The Guardian

I slide sideways down the corridor with one of my pistols held in my right hand, Star followed close but I could tell she was scared out of her mind. I came to the tenth door of our trip through the office area one floor up from the portal.

“Why isn't there any ponies down here, or humans?” I pause and turn to Star. “Sorry Kenny, just thinking aloud.”

“No, you have a good question there Star, this is the processing area of the portal where any new ponies are questioned and given the proper papers to visit Earth. This place should be packed with workers or travellers.” I reply, opening the door and checking the room, it was another office. “Where is everyone?” I ask to no-one.

Star and I continue onward checking rooms before we come to the stairs leading down to the portal. I stop Star with a hand and give my gear a check.

“What's wrong?” Star asks.

I give my assault rifle one last check before replying. “Something's not right, this is the most heavily guarded area in the building yet I haven't seen a single guard, either the security has lapsed or something is amiss.”

“You think they have the staff locked up somewhere?” Star asks.

I shake my head. “That would require guards to watch them, so we should have met them by now. I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Hello....?” I spin around to find where the voice came from, it was weak like a whisper. “U-Up here...” I look up to spot two red eyes looking down at me from an over head vent. “Please don't shoot me!”

“Come down, I won't shoot you.” I put down my pistol.

“Ok...just don't hurt me...” The vent pops off it's gate and falls, I grab the metal in the air so it didn't hit the floor and a young pony jumps down. I realise the pony is a filly and must be about six to seven years of age.

“It's just a filly.” Star says walking forward. “Hello my name is Star Trail, this is Kenny. What's your name?”

“S-Shimmer Quartz....” The filly replies.

“Shimmer Quartz? You're a crystal pony?” I ask putting my guns away.

“Y-you know about crystal ponies?” The filly asks as her ears perk up.

I nod and crouch down. “My training consisted of learning about all types of ponies, even Thestrals.”

The filly smiles and runs into my arms. I wrap my arms around her as the filly starts to cry. I look to Star and Star just shrugs. I pull the filly away from my embrace and look into her eyes, the filly wipes her nose with a hoof.

“Shimmer can you tell me what happened here? Where is your family?” I ask, wiping a thumb under her eyes.

“The guards like you came and made them leave. I got separated from my mum, they put her into the portal thing.” The filly starts to tear up again. “I miss my mum!”

I pull the filly into my embrace again and look to Star. “We need to get to the portal Star. It won't be easy but I want you to take care of Shimmer Quartz.”

“What about the guardians?” Star asks. “They are your people.”

I stand up and place Shimmer on Stars back, I pull out my pistols and give them one last check. I look back to Star and notice the worry on her face.

“If they're against me Star, they're no longer guardians.” I turn and start to head for the final set of stairs leading to the portal room.

Star placed a hoof on my leg, I reached down and placed my hand on her head without looking. I felt Star nuzzle my hand followed by a second nuzzle from Shimmer. I turn and look at them both, they were afraid that much was certain but I had to be strong not only for Star but for the filly as well. I turn back to the large blast door that was closed, the last obstacle before the hardest test of my life. I sighed and pulled out the security card, I swiped the card in the reader by the door and the door started to unlock and open.

I stood in the doorway of the portal room the bluish glow of the active portal shimmering across the room like water reflection. I never got time to be in awe as my gaze was fixed on the twenty figures standing before the portal and the ten ponies sitting in front of them. I growled in my throat when I saw the guardians were pointing there guns at the ponies heads.

“Look what we have here, the lost sheep has returned home.” I turn my gaze to see the same person that attacked me at the diner. “I would have preferred to kill you myself but our gracious leader has asked me to at least give you a chance to save yourself.” I watch as the figure walks to one of the ponies a mare and drags a finger across her muzzle. “I have to admit if I was of the four legged variety I would find these ponies quite the lookers.” The man turns to smile at me. “Then again you've already taken one as your partner haven't you?”

I notice nearly all of the guardians present look shocked. “So what?” I reply. “These ponies are no different from us or is the human race so far gone that we can't see past our own racist ways?”

The figure thrusts out his right hand a knife suddenly appearing in his grasp. “No! They are not like us! They are animals! Animals that must be control or destroyed!” In the seconds following his statement and to my horror the figure puts the knife to the mares throat and slices it open. I watch as the mares face turns to terror as her body falls to the floor and her life blood streams out of her neck.

The guardians look at the mare in genuine shock as she bleeds out before them. I see some of the guardians start to shake and they all begin to look confused.

“Guardians! Target Guardian zero zero one!” The figure says. I watch as the guardians all raise their guns and target me. “Kill him!”

I stand there as nothing happens. I pull out my second pistol and raise it towards them.

“I said shoot him!” The man shouts when the guardians make no movement. “Shoot you fuckers!” When the guardians start to lower their weapons the figure turns to me. “Fuck this! I'll do it myself!”

I suddenly duck and pull Star and Shimmer into cover behind a console as the first bullets pass where my head was.

“Stay down! When you have a chance get to the portal and try to take the ponies with you!” I tell Star.

“No! What about you!?” Star shouts.

“I'll be right behind you I promise!” I lean forward and give Star a kiss. I break the kiss and leaning out I return fire on my attacker forcing him to dive into his own cover. As I fire at his cover I notice the guardians are herding the ponies into the portal and some even give me looks before following after them.

I get up and run to another piece of cover as more bullets nick at my heels. One bullet grazes my leg but I push out the pain.

“Did that hurt Kenny!?” The figure laughs. “Stick your head out I'll end it quickly!”

“Who is this guy?” I ask myself. “Why don't you come get me you prick, see how that goes!” I hear the figure laugh again as more rounds hit my cover. I reload my pistols and instantly rise out of my cover firing as I run towards him. My hope was to get close to him, a guardians greatest strength was our close combat abilities. I reach his cover only to find he wasn't there, I quickly turn as a flash of metal catches my eye. I manage to dodge my attackers first swipe but his second cuts my shoulder, I raise up a pistol only for him to knock it out of my grasp.

I block his next swing dropping my second pistol. I continue to block his attacks with my hands and arms. I suffer several cuts and slashes to my arms but I take no notice as I grab his knife hand and knock the small blade out of his grip. This advantage doesn't last long as he twists his hand and breaks my hold on his wrist, he spins around kicking me in the chest. I stumble back and hit a large console behind me, I grab my chest for a few seconds to long as my attacker lunges at me again this time plunging a larger blade into my side.

I cry out as the blade sinks into my flesh, I grab his arms preventing the blade from going deeper. I look into his face and see only pleasure and psychotic happiness. I feel the blade start to sink deeper as my strength starts to fail. I cry out again in pain.

“How does it feel to throw your life away for these creatures? You pony lover!”

I frown and grind my teeth looking straight into his eyes I use what was left of my strength to slowly pull his hand away. He looks to me in shock seconds before something hits him and he flies across the room hitting the far wall. I fall to my knees clutching my side, I feel someone touch my side and look up. I see a pony in gold armour smiling down at me.

“Mr Rowe? Don't worry I have you.” The pony says as I get lifted by an unseen force.

“S-Star....Where...” I croak out as I feel myself starting to blackout.

“Don't worry we have her, she's safe.” I turn my head to see several other ponies standing around the portal all wearing the same gold armour. “Berry! Get ready to close the portal plant charges!” I watch as an armoured pony runs to every console and places a glowing blue device to each one before running back.

“Charges set Captain! Two minutes count!”

“OK everypony! Let's go home!” I hear the armoured pony lifting me up shout as my vision was suddenly blinded by a blue light.

I blank out for several seconds and come around just as I get placed on a stone floor, a pony comes up to me and checks my wound before calling for a medic. I watch as a gold armoured pony takes off a helmet to reveal a purple earth pony mare. I watch as she raises up her hoof and counts down to zero went her hoof drops the portal suddenly shuts down and the large gem above the portal device goes dim.

“Oh yeah! I love a good snatch and grab rescue.” The mare says before high hoofing another gold armoured pony.

I turn my head as I feel myself get lifted off the floor and placed on something soft, I see the pony from before press something into my wound. I feel a hoof touch my cheek and turn my head just in time to see Star's smiling face all three seconds before I finally give in to the pain and pass out.