The Crisis

I looked upon the portal as the convoy of armored trucks and tanks drove through. They hauled helicopters and other military supplies as they made their way down the dirt road. The AFF Corps of Engineers had cut down a large portion of the Everfree forest in order to construct a base around the portal. They had also created a make-shift road leading to the new human embassy located in the pony city of Manehattan.

It has been nine days since the first contact with pony kind. The human and pony governments quickly became allies. Princess Celestia and WTF leaders have had many conferences and discussions over how they plan to maintain balance between the two species. Princess Celestia has generously donated a small portion of Equestria to the World Trade Federation. The humans are quickly establishing colonies to house military personnel.

After touring the town of Ponyville, Robert and I had to return to our world. We stayed there for a few days just writing reports on everything we had done and learned in Equestria. Since I have returned I've been assigned guard duty for the portal and the AFF Corps of Engineers. It's pretty boring until my sift is over. I have made friends with a few ponies in Equestria and spend most of my free time with them. They all remind me of friends I have lost years ago. The radio inside my Humvee crackled to life. I turned and reached inside to grab the microphone.

"...War Horse 2-1 this is War Horse Actual, do you copy? Over." I squeezed the button on the microphone to speak.

"Go ahead War Horse Actual," I replied.

"We have a small situation in sector 4 of Ponyville. Go check it out."

"Copy that." I set down the microphone and walked away from the vehicle. The rest of my squad sat in the shade of a large oak tree eating their lunch.

"Gear up, we are oscar mike in thirty seconds!" I shouted to them. As they re-packed their MREs, I sat myself down into the driver's seat of my Humvee. I started the engine, which responded with a roar. Robert climbed through the back door into the gunner seat. The other three soldiers in my squad found their seats and slammed the doors closed behind them. I put the vehicle into gear and pressed the gas pedal; moving the armored vehicle towards Ponyville. The soldier in the passenger seat looked to me.

"Hey Stephens, why do we always do everything? I mean com'on, we get dragged out here into a five-year-old girl's dreamland and as if that isn't enough, we're told to 'guard this magic portal' or 'kill this manticore thing'. I just don't get it. There's plenty of AFF Marines here and yet our very squad just so happens to be assigned to do everything! I think they hate us."

"Nah, they don't hate us Perdoma. I think they just hate you." reassured Robert from the gunner seat. I chuckled at the remark.

"Well you see Perdoma; we're Marines. We're the bitch of the AFF. We're paid to do the dirty work." I said. I slowed the vehicle down as we approached the outskirts of Ponyville. As we drove through the town, ponies stopped to stare at the armored vehicle in amazement. Robert cocked the large machine gun that was mounted on the Humvee.

"Where are we going?" said Adams, who sat behind me.

"Sector four," I replied. Perdoma jumped with excitement in his seat next to me.

"You mean the market sector right? With like cupcake stands and shit?! Man I fuckin' love the cupcakes here. Thats one thing I don't understand about this place. All they eat are cupcakes." Johnson, which sat behind Perdoma, entered the conversation.

"There's no way that all they eat are cupcakes. They're horses so-"

"Ponies." interrupted Robert.

"Ponies; what ever. Any ways, I'm sure they eat hay and grass and crap like that right?" I turned a corner and stopped the armored vehicle. The market street swarmed with ponies as they gathered in a large group. Grabbing my rifle, I opened my door and stepped out of the Humvee. Robert turned the turret to face the group of ponies. The rest of my squad exited the vehicle. I flicked off the safety on my rifle and approached the large grouping. The ponies stepped aside; allowing for my squad to enter the center of the group. I stopped as I saw what the ponies gathered around. A dead marine laid face down in a large pool of blood. A small wooden sign tied to his back read "Go Home Humans". The man's skull was caved in from the pounding of hooves. His legs sat at broken angles.

"Holy shit dude," Perdoma gasped. "Anybody have a camera? 'Cause I want a picture of this."

"What the fuck Perdoma?" Johnson said. "Why would possibly want a picture of this?"  I knelt down next to the corpse and turned it over. The marines face had been crushed, leaving a bloody mush. I looked to the crowd of ponies.

"Does anyone here know what happened?" I yelled. "Anyone?"

"I saw a couple of pegasi drop it, if that helps," a pony spoke up.

"The pony that said that; come forward." I ordered. A pony pushed through the group to us. He was an earth pony with a dark brown mane and a brown coat. His cutie mark depicted a picture of a quill and ink bottle. I turned to Perdoma and Johnson. "Start questioning the locals to find any more information about what happened here."

"Yes sir" they responded. They both started with the brown pony and began asking questions. I walked back towards the Humvee. I picked up the microphone for the radio inside the vehicle, and squeezed the button to speak.

"War Horse actual, this War Horse two-one. Over."

"Roger War Horse two-one."

"It appears that we have a dead marine in sector four. Over."

"Uh, shit. Well find out who it is and see if you can get the body back to the portal zone. Over and out." I set down the transmitter and stepped away from the Humvee. Perdoma ran through the the crowd of ponies toward me.

"Did you guys find anything out?" I asked as Perdoma came to a halt in front of me.

"Not much, but there's a group of pegasi that don't tolerate not owning the skies any more." he said.

"Well help me get the body and move it into the Humvee." Perdoma followed me to the body of the marine. I grabbed the hands as Perdoma grabbed the ankles. As we lifted the body, the broken legs popped with the sound of the broken bones shifting. Adams, which had done nothing the entire time, let out a sound of disgust. We laid the body down next to the Humvee. Perdoma gave me a questioning look.

"Where do we put it?" he asked. I gestured toward the back of the Humvee. Perdoma shrugged and bent down to pick up the legs once more. We lifted the body into the back seats. Blood spilled from the sunken face of the body. "Oh god that smells."

"Alright, let's move!" I ordered. My squad piled into the Humvee. I jumped into the the drivers seat. As I started the engine, the market streets began to clear. I drove the heavy vehicle forward.  A group of three helicopters passed over head as we neared the outskirts of Ponyville.

"I'm glad that I'm up here," said Robert with a chuckle. "I'd hate to sit next to a dead body." We drove passed where the edge of the Everfree Forest once was. It now remained bald where the AFF Corps of Engineers had cleared away the forest.

I followed the road toward the portal, passing trucks that carried supplies. I pulled over near the portal. My squad jumped out of the Humvee. Perdoma and Johnson pulled the dead body from the back seats. I walked up to a soldier that stood next to the portal.

"We need clearance to pass," I told him. He pulled a radio from his belt and held it to his mouth.

"Hey, is the portal clear for passage?"

"No, we have a Humvee passing through." his radio responded. A Humvee rolled through the portal. "Alright, you should be clear." With that the soldier gestured towards the portal. I walked through the blue gate. My squad stepped through behind me. On the other side, a soldier stopped a Humvee in front of the portal so we could pass. The wall of the testing building had been torn down to allow vehicles to enter Equstria. A helicopter flew passed over head. The base flourished with activity. Tents to hold additional units had been set up around the base. An armory was under construction at the North side. Perdoma and Johnson carried the body towards a small medical facility. The convoy of trucks continued to pass into the portal.

"Damn, it's like an invasion," Adams said. I walked to a tent that held officers. As I stepped in, I raised my arm to a salute. A lieutenant nodded, and I dropped my salute. He approached me.

"Staff Sergeant, whats the report on that situation?" he held up a note pad.

"Sir, from the information we have gathered, it appears that pegasi are not taking it kindly that we are using aircraft. They are starting to take violent actions against off-duty marines that are currently stationed in Equestia." The lieutenant scribbled down a few notes.

"Do you know the dead marine's name?"

"No sir, his name tap has been removed and I did not check for dog tags."

"Mkay..." he wrote down a few more things and dismissed me. I left the tent and ran to rejoin my squad near the portal. We entered into Equestria once more and gathered around our Humvee to relax until the next time we would be summoned.

The area around the portal in Equestria had been cleared of all trees. A reinforced concrete wall was under construction around the portal zone. Several buildings were being built; including: a recreational facility, an office building, a barracks, a vehicle storage area, and a small armory. A temporary radio tower was in the midst of being built next to a communications tent. I sat in the driver's seat of my squad's Humvee and pulled off my helmet. Salty sweat trickled down my cheeks. I set my rifle down on the passenger seat. Perdoma had gone back to eating his unfinished MRE from earlier. Johnson and Adams laid out under a large oak tree that hadn't yet been cut down. Robert had wondered off to find a place to piss. I glanced at my watch. It read 3:47 p.m. My squad's guard shift is over in about fifteen minutes.

I looked around at the area that once was part of the Everfree Forest. Bulldozers pushed cut down trees and brush into a large burn pile. Men cut away with chainsaws, killing more of the forest with every tree that fell. No wildlife was in sight. Perdoma startled me as he climbed into the back of the Humvee.

"Dammit, that dead guy's blood is all over the floor. Hey Stephens, did you see his head? It was crushed like a soda can dude. Man, those ponies know how to beat somebody! I'd hate to piss one of them off."

"Perdoma?" I turned to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Can you shut up?" He looked at me, offended by the question. Perdoma laid himself out on the back seats in silence. I rested my head on my seat and closed my eyes. I thought about the things I might do when I'm off-duty.

"Hey Stephens?" Perdoma asked.

"What."

"How come they're not using the Army for this shit?"

"I dunno, why do you have to ask me things I can't answer?" I asked sarcastically.

"Dude, when we're done here, you wanna get some cupcakes?" he said with a sense of hope.

"That actually doesn't sound like a half-bad idea. It's better than a MRE at least."

"Sweet," he finished. Robert moved my rifle and climbed into the passenger seat next to me. "Hey Robert; Stephens and I are gunna get some cupcakes after the shift is over. Do you wanna go?" Perdoma asked.

"I don't know, after seeing what they did to that marine, I'd be a little worried." I opened my eyes and looked at Robert.

"C'mon, it's cupcakes!" I reassured, while nudging him. Robert let out a sigh.

"Fine, but if I die by getting beaten to death by a friggen pony; I'm coming back to haunt you."

"It's worth it." Perdoma said. A Humvee pulled up next to ours. The driver got out and approached where I sat.

"Stephens, your squad's shift is over. Turn in your weapons and armor to the temporary armory tent over there." He pointed towards a tent. I glanced at my watch before he turned and walked away. Robert shouted at Adams and Johnson to get in the Humvee. I placed my helmet on top of my head and buckled it. Perdoma crawled up into the gunner's seat, as Adams and Johnson sat in the back. I started the engine and pulled the armored truck over to the temporary armory. We gathered our weapons and hopped out. I entered the small tent and approached a desk in the center where a woman sat. I handed her my carbine, and she placed it on a rack and wrote down a few notes. I pulled my sidearm from my belt and reached out to give it to her. She waved it away and informed me that orders were given that all units are required sidearms for personal security reasons. I shrugged and placed it back into it's holster. I pulled off my helmet and combat armor. She took them and placed them onto another shelf and wrote down a few more notes. I pulled out my patrol cap from the pocket on my calf, and placed it on my head. I stepped to the side to allow the next person to turn in gear. I walked outside of the tent and waited for my squad to regroup. Adams was the first to exit. Robert and Perdoma followed, then Johnson. We gathered around the Humvee. Adams and Johnson walked in the direction of the portal.

"Hey wait, are we just gunna walk there?" Perdoma asked.

"Why not. It's only about half a mile and I don't think we can take the Humvee for recreational purposes," Robert suggested. With that we started down the road toward the small town of Ponyville. A heavily armed soldier stopped us near the front entrance of the compound.

"We are you guys going?" he said while he raised is hand to stop us.

"We were just gunna go to Ponyville and get some cupcakes," Perdoma stated.

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to let anyone off-duty pass."

"Why?" Robert questioned.

"Because this isn't some vacation! Soldiers are getting killed!"

"Well there's three of us and we all have our sidearms. What if we bring you back a cupcake?" I suggested. The guard looked around weighing the situation.

"Fine. If you get hurt, it's not my fault." He stepped aside and we began our quest once more. We walked in silence for most of the short trip. The scenery was quite beautiful. We followed the dirt road that passed by Fluttershy's cottage. As we advanced toward the cottage I hoped to see her and say hello. Sadness struck me for as we passed, I noticed that the home had been emptied. The small creatures that once ran free around her home were now gone like she was. As we entered the outskirts of Ponyville, many ponies shot us hateful glares. We continued on our way toward the market streets of Ponyville attempting to ignore the whispers and looks of the colorful ponies around us.

"I'm not liking this one bit," Robert said quietly to not draw more attention. A few ponies stalked us at a distance.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. They're like half our size so I'm sure we can take 'em," reassured Perdoma. His shaky hand slid down and slowly unbuckled the strap on his holster. We turned a corner and quickly walked towards Sugar Cube Corner. Ponies froze to stare at us. My pulse began to pound in my ears. A small grouping of pegasi flashed passed overhead. We speed up our pace as the bakery came into view. It seemed like we could never close the distance. We ran into the shop and I slammed the door closed behind us. A small bell signaled our arrival. I slouched to not bump my head on the low ceiling. Perdoma peeked through the window at our pursuers. Robert let out a sigh of relief.

"Holy shit, that was friggen intense," said Perdoma. I herd foot steps and swung around to see Pinkie Pie bounce out from a back room.

"Hi Craig!" she squeaked.

"Hi Pinkie. We just came to get some cupcakes." I replied with a brief smile. She stopped bouncing and looked around the room. Her smile dissipated as quickly as it came.

"Oh..." she said with a hint of sadness.

"Whats wrong Pinkie Pie?" I asked.

"Well, umm...      ...Mr. and Mrs. Cake said that I can't serve humans any more..." Her voice sounded slow and depressed.

"What?!?!" cried out Perdoma. The sinking of his heart was heard around the small room.

"Why?" Robert asked.

"Well, I might be able to spare one..." she thought aloud. Perdoma's face brightened. A grin grew across his mouth. Pinkie Pie smiled back, for she loved making smiles. She bounced into the back room. Moments later she bounced back with a paper bag in her teeth. She set it on the counter in front of her. Perdoma shot across the room and snatched the back. He pulled it open and pressed his face into it. He drew in a long inhalation. Pinkie Pie let out a giggle.

"My god, Pinkie Pie you're the best pony a man could ask for," Perdoma exhaled. She grinned widely at the complement. Robert and I chuckled. Robert and Perdoma started for the door, pulling the cupcakes from the bag as they walked. I turned to Pinkie Pie.

"Thanks Pinkie Pie." I followed Perdoma and Robert out the door. I waved to Pinkie Pie and she waved back as the small door closed behind us. "Hey Perdoma, give me a cupcake."

"No!" he laughed.

"Come on Perdoma," I begged. He stopped and handed me the bag. I pulled out the small cupcake and examined it as I walked. It had light green frosting swirled on top. It's sweet lime scent tickled my nose. My mouth filled with saliva. I sank my teeth into the side, and my mouth exploded with flavor. I chewed the soft cake slowly, savoring every taste of the sweet key lime flavoring. As I pulled it to my mouth for another bite; a rock smashed into the side of Perdoma's head, knocking off his patrol cap. Perdoma stumbled around then, collapsed to the ground unconscious. Blood dripped from the open wound. His half-eaten cupcake splattered on the ground. I fumbled my own precious cupcake trying not to drop it.

"What the fuck!" Robert screamed in surprise. He dropped his cupcake and pulled his pistol from it's holster. I took another bite and threw flavor filled cake. I reached down and grabbed my side arm as I gulped the last bite without chewing. I scanned the busy streets for the perpetrator. A unicorn galloped away down a dark alley.

"Stay with Perdoma!" I ordered as I took off after the unicorn. I sprinted down the dark alley and followed it through the shadows. It turned into an open street. I ran after the speedy pony, then stopped in the street and raised my pistol. "STOP!" It continued to run. I squeezed the trigger again and again. The weapon spat out the empty cartridges which bounced off the ground. The white unicorn disappeared around another corner. "Fuck." I sighed. I looked around at the colorfully shocked ponies. Their gaze fixated on my weapon. A few quickly trotted away to avoid the commotion. I spun around and ran back down the alley I had come from.

Robert supported the dazed Perdoma as I returned. Perdoma's eyes remained locked on the crushed cupcake on the ground. The wound on his head continued to run with red liquid. The once busy market street had cleared at the sound of gun fire.

"Are you alright Perdoma?" I asked

"No," he responded darkly. "That bastard killed my cupcake."