Chapter 1: A Different Threat
The sun shined upon Ponyville, creating the beautiful shine that bounced off the walls of the shops and homes. The town was buzzing with exciting news that Princess Celestia was coming down for a special announcement about the current issues with the kingdom of Equestria. A lot of towns and cities throughout Equestria have been worried about their safety, for several units of guards traveling across the roads have been reported to be attacked and robbed. Units that have been attacked never suffered a death amongst them, but the injuries were quite serious.
One solider by the name of Nicholas Ladlou who tells the story of his attack. He tells of a blonde, winged creature with white skin and black marks around the eyes. The pegasus was a strong fighter and impressively agile, along with having a un-noticed hidden arsenal of tools that seemed to come out of nowhere. "I've seen blades before, but what he had was something unheard of." Nicholas says to a couple of other Soldiers in a barrack within the outer Ponyville area. "He swung the blade faster then i've ever seen, his hooves swayed the sword so fast i swear i saw a trail of light behind it."
"Your full of Shit!" Exclaimed FruitPunch, drinking his 5th Bottle of Wine that night. " Y-You hasn't a single si-ight in yo-your face ball se-seeing… things.." All his words just stayed all mumbled and slurred the whole rant. All the soldiers at the table looked at him as he started to stumble around and yell at random chairs. "Alright Fruit," A grey, blonde pegasus said "I think it's time to relax and sober up"
"FFFFuck off Matty" FruitPunch responded, "I know when i've had e-enough!" The Pegasus sighed "Please don't call me that, my name is Matthew."
"S-sur-e Matty, and i'm t-the anfshaiks…" FruitPunch passed out and slammed onto the floor face first. Matthew sighs "How did this guy get assigned into the royal Militia and I still get stuck with guard duty?" "You really shouldn't complain, the militia is rarely used." Nicholas responds "Now go put the solider in his bed and i'll go get him some medication for the hangover." Matthew chuckled and took FruitPunch to the beds. Nicholas grabbed his Bits and left to Ponyville.
The townspeople of ponyville were still preparing for the arrival of Princess Celestia. Amongst all the ruckus a mysterious stranger in a cloak appeared in the town, moving around in a hurried pace. The stranger appeared to be looking for a store still open during the preparations, running from place to place. It appeared that none of the stores seemed to be opened, none except the Cake's Bakery. In a worried spirt the Stranger charges into the bakery.
"Hi!" A pink pony yelps, leaping out of nowhere into the strangers path. "I haven't seen you before so you must be new, I should know sense i throw a party for ever new pony in ponyville and i don't remember throwing a party for you! It's going to be great!" The pony then puts on a party hat and pulls out a confetti canon and fires confetti everywhere.
"I don't want a party, i'm just here to get some supplies." The stranger responds. "You don't want a party!? Are you sad!?" The pony pats the strangers head. "Are you sad? I can make you smile! Come on and turn that frowny upsidedowny!" She says with a smile, pulling off the hood of the cloak. The stranger pushed the pony away. "Hey, you're a Zebra!" The pony exclaimed. "I didn't know there were any other Zebras other then Zecora! Do you know Zecora? I made a song about her! Want to hear it!?"
The Zebra started to look worried. "I..I must leave." Puts the hood back up and runs off. "Whats wrong with him?" The pony thought as she chased after him. The Zebra ran as fast as he could, but the pink pony fell from the sky right onto him and pulls his hood off again. "Come on silly, I need to give you the welcome song."
A few feet away Nicholas looks down and the two on the ground, his eyes contact with the Zebras and anger arises onto his face. "You! Your the one who attacked my unit!" He exclaimed. The Zebra quickly threw the pink pony off his back and stared Nicholas down. "Guards! We have one of the attackers!" Nicholas yelled. The townspeople circled around the standoff as guards started to appear all round the Zebra.
"You think you can take me away? Just try!" the Zebra proclaimed as he threw off his cloak to reveal a beige uniform and mechanical wings. The crowd gasped as sounds of mutters arose from the circle. The wings expanded, showing it to be made of some sort of orange iron to fill the bone structure of the wings and canvas to fill the holes between. "YOu think you can scare us with that?" A guard yells as he charges at the Zebra. Qucikly he draws a sword from his boot and slices down the guard. "No, I think this will."
The crowd gasps again as a few people scream over the injured guard on the ground. The rest of the guards charge at him in full force. The Zebra quickly jumps and glides around, attacking all the guards, knocking them down one by one. Nicholas went into attack, just as the Zebra made his escape. He ran straight for the buildings and jumped higher then anybody had ever seen, and glided away before anyone could catch him.
The crowd began to talk at a loud volume, talk of the chaos that is most likely to begin. Without anyones notice, the Princess appeared behind the crowd. "Everyone calm down!" The princess proclaimed. "This was all just a drill to test the guards assigned here, and according to their performance we will send a new unit for better protection. In the mean time, everyone gather to the stands. I will arrive later to explain the problems that are appearing." The crowd disbanded in a loud cluster to the stands, all except Nicholas.
Princess Celestia walked up to him as he gazed up apron her. "Princess, I did not know that you were preforming drills." Nicholas said with a confused tone. "I wasn't," The princess responded. "What has happened here was no drill, I only said that to lessen the worry of my people." Nicholas's eyes widen in surprise. "What!? If this was no drill then what was it!?" Celestia looked at him with worried expression. "Come with me," She told him "I think you need to know whats going on."
Nicholas followed the princess into the woods, trying to put together what is going on. Celestia stopped. " I think this is far enough." She said as she turned around and faced the pony. " You've encountered that solider from Ponyville before, am i correct?" The princess questioned. "I have your highness, but that was no solider." Nicholas replied. " He was a thief… a thief unlike any i've seen." He started to walk back and forth in worried thought.
"How could a simple thief have such mechanics, i've never seen anything like it in Equestria before. His wings were fully artificial and his blade just slid out of his boots. I mean if this is what we are being robbed by i think..!" The princess interrupted him. "He was no thief, he was a solider, he was a rebel solider from somewhere I can not venture." Nicholas looked at her with confusion. "A soldier? From somewhere you can not venture!? What do you mean?"
Celestia looked out into the distance and pointed her hoof. "In the forest?" Nicholas questioned. "No, young man, it is a kingdom." She turns to Nicholas. "A kingdom of exiled ponies." The princess stares back out into the distance. "I've seen them from my bedchamber balcony, and it seems that they have grown in large amounts. I fear that some time soon the citizens of that land will come to Equestria and try to take us down."
"Princess, why haven't you mentioned this to the militia or the guards, we could go out there and strike them before they strike us." Nicholas exclaimed. The princess quickly glared at him with worried expression. "You don't understand. To send out the militia would mean someone would know what we are doing, and if they know that we are attacking another kingdom, not only will they doubt my ideals of peace, but they'll worry about a war!"
The princess went on a worried rant for a couple of seconds till Nicholas stopped her. "Your Highness, please, you need to calm yourself. Right now is not the time to worry over them, you have citizens waiting for you back at Ponyville." Celestia sighed. "Your right guard, we will continue this discussion later." the princess said, walking back to Ponyville. "I will be in the barracks right outside." Nicholas told the princess. He then turned and left.
Meanwhile the Zebra was running through the forest making his escape. He ran faster and faster till he finally reaches a strange house of marble and gold emitting steam. He opened the door and slowly closed it behind him. "Who's there!?" A womanly voice questions from the dark. Out of the darkness appears a yellow pegasus with light purple hair and a simple shirt, vest and skirt outfit. She held up a lantern and stared at the Zebra, and then smiled. "Oh thank god your safe, you scared me for a while Trevan."
"I'm sorry Mikuno." Trevan responded. "I would have returned faster, but I ran into some conflict while in enemy territory." Mikuno ran over to him. "What happened? They didn't hurt you did they?" Trevan sighed. "Relax, i'm fine. The only problem I have right now is that our supplier location is going to be upgraded on guards, so there's no way we could go back again." Trevan walked towards a desk and began to unzip his uniform.
Trevan completely unzips the top of the uniform, un-hooks the strap of the wings, and slides it down to his hips to remove the plug in. As he tries to remove it he starts to grunt and groan in pain. "Do you need me to help you with the wings?" Mikuno asked in a worried tone as she quickly walks over to him. "I-I'm fine!" Trevan mutters underneath his painful groans. Mikuno goes in front of him and looks him in the eye. "Trevan, at least let me get a towel for you to bite on! Maybe i could get you some ice as well!"
"I-I said t-that i'm fine! C-Calm doaaAAHH!!" Trevan falls to his knees in pain of removing the wings. Mikuno looks at him sad and concerned, but doesn't do anything. Trevan slowly gets up and continues to take the wings out, slowly sliding the needles out of his spine and sliding it out of the muscles. He folds the wings and lays the pad connecter down with it. "S-see? I'm fine." He painfully mutters as he walks over to wrap his torso in bandage.
Mkuno sighed. "Trevan, you don't have to act strong around me. I'm here to help you heal, and pretending it doesn't hurt won't be good for your health." She walks over to him with some ice and hands it to him. "I told you if your going to be doing this a lot then you need to keep strong." "I AM STRONG!" Trevan screams back. "IF YOU WANT TO HELP YOU FIGHT ALONG SIDE ME! I DON'T NEED HELP WITH STRENGTH!" Trevan storms out of the room, Mikuno just stands there teary eyed. "Trevan…"
Nicholas sat inside the barracks waiting for word from Celestia, his thoughts went through a jumble of worried ideas about violence and death while the others were busy practicing their fighting skills. Matthew walks up to him. "Everything alright? You seem worried." Nicholas shakes his head. "I'm fine Matthew, i've just got something i'm… thinking over." Matthew chuckles a little "Are you still thinking of your special somebody back in Manehatton? I thought you got over that!"
Nicholas blushes "H-HEY! I AM OVER THAT!… Look, it's just something that I can't…" his confession is suddenly interrupted by a noise over the speaker system. "Would Guard Nicholas, along with Guard Matthew, come to the strategy room immediately." Matthew and Nicholas started to walk to the strategy room, getting stares from all the soldiers they passed. They finally do reach the room and go inside. "Nicholas," Matthew says. "You owe an explanation for this." Princess Celestia stands tall in front of the 2. "I think i can provide the information you want."
"Princess Celestia!" Matthew exclaims in surprise. "What are you doing here!?" The Princess stared at him. "All will be explained later, right now I need to discuss plans with you two so please sit down." The two followed orders as Celestia went in front of them. "Do to current events that have occurred, we have decided to assign you two to a position that hasn't been used for hundreds of years. From this point on you are both Special Operation Soldiers."
Nicholas and Matthew both widen their eyes! "Specs!? Your making us Specs!?" Matthew exclaimed in confusion. "Why are you making us Specs!?" Celestia smiles. "Don't doubt yourself Matthew, Nicholas has shown good practice in leadership and combat. An as for you," She looks him straight in the eyes. "your tech skills are useful for this situation." She backed up from him. "So you two make perfect choices, as well as leaders."
"Leaders?" Nicholas questioned. "So we aren't just in charge of this enemy kingdom situation, but in charge of some soldiers as well?" Celestia giggles a little. "Well of course, i'm not just going to let people work alone. Several soldiers from across equestrian will be coming here to be under your command. Don't worry about telling them about this situation, i'll be sure to explain it to all of them once they arrive. Now i must go, so good luck to you men." Celestia quickly leaves after finishing. "Ok now Nicholas," Matthew says. "what the hell is going on here?"
Trevan walked into a room filled with ingredients and pots all around. The windows caused all of the glass and steel in the room to shine, creating a mystic beauty within the room. In there stands a blue unicorn with black and green hair in a white cloak. "Ok, so where did i leave the ash?" he questions himself, looking around the room. Trevan walks towards one of the shelfs and grabs the ash and takes it to the unicorn. " You were looking for this Zano?"
Zano turned to him. "Oh, thank you Trevan." He takes the ash and puts it into the mixture. He then slowly blends the mixture with his magic. "So I heard all the yelling again, haven't we discussed about this?" Trevan looks at him angrily. "I KEEP TELLING YOU! I'M NOT WEAK, SO I DON'T NEED HELP WHEN IT COMES TO MY HEALTH!" Zano turns to him with aggravated expression. "Look, she's only there to help you. You know how dangerous your wings are to you, you can't just connect them to your spine without expecting serious issue."
"I DON'T NEED THE FUCKING HELP ZANO!" Trevan yelled even louder. Zano sighed and looked at him with deep sorrow. "Trevan, you need to calm down. I know your kind, but this whole anger against Equestria has changed you. An you need to stop yelling at everyone, especially Mikuno." Trevan slowly starts to change his expression from anger to regret. "I… I know, but i can't look weak now. I'm the one leading everyone, I can't look like I can't… and hurting her…"
Zano goes over to him and comforts him. " Trevan it's alright." Zano grabs a cold glass of water. "Here, just drink up and relax while I mix the flame-healer potion." He walks back over to the pot as Trevan sits down and takes a few drinks of water. " You know I could make you an artificial horn to help you with your magic." Zano giggled. "I've told you before i'm fine with the horn i have, it may be broken but it still works well enough."
Trevan nods and goes back to drinking his water. "So, whats our next plan?" Zano asks. Trevan thinks over for a second. "Well to be honest i hadn't planned that our supplier would be unusable so soon." He sets his glass down and walks to the window. "I think the best move to make now is to stop supplies from getting to Equestria and take it for our own." Trevan turns to Zano. "We need to attack Equestria's naval port. I'll go tell the units and we'll be ready by nightfall."
