson. What sort of creature are you?" I gave a small chuckle. "Matt is just fine, I'm Human. You some kind of Horse, or Pony?" Luna smiled and nodded softly. "Indeed. Like my sister, I am an Alicorn. Gifted with both flight, and magic." "Magic? That stuff's for real?" I looked at her questionably. She nodded again, still looking at the stars. "Correct. It is how we are in your mind right now. We can also levitate objects, and teleport. 'Tis basic though. Magic has almost unlimited possibilities." "Sounds more like advanced psychic abilities to me....But, whatever." Things went quiet after that. Luna just looked up at the stars. Studying them, almost like she was memorizing the constellations or something. Every once and a while she'd gasp or let out a low 'oh'. And every time she did, her smile got bigger. My eyes traveled her body once more. She stood at about four and a half feet tall. A good foot shorter then Celestia. She had strong looking wings that molded perfectly with her sides. Her dark blue fur looked as soft as silk the way it shined in the moon light. I looked up at the moon. It was a full moon here, really close too. A truly beautiful sight to behold. My admiration was cut short by Lunas soft voice breaking the silence. "Tell me. What is this Planets name?" I turned, finding her looking up at me. "Why?" "I wish to paint my night sky with these constellations tomorrow evening. I only want to give credit where credit is due." She smiled at me reassuringly. I starred at her for a few moments. Not really thinking of my answer. Just reading her face. Her eyes spoke truth, and her face gave no signs of deceit. "Earth, or if you want to get all scientific, Gaia, Terra, or my favorite, Tellus." She shook her head in confusion. "Why so many names?" "Hell if I know. I just blame science and get on with my day. No use trying to figure out why someone did something in the past." "Uh huh...Well, thank you for entrusting me with this information Matt." "I don't trust anybody." I said coldly. "I just respect you enough." "Well...thank you none the less..." She looked hurt by my comment. The way she looked, ears back, eyes shifting away from me, the slight frown on her face. It...it got to me. I felt really bad, and I got the urge to just hug her. Sighing, I put a hand on top of her head. To my surprise, her mane was really soft. I couldn't help but stroke it softly. At first she tensed up to my touch, but quickly relaxed when I started to run my hand through her mane. "Come on, lets get back. I'm starving for a good meal." I say with a smile. She looked up at me with a relaxed face and nodded. The area went black, and I soon found myself in my bed with Luna starring at me. She slowly pulled back and stood up. Her once long, free flowing Star-y Night Sky mane, was now a short, light blue color. "I'll get you some food." She walked out with the door closing behind her. I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes to wait. And that's when I realized...My eyes shot open. "I understood her..."
