Chapter 3: discovery

SSGt Lopez POV

“D-did….I don’t even fucking care anymore! Better with a strange child sounding pegasus than being shot at in a forest!” I thought glumly looking closer at the pony.

So what I hadn’t mentioned earlier was its size. I mean I did say it was small, but what I hadn’t said was how small we’re talking about. Looking closer at it, I noticed that this pony stood about up to my knee. I had always been somewhat of a tall person; I was 6 feet, 2 inches last I checked, but this pony looked to be only about 2 and a half feet. That wasn't what struck me odd though; what truly struck me was its voice.

“W-who’s there?” It asked, seemingly scared.

Duncan was the first to answer. He gave a loud bark, scaring the filly and making her yelp. She calmed a little after seeing Duncan slowly walk over to her.

“O-oh, hey little- errr, big doggy. What’s this weird thing on your back?”

Okay, so she’s definitely a girl. She’s too small to be an adult. Maybe. Either Way, I decided that it’d be best for me to show myself. Lowering my Berretta, I slowly came out of the shadows and looked down at the pony.

Now, I’m not exactly proud of what happened next. Being somewhere you know nothing about which is clearly not the same place as before, and when going home is not in your control, people tend to get stressed out.

“H-hello…?” The child was scared at this point. She was shaking from fright.

“Hi, what’s your name?” I asked trying to sound as nonthreatening as possible. Unfortunately for me, she wasn’t expecting me to talk, it seems.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” she yelled.

So damn loud. I swear, even the blast from a C4 rigged car wasn’t this loud.

“GAHHH! FUCK! MY EARS!” I yelled, causing her to recoil in return. I didn’t even have enough time to register what was going on before I heard sniffling on the floor in front of me. That I could hear at all was a mystery to me.

Looking down to the floor, I noticed she was crying, holding onto Duncan. Duncan just glared at me in response.

“Don’t look at me like that you bastard! I swear my ear drums popped!”

Duncan just shook his head, and carried the little girl on her back and walked out. I truly felt like a jackass. Sighing, I walked towards where I saw Duncan go. Retracing my steps was easy since Duncan decided that I needed to learn my lesson and left me alone in the hallways. I made it out  with ease. Looking around I noticed the little girl talking to Duncan who was wrapped around her. She was snuggling with him, no longer crying loudly, just silently sobbing into him. She was talking to him though, and that was good enough for me.

“-so scary?” I heard her ask. Obviously she was talking about me. Duncan just shook his head and gestured to some blood on the rock.

“H-he’s hurt?” The small child asked curiously.

Duncan nodded his head.

I wasn’t hurt as far as I could tell. The only thing I could tell from where the rock sat that it was from a rabbit I shot.

“W-why did he yell though? Even mare’s don’t say those kinds of words, even when they’re mad.”

Ok, so I don’t know much about horses. But this may be a what are they called? Filly? Yeah that’s it. I’m sure she is, considering her size.

“Hey, little one… I’m sorry for, you know. Yelling at ya.” I said, sheepishly, earning a gasp from the filly.

“O-oh, h-hi. I-it’s ok.” She lied. I knew she was scared. Hell, I would be too if some giant weirdo started freaking out at me..

“I truly am sorry, my ears just, well they felt like they were gonna explode.”

Giggling the filly smiled through her tears. “Did I do that?”

Wow, this pony has to be bipolar. She went from crying to giggling in seconds… or maybe she’s just acting like a kid would…. hmmm I never had any kids, thankfully.

“Yup. You were louder than anything I’ve ever heard. I’ve heard jet planes quieter than you.” Chuckling I looked down at the filly who just looked at me with a perplexed look.

“What’s a ‘jet plane’?” She asked, obviously confused.

Duncan just smiled at me and nodded. I’ll ne’er get used to Duncan being able to understand me.

“A plane is basically a machine that allows people to fly. Today we use them for commercial flight. Basically those who can afford a ticket can use them. A ‘jet’ plane, goes faster. Some, can even break the sound barrier 6 times over. They’re pretty cool.” I said, with a bit of pride in my voice.

“Whoa… I wish we had animals that could go that fast, but I do have one question.” She said full of hopeful excitement.

“Well they aren’t exactly animals. They’re machines. Anyway what’s your question?” I asked, feeling a bit awkward.

“Well, whats a sound barrier?” the little filly asked curious.

“Well, the easiest way I can say it is, the speed that the sound travels.” I explained.

“Wait… these are machines that do this? That isn’t possible! Nopony can make something that advanced!” The filly shouted, smirking. She thought she had won, but I had something up my sleeve.

“I have videos of them.” I said smirking.

“Wait, you don’t have a video projector.” She eyed me suspiciously.

“It’s fine, I don't need one.” I saw her look falter a bit as I pulled out my Ipod. After she saw what it was, she looked at me like I was a true idiot.

“That’s not video film. It looks like a glass box… and what’s that silver thing?” She asked, pointing a hoof.

After I turned on my Ipod, a stark black background showed a simple image: a bitten apple. “This isn’t just a glass box. It’s technology from my world. You know what a phone is?”

“A what?”

“This is going to be a long talk.” I said turning on the display. “Ok, so a phone is used to-”

-3 hours later-

“-and that’s what this is. A cross between an MP3 player, and an Ipod. With the added benefit that it works as a phone.” I finished smiling down in triumph at the shocked filly.

Her mouth had been hanging open since hour 2, when the cubs started yowling in hunger. She was curious as to what it was and when I showed her, she went crazy. She was terrified of these cubs. She watched me prepare some rabbits, and feed them to the cubs, it caused the filly to throw up in the bushes for 10 minutes, she proceeded to ask me what I ate. After I told her that I was a omnivore, I had to explain what a omnivore was. She started to back up towards the bushes, only to be stopped by Duncan who was standing behind her, and nuzzled her side a little bit. She calmed after a few minutes of me explaining that, while I ate meat, I would never eat a pony. She was still very hesitant but I didn't mind. I expected this out of an herbivore.They’re basically my prey. I knew I could get through to her though.

“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna eat you young one. I wouldn’t eat a pony.” I said, slowly advancing forward towards her.

She was very hesitant, but eventually let me lay my hand on her head, as I pet her. “I-I know. I-It’s just scary.”

“I know, but trust me. I wouldn’t hurt you. You’re just too cute.” I said, smiling down at her.

She blushed profusely and giggled. “Well, you seem nice enough…. But how do I know you won't eat me in my sleep!?”

“Because there are scarier things in this forest than me. I’m not gonna eat you when I have things that can eat me just around the corner. Like I said, you’re a cute little…… child.” I said, ruffling her hair.

“I’m a filly, not a ‘child’. I don’t even know what that is.” She said glaring at me.

“Sorry. A child is what we call our young. What you would call fillies, and ..ummm..colts, I think. Either way, let’s go back inside of the castle. It seems to be free of beasts. At least my side is.” Sighing, I picked up all my weaving materials, my gear, and the cubs’ leashes before heading inside, followed by Duncan and the filly.

“I just realized, I never got your name.” I set down my gear and started setting up a small camp.

I looked over and noticed that Duncan had started playing with the cubs. They fought for dominance, Duncan naturally winning, while the cubs tried their best to match his attack skills.

“I’m Soft Soil. Who are you?” she asked, looking curiously at what I was doing.

“Nice to meet you Soft Soil, I’m Staff Sergeant Roberto Lopez, But you can just call me Roberto.” I said, setting up a small fire. I used the old bow trick from my childhood, and while it was hard, I eventually I accomplished my task. I took the hot ashes to a small pile of dead and dried leaves.

“Staff Sergeant? You’re in the royal guards?” Soft Soil asked curiously.

“Uhhhh no. I’m not in the ‘royal guard’.” But now I know that your country has a military system. I’m gonna have to remember that.

“Oh… so… are you a representative from another country?” she asked curiously.

“Well… I guess that’s as good an explanation as any. Say, is there any settlement nearby?” I inquired.

“Oh! We could always go to Ponyville! It’s nearby. I can take you! C’mon, let’s go!” the filly shouted excitedly jumping and down.

Holding her in place, I chuckled at her antics. “Calm down, you’re like a little ball of ADD.”

“Hey! I am not little!” she retorted.

“Yeah you’re not little at all. I mean, you’re as tall as my knee.” I smirked back at her.

“Hmmmph.” she pouted.

“Oh calm down. You’re fine just the way you are.” I said chuckling a bit.

She giggled, “So when do you wanna go to Ponyville?”

“Well… I don’t just wanna go in. I’m alien to them. Let me make us some ghillie suits and we can study them.” I said, starting to weave the head part of my suit.

“What’s a, ‘ghillie suit’?” she inquired.

“It’s a suit a soldier with my skills use. It allows me to remain unseen. I go days by myself without anyone seeing me. Especially on an important missions, I'm usually the first one on the scene, so I use what’s nearby.” I sighed and continued to work on my suit. “I’m gonna make you one also, same with Duncan. Just so we can work and hide at the same time.”

“Ooh that sounds so cool! I can’t wait until you make mine!” she yelled excitedly.

“I know, but this takes a while. Don’t expect to go today.” I said continuing my weaving.

-6 hours later-

I sighed, leaning backwards on my rock. I was able to finish all the suits that needed to be done. I hit a snag halfway through when I found that Duncan’s was too small for him. I was halfway finished dismantling it when the filly jumped in my lap and popped her head out through the top. She slid her arms through the sleeves, and giggled while looking it over. The body of it was twice her size, but her arms and head fit like a charm. So I spent the next hour or so making it smaller.

After I finished with that I made a hole for her tail, finished the holes for her back legs and made sure it all fit correctly. When I finally finished, I moved on to Duncan’s. Crafting it correctly, this time, I slid it on and smiled. It fit like a charm. We had an hour of sunlight left so I decided that I would find out all I could about “Ponyville”.

“So… what can you tell me about Ponyville?” I asked, checking the gear I had gotten earlier this morning.

“Oh! It’s a great place! It has all kinds of ponies! Like unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies and there’s even an alicorn princess now!” she shouted excitedly.

“Princess? That’s the kind of government you have?” I asked, a bit more dumbfounded than I meant to sound.

“I guess. Something wrong?” she asked tilting her head to side.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just not used to it.” I said turning on my night vision goggles and looking through them into the dark forest. They were still in working condition, so that was good.

“What do you mean? Doesn’t your home have princesses?” she asked innocently.

“Well, no. We have something better than a princess. We have a president, but I don’t wanna get into that right now.” I said checking my grenades

“But I wanna know! Cmo-” before she could finish her sentence, we heard a few voices coming out from the woods.

“C’mon Rainbow Dash! It’s obvious that manticores do have children! How else would they reproduce!?” I heard a feminine voice yell out through the woods.

“Maybe they use some kind of magic! I mean, there are plenty of species that use magic to reproduce!” Another female voice said. This one was still feminine but it had some-what of a tomboyish deepness to it.

“Crap! Inside before they come!” I whisper yelled, grabbing my weapons, gear and ushering the cubs in who followed without protest. Soft Soil jumped on Duncan’s back, who ran inside with me. We all had our ghillie suits on, minus the cubs, and we hid behind a fallen tree, sitting silently. I ended up going completely prone and looking out towards the entrance of the castle.

“There’re only a few animals that can reproduce magically and they only use it to paralyze the female! The manticore has sex traditionally!” The same first voice yelled.

Soon, I saw six ponies, and what I can only describe as a lizard man, come through the entrance of the castle.

“Hey, that’s the princess I was telling you about!” Soft Soil whispered.

“Shhh, I don’t want them to see us. Not yet.” I said, holding Soft Soil to prevent her from jumping up and down from excitement. Apparently it wasn’t good enough; she hit the ground with a soft thud before I was able to stop her completely.

“They can- did you guys hear that?” the pony with the rainbow hair and tail said.