Chapters Call of Duty : Magic in Action
"Loose Ends"
Day 6 - 15:56:42
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
Task Force 141
Georgian-Russian Border
Explosive shell hit. Roach couldn't see anything.
He was pushed by an explosion. Roach fell down to the ground. His ears was ringing. His nerve was numb and senseless. The impact from explosion injured and paralyzed him. Roach surrounded by mortar explosions, that turn the surrounding into mess. Under the horrific situation, Roach heard Ghost shouts from his left.
"I've got you Roach, hang on!"
Ghost dragged Roach to landing zone and threw a smoke grenade at enemies. They flooded out from a woods and shot at Roach and Ghost.
"Thunder Two-One, I've popped red smoke in the treeline! Standby to engage on my mark!"
Red smoke popped out. A red cloud floated around in the woods. Thunder Two-One replied, but Roach barely heard. Ghost repeated the request to gunship and dragged Roach through rage mortar explosions. During Roach was dragging away by Ghost, he drew out a AK-47 Grenadier and shot at enemies to cover their retreat.
Roach put everything to bring down fearless foes. He changed another magazine as soon as his rifle was depleted and continued to fight. The enemies and Roach were firing at each other, but fortunately, Roach and Ghost were safe while they were retreating to landing zone. Enemy's RPG failed to bring down a gunship that flies past overhead Roach and clears enemies out of the red cloud. The ground was shaking. Roach was bleeding. He was dizzy and fatigued. Roach roughly wiped dirt out from his goggle with his left hand and continued to shoot, until he lost his visual and blacked out.
"Roach, hang in there!"
Ghost's voice was overwhelmed by a noise from the surrounding. Roach was unconscious until Ghost helped up him.
"Come on, get up! Get up! Get up! We're almost there!"
They slowly approaching to MH-53 Pave Low. The transport helicopter and gunships were landing in front of them. Shepherd, who sits in the Pave Low, came out and calmly walked toward Roach.
"Do you have the DSM?" Shepherd asked.
"We got it, sir!" Ghost replied.
While Shepherd was getting near Roach. He noticed something wrong about Shepherd.
"Good...that's one less loose end." Shepherd said.
Shepherd picked out his pistol and pointed at Roach's chest.
"NO!" Ghost shouted.
It's too late, The gun shot after Ghost shouted. The bullet pushed Roach away and he fell off to the ground. Ghost was drawing his rifle, but Shepherd killed him before Ghost could shoot at Shepherd.
The true face had revealed. Everything was hopeless. The effort of the team, which risked their life for this mission, was wasted by a traitorous commander. Roach was enraged, but he couldn't change anything with his badly injured body. The commander walked toward Roach and took away DMS, that collected many valuable data of Makarov, from his pouch, then Shepherd called over his men to carry him and Ghost away. Roach knew his death is near. His consciousness nearly slipped away while he was thrown down in a ditch. Upon his impacted on the ground, his head turned to his left lifelessly and Roach saw Ghost was threw along with him while Price was warning in the comm.
"...Do not trust Shepherd! I said again, Do not trust Shepherd!..."
A shepherd's man soaked Roach and Ghost with gasoline and silence quickly occupied the radio when Price was out. The Shepherd's man walked away when a jerrycan was empty. Shepherd was smoking. He walked toward Roach and briefly looked at the dying soldier. The time was slower when Shepherd threw a burned cigarette upon Roach and lit Roach and Ghost on fire. Shepherd turned away and returned to his Pave Low. Gunships was flying away. Roach and Ghost was left to die in the fire. Roach tried to get up, but his effort was going in vain when the blaze devoured him alive.
Roach died, along with other teammates who meet their terrible fate. The last moment of their life reached them faster than they expected...
[(In a monitor scene, a satellite tracks Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson in the Georgian-Russian Border and labels him "K.I.A.". Transmission and buzzing can be heard while the satellite analyzes fallen soldiers in Task Force 141 and labels them as "K.I.A." one by one. Before the system can send the data to the ground below, it is interrupted by an unknown access. The monitor is quickly flooded with critical error massages. It detects the task force profiles have been accessed and read. The satellite tries to eliminate the access, but it makes the system faces more vicious infiltration. Cryptic data quickly overwhelms the system. In the end, the satellite forces to deny all access to the data in order to prevent damage to mainframe.)]
[(When the system is rebooted, an abnormal data and unwelcome access have been terminated. The satellite checks on the profiles and detects several profiles were hacked. Meanwhile, a cryptic signal is stealthily sent away from the satellite by unknown access to outer space at unbelievable acceleration.)]
[(A cryptic signal is traveling at speed of light. It's soon disappears in a void of space.)]
[(At the Canterlot, the starry night covers the mighty city of Equestria with dark violet sky. The city is flashy with the light from buildings and streets. Ponies have started to pack up their stalls or close their shops. Under the realm of the night, princess Luna, the guardian of dream, is stepping in her duty to watch out the danger in nighttime.)]
[(Upon a royal castle, princess Luna is on a balcony at her watch tower. Her wavy majestic mane is flowing against the wind breezes from the west. Beside Luna, an ornate book is on a small table. In front of Luna, there is a golden telescope is placed on a tripod. She looks preciously at the land of ponykind and seldom glanced through the telescope to check the land below.)]
[(Princess Luna frowns. She levitated and opened the book, which appears to be made around tribal period. She slowly read the book. Each page is inscribed in unicorn glyphs, which describe illustrations show the event in a long past. Luna looks upon a picture. It shows a half deep blue starry night and half shining golden day over the old Equestria with peaceful cottages of Earth pony ancestors on the ground, a beautiful castle of Unicorn on the hill and a cloud-city of Pegasi in the sky. They all, in the picture, are living in harmony and prosperity.)]
[Luna : In an ancient time, pony lived together. Grew the crop, tended the cloud, circled the day and night.
The peaceful day, seemed never wipes, until the sun went dim, spread the shadow upon the earth.
The city, planed to stood forever, destroyed. The crop, didn't grow. The sky, fell without alert.
One day, monsters was raised from the dirt, overpowered the mightiest pegasi.
[(The illustration magically fades out to chaos scene of ancient ponies. Their cottages and crop fields are burned. Their castle is destroyed. Their cloud-city is fallen to the ground and collapsed. The sky slowly dyes with darkness and solar eclipse is occurred. Ancient ponies are panic while they are running away and chased by monstrous bipeds in bizarre bronze armor that raise up from the ground around a black obelisk with glowing unknown glyphs in the middle of the illustration. Clouds fall from the sky. The prosperity is vanished. Princess Luna opens to the next page, which contain the illustrations of ancient ponies in their regular day.)]
[Luna : The farmer stopped sowing, so they would, fought for living.
The poet stopped singing, and instead, took up the spear.
The scholar stopped studying, but then, resisted the horde. ]
[(The illustration fades. Ancient ponies, that once enjoyed their live peacefully, have to fight the monsters that raising up from the ground. Luna stares on the picture for awhile, before she moves on to the next page. She looks on the illustration and quickly closed the book. She fidgets and accidentally bumps on a tripod, which nearly knocks the telescope over. Her face has clearly shown a sign of worry while she backs on the telescope. Around the Equestria, it isn't a normal day, which full with relief and peace. Bad fortune is slowly coming all over the realm of pony since Princess Celestia has deployed more royal guards in a mission than before when unexplained incidences are happen around Equestria, and her sister gave her the book for an unknown reason.)]
[(Time passes to midnight, Princess Luna had found nothing suspicious. She sighs in relief when there's nothing happen in the fifth night since mobilization. She sits on the balcony's floor and begins to meditate before she prepare herself into the realm of dream.)]
"Please, Gary."
...
"Gary, could you... stay."
...
"Gary?"
...
"Gary!"
...
...
...
"Gary, Please ...Don't leave me... alone."
...
"I'm sorry."
Roach awoke. He was dizzy and unable to move. He was lying on the ground. The wind was blowing softly and musing in his ears. It brought a deep mysterious and obscure noise along its current, which chanting like a song in unknown word from a distance or singing wind in a cave. The noise caused Roach feel nostalgic, like he had forgotten this song for a long time ago. Roach slowly regained his strength, along with his dizziness slightly lifted off from his head.
Roach opened his eyes but quickly shut it when he found his surrounding is too bright. He waited until his eyes could adjust to the ambient light. When the light was no longer be a trouble, he slowly opened his eyes to see the surrounding.
"Blazing Dust"
Day 0 - [Unknown]
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
(M.I.A.)
(Unknown)
"So shining." Roach thought. "Where am I?"
Black ashes were raining from above and piled upon his goggles. When Roach regained enough strength to move his hand, he tested his muscle by moving his neck and his limbs. His body was numb, but no longer felt painful or paralyzed. Roach checked himself and found he was mild injured. His pain was lesser than a few moment ago. Bullet wounds on his body was gone. Roach raised up to sit on the white ground. He looked around and found nothing more than pure white scenery and black ashes. Roach recalled his memory and tried to analyze the situation what is happen to him.
"... What's this place." Roach mumbled.
Roach held his wound and endured the pain while he got up. He dusted ashes off from goggles and looked at himself. Entire of his body was pure black and unreal. Roach checked on his gear. He found all his equipment is missing. His knife and rifle were nowhere to be found. Roach looked around confusedly.
"Ghost? ... Price? ... Soap?"
Only singing wind answered his call. Roach checked on his radio. It received no signal. Roach shook his head before he put the radio back and slowly moved forward into a desolate area. During wandering, Roach left black footprints upon his trail. His footprints was slowing fading away after they were imprinted. Ashes were falling off his body along the way he went through. Roach walked across the emptiness, wind and ashes under the bright sky. After long walked, he found something on the ground. Roach moved closer and picked it up.
"USP. 45?" Roach mumbled. "Not a good selection, but it's better than nothing."
Roach checked the pistol. He found its mag is fulled and the pistol's color was pure black. He held his pistol and continued to walk through the empty land. Few minutes later after obtained the pistol, Roach stopped when he heard explosion explodes from a distance. The ground was shaking and a city was raising from the ground around him. Strange enough, the city was pure black as his body. Roach looked around for awhile before he continued to move on a road when he found no threat nearby.
During the explore, the city reminded Roach when he was hunting down Rojas at Rio De Janeiro. Roach wiped ashes out from his goggles when it started to pile upon his goggles. He explored the area and tried to figure out where is he. All he could remember is he was dying in the ditch after betrayal commander had killed him and Ghost. When he got his consciousness, he was in nowhere and Ghost was missing.
"What a surprised." Roach mumbled.
While exploring the city, Roach changed route and walked through an alley when he found the road is blocked by barricades. He jumped down a ledge through a broken chain link fence and arrived at a favela (a Brazilian shanty town), which resemble to the slum where Roach and his teammates tried to capture Rojas. It was pure black as the city. Roach moved through the slum and spotted a combat knife pins on a wall. He moved closer and quickly recognized it is his knife. Roach took it and kept it on his belt.
Instantly, Roach heard another loudly explosion explodes from the same direction. Roach crouched down in quick respond and noticed falling ashes was lesser. The mysterious noise stopped and silence quickly overwhelmed the place . Roach looked up and saw a cloud of black smoke is floating in the sky.
"I'm not alone here." Roach thought. "Better be careful."
Roach moved through the favela in order to get closer to the smoke. After long walked, Roach turned around the corner and nearly reached the smoke, but Roach quickly hid behind a corner when he spotted an armed man is guarding the way. The man was pure black as same as Roach. The man's outfit showed he works for the Inner Circle. He didn't spot the sergeant yet. Roach watched out for incoming enemies until he was sure there is no other Inner Circle soldier nearby. He took out his knife and sneaked behind the man. In a blink of eyes, the armed man noticed Roach's presence when Roach had already knifed and finished him. The enemy had no change to scream out for help. Roach dragged a corpse away and put it down quietly on the ground.
"Strange... my knife nearly could't piece his skin..." Roach thought while he took the AK-47 and two magazines from corpse. Moreover, Roach had never seen the enemy's mark in any force, but in seconds later, he quickly found out it wasn't a mask. It was his face . Roach was shocked for a second, before he shook his head and hid the corpse. Its glowing eyes stared lifelessly at Roach and slightly rotted his sanity. Roach tried not to make eye contact with it.
After hid the corpse, He stood up and made his way to the smoke. Roach hoped he could find some radio or phone to contact with his teammates or find a way out of the bizarre place. After Roach get out from the favela, he found himself near a open area.
At the center, A giant tree was setting in flame, sending a big cloud of black smoke upon the sky. Two comical houses were near the tree and left untouched. Four armed men stood at the front of the tree and didn't noticed Roach and their missing friend. They surrounded a bright violet skin or fur thing, which appear to be a fiction creature. Since most of surrounding was white and black, this creature was very easy to notice. The armed men was talking with each other. Roach tried to listen what they said, but nothing was recognized at all.
In a second through, Roach heard something occurred behind him. Roach turned back swiftly and saw the favela was slowly sinking into the white ground. Roach witnessed the phenomenon silently, until he heard someone shouting behind him.
Roach knew what will happen. No hesitation, the sergeant turned back before he aimed his rifle at the nearest armed man and pulled a trigger, but it was too late for Roach to realize that he hadn't been compromised. The armed man just shouted at the violet thing. The time was running slow when Roach shot the first round. The recoil slightly pushed Roach and the rifle roared in powerful firepower. The gun sent bullets upon its targets. Roach managed to kill one armed man. Other armed men knew Roach's presence and turned back to him. Their eyes were glowing red and glaring at Roach. They drew their rifles and aimed at Roach. Roach manage to kill another two armed man, but the sergeant's fate turned from bad to worse when he couldn't finish the last armed men in time while he was aiming at Roach.
"Dammit!" Roach thought Roach tried to crouch down in order to avoid to be hit by bullets, but the table was turned when the last armed man was killed by a pistol and Roach's life was saved in time. The time returned to normal when the last armed man fell to the ground. Roach looked around and found a familiar skull-masked man in pure black aiming a M1911 and coming out from behind a house. It was Ghost who saved Roach in time.
Ghost sent a hand signal to Roach to approach the tree. They moved closer and checked corpses. The armed men had no sign of life. Ghost shoved the corpse with his foot and shot its face for confirmed kill. Roach kicked guns out of men's reach to make sure they won't be a trouble for them.
"All clear." Ghost said and lowered his M1911. "Roach, you should be more careful next time."
"Aha, I know." Roach replied. "So, how did you find me, Ghost? I thought you're missing."
"Actually that's my words." Ghost said. "By the way, I followed the smoke. Lucky for you that I arrived in time."
"I agree..." Roach said.
"Take everything useful from these corpses." Ghost said. "We will move out soon."
"Roger." Roach replied.
Ghost crouched down and searched a corpse. Roach glanced around at the giant tree and houses. He noticed that the tree might used to be some kind of housing. After viewed the scenery for awhile, Roach joined Ghost to search for mags and other gears from corpses. Roach crouched near an enemy's corpse and started searching for mags and gears from a corpse. While Roach found the first mag, he heard a thud and heavy breathing from behind. He turned back to find out what caused the thud.
It was come from a bright violet living thing, that lies down on the white ground. Roach looked closely and found it's actually some kind of hybrid fictional creature. She (Roach judged on its eyelashes) had deep blue straight hair and tail with purple and pink streaks, a horn at her forehead and a pair of wink at her side with stars tattoo at her haunches. The living thing was staring weary at the ground and didn't move. Roach moved to the quadruped but kept a distance between him and the quadruped, since he's unsure that it is hostile or not. Roach touched the quadruped's head, but it didn't respond. Roach sighed and dully shook his head before he checked on the quadruped. It didn't have any wound, but only a pair of black shackle locked loosely on quadruped's hind legs. Roach tried to moved a shackle down, but the quadruped flinched and moaned upon his contact on the black steel. Roach slightly moved back when the quadruped cried out painfully. Ghost turned his head to Roach when he heard the cry. The lieutenant moved to Roach and crouched near the quadruped.
"What are you doing, Roach? Are you done with searching?" Ghost asked.
"Sorry." Roach replied. "I'm just... curious."
Ghost briefly looked at the quadruped. It looked weak and helpless.
"I know this thing is new for you, but it's better to ignore it. We have too many thing to do right now." Ghost said.
Roach nodded. In the same time, the quadruped looked up and faced Ghost and Roach. The quadruped was frightened and receded away. It clambered away in few feet before it was quickly weighted down by shackles. It crumbled on the white ground. The quadruped turned back and stared at the elite soldiers and mumbled something before it fainted.
The elite soldiers didn't say anything. Ghost stood up and peered around. The tree was extinguished and left only a burned wood and black smoke. Falling ashes were no more. The wind stopped blowing. Ghost walked away from the tree. Roach stood up and followed him.
"...there must be the way out from here." Ghost said. "Let's go and find out."
Roach nodded. Few second later, The ground underneath was rumbling and interrupted them. It was stronger than the last time. Roach and Ghost drew their rifles. They searched for enemies and prepared to engage.
"What the hell?" Roach mumbled.
"Stay alert... keep your eyes open." Ghost whispered.
Their eyes glued on their gun sight. They preciously looked around, but there was nothing out from empty space. When the rumble stopped, Roach and Ghost prepared themselves for an unexpected incoming.
"... Left clear..." Roach said.
Unexpectedly, The ground under Ghost was collapsed. Ghost was falling to the void below.
"Argh!!"
"Ghost!"
Roach attempted to catch his teammate but the ground below him was breaking and they both were falling. The ground around them was quickly collapsed and brought structures and corpses down to the abyss. The wind was hitting Roach violently upon a strong gravity. He saw the ground above him is shattering into pieces. The light vanished. The darkness soon overwhelmed them all.
Soon, everything was collapse. Roach saw only the violet quadruped hovers in the same spot. When he was about to fainted, he heard a graceful voice came out from the void.
"Twilight Sparkle..."
Call of Duty : Magic in Action
[On a royal desk, there is a map shows a marvelous moon and a glorious sun shine over the beautiful realm of pony within mysterious sky. A pony capital city names "Canterlot" is on a mountainside at the center of the region. A map have a several pins and quill's marks. Photos, that scatter on the map, show museums and libraries across Equestria were assaulted and robbed. Blurred photos show unidentified figures, that lurking in the shadow. The photos pin on each cities on the map with short notes, that describes the crime scenes, are everywhere on the desk.)]
[Celestia : The evidence is unclear... An investigative and searching team still have no clue to track down on a numerous missing of valuable objects across Equestria.]
[(Photos of strange footprints and traces with a short note are pinned on Las Pegasus with telekinesis. The note and photos almost covers a compass on a left corner of the map.)]
[Celestia : We'd tracked down on this footprints, but it always ended at a empty area with strange marks. The wood around these area were slightly damaged, but no trace of teleportation have been found in these areas. We hoped witnesses can help us, but they didn't give us more information. Mostly, they said they saw monstrous glowing eyes or heard loudly noises before the objects was gone. The witnesses told us about thieves' appearance, but nothing in Equestria matches their description. Moreover, our night guards, who watch over the places, was injured by several magic shocks at the day of the objects have been stolen.]
[(Another photos are placed on the desk. It shows a crime scene in the Manehattan museum with various missing objects in showcases.)]
[Celestia : Somepony who behind this incident shouldn't be underestimated. They may have more magic than we could expect, and probably, have in number or well organized. ]
[(All of photos and notes are cleared from the map and replace with photos of missing object, including ancient spell books, stone inscriptions, crystal stones and history books.)]
[Celestia : We didn't know why do they want these artifacts, but I couldn't let their crime go unpunished. They must be brought out from their shadow. Since you've an commander of night elite guards, Blackjack. I need your assistance in this task.]
[Blackjack : My pleasure, your highness. These thieves will pay for what they've done.]
[Celestia : I wish you success, commander.]
[(In the map, Celestia marks on The ruin of Castle of the Two Sisters with phoenix's feather quill. Upon the Castle of the Two Sisters, a peaceful midnight in Everfree forest is interrupted by beam of lights, that come out from the outer space. One of the lights fly and hits directly at the old castle, but no damage have done to the ancient ruin. They cause a loud explosion that echo around the forest along with bright light, follows by strong gust and sparking of magic surround the castle.)]
[(Inside the castle, A dim room at the top of tower have lit up with mysterious light. When the light is gone, ancient spirits appear and descend down on the floor peacefully with unconscious guests. The spirits held the guest's collar in their mouth. In the same time, suspected shadows from faraway are moving over the Everfree forest and heading toward the Castle of the Two Sisters.)]
"Twilight Sparkle..."
"Huh!?"
Twilight frighteningly woke up. Her heart was rapidly beating. She had a hard time to breathe. Her sweats soaked her blanket. Twilight looked around in her new bedroom and searches for the night princess, but only sleeping Spike was found. She couldn't remember anything after she fainted in her nightmare. It was bizarre and realistic. A cold and lifeless voice of dark figures still haunted the friendship princess and covered her in fear.
"Come on, Twilight." Twilight thought. "Dream couldn't harm anyone."
The time passed, the Alicorn finally could catch her breath, but a bad dream still terrified the mare. Twilight looked at the clock beside her bed. It was nine o'clock at night. She shook her head and covered herself in blanket. Twilight tried to sleep, but neither sleep methods could help her to forget the nightmare. Twilight put her blanket away and stepped down from her bed. She went out to the balcony and thought the way that can calm her down from the dream.
Curtains was pushed by the wind gently. A wavy of luxury fabric danced along with the breeze. Twilight looked up to the sky. It was clear and decorated with brighten stars. The night was peaceful and lovely. Twilight breathed in the fresh air of the night. She gazed upon the sky which have never disappointed any stargazers in its beauty.
The fourth Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, was admiring the sky. The sky was rich with sparkle stars, that are glamorous like rare diamonds decorate on a purple vast mystic velvet, and knowledge of astronomy that never deplete. The pure beauty and enigma of constellations always amaze the Alicorn of friendship who falls in love with science since her young age. Twilight gazed at constellations which might look unsystematic, but they weren't a problem to the youngest Alicorn who have already mastered in astronomy.
"What a beautiful night..." Twilight mumbled. "It's like the night at the Canterlot and the Golden Oak Library."
Reminding the past cause Twilight felt nostalgic to her former house. She dropped her head and sighed. It wasn't long ago after Tirek had broken out the Tartarus and destroyed her house during the fight. Her grief was strong. The lost of her documentaries and the nostalgia of the Golden Oak Library was too hard to forget. Along this week, Twilight couldn't sleeping well. She was awaken in the middle of the night because of nightmare many time.
"Maybe, I should send the letter to Princess Luna." Twilight mumbled.
Twilight raised her head and was about to turn back to her bedroom. Unexpectedly, She was interrupted by a loud noise from the sky. Twilight looked up and saw three falling stars. When they got closer to earth, twilight realized they weren't falling stars. They were bright meteors. She nearly screamed out when the strange meteors hit on the earth. The first meteor fell into the Everfree forest. The second meteor fell near Ponyville. The last meteor fell upon the Castle of the Two Sisters. The impacts caused a enormous shockwave, virtually five time more powerful than Sonic Rainboom. She covered her eyes with her front leg from bright lights emits from the impacts, which created strong gusts. The wind was frightful, but caused no damage to houses and Twilight's castle more than covers them in a ton of leaves and branches. When the madness stopped, Twilight slowly lowered her front hoof. She feared that mighty meteors might destroy a grassland outside Ponyville, the forest and the ancient ruin, but she was totally surprised when she saw that they weren't devastated. Only the Everfree forest was slightly damaged by the gust. Twilight's pupils widen open when she saw a magic dome was created and shielded the Castle of the Two Sister inside.
"...What's just really happening?" Twilight said.
An unpleasant feeling built up inside the youngest Alicorn. Twilight ran in her bedroom. She levitated a paper and quill to her desk and wrote all what she saw on the balcony. Outside her castle, weather was changed drastically. Black clouds spread across the sky. The cloud rumbled with thunder. The wind quickly turned into a storm. Twilight closed the doors with telekinesis, then she continued to finish the letter. Twilight levitated the letter and rechecked her writing to make sure she didn't miss anything.
Dear, Princess Celestia.
I apologize for sending a letter at night, but there is a emergency I must report.
During this night, Falling stars could be spotted on the sky. I thought it was comets, until I found out it was meteors. One of them hit the Castle of the Two Sisters while other meteors fell at the outside of Ponyville and in the Everfree forest. They created the most powerful shockwaves I've ever seen. The meteors released the lights upon touching on the earth nearly bright as the sun, but strange, I couldn't feel any earthquake from this forceful impacts and no serious damage had been done due to these meteors.
To be honest, I have never seen or heard this kind of meteor from any books. I think this might be a rare astronomical event. I wonder if Princess Luna and other ponies witnessed the same meteors, since I'm not sure that I'm the only pony who saw this incident. In my theory, the meteors might contain a undiscovered matter, so I urge you to send some scientists and scholars to bring the meteors back to Canterlot's institute or destroy it if they are too dangerous to leave on our earth. For me, I will travel to the areas and survey the surrounding on the next day after I cleared all leaves and branches from Ponyville.
Lastly, The Castle of the Two Sister and the sky have acted unnaturally. I will go to check the castle or probably speak with the weather teams tomorrow, if the storm doesn't stop, to find out what was going on. I'm not sure if the meteors causes this abnormal event.
May the incident wasn't too direful. I will waiting for your answer.
Your princess,
Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight rolled her letter and tied with a letter's ribbon. She levitated the letter and walked to Spike. The baby dragon was sleeping and still didn't know what's going on outside. Twilight nudged and called him gently, but Spike didn't respond. Twilight nudged him again which gave no different result.
"Spike, I'm sorry to wake you up, but I really need your help." Twilight said.
"...Em what...?" Spike muttered. "...Didn't we just changed the quill yesterday...?"
"No, it wasn't about the quill!" Twilight argued. "I have to send this letter to Princess Celestia. Something unusual was happen to the Castle of the Two Sisters and the weather. I must send the letter to her."
"I think we should just send the letter in the next morning..." Spike said with fully laziness.
Twilight frowned. She knew that Spike tried to stall her. Twilight levitated him up and brought him with her to the balcony's doors. She placed the baby dragon on the floor, then carefully open the door.
"Seriously Twilight, you have no need to-"
A gale blew into the room upon the door is opened. Spike bounded up when he heard the storm. Twilight brought Spike up to get him a better view. A normal thunderstorm is terrible, but it couldn't be compared with the terror that is roaring outside the castle. She pointed him at the Castle of the Two Sister that is covering in a magic dome.
"Is- Is- Isn't this day supposed to be a clear da- day. What's this!?" Spike said. "And what's happening to the Castle of the Two sisters!? Wha- What's really going on, Twilight!?"
"This is why I must contact with Princess Celestia immediately, Spike! I need to ask her!" Twilight replied. She shut the door tight and put Spike on the floor. "No time to lose, Spike. Send this letter to Princess Celestia, warns her about the meteors."
"Meteors?" Spike said.
"I will tell you everything later." Twilight replied. "But send the letter, quickly!"
"Okay." Spike received a letter from Twilight. He breathed in and blew a green fire at the letter. It was burned into violet cinder and floated up. The magic ash vanished and teleported to the Canterlot.
Roach awoke. The wind was hitting him violently upon his free fall.
He couldn't see anyone. Everything was dark and empty. Paralysis triumphed over him and caused Roach becomes helpless. The air froze Roach slowly. His goggles, as well as his outfit, were encrusted with ice. Roach didn't know if this space is bottomless or when he will crush on a surface below.
"I'm gonna die..." Roach mumbled.
The darkness soon had the light. Roach spotted a small white dot in the darkness. The dot came closer until Roach could see it is a winged equine in bright pure white. It rushed at him and held his jacket's collar in its mouth. The winged equine descended down with Roach at incredible speed. Roach could feel the wind push him with a brute force. The ice on his goggles was wiping along with his outfit. A pure black on tactical jacket shattered and revealed its true color. the equine was bright up. The darkness collapse and revealed a round room. The winged equine had flied up to avoid an impact. It alighted and placed Roach down on the floor. Roach was lain on his back and barely saw another bright winged equine is putting Ghost down on the floor beside him.
The equine looked at Roach's eyes. He noticed that the equine have a horn on its forehead. Its brightness leaded him to unconsciousness and guided him to his past.
"S.S.D.D."
Day 1 - 14:42:26
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
Task Force 141
Fire Base Phoenix, Afghanistan
It was a regular day at Firebase Phoenix. Rangers had many thing to do in their military campaigns and some need to rest or heal from a long operation in a heat land of Afghanistan, but something kept the base thrived with a little bit of excitement. First, they had no casualty from last interception at the enemy's territory, which bought some time for allies to escape from surrounded. And second, Task Force one-four-one was arrived in this noon. Both events added more topics in the army's conversation.
Beside of successful interception, the presence of Task Force quickly spread a infamous rumor in a battalion. They said that Shepherd, the commander of Task Force one-four-one, want to use the Task Force to go after anyone, that caused the incident at Ahvaz in Iran which wiped out all his men. The rumor became more reliable when Shepherd stated that he want to pull shooters from the unit for special op and the Task Force was deployed to help in this recruitment.
In The Pit, Ghost and Roach had been busy since this morning. They had to move military equipment to The Pit while other members went to search for good shooters. Inside the trench, Ghost checked and prepared weapons for newcomers while Roach was moving a create from a cargo plane to The Pit. An activity in U.S. Army Ranger base could be heard from the outside of The Pit and helicopters were flying in the sky. Their comm was loud up when their tactical radio received a message from their captain.
["Ghost, I'm on my way to you. All creates must be there already. Did you copy?"]
"Solid copy, over." Ghost replied.
Roach pushed the last weapon create into the trench. He sat on sandbags to rest from his hard work. Ghost walked to the last create and checked guns inside to ensure that they didn't miss anything.
"... SCARs, ACRs and Desert Eagles." Ghost mumbled. He closed the create after he found nothing missing. "Alright, mate, we have everything ready. Our job is done."
Ghost sat on the create oblique to Roach who finally recovers from his hard labor. He picked his journal out from his tactical vast and wrote about his mission to pass the time.
"It's pretty hot today." Ghost started a conversation.
"Sure thing." Roach replied, but his eyes still glued on the journal. "But it will be hotter in another day."
"No doubt." Ghost replied. "Go after a HVT isn't a job for everyone."
Roach stopped writing. He thought about an incoming mission, before he continued on his journal.
"Well, no mission is impossible for us." Roach replied. "...We couldn't fail to hunt down Kingfish twice."
"We won't." Ghost said. He turned his head to the sky and glanced at another helicopter flies past.
Before Roach finished his journal, Soap entered the trench and ended their short break. Roach and Ghost stood up and were about to salute, but Soap raised his hand to stop them. Roach and Ghost stepped out from creates. Soap briefly checked the boxes, before he turned to Roach and Ghost.
"Good, all weapons are ready." Soap announced. "Selected shooters will be here soon. We have enough firearms and ammo for 'em to test their performance. Shepherd will be there and decide who will join in a next operation."
Soap pointed at the observation. Roach and Ghost nodded. Soap continued on his announcement.
"Well, after I saw the record of The Pit, I think this course hasn't been run by any professional. Ghost, Roach, it's your time to perform the real skill in this course, so pick up your gun and show 'em what you got."
"Roger." Roach and Ghost said in unison.
Roach went to the weapon create while Ghost walked to sit on sandbags. Soap went out the trench and contacted Shepherd. A serious conversation could be heard in the radio, while Roach chose his weapons and picked ammo from creates.
"I think he want to revenge." Ghost said.
"Who?" Roach asked.
"Soap." Ghost replied. "After we lost Price. Soap has taken his job extremely seriously to hunt down Kingfish."
"I see." Roach said. "He even refuses that Price is dead. He also thinks it was his fault that he couldn't rescue Price in time... it couldn't help when we was in that situation."
Ghost nodded. Roach picked up a Desert Eagle with two reserved mags while Ghost picked out his M1911 and stood up. Roach looked at Ghost's pistol and frowned.
"Ghost, what time did you expected to beat the course with that gun?" Roach asked.
"At least in twenty seconds." Ghost replied confidently. He briefly checked his pistol before he turned his head to Roach. "Like the day back at S.A.S, Roach. It's just a mere playground."
Ghost chuckled and entered The Pit. Roach didn't surprise why Ghost is highly confidence. He knew that his masked teammate have demonic accuracy and speed, but still, he was unsure how Ghost could beat the course with only a pistol in twenty seconds. After flash decision, Roach picked up a SCAR and two reserved mags. He sat on a ammo create and waited while Ghost was running in the course.
During waiting, Roach felt someone is watching him. He looked up at the observation and found something...
Instead of Shepherd was standing at the observation, * A mysterious figure** was standing there and glaring at him. The figure quickly vanished after it was spotted and everything was blinded in bright light. The air was colder. Roach could heard Ghost in both the past and the present are calling him from a faraway.*
"Roach, Roach! Can you hear me!"
"!?"
A crackling fire welcomed Roach who finally broke through his unconsciousness. He was lying on his back on the floor while Ghost called him several time. Roach was dizzy. His vision was blurred. Finally, Ghost noticed Roach was awake and pulled the sergeant up to lean on an ancient marble pillar, which is one of marble pillars that encircle a bonfire on an elevated stone floor with two empty ACRs and four mags.
"Roach!" Ghost said. "Finally, you've awoken. Are you alright?"
"I'm... fine." Roach said.
Ghost breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his teammate didn't injure. He tapped Roach's shoulder and walked to sit opposite of Roach near the bonfire. The lieutenant pulled out his tactical radio, before put it back when it had no signal. In other hand, Roach had finally regained his eyesight. He frowned and preciously looked around. Roach held his head and disbelieved what he is seeing.
"What's the matter?" Ghost asked, when he noticed Roach is acting weird.
"Ghost..." Roach said. "Where the hell are we?"
Ghost didn't answer. He glared at the bonfire and didn't say anything. Only a cracking fire could be heard in the room.
"I literally have no idea." Ghost replied.
Roach looked at himself. He was no longer soaked in gasoline, but stained with blood. His wounds had been healed. Roach turned at Ghost, who blood stains on his balaclava and outfit with one bullet hole on his chest. Neither Roach and Ghost were physically changed, but they were dyed in candy colors like the surrounding. Roach slapped himself to prove he isn't dreaming. The sergeant rested his back on a pillar. He sighed and held his helmet. The sergeant tried not to be serious for what he had to encounter after Shepherd had tried to kill them.
"At least, we're still alive." Ghost said. "Even it's not in a regular way to survive, but somebody might know what's happen to us."
"We must go." Roach said.
"Hold on." Ghost raised his hand in protest when he saw Roach is getting up. "If you're going to escape, I must said it's impossible."
"Impossible?" Roach said. He didn't expected Ghost would said this. "Come on, Ghost, It's not a time to play around."
"I'm not kidding you." Ghost said. "I had looked around this room, but I found no clue who brought us here at the top of tower. The doors are shut tight. Our floor are too high to jump down and too steep to clime. Our rappelling rope are missing along with most of our gears, and I spotted no enemies or civvies around in this area."
Ghost stood up and jumped down from the elevated stone floor before he went to a ornate doors and pushed it, but it didn't budge. The lieutenant walked to a old window. He looked at a giant luminous translucent dome have shielded the ruin out from a dense forest. The trees outside were swaying due to the wind of thunderstorm.
"It's possible that somebody trap us here." Ghost said.
"This might be critical, Ghost. We shouldn't stall here." Roach argued.
"But there is nothing we can do." Ghost said. He turned to Roach. "We don't know what is this place, Roach. Everything here might be dangerous to us. We didn't have any support and our comm couldn't contact to our team. Even we manage to get out, we have to face that barrier at the outside."
Ghost pointed at the dome and walked back before he climbed up the floor and returned to sit near the bonfire.
"If you have an idea to get outta here, just tell me. We will go out as soon as we figure out the way." Ghost said.
Roach was speechless. He also had no idea how to get out of the room. Roach didn't even know what is happen to him or why did he end up here. Instead of useless arguing, Roach decided to get along with Ghost for this time.
"...Okay then." Roach said. He sat on the floor and leaned on the pillar, but his tiredness and stress continued to pile up. "I thought nothing could be worse than being chase by a thousand of militias." He thought.
"If we're in luck, this might just only be a big sore joke. It would be better if you prepare yourself for tomorrow and don't let your guard down." Ghost said. "Well, I found those rifles and mags in this room, here."
Ghost picked up a ACR and tossed it to his teammate. Roach caught a clip-less ACR and glanced at his rifle. The gun was muddy and designed to work in the woodland. Roach remembered it was his rifle uses in the last assault at Makarov's safehouse. Roach wiped mud out from his rifle and found something wrong on his gun besides a candy-colored woodland camouflage.
The gun was enchanted . A light was glowing on some part of his gun and the red dot sight had a fancy insect symbol at the center instead of simply red laser dot. The gun's weight was also slightly lighter than a normal ACR and some part of the gun made out from enigmatic materials.
"Roach, catch."
Roach turned his head to Ghost and caught a mag in mid air. Ghost tossed another mag after Roach kept the first mag in his pouch. Roach inspected a mag in his hand closely. The mag didn't have bullets inside, but two shiny white connectors and unknown glowing parts.
"Pretty weird, huh?" Ghost said. "I hope it works like other ACRs. We didn't have much time to learn something new here."
"I hope so." Roach said. He roughly cleaned mud out from the mag with his hand and reloaded his rifle. Roach checked his rifle and made sure the gun won't mess up in the field. He turned the selector to safe mode. Unexpectedly, the gun stopped glowing and gave a quiet strange noise of electric shutdown. The reaction of gun aroused Roach's curiousness. Roach switched the fire selector to burst fire. The gun made a low buzz noise and glowed again.
"It's better not to have our gear shiny. It would give us away." Ghost said.
"Gotcha.'" Roach said.
Ghost put his reloaded ACR beside him, while Roach switched his ACR to safe mode and put it beside the pillar.
"We have many thing to do tomorrow. I will be on guard, so you may rest now and wait until your shift." Ghost said.
"Understood." Roach replied.
Ghost nodded and turned his head to the bonfire. Roach moved in the most comfortable position to sleep sitting. In order to prepare for emergency incident, Roach glanced and remembered the surrounding .
They was in a dim round room. Silver light shone through a broken wall and a roof to the bonfire on the elevated stone floor at the center of the room. The ruin appeared to be an ancient castle. Strange enough, The structure was aged and abandoned, but the room was pretty tidy, like it was cleaned up recently. Outside the room, the castle was still covered in an intense bright dome, that shields the castle from the outside.
Roach put out his tactical radio. It's still in good condition, but received no signal. Roach put his radio back. He was exhausted and starved, but these couldn't be compared to how he is worried about what is happen to him and his teammate.
"I hope it's just a sore joke." Roach thought. He leaned on the pillar and slept . In other hand, Ghost kept his eyes on the surrounding and occasionally looked at the old ornate door opposite of him.
Outside of the castle, The night in the Everfree forest had become more terrible than it should be. There was no monster or night animal roam out like usually. The thunderstorm was strong. The woods wobbled by the wind and some branches were broken from their main stem. Under the chaos weather, suspect shadows quickly flied over the jungle. Sky was echoed with thunder and heavy engines. Red dots rushed through the rain over the forest. Along the way they went, no monster or high terrain had a power to stop them.
The night sky was rumbled with lighting and revealed the true face of stranger. Nopony knows how a group of dreadful machines could fly through the worst thunderstorm in the pony history. The machines were heading toward the Castle of the Two Sister. They stopped over a ravine, that lines between the forest and the Castle of the Two Sister in a magic shield.
The machines were floating in the sky, until three flying engines pointed barrels on their sides at the magic shield.
Inside the ruin, Ghost was watching out while Roach was sleeping. The lieutenant sensed a danger when Ghost heard helicopters approaching from a distance. The lieutenant listened the noise until he could confirm the direction of approaching helicopters.
Ghost grabbed his ACR and jumped down from the elevated stone floor then rushed to a cracked wall. He hid and carefully peaked out. Ghost spotted five helicopters, similar to Black Hawks and Little Birds. The helicopters were hovering in the air. Ghost observed helicopters for seconds before Little Birds rapidly fired missiles at the dome. It was penetrated violently and started to crack. Ghost quickly ran out from the cover to the bonfire and rushed to Roach.
"Roach, wake up." Ghost said.
"Eh? What's happen?" Roach asked.
"There-"
A second later, Ghost and Roach heard the dome is shattering. They looked back and saw missiles is flying toward them.
"GET DOWN!" Ghost shouted.
The missiles hit on the bonfire, after Ghost and Roach jumped away. The missiles devastated everything they hit and crushed surrounding into rubble. The explosion was very colorful like fireworks more than real missiles, but the damage wasn't different. Some part of the tower's roof and wall fell apart and one of pillars collapsed and hit directly at the doors. The dome, that caps the castle, was shattered and a thunderstorm soon poured down a rain upon the ruin, but it couldn't extinguish fires causes by the missiles. Thunder was roaring when Ghost landed safety and rolled on the floor. He stood up and held his gun tight. Ghost searched for the sergeant and found Roach is lying on his back on the floor. Ghost quickly moved toward Roach. He took Roach's rifle and sent it to the sergeant.
"Here." Ghost said. "Get up, we must move, now."
"Nightlander"
Day 1 - (Night Time)
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
(M.I.A.)
The Ruin
Roach took his rifle and stood up. The rain soaked the elite soldiers in cold water. Roach and Ghost heard helicopters flying close. The elite soldiers ran and hid behind debris to avoid to be detected. Ghost pointed at doors, that now breaks into pieces. Ghost motioned his hand to call Roach to follow him.
Spotlights was shining in the room and the rain quickly covered the floor with puddles. The elite soldiers carefully went through the room on crouching. Upon reaching the doors, they flanked and briefly peaked through the broken old ornate doors. Ghost peeked through the door, while Roach watched out their rear. Ghost moved through the broken door after he saw no movement inside the room and found a spiral stairs leads to downstairs. He briefly checked the room and turned his head to Roach.
"The room is clear." Ghost whispered. "Come on, let's move."
Ghost walked down the stairs. Roach went through the broken door and followed Ghost who leading the way. The rain perfectly covered two former SAS soldiers' footsteps, but it couldn't cover them from helicopters' searching. After they walked down the stairs for awhile, Ghost swiftly sent a hand signal to Roach when they heard an incoming helicopter.
"Halt." Ghost whispered. "Find cover."
They crouched behind nearest covers and waited. Seconds later, a Little Bird approached and hovered near Roach and Ghost's hiding spot. It shone a spotlight through a broken wall and vigilantly searched in the dark. Roach held his gun and hoped the helicopter won't find him. The helicopter was searching for seconds, before it flied away. After the helicopter was gone, Roach looked out the cracked wall to make sure there is no more helicopter around, then he went past the gap to follow the lieutenant, who is waiting for his teammate behind his cover and continue to go down the stairs after Roach went past the cracked wall.
After they had went downstairs for awhile, they reached a second floor and found a way to a long corridor. Ghost and Roach crouched down when they heard footsteps is coming up from the stairs below. Ghost pointed to the corridor and the lieutenant and the sergeant quickly went in the hallway. Roach and Ghost ventured in a broken ruin and watched out for enemy. Beside a long soaked luxury carpet, they went past numerous artifacts, including pictures of big eyes quadrupeds in an ancient military uniform or a Victoria dress, quadrupeds' plated mail statues and ornate banners of the sun or the moon with a slim white or a deep blue equine at the center.
"The occupants of this castle were kinda strange..." Roach thought.
The elite soldiers continued to go through the corridor and finally reached at a main hall. They quickly hid behind the wall when they saw helicopters hovers above the hall. Roach and Ghost peaked out from a shadow and observed.
An unknown squad, appeared to be hostile, rappelled down from a Black Hawk to the ground and searched the hall. They weren't the Inner Circle, and quite well-trained and heavy armed. Most of them used ACR as main weapon with at least two men have heartbeat sensors and silencers. Only one man equipped with MG4. The squad also had a pair of creepy lights on their goggles or their eyes, which appeared to be aiming device or advance military tech.
"Follow me." Ghost whispered. "Keep an eyes on 'em."
They waited until all enemies reached the floor, then Ghost lay prone and crawled to other side of the hall. Roach crawled and followed Ghost. They seldom stopped and glanced on the first floor to observe the hostile force movement. Ghost raised up when he was out from a open area, then he waited Roach crawls across the hall and moved out when Roach reached a cover.
"They went inside the ruin." Ghost whispered. "Possibly tried to find something here. I hope they didn't go after us."
The sergeant slightly nodded. Roach and Ghost stealthy went through the corridor. Along the way, they had witnessed several paranormal activities. They saw shadows quickly moves away when they were spotted. Paintings was animating or staring at them in unwelcome manner. Outside the ruin, the thunderstorm was still raging. The rain was showering into the ruin and soaking everything in cold water. The elite soldier sought for exits, but they found the hostile squad at their left instead when they reached another corridor. Ghost took cover behind a wall and dodged a laser bolt that shooting from a man in the squad. The lieutenant peaked out. Roach crouched down next to Ghost and watched out for hostile force from their rear.
"They're here." Ghost whispered. "Incoming from the left corridor. Showing a hostility toward us."
They heard footsteps were coming from their rear. Ghost raised his rifle. Roach cocked his gun and prepared himself.
"They left us no choice." Ghost said. "I'm gonna count to three. Roach, jump out to that statue and light 'em up."
Roach nodded. Footsteps was getting close. Ghost moved closer to the corner and prepared to attack. Roach moved out from the wall and waited the signal from Ghost. Roach stared at a slim equine statue on a thick pillar opposite of him. He held his rifle tightly.
"One..."
Ghost's rifle was at the corner. One man from the squad spoke unknown words in a unwelcome tone of voice.
"Two..."
Ghost pointed his rifle out from corner. Roach prepared to dart to the statue.
"Three!"
Ghost opened fire. White laser bolts hit an unexpected squad preciously. Roach dashed out and took cover behind the statue. He aimed at a hostile squad, who quickly takes cover behind pillars. Three enemies were shot down, while other successfully dodged laser bolts from the elite soldiers and took cover behind pillars. Before hostile forces could fire back, Ghost went out from the corner and ran into the right corridor.
"Roach, withdraw into the library!" Ghost shouted.
"What!" Roach yelled.
"Retreat into the bloody library!" Ghost said. "There's the way outside!"
Roach dodged incoming red laser bolts. He fired back at enemies, then sprinted out from the cover and followed Ghost into the corridor. Roach reached and jumped down stairs before rolled in a library. He saw a broken tall window at the end of the library, which lead to the outside. The elite soldiers flanked and crouched behind the library's entrance and shot at enemies. Ghost killed two enemies while they were following Roach down the stairs. The fallen enemies crushed into pieces when they fell down. The elite soldiers noticed something was abnormal, but they had no time to mind the broken enemies as they saw a hostile reinforcement. Enemy squads hid behind pillars or wall and shot back. Roach and Ghost realized they couldn't hold them off with only a reserved mag for each of them and no grenade.
"Dammit, they're too many!" Roach said.
"We won't hold 'em much longer." Ghost said. "Roach, run to the window!"
Ghost pointed at the end of library. Enemies shot laser bolts upon the wall around the library's entrance. It cracked after the elite soldiers ran out from their cover. Roach and Ghost sprinted through a damp library, which further ruined by laser bolts. Books were shattered. Shelves was broken to pieces. Roach and Ghost reloaded their gun while they were running through the library to the window. When Ghost was about to jump, a hostile Black Hawk flied down and blocked his way.
"Watch out!" Ghost shouted.
The helicopter's spotlight shone directly at the elite soldiers. They stopped and raised their arm to shade their eyes. Enemy squads were approaching from their rear. Roach and Ghost were in an open area with no cover nearby. Roach heard miniguns are spinning and their time was slowed down.
(*CRUSH!*)
When Spotlight was gone, the time returned to normal. Roach and Ghost looked up at the helicopter. It had been destroyed by a big rubble. The helicopter crashed on the ground violently. Its propeller was spinning and cut through a grassland and debris, before the helicopter exploded.
"Who the hell did that." Ghost said.
Roach turned back and saw something behind them.
"What the..." Roach said.
"Roach?" Ghost said.
Ghost turned back. They saw two white bright shining equine stand between enemy squads and the elite soldiers. The left equine was larger and more masculine than the right one, but they both had a pair of winks and a long horn. Their mane were flowing. Their eyes were ablaze like a star in a dark night. The right equine was looking at the window. it's horn glows and covers in a white aura for a minute, before it turned back at enemies.
"These equines look so familiar..." Roach thought
Scraped their front hooves against the floor, dreamy equines stared hostilely at enemies. The hostile squads aied their rifle at a pair of equines and shot. Laser bolts were brutally shooting at the equines, but they were blocked by a translucent shield summons up when the right equine' horn flares. The left equine roared up and flailed its front hooves before it stomped on the floor. Shockwaves were created. It hit enemies off their balance and crashed some enemies to pieces. The remaining enemies retreaded to find the cover and fired back before the fight ensued and echoed through the library.
Roach and Ghost were watching the fight quietly, until Ghost called his teammate.
"Time to slip out." Ghost said. "C'mon, move out!"
Ghost ran and went across the window. Roach briefly looked at the fight. During he got out the library through the window, he saw laser bolts overwhelmed the equines and the shield started to crack, but the shield quickly replaced with another shield when a larger equine's horn was glowing and covering in a white aura.
Roach and Ghost landed safety on a swampy grassland, but faced a big disappointment. They might run across through debris to a dense forest, if there is no wide ravine lines in between. Roach and Ghost run at the edge of ravine, which rounds the forest with deep cliffs and wide fissures. They froze in the middle of thunderstorm. There's nothing near the castle that aids their retreat from helicopters' hunt down.
"We're trap!" Roach said with fully frustration.
"No, there must be the way!" Ghost said. They turned back when they heard helicopters are flying closer. Ghost looked around to find something useful, then he quickly eyed on a Blackhawk's wreckage on the ground.
"Roach, man at the helo's minigun!" Ghost pointed at the wreckage.
"But-!"
"There's no time now, Roach. It's the only way we can rid off those helos!"
Roach nodded. He ran to the wreckage and manned a minigun, which in poor condition but still usable. Ghost took cover inside the wreckage and looked for hostile helicopters. Roach grabbed minigun's handles and point it to the sky. They didn't wait too long when four helicopters flied over the castle and found the elite soldiers on the ground.
"Thirteen o'clock high! Open fire!" Ghost shouted.
The minigun spun and sent thousands laser bolts up to its target. The first helicopter was hitting, but still could resist the damage. Roach aimed to hit at the cockpit in order to kill a pilot. He took cover when hostile helicopters fired back at him then he shot back when they stopped. The firefight went intensely under the terrible night. Upon on one moment, the wind forced helicopters to fly down and one of helicopters turned its cockpit at Roach. He took this chance to fire at the pilot, but Roach's minigun was overheated before he could crack the helicopter's windshield. After Roach failed to brought down the helicopter, three helicopters quickly surrounded the elite soldiers and stormed laser bolts at the wreckage, but Ghost and Roach hid in the wreckage in time and were safe.
"Bloody hell, they try to pin us down!" Ghost yelled.
"Here I come!" Roach shouted.
Roach spooled his minigun up and shot at the nearest Little Bird. Finally, the laser bolts managed to crack the cockpit's windshield and killed the pilot. A Little Bird spun down when the pilot had been killed and crashed on the earth. Its propeller slowed down and set in fire.
"One down!" Roach said.
"Fourteen o'clock high!" Ghost shouted.
Roach turned his gun at a another Little Bird, which turned its rocker's barrels at the wreckage. Unfortunately, Roach's minigun was unable to shoot due to it was heavy damaged and overheated.
"The gun is down, the gun is down!" Roach said.
"Incoming!" Ghost shouted.
The elite soldiers jumped out from the wreckage, which destroys into dust by missiles. Roach and Ghost rolled on the grassland and ran to the nearest cover. Enemy helicopters crushed debris one by one and forced the elite soldiers to retreat. Hostile helicopters was chasing and tried to bring down two soldier with everything they have. Ghost was leading Roach through the rain and laser bolts, until he saw a old wooden bridge lies across the ravine and leads to the forest.
"We found the way!" Ghost said. He pointed at the bridge. "Make haste, run across before it's too late!"
No choice, they sprinted across an opened field while helicopters was chasing the elite soldiers from behind. Enemy squads came out from the ruin and shot at the elite soldiers. Laser bolts were hitting around Roach and Ghost, like grim reapers is breathing behind their necks. Missiles were exploding around Roach and Ghost, while they had to make their way to the bridge.
"Almost there. Keep movin'!" Ghost said.
Ghost and Roach reached at the bridge and quickly ran across the deadly ravine fills with mist. Roach heard the wood cracks. When Ghost managed to go across, Roach quickly jumped and launched himself at the forest's side. A Little Bird fired missiles and destroyed the bridge. An explosion pushed Roach away from the land. He managed to grab on a ledge, but he slipped and slid down. Roach tried to climb up but his effort was going in vain.
"No!" Roach yelled.
"Roach!"
Ghost darted and grabbed Roach's hand. Ghost nearly lost his balance, but he could hold Roach before he fell into the deadly ravine. A destroyed bridge was falling to a endless depth. The elite soldiers were defenseless under the thunderstorm and enemies' mercy.
"Hang in there!" Ghost shouted.
Fortunately, an explosion at the castle was distracted the enemy and bought the elite soldiers some time to survive. Ghost pulled Roach up from the ravine, but his right arm was shot by a laser bolt and Ghost's hand was slowly slipped from Roach. In the moment of life and death. Ghost grabbed Roach's hand with other hand. Roach booted on a cliff and Ghost took the momentum and dragged Roach toward the surface. Roach landed safety on a damp ground.
"We made it!" Ghost said. "Come on, get up! Let's get the hell outta here!"
Roach and Ghost stood up and swiftly retreated into the forest. The enemy tried to shoot them down, but the elite soldiers quickly vanished within the woods' shade. Roach and Ghost went through brushes and hid their presence within the dense forest. They were hearing the fight erupts from the ruin, which they chose to remain it to be a mystery.
At the castle in Canterlot, Princess Celestia had read the last letter from investigate team in her chamber. She noted every useful information in the paper and rearranged photos into evidence's case. She looked weary. It was nearly 3 A.M. , but the sun princess had shown no willing to go to sleep. Celestia rolled the note and kept it in a scroll's shelf. She put the photo's case in the drawer before she lay on her cushion. Celestia took a short break and eyed on the letter sent by princess Twilight Sparkle.
Princess Celestia levitated and untied the the letter. Stress showed up on her face, while she carefully read the emergency letter. When she finished, she dropped the letter and rushed to the door, before her sister, princess Luna, galloped through the door to her.
"'My sister!" Luna said. "The weather is out of control. A thunderstorm now have spread across the Equestria!"
For a moment, Celestia quite startled when her sister had run in the room with her soaked coat, but a second later, the sun princess smiled and brought a towel out from drawer to dry her sister's coat.
"I know." Celestia said. "Twilight sent the letter to warn me."
"Twilight told you?" Luna asked.
"Yes, she did." Celestia replied. Two sisters walked to rest on cushions in front of a fireplace. "She also reported she spots strange meteors and asks you if you had seen the same."
"Meteors..." Luna mumbled. "...Then that shooting stars aren't a illusion..."
"Luna, did you see the meteors this night." Celestia repeated.
"Oh, yes yes. I see them, my sister." Luna replied.
"Well then..." Princess Celestia levitated a paper out from a scroll's case. Before she wrote the letter, Celestia heard her sister sighing. Luna was looking down and holding the towel tightly. The sun princess moved closer and held her sister, but the moon princess wasn't cheered up.
"Did you have something to tell me, my dear sister?" Celestia asked.
The question was gentle, but Princess Luna seemed hesitated to answer. Luna looked at Philomena's cage. The phoenix was sleeping on a golden perch and still didn't know what's going on outside of the castle. Luna sighed and turned back at her sister.
"I'm not sure, my sister..." Luna said. "Along this week, our subjects, who haunted by strange bipeds in their nightmare, are sharply increased. I have to stay in dream's realm longer to repeal their nightmares."
Princess Celestia nodded. Princess Luna continued.
"I- I couldn't stop this outbreak, my sister. I don't know what should I do to save our subjects." Luna said.
Princess Celestia didn't answer. She finished and tied the first letter, then she wrote a second letter. Princess Luna held her sister's front hoof. Anxiety could be seen in two royal sisters eyes, especially within Celestia.
"'My sister... what if the legend was... real?" Luna asked.
The sun princess finished the second letter. She tossed them into the fire and the letters turned into magical ashes and vanished.
"Then we must fight, my sister." Celestia replied.
In the forest, Roach and Ghost still retreated within the forest. When Ghost was sure they have managed to get away, he sent a hand signal to stop running. The elite soldiers looked back and breathed a sigh of relief before they took a short break under trees. Roach placed his rifle beside him and Ghost sat down under the trees opposite form Roach. Ghost looked up and saw rains dripping through leaves. The forest's ground was filled with muddy puddles. The rain echoed through the woods like a strong waterfall.
"That was close..." Ghost mumbled.
Roach grabbed his rifle. He took out its mag and checked the ammo like usual, before he realized his mag wasn't an ammo mag anymore. Ghost took off his sunglasses. The rain was continued to drip down through leaves.
"I must said... There is too many question in my head... right now..." Roach said. "I think I don't want the answer..."
Silence was rotting their time. Roach looked at Ghost and knew he is upset. Form the beginning, they had ended up in nowhere with no clue why, then they had been attacked by an unknown force and had to go through laser bolts in order to get into the damp forest. Now, they're tired and injured, furthermore, risked for being lost in an unknown area. Roach sighed and looked around. Even the forest was quite childish and cartoon-like, if compared to forests that he used to go through.
"Whatever we have to face, we will go through it." Ghost said at last. "No matter what we take, we'll fight."
Ghost put his sunglasses in his pouch and picked up his rifle. "We need to find a shelter for this night. Let's move, mate. We have many things to do tomorrow."
Roach nodded. The wind blew. Trees were swaying. Roach raised up and picked up his rifle, then followed Ghost who leads the way into the forest. They walked through bushes and watched out for danger nearby.
"This forest is strange..." Roach whispered.
"I know." Ghost replied "At least, it's much better than what I used to venture through."
Roach recalled his memory. The masked lieutenant said once when they're on the mission to hunt down Kingfish, that no jungle or forest could stop him. Ghost once used to go across a dangerous jungle to wipe out a terrorist's hideout by himself. The name "Ghost" isn't just a name for the lieutenant. The name Ghost also shows the lieutenant's skills and experience he has under his skull mask.
The forest was noisy with rain. A strong wind was blowing above. Thunders seldom roared and shone through leaves. Roach and Ghost went through bushes and thorns in the forest. The darkness covered them slowly. They were moving forward in the dark, until they reached a narrow open ground and a high cliff. Roach and Ghost looked around and found a small cave, much like in a cartoon trope. They decided to move closer and carefully explored inside the cave. They found the cave is occupied by nobody. Roach and Ghost could feel their luck have returned.
"Well, it's good enough." Ghost said. "We will stay here this night."
"Oh man... this cave have so many woods." Roach said.
"That's good. It mean somebody use this cave for store woods." Ghost said. "Pretty primitive and untidy, but at least we didn't have to be in the rain all night."
The elite soldiers surveyed around the cave for dried spot. They picked the left side of the cave as their shelter, then Ghost and Roach split up and searched the cave for firewood. Roach walked past logs and picked up branches from the ground, which strangely they all still have fresh leaves. Roach sensed an uneasy presence. The sergeant looked around in the cave but he found no enemy. After Roach collected a good many branches, he regrouped with Ghost and put branches on a dry ground. Roach calmly waited Ghost lights the fire up. A small light soon shone through the cave and heated up both soldiers. Ghost put a flint back in his survival pocket before he kept it in his tactical jacket.
"There we go." Ghost said. "Man, what a day..."
Ghost sat in opposite of Roach. The elite soldiers still didn't released their hand from their rifle. They both wasn't trust their surrounding. Behind Ghost, there is a fresh wood log, but Ghost had no wish to lean on. Roach looked out at the dense forest. The rain outside had become more vicious. Roach turned his head to Ghost and saw a wound on Ghost's arm.
"Are you okay, man?" Roach asked. He pointed at burned Ghost's sleeve.
"I'm alright." Ghost said. "It felt like I got an electric shock. But at least, it's better than a bullet."
Roach nodded. He racked burning woods with a branch.
"I own you one." Roach said.
"It's nothing." Ghost said. "Your guys used to help me out from those terrorist bastards. You own me nothing."
Roach and Ghost chuckled. Ghost was captured by terrorist when the one-four-one tried to rescue hostages in Ukraine.
"I hope our teammates are safe..." Roach said. "Price warned us after we had been shot near Russia border. I heard they have to fight the way out."
Ghost didn't responded. He put out his radio, which still had no signal. Ghost sighed and stared blankly at outside of the cave.
"Price and Soap are tough. They won't die easily." Ghost said. "Especially that old bastard."
Ghost and Roach laughed quietly. Inside the silence cave, Roach noticed that there is something in his leg's pouch, but before he checked his pouch, both soldiers were surprised when their radios were loud up with a static noise. Ghost flinched when he notices someone's talking through the radio.
["(*Buzz*) Ar-(*Buzz*) Come in! "]
The voice continued to speak, but always interrupted by a bad signal. Ghost and Roach looked at each other. They quickly stood up and ran to the outside of the cave to get a clear signal. The voice spoke again. Roach and Ghost listened carefully to their radio.
"This is Ghost, come in."
["(*Buzz*) Ghost...?"] The voice said.
"Yes, I'm here." Ghost replied. "Wait a sec... Scarecrow?"
["Hooah. Scarecrow's here."] Scarecrow said. ["I'm with Ozone on a cliff. We tried to recontact Archer since minutes ago. Lucky enough, we got you on the horn."]
"Archer...? He's alive?" Ghost said and turned his head to Roach. He slightly nodded. "Well then, we must regroup, Scarecrow. Can you tell us where you are and where is Archer?" Ghost asked and turned his head to the forest.
["We're on a cliff somewhere inside the forest close to a dirt road. Here-(*Buzz*) "] Scarecrow said before a bad signal was interrupted.
"Scarecrow!" Ghost said. "Dammit, The signal is cut..."
Roach turned back to the cave as he heard something occurs behind him.
"Ghost..." Roach said. "Is that..."
Ghost looked back at the cave. The firewood were howling and glowing green. Roach and Ghost quickly aimed their rifle at haunted woods, that floating slowly along with other wood logs and branches. Finally, It assembled into three big wooden wolves. The elite soldier stepped back from wooden wolves. A terrible smell came out from wolves' mouth. The wolves' dreadful glowing eyes glued on Roach and Ghost and barked hostilely toward them.
"Shoot!" Ghost shouted.
Roach and Ghost shot at wooden wolves and cut them down into wooden trunks and branches. Woods were scattered and fell down to the ground. Some were burned or broken. The wolves were destroyed, but Roach and Ghost didn't embrace their victory too long when those woods soon reassembled back into three wooden wolfs. The wolves were restored, like they didn't be shot by the elite soldiers. Roach and Ghost stepped back and quickly turned back into a dense forest. Wooden wolves didn't let their pray escape. They followed them as soon as the elite soldiers retreated.
"Bloody hell, what's those things!" Ghost swore. "Scarecrow, can you hear me! Monstrous wolves are chasing us! I repeat, god damn wolves are chasing us!"
Scarecrow didn't replied. Ghost groans as disappointment filled in his comm.
"We need to find another cliff!" Ghost shouted. "Keep your head down and run!"
Roach and Ghost maneuvered through a dense forest. The wolves didn't leave much distance from the elite soldiers. The elite soldiers ran, jumped across obstacles and avoided to be stuck in muddy ponds or ivies. Ghost moved quickly through leaves faster than Roach. The sergeant had to keep up his speed and tried not to lose Ghost in sight. After long ran, they arrived at a ledge. Roach and Ghost grabbed ivies and descended down. They rolled on the ground after they touched down on an earth and ran into the woods. The wooden wolves followed the elite soldiers, but they didn't expected the ledge. One of them fell and crushed on the ground. The other wolves lost their speed and had to chased on two human, who now too far from them.
"One down!" Roach said.
"Nicely done!" Ghost replied. "Hurry up. Don't let 'em close!"
Roach jumped over a big branch, which later hit by another wolf. A wooden wolf jumped at Ghost, but it missed him by a mile. Wooden wolves soon got closer. Their speed was increasing when they're getting closer to the elite soldiers. Their fierceness showed toward their prays that try to run away.
"They're closing in!" Roach shouted.
Ghost briefly looked back and saw the wolves are getting close. He touched on his headphone and hoped the signal was back.
"Scarecrow, can you hear us!" Ghost said.
["(*Buzz*) Gh- (*Buzz*) Ghost! (*Buzz*) "] Scarecrow said through his radio.
"Scarecrow, come in!" Ghost said.
["Ghost, What happened? We had lost contact from you."] Scarecrow said.
"A pack of wolves, Scarecrow! Those wooden wolves are chasing on us. Assistant needed!" Ghost said.
Ghost avoided a tree. A followed wolf hit the wood trunk and collapsed. Roach dodged another darting wolf that is dashing toward him. The wolf missed its target and fell into a muddy pond, which a fierce stone-covered alligator crushed the victim into pieces.
["Roger!"] Scarecrow replied. ["Ghost, I advice you to find a dirt road. We might see you there!"]
"I have a better idea." Ghost said.
Ghost raised his rifle and shot three rounds. Laser bolts was flying upward to the sky. The lieutenant hoped Scarecrow could see his signal. Ghost and Roach jumped on a small rock in the pond and darted toward another side. When the wolves arrived, they were blocking by stone-covered alligators that raises up from the pond. The wolves had to run around in order to follow their pray.
["Ghost, we saw the light!"] Scarecrow replied.
"We're there!" Ghost said. "Tell us the direction!"
["Roger."] Scarecrow replied. ["Turn sharp left. Sharp left!"]
The elite soldiers quickly turned left. Ghost shot another three round into the sky and listened to the comm.
["Ghost, you're on the way to the road! Turn left and ran along the road if you found it! We likely could see you there!"] Scarecrow said.
"Copy, out!" Ghost said. "Step up the pace, Roach! Don't let 'em close!"
The wolves was getting closer. After jumped across two stumps, the elite soldiers reached a dirt road. They saw a cliff and ran along the road fills with puddle and mud. Both elite soldiers and the wolves didn't give up easily. The elite soldiers weren't too far away from a pack of wooden wolves.
["I see you!"] Scarecrow said. ["Just run down the road. We will cover you!"]
"Scarecrow, count on three when you can suppress on those wolves." Ghost commanded.
["Copy that."] Scarecrow replied.
As they proceeded, the forest was became more clear. The elite soldiers could see the dark sky above and the cliff at their right. They ran against the heavy rain and the wind, which slow them down. Roach hoped his speed was enough to get in Scarecrow's perimeter.
["One!"] Scarecrow counted down.
Roach dodged another leaping wolf. It hit a tree at the side and fell apart.
["Two!"]
Ghost shot back at the wolves. Roach saw someone on the top of the cliff. The wolves was nearly close to Roach and Ghost.
["Three!" ]
The time was slowed down. Roach and Ghost jumped out from the killzone and rolled on the ground. Scarecrow and Ozone shot from the right cliff at wooden wolves. They were pieced into branches and logs. When Roach and Ghost turned back, there's nothing more than scatter of wood behind them. Scarecrow and Ozone on the cliff shot until a hostile wooden wolves had been eliminated.
"Cease fire, cease fire!" Ghost commanded.
Scarecrow and Ozone held their fire. Ghost and Roach looked at defeated wooden wolves, which now turns into pieces.
["Good work. We got 'em!"] Scarecrow said.
"Yeah, for now." Ghost said. "Scarecrow, tell the way to get up there."
["You need to clime up."] Scarecrow said. ["There are ivies at the cliff. Don't worry. It's strong enough."]
"Roger." Ghost said. "Come on, Roach. We need to get up the cliff before these bastards could resemble."
["What do you mean?"] Scarecrow said.
Roached and Ghost ran toward the cliff, passed dense bushes and reached at the base. The cliff was covered in ivies. Roach and Ghost put their rifle on their back and climbed up on ivies.
["Ghost, those woods are glowing and floating!"] Scarecrow reported.
"This is what I mean, Scarecrow! They can revive 'emselves!" Ghost said.
["God dammit, I thought we got 'em!"] Scarecrow swore.
"Keep shooting at 'em. Don't let 'em restore!" Ghost commanded.
["Copy that!"] Scarecrow replied.
["Taste this, scums!"] Ozone said.
Scarecrow and Ozone were covering fire Roach and Ghost. The lieutenant and the sergeant quickly climbed up on ivies. Roach and Ghost knew if they stall here, there would be a hell for them. Roach swiftly climbed on a ivy as fast as he can. They had to avoid a thorn ivy, which grows in between normal ivies. When the wind was blowing, the elite soldiers had to stop and wait until the ivies were stable enough to climb. They also had to be careful on ivies, which are slippy due to the rain.
["This is not good, Ghost. Those woods have reassembled into something big!"] Scarecrow reported.
"Bloody hell, I didn't expect this!" Ghost said.
They're not too far from the mid way. Ghost was in the lead. Roach was losing his balance due to the wind and it slowed him down. The team on the cliff want to help their teammate, but Roach and Ghost were out from their reach. Ghost saw Roach was stalling, so he turned back and shouted at him.
"Roach! Don't stalling! Speed yourself up!"
"I know!" Roach yelled.
["Hurry up! It's almost done!"] Scarecrow reported.
"Roger that!" Ghost said.
Ghost took another ivy to change a route. Roach tried to keep up with Ghost, but he always faced many obstacles along his way. Roach jumped to another ivy, when the first ivy couldn't handle his weight. Ghost was in the mid way, but Roach was quite too far from him. Roach felt something was weighted him down beside his gears and the wind.
(*GRAAAAWR!*)
["Ghost, the monster is heading on your way!"] Scarecrow reported. ["Our weapon is useless. It's too strong!"]
"Cease fire and wait there! We're not too far from you!" Ghost said.
Roach looked down. He saw a giant wooden wolf, that is twenty time bigger than the normal wooden wolf. The giant wolf is running and heading toward at the base of the cliff.
"Incoming!" Roach yelled.
Roach and Ghost held the ivy tightly, when a giant wolf rammed on the cliff. Rocks on the cliff fell off. Roach and Ghost had to avoid being hit by heavy rocks. Ghost booted on the cliff and dodged to his left. Roach hid under a ledge and avoided the rocks. Scarecrow and Ozone on the cliff nearly slipped down. Rocks hit on the giant wolf, but a few damage had been done to its wooden shell. Roach and Ghost waited until rocks fell to the ground below, then they continued to climb upward.
"Roach, hurry up!" Ghost looked back and yelled.
Roach couldn't come close to Ghost, who nearly reaches the top. The giant wolf looked up and saw Roach wasn't climbing up too far. It jumped up and slashed at the sergeant. Roach saw the wolf. He quickly jumped off to another ivy. The wolf's claw was missing his back a few inches. Roach put every strength he has to climb up as quick as possible. The cold rain soaked the sergeant. His gloves was slippery. Roach faced a difficult time to climb up. He felt his left leg is weighted by a ton object. Finally, Roach stopped. He held a ivy and didn't move.
["Roach, come in!"] Ghost shouted through his radio. ["Get up here. Don't stalling!"]
Roach didn't reply. He put his feet on a ledge and picked out his knife. Roach looked down on the giant wolf. Its eyes was glowing and staring on the sergeant. The giant wolf sneered. Its mouth was filled with slime and hunger.
["What's happen, Roach! You have to get up here before it's too late!"] Ghost said.
The giant wolf jumped up. Roach knew he had to risk for his life. He turned back and raised his knife up. The time was running slow. Roach eyed on the wolf's eye. He moved his knife up and aimed at the wolf. Upon the cliff, Ghost tried to climbed down to help Roach, but Scarecrow and Ozone held him back from the ledge.
["Ghost, calm down!"] Scarecrow said.
["No! Get off from me!"] Ghost said.
During a moment of live and death, the sergeant concentrated on his knife. He aimed at the giant wolf and swiftly threw the knife at its eye.
["Roach!"] Ghost shouted.
Roach's knife flied toward the wolf. The sergeant threw perfectly, but Unfortunately, the wind changed the knife's direction. Roach knew this and he was panic. The wolf was getting closer. Roach closed his eyes and prayed. In a second, The knife flied into the giant wolf's mouth. The wolf grabbed it throat when it felt something is stuck inside. The wolf missed Roach, but hit on a ledge under him. The giant wolf and Roach fell down. The wolf aloud collapsed at the base of the cliff and sent a cloud of dust widely covers the area. Broken branches and logs were flying in every direction.
Roach felt a cloud of dust against him. He swung his arm blindly to grab anything in the cloud of dust.
"Roach!" Ghost said through his radio. "Roach, come in!"
Ghost and the team looked down. They saw nothing but a big cloud of dust. Ghost received no replied from Roach. Scarecrow and Ozone looked at each other. They had no idea if Roach's still alive. Scarecrow and Ozone search for Roach down the cliff, but they couldn't see the sergeant anywhere below.
"Roach!!" Ghost shouted.
Nobody called back. The wind wiped out dust away. A scatter of fallen giant wolf was at the base of the cliff, but Roach wasn't there. Scarecrow and Ozone searched for the sergeant. Ghost leaned over a ledge and spotted Roach was holding a ivy. Scarecrow and Ozone cheered as they found the sergeant is safe. Roach slowly climbed up to the top. Scarecrow and Ozone helped Roach climbed over the ledge. Finally, he managed to regroup with the team. Roach nearly fainted when his feet touched on the ground. Ghost and Scarecrow helped him up to sit under a tree.
"Well done, Roach." Ghost said. "You killed it."
Thunderstorm slowly turned into drizzle. Ghost looked at Roach. He was tired and injured.
"Ozone, watch out the area. Scarecrow, check Roach."
Ghost crouched beside Roach while Scarecrow checked the sergeant.
"Roach, keep yourself together." Ghost asked.
"I try..." Roach said. "I lost my knife."
"But your life is safe." Ghost said. He clapped on Roach's shoulder. "Scarecrow, did you find any serious wound?"
"No, I didn't." Scarecrow replied. "I think he's just fine. We should let him rest."
"Good." Ghost said and nodded. "Tell me if something is happen to him."
"Roger." Scarecrow replied.
Unexpectedly, a static noise was loud up in the team's comm. Ghost touched on his headphone and carefully heard the transmission.
["(*Buzz*) -crow, come in!"]
["This is Scarecrow. I've received your call, over."] Scarecrow said. He turned his head to Ghost. "Ghost, I got contact from Archer"
["Ghost?"] Archer said.
"Archer, do you read me?" Ghost asked in his radio.
["I read you, loud and clear."] Archer said.
"Where are you now?" Ghost asked.
["Toad and I are in unknown territory somewhere. We're on and surrounded by a glassy area. I can see a city on a steep at the north-east and a village at the west from here, over."] Archer said.
Ghost looked around. He walked to the ledge and peered on the horizon. Ghost spotted something on a height. At first, he thought it is a weird rock, until he could see it is a big city on a steep mountain. Ghost was amazed and confused at the fancy architecture, that manages to set in the most impossible terrain.
"Okay, I see the city. We will move out ASAP. Rendezvous at the village." Ghost said.
["Roger that."] Archer replied.
Ghost turned back to the team. "Alright, everyone. We need to find a the way to Archer and Toad. Move out." Ghost said.
"Hooah." Scarecrow and Ozone replied.
Scarecrow helped Roach up. Ghost looked at the forest below and took a deep breathe and turned back. When the team was about to move, Ghost spotted Roach's leg pocket is wide opened. Ghost walked to check on Roach's pocket and found what slowed the sergeant down. Scarecrow and Ozone stopped and turned to face Ghost.
"Scarecrow, Ozone." Ghost said. "We need to talk to Roach when he awake."
The fight at the castle of the two sisters had come to the end. Defeated ancient spirits lay down on a damp ground. The intruders had more reinforcement. Their flying engines landed in front of defeated spirits. The intruders jumped out from flying machines and ran in the castle. A leader of the intruders commanded its guards through a speech sending device to search every secret rooms in the castle. The intruder carefully searched for secret doors in the castle. One group of intruders traveled down into underground rooms. They blew up ornate doors at the deepest of castle. The group of intruders went in and searched the cave behind the broken doors before they reported back to their leader through their speech sending device.
The spirits tried to stand up, but they soon surrounded by the intruders. They pointed their stick at the spirits' head. Their leader stepped in. Its glowing eyes stared on the male spirit.
"Where are THEY..." the leader said with its lifeless voice.
Call of Duty : Magic in Action
[(Inside a dim room, photos and the map of Equestria on a board is shone under a lamb. The board pins with several notes about crime scenes across Equestria. Photos on the board show three objects had been stolen from Manehattan, Crystal Empire and Canterlot. First is an ancient history book from the Manehattan's library. Second is the Energy Ball, a powerful magical crystal stone. The last one is Unicode Stone, a slap of stone engraved in ancient Unicorn glyphs.)]
[Blackjack : Princess Celestia has declared full-scale searching. commander Strong Swift, I need you to mobilize your specialists in this mission.]
[Swift : Understood. I will send the letters to them. Well, Gilder, anything new from the searching teams?]
[Blackjack : They got zero, Swift.]
[Swift : I see... sound like we got nothing from Manehattan.]
[(A pony guard swiftly approaches to Swift.)]
[Guard : Sir, I've got a letter to you from princess Celestia.]
[Swift : Another letter?]
[(Swift takes the letter. He and Blackjack read it and put it on the board.)]
[Blackjack : ...What's about you, commander?]
[(Blackjack and Swift looks at a guard pins more photos of crime scene on the board. The guard salutes at Blackjack and Swift and walks out.)]
[Swift : We're the selected troop of the Royal Guard. We're chosen to be the first group of guards who will lead other royal guards in the field. Whatever command from the princess now, we must obey. No matter how difficult it is, we'll comply. With the most powerful troops we have in our hoof, there is nothing impossible. With our strong heart, we will serve for Equestria.]
[(Swift points at the Castle of the Two Sister and the Ponyville on the map.)]
[Swift : This is time to prove ourselves. Let's get it done.]
[(Blackjack nods. Swift picks up and wears his helmet before he leaves the room. Outside the Canterlot, the late-night in Equestria is nicer than its midnight. The moon is in the sky with beautiful stars. In the Everfree forest, a group of strangers is making their way through the forest. One of them is injured.)]
"...What's that noise..."
Roach heard Ozone spoke out uneasily. He heard the voice like it was come out from faraway. Roach was dazed. His vision was blurred. Roach was exhausted after he had run away from the wolfs. He had few energy left in his body. Scarecrow was helping Roach up. The sergeant barely saw his teammates walking in the forest.
"...They might be helos..." Roach heard Ghost said. "...They went after us when we tried to escape the castle..."
Roach was blacked out. When he awoke, he heard Scarecrow said in the darkness. The rain had stopped.
"...Hurry up, find cover!"
The sergeant fainted again. When he could regain his consciousness he saw his teammates are in front of the cave. Scarecrow was helping him up to the cave and put him down on the ground. Roach was lain on his back and looked around. He saw Ghost and Ozone ran in the cave in slow motion. Finally, Roach's tiredness leaded him to sleep, while he saw Ghost is crouching beside him.
After the restless sleep, Roach was awoke by the sun. He opened his eyes and found himself in a bedroom. Roach looked around and checked himself. The sergeant was lying on a double bed. He dressed in a pajamas. His teammates were missing. The sergeant got up and sat on the bed. He recalled his memory. He remembered he fainted when he had managed to survive from a deadly giant wolf. Roach rubbed his eyes and looked outside the window.
*"A nightmare?" Roach thought.*
Roach stood up and walked around. He inspected the bedroom closely. He remembered it was his old bedroom. Roach noticed a photo on the desk. He walked at the photo and picked it up. Upon touching the photo, it burned and a fire burned his hand. Roach tried to put out the fire, but everything he touched with his burning hands will set on fires. Roach screamed painfully when the fire quickly overwhelmed him, until he was shook by someone.
"Roach, Roach!"
The sergeant awoke. He found himself in a dark cave. Ghost was crouching at his left. Scarecrow and Ozone sat behind a rock. Roach's and Ghost's suits had been torn as they had ran through the forest. Scarecrow seldom peeked outside the cave. Roach heard a helicopter flies past the cave. He raised up and leaned on the cave's wall. Roach looked out the cave and found it's late-night.
"You're acting weird while sleeping, Roach. What happened?" Ghost asked.
"It's nothing." Roach replied. "I just had a crazy dream."
"Keep yourself together." Ghost said. "We can't have you around if you lost your mind."
Roach nodded. He noticed the weight at his leg still weights him. He checked on his leg's porch and frowned when he found stones in the porch. He put it out and looked at a sphere stone. It was quite small and had a star mark on it. Roach put the stones out and placed it on the ground. There was six stones and they had a unique mask on them. The stones quickly rolled back to Roach's porch after a few moment. He tried to threw the stones away, but they always rolled back to him.
"Roach, how did you get those stones?" Ghost asked.
"I don't know." Roach said. "But for sure, I didn't borrow these stones and they nearly killed me."
Ghost nodded slightly. He picked the sphere stone out from Roach's pocket and inspected it. The stone had three apple mark. It rolled out from Ghost's hand and returned to Roach's porch.
Ghost nodded before he said and touched on his headphone. "Okay, Task Force, listen up. Sound like we can't do anything to stones in Roach's porch. We need to move on."
["Not gonna lie, those stones are quiet persistent...."] Scarecrow said.
"Anyway, Task Force, we don't have time all day. Roach has to move with these stones." Ghost said. "Before we go, we need to talk. First of all, Scarecrow, did you see any village on your way?"
["No."] Scarecrow replied.
"...Well then." Ghost continued. "Scarecrow, did you team get contact from Price?"
["We tried, but all we could contact are you and Archer."] Scarecrow replied. ["Another thing, Ghost, what's happen to Shepherd?"]
"He betrayed us, that's all." Ghost said. "So, Task Force, Archer said he and Toad are somewhere near a village. He also said he saw a city on a hill's slope at the north-east. I told them to rendezvous at the village, so we need to find it before we're going to find out where we are."
Roach slightly nodded. Ghost continued. "We need to head north and find the village. If we found no village in our way, we will find a civvie to seek some help since they're expert in this area. I hope we can rely on them. Rule of engagement, use your rifle in emergency only. Stealth is needed."
Ghost put his empty mag out from his gun "Otherwise, Scarecrow. Roach and I are running low of ammo. Can you guys share some mags?" Ghost asked.
["Sure."] Scarecrow said.
Scarecrow tossed a mag to Ghost while Ozone tossed one to Roach.
["That's the last one."] Ozone said.
Ghost and Roach reloaded his gun. Ghost checked his rifle and touch on his headphone. "Remember, If anyone tried to get in our way. We're going to play rough." Ghost said.
["Roger."] Scarecrow replied.
"Let's move out." Ghost said. "This place isn't safe for long. We need to find a village before sunrise. Time don't wait for us."
Scarecrow and Ozone drew out their rifles. Everyone moved out and followed Ghost who lead the way out the cave.
"Searchout"
Day 2 - (Late-night)
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
(M.I.A.)
Inside a cave somewhere in the forest.
The team moved out from the cave and walked through a dark forest. The moonlight shone through the forest and guided the team. They were walking in line. Ghost was in the lead. Scarecrow and Ozone were in the middle. Roach was in the last. The forest was dense, but it wasn't too dark enough to blind the team. Mostly plants in the forest was cartoon-like and had a weird shape. The team recognized few plants along the way they went through. Ghost used his mini-compass to guide the team to the north. When they reached a ridge, Ghost halted the team and a city on a steep appeared on their sight. Helicopters could be heard from the sky. The moon slowly descended down to the horizon. Stars glistered in the sky. The wind breezed against the team gently unlike yesterday that they had to run through the thunderstorm. Ghost looked down the ridge and searched for a hostile being.
["Clear."] Ghost said when he found nothing. ["Follow me."]
Ghost leaded the team and slid down the ridge. Their feet safely touched on the ground below. The soldiers quickly hid themselves in bushes and walked through the forest. The bushes wasn't blended in with the team's camouflage, but a shade of the forest helped them blend in with the surrounding.
Ghost touched on his headphone. ["Archer, we're on our way to you. Did you copy?"] Ghost said.
["Copies, we're waiting for you at the village inside a big dead hallow tree. The area is occupied, so be careful, over."] Archer said.
["...A dead hallow tree inside a village... interesting."] Ghost said.
The forest was echoed with helicopters from the sky. They rarely heard critter sounds like a owl or crickets. The wind breezed past their ears. Bushes' height were only about the soldiers' hip. Water dripped from leaves above upon the soldiers. Roach followed his teammates through bushes. He looked around in the woods and searched for an edge of the forest.
["Dammit! a thorn bush."] Scarecrow swore.
["Be careful, mate. Don't let your guard down."] Ghost warned.
["Everything here is too childish."] Ozone said. ["I hate this."]
In the forest, only the wind was their companion. As they progressed, the forest was become more darker as leaves slowly blocked the grim moonlight. They rarely found weird insects in the forest along the way. Some insects were scary or looked venomous. The team avoided to get near them as possible. Ghost stopped as he saw a spotlight from a helicopter shines in the forest. He crouched down and quickly touched on his headphone.
["Stay low."] Ghost warned. ["A helo is above us."]
The team hid in bushes as a helicopter above scans in their spot. The helicopter searched for a minute before it flied away. Ghost and the team moved out when it was safe to go out from bushes. The team went through the forest until they reached a wide strong current river. Ghost touched the river before he turned his head to the team.
["Watch out. A river, dead ahead."] Ghost said and pointed to the river. ["Go across. Don't rush through the water. The river is rapidly flowing."]
Under the moonlight, the river looks like a painting more than an actual river. Roach could see stars above. It's pretty lovely, if he didn't mind that he is stuck in no where. Ghost leaded the team go through the river. The water's level was about their thigh and cold. They carefully walked across the river. Roach stumbled when he was at the middle of the river, but Ozone held his hand in time. The team slowly went across the river. They felt relief after everyone reach at the other side of the river. As the time passed, the team heard helicopters flies away.
["They're gone."] Ghost said.
Ghost looked at his compass and continued to walk through the forest. After they walked for awhile, they found a wide dirt road and the team followed the road to the north. They hoped the road might lead them to a town. Roach looked at his teammates. Their held their gun with low ammo and no secondary weapon with other weapons they had are knifes and their destination was unclear. The team moved quite slow. They seldom looked around the forest and hoped they won't be ambushed by anything hostile. Finally, the teamed saw the end of the forest. Ghost leaded the team forward and stayed caution, while other soldiers were following and kept an eyes on surrounding. When the team was at an edge of the forest. They felt reward since in front of them is a village after they had wandered in the forest for long.
["Thank god..."] Scarecrow said.
The team hid in bushes and looked at the town filled with cartoon-like medieval houses before sunrise. It surrounded with a green grassland and hills. The road from the forest lay across the grassland and connected a road in the village with a bridge that lies across a river, which draw a line between the grassland and the village. At their left, there was a huge orchard surrounded by white long low fences. Behind the village, there were an unrealistic mountain range with the city on a steep, that they saw in the forest. The town, grassland and orchard were messy with broken branches and leaves, which Roach assumes the thunderstorm caused the mess.
["Archer, we're near a village somewhere. Could you describe your surrounding?"] Ghost asked.
["We're at the outskirt of village. Houses around here are ancient and timber-framed. You will notice it quickly with its thatched roofs and pale yellow walls."] Archer said in the radio.
["The description is matched. We're in luck."] Ghost said. ["Task Force, Archer and Toad are there. Scarecrow, Ozone, hold your position and report me when you saw something suspicious. Roach and I will check inside the village."]
["Roger that"] Scarecrow replied. ["Ghost, before you go, I need you to take this."]
Ghost turned his head to Scarecrow. He give a flashbang to Ghost. Ozone walked to Roach and gave a grenade to the sergeant. Roach glanced at the grenade before he kept it on his belt.
["I believe you need it more than me."] Scarecrow said.
["Thank."] Ghost said. ["Roach, follow me."]
Roach and Ghost moved out from bushes. They ran across the grassland as fast as possible to avoid to be spotted and went across the bridge. Ghost and Roach ran in the village and hid behind a house. Roach peeked around the corner to look inside the village.
["Be advice, we currently don't know who occupy this village. Watch your step while you make your way here."] Archer said in the radio.
["Roger that."] Ghost replied while he watched the road. ["Roach, did you see anyone in the village?"]
"None." Roach replied.
["Got it."] Ghost replied.
["Ghost, What's situation."] Scarecrow said in the radio.
["The outskirt of village is quiet. I saw nobody. I guess it's still early."] Ghost said.
Ghost and Roach moved out from their position and stealthy walked along the road in the village. They hid behind any cover they find for awhile to look around before they proceeded. Houses around were messed up by branches and leaves. Roach saw no movement in the village. Everything in the village was silence and peaceful. Ghost and Roach slowly saw everything more clearly as the sun ascended from the horizon. Ghost and Roach stopped walking when they heard hooves stepping ahead.
["Find cover, somebody is approaching."] Ghost said in his radio. ["Roach, look out and see who's coming."]
Ghost and Roach quickly hid behind crates in an alley and crouched down. Roach leaned out and looked at the road. He frowned as he saw two quadrupeds approaching. One have light yellow fur and blue mane and tail with pink streak. Another one have mint fur and cyan mane and tail with white streak. The mint quadruped have a horn on its forehead and was sleepy while the light yellow quadruped was upset and complained something. A rake was covered in orange aura beside the mint quadruped with its glowing horn in orange aura while the light yellow quadruped had a rake on its back. Roach noticed that the aura is resembled with the equine's aura that he met at the ruin. Roach tried to connect between the quadruped and the equine and made a mental note.
"Maybe those equines may have some connection with these quadrupeds..." Roach thought.
The sergeant further noticed the quadrupeds have a tattoo on their hind legs before he turned his head to Ghost.
"Ghost, I saw big eyes quadrupeds on the road." Roach said.
["What?"] Ghost said.
Ghost switched place with Roach and looked out. He saw the two quadrupeds are arguing at each other while cleaning the road. The quadrupeds didn't notice that Ghost is stealthy watching them in the alley.
["Ghost, what's happen?"] Scarecrow asked.
["Scarecrow,"] Ghost said. ["There is something wrong about this village..."]
The Canterlot's castle was quite lousy with elite royal guards at dawn. Strong Swift quietly watched his guards on the castle's yard through a window in the hallway. There were three hundred elite guards in his hoof. His guards worn ornate golden armors and armed with swords or spears. Unicorn and pegasi guards formed in line formation. Earth pony guards formed in column formations and covered unicorn and pegasi guard flanks. Swift's guards was ready, but his heart wasn't.
Swift was nervous about the safety of Canterlot after his guard was gone. he knew clearly why the princess decided to appoint E.U.P. guards and his specialists to find the missing artifacts. It was the most serious searching in the history under Celestia and Luna realm, but it couldn't compare to the task that princess Celestia appoints him to do. Swift adjusted his helmet. His red eyes glued on the guards below.
"Worry about the mission, commander?"
Swift flinched and turned to face the voice. Princess Celestia walked toward him. The commander bowed to the princess who slightly nods to Swift. She briefly looked at the guards below before look at Swift. He avoided to make eye contact with the princess.
"Pa- Pardon me, my princess, I should not stall here when my guards almost mobilize." Swift said quickly.
"It's nothing, Swift." Celestia said. "You worked pretty hard last night. You may take a short break here."
"Well- em... Thank you, your majesty." Swift said.
Princess Celestia gently smiled. She turned her head to the window. The sun princess looked at the guards in the yard. She quite satisfied on her hoofpicks day guards which select to do the task. Swift looked on his guard. He could feel his burden on his back as he was a commander of them all.
"You look ill today, commander. Are you alright?" Celestia asked.
"I'm okay, my princess." Swift said. "I just thought about the mission."
"Don't force yourself too much in this task, commander." Celestia said. "Everything is going to be alright."
"I hope so." Swift said.
Princess Celestia left from the window. She walked away and stopped when she walked not too far from Swift. She turned to face Swift, who also looks back at the princess.
"Please look after the bearers of the Element of Harmony." Celestia said before she turned her head back and walked away. "I'm count on you, commander. Don't let anything unwelcome happen to them."
"...Your wish is my command." Swift said, before he left the window.
Ghost and Roach had hid behind crates in the alley and stealthy watched quadrupeds on the road. They saw quadrupeds in various colors cleaning the road and houses. The elite soldiers heard hoof stepping around, but no footstep could be heard. Sometime, they saw quadrupeds talk to each other. Ghost and Roach tried to eavesdrop their conversations, but they're too far away.
["I saw only quadrupeds, but no man in sight."] Ghost said in his radio. ["Scarecrow, Archer, do you have a visual on 'em."]
["Clearly from here."] Archer said, ["They look like something that come out from a child's fantasy."]
["I see 'em."] Scarecrow said. ["Their body look alike like a sheep, kinda funny."]
["Task Force, listen up."] Ghost said. ["Do not engage those quadrupeds. We only need to find and extract Archer and Toad. Scarecrow, Ozone, keep watching on your sector. Archer, Toad, wait for us at your position. We all will regroup after we found our sniper team."]
["Copy that."] Scarecrow replied.
["Roger that."] Archer replied.
["Roach, move out."] Ghost said.
Ghost and Roach got out from their cover and stealthy went through the alley. Ghost and Roach headed deeper in the village. They carefully avoided to make an unnecessary noise while they were moving and ducked down when go pass a window. Ghost rarely looked back to make sure they aren't tracked down. During the elite soldier were stealthy walking, Roach smelled pies from a house from a window. The smell was so sweet and almost made Roach off from his guard. He was hungry and exhausted as well as the rest of the team since they didn't eat anything yesterday. Roach endured his need and focused himself on the task. After went along the alley, they hid behind haystacks when they found a road ahead.
["Roach, check the road."] Ghost commanded.
Roach got out from behind haystack and hid behind a corner. He leaned out and scanned the road, which have a few quadrupeds cleaning a narrow road. Roach quickly got back to hid behind haystacks when he had done scanning the road.
"There are four quadrupeds at the right and two at the left." Roach reported. "No tango spotted. Beside, another alley is at at the right side, not too faraway. We can go across the road or try another way."
"Got it." Ghost said. "Roach, we will go across the road. Don't let 'em see us."
Roach nodded. The two soldiers ran out from haystacks. Ghost hid behind a corner and leaned out. Roach was beside Ghost and waited for the lieutenant. When the quadrupeds looked away from their cover, Ghost and Roach ran out form the corner and ran across the road with impressive speed. They manage to got in another alley without notice. Ghost hid in the alley and looked out. After he saw no quadrupeds know their presence, he motioned his hand to tell Roach to move in the alley.
["Nothing see us, let's move out."] Ghost said.
Ghost and Roach stealthy walked through the alley. They spotted no quadruped in sight and the alley was quite clean. Ghost stopped when he found a posters on the wall. He briefly looked and walked past the poster. Roach, who following Ghost, glanced at the poster, that is a picture of fancy castle with several rays of rainbow in its background. The sergeant left the poster and continued to followed Ghost through the alley. Unexpectedly, Ghost and Roach crouched down when they heard a winged quadruped flying over houses.
["Roach, watch out the sky. Winged quadrupeds might spot us from the rooftops."] Ghost said in his radio.
"Roger that." Roach replied.
The elite soldiers continued to stealthy walk. They seldom looked up to make sure there is nothing see them from above. During following Ghost through the alley, Roach looked around and remembered the surrounding for a return route. Houses in the village were colorful enough to made Roach feel like he is literally walking in a children's book. Roach looked on his hand, which like a painting as surrounding but less colorful. The sergeant sighed. He was still confused what is happen to him. Unexpectedly, Ghost and Roach were interrupted by a shout in the sky. They quickly looked up and saw a winged quadruped flies over and scattered posters along the way it went. One posters dropped down into the alley. Ghost grabbed it in the mid air. He quickly looked the posters and tossed it away.
["Nothing special, keep moving."] Ghost said.
The elite soldiers left the poster and continued to proceed through the alley. They spotted no quadruped in the alley. Only few winged quadrupeds were seen flying across houses and busily carrying branches and leaves away, but they didn't notice Ghost and Roach below. After they walked for awhile, Ghost and Roach reached a cross-ways in the alley. Ghost hid behind a corner and looked out at the left and right alley. When he found no quadruped in the area, Ghost and Roach rushed across the cross-ways and continued to go through the alley. They proceed through the alley until they reached another road, but this time, there were many quadrupeds cleaning the road. Ghost and Roach hid behind crates and stealthy watched quadrupeds outside the alley.
["The road have too many quadrupeds."] Ghost said. ["Change route, we won't take a risk for this road."]
Ghost gave a hand signal to move. The elite soldiers changed their position and went back in the alley. It took them a few second to return to the cross-ways. Ghost leaded Roach to the left alley, which is quite narrow and have few crates and carts in the way. During walking, Ghost and Roach saw a small group of winged quadrupeds in golden armor quickly flying past overhead.
["Ghost, a big group of winged quadrupeds has arrived at the village. They equipped with ancient weapons and appeared to be hostile, so watch out."] Scarecrow said in the radio.
["Roger that."] Ghost replied.
Ghost and Roach continued to proceed. The elite soldiers stopped when they heard a window at the second floor of a house is opening. They quickly got closer to a wall under the window and slowly went past. After walked past the window, Roach looked back. He felt relieved as he saw nothing looks out from the window. They walked through the alley until they could see a road ahead.
["Another road, dead ahead."] Ghost said. ["Roach, check outside the alley."]
"Roger." Roach replied.
Ghost hid behind a cart, while Roach hid behind a corner. He peaked out and saw a few quadrupeds cleaning the road and houses. They had almost done the cleaning and some quadrupeds started to set their stall or go on their daily life. A group of young quadrupeds was playing with a yellow ball on the road. Roach heard metals are clanging before he saw a small group of winged quadrupeds, that appear to be guards, flies and descends down to the road. The quadruped guards worn an armors and helmets like an ancient Greek warrior and equipped with earpieces alike. Their armor were golden. Their weapon were a short sword, which keeps at their side. Roach slowly return to Ghost and hid behind the cart.
"Ghost, the road is clear, but have quadruped guards." Roach said. "And I found no alley across this road."
"Roger." Ghost replied. "Let's go back. There is nothing we can do here."
"Understood." Roach replied.
Unexpectedly, a yellow ball fell into the elite soldier's hiding spot. Before Ghost and Roach could react, a young quadruped was running to their spot and holding the ball. The young quadruped smiled when it touched on the ball, but its smile quickly vanished when it found Ghost and Roach. The young quadruped stared at the soldiers in horror. Ghost and Roach quickly responded by running away from the young quadruped as fast as they can, before it was screaming out loud.
["Shite! Run!"] Ghost sworn.
Roach looked back to the road. As he expected, the guards heard the scream and rushed in the alley. They spotted the elite soldiers and ran after them. The alley was quite narrow and messy with crates, carts and haystacks which the quadruped guards faces a hard time to chase the elite soldiers. The guards shouted at Roach and Ghost in unknown words. Roach looked back and saw the guards in his perimeter. He grabbed his gun, but Ghost warned the sergeant immediately.
["Roach, we can lose those patrol. Don't waste your ammo!"]
["Ghost, what's happen!?"] Scarecrow asked in the radio.
["We've been compromised! A group of quadruped guards is on our six!"] Ghost said. ["I will contact you later when we lost those guard and find Archer and Toad, over!"]
["Roger, out."] Scarecrow replied.
Roach had released from his gun. He hoped they won't find a dead end or surrounded by another quadruped guards. They went straight at the cross-ways. Ghost and Roach ran through and managed to get out the alley. The two soldiers continued to flee through the road, that has many quadrupeds. When the quadrupeds on the road saw the soldiers, they're running away or screaming in fear. The peaceful road quickly overwhelmed with clouds of dust when quadrupeds accidentally ran on piles of dust that they gathered from cleaning. Quadrupeds confusedly ran into each other or hurt themselves in chaos. Under the circumstance, the soldiers managed to lose the guards and got in a narrow alley. Ghost and Roach ran through until they heard no hoof is after them. The soldiers sat and hid behind crated. Ghost looked out and felt relief as he saw no quadruped guard after them.
"Phew, that was close." Ghost said. "Come on, Roach. We still need to find Archer and Toad."
Ghost and Roach moved out from their cover and went through the alley. They continued to walked to the east until they nearly reached a outskirt and found quadruped guards have blocked the main road and patrolled outside the village. Ghost looked at the compass before leaded Roach back to the alley. Ghost and Roach occasionally heard a group of quadruped guards running outside. They kept themselves in shade and watched out the sky for winged quadruped guards.
In the village, they didn't see any man or woman. Roach noticed some quadrupeds have a horn on their forehead or a pair of wing at their side. The soldiers stealthy proceeded through the village. Ghost and Roach briefly looked outside the alley when they could look out. They mainly saw quadrupeds on their daily life and rarely saw quadruped guards or horned quadrupeds on the road or winged quadrupeds in the sky. Sometime, they saw quadruped set up their stalls and sell their goods. Wingless and hornless quadrupeds on the road are common sight for the soldiers in the alley. Rarely, Roach could see a horn of horned quadrupeds glowing with a levitated object in an aura. While following Ghost, Roach glanced at a quadruped family, with three members, carries picnic baskets on their back and heads to somewhere. The sergeant slightly smiled at the family, that is very happy to be together, before he continued to follow Ghost. The soldier stopped and hid behind a cart when they heard a quadruped walking in the alley. When the quadruped was out of sight, they got out from cover and continued to proceed.
After they had walked for awhile, they reached a open area with a big hallow dead tree at the center. Roach felt strange as the tree looked familiar.
"That must be it." Ghost said. "Roach, follow me."
The soldiers went out from the cover. They rushed across the area and got in the dead tree through a hole. Ghost and Roach looked around. The dead tree appeared to be used as a house before it was destroyed by an explosion. Roach sat on the floor and leaned on a wooden wall. Ghost stood in the middle of the hallow dead tree and touched on his headphone.
"Archer, we're in the tree." Ghost said in his radio.
Roach stood up. Ghost and Roach didn't wait for too long before two snipers came out from their cover and approached to Ghost and Roach. They had their M14 EBRs on their back. Archer had a bloodstain on his head and Toad had one on his chest. The snipers looked very fatigued even they hid themselves in balaclava masks and ghillie suits.
"Good to see you here, Ghost." Archer said.
"Well. me, too." Ghost said. "We should talk later. Scarecrow and Ozone are waiting for us at the forest. We must get outta here, now."
"Roger." Archer replied.
Ghost touched on his headphone. "Scarecrow, we found Archer and Toad. We will escort them back to the forest and going back to you right now." Ghost said in his radio.
["Copy that. Be advised, outskirt of the village has been blocked by quadruped guards. You must find another way out there or push them through, over."] Scarecrow said.
"Roger, out." Ghost replied.
Ghost, Roach, Archer and Toad walked to the hole. Before they went out, Ghost saw three winged quadrupeds flying in the sky above and heading over their area. He noticed two of them are quadruped guard and one of them has cyan coat.
"Halt." Ghost whispered. "Hide and let them pass."
The elite soldiers and the snipers quickly hid in the dead tree. Ghost looked up. He noticed that one of the winged quadrupeds saw them. Before Ghost commanded the team to move out, a group of quadruped guards appeared out of thin air in a flash of violet light and the guards quickly surrounding the dead tree. The soldiers and snipers drew out their guns. They heard a quadruped guard shouting, but the soldiers and snipers couldn't understand its words.
"Damn! Sound like they're found us." Ghost said.
"Ghost, what are they?" Archer asked.
"They're quadruped guards that was chasing after us while we're on our way to you." Ghost said. "But I honesty didn't know how they could do that."
"They don't look friendly. Ghost, what's your plan?" Archer asked.
Ghost was thinking hard. He leaned out and saw a lavender quadruped with wings and a horn in the guards. He further noticed there were three quadrupeds with the lavender quadruped before a cyan quadruped and two quadruped guards descended from the sky and joined the group. Ghost looked preciously and saw a yellow quadruped, that dress like a witch doctor, is hiding behind a quadruped in yellow hazmat suit. Ghost spotted a orange quadruped have a rope on its belt. He noticed that the orange quadruped's tattoo on its hind legs is matched a mark on a round stone which hinders Roach in his pocket with other round stones. The lieutenant saw the lavender quadruped is talking to a cyan quadruped, before the cyan quadruped spoke something to the lavender quadruped and flied up in the sky. The cyan quadruped looked in the dead tree from the sky and returned to talk to the lavender quadruped. After observed the quadrupeds, Ghost figured out the way that will help his teammate.
"I have an idea." Ghost said.
[Previously, an hour ago]
Twilight woke up late. She raised up and put a blanket away before she quickly went out to the balcony and found ponies nearly finished cleaning the village. After she found Ponyville didn't need her help in the cleaning task, she walked in her bedroom and found a letter beside her bed. Twilight used her magic to untie and read the letter.
My dearest Twilight,
I understand It was a emergency report. I won't mind if you send the letter at midnight.
I had read your letter. I'm glad that meteor didn't destroy anything. I also already asked Princess Luna and she confirmed she saw the meteor. In other hoof, I must be honest that I couldn't explain this astronomical event last night, but I agree on your plan and have sent expert teams to Ponyville. After you find the expert teams, you have to guide them to the spot where meteor had landed and bring meteors back to Canterlot if they're safe enough to study.
I wish I could go with you, but I have my duty in Canterlot that I must finish. It is up to you, princess Twilight. You have to lead the expert team in this task. Remember, you must be safe.
Your princess,
Celestia
Twilight nodded after she read the letter. She put the letter down beside her bed when she heard somepony opened a door. Twilight turned and found Spike run toward her. Spike couldn't hide his excitement that showing on his face.
"Princess Twilight, a commander and guards at the throne room requests to have an audience with you." Spike said in a formal voice. "He said he's sent by princess Celestia."
"Spike, you don't have to be fancy when someone just want to meet me." Twilight said and chuckled.
"Come on, Twilight. I just want to be formal sometime." Spike said. "Beside, the commander is so cool!"
"Alright, I got it, Spike. Let's go to meet them." Twilight said.
Twilight and Spike walked out of a bedroom and headed to a throne room through a hallway. It took a minute before Twilight and Spike reached and walked in the throne room. Twilight found a commander and two Pegasi guard waiting for her. The commander and guards saluted Twilight, who slightly nods in return. Twilight glanced on the commander and the guards. They worn armors different from other royal guards. Their armors almost covered their bodies and had swords at their side. The commander and guards equipped with short range speech sending devices and ear microphone, which widely use by top securities.
"Good morning, commander. Welcome to my castle." Twilight greeted "Can I know your name?"
"I'm Strong Swift, a commander of elite day guard. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Twilight Sparkle." Swift said. "I'm here in a command of princess Celestia to find the meteors and ensure the security of Ponyville."
"Ensure the security of Ponyville? Why?" Twilight asked and tilted her head.
"...I don't know, ma'am. The princess just asked me to do so." Swift said.
Twilight frowned. "...Okay, I understand." Twilight said. "Alright, when the expert team arrives?"
"They will be arriving here around this noon by train, your highness." Swift replied.
"Good, we need to pick up them at the train station." Twilight said. "Should we go now?"
Swift nodded. Twilight and Swift along with the guards and Spike walked out of the throne room, but Swift and guards were interrupted by the device. Swift put out a handheld microphone. He carefully listened a message from the device and frowned.
"What! Where are they now?" Swift asked to the device.
Twilight and Spike stopped and turned their head to the commander, who listening to the device.
"Don't let them get away. You must capture them with everything you have. Report back to me if anything happen." Swift commanded.
Swift put the mic back and turned his head to Twilight.
"Sorry, ma'am. I have a report from my guard." Swift said.
"What's happen?" Twilight asked.
"My guards spotted suspicious bipeds in Ponyville. They're on the loose." Swift said.
"Monsters!?" Spike said. He was shivering in fear.
"Is everypony alright?" Twilight asked and held the baby dragon.
"Don't worry, your highness. Nopony was harmed. Beside, my guards will contain the bipeds as soon as possible." Swift said.
"I'm glad to hear that..." Twilight said and released the baby dragon. "So, should we go to the train station now?"
"Yes, ma'am." Swift replied.
Twilight gently smiled. The forth princess, Swift, Spike and guards walked out of the castle. When they went pass the front door, two guards, that are flanking the door, followed them and they all headed toward the train station. On the road, it was a lovely day in Ponyville. The sun shone in the sky. A few clouds were floating above. Most ponies started to go on their daily life after they finished their chore. Some ponies on the road greeted Twilight when they saw her and Twilight waved her front hoof and greeted back. Spike looked around and feared that monsters will appear from nowhere. After walked from the castle for awhile, the group stopped again when they heard screams and tumult inside the village from far away. Twilight could see a cloud of dust floating inside Ponyville. A few moment later, Swift and guards received a message from devices. This time, Swift was very frustration.
Swift put out the mic and shouted. "You lost them? How?!"
The shout scared other ponies nearby and the baby dragon. One pony near a house jumped up in fright. Every ponies on the road looked at Swift, but he didn't mind staring from other ponies.
"Search them every corners of the village. They might not get away so faraway." Swift said in his mic. "Don't lose them this time."
Swift put his mic back and turned his head to Twilight. "My guards failed me. They let the bipeds run away."
The day commander shook his head. Ponies around went back to go on their daily life. Twilight looked at the commander. He was clearly upset due to his guards. Twilight stepped to stand in front of Swift and faced him.
"What's happen, commander? Can you tell me clearly?" Twilight asked. "You said princess Celestia sent you to secure Ponyville, but she didn't explain the reason. The princess would never send someone to do a task with no explanation. She should tell you why she sent you here."
"Yeah, she should tell you something." Spike added.
Swift was silent. He turned his head to guards behind him. The guards slightly nodded. Swift sighed. The commander cleared his throat and looked at the forth princess.
"It's true. I lied you, your highness. The princess told me why she sent me here." Swift said. "I will tell you everything while we're heading to the train station."
Twilight ans Spike nodded. The forth princess, the baby dragon, the commander and the guards started to walk along the road.
"Princess Celestia want my guards to protect the bearers of Element of Harmony from Shade Thieves." Swift said.
Spike gasped. "Shade Thieves!?" Spike said.
Twilight nodded. "Shade Thieves? I think I heard a rumor about them." Twilight said.
"Yes, ma'am. Most ponies know them for their crime for stolen valuables around Equestria since a week ago. The E.U.P. Guard tried everything to capture them, but not even single Shade Thief have been caught nowadays." Swift said. "Princess Celestia assume that the thieves might eye on the Tree of Harmony, so she command me to send my guards to the Castle of the Two Sister to secure the castle and protect you and your friend from them."
"Why the thieves would try to kidnap me and my friend?" Twilight said.
"Because the bearers of the Element of Harmony are ponies beside princess Celestia and princess Luna who can extract the Element of Harmony from the Tree of Harmony." Swift explained. "The thieves might force you and your friends to work for them, so we're here to make sure it won't happen."
"We can extract the Element of Harmony...?" Twilight mumbled. She was thinking. Twilight touched her chin and analyzed the information she had gotten.
"You come here to protect Twilight and her friends?" Spike said.
"Yes, we're." Swift said.
"What do Shadow Thieves look like?" Twilight asked.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. but nopony described them clearly." Swift said. "Many witnesses and E.U.P. guards said the Shade Thieves have glowing eyes. Analyzed from their hoofprints, they're bipedal creatures, but the hoofprints didn't match any monsters or any living things in Equestria, so we assume they come from another continent, or possibly, another world."
"Bipedal creatures...?" Twilight mumbled. "But that's impossible..."
"Did you say something, princess?" Swift asked.
"Oh, no no. I was just thinking out loud." Twilight said. "So, when your guard reported in your device that they found suspicious bipeds, you thought they might be Shade Thieves and command your guards to capture them."
Swift nodded. The group walked past a fruit stall. A vendor greeted at the princess and the commander. Twilight waved back, but the commander didn't greeted back at the vendor.
"Okay, I will go after the bipeds." Twilight said.
"What?" Spike exclaimed.
Swift tuned to Twilight and frowned. "It's too dangerous, your highness. I can't let you in this task." Swift said.
"Don't worry, I can take care myself." Twilight said.
"But, what about the meteor searching team?" Swift asked.
"I recommend to send your guards to pick them up. Tell them to meet me at my castle" Twilight said. "I will gather my friends to join in this searching. If the thieves actually go after us, they should show up when we're together."
"But, princess-"
"No need to worry about them, Swift." Twilight said. "My friends joined in many tough tasks since they have become the bearers of Element of Harmony. Beside, the meteors can wait, but the Shade Thieves don't. If I knew about this early, I would request princess Celestia to go after the thieves, too."
Twilight gently smiled. Swift raised his front hoof to protest the princess, but he later put his front hoof down and knew it would be useless as it actually was a good plan. He nodded and turned to face two guards behind him.
"Iron Shield, Titanium Lance, you two must go ahead to the train station and waited for the searching team. After they arrived, escort them to princess Twilight's castle." Swift commanded. "Other guard must follow the princess. Don't let anything bad happen to her."
"Yes, sir!" the guards replied.
Two guards went to the train station. Swift and Twilight looked at them until they were out of their sight.
"Could you ask your guards where did they see the bipeds lately?" Twilight asked.
"Give me a sec." Swift said. and pick out his mic. "Guards, tell me a position where the bipeds disappeared."
Swift listened to the device. He nodded after he knew the location and turned to face Twilight.
"Princess, the bipeds was at the main road of the east side of Ponyville." Swift said. "My guards blocked all escape routes nearby and tried to corral them. Now, they should be somewhere in the north-east or south-east of Ponyville."
"Well, you should start at the north-east." Twilight said. "I need to go to see my friend now. Good luck, commander."
"Thank, your highness."
"Spike, let's go to the Sugarcube Corner."
"Yeah!" Spike replied.
Twilight levitated Spike to sit on her back and ran off with two guards to find Pinkie Pie. Swift slightly nodded before he ran off to find the bipeds. Twilight knew Ponyville well. She remembered all roads in the village clearly. Twilight turned around a corner and took a shortcut. She run through an alley and arrived at the Sugarcube Corner in a minute. Twilight saw two elite pegasi day guards flanking a front door. She walked to the door. The guards saluted the princess and let her and guards in the bakery.
The Sugarcube Corner had no pony inside, but Twilight, Spike, other two elite guards, the guards that following Twilight and Pinkie Pie. The forth princess could see Pinkie Pie jumps up from her chair and looks at the lavender Alicorn. The pink pony smiled widely and bounced to the princess.
"Hello, Twilight. Are those weird guards following you, too!?" Pinkie Pie said.
"Hello, Pinkie." Twilight greeted. "Yes, they're. So, what's about you? I guess they won't let other ponies in the Sugarcube Corner?"
"Oh on, Twilight. They're only scare most ponies to buy some sweets in the shop." Pinkie Pie said. "Otherwise, they follow me everywhere I went. It's kinda funny you know? Like I'm playing "Watch the Pony". Only if they talk to me, it would be more fun! Weee!"
Pinkie Pie jumped up in the air and blew confetti out from her back. Twilight smiled gently at Pinkie Pie. Her cheerful personality always cheers up other ponies. Spike got down from twilight's back and looked at sweets in the shop.
"Well, Twilight, did you need some sweets today?" Pinkie Pie said.
"I think I'll pass." Twilight said. "Anyway, I come here because I need you and your guys help."
"What's the matter?" Pinkie Pie said.
"Did you hear about Shade Thieves, Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie Pie gasped. She looked around before she warped her front leg around Twilight's neck and put a side of her face against Twilight's side face, but the guards inside and Spike didn't mind a suspicious behavior of Pinkie Pie.
"You mean a group of meanie pants, who like to steal, right?" Pinkie Pie whispered. "I heard it a lot from other ponies, too. Well, don't tell me that they're in Ponyville now? Twilight."
"...Yeah, Possibly." Twilight said and smiled awkwardly.
Pinkie Pie released from Twilight and was about to scream, but Twilight put her front hoof on Pinkie's mouth in time.
"Nopony confirms yet that they're Shade Thieves, Pinkie." Twilight said and put her front hoof away from Pinkie Pie. "The guards are looking for suspects now. I heard from the commander that the suspects are somewhere around north-east or south-east of Ponyville. Pinkie, if they're actually Shade Thieves and princess Celestia's presumption was right, they probably go after the Element of Harmony and us, so we must gather the bearers of Element of Harmony and help the guards to capture them."
Pinkie was thinking before she smiled and nodded. "Okay, I got it now." Pinkie said. "So, how can I help?"
"I need you to call our friends to meet us here as soon as possible." Twilight said. "You can do it right?"
"Easy peasy, Twilight." Pinkie Pie said. She turned to face the guards and smiled to them. "Sorry, guys. I need to go to see my friends now."
Before the guard could respond, Pinkie Pie rushed out from the bakery at unbelievable speed and left only a pink cloud of herself behind. The guards was about to look for Pinkie Pie, but Twilight raised her front hoof in protest.
"Don't worry, she will be back." Twilight said.
The guards looked at each other before a guard reported in his device and they went back to stand on their spot. Guard, that following Twilight, went outside the bakery and guarded a back door. Twilight sat on a chair and waited. She looked around the bakery and realized she didn't eat anything since she got up from her bed. Twilight stood up and looked for sweets to eat in bakery showcases, but the princess found out she can't buy any sweets since she she didn't bring any bit with her. Twilight was downcast. Her stomach was growling and calling for food. Spike turned his head to Twilight after he heard the growling. He ran to the princess and asked her quietly.
"Twilight, are you hungry?" Spike asked.
"Yes, Spike." Twilight said sadly.
Spike was thinking before he realized what is wrong with Twilight. "Oh my gosh, I forgot that you didn't eat breakfast yet!" Spike said. "Hold on, Twilight, I will go back to the castle and bring some bits."
Spike ran out and headed back to the castle. Twilight looked at sweets in showcase before she look up when she heard a door behind a counter is opened. She saw Mrs. Cake walks out the door with boxes of muffins on her head.
"Good morning, Twilight." Mrs. Cake greeted.
"Hello, Mrs. Cake..." Twilight greeted.
"What's happen to you, my princess? Where did Pinkie go?" Mrs, Cake asked.
"Pinkie goes out to assemble our friends." Twilight said. "But for me, I just realize I didn't have any bit to buy some food."
"Oh, you can pay it later. We won't mind that." Mrs. Cake said.
"I... ah..."
Twilight's stomach requested for some food by growling louder. She blushed and avoided to make an eye contact with Mrs. Cake. She chuckled and put boxes of muffins down on a counter behind her and walked to pick out a cupcake from a bakery showcase.
"Here, please take this." Mrs. Cake said and hoofed over the cupcake. "Don't worry. I have an extra for them."
"...Thank." Twilight said.
Twilight levitated the cupcake from Mrs. Cake and nibbled it. The sweet slightly helped the princess from her hunger. Mrs. Cake gave Twilight another cupcake when she finished eating the first cupcake, but Twilight shook her head and waved her front hoof to refuse another cupcake from Mrs. Cake.
"One is enough for me. Thank you." Twilight said and smiled.
Mrs, Cake smiled and put the cupcake back to the showcase. Twilight looked back to the front door. Pinkie Pie still didn't return form outside. Twilight briefly looked at guards before she turned her head to Mrs. Cake.
"Is everything alright?" Twilight asked.
"Well, sure." Mrs. Cake replied. "It maybe quiet today because of the circumstance, but we're doing just fine. We can ask Pinkie Pie to deliver orders to our customers or deliver them ourselves if they can't come here. Well, Pinkie surely help us a lot, you know?"
Twilight nodded. Beside working as baker in the Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie helps Mr. and Mrs. Cake babysitting their babies. Twilight gently smiled when she recalled her memory when she tried to help Pinkie Pie babysit the newborns.
"I'm glad to hear that." Twilight said.
"So, princess." Mrs. Cake said. "I know I might be prying, but why did you ask Pinkie to call your friends here? Are you going to throw a party?"
"Oh, no, I'm not." Twilight said. "I need to meet my friends because I need to go after Shade Thieves."
"Shade Thieves?" Mrs. Cake said. "They're infamous criminal ponies, right? I heard many rumors about them from other ponies. They said that the thieves are ruthless ghosts who will harm anypony if they tried to stop them... They're very scary..."
Twilight shook her head. "Ghost don't steal from ponies, Mrs. Cake. The thieves might spread the rumor to scare other ponies. It's just a regular psychological tactic to cover them from investigation."
"Well, If you say so." Mrs. Cake said. "Anyway, princess. Where are Shade Thieves now?"
"They're possibly here in Ponyville, so I must gather my friends to go after them" Twilight said.
Mrs. Cake froze. Twilight knew she had done a mistake. Mrs. Cake's pupils widened and looked around the room. Before Twilight could calm Mrs. Cake down, she turned away and ran in the kitchen. Twilight heard Mrs. Cake talking to Mr. Cake frantically before they ran out from the kitchen and went upstairs.
"You should tell us early, princess!" Mr. Cake shouted from upstairs.
"I'm sorry." Twilight said.
Twilight sighed. She walked to sit on a chair and thought a plan that will help her capture Shade Thieves. Twilight was interrupted when she heard the front door is opened. She looked back and saw Rainbow Dash flies in the bakery. The tomboy pony smiled mischievously at Twilight and took a seat next to her.
"Hey, Twilight. I heard you call me and our friends to hunt down Shade Thieves!" Rainbow said. "It's gonna be awesome!"
"It's not a show, Rainbow Dash. You should take it serious." Twilight said.
"Of course, I will take this serious." Rainbow Dash said and put her front hooves on her hips. "Shade Thieves will know how mighty I am. I will strike and knock them with one hit. Ha!"
Rainbow Dash stood up and struck continually with her front hooves in the air. Twilight briefly looked Rainbow Dash showing off her fighting skill before she turned back and continued to plan the way to capture Shade Thieves in her mind. Seconds passed, Twilight heard somepony opens the front door. She turned her head to the door and saw Applejack walking at her. The farm mare had a coil of rope on her belt and two guards following behind her back.
"Howdy, Twilight." Applejack greeted.
"Hi, Applejack." Twilight greeted.
"Pinkie told me everythin'. Ah bought the strongest rope ah could find to catch those outlaws." Applejack said and pointed at the rope around her back. "With this rope, they won't get away from Ponyville." Applejack turned her head to guards behind. "Seriously, y'all have no need to follow me everywhere I go."
Twilight chuckled. Applejack took a seat at the same table with Twilight. The guards left Applejack and walked to another side of the room and watched over the mares. Rainbow Dash stopped showing off and sat beside Twilight when she saw Applejack sits on a chair.
"Hi, cowgirl. Ready to buck some bad guys?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Rainbow Dash, you said like it's fun" Applejack said "We're goin' to catch Shade Thieves. They're very dangerous and merciless outlaws who will do everythin' for stealin'. If you would like to take mah advice, Rainbow Dash, you should be more careful about 'em."
"No, Applejack. those so-called "Shade Thieves" just never face their worth opponent yet." Rainbow Dash said. "I will show you who is the boss when we find them."
"Oh yeah, just don't cause any trouble when we found 'em." Applejack said and narrowed her eyes.
"Never!" Rainbow Dash said and frowned.
Rainbow Dash cross her front legs and meanly looked at Applejack, who looked slightly angrily back at Rainbow Dash. Twilight heard a group of ponies walking to the Sugarcube Corner. She turned her head to the front door and saw Pinkie Pie and Rarity walks in the bakery with Fluttershy, who dress like a witch doctor, following and hiding behind Rarity, who dress in a hazmat suit. After the three mare got in the Sugarcube Corner, four guards followed them in the bakery and flanked the front door. The guards in the room standing like statues looking forward. They didn't talk to each other or even moved their eyes around. After Twilight met every bearers of the Element of Harmony. She stood up and motioned her front hoof to call her friends to sit on chairs at the same table with her. She waited Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy sit down before she talked to them.
"Alright everypony, I guess you already heard about Shade Thieves" Twilight said. "Here is my plan."
"Come on, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said. "We should go out and finish them off now!"
Rainbow Dash flied up and was about to fly out the bakery, but Applejack held Rainbow Dash's tail with her mouth and brought her down to sit on a chair.
"Don't be reckless, Rainbow Dash." Applejack said. "We need a plan before we go after a group of outlaws."
"I'm sorry, daring, but I agree on Applejack." Rarity said. Her voice was echoing in her suit. "Those ruffians aren't going to take us easy. It's not a big deal if we have a plan to coordinate our attack."
Rainbow Dash was annoyed. She sat on the chair and clearly showed her bad mood on her face.
"Just make it fast..." Rainbow Dash said.
"It's alright, Rainbow Dash. I won't take much time." Twilight said. "Rarity, Fluttershy, you two watch out our back. Make sure Shade Thieves can't attack from behind."
"I can do that." Rarity said and put her front hoof on Fluttershy's chest. "You can do it right, Fluttershy?"
"Em... maybe I could..." Fluttershy said quietly.
"Applejack, Pinkie Pie." Twilight continued. "You two stay on the front with me. Applejack, you have to capture any suspicious biped with your rope. Pinkie Pie, you have to watch out for bipeds and tell us if you saw them"
"Ah got it!" Applejack said.
"Okie dokie!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "You look out for bipeds from above and tell us when you saw them."
"Boring." Rainbow Dash said.
"What's about these guards? They will join us?" Applejack asked.
"They will." Twilight said. "Okay, let's move out, girls."
Twilight leaded her friends out of the Sugarcube Corner, follow by the elite guards. The group rushed at the south-east part of Ponyville. Ponies on the road looked curiously at the group when they ran past. Rainbow Dash and two guards flied up high in the sky and looked around the village. The cyan pony preciously scanned the area below at above the group and used a cloud as her cover. Rainbow Dash didn't take much time to find her target. She saw two biped running out from the alley and went in the destroyed Golden Oak Library. Rainbow Dash quickly got out from her cover and flied down to Twilight.
"Twilight, I saw two bipeds at the ruin of Golden Oak Library!" Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight was silent for a second before she said. "Okay, I will teleport us to there."
"Not me~" Rainbow Dash said and flied to the destroyed Golden Oak Library.
Twilight closed her eyes and cast a mass teleportation spell. Twilight's horn glowed and shone out. In the blink of an eye, the five mares and guards vanished in a violet light and appear in front of the dead tree. The guards quickly surrounded the former Golden Oak Library. One of them reported back to their commander through the device. Twilight panted as the spell consumed many of her energy. Rainbow Dash flied down and landed beside Applejack. The mane six stared at the dead tree and prepared for anything that might come out.
"Attention! This is E.U.P. Guard! I Anypony who hiding in the ruin must come out and show yourself, now!" One of the guards shouted.
The guards and the mane six waited, but there is no responded from the tree. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, who gives her a confused look, before the princess turned her head to a Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash, I think they already escaped." Twilight said.
"That's not possible!" Rainbow Dash argued. "I saw them run in the tree, but I didn't saw anypony run out!"
Rainbow Dash flied up in the sky and looked in the dead tree, before she flied back and landed beside Twilight.
"There! I saw many Shade Thieves in there!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Rainbow Dash, we still didn't know that's Shade Thieves or not. You shouldn't go with that conclusion." Twilight said.
"But their clothes are weird. Nopony in Equestria would dress like that!" Rainbow Dash said. "We must not wait for longer, Twilight. Let's go and get them!"
Rainbow Dash spread her wings and was about to fly in the dead tree, but Twilight held Rainbow Dash with her magic.
"No, Rainbow Dash! We shouldn't rush in there. We don't know how many of them in there. They might ambush us easily if we're not careful enough." Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash frowned. She sat down on the ground and crossed her front legs. Twilight nodded and looked in her former house. She saw something is watching her. The princess's pupils widened she could see a lower half of its skull. The thing quickly hid and threw something out after she saw it. The guards and the mane six stayed alert when they saw the object was thrown out from the dead tree. Twilight noticed an object, that the thing threw out, is a weird shape cylinder. It was bouncing and clanging before it landed in front of Twilight.
When Twilight knew what it is, it was too late.
Flashbang blew up in front of the lavender quadruped. Every quadrupeds in flashbang's radius lost their balance and shielded their eyes with their front legs. The quadrupeds screamed out painfully and tried to stand on their four legs.
["Go, Go, Go!"] Ghost shouted. ["Roach, Archer, Toad. Follow me!"]
Ghost leaded Roach, Archer and Toad out of the dead tree. They jumped over quadrupeds that still stunning from flashbang. The elite soldiers and the sniper ran in and went through the alley. Other quadruped guards, that recover from flashbang and didn't in radius of flashbang, quickly chased the soldiers and the snipers in the alley. Some winged quadrupeds flied up and went after Roach and his teammates. Ghost glanced on his compass before leaded his teammates to the south.
["Roach, they're getting close! use your grenade at quadrupeds and cut 'em off from our tail!"] Ghost commanded.
Roach put out his grenade and pulled the pin out. He held the grenade for two seconds before he tossed it at a group of quadruped guards behind. The grenade bounced and landed in the middle of quadruped guards. Roach heard the quadruped guards yelling before the grenade blew up. Roach looked back and saw many quadruped guards injure by his grenade. Only few quadrupeds in the alley and in the sky still chasing him and his teammates.
["Good throw, Roach!"] Ghost said. ["Now, mop them up!"]
Roach and Ghost crouched down and aimed before they shot at quadruped guards. Archer and Toad supported Roach and Ghost from behind with their sniper rifle. The quadruped guard weren't easily taken out as they had an armor. The soldiers and snipers had to preciously shot at quadruped guards' eyes where they are unprotected by their armors. Ghost, Roach, Archer and Toad managed to shoot many quadruped guards in the alley and the sky down. Some quadruped guards avoided laser bolts by hiding behind carts, haystacks and other covers they found. When the quadruped guards started to get closer. Ghost continued to lead his teammates to retreat.
["Ghost, I heard a shooting from the village. What's your situation?"] Scarecrow said.
["Not good from here! Our ammo are running low!"] Ghost said. ["Scarecrow, what's going on outside the village?"]
["Those quadruped guards still didn't move from the road. I think they try to prevent your escape."] Scarecrow said. ["We will support you when you nearly reach the forest. I'm looking for you at the outside of the village."]
["Roger that!"] Ghost said.
The elite soldiers and the snipers ran through the alley. After they ran for long, they saw another road ahead with two winged quadruped guards blocking the way. Roach and Ghost aimed their rifle while they were running at the quadruped guards and shot at them. The soldiers eliminated the quadruped guards out of their way and continued to escort the sniper. The soldiers and the snipers ran on the road. They tried not to run into quadrupeds, that starts to panic when they saw the soldiers and snipers. Ghost leaded his teammate in another alley to avoid to be spotted by wing quadrupeds from the sky. Ghost, Roach, Archer and Toad maneuvered through the alley. Roach glanced back and saw something is following him from behind. It was cyan quadruped, that flying past over them, with a trail of rainbow. The cyan quadruped flied down and darted toward Ghost.
["Get down!"] Ghost shouted.
The time was running slower, when Ghost quickly slid down under the cyan quadruped while Archer, Toad and Roach evaded the darting quadruped. It flied past over their head and missed its targets. Ghost turned back and shot at the cyan quadruped from behind. The time returned to normal, when the cyan quadruped cried out painfully and fell down on the ground before it slid and hit on creates.
"It crash!" Roach said.
["Very well, let's move on!"] Ghost said.
The soldiers and the snipers continued to head toward the south and left the cyan quadruped behind. After they ran for awhile, they reached at another road and run past quadrupeds, that are screaming and running away from them or getting in their houses when they see the soldiers and the snipers. Many quadrupeds, that pull a wagon, abandoned their shipments and ran away. Finally, Roach could see a road that lead to the forest. As Scarecrow had said before, quadruped guards were blocking the way. The soldiers and the snipers moved to and crouched behind their nearest covers. Ghost and Roach crouched behind corners while Archer and Toad used crates as their cover.
["Scarecrow, Ozone, we're near the forest!"] Ghost said. ["Get over here and help us clear the road!"]
["Roger, let's move, Ozone!"] Scarecrow replied.
["Archer, Toad, take 'em out!"] Ghost said.
The soldiers and snipers shot at quadruped guard with their rifles and sniper rifles. With supported from Scarecrow and Ozone, the quadruped guards started to retreat and fly away. Ghost saw a golden opportunity to escape from the village.
["They retreat! Come on, let's get the hell outta here!"] Ghost said.
Ghost and Roach waited for Archer and Toad, before they ran toward the forest. Roach watched out their rear before he followed his teammates to the outside of village. The sergeant saw nothing that will be in their way to hinder their escape, until he heard something flying after him. Roach looked back and was knocked by a winged quadruped with red eyes. Roach fell down to the ground, but he still grabbed his rifle. He could see two round front hooves pinning down on his chest with a strong force. Roach tried to aim his rifle at the quadruped, but it quickly pinned his right arm with its front hoof.
"Roach!" Ghost shouted.
Roach saw Ghost shooting at the quadruped that pinning the sergeant down. The quadruped cried out painfully and lifted its front hooves off from his chest. Ghost kicked the quadruped off from Roach and grabbed Roach's hand before the lieutenant pulled the sergeant up.
["Hurry up, Ghost! I saw many of them approaching to us!"] Archer warned in the comm. ["I will try to thin 'em out, keep moving before they get through our perimeter!"]
"Roger that!" Ghost shouted. "Roach, go! Go! Go! Don't stop running!"
Roach could see many horned quadrupeds running toward them. The soldiers ran with all their might to go away from the horned quadrupeds shooting laser bolts from their horn upon them. Ghost and Roach took cover behind corners and shot to cover their retreat until their guns were depleted.
"Ghost, I run out of ammo!" Roach said.
["Me, either!"] Ghost said.
["It's too hot! They're everywhere!"] Archer shouted.
["That enough! Archer, Toad, run back to the forest!"] Ghost commanded.
["Copy that!"] Archer replied.
Ghost and Roach ran out from their corner and headed toward the forest. They didn't run too faraway, when Ghost's right arm was hit by a laser bolt. Ghost held his wound and endured his pain while he was running on the road.
"Dammit! I thought this village are filled with idiots!" Ghost sworn.
Horned quadruped shot many laser bolts upon the soldiers. Many laser bolts hit Roach and Ghost when they were running out from the village until their couldn't endure their pain anymore. Roach and Ghost lost their balance and collapsed on the road. They tried to stand up, but the horned quadrupeds repeatedly shot at them with laser bolts.
"I'm hit!" Roach yelled
"Quickly... Roach...! run... to the woods!" Ghost said while he ground his teeth painfully.
["Ghost, come in! Ghost!"] Archer shouted in the radio.
["Go, Just go! leave us here!"] Ghost shouted.
["Archer! The road is hot! Get the hell outta there before you get hit!"] Scarecrow warned.
["Ghost and Roach are still there! We must not leave them!"] Archer argued.
["Archer, this is an order! GO! "] Ghost shouted.
Roach looked at the edge of the forest and saw Archer looking at him until the sniper was dragged by Toad. The sergeant fell down and saw Ghost tried to crawl to the forest, but a winged quadruped guard put its front hoof on his back and pinned him down. Roach could see Archer and Toad safely regrouped with Scarecrow and Ozone. They briefly looked back at Roach and Ghost before ran and disappeared in the forest. Roach slightly nodded before he was surrounded by horned quadruped guards. Ropes tied his wrists and ankles. Roach could see another ropes tied Ghost's wrists and ankles. The ropes were covering in silver auras while a horn on horned quadruped guards are also glowing and covering in silver aura. When Roach and Ghost was tied by rope, the aura around ropes vanished. Roach and Ghost was covered in auras and levitated before they were put in a wagon and the auras around them disappeared. Roach blacked out after the wagon started to move.
Spike quickly headed toward the Sugarcube Corner with a bag of bits on his back. He ran as fast as he could with his short legs and nearly bumped into ponies on the road many time. When Spike arrived at the front of the Sugarcube Corner, he frowned as he saw no royal guards at the front door. The baby dragon walked through the door and found nopony inside the bakery. He narrowed his eyes and looked straight at the wall.
"Well, not this again..." Spike said.
Call of Duty : Magic in Action
Day 2 : The Quadruped's Gaol
[(Inside Twilight Sparkle's castle, A sky blue holographic map of Equestria shows up on a round crystal table, that surrounds by seven thrones, in a throne room. The map reveals every details of magical region from a northernmost land to a southernmost land, and a westernmost land to a easternmost land. On the map, Twilight and Applejack are running inside Ponyville and searching for Rainbow Dash. Sky blue growing circles draw around them on the map before a conversation between Twilight and Applejack come out from the map.)]
[Twilight : I can't find her anywhere. Where did she go?]
[Applejack : Ah wish she wouldn't fly off when we recovered from that blind. If only ah could stop her, this shouldn't be happen!]
[Twilight : Let's search another area. I think she might go somewhere else.]
[Applejack : Ah hope she's still safe.]
[Twilight : Me, either.]
[(Applejack nods before she continues to search Rainbow Dash with Twilight)]
[Applejack : Rainbow Dash! Can you hear us!]
[Twilight : Rainbow Dash!]
[(The circles around Twilight and Applejack vanishes. They appear again around Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity near the destroyed Golden Oak Library on the map. Pinkie Pie and Rarity are trying to comfort Fluttershy who lying down on the ground and shivering in fear. The timid pony covered her eyes with her front hooves and can't control herself. A conversation between the three pony can be heard on the map.)]
[Rarity : It's okay, daring. That's just a magic trick that those ruffians used it on us to aid their escape.]
[Fluttershy : No! My eyes are going to be blind! I can't stand!]
[Pinkie Pie : I understand your fear, Fluttershy. That thing blinded and confused me for a moment. I thought those bullies are gonna turn me into a blind pony, you know? Well, if you said me in that time, maybe I was, but for now, I'm not a blind pony, am I? ]
[(Fluttershy squeaks.)]
[Rarity : That's not helping at all, Pinkie.]
[(The circle vanishes when the bearers of Element of Harmony's cutie marks on the thrones are sparking. At the Ponyville, ponies on the road looks curiously at the wagon that pulling by two royal guard and watching over by ten royal guards. Ponies on the road whispers to each other and some of them try to look inside the wagon.)]
Roach regained his consciousness. He was lying inside a wagon. The sergeant was exhausted from retreat and felt numb from laser bolts that hit him right in his back. Roach couldn't see anything outside since the wagon was canvased. The quadruped guard had tied Roach's wrists and ankles, which limits Roach's movement. Roach looked at Ghost who lying beside him. The lieutenant was still unconscious and didn't move. The sergeant could see Ghost's knife on his belt. Roach moved around and tried to pick Ghost's knife with his right hand from his back. Before Roach could grab the knife, the wagon stopped and a canvas was uncovered before Roach and Ghost were levitated and floated out the wagon with auras around them. Roach could see horned quadruped guards, with glowing auras around their horn, moving with the floating sergeant and lieutenant.
"What do you want?" Roach said aggressively.
Horned quadruped guards didn't respond to Roach. While Roach and Ghost was transported by an unknown force, he could see many quadrupeds nearby gathering and looking at him and Ghost, but two horned quadruped guards spoke something to quadruped "civilians" and they started to keep distance with the elite soldiers. Roach could see quadruped guardians cover young quadrupeds' eyes with their front legs while Roach and Ghost were moved. Some quadrupeds whispered to each other while some of them looked at Ghost and Roach in fear. Roach could see the horned quadruped guards bring them to a building. The horned quadruped guards opened the door and threw Roach and Ghost inside before the aura around them vanished and the horned quadruped guards shut the door. Ghost's head was hit on the floor. He awoke and quickly looked around.
"The Quadruped's Gaol"
Day 2 - (Day time)
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
(M.I.A.)
The village.
"Shite, what's going on!" Ghost said.
"They got us." Roach said. "This place is ancient. I wonder if they used this building lastly since a century ago."
Ghost tried to take his knife on his belt. "Dammit, I can't reach my knife! Roach, you try." Ghost said.
Roach nodded and rolled to Ghost. He picked Ghost's knife from his back and moved the knife to a rope around his wrists. Roach focused his patience on the knife to make sure that it won't slipped out from his hand. The rope didn't resist the knife for long when Roach manage to cut down the rope. When Roach's hands were free, Roach used the knife to cut a rope around his ankles and quickly released Ghost from ropes.
"Thank, Roach." Ghost whispered.
Ghost flapped his hand and took his knife from Roach when he handed it to him. Ghost and Roach split up and searched the dusty room, which appear to be a small storeroom. Each window had a grille outside the room. Roach spotted three buckets at a left corner. Haystacks were under a window beside a basin of light blue liquid. Roach climbed up a ladder in the room, but he found an windowless attic up there. They can't find anything in the room that can aid their escape. Ghost looked outside the window and shook his head after he found many quadruped guards outside. Roach tried to push the door, but it wasn't budged. Ghost sat with his right knee up at the middle left of the room and leaned on the wall before he lay his right arm on his right knee and touched on his headphone.
"Archer. This is Ghost, come in." Ghost said.
["Ghost, what is happen!?"] Archer said.
"Those quadrupeds captured us and threw us in a locked room somewhere in the village." Ghost said. "We don't know what they will going to do to us. They took our gun, but lucky for us that they didn't search us. I still have some pain here and good thing they didn't kill us right away."
["Roger that. We will come back to help you in this night! Just hang in there and don't die! We're coming for you!"] Archer said.
"Roach and I won't die easily, mate. I'm looking forward to you, out." Ghost said and turned his head to Roach. "I'm quite impress that they can catch us with no hand. I think I underestimated those muppets."
Roach kicked on the door, but it didn't move. "I give up, man." Roach said.
The sergeant walked away from the door. He sat in cross-legged position opposite of Ghost and leaned on the wall. Roach put his goggles on his helmet and pulled his balaclava up to his bridge. He searched his journal in his jacket before he realized he didn't bring it with him. Roach shook his head and breathed in the dusty air before he sighed. He lay on his back and looked aimlessly at the ceiling.
"This isn't bad, actually." Roach said. "At least, it's better than that jail in the interrogation training."
"Certainly." Ghost said. "I guess those quadrupeds have their style to cage somebody."
"But, this is boring as hell." Roach said. "Well, It's can't help anyway."
Roach raised up to sit on the floor. He was thirsty. Roach stood up and walked to the basin. He crouched down and sniff the liquid. Roach smelled nothing. He held the liquid in his hand and sipped it.
"It's clean water." Roach said.
Ghost nodded. Roach drank the water from his hands and left the haystacks untouched. He returned to his spots and sat down. Roach lay down on his back and looked at the ceiling while Ghost fiddled with his knife. Roach closed his eyes before his tiredness leaded him to sleep.
Twilight and Applejack were still searching for Rainbow Dash. Twilight searched from the sky while Applejack searched on the ground. Twilight looked preciously at a road. The princess found no sign of pony and Rainbow Dash around. Applejack found Roseluck in front of her flower shop. The cowpony quickly ran at the flower seller. When Roseluck saw Applejack, she smiled and waved at her.
"Hello, Applejack. What's going on?" Roseluck said.
"Howdy, Roseluck." Applejack said. "Did you see Rainbow Dash around here?"
"Oh, I saw her hurriedly flying over there when I walked out of the shop." Roseluck said and pointed her front hoof to her right.
"Thank!" Applejack said and ran off.
"Hey, Applejack. What's actually happen!?" Roseluck asked.
"Sorry, Roseluck, Ah'll explain everythin' later!" Applejack shouted back.
Applejack ran along the road. After she ran past many houses, Applejack saw Rainbow Dash staggered out from a alley. The cowpony and Twilight spotted the cyan pony and quickly moved toward their friend. Rainbow Dash was injured. She had magic-burn wounds on her body. Applejack and Twilight held the athletic pony before she collapsed.
"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Twilight asked.
"No, I'm not okay!" Rainbow Dash said. "I let them escape. It's not okay!"
"It's alright, Rainbow Dash. At least, you're safe." Applejack said.
"Stop soothing me!" Rainbow Dash said.
"We need to take you to the hospital. Those wounds shouldn't leave untreated." Twilight said.
"I'm- Ouch!" Rainbow Dash held her wound.
"Come on, Rainbow Dash. Don't force yourself. You should know yourself better than us." Twilight said.
"...Fine..." Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack and Twilight helped Rainbow Dash up and headed to hospital. Rainbow Dash showed her disappointment clearly on her face. While the three pony moved away, a suspicious shadow was creeping in an alley. Red glowing eyes stealthy looked at princess Twilight Sparkle before it hid in the alley and vanished.
Rarity had managed to persuade Fluttershy to stand up and follow them. Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy walked along a deserted road and searched for Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Applejack. Pinkie Pie quickly ran to Berry Punch, who is hiding in a crate. She looks anxiously around before Pinkie Pie helped Berry Punch out of the crate.
"Berry Punch, did you see Rainbow Dash or Twilight or Applejack around?" Pinkie Pie asked quickly.
"I saw Rainbow Dash was flying to this way before Twilight and Applejack ran to there." Berry Punch said and pointed her front hoof to the direction that Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Applejack went. "But, be careful, Pinkie. Bloody monsters were running to this way, too. I don't know where are they now or when will they eat another pony." Berry Punch shivered.
"Don't worry, Berry Punch. I'm here, and I won't let them harm any pony." Pinkie Pie said and placed her hoof on her chest before she lower her hoof down and returned to Rarity and Fluttershy. When they were about to walk, the three ponies quickly saw Twilight and Applejack helped Rainbow Dash up and walked toward them. Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy gasped before they ran to Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her front hoof when she saw Rainbow Dash's wounds.
"Rainbow Dash, are you okay!" Rarity asked. Her voice was echoed in her hazmat suit.
"Girls, we need her to be healed as fast as we can. We must hurry!" Twilight said.
"Alright, I will lead the way." Pinkie Pie said.
The bearers of the Element of Harmony made their way to the hospital. They stopped as they heard somepony pulling a cart from behind. Twilight looked back and saw Roseluck pulling a cart to them. She stopped and released herself from a harness beside Applejack.
"Please use my cart, Applejack." Roseluck said and pointed her front hoof at the cart.
"Thank, Roseluck." Applejack said and put Rainbow Dash in the cart before she put a cart's harness on her back.
"I sincerely appreciate in your help, Roseluck." Twilight said.
"Your welcome, Twilight. I'm happy to be helpful." Roseluck said.
Applejack pulled the cart and ran along the road with her friends. Roseluck waved at the six pony before she went back to her shop. A group of royal guards stepped in the area and other hiding ponies started to come out. Some ponies looked around anxiously before they stepped out from their hiding spots or their houses. After everypony saw no monsters nearby, many ponies breathed a sigh of relief and the road soon quickly returned to normal with ordinary life of ponies.
Twilight and her friends arrived at the hospital of Ponyville. The light colored two-storied building with windowed attic was operated by pony doctors and nurses. Pinkie Pie and Rarity helped Rainbow Dash come down from the cart before helped her up and walked in the hospital. Twilight looked sadly at injured Rainbow Dash and lowered her head.
"I didn't only fail to capture the thieves, I failed to protect my friend..." Twilight said.
"We didn't expect that, sugarcube. It's not only your fault, but us, too." Applejack said. "Ah need to return this cart to Roseluck. Ah will return here as soon as possible."
"Good luck, Applejack." Twilight said.
Applejack pulled the cart and headed toward Ponyville. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at Applejack until she was out of their sight before they walked in the hospital. They found the building is crowded with injured royal guards, which suffer from an eye injury. Twilight and Fluttershy walked to a reception counter. Nurse Snowheart slightly nodded to Twilight and Fluttershy to welcome them in the hospital.
"Hello, princess. How can I help today." Nurse Snowheart said.
"I come here to see Rainbow Dash. Can you tell me which room does she stay?" Twilight asked.
"She's in the room number twelve at second floor, princess. I will bring you two there" Nurse Snowheart said.
Nurse Snowheart walked out of behind the reception counter and leaded Twilight and Fluttershy the way. They went upstairs and walked along a crowded hallway until they reached the room. Nurse Snowheart opened a door and let Twilight and Fluttershy in before she closed the door. Rainbow Dash was on a hospital bed. Nurse Redheart was bandaging the athletic pony. Rainbow Dash was clearly very upset. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were beside the bed. Twilight and Fluttershy walked to the bed. The princess smiled as she saw her friend is healed.
"Are you feeling any better, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
"Nah, my heart is hurt." Rainbow Dash said.
"To be honest, Rainbow Dash. You should be more careful about those... bipedal things." Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash frowned and ignored Rarity. The fashionista narrowed her eyes and sighed.
"Is she alright, Nurse Redheart?" Twilight asked.
"She's fine now. Miss Rainbow Dash just need to avoid to get struck by any magic blast and everything should be fine." Nurse Redheart said.
"Can I go now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Sure, Miss Rainbow Dash. Don't be reckless next time." Nurse Redheart said.
Nurse Redheart walked to opened a curtain next to Rainbow Dash's bed and healed a royal guard on another bed. The guard had been injured by a magic explosion. He had many wounds around his body even he worn an armor. Fluttershy looked away from the guard after she saw his wounds. Rainbow Dash stepped down from the bed with bandages around her body and stretched herself. Before Twilight could have a word with Rainbow Dash. She noticed that her and her friends cutie mark are pulsating. Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at their cutie mark while Pinkie played with her haunch.
"The map calls us? In this time?" Fluttershy said.
"So many things to so lately." Twilight mumbled before she turned to face her friends. "Applejack should be called by the map, too, so let's go to the castle and find out."
"I agree." Rarity replied.
"Truthfully, I have no mood for adventure this time." Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh, come on, don't be so downright." Pinkie Pie said.
The five ponies walked out of the room and walked downstairs before got out from the hospital. The princess looked at the sky before Twilight and her friends ran along the road and headed to Twilight's castle.
Archer and Toad was on a height in the forest near the village. The snipers had been lucky enough as they had found a good spot for recon the village. They had taken their time for awhile to going dark and find a shelter in the forest with Scarecrow and Ozone. They scoped through the village with sniper rifle's scopes while Scarecrow and Ozone went to search some food.
"I saw no building that Ghost and Roach possibly are in." Archer said. "Any luck from your side?"
"Not even a hint, Archer. Are you sure that they didn't bring 'em to another town?" Toad asked.
"Ghost told me he is in a locked room somewhere in there, so he should be in there. Maybe we should move out to another spot to get another view of village." Archer said.
The cold wind breezed past bushes, that Archer and Toad are in. Their ghillie suit did an excellent job to blend in with a surrounding in the forest. They saw many quadrupeds living in the village. The quadrupeds' life down there were carefree and restful. Beside from quadruped guards, which stand and patrol around the village, the quadrupeds appeared to be a peaceful race. Archer scanned through his scope and observed quadruped patrols quietly.
"I'm hungry as hell... Nothing goes pass my mouth since yesterday..." Toad said.
"We all didn't eat anything since yesterday, Toad. Stop complaining and scope the village." Archer asked.
Toad grumbled something. Archer heard he say a word like "Whatever".
"We're here."
Archer and Toad turned back and found Scarecrow and Ozone with apples in their arms and rifle at their side. The snipers left from their scopes and sat on the ground with Scarecrow and Ozone before the snipers put their rifle beside them. The members of Task Force one-four-one shared their stolen foods and ate their apple. When Archer took a first bite on his apple, he noticed that Scarecrow and Ozone are dirtied with slime and apple seeds.
"Scarecrow, Ozone. Where did you two find these supplies" Archer asked.
Scarecrow nodded slightly. "We found an unguarded orchard that fills with apples. We got in and was about to steal some apples, but we found that the orchard is occupied by bats, an army of goddamn bats! We had to fight over these foods with bats while we took apples from the trees." Scarecrow said. "They spited apple seeds at us. We're in mess, but at least we haven't to worry about starvation. You may not believe me, but Ozone can prove that my words is real."
"What he said is truth." Ozone said and nodded.
"That's... unexpected..." Archer said and ate his apple.
"This apple is delicious, or I'm just hungry?" Toad said.
"Yeah, it's kinda sweet." Ozone said.
"Did Ghost say anything in comm?" Scarecrow asked.
"No, he didn't. I guess he's not trying to be suspicious or he has nothing to tell us." Archer said. "To be honest, that moment was like Price in Kingfish all over again. If Soap told us right."
"Except this time, we literally had no support at all." Ozone said.
"Certainly." Scarecrow replied. "But we're going to help 'em. No matter the cost."
The members of Task Force one-four-one finished their apples. Archer and Toad picked their sniper rifles up and went back to scope the village while Scarecrow and Ozone watched out their back.
"When the night falls, we move." Archer said.
Twilight and her friends arrived in the front of the castle. The crystal castle shone as always even Twilight took a few care to it. The five mare walked through the castle's door and went along the hallway. Before they could reach the throne room, they found Spike is coming out from a drawing room. Spike turned his head to Twilight when she walked closer and he quickly ran to her.
"Twilight, you're in time. Professors have arrived before you guys come here." Spike said.
Twilight nodded and turned her head to her friends behind. "I need to talk to them. You girls may go ahead to the room."
Twilight's friends nodded and walked to the throne room. Before Twilight went in the drawing room, she stopped and turned her head to Spike. The baby dragon opened the door before he turned his head to Twilight.
"I'm sorry I left the Sugarcube Corner before you brought bits, Spike." Twilight said.
"Well, apology accepted." Spike said and smiled.
Twilight smiled slightly. The princess and Spike walked in the drawing room. They approached to five professors with two elite guards inside. The professors worn a white coat with saddlebags on their back. They stood up from a sofa as Twilight was approaching before she moved her front hoof to tell them to sit down. Twilight smiled at the professors and stood in front of the them.
"Greeting, professors. My name is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said and placed her front hoof on her chest. "I welcome you to my castle. I hope my assistant treated you well when I wasn't here."
The professors nodded. Twilight put her hoof down and continued to talk.
"So, professors, Did princess Celestia tell you everything about meteors?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, she did." one of professors said.
"Okay, Spike. Bring in the map. It's on the shelve beside a chair." Twilight said.
Spike ran to pick a paper map and placed it on a table between Twilight and professors.
"Last night, I saw three meteor falling from the sky. First meteor landed outside Ponyville at this grassland." Twilight said.
Twilight placed her front hoof on the east grassland outside Ponyville in the map.
"Second meteor landed in the Everfree forest." Twilight said.
Twilight moved her front hoof to the Everfree forest in the map.
"And the last meteor landed on the ruin." Twilight said.
Twilight moved her front hoof to the castle of the Two sister's ruin in the map.
"I need you to split in three groups and search for the meteors. I need you to collect samples or take a picture anything that didn't belong to our earth or looks unusual. The guards will protect you there. In other hoof, I afraid that the meteor might not left any trace since it didn't damage anything explicitly, so I give a permission to return if you've found nothing around there." Twilight said.
"Will you go with us?" one of professors asked.
"I wish I could, but I must meet my friends at the throne room. I need you all to go ahead to locations. I promise I will go there after I know why the map need me" Twilight said.
Professors looked at each other before they nodded.
"You can count on us, princess." one of professors said.
"Okay, I will see you there." Twilight said. "Guards, please ensure the safety of our professors."
Guards saluted at Twilight. The princess walked out of the drawing room with professors, Spike and guards. Twilight made her way to the throne room while professors and guards went to the exit with Spike. The princess planed in her mind and thought about the map and the meteors.
While she was walking through the hallway, she felt something is watching her from behind. Twilight stopped and turned back, but everypony had already left the hallway. The princess frowned as she still felt somepony is watching her. Twilight closed her eyes before she cleared and focused her mind until she couldn't feel she was being watched. Twilight opened her eyes and looked around. She breathed a sigh of relief as she no longer felt creepy from being watched anymore.
"Well, I guess it's just my imagination. Time to go to the throne room." Twilight said.
Twilight started to walk to the throne room and nearly screamed out when she saw a pair of red glowing eye looking at her from behind a library's door. The door was closed as the glowing eyes had been spotted. Twilight covered her mouth with her front hoof before she walked closer to the door. She lowered her front hoof and opened the door with her magic before she walked in a library room. Twilight found that somebody turned off the library's light. She walked to a switch and used her magic on it. The switch didn't move. Twilight forced her magic to turn on the switch, but she didn't notice that above from her, there was somepony in a shadow descends down to her...
"Twilight!"
The forth princess turned to face the voice and found Spike walked to her.
"What are you doing here, Twilight? You shouldn't let your friend waiting for you." Spike said.
"I'm sorry, Spike. I just..." Twilight said and looked around. "...saw something here."
Spike narrowed his eye. He looked in the library, but there was nopony inside.
"Only me and you are in here, Twilight." Spike said.
"Well... I guess... I think I just hallucinated." Twilight said.
"Hurry up, Twilight. You need to meet your friend now." Spike said.
"Okay, okay." Twilight said.
Twilight glanced around the library before she and Spike walked out of the room and shut the door. Twilight and Spike headed to the throne room. It took some time before they reached the room. Spike opened the door to let Twilight in the throne room before he followed her and closed the door. Twilight found her friends have already sat on their throne. Applejack waved her front hoof at the princess. Twilight and Spike walked to sit on their throne and looked upon the map.
"What took you so long, Twilight. I waited here like a million hours." Rainbow Dash complained.
"Sorry, girls. I was distracted." Twilight said. "Well, let's see where the map will point us to go to..."
The mane six's cutie mark flared before a image of their cutie mark floated in the air. The mane six watched their cutie mark floating and flaring in the air. Everypony in the room stared at the floating cutie marks above the map. Rarity's, Fluttershy's, Rainbow Dash's, Applejack's and Pinkie Pie's cutie mask circled around Twilight's cutie mark before they descended and hovered above Ponyville.
"Ponyville? Ponyville!? Why!?" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Calm down, sugarcube." Applejack said.
"That's kinda new." Spike said.
"Why the map need us in there?" Fluttershy said.
"Maybe it need us to go underground?" Pinkie Pie said.
"That's sound awful..." Rarity said.
"Alright everypony, I think there is a reason behind this..." Twilight said.
Twilight flinched when a guard loudly opened the door and ran in the throne room. Twilight and her friends looked at the guard who run and stopped in front of the table.
"Princess, our guards have successfully captured suspicious bipeds in Ponyville!" the guard said.
Twilight nodded. "Thank for bring this massage to me." Twilight said before something came up in her mind. "Well, where are the bipeds now, guard?"
"They're in a storehouse inside Ponyville. The guards will interrogate them to find out what are them."
"A storehouse?" Twilight thought before she said to the guard. "Thank again. You may go now."
"Yes, your highness." the guard said and saluted.
The guard ran off the room and closed the door. Twilight stepped down from her throne and walked around the table.
"Okay, I think there must be something inside Ponyville." Twilight said.
"Maybe there's a secret here somewhere in our village." Rainbow Dash said.
"Honestly, ah never hear anythin' like a secret in Ponyville from Granny Smith, but it's possibly that nopony discovers it yet." Applejack said.
"What's about the bipeds? I think the map told us to do something with them." Pinkie Pie said.
"Well-" Twilight said.
"Twilight, we should search Ponyville for the answer!" Rainbow Dash said.
"I think that is a good idea..." Twilight said. "Alright, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash. You three must look around Ponyville and find why the map need us here. Well, Fluttershy."
"Yes?" Fluttershy replied.
"I need your animals to join with professors to search the Everfree forest. Tell me if your friends found something in there." Twilight said.
"Okay." Fluttershy said.
"Rarity, I need you to talk to pony folk. You must seek for any rumor in their gossips." Twilight said.
"Well, that's not too hard for me." Rarity said.
"Wait for me at the front of my castle after you've done and tell me everything you found. Let's go now." Twilight said.
"What's about my idea!?" Pinkie Pie said sadly.
"Don't worry, Pinkie. When we found nothing wrong in Ponyville, we will go for your idea." Twilight said.
Pinkie Pie grinned. Everypony stepped down from their throne and walked out of the room. Spike joined the group and walked through the hallway before they headed toward an exit. Twilight glanced at the library's door, but she saw nothing. The mane six and Spike left the castle before Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity split up and went to do their task. Twilight and Spike looked her friends are going on the plan. The princess and the baby dragon walked on the road and looked around preciously.
"What is your plan, Twilight?" Spike asked.
"To find the secret." Twilight said.
Roach opened his eyes when the sun shone over his face. He shaded his eyes from the sun with his hand and raised up from grasses on a grassy mound. He looked around and found he is in a countryside somewhere. He could see a mountain range around him. Roach saw a wooden house on a grassy mound at his left and a small town at faraway. The wind breezed past the sergeant in a casual wear gently. Clouds and the sun upon the sky were beautiful. Everything around him was peaceful and lovely. Roach recalled his memory again and tried to connect between his past and his present. He shook his head as he couldn't make sense what's actually happen to him.
"A dream?" Roach mumbled
"Gary!"
Roach turned at the voice and saw a woman in sundress running from the house. The woman waved at Roach and stopped beside him. She smiled widely at Roach and sat beside him. The wind blew past the woman. Her sundress was waving along the breeze. The woman stared at Roach while he looked at the scenery.
"It's been so long, you know. I waited for you like a thousand years!" the woman said. "I think you won't return from SAS to visit home. Today is literally my great day. I'm so happy to see you here."
"...visit... home?" Roach mumbled. "Your great day?"
"What's wrong, Gary. You look weird today." the woman asked.
"Well, I just... em... had a nightmare minutes ago." Roach said and lay on his back on grasses. He put his hands under his head.
"Come on, you're a tough guy. You won't be scared just because of random scary dream, right? Or you're just chicken?" the woman said mischievously and chuckled before tapped on Roach's arm lightly.
"Don't call me chicken." Roach said and frowned.
"Just kidding." the woman said and smiled. She lay on her back on grasses beside Roach and looked at the sky.
Roach sighed when the woman stopped talking. He looked up the sky and relaxed under the sun. Roach tried to recall his memory, but he couldn't remember anything clearly about this place. The woman said he come here to visit his home, but Roach couldn't remember anything about his home, his family and the woman beside him. Roach turned his head to the woman. She turned at him and smiled. Strangely, the woman's smile warmed Roach's heart and regained his sanity. The woman moved Roach's arm and held his hand before she looked up in the sky. The woman hummed a familiar song, which Roach heard from somewhere. Roach stared at the woman while she closed her eyes and hummed the song. The sergeant listened the song quietly. When the woman stopped, she turned at Roach and chuckled.
"Look at your face, Gary. It's so funny." the woman said. "Why? What is on my face?"
"No no, I em..." Roach turned his head to the sky tried to think a word. "I just thought about something."
"Think about me?" the woman asked.
"That's impossible." Roach said.
"You're so cold, Gary. Relax!" the woman said. "Anyway, did you have any friend at SAS?"
Roach froze. The woman's answer echoed in his head. He remembered this question. His memories flooded in his brain and he slowly recognized the woman beside him. Roach raised up from glasses and turned back at the woman, but she had disappeared. His vision turned red. His ears heard a creepy noise. Roach looked up in the sky, which slowly becoming worst. The wind blew stronger. The grasses and trees around him slowly withered. The house collapsed. Roach could feel his pain in his head. He held his head, that feels like it is going to explode. During he was suffering, Roach saw a zombie raised up from the ground in front of him. Before Roach could react, the zombie shot at Roach with .44 Magnum at his chest. The bullet wound set his body on fire and quickly consumed him. Roach screamed out loud and blacked out.
Roach panicky opened his eyes. He looked around and found he is still in the storeroom with Ghost, who is sitting with his right knee up and his right arm on his right knee. The lieutenant had kept his knife on his belt and slept peacefully. The sergeant was sweating like he is in a hot desert. Roach stood up and walked to the basin. He crouched down before he drank water from his hands and watched his face. Roach went back to sit in cross-legged position on his spot. He held and shook his head.
"What's happen to me?" Roach thought. "If I keep having a nightmare like this, it would certainly cost my sanity."
The storeroom's door is opened. Roach turned at the door and found a horned quadruped peeking in the room and quickly shut the door. The sergeant heard it is yelling something before he heard many quadruped guards galloping behind the door. Before Roach moved to warn Ghost, the door is violently opened and Roach faced more horned quadrupeds outside the storeroom. Ghost woke up and looked silently at the quadruped guards while Roach pulled down his balaclava to cover his face. Roach tried not to alarm the quadruped guards and stared at the quadruped guards quietly. They made way for a winged quadruped guard. It walked in the room and spoke words, which Roach can't understand. The sergeant recalled his training and tried not to respond. Roach turned his head to Ghost, who doesn't act or speak anything, before the sergeant turned to face the winged quadruped guard and listened quietly even he didn't know what does it say.
"Well, I think I have to listen to these cryptic language." Roach thought and crossed his arms.
The winged quadruped guard stomped it front hoof on the floor and scolded at Roach. The sergeant tried not to react as he knew the winged quadruped guard had tried to threaten him even it doesn't looks terrified at all to him. Roach turned his head to the door when he noticed a horned quadruped guards walked in with saddlebags. The bags were opened when the bags and the quadruped guard's horn were covered in auras and photos were flied out from the bags with aura around them before the photographs floated in front of Roach. He didn't recognize anything in the photos, which are photographs of some sort of ancient artifacts or footprints.
Roach looked at the photos before they were flied to Ghost. The lieutenant glanced at the photos before a haystack was levitated and placed in front of the winged quadruped guard. The photos were lain down on the haystack and auras around the photos and the haystack were vanished as a horn on the quadruped guard stopped glowing. The winged quadruped guard scolded at Ghost and Roach and stared hostilely at the sergeant's eyes. Ghost and Roach didn't say anything, which angers the winged quadruped. It stomped its front hooves on the floor and yelled at Roach. The sergeant frowned under his balaclava, but the winged quadruped could read his eyes and its face quickly turned red in furious. The winged quadruped guard turned away and left the storeroom while it spoke something. Roach knew it gives up to interrogate them. The photos were levitated back in saddlebags as the photo and the quadruped guard's horn were covered in auras and the haystack was put away as an aura covered it before the auras vanished and the quadruped guards walked out when the quadruped guard's horn stopped glowing. They locked the door and left the elite soldiers inside.
"That was quick." Roach said.
Twilight and her friends hadn't found anything wrong in Ponyville. Everything was peaceful like other regular day. Twilight returned to her castle with Spike. She found that her friends, but Fluttershy, had already gathered in front of her castle. Rarity had took off her hazmet suit. Twilight walked to her friends and saw a disappointment on her friends' face. When her friends saw Twilight looking at them, Rainbow Dash, who is hovering in the air, tried to fake a smile, but she failed evidently.
"Ah'm sorry, Twilight. Ah didn't find anythin' wrong inside mah orchard." Applejack said.
"I couldn't find any rumor, but those ruffians that blinded us with their magic. I think Pinkie Pie was right." Rarity said.
"I searched around, but I didn't find anything either." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, we either." Spike said.
"Twilight, let's go and see those bipeds. I think they're Shadow Thieves!" Pinkie Pie said and shook Twilight.
"Okay, okay. Stop shaking me." Twilight said. Pinkie stopped. "Well, where is Fluttershy?"
"I'm over here."
Everypony turned to face the timid voice. They saw outfit-less Fluttershy walking toward them with saddlebags on her back.
"Fluttershy!" Twilight said. "Did your animals find anything in the forest?"
"Well, they found... this." Fluttershy said.
Fluttershy opened her saddlebag and held something out with her mouth before she placed it on the ground. Twilight levitated it up and looked closely. She found that it is a knife. Twilight's friends gathered around and looked at the knife in a magenta aura.
"My birds found it in a carcass of giant timberwolf... well, I mean, that scary thing..." Fluttershy said.
"I think it's not a normal kitchen knife, darling." Rarity said.
"Anyway, who would use this useless blade to fight a giant timberwolf?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Ah don't know, sugarcube. But anypony who can defeat the beast with this knife is certainly a scary gravy." Applejack said.
"I think I can hold this knife. Can I have it, Twilight?" Spike said.
"Don't touch it, Spike." Twilight rebuked and levitated the knife away from Spike.
"I spy a word on the knife!" Pinkie Pie said.
Twilight turned the knife around and saw a word engraved on its blade. Twilight narrowed her eyes as the word was carved in standard Equestria alphabets. The mane six and Spike looked at the word and said at the same time.
"Roach?" the mane six ans Spike said.
"You mean, a cockroach? " Pinkie Pie said.
"Eww!" Rarity exclaimed.
"I hate cockroaches, too." Spike said and glanced at Rarity.
"Who the hay kind of name is Roach!?" Rainbow Dash said and laughed. She nearly lost her balance in the air.
"Ah think that's a bad name to your foal." Applejack said.
"Well, I agree with you all..." Fluttershy said.
"So, Fluttershy, did your animal find anything more in the Everfree forest?" Twilight asked and put the knife in Fluttershy's saddlebag.
"Beside this knife, I don't know anything more." Fluttershy said.
"Okay, I see." Twilight said and exhaled from her mouth. "I need to meet the professors. Fluttershy, Spike you come with me. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash. Find the storehouse where the bipeds are imprisoned and search for the clue from them."
Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodded. Rainbow Dash stopped laughing and joined with them to search the storehouse, but she still giggled. Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike went to the east grassland. Twilight could hear Rainbow Dash and Applejack talking about bipeds and Rarity's comment about bipeds' clothes in her assumption while Pinkie Pie was telling her plan to approach the bipeds. The princess thought about the map while she was walking on the road with Fluttershy and Spike.
"I think the professors might find the meteors now." Twilight mumbled.
Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike arrived at the east grassland. The princess looked up in the sky to estimate the time. It was nearly a time for lunch. She looked down from a grassy mound and found two professors are holding a magic crystal and a camera below. Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike approached the professors and saw the crystal is shining brightly.
"Did you find anything?" Twilight asked.
"Here, princess." a professor said and hoofed over the crystal. Twilight looked at the crystal and knew that the crystal shines due to a fierce force of magic in the area. "We didn't find any meteor landing site, but we found a strong trace of magic here."
"Anything else in this area?" Twilight asked.
The professors shook their head. Twilight touched her chin with her front hoof and recalled her memory about the detail of meteors last night, but she couldn't connect clearly between the meteors and the trace of magic. Twilight looked at the ground and thought. An idea quickly ran in her mind when Twilight realized she has a spell that will show a trace of magic. Twilight cast a spell and pointed her horn at the ground. Her horn flared and shot a laser beam on the invisible trace of magic.
"Wow." Fluttershy and Spike exclaimed.
The trace slowly became visible. A professor held the camera and took a picture. The trace glowed in magenta light and revealed a magic crater on the ground and two sharps of bushy thing with two legs in the middle with some kind of sticks. Twilight's pupils widened as the traces revealed hoofprints around the sharps of bushy thing and strange hoofprints lead out the magic crater. Twilight followed the strange hoofprints, but the trace of magic was thin as the hoofprints made a distance from the sharps of bushy thing. The strange hoofprints ended on the gassy mound and the trace of magic was no longer be able to track down. Twilight tried to shoot the spell on the ground, but it didn't reveal anything further. From the mound, Twilight could see Ponyville clearly. Fluttershy, The professors and Spike walked up the mound and looked around for the trace.
"Okay, we've done with this area. Fluttershy, We need to move to the Everfree forest" Twilight said and turned her head to professors. "It's nearly noon, professors. I suggest you need to have some lunch at my castle. Spike, please take care our guests."
"My pleasure." Spike replied.
Professors looked at each other before they slightly bowed at the princess and went to Ponyville with Spike. Twilight and Fluttershy headed toward the Everfree forest to find another professors. When they were on a dirt road to forest. Angel, the bunny, ran toward them and moved its arm to tell Twilight and Fluttershy to follow him.
Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie walked around Ponyville to search for the storehouse. Rainbow Dash flied in the sky and scanned the village below. She found many unicorn royal guards around a small storehouse at faraway. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as she saw Filthy Rich is talking with a pegasi royal guard. Rainbow Dash flied down from the sky and land in front of her friends.
"I think I know where the bipeds now." Rainbow Dash said. "Let's go and check that storehouse."
Rainbow Dash pointed her front hoof at the storehouse. Applejack raised her eyebrow. She tilted her head and looked at the storehouse. Rarity looked at the storehouse and shook her head, while Pinkie Pie narrowed her at the storehouse.
"Are you sure this time?" Applejack said.
"Certainly, I mean, I'm never wrong when I try to find something." Rainbow Dash said confidently.
"What's about few moment ago when you lead us to a wrong storehouse." Applejack said.
"Oh, come on, that isn't counted." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, I hope this one was right." Applejack said and walked to the storehouse with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly and followed them from behind. When they walked closer to the storehouse. Filthy Rich was smiled proudly at the pegasi guard and walked away. The guard nodded slightly and noticed Applejack walking to his right.
"Halt, this is a district area!" the guard said. "Wait... are you Applejack, the bearer of the Element of Honesty?"
"Yep, Ah'm coming with mah friends. Twilight tell us to talk to the suspicious bipeds. Are they in there?" Applejack asked and pointed her hoof at the storehouse.
"Yes, they're in there, but let's me tell my commander first." the guard said and put out his mic. "Commander Strong Swift, four bearers of the Element of Harmony request to enter the district area."
The guard listened a message and nodded. "Yes, sir." he turned his head to Applejack. "Okay, the commander granted you all a permission."
"Yay!" Pinkie Pie cheered.
Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash walked to the door, but the guard raised his front leg to block them.
"Are you sure that you will speak with them?" the guard asked.
"What do you mean?" Applejack said and raised her eyebrow.
"Well, you know. My sergeant tried to ask them about the crime scenes, but they remained silence even he scolded to them. They actually could free themselves from ropes even they're tied tight. Our commander doubled the guards to make sure they won't escape and was about to call you all to bring a information out from them. But you're here and have a permission now, but I have no idea how to make them speak." the guard said.
"Well, Ah guess there is no need to be feared. We have Pinkie with us. They will speak everythin' out when she's in there." Applejack said and pointed her hoof at Pinkie Pie. She smiled broadly at the guard.
"Okay... then, good luck, everypony." the guard said and lowered his front leg before he turned this head to a unicorn guard beside a door. "Open the door and let them in."
The unicorn guard nodded and levitated a key at his side to unlock the door. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie walked in the storehouse with four unicorn guards watched out their back. Rarity coughed as the air inside was dusty. Applejack stunned as she saw unknown creatures in the dim room. Rainbow Dash, who her body was warps in bandages, flied up and hovered in the air. She stare hostilely at the creatures. Pinkie Pie was the only pony, who still smiles as she saw them.
There was two bipeds sitting and leaning on the wall in the room. The bipeds glanced at the four pony before and looked away. They worn pants, with olive-green camouflage and pockets, and gray jacket, with pouches around their waist. The right biped worn a helmet and headphones with goggles on its helmet and a black mask . The left biped worn headphones and looked scary with visible lower part of skull, until the four ponies realized it is a mask. The left biped sat with its right knee up and its right front leg on its right knee while the right biped sat in cross-legged position. Rarity glanced at weird gloves on the bipeds' claw-like front hooves and boots on its weird back hooves, which look like a boot that Applejack used to wear in a awful Gala dress. Thinking to the past caused Rarity giggles quietly.
"Howdy, every... biped." Applejack asked. "Can ah know y'all name?"
The bipeds didn't respond. Applejack walked closer to them before the pegasi guard held her.
"Stop!" the guard said.
"What's wrong?" Applejack asked.
"They possibly are Shade Thieves. You need to be careful or they will harm you!" the guard said.
"Well, they ain't be that dangerous, right." Pinkie Pie said.
Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie. She was beside a biped with skull mask. Pinkie Pie looked curiously at the biped. She brought out a tray of sweets out of nowhere and placed it beside the biped. Before the guard could warn Pinkie Pie, she bounced on her hooves and moved to a biped with goggles and brought another tray of sweets out of thin air and put it beside the biped. Pinkie sat beside the biped with goggles and stared at it with smiled. The biped looked at each other before they pulled their mask up and picked desserts from trays. They ate sweets pretty quickly, while Applejack smiled satisfactorily and turned to face the guard.
"Ah think this is a good start." Applejack said.
The bipeds finished their sweets. Pinkie Pie looked closely to the biped with goggles, but it didn't react anything further. The party pony expected some compliment from the bipeds and she faced a disappointment when the bipeds just pulled their mask back. Pinkie Pie frowned and decided to use her ultimate tactic to force somepony to speak.
"Hey, have you ever had a Hayperroni?" Pinkie Pie said and smile widely.
Pinkie Pie looked at the bipeds. They still remained silence. Pinkie frowned and raised her eyebrow before she smiled and continued to talk.
"Well, you know. Hayperroni is a mixed up word between Pepperroni and Hay!" Pinkie Pie said continuously. "Well, I tasted Pepperroni once and it tasted marvelous even I'm not a chef or something, but I wish I knew how to cook main dishes! Hey, or should I call it Pepperrohay! What do you like, big hooves, Hayperroni or Pepperrohay? Hayperroni or Pepperrohay? Hayperroni or Pepperrohay? Hayperroni or Pepperrohay? Hayperroni or Pepperrohay? That's so alike, right!? Speak of alike word, do you know hay is spell like say, way, yay, stay, okay and so on! Well, I there is so many word alike word in the world! Say with me-"
The biped with skull mask had walked and crouched down to close Pinkie Pie's muzzle with his claw-like front hoof. Pinkie Pie tried to put the biped's claw-like front hoof away until she knew it is impossible. The biped with goggles shook it head and looked away. The pink pony begged with her eyes at the biped with skull mask. It stared hostilely at Pinkie Pie. When it released Pinkie Pie, she rubbed her muzzle and ran back to stand beside Applejack. The biped walked back and sat on its spot with its right knee up and its right front leg on its right knee. Applejack and Rarity frowned and turned to face the biped with skull mask.
"Ouch, my mouth..." Pinkie Pie said.
"That's so mean! How could you do that to Pinkie!" Applejack said.
"Apologize, now!" Rarity said.
The bipeds ignored Applejack and Rarity. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes before an idea was coming in her mind. She flied to Pinkie Pie and whispered something in her ear. Pinkie Pie's pupils widened before she smiled and nodded to Rainbow Dash. The pink pony ran out from the room while Rainbow Dash grinned at the biped with goggles.
"Alright, everypony. Time to step it up a notch." Rainbow Dash said.
Angel leaded Twilight and Fluttershy to a carcass of giant timberwolf near a cliff with ivies. There was many rubble around the carcass. Trees and bushes around had been damaged. Two professors and a royal guard were checking the carcass with Fluttershy's animals. The professors were holding a magic crystal in their hoof and had a trouble to communicate with the animals until Fluttershy translated her animal's tongue. Twilight looked around the area and turned her head to a professor.
"Any more clue to tell us who defeat this timberwolf?" Twilight asked.
"Maybe, your highness. Beside the knife that these animal found. The crystal detects a strong trace of magic under this carcass." the professor said.
Twilight nodded. She focused at the carcass and levitated it up. Twilight placed the carcass in the woods and cast a spell on the ground. Soon, the spell revealed traces of hoofprints in a magic crater and familiar sharps in the middle on the ground with weird sticks and strange hoofprints leaded to the cliff. Twilight recognized the sharps quickly while other pony looked curiously at them.
"It can't be..." Twilight mumbled.
"What's wrong, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"Professors, take the photo." Twilight said. "Meet me at my castle when you've done. Fluttershy, go back to Ponyville with professors and meet our friends. I will go to the ruin alone."
"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy. It's gonna be fine." Twilight said.
Twilight filed up in the sky and checked strange hoofprints on the cliff before she headed toward the Castle of the Two Sister when she found the strange hoofprints end on a ledge above. Fluttershy looked around in the forest and joined the searching team to translate her animal's words to them.
Twilight arrived at a ravine and found a bridge is recently replaced. The princess scanned around the castle and saw the ruin and surrounding was destroyed by explosions and magic blasts. Twilight frowned as she saw no royal guards around the ruin. She held her chin with her front hoof and flied at a tower when she noticed that it had been heavily destroyed and found a professor with a guard inside. Twilight went through a broken wall and landed inside the destroyed room, which ruined by a forceful explosion. The princess approached to the professor, who holding a magic crystal like other, on a damaged raised stone floor.
"You're detecting a trace of magic here?" Twilight asked.
"Actually, princess. This place is filled with traces of magic, but this one isn't alike other."
"Isn't alike other?" Twilight thought.
Twilight cast a spell on the floor and made the trace become visible. This time, the traces were faded and unclear, but a magic crater was visible. Twilight guessed the traces aren't clear to be seen because they were destroyed by a explosion. Twilight felt she need a few evidences to connect between the traces and the meteor. The professor photographed the magenta unclear traces while Twilight was thinking.
"Oh, I almost forgot. What's happen to royal guards? they suppose to be here to guard the Element of harmony, right?" Twilight asked.
"Em... yes, we suppose to be here... but, something was happening, so our commander commanded us to leave this place." the guard said.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked.
The guard slightly nodded. "The Element of Harmony is... disappeared, my princess." the guard said.
"What!" Twilight exclaimed. "But- but, beside princess Celestia, princess Luna and us there is no other pony who can take the gems. Was the princess Celestia's assumption wrong!" Twilight said.
"We don't know, ma'am. But certainly, somepony stole them since last night." the guard said. "We've sent the letter to Canterlot to tell the Element was stolen, but for now, there is nothing we can do."
Twilight put her front hoof on her chin and looked down. She was thinking hard. Twilight couldn't think how other pony can take the Element of Harmony since the tree had enough magic to protect itself. She focused herself and put her questions out of her head.
"But we still have the Element of Harmony inside us." Twilight thought and put her front hoof down. She turned her head to the professor and asked. "...beside of the bad news, did you found anything further?"
"Well, we found that somepony was fighting inside this ruin, but we don't know who was in here last night." the professor said "They actually destroyed many parts of the ruin, especially the library."
Twilight flinched "The library!" Twilight said.
No more word, Twilight flied out the tower and headed toward the library. Twilight flied in and nearly fainted as she saw a ruined library. The princess walked toward a book on the floor and levitated it up. Twilight check the book and found it was slightly damage. She placed the book on a shelf and levitated another book to its place. Twilight looked around and levitated every scattered books before she checked for a damaged book closely. After she found no book is ruined, she slowly place every books in its shelves and repaired broken shelves with her magic. During tidying the library, the professor and the guard walked in the library and approached to the princess.
"Oh, sorry for leaving abruptly." Twilight said. "Did you take every photos?"
"Yes, my princess." the professor said.
"Thank for your help. You may leave now. Meet me at my castle." Twilight said.
The professor and the guard slightly bowed to Twilight before they walked out of the library. Twilight looked closely at each book before she put the book on its shelf. She remembered when she had tried to find some clues about the mysterious chest from here. Twilight took some time to put the library in order. The princess wiped her sweat with her wing before she flied up and headed back to Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash was waiting for Pinkie Pie outside the storehouse while Applejack and Rarity had tried to talk to the bipeds inside. The athletic pony hovered in the air and looked around until she saw Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, with her saddlebags, walking on the road. When they arrived at the storehouse. Rainbow Dash grinned and landed in front of Fluttershy.
"Alright, Fluttershy. You can use the Stare, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yes, I can, but why do you need my Stare?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's simply, Fluttershy. You just use your Stare to those bipeds and make them speak everything out!" Rainbow Dash said.
"That's horrible..." Fluttershy said.
"Come on, these bipeds tried to turn us into blind ponies once. This isn't a big deal at all!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Em... Okay." Fluttershy replied.
"That's the spirit, Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie said and pushed her front hoof at Fluttershy's side.
"Well, let's get in and teach them a lesson!" Rainbow Dash said.
Rainbow Dash flied past royal guards in the storeroom with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie followed her from behind. Applejack and Rarity noticed them and quickly walked toward them. Rainbow Dash looked at the sitting bipeds in the room and rolled her eyes.
"Did they say anything?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Nope." Applejack replied. "Rarity and Ah tried everythin', but they didn't react to us at all. Honestly, these bipeds are as stubborn as a mule! ... Well, no offense."
"Non taking..." a mule outside the storehouse said.
"Maybe they're upset." Fluttershy commented.
"Well, Fluttershy, you can communicate with animals and monsters, right? You should try it." Rainbow Dash said.
"Em... I think I should wait here and see how you guys can do." Fluttershy said and smiled sheepishly.
"We all here tried to talk to these biped, Fluttershy. You and Twilight are the last one." Rarity said.
"...Maybe I should wait for Twilight..." Fluttershy said slowly and quietly.
"Maybe you must go now, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash insisted and pushed her front hoof against Fluttershy's side.
Fluttershy squeaked and turned her head to the biped with skull mask. The timid pony swallowed hard and avoided to make eye contact with the biped before she walked closer to it a pace. Fluttershy could feel it threaten with Its small eyes and her legs started to shaking. She bit her lip and turned her head back to her friends, who waiting for her to use the Stare, before she turned her head and looked at the biped behind her hair.
"Well, em, can I know your name, sir?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
The biped didn't react. Rainbow Dash frowned and flied to stand behind Fluttershy.
"It can't hear you from here, Fluttershy. You need to get closer!" Rainbow Dash said and pushed Fluttershy with her head.
"No, I can't!" Fluttershy said and pinned herself down on the floor.
"Do it!" Rainbow Dash said.
"I can't." Fluttershy argued and refused to get closer.
"DO IT!" Rainbow Dash insisted.
"I CAN'T! " Fluttershy yelled and closed her mouth with her front hooves. In the same time, Rainbow Dash pushed Fluttershy too hard an launched her and Fluttershy toward the biped with skull mask. It didn't expect them to slide toward its position and Fluttershy's head and Rainbow Dash's front hooves violently hit directly at the biped's trunk before it could dodge. The bipeds exclaimed an unknown word as it was hit. The knife in Fluttershy's saddlebag flied out and pinned beside the biped with skull mask. It pushed Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash on its left leg away. The biped rubbed its trunk and narrowed its eyes at the knife.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Fluttershy said.
The biped didn't replied. It took the knife and completely ignored Fluttershy. The timid pony sweated and kept apologized the biped. She stopped when the biped said something in doubtful tone and pointed at the knife. Fluttershy stepped away and didn't said anything. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy and narrowed her eyes. The athletic pony walked to stand beside the timid pony and pushed her hoof at Fluttershy to calm her down.
"Seriously, Fluttershy. You have no need to fear them like that. See, we nearly pushed them over, but they didn't mind us at all." Rainbow Dash said and quietly laughed.
Fluttershy turned her head to Rainbow Dash with sad face. "I'm sorry..." Fluttershy said.
"So, did you hear it speak something, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, I heard he say some words out, but I don't know what it mean." Fluttershy said and pointed her front hoof to the biped with skull mask.
"Oh, come on! Why!" Rainbow Dash said.
"I think I em... need to learn their language for a bit longer." Fluttershy said.
"Okay, so go ahead and talk to them." Rainbow Dash said and pointed her front hoof at the biped with skull mask. It stood up and walked to the biped with goggles before it hoofed over the knife to it. The biped with goggles looked closely at the knife and kept it on its belt.
"I can't..." Fluttershy protested while the biped with skull mask returned to sit on its spot with its right knee up and its right front leg on its right knee.
"Why you have to fear these monsters, Fluttershy. Use your Stare!" Rainbow Dash said.
Fluttershy shook her head and lowered her head down. Rainbow Dash was frustrated.
"So, what should we do!?" Rainbow Dash said.
"What's going on in there?"
Everypony turned their head to the voice. They saw Twilight is walking in the room.
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie said at the same time.
"So, how's going on?" Twilight asked.
"One word, fruitless, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said.
"Ah'm glad to see you here, Twilight. With your help, we might know somethin' from these biped in no time." Applejack said.
"They squeezed my mouth too hard!" Pinkie Pie complained.
"They smell terrible." Rarity complained.
"I... em... accidentally headbutted on him." Fluttershy said.
"Okay, everypony." Twilight said. "Let see if I can do about these bipeds."
The five ponies nodded. Applejack and Flutteshy made way for Twilight. She walked to the biped with skull mask. Twilight glanced at the biped, who looks silently at the floor. The princess frowned as the bipeds looked familiar. She scanned the biped with skull mask and stopped her eyes at its claw-like front hooves. Twilight picked its left claw-like front hoof with her front hoof and looked closely before the biped quickly moved its claw-like hooves away from Twilight. The princess smiled awkwardly at the biped and turned to face her friends.
"I think I can guess their species." Twilight said.
"So, what are they?" Applejack asked.
"I assume that they're Human." Twilight said.
"Human?" Twilight's friends said in the same time.
"Human is a sentient being that living in another side of the Crystal Mirror. I met many of them when I was there. You see, this two things are called hands and this both limbs are called arms." Twilight said and pointed her front hoof at its claw-like front hooves and its front legs. "Minotaur and Tirek have these things alike them. And this two things are called feet." Twilight pointed her front hoof at its back hooves. "With these organs, I guess they possibly are human, but their head and their eyes aren't alike any human I saw, so I need some prove to show that they're actually humans."
"How we can find out that they're humans or not?" Rainbow Dash said.
"If they can talk or show a side of intelligence or have any electronic device, we may know this soon. Well, did you guys talk with them?" Twilight asked.
"We tried everythin', Twilight, but these bipeds spoke few words that we don't understand. But what is a electronic device?" Applejack asked.
"A electronic device is a device running by electricity." Twilight explained quickly. Applejack tilted her head and narrowed her left eye. "Well, I think these human-like may have their own language..." Twilight said, before an idea ran in her mind as her pupils widened. "Fluttershy, what's about the knife. Did you show it to them?"
"They already took it, Twilight. I think it's belonged to him." Fluttershy said and pointed her hoof at the biped with goggles.
"Okay, I see." Twilight said. She walked toward the biped with goggles and turned her head to her friend. "They might speak differently, but they possibly use they same alphabets. If we have some papers and quill. We might find a way to communicate with them."
"Speak about stationery, Twilight, I have papers and quill stashed all over Ponyville, in case of papers and quill emergency. Well, I have a ink bottle, too." Pinkie Pie said and picked papers with a quill and a ink bottle from under Applejack's hat.
"Hey, when did you put those thin' in mah hat, Pinkie!" Applejack said.
"It's a secret." Pinkie said and giggled.
"Alright, time to test my theory." Twilight said and levitated the papers, quill and ink bottle from Pinkie Pie. She put the ink bottle on the floor and opened its lid. Twilight dipped the nib of quill in the ink bottle and wrote on the paper. Twilight's friends could see the bipeds look at the aura-covered floating paper and quill. When Twilight finished, she turned the paper with words at the biped with goggles by her telekinesis. The biped read the words and nodded.
"What did you write on the paper, Twilight?" Rarity asked.
Twilight smiled widely and turned at her friend. "I asked him if his name is Roach. He definitely acted that is his name!"
"Wooohooo, we make a progress here!" Pinkie Pie said. She jumped and blew confetti out from her back. The bipeds looked confusedly at the pink pony while other Twilight's friends, but Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, were cheering and stomping for a short moment.
"So, he defeated a giant timberwolf with that knife... right...?" Fluttershy said and shivered.
"Come on, Fluttershy. Even Spike can beat up that thing." Rainbow Dash said.
"But you're flyin' away when you saw it, Rainbow Dash." Applejack said. She narrowed her eyes and smirked at the athletic pony.
"Fine, I admit that it's strong!" Rainbow Dash said.
"So, what should we ask next? Should we ask what did they think about my baked goods?" Pinkie Pie suggested.
"Not now, Pinkie. We need to ask them if they're member of Shade Thieves." Twilight said.
The princess turned to face the biped with goggles and wrote a question on the paper with her magic before she turned it at the biped. It read the question. The biped narrowed its eyes and shook it head.
"What did you ask it, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I asked him that if he know Shade Thieves." Twilight said.
"You lied, your tricky human-like things!" Rainbow Dash yelled and pointed her front hoof at the biped with goggles.
"What's about you, Applejack? Did he lie to us?" Twilight asked.
"Ah don't know, sugarcube... since it can mean it didn't know or it isn't Shade Thieves." Applejack said.
"Well, time for the next question." Twilight said and wrote another question on the paper. She levitated the paper in front of the biped and showed the question after she had done her writing. The biped looked at the question and nodded.
"I think it's gonna take us many hours until we actually accomplish something." Rainbow Dash said.
"I see, they told me that they're human." Twilight said.
"Hey, what is this thing?" Pinkie Pie said.
Twilight looked around for Pinkie Pie and found her standing beside the biped with goggles and pointing her front hoof at a device in its pouch. The biped covered it with it's left hand and pushed Pinkie Pie away. The party pony looked curiously at the hand and happily snuggled it with her head.
"Pinkie!" Twilight rebuked.
The biped quickly moved its hand away and crossed its arm. Pinkie Pie scanned the biped and pushed her hoof on a pocket on the biped's pants. Six stones rolled out from its pocket and stopped in front of Twilight. She looked closely at the stones and found her and her friends cutie marks on them. Twilight picked a stone with her cutie mark. It cracked on her hoof and revealed a familiar gemstone inside. Twilight's friends gather around the stones and picked their stone up. The stones cracked and showed what is inside them.
"The Element of Harmony...?" Twilight said. "But, how!? I was stolen from the Tree of Harmony last night!"
"Why these bipeds had the most important gemstones like this!" Rarity said.
"They definitely stole them from the Tree of Harmony! I knew they lied that they didn't know Shade Thieves!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Sir, we found the Element of Harmony in suspect bipeds!" a guard behind the mane six reported in his mic.
Everypony was talking and the room was noisy. The guards and Rainbow Dash stared hostilely at the bipeds. Twilight turned at the biped with goggles and noticed something form on its goggles.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here!"
Everypony turned at the voice, which come from the biped with goggles. Twilight narrowed her eyes and placed the papers and the quill on the floor until she saw an acquainted figure in the goggles. The bipeds, who looked doubtfully at the Twilight and her friends, started to looked around for the voice. The biped with skull mask ended their eyes on the goggles while the biped with goggles touched lightly on its goggles. Discord came out from its goggles and nearly hit his head on the ceiling. The draconequus smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat.
"Well, sorry for interrupt you all here, but it's nearly pass the lunch time, you know? So, I'm come her to tell you that you should go to have some lunch now." Discord said.
"Discord!" Twilight shouted. "That doesn't matter. I actually have something to ask you. What did you do with the Element of Harmony? Why these bipeds had them!?"
"Oh, come on, Twilight. I'm reformed. You helped me from Tirek, remember?" Discord said and brought a small photo of Twilight and Discord with defeated Tirek under their hooves. "I won't touch on the Tree of Harmony again after you've been so kind to me like that, and I know you need a case for the Element of Harmony, so I brought you this one." Discord said and a case appeared out of thin air. Twilight narrowed her eyes and looked closely at the case before she opened the case with her magic. She levitated and kept the Element of Harmony in the case before she closed it. The princess placed the case beside her and turned her head to Discord.
"Then why they had them!" Twilight asked and frowned. She put the case on her back with her magic.
"You see, Twilight. Princess Celestia's assumption was wrong. There is another pony who can take the Element of Harmony from the tree... Well, and that actually doesn't include me. I'm innocent! You must believe me!" Discord and and made innocent eyes.
"Then who is the pony that can extract the Element of Harmony and why you're here and harassed the bipeds?" Twilight asked.
"I just come here to tell you to have a lunch, sincerely! And otherwise, I come here to give you this book." Discord said and took a book from his back before gave it to Twilight. The princess narrowed her eyes and briefly looked at the book's cover, which a canvas strap straps over the title of the book.
"The Hero of Tides?" Twilight said as she saw the cover. "Why did you bring me this novel?"
"Well, well, I'm centuries-old, you know? There isn't too many book that I'm enjoy, so I will give you this one. It's my favorite." Discord said.
"I read this book when I was filly, Discord. It's just a story for children." Twilight said.
"Then you should read it again, Twilight. Maybe you will find something useful." Discord said. "Well, I must go now. See you again, Fluttershy. I will waiting for you at your house."
Discord vanished in a flash of light and left the mane six with bipeds. Twilight levitated the book and briefly looked at its cover. The princess knew the story in the book, but she couldn't remember anything special from the story. She remember that the book tell a story of a mysterious hero and the serpent, which has an ability to raise an army from its teeth. Twilight put the book on the case and turned to face her friends.
"I agree with Discord one thing. We need to have some lunch." Twilight said. "Let's eat something at my castle."
"Yeah, lunch time!" Pinkie Pie said.
"But, em... Discord is waiting for me at my house." Fluttershy said.
"Oh, I almost forget. Then we need to go home now. Meet me again this afternoon." Twilight said.
"See y'all later." Applejack said and walked out of the room.
"See ya." Rainbow Dash said and flied out the door.
"See you later, everypony." Rarity said and walked out through the door.
"Goodbye!" Pinkie said and rushed out the room.
"I guess I must go now..." Fluttershy said and slowly flied out the room.
Twilight tidied the papers, the quill and the ink bottle and put them on a haystack while her friends left the room and levitated the case and the book beside her. The princess walked out of the room with the case and the book and headed to her castle. The guard started to move out of the room. The guards locked the door when there was nopony in the room and left the bipeds inside.
Twilight arrived at the front of her dining room. The princess walked in the room and found only one professor is having lunch. Twilight sat on her seat and levitated the book and the case on a dining table before she levitated a dandelion sandwich to eat. The princess knew quickly the lunch is leftovers from yesterday, but she couldn't complain since she hadn't refilled her fridge.
"Sorry, professors, I forgot I have no food inside my castle." Twilight said an smiled sheepishly.
"No worry, princess. Most of us decided to eat something outside when your assistant said the castle is running out of fresh food. There is no hard feeling." a professor said.
"So, where is my assistant now?" Twilight asked.
"He's on the way to buy foodstuffs. I think he's on the way back now." the professor said.
"Okay, I see." Twilight said and ate the sandwich.
"I have to meet my workmates now. We will send a letter to you when we found something in the photos and samples that we collected from the magic craters and the ruin. For me, I must beg my leave." a professor said and bowed to the princess.
"Well, see you later." Twilight said.
The professor stepped down from her chair and exited the dining room. Twilight checked inside the case and found that the gemstones are still in there. She levitated the gemstones and looked at them closely. Twilight filled her stomach with sandwiches and put the gemstones back in the case before she closed it. The princess turned at the door when she heard it is opened. She saw Spike walk to and sat on the chair beside her.
"I refilled our food supply, Twilight." Spike said and looked at the book. "What? You bought another book?"
"No I didn't. Discord gave me the book when I was at a makeshift jail. It's a children's novel knows as "The Hero of Tides", Spike. Are you interesting in it?" Twilight asked.
Spike removed the strap. He read the book's title and opened the book. When Twilight was stepping down from her chair, Spike chuckled and turned the book's page with a illustration at Twilight. The princess tilted her head and walked closer to the book. She looked at the illustration of hero, which is a bipedal creature, is trying to communicate with an ancient pony.
"Twilight, this isn't a novel. It's a history book." Spike asked. "And in other hoof, This hero is alike me, right?"
Twilight raised her eyebrow. She levitated the book from Spike's claws. The baby dragon nearly lost his balance when the princess took away the book. Twilight read a bronze label on the book preciously. It wasn't "The Hero of Tides". It was "The Battle of Selene". She didn't remember the book names like this. Twilight briefly checked the book and found it is a history book that tells about a bipedal hero. The princess quickly turned the pages and eyed on the illustration of hero is drinking a potion hoofed over by a zebra.
"The hero drank the potion, to translate the tongue, of pony and other?" Twilight read out loud. "I think there must be something wrong about this book. Discord might try to prank me."
Twilight put the book on the floor. She shot a dispel spell on it, but nothing was changed. She shot the spell on the book again, but the book was still unaffected.
"Come on, it's just a boring history book." Spike said.
"Okay, okay. Spike, bring me saddlebags to keep this book and the case." Twilight said. The baby dragon ran out to find saddlebags. Twilight touched her chin with her front hoof. The princess had noticed the hero in the book and the bipeds are resembled. Twilight recalled her memory about humans at the Canterlot High School and realized the humans have the same language with ponies.
"Those biped possibly are humans from another world... since I never heard about another language in that realm" Twilight mumbled. "Well, I think I should ask Zecora about a translation potion. If the book was wrong, Zecora would tell she hasn't one... and I will know that this book is counterfeit..."
Spike returned with saddlebags. The princess worn them and levitated the case. She put the case and the book inside the saddlebags.
"Spike, follow me." Twilight said.
Twilight and the baby dragon walked out of the dining room and went to Zecora's hut.
Fluttershy opened her house's door. She walked in and found nopony inside her cottage, but her animals. The animal caretaker looked around the living room, which contains birdhouse and home of her animals. She noticed all food trays are refilled and animal's houses are cleaned. Fluttershy walked in the kitchen. A lunch was on the table, but Discord wasn't there. The timid pony walked upstairs and opened the bathroom's door, but there was nopony in there. Fluttershy looked around her house, but she didn't find her chaotic friend anywhere.
"Discord?" Fluttershy called.
After she received no call back, Fluttershy walked downstairs and sat on a sofa. She put took off her saddlebags and placed it beside her. Fluttershy's animals surrounded the timid pony and looked at her with sad face. Fluttershy petted on Angel's head and noticed a bird is holding a note in its mouth. The timid pony took the note and read it out loud.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy. I will return soon, Discord" Fluttershy read and looked at her animals. "Why he leave this short note to me? Where did he go? Why he didn't tell me anything? Did you know anything?"
Fluttershy listened a squirrel talking to her in its tongue. The timid pony nodded slowly.
"He just did my chores and left the note? He looked serious when he's gone? Oh my... I never see Discord is serious before." Fluttershy said.
A bird tweeted to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasi nodded slightly.
"I should looking for him? But, where should I start?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
Angel prodded Fluttershy and pointed its paw at the kitchen.
"What? I already searched the kitchen. Discord wasn't there." Fluttershy said.
Angel shook his head and made a gesture of eating.
"Oh, I almost forgot! I have to have some lunch." Fluttershy said and flied slowly in the kitchen. The bird looked angrily at Angel and followed the yellow pegasi in the kitchen. Angel shrugged and followed Fluttershy in the kitchen.
Twilight and Spike arrived in front of Zecora's hut in the Everfree forest. The Zecora's hut was in the big tree with few Zebra's masks decorated around and potion bottles hangs on branches. Twilight and Spike approached to the hut. The princess stood in front of the door and knocked it gently.
"Zecora, are you in there?" Twilight asked.
"I'm here in my hut, come in here the door isn't shut." Zecora said in rhyme.
Twilight and Spike opened the door and walked in. Zecora was brewing her potion in her cauldron at the center of the hut. The zebra turned her head to Twilight and smiled.
"What bring you here my friends, I'm happy to see you again." Zecora said.
"Zecora, sorry for interrupt you, but did you know anything about translation potion?" Twilight asked.
"Unquestionably, I have the brew you said, I will show you what I made." Zecora said.
"Definitely, it doesn't exist... What!" Twilight exclaimed.
"It's a simple translation potion with few need, no ingredient in there was exceed." Zecora said and walked to potion shelves. She searched for the potion and picked a flask of translation potion with her front hoof before she walked to Twilight.
"Here the potion, Twilight Sparkle, this brew's effective is double." Zecora said and gave the flask to Twilight. "So, why did you ask for this brew, What caused your curiosity grew?"
"Well, my friend gave me a history book that seem to be fake, so I need to prove it for a reason." Twilight said and gave the flask to Spike. Zecora slightly nodded. "But I also need this potion, too. Well, how to use this potion?"
"You need to drink it from this small cup, but be careful, don't mix it in a syrup." Zecora said and walked to the shelves. She held a cup in her mouth and walked back to Twilight.
"Thank, Zecora." Twilight said and took the cup. She gave it to Spike, who hold the cup and the flask in his arms.
"If you want more of these potion, just asked me when there is the sun." Zecora said. She smiled and turned to the cauldron.
Twilight and Spike walked out of the hut. The princess closed the door and levitated the flask and the cup with her magic to help the baby dragon when he nearly lost his balance. Twilight levitated Spike to sit on her back and walked back to Ponyvile with the flask and the cup beside her.
Roach looked aimlessly at the ceiling. He felt like he has been in the storeroom for ten years. After the six quadrupeds left, Roach had nothing to do, but fiddled with his knife and drank water. He recalled his memory when the six quadrupeds was here and tried to analyze what did they trying to do or what is their intention.
The pink quadruped had gave them desserts, which Roach had to accept in its deliciousness. He didn't know clearly why the pink quadruped had gave them the sweet. Roach assumed that it was trying to bribe him and Ghost, but it was still unclear why they needed to persuade them with desserts, especially the pink quadruped had showed no sign of cunning and seemed to be childish. The white horned quadruped and the orange quadruped had clearly showed that they didn't like him and Ghost at all, but the two quadrupeds had tried to fake that they wasn't mind Roach and Ghost when the horned winged lavender quadruped was around. The cyan winged quadruped with bandages certainly had remembered them and stared meanly at Roach and Ghost all the time. The yellow winged quadruped had appeared to be afraid of Roach and Ghost. The lavender quadruped had clearly been curious about them and the chimera had showed to be tricky.
"I can't connect the dots together. What are 'em? Are they interrogation team? But they looked untrained." Roach thought.
Roach was thinking, but he couldn't find a satisfied answer. He raised up to sit and looked at Ghost. He was sitting as the same position as he got in here and didn't sleep. Roach thought topic of conversation and decided to talk to Ghost to pass the time.
"Ghost." Roach called.
''What?" Ghost replied.
"Can you... remember when we're at the Fire Base Phoenix?" Roach said.
"Well, it's not a good memory for you with that performance at The Pit." Ghost said.
"I know I couldn't come close with your eighteen seconds." Roach said.
"You're still thinking about it?" Ghost said.
"I mean, we joined in the Task Force in the same time. It's always fun to be your teammate in Task Force, but that time is very terrible even I could do it better." Roach said and laughed.
"Everyone makes mistakes, Roach." Ghost said. "Remember, Soap and I trusts you to do every important tasks, because we know you can complete 'em with no flaw and trust in your skill."
"I'm not worthy of such this compliments, Ghost, but thank anyway." Roach said. "So, what's your unforgettable memory?"
Ghost looked at the floor and exhaled. "I failed to protect my family." Ghost said.
"Your family?" Roach said and frowned.
"I killed the murderer with my own hands, so it's alright for me." Ghost said. "After my family died, I've devoted myself to our country, to kill anybody who want innocents' blood, such as Makarov... Well, what's about your family, Roach?"
"Em... I see." Roach said. He thought about the woman in his dream. "I think... I have no family, Ghost."
"Really? I had never known about it. Are you an orphan?" Ghost said.
"Truth to be told, I can't remember anything clearly before I joined SAS." Roach said.
"Okay, I'm understand." Ghost said.
Roach and Ghost turned at the door when they heard it is unlocked. Six familiar quadrupeds and a scaly living thing walked in the room with six horned quadruped guards followed from behind and floating flask and cup in magenta auras beside a lavender quadruped. It had saddlebags on its back. The horned quadruped guards stood behind the six quadrupeds while the lavender quadruped with a magenta aura around its horn. It walked to Roach along with hovering a flask and a cup in magenta auras. The lavender quadruped looked at the flask decants a glittering green liquid into the cup on their own. When the cup was filled, it floated to Roach and placed in front of him and an aura around the cop vanished. Roach stared doubtfully at the cup with a unknown liquid. The sergeant looked at the lavender quadruped. It moved it front hoof to tell him to drink it. Roach pushed the cup away and shook his head. The lavender quadruped frowned. The papers and the quill was covered in magenta auras and levitated from the haystack. The paper and the quill flied and hovered in front of the lavender quadruped. The quill wrote something on a paper in a magenta aura before the paper turned what it was written to Roach.
"Please drink it?" Roach read.
The sergeant narrowed his eyes and looked at the cup of green liquid. He picked the cup up and pulled his balaclava up. Roach noticed that scaly living thing is watching him doubtfully. He sniffed the liquid. He smelled no poison from the liquid, but it didn't smell great either. Roach looked from the corner of his eyes. He could see that the lavender quadrupeds is excited and didn't kept its big eyes off him. When Roach lowered the cup down, the lavender quadrupeds frowned at him and moved its front hoof to tell him to drink. Roach turned to face Ghost. He sat still and looked straight at the sergeant. He put the cup down and shook his head at the lavender quadruped. It narrowed its eyes before the quill wrote on the paper in a magenta aura. The paper turned words to Roach. The sergeant narrowed his eyes and read it.
"Don't be silly. It's a translation potion?" Roach read. "What is a translation potion anyway?"
Roach saw the six quadrupeds are talking to each other before a pink quadruped bounced to stand beside Roach and held the cup in its mouth. It drank all the liquid and put the cup down before It turned and smiled widely at Roach while the lavender quadruped rebuked the pink quadruped with unknown words. The pink quadruped watched the flask decants another liquid in the cup. A orange quadruped walked to him and said something in their tongue. The scaly living thing stood beside him and talked something that Roach can't understand. A cyan quadruped with bandages flied beside him and appeared to mock him with its words, but the lavender quadruped quickly rebuked at the cyan quadruped with unknown words. The cup placed in front of him when it was filled and the lavender indicated him to drink it and slightly smiled at Roach.
"If they intend to kill us, they would do it long time ago." Roach thought. "This is probably the stupidest thing I've even decided. But well, Here we go."
The sergeant picked up and drank all the liquid inside the cup. He put the cup down and felt an electric current running inside his body. Ghost's eyes widened as Roach was glowing. Roach slowly understood what the quadrupeds are talking. Their words slowly became intelligible. When Roach stopped glowing, he pulled his balaclava back and heard the lavender quadruped talking to him.
"Are you alright, sir?" the lavender quadruped said.
"...you can talk?" Roach asked.
"Yes, I can talk." the lavender quadruped said. "So, mister Roach. can you hear me clearly?"
Roach nodded. The papers, the flank, the cup and the quill floated to place on the haystack and the auras around them vanished while the lavender quadruped smiled widely as its horn stopped glowing.
"It's work! The potion is work!" the lavender quadruped said.
"Wow, you can talk now!" the pink quadruped said.
"You sir can talk now? Congratulation!" the white quadruped said.
"Ah know it was a hard time for y'all, but this is a good time for you." the orange quadruped said.
"Ha! at last you can talk now! Nicely done, Twilight." the cyan quadruped said.
"That's amazing!" the scaly living thing said. Roach noticed that it looks like a reptile.
"Well... are you alright?" the yellow quadruped said.
"Well, hold on..." Roach said.
"What?" the lavender quadruped said.
Roach turned to the lieutenant. "Ghost, it's actually a translation potion. I can understand these quadrupeds intelligibly."
"Quadruped? Who?" the lavender quadruped asked and looked doubtfully at Roach. "Well.. anyway, you need to drink, too, mister skull-man. We still have a plenty of it."
The lavender quadruped's horn, the flask and the cup started to cover in magenta auras and float up. The flask decanted and filled the liquid into the cup. It floated to Ghost, who take it with his right hand and stare at the liquid. He pulled his balaclava up and drank the liquid. He glowed for a moment before he turned his face to the lavender quadruped and handed over the cup.
"Here." Ghost said.
The lavender quadruped smiled at Ghost. He pulled his balaclava back while the cup and the flask were levitated and the scaly living thing held them when the auras around the objects and the lavender quadruped's horn was gone.
"Okay, first of all. What are you?" the lavender quadruped asked and looked at Roach before turned at Ghost. Roach was about to speak, but Ghost raised his hand to Roach to stop him and turned to face the lavender quadruped.
"It's us who need to ask you what are you?" Ghost said. The lavender quadruped tilted its head and raised its eyebrow.
"Well... you see, we're pony." the lavender pony said. "Oh, how rude of me? I didn't introduce myself yet. My name is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight put its front hoof at its chest. "Here is my friends. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Spike." Twilight pointed its front hoof at each ponies and a scaly living thing as it introduced them and put its front hoof down. Twilight's friend, but Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, slightly waved its front hoof at Ghost and Roach.
"Nice to meet you." Ghost said quickly. "Well, you look like civvies more than a part of army. I know interrogation team maybe casual sometime, but you're different."
"Em... yeah! We're not E.U.P. Guard. We just need some answer from you two." Twilight said.
"What do you want?" Ghost asked.
"I want to ask you again. What are you?" Twilight asked.
"It's actually 'who are you? ', not 'what are you?' " Ghost said. "But if you asked about our species, we're human. I'm Ghost and this guy with goggles is Roach." Ghost gesture his hand to Roach.
"So, mister Ghost. Why you couldn't comprehend our words? All human I met can talk and understand our language." Twilight said.
"I don't know what kind of human you met, but there is no possible for you to survive on our Earth." Ghost said.
Twilight frowned. It stepped away one pace, but kept its eyes on the lieutenant. Fluttershy hid behind Rarity while Rainbow Dash narrowed its eyes and frowned. Pinkie Pie and Applejack looked and each other before looked at Ghost and tilted their heads.
"So, why did your friend had the Element of Harmony?" Twilight asked.
"What is the Element of Harmony?" Ghost asked.
"Well... here." Twilight said as its horned glowed. The case in magenta aura was levitated from its saddlebag and floated to Ghost. It opened and briefly showed six gems inside before it closed. "It used to be inside stones found in your friend's pocket."
"I have no idea where did he get 'em." Ghost said.
"You lied, Ghostly! They're in his pocket. You certainly must get it from somewhere!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Rainbow Dash, stop!" Twilight said and turned its head to Ghost. "I must sorry for her, mister Ghost."
"So, I gave you many answers. I would like to ask you as well." Ghost said. Roach knew what is he plan for.
"I'm listening." Twilight said. The case put in the saddlebag before the aura around it and the lavender pony's horn was vanished.
"Where are we now?" Ghost asked.
"You're in Ponyville, of course." Twilight said.
"Ponyville? That's weird name..." Ghost said.
"Hey! you shouldn't say anything like that. Your friend's name is worse than our village's name!" Spike said while he put the flask and the cup down.
"It's alright, Spike." Twilight said.
"So, your ponies and scaly things live in this village?" Ghost said.
"No, no, no. He's a baby dragon. Beside, we have other cities and towns around Equestria, such as Manehattan, Canterlot, Fillydelphia and many of them. Well, it's maybe too late, but we welcome you two to Equestria." Twilight said before Spike could say a word. The lavender pony smiled sheepishly at Ghost.
"But you imprisoned us in this storeroom. It's not a good introduction." Ghost said.
"Em... well... you see. You and your friends harmed many royal guards with your magic and we didn't know yet that you're Shade Thieves or not, so we have to put you in here." Twilight said.
"We don't know about Shade Thieves or anything like that. And we have no magic. It's nonsense." Ghost said.
"Every criminal says that they're innocent." Rainbow Dash said. It hovered in the air and crossed its front legs.
"It's your choice what you're gonna believe, but you comical ponies will get nothing from us until we're released." Ghost said coldly and stared at Twilight.
"Hold your tongue, you cunning monster! You know who you're speaking to!? She is the princess! Show some respect to her!" a guard behind Rarity yelled.
"I didn't mind that." Twilight said to the guard and turned its head to Ghost. "Okay, I promise I will release you and your friend."
"These ponies are unintelligent than they look." Roach thought. He saw that Twilight was easily convinced by Ghost. He had expected Ghost to persuade the lavender pony a bit longer to release them. His hope started to grow. Ghost moved a bit and nodded slightly.
"But with three agreements." Twilight said.
Ghost raised his eyebrow. He looked at Roach, who gestures his hand to listen to Twilight. Ghost nodded and turned to face Twilight. Roach hoped the agreements are easy to comply.
"Go on." Ghost said.
"First, you must promise us that you will not harm anypony." Twilight said.
"That's easy." Ghost replied.
"Next, you must listen to me and be under my watch." Twilight said.
"... That fine." Ghost replied.
"And last, you two have to make a Pinkie Promise that you won't break these agreements."
"What?" Roach thought.
"Okay, I will do it." Ghost said.
"Good! Now, say with me!" Pinkie Pie said and bounced on its hooves to stand between Ghost and Roach. "Cross My Heart, Hope to Fly, Stick a Cupcake in my Eye!" Pinkie Pie said slowly while it put its front hoof on its chest and raised the hoof up before put the hoof on its eye.
"Did I have to do this!?" Roach thought while he was looking at Pinkie Pie doing its promise.
Roach and Ghost looked at each other. They both hated to do a childish act. Roach looked at the six ponies, especially Pinkie Pie. They stared at them and waited for Roach and Ghost to do the promise.
"Cross My Heart... Hope to Fly... Stick a Cupcake in my Eye..." Roach and Ghost said and acted the promise with low enthusiasm.
"Thank for your cooperation." Twilight said and clapped its front hooves before it turned its face to its friends. Twilight's friends, but Rainbow Dash, smiled back. Twilight turned its face to Ghost and raised its front hoof.
"Guard, set two humans in the storehouse free." Twilight said.
"But, princess." a pony guard protested.
"Don't worry, I know they will keep the promise." Twilight said.
Pony guards looked at each other. Roach knew the pony guards don't trust him and Ghost. One of the pony guards looked angrily at Ghost, while one of them put a mic out from its armor.
"Commander Strong Swift, princess Twilight Sparkle request to release two humane suspects." the pony guard said to the mic.
"They're human, guard." Twilight said.
"Oh, pardon me, princess." the pony guard said.
Roach noticed that all pony guards wear a small earpiece in their ear and have a small mic. The pony guard listened its command and put the mic back in its armor.
"Suspects release!" the pony guard announced.
"Please follow me." Twilight said to Roach and Ghost.
Ghost and Roach stood up. Spike picked up the flask and the cup. The pony guards leaded the six ponies and Spike out of the room with Ghost and Roach. Upon Roach and Ghost ducked down and walked out of the room. Ponies on the road stared at the elite soldiers and stopped what they are doing instantly. Twilight looked at the ponies and smiled awkwardly.
"Don't worry, everypony. We talked and told them to made a Pinkie Promise that they won't hurt anypony." Twilight announced.
Many ponies breathed a sigh of relief. Ponies continued their daily life and looked away from the elite soldiers. The six ponies and Spike leaded Roach and Ghost while pony guards watched out the elite soldiers' back. While they were walking on the road, Twilight and its friends had to talk or announce to ponies that didn't know about Roach's and Ghost's promise. Twilight kept announcing like "They're friendly. Don't panic everypony.", or "It's okay, everypony. They won't do any harm", or "Calm down, they mean no harm.". The news spread fairly quickly as less ponies were panicking when they saw the elite soldiers. Roach and Ghost looked around while followed the six ponies. The village was lively and peaceful. There is no sign of conflict around and every pony was cheerful. The air was fresh and the environment was clean. Roach breathed in the air and exhaled loudly.
"So, where are we going?" Ghost asked.
"To the Sugarcube Corner, of course." Twilight said.
Call of Duty : Magic in Action
Day 2 : Keep at Arm's Length
"Keep at Arm's Length"
Day 2 - (Day time)
Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson
(M.I.A.)
Ponyville.
Roach and Ghost looked doubtfully at Twilight while they're walking on the road. The elite soldiers saw the six ponies and Spike whisper at each other. Twilight turned its head back at Roach and smiled before it turned its head back to Applejack and whispered something. Roach suspected of the six ponies' and Spike's behavior. He turned his head at Ghost. He ignored the suspect action of ponies and purple baby dragon. Roach guessed Ghost is planing something in his mind. The sergeant decided to ignore the ponies and the baby dragon and looked around along the road. Beside of life in the village, Roach couldn't see anything interesting beside his assumption that horned ponies have some kind of mental power. Some ponies whispered at each other when they saw the elite soldiers. Roach put his goggles back on while Ghost put out and worn his sunglasses.
"Well, this place isn't... the worst." Roach said.
"At least it's better than that favela. I can't see any trash on this road." Ghost said.
Twilight turned its head to Ghost. "That because we pony concern about our environment. We all keep the village clean together." Twilight said.
Applejack turned its head to Ghost. "Well, what's about you, big guys? Where are you from?" Applejack asked while Twilight turned its head back to the front.
"We come from UK." Ghost replied.
"Em... that's a weird city's name." Applejack said.
"It's not a city. It's a country." Ghost said.
Applejack narrowed its eye. "A country? You mean a western town like Appleloosa?" Applejack said.
"Long story short, UK means United Kingdom. It includes the people, a government from election, a monarch under the constitution and many bloody sophisticated political stuffs that nobody cares." Ghost said.
"Your country... seem... chaotic." Twilight said to Ghost.
"Yes, it is." Ghost said. "Speaking of my country. You said that you met humans before. Where did you meet 'em?"
"You see... I went through the Crystal Mirror inside my castle. Honestly, I never read anything about politics in that realm. Everything there aren't different from here. Only there has humans instead of ponies." Twilight said and nearly bumped to a cart.
"The Crystal Mirror?" Roach thought and made a mental note.
"We're here!" Pinkie Pie said.
They arrived at a place. Roach scanned on the building in the middle of the area, which is different from many buildings he saw along the road. The Sugarcube Corner looked alike a colossal gingerbread house. Pinkie Pie opened the door and leaded everyone, but pony guards, inside. The pony guards surrounded and secured the Sugarcube Corner while Ghost and Roach were ducking down and walking inside the gingerbread house with the six ponies and Spike. Inside the Sugarcube Corner showed it is a bakery. The ponies and Spike, but Pinkie Pie, sat at the same table. Pinkie stood beside Twilight and indicated Ghost and Roach to sit down. Spike put the flask and the cup on the table. Roach and Ghost sat down at the same table of ponies and baby dragon. The chairs were quite short for the elite soldiers as they had to put their knees a bit up to sit down.
"Would you like some sweets, mister Roach, mister Ghost?" Twilight said.
"I had enough." Ghost replied.
"Me, either." Roach said.
"Well... em... yeah! We just had a lunch, too, so, I think we should have a talk, right." Twilight said and laughed awkwardly. "Actually, we brought you here to treat you and hope you would forgive us about everything we had done wrong to you. I know it might not be a good start, but can you make allowance for us?"
Rainbow Dash was about to speak something, but Applejack held the cyan pony's mouth with its front hoof. Ghost and Roach considered the horned winked lavender pony. It smiled sheepishly and sweated. Roach slightly nodded and turned to face Ghost.
"I have no hard feeling." Ghost said.
"That's wonderful!" Twilight said and clapped its front hooves. "There is so many thing we have to talk about. I think we should start with - relationship problem?"
"Fashion?" Rarity suggested.
"Apple?" Applejack said and put its front hoof down.
"Racing!" Rainbow Dash said as its mouth was free.
"Hoofball?" Spike said.
"Animal?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Or party!" Pinkie pie said and brought a cannon out from its back. She shot confetti out from cannon and jumped up.
"Okay, okay, what do you want?" Ghost said as confetti fell upon him.
"Well, you know..." Twilight said.
"We want to help you because the map said so." Pinkie Pie said quickly and made the party cannon vanish within thin air.
"Yes, the map called us to our town. We guess it need us to help you two in some ways." Twilight said.
"You know what? I don't care about animal, fashion, party or anything that you said. What we need most is to get back to our country. If you can help us this way, then we have a deal." Ghost said.
Twilight looked blankly at Ghost. Its friends looked at each other. Rainbow Dash shrugged. Applejack shook its head. Fluttershy hid its face under the table and looked worriedly at Ghost and Roach. Rarity tilted its head. Pinkie Pie whispered to Twilight and it nodded slightly.
"I think we can't provide you your need." Twilight said.
"Why not?" Ghost asked.
"Well, I can show you the Crystal Mirror, but I think it might not be your world." Twilight said. "Most humans behind the Crystal Mirror have a different of skin color. They have big head, small body and thin limbs, but you guys are... different and I never heard about humans from other side can reach to Equestria."
"I think you met some kind of alien." Ghost said.
"Of course, they might be alien to you as they're unalike to you two." Twilight said. "I suggest you have to stay with us for awhile and wait for the train until tomorrow to Canterlot. I'm pretty confident that princess Celestia and princess Luna know how to help you two to your world."
Ghost stared at Twilight's eyes. "...Deal." Ghost said.
"That great. well, In exchange of our help, we need you to tell me the truth." Twilight said. Ghost and Roach nodded. "Ghost, Roach, can you promise me that you will tell us the truth?"
Ghost slightly moved on his chair. "It depend on your question." Ghost said.
"...Ghost, Roach." Twilight said. "What do you think if I want to be your friend."
"What!?" Twilight's friends said in the same time.
"Are you nuts, Twilight! That-" Rainbow Dash said before Applejack put its front hoof on the cyan pony's mouth.
"Twilight, I think that's... quite... impossible." Applejack said and smiled awkwardly.
"It's too early, right?" Rarity said.
"Yeah, that's extreme." Spike said
"I love to see you have a new friends, but I can't be friend to somepony who eats pony, right?" Pinkie Pie said and laughed anxiously.
"Eat pony!" Fluttershy said and held its mouth with its front hooves.
"Hold on there, we would never put anything like your through our throat." Ghost said. "And you aren't in our diet."
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. Applejack and Rarity looked at Ghost's and Roach's bloodstains. Rarity clearly couldn't hold its bad feeling toward their tactical jacket and looked away from Ghost and Roach after it stared at their jacket for a second.
"So... why do you get that bloodstain?" Twilight said and pointed its front hoof at Ghost's chest.
"That's our blood. We've got it before we're here." Ghost said.
"Oh... my, are you injured?" Twilight asked.
"We're fine now." Ghost said.
"Well, so... back to the question." Twilight asked. "What do you think about become my friend?"
Ghost scratched his chin. "That's fine to me, I guess." Ghost said.
"I'm glad to hear that, Ghost. What's about you, Roach?" Twilight asked.
"I think it's okay." Roach said.
"So, what's about you guys? Can you all be their friends?" Twilight said.
"Your friends is mah friend, Twilight." Applejack said and smiled sheepishly.
"That... okay!" Pinkie Pie said and grinned. It darted its eyes around.
"Em... it's worth a try!" Rainbow Dash said and laughed awkwardly.
"I agree with you, Twilight... maybe..." Fluttershy said and hid half of its face under the table.
"Well, sure, daring!" Rarity said and sweated.
Twilight looked at both soldiers. The lavender pony smiled and slightly nodded. Its friends looked at each other before looked at Twilight. The ponies and the baby dragon stared at the elite soldiers. Roach assumed the ponies and the baby dragon wait for him and Ghost to speak something, but they decided to say nothing.
"Okay, can you give us a moment." Twilight said.
Roach raised his eyebrow as he saw Twilight motions its front hoof to call its friends. Twilight stepped down from its chair and leaded its friends away from Ghost and Roach while Spike took the flask and the cup and followed Twilight. Twilight and its friends entered another room. Roach heard they whisper at each other and Pinkie Pie seldom looked at Ghost and Roach behind a door. The sergeant stared at the door and tried to listen to their conversation. Unexpectedly, Roach heard a static noise in his comm.
["Ghost, talk to me. What's your situation?"] Archer said in the radio.
The sergeant looked around and watched at the door until he was sure that the ponies and baby dragon are still talking inside the room. Roach looked at Ghost and slightly nodded to him. Ghost crossed his arms and avoided to act suspicious.
["Archer, this is Ghost. A group of quadruped transferred us from the locked room to a giant gingerbread house."] Ghost whispered. ["We got some intels from them. These quadrupeds called 'emselves pony and this village called Ponyville. They gave us some kind of medicine that make us understand their language and eventually tested the medicine to prove that it's not a poison. Honestly, they're pretty... dense."]
["I think those "ponies" are trying to play games with you, Ghost. Be careful, don't let 'em fool you."] Archer warned.
["Don't worry, we know how to return to our land and we've aimed to escape from 'em. Roach and I will temporary follow their games and gather their intels for awhile."] Ghost whispered. ["Be advised, we're watched over by many ponies. You need to go silence during this time to cover your presence."]
["Roger that. We know you two can escape, Archer, out."] Archer said.
Ghost lowered his hand as the ponies and the baby dragon walked out of the room. Twilight walked toward the elite soldier's table while Twilight's friends and Spike, with the flask and the cup, walked out of the bakery. The lavender pony took a seat at the same table of elite soldiers and looked at Ghost and Roach.
"Sorry to take your time, Ghost, Roach, but we need to keep something secret to surprise you." Twilight said. "We planed to welcome you to Ponyville as you're new here. There is so many things to do and our hospitality should be enough to make a good introduce for you to Equestria."
"That sounds good, but can you make it short." Ghost said.
"This won't take time, Ghost. I promise you will satisfy what we're going to treat you." Twilight said.
Ghost narrowed his eyes. Twilight chuckled and stepped down from its chair. Roach and Ghost stood up. Twilight indicated the elite soldiers to follow it outside. When Ghost and Roach stepped on a doorstep, four horned pony guards followed and watched over them immediately.
"So much for hospitality." Roach thought.
"First, we will go to the Sweet Apple Acres." Twilight said. "The farm is this way."
Twilight leaded Ghost and Roach with pony guards followed them from behind. A young pony near a house was looking at the sergeant and stepping away from him. Ponies on the road made way for the group and stare at Ghost and Roach or whispered with other pony.
Ponies along the road had clearly showed no trust toward the elite soldiers. They had feared and loathed toward Roach and Ghost as they had walked past them. Roach didn't mind their feeling about him and Ghost since he had no interest in the colorful world and its comical ponies. After they walked for awhile, they arrived at an apple farm. Roach could see a red barn surrounds by fields, corrals and orchards. In front of the barn, there was four ponies and a dog with two pony guards standing there. Roach remembered the orange pony, but other three ponies and a dog. There were a big red pony, a aged green pony, a young yellow pony and a brown dog. They walked pass a white small arched entrance and approached to them.
"Howdy, everypony and everyhuman! Welcome y'all to our orchard." Applejack said. "Here is mah little sister, Applebloom."
Applebloom looked curiously at Ghost and Roach and tried to look something on their hip. Roach was firstly seeing the young pony that doesn't fear him and Ghost. Applebloom smiled widely at Roach, but he reacted nothing.
"And our beloved grandma, Granny Smith." Applejack introduced.
"Howdy, everyhumane." Granny Smith said shakily.
"And mah brother, Big McIntosh " Applejack introduced.
"E'yup" Bic McIntosh said. Roach couldn't read it facial expression.
"And this is mah dog, Winona." Applejack said. Winona barked and walked to put its paw on Roach's boot before ran back to stand beside Applejack. "Ah think we should get inside our house now. We prepared the most perfect cider for your visit."
Applejack leaded everyone inside its barn. When Applejack opened the door, Roach clearly saw it is actually a barn. There was hay-covered floor and haystacks everywhere, but everything was tidy. Roach noticed the barn has a low ceiling. Before Roach thought some pony are living like a livestock, Applejack opened another door in the barn and revealed a real house inside. They walked in a kitchen with farmhouse-style. Ghost and Roach had to duck down to go through the door. When they got in, Applejack, Granny Smith, Applebloom, Big Mag and Winona surrounded a table in the middle of the room. The pony guards walked in the room and stood behind Roach and Ghost. The elite soldiers saw a valuable bottle of cider on the table with two wooden beer cup. Roach touched his chin as he wondered how ponies can make an elegant drink. Applejack decanted the cider in the both cup with its front hooves. Roach quite amazed in the pony's ability to balance the bottle with no hand while no cider was spilled from the cup. Applejack put the bottle down and made way for Ghost and Roach before it turned at them.
"Ah know you're full now, but some cider would be fine, right?" Applejack said.
Ghost and Roach looked at Applejack and nodded slightly. They walked to the table. Roach and Ghost pulled his balaclava up and picked up a cup of cider. The sergeant sniffed the cider before he drank it while Ghost drank the cider after Roach. They put their cup down after they drank all the cider and pulled their balaclava down.
"So, what do you think?" Applejack said.
"Good, even it didn't taste like cider." Ghost said while Roach nodded.
"Well, can I ask you something?" Applejack said.
Ghost adjusted his headphones. "Go on." Ghost said.
"What's your name?" Applejack said.
"Ghost, why?" Ghost said.
"Good, then, where did you get the Element of Harmony." Applejack asked.
Ghost shook his head. "I don't know." Ghost said.
"Em... I meant, those round stone." Applejack said.
"I say again, I don't know!" Ghost said and smashed the table with his fist. "When I know that they're in his pocket, we're in the middle of goddamn forest!"
Ghost stopped for a second. Applejack looked at Ghost blankly and turned to whispered something to its sister. Applebloom whispered something and Applejack turned to face Ghost and smiled awkwardly at him as Applebloom carried the cups away and ran off.
"Sorry for asked you a weird question, Ghost. I'm sincerely sorry." Applejack said and laughed sheepishly. "As a apology, Mah sister will bring you another drink. I think you will certainly like it... I hope."
"Really, then can you tell me what's in that cider?" Ghost said coldly and pointed at the bottle of cider.
Applejack froze. It looked at Twilight and its family and darted its eyes around. It bit it lip and tried to look straight at Ghost's face.
"Well, you know. Some special... you see, ingredient that is...a secret... of our family!" Applejack said jerkily and sweated. Big McIntosh and Granny Smith nodded anxiously. The orange pony tried to smile, but it looked like it has a toothache.
"...oh, alright." Ghost said and slightly nodded. Roach narrowed his eyes as Applejack exhaled loudly. In the same time, Applebloom ran in the kitchen with two cup of clear liquid. The small pony stood between Ghost and Roach and moved its head to indicate them to pick the cup up. Ghost picked both cups up and placed it on the table. He look at Applejack. It swallowed and was anxious. Ghost sighed before he crouched down and tapped on Applebloom's head.
"I think I'll pass this drink." Ghost said and stood up. "Thank for the cider anyway. If you didn't mind, can we go now?"
"Oh, sure." Applejack said and wiped its sweats with its front leg. "Thank for visit our farm." Applejack waved its hoof and Winona barked at Roach and Ghost.
Roach and Ghost nodded. They turned to Twilight. It sweated as same as Applejack and indicated the elite soldiers to follow it. Twilight leaded Roach and Ghost outside the barn with pony guards followed and watched over them.
"Next, we will go to Fluttershy's Cottage" Twilight said and laughed awkwardly.
They met a few ponies along the way. Ponies had picnicked or rested or played on a grasslands. They reacted like ponies in the village as they saw Ghost and Roach. Most ponies avoided to look at the elite soldiers as they walked past. Fluttershy's Cottage wasn't too far from the Sweet Apple Acres as the group took a few minute to reach the cottage. Its roof was covered with grasses and the cottage had many birdhouses around. The group went across a small bridge and approached to the door flanking by two pony guards. Twilight knocked the door gently and Fluttershy opened the top half of the door from the inside.
"Oh, you come in time, Twilight. I had prepared a tea party for our... new friends." Fluttershy said timidly.
"That's so kind, Fluttershy. I think it's going to be great." Twilight said and simpered.
Fluttershy nodded and opened the lower half door. Twilight walked in the house while Ghost and Roach ducked down and went pass the door with pony guards. Inside the cottage, there was many birdhouses like the outside. The house was clean and tidy even there was many animals in there. On top of a short table in the middle of the room, it had a bowl of biscuits, a teapot and teacups prepare for the tea party that Roach has a terrible feeling toward it. Ghost and Roach stepped away as they saw a bear sitting on the floor with many animals around the table.
"Oh, don't worry, he's friendly, right mister bear?" Fluttershy said and turned to face the bear. It nodded slightly and thumbed-up at Roach and Ghost. The bear smiled at them, but its teeth didn't make Roach and Ghost feel better.
"Come on, you two are more dangerous than him. I think he's nervous more than you guys" Twilight said and smiled.
Roach narrowed his eyes before the sergeant and the lieutenant walked to sit on the floor beside the table while animals made way for them. Roach could feel the pony guards watch over and didn't keep their eyes off them. Twilight sat beside Roach and put its saddlebags beside it while Fluttershy sat beside Ghost. Fluttershy decanted the tea in teapot in each teacup and served a filled teacup for each elite soldiers. They doubted that the tea might mix with some kind of liquid. Roach and Ghost waited until Twilight, Fluttershy and other animals drank their tea before Ghost and Roach pulled their balaclava up and drank the tea.
"Ghost, Roach, there is so many things I love to talk about." Fluttershy said and smiled sheepishly. "I'm so glad that you're in our tea party. Well, what should we talk about? Would you like to talk about... life - em I mean, cooking!?"
Fluttershy sweated even the room wasn't hot. It didn't stop smile sheepishly. A white rabbit got on the table and wiped Fluttershy's face with a handkerchief. Birds around the table tweeted and animal, such as ducks, squirrels, a bear, rats, made a noise or indicated something to Fluttershy. The yellow pony looked at the animals and nodded before she turned to face Ghost and Roach.
"Well, what do you think? Or should we start with... your favorite suit?" Fluttershy said.
"No, that's not my interest." Ghost said and pulled his balaclava back. "If you don't mind, I will tell a story of my acquaintance."
Roach pulled his balaclava back. Ghost took his sunglasses off before put it on the table. Fluttershy, Twilight and animals stared at Ghost and waited for him to tell a story. The sergeant crossed his arm and listened to Ghost.
"When he was young in Manchester. He was raised by his cruel father, who is the worst living being in the world. His mother was weak and helpless, but kind." Ghost told.
"That's... not so awful..." Fluttershy commented.
"It's more than awful. It's literally a hell." Ghost said. "One day, his father brought a snake to his room with his brother. He feared that it's going to bite him and his father called him a coward when he knew his son fear the snake. He forced him to kiss that snake while his brother thought it's fun."
"Why his father had to do something like that? Fathers are suppose to be kind to their children" Twilight said.
Ghost chuckled. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask him later." Ghost said.
"But snakes aren't that bad. They won't bite anyone if they aren't harmed." Fluttershy said and sipped the tea from her teacup while it looked at the lieutenant.
"Oh, you should gave him that advice when he was in that situation." Ghost said and chuckled.
"Well, what happened next?" Twilight asked.
"There was a nightmare everyday when he was in that family. His father didn't act cruelly to him once when his father and that guy was in some sort of concert and his father killed a hooker with a syringe. His father encouraged him to laugh at the dead. Seriously, he acted like an idiot when he saw that corpse in a toilet stall."
"His family isn't... nice to him at all." Twilight said. "And he killed somepony!"
"What's huk-ker?" Fluttershy said.
"A working woman." Ghost said and waved his hand. "Well, there is no pleasant memory about his family. When he got older, he worked as a butcher at a grocery. Until Nine Eleven was happened, he decided to join the army."
"What's... bush-sher?" Twilight asked. "And what's Nine Eleven."
"A meat seller and a terrorist attack, respectively." Ghost said.
"Em... please continue." Twilight said.
"So, he was good enough to get in SAS. He met many good friends there." Ghost said. The sergeant nodded slightly. "To be honest, his life in SAS was better than his life in his family even it was tough. SAS trained him to be a real soldier until one day, he decided to go back home. Honestly, it's worse than his imagination. His brother was addicted to drug and his father cheated on his mother many time. It took him forever to make a new family out off that sick man. When his brother was married and his father had to stay in hospital, He went back to the army and was pulled out for a special op."
Ghost pulled his balaclava up and drank all the tea in his cup before pulled his balaclava back. Fluttershy, Twilight and animals eyed on Ghost and waited for him to tell his story while Fluttershy decanted another tea in Ghost's cup.
"His first mission was to take down a man called Zaragoza Drug Cartel. There was two team in this mission, but It didn't go smooth as another team was killed, but his commanding officer was safe and he didn't know that his officer betrays them and works for his enemy. His team was sabotaged at the first step in the mission and his teammate died as his parachute didn't work."
Every pony and animal, but pony guards, gasped. Ghost continued the story.
"The guy noticed that there is one more betrayer in his team as one of his teammates acted suspicious, but everyone was distracted. It was too late when they're falling into a trap. The guy shocked when he knew there is only one betrayer in his team and a suspicious teammate just tried to help them all. The guy had to fight his way back, but he and his teammates was captured before they could escape." Ghost said.
"...what did they do to him?" Twilight said worriedly.
"They tried everything to brainwash him back in Mexico. They forced him to fight with his teammate, trapped him with a scorpion in a small box, tried to break his mind and tortured him with unbearable or even told that they're going to kill him. But after all brainwashing process didn't work and his teammates had escaped. He was put in a coffin with his treacherous officer's rotting corpse and buried him alive." Ghost said.
Fluttershy, Twilight and Animal were terrified as Ghost said the man was buried alive.
"That's horrible... Why did they do that..." Fluttershy said sadly and cried. The white bunny got on the table and wiped its tear.
"But he's not give up." Ghost continued. Fluttershy, Twilight and animals eyed on him. "He used a lower jawbone of the corpse to break through the wooden coffin and dug up to the surface. He nearly passed out, but he made it. He walked on foot from Mexico to Texas. He pushed himself over his limit until he decided to wait for his dead, but a Texas ranger found him in time."
Twilight, Fluttershy and Animals had been sad before they smiled as they heard the man was safe by a ranger.
"He went back to the army to get in his service, but they didn't allow him to join since his mental state was terrible. He had to go back home and faced nightmare nearly every night. He decided to meet his escaped teammates to tell about his pain and hoped they can help him, but he found that his escaped teammates are working for enemy. He had to fight his former teammates, but he made a horrible mistake..." Ghost said.
"...What happened afterward..." Twilight asked.
"When he was fleeing from the fight, his former teammates killed most of his family in that night." Ghost said.
Twilight, Fluttershy, and animals froze. The bear accidentally dropped its empty teacup.
"When he saw what's at his house. There's no word can describe how he feel that day. He laughed and tried to kill himself, but he failed. He decided to visit his father in the same night at the hospital as he realized his father is the last his family's member. He tried to kill him, but he just left him to a hand of enemy at the end." Ghost said. "But that guy didn't let his traitorous teammates get away. He killed one of his former teammates while he was sleeping with his traitorous teammate's knife and brought another one to his home and killed him before he switched his tag with the corpse and set his house on fire. His plan was going smooth and nobody knew that it's him. The guy went back to Mexico and captured Roba's right-hand man with his skull-painted face. He tortured that right-hand man to interrogate him at the same brainwashing facility by stabbing with syringes at the right-hand man's face."
Fluttershy held its hooves on its mouth. Roach could see its sad big eyes clearly. Twilight nearly threw up as it heard how the guy tortured other man.
"After the guy knew the Roba's plan from the right-hand man. He got through the jungles of Chiapas and infiltrated a Roba's hideout by himself. He killed all Roba's patrols with his sniper rifle before he planted explosions all the entrances and a helicopter on the roof. He detonated the bombs and managed to find Roba in the compound. He finished Roba's man with his knife before he shot at Roba's head and successfully killed him. After the guy wiped out the hideout and completed his revenge, he left his past behind and vanished within a fog of war." Ghost said.
Twilight and animals looked blankly at Ghost. Fluttershy cried and wiped its tear out of its face.
"Why everypony had to killed each other. That's very very awful..." Fluttershy said and cried.
Twilight smiled awkwardly and knocked the table gently to call everyone's attention.
"Alright, that's quiet a... fascinate story." Twilight said. She looked worriedly at Fluttershy "So, what's about your story, Ghost?"
Ghost chuckled. "Why did you need to know my life? My teammate and I are just a recruit." Ghost said.
"Well... okay, then... what's about my story!? Would you like to hear a story of mine and my friends!" Twilight said.
Ghost rolled his eyes. "I would like to listen to your story, but I'm afraid that you may not have time." Ghost said and chuckled.
Twilight flicked their ears. It looked up and saw Rainbow Dash, with bandages around its body, standing over Roach's head. The cyan pony flied down and stood between Twilight and Roach. Rainbow Dash frowned and stared at Twilight.
"What are you doing, Twilight? You know right that a tea party is... em... take time?" Rainbow Dash said and looked worriedly at Fluttershy before it looked angrily at Ghost and Roach. "Hey, what did you do to her!"
"No, they didn't do anything wrong. I just... feel sorry for his acquaintance." Fluttershy said and smiled. Its face was covered in tear.
Fluttershy looked at Roach and Ghost with its tearful eyes. Rainbow Dash looked confusedly at Ghost and Roach before it smiled awkwardly. The cyan pony flied up and looked ungainly at Ghost and Roach.
"Em... Yeah! I know you guys like to do something awesome, right. Meet me at the running track outside of Ponyville. Don't be late, okay." Rainbow Dash said and smile sheepishly.
The cyan pony flied out of the cottage. Twilight walked to pat on Fluttershy's back.
"I'm alright, Twilight. You need to bring our new friends to Rainbow Dash now. Don't let her waiting for you." Fluttershy said.
"Well... I think we should go to meet Rainbow Dash... Fluttershy, thank for your tea party. We really had a great time together." Twilight said and smiled.
"Thank, Twilight. I'm happy to have you and our new friends here." Fluttershy said and waved her front hoof at Twilight, Ghost and Roach.
Twilight put its saddlebags back on while the lieutenant picked his sunglasses up and worn it. Twilight, Ghost and Roach stood up and walked to the door. Before Ghost walked out of the cottage, Roach saw Fluttershy fly to stand beside Ghost and put its front hoof on his hand. Ghost stopped walking and turned his face to Fluttershy.
"When you meet him, please tell him that I will be at his side." Fluttershy said.
Fluttershy warped its front legs around Ghost's waist. Ghost turned his head away from the yellow pony when Fluttershy put its front legs down. The lieutenant ducked down and walked out of the room with Roach. The pony guards followed them from behind while Twilight leaded them to the running track.
Roach and Ghost started to be used to ponies' reaction and less ponies were frightened when they saw Ghost and Roach. The running track wasn't too far from Fluttershy's cottage. Twilight, Ghost, Roach and pony guards arrived at the running track and saw Rainbow Dash, with bandages around its body, is warming up nearby. There was two pony guards watching over the cyan pony, which stops warming up when it saw Twilight with the group. It flied to stand in front of Twilight and look at Ghost's and Roach's face.
"Finally, you've arrived, humanes!" Rainbow Dash said.
"It's human." Ghost argued.
"Well, I know how to say that word. It's just a joke, okay?" Rainbow Dash said and tried to fake a laugh. "Alright, I didn't want to boast, but you know right that what's my best?" Rainbow Dash spread her wings and struck a confident pose.
"Em... bragging?" Ghost said and chuckled. Roach quietly laughed.
Rainbow Dash frowned and stopped posing. "No, I'm not! I'm the fastest pony and the best flyer in the Equestria!" Rainbow Dash argued. "I guess that you and your friends are the slowest humane in your town right, slowpokes ?" Rainbow Dash stressed on the last word.
"You will see it." Ghost said.
"Good, I challenge you in this race!" Rainbow Dash said. "If I win this race, you two have to tell me your secret! And I warn you, Ghost, Roach. You will win... when I'm not in this competition."
"Interesting." Ghost said. "Then what if you lose... Rainbow Brag?"
Rainbow Dash was clearly angry toward Ghost. Its face turned red. "There is no way I will lose to you and your friend, so it doesn't matter!!"
"Fine, then." Ghost said and chuckled "Roach, get in the track."
"This one sounds fun." Roach said.
Ghost, Roach and Rainbow Dash got in their position on the running track at a starting line. Roach saw a opportunity to escape, until four horned pony guards flanked Ghost and Roach. The sergeant shook his head and crouched down in order to prepare himself to run in the track. He raised his eyebrow as he saw Rainbow Dash is standing in front of Ghost, who is in starting position. It stared mischievously and smirked at him.
"What's the matter?" Ghost said.
"I want to look at your face before you will be astonished by my speed." Rainbow Dash said and turned to face Twilight. "Twilight, can you be a referee?"
"Oh, sure." Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash flied and got in its track. Twilight walked to stood beside the running track and put its front hoof up. The cyan pony prepared itself in the race and scraped it front hoof on the ground.
"Since it's a hoof race, so no wing and no magic, okay." Twilight said.
"Ha! I need no wing to compete against these humanes." Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight shook its head. Roach narrowed his eyes and looked at the front. He was confident in his teammate's and his speed as they didn't have to carry many gears like before. Roach tapped on his neck and waited for the signal.
"Three... two... one..." Twilight counted down. "Go!"
Ghost and Roach darted and sprinted along the tracks with pony guards followed them. Roach had to admit in Rainbow Dash's speed as it ran further a bit ahead than Ghost even it was injured. Rainbow Dash was in the lead and followed by Ghost and Roach. Ghost was running a bit ahead Roach while pony guards kept their eyes on them. Rainbow Dash turned to face Ghost and Roach behind and smirked at them. Roach and Ghost ran faster as they were taunted and they slowly came close to the cyan pony. Ghost nearly ran past Rainbow Dash until it increased its speed to run further ahead. Ghost and Rainbow Dash were in the lead and followed by Roach. They were at the half of the track, but Ghost and Rainbow Dash still couldn't leave other in the dust. Roach couldn't come close to Ghost and Rainbow Dash, but he wasn't too faraway from them. The sergeant could see Rainbow Dash looks furiously at Ghost before it spread its wings.
"Hey! What are you doing!" Roach yelled.
"Rainbow Dash, stop!" Twilight yelled.
Rainbow Dash hesitated to use its wings, but a finish line was too close. Ghost took the change and sprinted to the finish. Rainbow Dash noticed Ghost is about to win. It filed up and darted toward the line. The cyan pony finished the race first. Ghost came in second in the next second. Roach came in third. Rainbow Dash's momentum took its forward and nearly became unstoppable. It pinned its hooves on on the ground to stop itself and nearly lost its balance. When Rainbow Dash managed to stop, it looked blankly at Twilight before it smiled awkwardly.
"Well... ah... Yeah! That what they get when they try to compete with me!" Rainbow Dash said and laughed sheepishly.
"No, Rainbow Dash, you know right that you're cheating." Twilight said and walked to Rainbow Dash.
"But- it's not fair! Their legs are longer than me!" Rainbow Dash argued and pointed its front hoof at Ghost's leg.
"Stop making an excuse!" Twilight said.
"It's alright." Ghost said.
Rainbow Dash and Twilight turned to Ghost. He walked to Rainbow Dash and looked at it. Roach followed Ghost with pony guards from behind. Ghost stood in front of Rainbow Dash and crouched down before he put his hand on its shoulder.
"Truthfully, I can't compete against you in this race if you're not injured." Ghost said. "So, as you said before. If you win, my teammate and I need to tell our secret. But you had cheated to win the race, so I think it's invalid."
Ghost's words caused Rainbow Dash feel ashamed. Roach could see it's written all over the cyan pony's face. Rainbow Dash sat down, It looked down and was sad. Twilight was unsettled by the situation and tapped on Rainbow Dash's back.
"You're right, Ghost. It's invalid." Rainbow Dash said and stood up. "I accept that I might be a little bit selfish this race... well, Twilight, I need to go now... See you all next time." Rainbow Dash said.
Rainbow Dash spread its wings and flied away while two guard followed it from behind. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash before it turned to Ghost and Roach and indicated them to follow it. The pony guards followed Ghost and Roach closely while they walked away from the running track.
"Let's go to the Carousel Boutique." Twilight said. She looked anxious. "I think Rarity is waiting for us in there."
After they walked in the village. Twilight leaded Roach and Ghost to a fancy building, with colorful tents nearby. Roach scanned the building. The Carousel Boutique was girlish and luxurious more than other houses with thatched roofs. A front door was opened as it and Twilight's horn was covered in magenta auras. when the auras was gone. Twilight leaded everyone, but pony guards, inside. The pony guards surrounded and guarded the boutique. Ghost and Roach ducked down and walked inside the shop before the door was close. Inside the boutique was fancier than outside with curtains and pink wall. Roach looked himself at a mirror and saw himself like a cartoon character of himself. Ghost looked around and was about to sat on a platform near mirrors when Roach heard a pony is walking downstairs.
"No, not there!" Rarity yelled to Ghost before he could sit on the platform. The white pony went downstairs and approached to Ghost and Roach. Rarity dressed in fancy pony dress and hat. Its dress and hat had green tone camouflage and quite looked ridiculous for military purpose, but for stylishness.
"Well, em... welcome to my boutique, darling. I'm Rarity, a fashion designer of Ponyville." Rarity said.
"Nice to meet you, again." Ghost said lifelessly.
"Oh, sorry for asking this, but I think you really like your outfit, right?" Rarity said and pointed its front hoof at Ghost's jacket. "It has such a... em... durability!"
"Yes, it's made to be durable." Ghost said.
"I think there is some... tragedy on your clothes. Would you like to have your clothes cleaned?" Rarity said.
"Thank, but forget it." Ghost said.
"Ah... if you say so. I guess you really love your outfit..., so I didn't mind that." Rarity said and laughed awkwardly. "So, would you like to go to the cafe nearby. I think we have many things to talk about since we're friend... right?"
"Why we can't just talk in here?" Ghost asked.
"It's so standard to talk with new friends in your house. I'm more polite than that and would like to treat you right as our friends." Rarity said and slowly blinked. It smiled and flipped its purple curvy mane. Roach just noticed how long of the white pony's eyelashes is and felt a little awkward and gross.
"Alright... I'm in." Ghost said and nodded.
"That is greatly divine, darling!" Rarity said and smiled. "Twilight, Ghost, Roach. This way, please."
The front door was opened when the door and Rarity's horn was covered in light blue aura. Rarity walked out of the boutique with Twilight. Ghost and Roach moved to outside before they were tagged by pony guards. The door was closed after everyone left the shop.
Twilight, Rarity, Ghost, Roach and the pony guards arrived at a cafe. The tables outside were a big mushroom with a small flower vase on it and the seats were a pile of hay. Many ponies at the cafe looked anxiously at the group and tried to avoid to look straight at Ghost and Roach. Twilight and Rarity took their seat at the same table with Ghost and Roach while pony guards stood not too faraway and watched over them. Unfortunately, the hay seats were too short for the elite soldiers and they had to sit with their knees up. After they sat at the table, a pony waiter with glazed mane and tail walked to their table and whispered something to Rarity.
"Oh, don't worry, darling. They're harmless." Rarity said and simpered.
"And their our friends." Twilight said and put its hoof on Roach's arm.
The pony waiter looked doubtfully at Ghost and Roach. "Okay, I see." the pony waiter said. "Then, what's your order?"
"We would like some tea for our friends, and here is your extra." Rarity said. Its horn was covered in a blue aura and a pink jewel in a blue aura is floated out from its pocket on its dress. The pony waiter took the jewel and slightly nodded to Rarity and Twilight before it walked to deliver Rarity's order. Roach narrowed his eyes when he saw the auras was vanished.
"Hey, princess. Can I ask you something?" Roach asked and turned to face Twilight.
"What's the matter?" Twilight asked.
"I saw many time when your horn glowed and some objects will be levitated. Are every horned pony are some sort of psychic?" Roach asked.
"Well, pony with a horn are actually called unicorn, Roach. And we aren't a psychic, but we have a ability to harness a magic." Twilight said.
"...that's quite nonsense."Roach said and shook his head.
Rarity raised its eyebrow and narrow its eye. Twilight frowned and stared at Roach. The sergeant guessed the lavender pony is upset. Ponied nearby whispered at each other and looked at Ghost and Roach. They looked away and stopped whispering when Ghost looked at them.
"I know that human have no magic, but there is no need to say something that rude. Magic is rational!" Twilight argued.
"Show it, then." Roach said.
Twilight slightly smiled. Its horn and the vase were cover in magenta auras. The vase floated up and flied around Roach. The sergeant looked curiously at the vase and tried to grab it, but it always slipped out of his hand. The vase descended down and placed in the middle of the table before the auras vanished.
"This is called levitation spell." Twilight said. "It's a simple spell that every unicorn has to learn since their young age."
"Levitation spell" Roach thought and made a mental note. "Is that all you can do with your magic?" Roach asked.
"There is many spell that we can learn, such as blasting spell, dispel and transform spell." Twilight said and shot a laser beam on a daisy in the vast. It turned into red daisy when the beam touched on the flower. "There is so many spell that unicorn can learn. Many spell scrolls are contained in the library back in Canterlot. I used to use time-travel spell once and only made every going in vain."
Twilight chuckled. The pony waiter brought a teapot and four teacup on a tray. It placed the teapot on the table and placed each teacup in front of each pony and elite soldier. Rarity levitated the teapot and decanted the tea in each teacup. The white pony levitated its teacup as it was filled and sipped the tea while Ghost and Roach left the tea untouched.
"Well, speaking of which, I heard that you two come from Unite Kingdom. Is it a good place?" Rarity asked.
"It depends on people's feeling." Ghost said.
"Em... I mean, what do you think about your country?" Rarity asked.
Ghost pulled his balaclava up and grabbed his teacup. He stared on the tea and turned to face Rarity. "Sometime, I think my country is rotting, but sometime, I think it's my duty to protect my people in that rotting country, even it cost my life." Ghost said.
The lieutenant looked away and sipped the tea. Rarity smiled sheepishly and nodded slightly.
"I'm glad to hear that." Rarity said. "Well, what is your job, Ghost, Roach?"
"We're recruit." Ghost said.
"Em, what does recruit means?" Rarity asked. Ghost turned to face the white pony. "...did I ask you too much, darling?"
"No, it's fine." Ghost said. "Recruit means a untrained man who recently joins the armed force. They're soldier who lacks of discipline and strength."
Rarity sipped its tea. The white pony scanned on Ghost and Roach before she chuckled "Sorry, darling. But you two look strong and experienced. I can't see anything on you that match with undisciplined and weak."
Ghost chuckled and slightly raised his teacup up. "Thank for the compliment, pony." Ghost said.
"My name is Rarity, not pony." Rarity said.
"...Well, thank. Rarity." Ghost said and put his teacup down.
Rarity smiled satisfactorily and flipped its mane. The white pony moved its front hoof to indicate Twilight to move closer. The white pony whispered something to the lavender pony's ear after Twilight moved its head toward Rarity. Rarity smiled to Twilight and turned to face Ghost. The white pony lowered its upper light blue eyelids and slightly smiled at Ghost. Roach felt gross and shook his head as it looked like the white pony try to convince his teammate.
"Your and your friend's outfit are torn. What happened to you two last night?" Rarity asked gently.
Ghost tiled his head. "We're running away from a pack of living wooden wolves." Ghost said.
"Oh, of course! Your friend defeated it in the Everfree forest! Fluttershy's animals found his knife in the giant timberwolf's carcass. You and your friends are such a strong human!" Rarity said and clapped its front hooves.
"Thank." Ghost said.
"That's amazing. I must say it." Rarity said and lowered its front hoof. "So, can you tell me what did you do in the Everfree forest last night beside defeated timberwolf, human?"
"Sorry, miss. But I think you ask too much." Ghost said and pulled his balaclava down, but he stayed calm.
"Oh, come on, darling. There is no need to be nervous. You only need to answer me the question." Rarity said and blinked. "It's impossible that you didn't know why your friend had the Element of Harmony last night, right?" Rarity said.
"...we actually don't know anything about that..." Ghost said.
Rarity tilted its head and took of Ghost's sunglasses with its magic. It looked blankly at Ghost's eyes for awhile before it laughed awkwardly when Ghost put his the sunglasses back on. The white pony flipped its mane and stepped down from its hay seat. It adjusted its hat and turned at Twilight.
"Em... sorry, Twilight. I forgot that I have my pressing order from my customer. If you don't mind, I must beg my leave." Rarity said and clearly tried to fake a smile.
"What!?" Twilight exclaimed.
Roach turned his head to Rarity. "What's about the bill?" Roach asked.
"I already paid it when I ordered the tea. You can take another order from the cafe with no charge." Rarity said. "I must go now. I hope we meet again."
Rarity laughed gawky and made it way back home. Roach looked doubtfully at Rarity and adjusted his headphones. Ghost shook his head and turned his head to Twilight.
"Okay, Is that all?" Ghost asked.
"Don't be silly! There is still a party!"
Pinkie Pie came out from under the mushroom table with confetti blew out from its back. The pink pony sat on the empty seat and brought out party hats out of thin air and put each one on Ghost's and Roach's head.
"I threw a super duper party not too far from here just for you two! Let's go and get some party!" Pinkie Pie said and smiled widely.
The party hat fell down from Roach's and Ghost's head. The pink pony stepped down from the hay seat and indicated the group to follow it. The sergeant narrowed his eyes. Ghost and the Roach stood up and followed Pinkie Pie bounced on its hooves on its way to the party. Twilight and the pony guard followed the pink pony while they kept their eyes on the elite soldiers.
The group arrived at the party in a open area. There was many ponies in various colors are having fun. Some pony drank wine or ate sweet. Some ponies played with a pinata or some sort of childish games. The area was decorated with balloons, ribbons, garlands and streamer in olive and gray colors. There was a banner was written as "Super Happy New Friends Party!". Random winged ponies put a flower garlands on Ghost and Roach and blew steamers on them. Pinkie Pie rushed to Roach and pointed its front hoof with olive-colored balloon to the sergeant.
"Did you want a balloon!?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"No." Roach replied.
"Me, either." Ghost said.
Pinkie Pie released the balloon and quickly bought out a stick out of its mane. "Well... em... what's about hitting a pinata!?" Pinkie Pie asked. It grinned at Ghost and Roach.
"No." Ghost and Roach said.
Pinkie Pie smiled gawky. It threw the stick away and bought out a blindfold out of nowhere. "Pin-the-tail?"
Ghost shook their head. "Just leave me alone." Ghost said and walked to sit on a short chair with two pony guard flanked him. He took his flower garland off and put it on a table
Pinkie Pie looked worriedly at Ghost before it turned to Roach. "Hey, do you want to play with us." Pinkie Pie said and begged with its eyes. The pink pony pointed its front hoof with blindfold to Roach, but he shook his head and walked to sit on a short chair beside Ghost with pony guards followed him. Roach took his flower garland off and put it on Ghost's flower garland. Pinkie Pie lowered its head and put the blindfold on its head before it sadly walked away.
"Pinkie!" Twilight called and ran to the pink pony. They talked something between them and Twilight seldom looked back at Ghost and Roach. After Pinkie Pie nodded to Twilight, they walked back to Ghost and Roach. Twilight frowned and looked angrily at the elite soldiers.
"Pinkie do everything for this party just for you two, but why do you have to be so grumpy!" Twilight said.
"Sorry, but my teammate and I didn't demand any party." Ghost said.
"You said like that changeling's queen! Are you one of them!" Twilight said.
Roach knew Twilight tried to pick on them. Ghost shook his head and stood up. He stared at Twilight, but it didn't step back and stared at him hostilely. Ghost walked to pick the blindfold up from Pinkie's head and picked out his knife. He took of his sunglasses and put it in his pouch. The lieutenant looked at the pinata before he covered his eyes with blindfold and held the knife in his hands. Twilight and Pinkie Pie stared at Ghost. He raised his knife up while ponies started to stare at him silently. Ghost threw his knife at the pinata and broke it in one throw. Every pony was stunned at Ghost's performance before they clapped they front hooves. Ghost took off his blindfold and worn his sunglasses before he walked to pick his knife and returned to sit on his chair.
"I did what you want." Ghost said to Twilight.
Twilight frowned. Every pony continued to has fun in the party. Pinkie Pie stared at Ghost and Roach for awhile before it left the elite soldiers to play with other ponies in the party. Ghost and Roach didn't move out from their chair. They waited for a opportunity to escape while they looked around, but the pony guards didn't keep their eyes off them.
Roach and Ghost couldn't fin a opportunity to escape and had to follow Twilight after the party was over. The sun was set. The pony guards didn't let the elite soldiers out of sight since they had left from the storeroom. At the party, Twilight had told Ghost and Roach that it will bring them to its castle. They didn't take too much time to walking from the party to Twilight's house. Roach scanned at the outside of the castle. It looked like a crystal tree with a building on top of it.
"This is my castle." Twilight said. "It may look uncomfortable, but at least we can live in there."
Twilight opened the front door with its magic and leaded everyone inside the castle. Ghost and Roach hadn't to duck down to go pass the door this time since the door was high enough for them. The castle were made out of shiny blue crystal with decorations like many typical castles such as banners, antiques, carpets and luxury lanterns. The ceiling was high and the floor was clean and shiny. They went upstairs and walked through a hallway with doors along the way. Twilight stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it with magic. Twilight leaded everyone in. Roach looked around and assumed it was drawing room. Twilight levitated its saddlebags and put it on a table.
"Okay, I need you two to stay here." Twilight said. "I need to meet my friend in another room. Don't go anywhere, okay?"
"Your wish is my command, little princess." Ghost said.
Twilight raised it eyebrow. The lavender pony walked out of the room and ordered something to the guards. The door was closed by the pony guards and left Ghost and Roach inside the room. Roach was about to sit on a sofa when Ghost tapped on his shoulder.
"Roach, check the room." Ghost said.
Twilight walked into the throne room. Her friend was sitting on their throne and they were unhappy. Twilight stepped on her throne and looked at her friends. In the room, only Twilight's friend, that isn't sad, was Spike. He looked worriedly at Twilight's friends. It took some time for Twilight's friends to notice Twilight and they started to look at her and clearly tried to hide their feeling.
"Well, they're not... that bad." Applejack said.
"I wonder who is his acquaintance." Fluttershy said.
"They're too cool to be Shade Thieves, I guess." Rainbow Dash said.
"I can't see anything that can tell them as criminal" Rarity said.
"It's my first time to see somepony hit a pinata so accurately from a distance!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Oh, come on. Did you guy try to work on your plan? You guys supposed to find out that they relate to Shade Thieves or not and how did they get the Element of Harmony, remember?" Twilight said.
"But, if they're Shade Thieves. Why did they come back to our village, Twilight?" Rarity asked.
"Maybe they tried to use the Element on something under the village, who knows? We don't know their intention." Twilight said and flied up. She hovered above the map. "There is so many secrets in our realm. I know many of them, but few legends are connected to the Element of Harmony and most histories about the Element are obscure. Only the prophecy of Nightmare Moon is telling about the story of the Element of Harmony and I think those humans know something about the Element, but they don't want to tell us."
Twilight sighed. When she was about to return to her throne, Twilight saw that Spike is walking on the table and the princess noticed something on the map. Twilight hovered above the map and levitated the baby dragon away. She looked closer and noticed red dots in Ponyville. Twilight and her friends peered at the dots heading toward Twilight's castle before they gasped.
"What is that?" Twilight said.
Ghost and Roach had searched around the room, but they didn't found any way to escape. They had found a grandfather clock in the room and they had set the time in their watch to match the time in the grandfather clock. Roach had checked the glass window and found it couldn't be opened. They didn't give up easily. Ghost and Roach kept searching anything in the room that can aid their escape, but they found nothing that can help them. They stopped searching as they heard a helicopter is approaching and flied past the crystal building.
"A helo?" Ghost mumbled. The lieutenant and The sergeant waited until the helicopter was gone. When nothing was happening, Roach went to open the saddlebags and put out a book before he briefly looked inside it. Ghost eyed on saddlebags. He walked to open the bags and put out a case. Roach remembered it is contained with six gemstones inside. Ghost opened the case and looked on the gemstones. There was a magenta star-shaped gemstone, a red thunderbolt-sharped gemstone, a purple diamond-sharped gemstone, a light blue balloon-shaped gemstone, a pink butterfly-shaped gemstone and an orange apple-shaped gemstone. Ghost closed and touched on the case.
"Why these ponies want to know where we got these gems?" Ghost said.
Unexpectedly, windows in the room were breached. The time ran slowly as Ghost and Roach hid behind the sofa in quick respond while an unknown squad shot at them. Luckily, the sofa was tough enough to resist laser bolt from the enemies. Ghost and Roach put out their knife and prepared to fight. The time ran normally when the hostile squad stopped shooting and pony guards hurriedly opened the door and got in the room.
The firefight started in the room while Ghost and Roach stuck behind the sofa. When the elite soldiers heard hostile soldiers get closer to their cover. Ghost gave a hand signal to Roach before Ghost and Roach skillfully darted out and knifed their nearest soldier. For a moment, Roach's eyes widened as the hostile soldier wasn't a human, but something that made out off stone with red glowing eyes. The sergeant focused and concentrated on the enemy before he killed the inhuman thing with his knife. He used his victim as a cover and picked a handgun out from the corpse while Ghost picked a ACR from his victim. Roach and Ghost shot at other hostile soldiers and further ruined the room. Roach picked his victim's ACR up from the floor and used the sofa as a cover. The situation reached at the worst when the pony guards couldn't fight against the hostile squads and one of them was wounded and the elite soldiers nearly pinned down by suppressing fire.
"Roach, cut 'em down before they get closer!" Ghost said.
"Shite, what are they!?" Roach asked while he dodged another laser bolt.
"Possibly tangos! Just kill 'em all!" Ghost replied.
Roach shot at a hostile soldier's head. Its head was cracked before the hostile soldier fell down to the ground. Ghost precisely shot at hostile soldiers with his stolen ACR from behind his cover. During the firefight, Roach noticed the hostile squad is well trained and has highly accuracy. Ghost and Roach had to hide behind the sofa many time and had few change to fire back. The elite soldiers was hit, but they still could endure their pain. Unluckily, a grenade fell down beside Ghost. He quickly picked it up and tossed it back to the enemies. When the grenade exploded, pony guards had a change to fire back and Roach and Ghost had a small change to suppress at the enemies. Ghost raked two hostile soldiers while Roach cleared other enemies out of his visual. When the last hostile enemy collapsed, Ghost and Roach slowly came out from their broken cover and approached to corpses on the floor.
Ghost and Roach kept their eye on gun sight. Roach pushed a corpse with his foot. He and lowered his gun and checked the corpses. They had horse skull flag patches and pretty well armed. The dead hostile soldiers were all made out of stone, but worn a tactical outfit, that widely uses by well-armed black ops, and had red glowing eyes. Their face under their balaclava were creepy like a zombie. Roach and Ghost heard a group of ponies running to the room. They turned around and saw Twilight and its friends with Spike looking at them blankly.
"What the hay is happening!" Twilight said.
"Unidentified humanes were breaking through the windows and shot at us and them with their sticks, your highness." a guard reported.
"This is no stick." Ghost said and shot at the corpse's head. "This is a gun, or more specifically, a ACR."
"Is they're your enemy?" Twilight asked.
"Technically, yes." Ghost said.
Twilight nodded and walked to the case, that lies behind the ruined sofa, with Spike. The lavender pony levitated it up and checked inside the case. It exhaled as the gems was safe. Twilight closed the case and put it in saddlebag. The lavender pony put the saddlebags on its back before it turned around and checked the corpses. Twilight's friends looked worriedly at the lavender pony before Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed it and looked at each corpse. Ghost and Roach looked at Twilight for awhile before numerous pony guards rushed in and started to clean up the room. Ghost and Roach put their gun on their back. Ghost walked to sit on the ruined sofa while Roach walked to sit on a chair beside the sofa. When Twilight noticed Ghost and Roach are sitting on its furniture, it walked to stand beside Ghost and looked at his face.
"What are they? Why were they attacking you two?" Twilight asked.
"Well, who knows?" Ghost said.
Twilight's friends surrounded Ghost and Roach. They looked curiously at Roach and Ghost.
"These things are resembled to you two. Are they human, too?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"They look like them, but they're not human ." Twilight said. "Human supposes to be fleshy, not stony. They resemble to Golem, but there is no two-legged Golem." Twilight turned to face the lieutenant. "Ghost, did you meet them before?"
"...Possibly..." Ghost said.
Twilight looked at the corpses and turned its head to Ghost. Fluttershy flied and touched on Ghost's arm. Pinkie Pie looked doubtfully at Ghost and Roach. Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other and looked at Ghost. Rarity used its magic to adjust Ghost's and Roach's jacket. Spike tapped on Roach's legs and stared to him.
"Hey, did you know anything about these Golems?" Spike said.
"They tried to kill us. That's all I know." Roach replied.
Spike frowned and looked away. Twilight walked closer to Roach and put its front hoof on his hand. It smiled and stared at him with its big eyes. Roach looked back at the lavender pony and sensed something from it. Unlike other animals, he felt its soul and feeling. He started to used to it and feel less irritated when he looked at its face. Truthfully, he didn't like anything here, but he could control himself to be in any environment.
"Are you hurt?" Twilight asked.
"No, I'm fine." Roach simply replied.
"Are you hungry?" Pinkie Pie asked to Ghost.
"No, I need no more sweet." Ghost said.
Twilight lowered its hoof and indicated its friends to leave the elite soldiers. The pony guard finished cleaning the room and started to moved the corpses out. When Twilight's friends were leaving the room, Twilight turned back and faced Ghost and Roach.
"I will find a room in my castle for you two this night." Twilight said. "Please follow me."
Ghost nodded before he indicated Roach to follow it. Twilight and its friends left the room with Roach and Ghost. This time, Twilight whispered something to a pony guard before it indicated other pony guards to leave Ghost and Roach and left two pony guards with them.
Twilight leaded Ghost and Roach to a bedroom. Ghost and Roach stepped in the room with Twilight and its friends while guards flanked the door outside the room. Pinkie Pie bounced to the bed and jumped on it before Twilight levitated it away.
"Here is your bedroom." Twilight said. "I know that I should bring you to a guest room, but I didn't know which room is it."
Twilight awkwardly laughed. Rarity cleared its throat and nudged on the lavender pony. Twilight turned to Rarity. The white pony shook its head before it pointed its front hoof at Ghost and Roach.
"You shouldn't let them sleep on guest's beds when they didn't take a bath!" Rarity said.
"Oh, em... well. we didn't have a bed that fit with your height either." Twilight said. "I'm sorry..."
"It's fine." Ghost said. "We can sleep anywhere."
Ghost walked to sit and leaned on the wall. Roach was doing the same beside the lieutenant. Roach and Ghost put their gun beside them. Twilight looked at Ghost before it levitated Ghost's gun, but the lieutenant quickly grabbed it in midair and locked the gun before he let Twilight levitates the gun. The lavender pony looked curiously at the gun and walked toward Ghost with the ACR.
"Are you using this stick as a weapon?" Twilight asked.
"It's called a gun, not a stick." Ghost said and took his gun. "Beside, our own guns is taken away by your guards. Can we take them back?"
Twilight tilted its head. It turned around and walked to the guards. It said something and a guard nodded and reported to its mic. Twilight walked back to Ghost. He looked at the lavender pony while he fiddled with his gun.
"I told the guards to bring your gun to my castle. They will be here soon." Twilight said before she yawned. "Well, I think it's time to sleep. Alright girls." Twilight turned to face its friends. "I think you need to go home now. See you all later."
"Goodbye, Twilight." Pinkie Pie said.
"I think Ah'm goin' to hit the hay. See y'all next time." Applejack said.
"See ya." Rainbow Dash said.
"Goodbye, darling." Rarity said.
"See you later." Fluttershy said.
Twilight's friends walked out of the room. Only Twilight and Spike stayed with Ghost and Roach. Spike got in his bed before Twilight levitated him up. The lavender pony frowned at the baby dragon while it smiled awkwardly.
"Okay, I'm going to take a bath." Spike said and left the room with Twilight.
When the door was closed. Ghost tapped on Roach's shoulder and stood up. Roach knew what did Ghost try to say and the lieutenant and the sergeant started to checked the room. Roach found a balcony outside of the room, but it was too height to jump or climb down. There was only one door in the room and it wasn't possible to go out of the room with no robe or undetected. After Ghost and Roach couldn't find anything that can help them, they returned to sit on their spot. Roach checked his rifle to pass the time while Ghost touched on his headphone and contacted to Archer.
["Archer, come in."] Ghost said in his radio.
["Ghost, What happened?"] Archer said.
["I've got a new plan."] Ghost said.
Twilight returned to her bedroom with Spike after they had taken a bath. She had her saddlebags on her back. Twilight hummed a song before she stopped when she saw no guard in front of her bedroom. Twilight and Spike hurriedly went in and looked around the room. They shocked as the humans is missing. Twilight searched around the room with Spike, but humans were nowhere to be found. Twilight ran to the balcony and looked around, but the two humans weren't there. Twilight was panic before she quickly turned to the door when she heard it is opened. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Ghost and Roach with their new gun walking in her bedroom with four unicorn royal guard watching over them. Twilight smiled and walked toward the humans with Spike.
"Ghost, Roach, where did you go?" Twilight said.
"We went to get our rifle outside." Ghost said.
"Guards can deliver them to you up there. Why did you need to wait for your gun at the front of my castle?" Twilight asked.
"They said that their weapon need to be in good condition and they advised us to let them check their... gun, - right? - outside of the castle for sake of your safety." a guard said.
"What will happen if they're in poor condition?" Twilight asked.
"They will explode, your highness." a guard said. "I apologized that I didn't ask you first, ma'am."
"Don't worry. You had done right." Twilight said and smiled to the lieutenant and the sergeant. "Ghost, Roach, you're so careful about us all. I appreciate in your thoughtful."
Ghost slightly nodded. Twilight couldn't read Ghost's and Roach's facial expression since the humans worn their mask. Ghost walked to Twilight. He crouched down and looked at Twilight. She smiled and tilted her head.
"What's the matter, Ghost?" Twilight asked.
"You are the princess, right?" Ghost asked.
"Yes, I am. Why were you asking me like that?" Twilight said. She simpered and moved her wings a bit.
"I have the truth to tell you." Ghost said.
Twilight nodded. "I'm listening." Twilight said.
"My princess." Ghost said "We've decided to join you to protect the gemstones."
Twilight widened her pupils. Spike jumped up in surprise and turned to face Twilight. Twilight smiled widely and stepped closer to Ghost and turned her head to Roach. He nodded slightly to her. Twilight turned to face Ghost and looked at his face with smile. She flapped her wings excitedly and flicked her ears.
"So, you know something about Shade Thieves and are going to tell me, right!?" Twilight said.
Ghost shook his head. "No, we don't know about 'em." Ghost said. Twilight was sad when her hope was collapsed. "But we know how to safe 'em from the thieves."
Twilight smiled and filled with enthusiasm again. "How?" Twilight said.
Ghost cleared his throat. "I need to call my teammates to help us." Ghost said. "And escort the gemstone-"
"To Canterlot!" Twilight said. "I have the same plan, too, but I didn't know that you have more friends."
"So, I would like to ask you a favour." Ghost said. "I need you to call my teammates here to help us, but you have to ensure that my teammates will not be captured and we need your trust, so we can work for you. I think you can do it, right?"
Twilight tilted her head. "Of course... but, why have you suddenly changed your mind? I thought you didn't like us at all." Twilight said.
"Well, because, you misunderstood us as the thieves and we had no choice but to go along with you. But now, I know I have to put out my pride away and work for you to gain our ticket to go back to our country. I know we can't return to our home by ourselves in your kingdom and we need your help to do so... I think you can understand." Ghost said and put his hand on Twilight's shoulder. "There is no time to lose, we must escort the gemstones to... Canterlot ASAP!"
Twilight was thinking before she slightly nodded. She still doubted about Ghost and Roach, but many things were made sense to her now. Ghost lowered his hand when Twilight turned to the guard and approached to them.
"Guard, from now on, Ghost and Roach are friends of mine and their friends is my friend." Twilight said. "They're no longer prisoners from now on, but the protector of the Element of Harmony. If I can trust them, so you can do so, right?"
The pony guards looked at each other for awhile and before they nodded to the princess.
"Your wish is my command." a guard replied. The pony guards bowed to Twilight and left the room.
Twilight turned to Ghost. "About escorting the Element of Harmony, I suggest that we should wait for the train tomorrow." Twilight said. Ghost looked at the princess for awhile before he slightly nodded. "Actually, I can escort the Element of Harmony by myself, but I'm afraid that it's too rude to visit the princess at night and I'm not sure about my safety. By the way, where is your friends?" Twilight asked.
"Well... this way." Ghost said.
Ghost and Roach walked out of the room. Twilight and Spike followed them and went through the hallway. They went downstairs and left the castle. The night outside was quietly and peaceful. There was two guard flanking and watching out the front door and four patrols around the castle. Ghost looked around and touched on his headphone.
"Squad, approaching the crystal building." Ghost said.
Twilight peered around in the village under the night and saw four humans come out from bushes or behind a house. Two of them worn a outfit resemble to Ghost and Roach, while other had a bush cover their body. Ghost's and Roach's friends used the gun similarly, but only their friends with a bush cover their body used a different kind of gun with longer stick and had a scope on their gun. Ghost's and Roach's friends walked to stand in front of Twilight. The princess simpered at them and waved her front hoof.
"Hello, everypony." Twilight greeted. "What's their name, Ghost?"
"Well, his name is Archer, Toad, Ozone and Scarecrow." Ghost said and pointed at his friends while he introduced them. "Alright, squad. This is... what's you name again?"
"Her name is Twilight Sparkle." Spike said and frowned. "You should know her name. She's the princess!"
"Okay, Its- I mean, her name is Twilight Sparkle, so... you know the drill, squad. Let's get inside." Ghost said.
Twilight and Spike leaded the way for the human squad. They entered the castle and walked upstairs before they went through the hallway. Twilight seldom looked back at the human squad to make sure they won't do anything wrong while they were following her. Even she trusted that they will not cause a problem, but she still couldn't fully trust them. Twilight recalled commander Strong Swift's words about Shade Thieves. The corpses seemed to match his description with their glowing eyes and had two legs, but she was unsure that Ghost and his friends have taken a part of Shade Thieves. After they walked through the hallway for awhile, they nearly went past Twilight's bedroom as Twilight was thinking about the Shade Thieves and didn't look at the way.
"Em... well, you can rest here." Twilight said and pointed to the bedroom's door. "Would you like something to eat, human?"
"No, we only wish to rest now." Ghost said.
The human squad went past two royal guard and got in the bedroom with Twilight and Spike. Ghost indicated his friend to sleep on the floor. They didn't seem to mind that they have to sleep on the cold crystal floor and start to sit down and put their gun beside them. Twilight walked to her bed and levitated the book and the case out of her saddlebags and placed them beside her bed. The princess could hear the Ghost and Roach talking about the castle or which area they will sleep on the floor. Twilight wished she has beds and new suits for the humans, but she couldn't help them this way. The princess walked to her desk and levitated a paper and quill out before she wrote a letter to princess Celestia.
"Dear princess Celestia, today I met six humans in Ponyville. They don't look friendly, but they help us find the Element of Harmony and a clue that will lead us to a real face of Shade Thieves. They triumphed over hostile two-legged Golems, that assault in my castle, and protected the Element of Harmony. They've requested to return to their country and they will protect the Element in exchange. There is so many things to do and I will go to visit you with them tomorrow. I hope they didn't hide anything from us. Your princess, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight wrote.
Twilight rolled her letter and tied with a ribbon. She motioned her front hoof to call Spike. He knew what he has to do and quickly went to her. Spike grabbed the letter and blew out a fire at the letter. It turned to cinder and disappeared within the air. Twilight noticed that humans are staring at her. She turned to face them and simpered.
"Why are you looking at me?" Twilight asked.
"Nothing." Ghost said.
The humans looked away and slept on the floor. Ghost, Archer and Scarecrow leaned on the wall while they were sleeping. Roach, Toad and Ozone lay on their back on the floor and slept. Twilight smiled slightly and levitated her saddlebags and put it on the table. Spike went to sleep on his basket as recently, Twilight requested Spike to sleep in her bedroom. Twilight went to her bed and got up on it. She put herself in a blanket and briefly looked at the humans. Twilight turned off a light with her telekinesis. She closed her eyes and peacefully rest on her bed.
After the light was turned off, Roach looked at Twilight with his eye opened. He waited until the lavender pony was in a deep sleep before he looked around to make us that there is no other pony looking at him and faked sleep.
["Task Force, she's sleeping."] Roach whispered in his radio.
["Good."] Archer whispered. ["This plan is going smooth than I expected."]
["We must appreciate in Ghost's acting skill."] Roach whispered.
["Her naivety helps us to fulfill our objective."] Ghost whispered. ["It can't be helped, but we need to use her."]
["Why do you have to call that pony "she" instead of "It", Ghost."] Roach asked.
["Because it's more convenient and that purple thing looks feminine as hell."] Ghost whispered.
["Are you sure that "she" will help us go back to Price?"] Archer asked.
["We should try."] Ghost whispered. ["They're native in this area, but we aren't. If there is somebody that can help us, it must be 'em."]
Archer turned his head. ["I see..."]
["Go back to sleep, squad."] Ghost whispered. ["There is many things we have to do tomorrow."]
Everybody stopped talking. They closed their eyes and rested on their spot. Roach checked his rifle with his eyes for the last time before he put his arm under his head and closed his eyes to sleep. He hoped the crystal house won't be attacked by other hostile squads while they were sleeping.
Far faraway, there was an unknown figure in a black cloak is moving through a forest in the night. The mysterious figure went through the woods and hurriedly went past bushes and trees. When the figure emerged from the forest. It saw something set at the edge of Equestria. At a cliff, there was many stony bipeds in a grim outfit and helmet with a weird stick patrolling or guarding a big cave that appear to be a hideout. Camouflage nets and sandbags were put together to make a makeshift camp. Weird vehicles were parking nearby and and weird things that similar to pedalcopters were landing on the cliff. The figure approached to the camp before two bipeds pointed their stick at the figure.
"Halt!" a biped said.
"Who are you?" another biped asked.
"Your boss's friend." the figure said. The voice was husky.
The biped stared at the figure before it reported back in its device. It let the figure in their camp after it received a message. The figure went through the camp and looked around. There was many creates, weird equipment and bipeds in similar outfit inside the camp. Every bipeds equipped with weird gears and stick. Some of them made way for the figure to walk to the cave. the bipeds that guarding the entrance let the figure go inside. The cave was also filled with crates, weird equipment and bipeds inside. There was many engines as well as unknown devices. When the figure nearly went to the deepest of the cave, a biped indicated him to get in a colossal cavern at the deepest of the cave.
The figure walked in and saw a titanic portal inside a cavern flanking by two black obelisks. There was a giant hole above the cavern that any airship can fit in from outside. The figure walked past many aircraft in the cavern and approached to a biped with a beret. It was flanking with two bipeds and standing beside a create.
"Well... you're here." the biped said lifelessly.
The figure took its hood off and revealed Itself. "I came here as you ask me." Discord said mischievously.
"Sent me the goods, and the deal shall be your." the biped said and motioned its hand.
Discord picked out a case from his cloak and handed it over to the biped. It snatched the case and opened it. The Element of Harmony reflected with the light from the portal and shone beautifully. The biped grinned and closed the case.
"I know you're the best deceiver that we can trust." the biped said.
"No need for compliment. I know what to do with my old friend." Discord said and chuckled.
The biped turned around and walked to a panel in front of the portal with other bipeds followed it. The case was placed on the panel and the biped stepped back. Discord peered at the panel. The case was opened by force and the Element of Harmony was floating in the air. The biped grinned more widely as the gemstones reacted to the portal. A purple gemstone were surrounded by other gemstones and shot the beam of light into the portal. The ground was shaking and the portal made a noise loudly. Every biped in the cavern looked at the portal and waited for something to happen. After they waited for awhile, the biped frowned as nothing is happened afterward. It turned to Discord and approached to him.
"What's the meaning of this!?" The biped said.
"Well, you know. A failure, right?" Discord said.
"But it supposed to be working!" The biped said.
"Oh, come on. Everypony can predict a fail prediction. You're not an exception." Discord said and played with his paw.
"But, we're not pony." The biped said and put out a short stick before it pointed the stick to Discord. "Sorry, even you're our boss' friend, but we can't let you leave this place."
Every biped pointed their stick at Discord. He frowned. Discord narrowed his eyes and looked at each biped. He looked at the biped with beret and laughed loudly.
"What you're gonna do about it? Even you kill me now, your lovely serpent will not come out from that portal!" Discord taunted. "Accept it, my dear. The prophecy was wrong! There is no way to reveal the lost one from eternal banishment!"
Every biped approached to Discord and every big stick were pointed at him. Discord showed no fear toward them and looked at the sky above. He closed his eye before a biped checked on the Element of Harmony.
"Sir, the gemstones are fake!" the biped, that checking the Element of Harmony, said.
"Say your prayer... Discord." the biped with beret said.
Every stick shot laser bolts at the same time to Discord. He tried to use his magic, but obelisks quickly shot a laser on him from their top. The beam hit on Discord right at his chest before his body was glowed red and his magic was quickly disable. Discord tried to use his magic again, but it gave the same result. He couldn't do anything, but waited for the laser bolts hit upon him.
"Fluttershy..." Discord mumbled. "I'm sorry."
Discord cried out in pain when he was shot by a thousand laser bolt under the cold night. The obelisks glowed dreadfully and numerous bipeds were raised from the ground and joined with the army of doom. At of the portal, an evil laugh could be heard after the bipeds ceased fire at the draconequus.
