The Crisis

I don't know how Robert and I ended up being valun-told to do this. We both stood, combat ready, in front of the massive portal. They didn't know if there was oxygen on the other side so they gave us oxygen masks similar to what a fire fighter would wear. Robert was designated as squad leader. There were four other people that were being sent in with us. All four were scientists. Robert faced the group.

"Radio test 1, 2, over."

"Copy that," the rest of us replied. Robert turned to me.

"Weapons check?"

"Weapons hot," I said through my mask.

"Any one not ready?" We looked around at each other waiting for a response. "Alright, let's move." Robert approached the portal. He hesitated, looking back for reassurance. Raising his hand slowly, he touched the portal. Robert began to walk forward. His body being consumed by the blue. The other four followed, I was the last to go through. I first stepped through with my right leg. To my surprise; it was warm. It felt like sticking my leg in warm water. When I brought my face into it, every thing around me turned black. Then it flashed back into color.

I looked around at the forest. Vegetation grew very densely. Trees rose high above me, casting shadows across the ground. My group had landed in a small clearing. The scientists had already begun to take samples of every thing around them. I turned back to look at the portal. It was a massive black circle with a diameter of about thirty feet, same as the machine. A scientist pulled a gauge from a bag that she carried. She studied it for a minute.

"Oxygen levels are good. It's safe to remove your masks." I knelt down in the soft grass and removed my helmet. I pulled the mask off my face and shrugged the tank off from my back, letting it land with a thud. I scooped up my helmet and buckled it back onto my head. I stood back up and re-positioned my rifle so that the sling held it around my neck.

A twig cracked to the left of us. I knelt down and shouldered my rifle. I scanned in the direction of the noise. A shadow move from behind a tree.

"I've got movement to the left," I said. The scientists froze and turned their heads. Robert had already been looking in the same direction.

"Copy that," Robert echoed.

The shadow began to approach us. The figure stepped into the sunlight and revealed itself. It appeared to be some kind of miniature purple unicorn. It's mane was dark blue and had a purple and pink stripe that ran down it. It only stood waist high.

Robert and I looked to the scientists in confusion. They looked at each other. I lowered my rifle and shrugged at Robert. He looked to me, then to the unicorn. It looked at us with curiosity. A grin tipped the sides of its mouth. Robert lifted his hand to wave.

"Hi there little guy..." he said as he waved at it.

"Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm actually not a 'guy' I just so happen to be a female." I just knelt there dumbfounded. The scientists' jaws looked as if they'd fall off. Robert had froze in a state of half-wave. I was the first one to say anything.

"The hell?" Twilight's grin disappeared. She looked as confused as we did at this point. The moment just dragged on and became more awkward by the second.

"Uh...      ...what exactly...   ....are you?" a scientist spoke up.

"I'm a pony. Haven't you seen a pony before? So what are you?"

"...uh, were human."

"No way! I thought that humans were only a myth, like a bedtime story! This is so exciting! You must teach me about yourselves!" The pony hopped up and down with excitement. "Please follow me to my library." She turned and trotted off down a trail. The group looked to Robert.

"Why not," he said, uncaring. We started our journey following the pony down the trail. As we trailed behind her, she told us about Equestria and it's history. She shared stories of her and her friends, and she informed us about the different species of ponies, and what cutie marks are. She enjoyed telling the story of how she earned hers.

I ignored her half the time and could care less. I didn't come out here to learn. I was dragged out here to shoot things. The scientists, on the other hand, were very interested in her stories. They asked questions and milked her for information, writing down every word.

As we left the forest we passed a small cottage. Twilight said something about a butterfly, but I wasn't paying the slightest attention; so I continued to ignore her. I looked passed the group in the direction we were heading. We appeared to be approaching some sort of town.

"...and this is Ponyville!" Twilight said as she came to a halt. Our group looked around the small town. The town hall towered above all other buildings in the center of the town. The pony started down the street. We followed her through the cobble stone streets. We passed bakeries, houses, and many other shoppes. I looked in the windows, scanning for life. Ponies stared back at me. We walked through a busy market. The colorful ponies walked throught the streets cheerfully. A few stopped and watched us with fear and curiosity.

I gripped my rifle harder. I thought back to when I had been deployed to Afghanistan three years ago. I was on patrol through a busy market such as this. I was walking around the small plaza with my battle-buddy at the time which whom I had only known the name of. His last name was Rogers which I had read from his name tape. We walked casually booth to booth looking for interesting souveners to send back home. My battalion was one of the last in Afghanistan before our troops pulled out. He walked away from me for a second to just look at something that cought his eye. Thats when the IED was detonated, ripping off both of his legs. The explosion sent people and body parts flying through the air. I had been thrown against the nearest wall. I regained my balance. My ears rang and I stumbled around, trying to re-focus. I looked around for Rogers, but couldn't find him. Then I saw him laying in a pile of rubble. I ran to him. He leaned forward and felt the stubs of his legs. I knelt down next to him, in the pool of his blood. As my hearing came back, I heard him as he screamed and cried for his mother. I tried to comfort him. I did what I had been trained to do. I had ripped off strips of Rogers' uniform and used them as tourniquets. I tied them just above each knee cap, above where his legs used to be. I used my radio to try and contact the rest of my battalion. It would take them five minutes to reach our position. That was the worst five minutes of my entire life. I had to watch a fellow soldier bleed out and die. He cried the whole time. I tried to tell him that every things alright, but we both knew it wasn't. He slowly calmed down. I thought it was fine until I realized he had fallen asleep, never to wake again...

I looked up and realized I had been left behind. I had stopped in the middle of the market and was now being stared at by two dozen colorful ponies. I took a minute to gather myself. I searched beyond the crowd for my group. They had continued walking towards what appeared to be a house made out of a large tree. I ran to catch up.

As I caught up the purple pony at the head of the pack trotted up to the door of the tree house. The horn protruding from it's forehead began to glow purple as the door formed a purple aurora around it. The door opened leaving the scientists mystified.

"Please come in, I have to show you around my home." the scientists followed her in. Robert and I followed after the scientists. We stood in the midst of a library. Books lay neatly organized on each book shelf. The scientists gazed around the room, their minds slobbering from the thought of reading. "Make your selves at home!" said Twilight. The scientists immediately scanned for books, flipped through notes they had taken, and discussed things with Twilight. The lead scientist, which was the female, turned to us.

"You guys can relax, I don't think we'll be doing any fighting," with that, Robert and I walked over to the round table, with a wooden bust of a horse, in the center of the room and cleared off the books that rested on it. I un-slung my carbine and laid it on the table. I pulled off my helmet and set it on the table as well.

"I'm glad to be taking that off," I said as Robert responded with a chuckle. Robert finished taking his gear off as well. I ran my fingers through my short, sweaty hair. Robert reached down and unbuttoned the pocket on his calf. He pulled out a patrol cap and put it on. Robert walked around the room and found a chair to sit in. I looked around the room and saw nowhere to place my self, so I just stood there.

The sound of a jet thundered over head. I looked to the ceiling in curiosity. A droning sound gradually became louder and louder. It sounded like a dive-bomber. Suddenly, the building shook with a crash. I grabbed my rifle and pushed over the table with the bust on it. I used the table as cover. Robert dove in next to me with his sidearm at the ready. I stood and sat the barrel of my rifle on the edge of the table, using it to steady my aim. As the bellows of dust settled, a figure approached from a doorway, rubbing its head.

"Sorry Twilight I was trying one of my new stunts and--" It stopped and froze with fear as the dust settled. The blue pegasus had a brilliantly colored rainbow mane. Its rose colored eyes widened. It looked at me and then to Robert. I had my weapon aimed directly at its chest, which moved up and down with panicked breathing. The pony looked around at the frightened scientist that laid on the floor with their hands covering their heads. Twilight coughed, waving a hoove to clear the dust from her face.

"It's alright guys, it's just my friend. This is Rainbow Dash every one." Robert and I lowered our weapons. Rainbow Dash  sighed with relief.

"I thought I was gunna have to kick some butt!" Rainbow Dash shouted, trying to demonstrate how tough she was.

"Oh, Rainbow dash; these are my new friends. They're humans!" she pointed her hoove at one of the scientists. "That's Jacob, Rachel, John, Christopher, Robert, and..." her hoove stopped on me. "I'm so sorry, but you never told me your name."

"Craig Stephens," I responded with a short wave at Rainbow Dash. Behind her, a voice came from the room she had exited.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, are you okay? We saw you crash and I just wanted to check on you," A yellow pegasus and an orange pony wearing a leather cowboy hat walked through the door way. The yellow pegasus squeaked at the sight of us. She backed into the room she came from. Twilight walked up to the orange pony.

"It's alright Fluttershy, they won't hurt you."

"But their big and scary looking," she poked her head out from around the corner. Her pink mane shielded her eyes from us.

"They're friends of mine." Fluttershy, shyly walked around the corner. "Everypon-- err, everyhuman this is Fluttershy and Apple jack," the orange pony tipped its hat.

"Howdy," said Applejack, tipping her hat to us. Fluttershy only let out a squeak in response. The scientists walked over to them, firing questions at them like rockets. Fluttershy became overwhelmed and ran from the room. Robert raised his hand like a grade school student.

"Um, may I ask you a question Twilight?"

"Yes?" she said through the group of scientists.

"Where can I get something to eat around here?"

"Oh! Rainbow Dash, would be so kind as to give the kind man a grand tour of Ponyville?" Rainbow Dash jumped up with excitement.

"He'd be honored to have the fastest flying pony in all of Equestria as his tour guide!"

"Uh, if its fine with you, I'd like to go also," I spoke up.

"Of course! The more the better!" Rainbow Dash said as she trotted toward the door. I fixed the table and replaced the bust that had fallen on the floor. I bent down and scooped up my helmet. Buckling it, I ran towards the door.