Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell

Shining Armor watched as the technicians began to heft out the large crate that had collapsed moments ago onto an unsuspecting pegasus Guard. While his wing would take long to heal, he'd be able to fly again one day. For now, however, he was being sent off under an oath of secrecy to recover in a small town, where the rest of his family resided. The stallion couldn't blame the Guard's personal decision, considering he had others to think of as well. Now, however, he could only focus on the mission at hoof. He had to find out what was inside that box.

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"What the Hell was in that crate, Lisa?" Commander Matthias asked.

"Four emergency survival kits and a datapad, currently logged on by Corporal Sputnik."

"Last known search?"

"Classical music, around the 1800s. At its current power, however, it won't last for 37 seconds."

The Commander stayed silent as he watched the unicorns pry the crate open on the bridge's main screen.

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Shining Armor eyed the large bags cautiously as the hazard teams prepared special containers of their own. One unicorn in a hazard-prep suit opened the bag to examine the contents, one at a time. The first thing he pulled out was a small plate of clear glass, held together by a small frame of metal. Next came a green box with writing on it in Equish, just like the reports had said when the investigation had been halted, due to the gravitational anomaly. On it read, "UNSC Survival Kit," and had an eagle with its wings spread over it. After that was placed into the container, out came a box with a familiar theme. It was white with a single red cross, much like their own medical emergency kits. It too was put into the container before something strange was pulled out. It was in the shape of the handle of a Minotaur crossbow, but simply ended with a wide, stout barrel. The object was barely big enough to avoid being hidden in somepony's muzzle.

After that, the bag had been folded and placed into the container, along with three more just like it.

"Just some kind of dang survival kit, by the looks of it," Hammer observed.

"But what about the orange thing?" Glyph questioned. "Maybe it was some kind of weapon, or a signal flare, like our magical ones?"

"We'll know when Canterlot Science figures it out," Shining stated. "Get this on the next train out of Apploosa, along with Private Glance."

The hazard teams had begun to relocate the crate as well as their own container, ready to enchant the items for immediate transport.

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Princess Luna watched over the seemingly endless expanse of Equestria, trying to find a calm in the raging hurricane of confusion she was in. She had red through several dozen tomes of historical knowledge, trying to learn what she hadn't been around for. Several things had made her cringe, such as the "Children of Nightmare" cult waging war against the Equestrian government, as well as the "Cult Solar" rising against them, if only to paint her sister in the same light of false godhood. Everything she had read on had been another twinge of pain to her mind and soul, tearing her apart from the inside, struggling to keep track of everything that she should know.

Just as a sigh was escaping her lips, a small burst of light drew her attention.

The alicorn called upon her ancient magic to enhance her view of the events in the distance, curious since the fireworks had ceased long ago.

She was now looking upon the progress of the armored Humans from the train, as they began to escort a large number of other Humans to the same vehicle.

Her mind ceased to think of anything else, instead focusing on the aliens that were running from the burst of flames and light that were already fading into nothingness. All seven of them were now rushing for the metallic transport, and began to pile in other Humans. In minutes, they too were on board the train, save for one. Luna focused her mind on that one, and began to feel into the mysterious soldier.

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Maelstrom lifted himself into the operator's car of the tram and slammed a fist into the side twice.

"Punch it," he spoke to Meadow, "get us out of here!"

The alien captive didn't speak back as she pushed a lever forward to start the motions of the wheels beneath them. A single push later, the tram was already in motion down the tracks. Behind the alien, Sputnik sighed as he leaned against a wall, holding out a hand for the Sergeant to grasp and slam their chests into each other.

"We did it, sir," he spoke happily.

"Of course we did. And why's that?" he asked over the comms.

"Because we're Helljumpers!" came the chorus of replies.

Just as Maelstrom was about to praise the team for getting the right answer, images of his past suddenly flashed before his eyes. Images of Arcadia, training, Earth, the Ark, and the Battle of Hat Yai. Voices and screams began to sound through his ears as he felt his body give out underneath him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHRRRREEEEEEUUUUUGGGGHHH!!!!!!" Maelstrom struggled to shout as he began to convulse on the ground, his limbs lashing out against his command.

"Shit!" Sputnik screamed as he dropped his weapon and tried to steady Maelstrom. "Icepick, we need medical attention, now! Maelstrom's having an attack!"

"What's going on!?" Meadow asked, panicking internally at seeing the Human thrashing about.

"I don't fucking know! Icepick, get here now!"

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Luna pulled back from the mind of the Human soldier, gasping and struggling to contain her screams. Of all the horrors she had seen throughout her life, none had prepared her for that. Even when she thought back to the atrocities of insane mages and failed experiments, from evil conquerors and overlords bent on destruction, to simple beasts that only wanted blood... nothing compared to what she just witnessed. The images were still flashing around her mind, taking away her focus as she felt her magic surging away from her in all directions. A number of muffled sounds came from the world around the Princess before she felt her body seize up and collapsed to the floor, unconscious once again.