Operation: UPPER CUT: Aftermathby AzainInvazionChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5PrologueOrbit of Reach August 14, 2552. “Tell ‘em to make it count.” Jorge says as he hurls Noble Six off of the corvette. He quickly turns back to the task at hand. “There was no other way.” The Spartan assured himself as he prepped the bomb. “The thing came out of nowhere and we didn’t have the firepower to stop it.” The corvette, Ardent Prayer, was nearing the supercarrier’s docking station at this point. “We were lucky Kat came up with this brilliant plan in the first place.” Jorge thought with just a hint of sarcasm. The plan was simple, take a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine aboard the Covenant corvette and use it as a make-shift bomb. They would take control of the ship and set it on a refueling run. When the corvette got close enough to the supercarrier, him and Six would fly out, the bomb would explode, and the supercarrier would be sent to oblivion. Things didn’t go according to plan. Damage done to the corvette by the UNSC Savannah had blocked the path to the Sabres, the spaceships they used to get on the corvette, and the thrusters on the Pelican that carried the bomb had been badly damaged meaning the only way off was through a space jump. To make matters worse, the timer on the Slipspace bomb had been damaged by plasma fire. The only way to detonate it was manually. Jorge immediately decided that it would be him who would set of the bomb. Without a second thought, he promptly picked Six up, and sent the Lieutenant plummeting towards Reach. The Ardent Prayer was now docking with the supercarrier. “3.” Jorge mentally prepared himself for the ultimate sacrifice. "2.” Reach had been good to him. “1.” It was time to return the favor. Just outside the Everfree Forest Fluttershy’s cottage. “Oh, Angel, won’t you eat just one more bite?” Fluttershy cooed, unsuccessfully trying to coax her troublesome pet into finishing his dinner. All the animals had already been fed for the night… except for one. “Oh, Angel, what am I going to do with you?” Fluttershy asked as she made her way up the stairs, defeated. As she entered her bedroom, she stared out her window. Luna’s sky was beautiful this particular evening, the large full moon in the distance, surrounded by a plethora twinkling stars. Continuing to gaze upon the dark night sky, Fluttershy noticed a shooting star through her bedroom window. She closed her eyes and made a wish. When she opened them back up, she knew something was wrong. The shooting star was bigger than before. A lot bigger! And closer! It disappeared behind the tree line with a deafening *Crash*. She quickly flew out of the window heading towards the area where the “shooting star” had landed. When she finally got there, Fluttershy gasped. In place of the meteorite she thought would be there, was a very large hunk of metal. It was smoldering around the edges and had left a crater as deep as Ghastly Gorge and was just as long. It was nothing like anything Fluttershy had ever seen before. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the crater. An appendage popped up from the smoking wreckage. Fluttershy could only watch with a mixture of shock and curiosity as what appeared to be a large, metal, ape pulled itself out of the rubble. Chapter 1Chapter 1 Everfree Forest Black. That was all Jorge could see, pitch black. He tried moving his hand in front of his face but found he was pinned down by something. Pushing off the twisted piece of metal, Jorge stood up, turned on his night vision, and surveyed his surroundings. He was still in the Ardent Prayer, but it had seen better days. Wires were hanging from the ceiling, sending down a shower of sparks every couple seconds. Smoldering pieces of what used to be the ship’s walls were now on the floor in large piles. Dead Covenant bodies were strewn across the docking bay. Jorge continued to look around the destroyed ship when he noticed a faint stream of light coming from a hole in the ceiling. Turning off his night vision confirmed his suspicions that there was, in fact, light coming from the outside, wherever that was. Even from the floor of the docking bay, the hole seemed large enough for Jorge to fit through, the only problem was getting to it. Jorge continued to search for alternate ways out when he noticed a cluster of wires coming down from the hole in the ceiling to the upper level of the docking bay. Spartans are heavy, it’s an obvious fact. Their armor weighs half a ton. If you add that to Jorge’s 320 pounds, the chance of climbing out of there was slim to none. Still, seeing as how there were no other ways out, Jorge had to try. He slowly made his way up to the only possible place he could have reached the wire. Gripping tightly, Jorge pulled himself up the cluster of wires. He did it carefully at first, to test if it could actually hold his weight. Surprisingly, the wires held firm and Jorge continued towards freedom. As he was making his way towards the tear in the hull, Jorge started to think. Where was he? What would he find up there? Would there be life? If so, would they be hostile? These questions repeated themselves in Jorge’s head as the hole in the roof got closer. With one final push, Jorge heaved himself out of the hole and out of the corvette. He quickly realized that adrenaline may have played a part in his climb to freedom after he collapsed in a heap on the ground. As he caught his breath, Jorge decided to look around and survey his resting place. He was in a crater, a deep one. Jorge sighed as he thought about the task ahead. More climbing. At least this time he wouldn’t have to rely on some flimsy wiring to reach the top. After a good five minutes of panting and heavy breathing, Jorge was ready to take on the crater. He was almost at the top in no time compared to his previous endeavor, and with a sigh of relief, his hand hit flat ground. Jorge pulled himself out of the crater and found himself in a thick forest. There was a clearing around the crater due to the impact of the supercarrier, or what was left of it. Jorge noticed a mountain in the distance and decided that it would be the best place to get a look around. He started limping towards it when he heard the sound of a stream. Jorge realized how thirsty he was now that water was within reach and he wasn’t about to fall to his death. He took off his helmet and made his way down to the water line and started drinking. The cool water running down his throat gave him some relief. However, that relief was short lived when he realized what he had done. Jorge started to panic; he had just taken off his helmet while on an unknown planet! The air could’ve been toxic or there could’ve been no air at all. Jorge quickly realized that this wasn’t the case seeing as how there were trees and water, but he still belittled himself for making such huge mistake. When Jorge had finally had his fill of water, he picked up his helmet and continued towards the mountain. But as he was walking through the dense forest, Jorge couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Fluttershy quickly hid behind a tree before the creature could spot her. It had just pulled itself out of the crater when it stood up. The creature was massive, At least seven feet tall! It looked kind of like a gorilla except it was standing upright on two legs. It was covered in metal, like one of Princess Celestia’s royal guards, except its helmet covered its entire face. Fluttershy’s thoughts were interrupted when the creature suddenly took off its helmet and hastily made its way to the stream nearby. Fluttershy didn’t have enough time to get a good look at its face, but she saw enough to know it wasn’t Equestrian, but it wasn’t an animal. It looked almost like a pony’s face except it had a short snout and small eyes. It seemed to have facial hair like she had seen some ponies with. When it was done drinking, it put its helmet back on and started walking through the forest. Fluttershy started to panic when she realized that it was headed for her house! The forest was full of plants that Jorge didn’t recognize. However, he did know that if this place was anything like Earth, and considering there was water and plants, there was a good chance it was, brightly colored plants would be poisonous. With this in mind, Jorge carefully made his way around the patch of bright blue leaves on the ground. Several minutes of walking later, Jorge started to notice that the forest was getting thinner. Branches weren’t slamming into his visor every five seconds and the vines that would get caught on his armor were becoming few and far between. Jorge’s spirits were lifted even higher when another clearing came into view. This was enough to cause Jorge to quicken his pace but he came to an abrupt stop when he came across a small cottage. He approached it cautiously. “Oh nonononono!” Fluttershy thought as the creature stopped moving right in front of her house. “What am I going to do? I don’t know what that thing is and now it’s going toward my house.” Fluttershy could only watch in horror as the creature slowly opened her door and started walking inside. Suddenly a thought hit her. “My animals!” The inside of the cottage was nothing like what Jorge expected. There were several bird houses and bird cages all around the living room. Pots and pans were hanging from the stone fireplace. The wooden floors gave the room a homey feel and the rug in the middle tied it all together. It took Jorge several seconds to realize that the cottage looked way too nice to be abandoned. However, he didn’t have much time to process this when a he heard a voice from behind him. “Um… excuse me.” Chapter 2A/N Just a couple of small revisions and edits. I really have to work on communication with my pre-reader/friend. *** Everfree Forest The wreckage of the Long Night of Solace lay in a heap of crumpled metal and crackling wires. Despite all of this destruction, however, the ship was as still as the air that surrounded it. The only illumination came from the pale light of Luna’s moon. This tranquil serenity was shattered by the sound of clanking metal and inhuman grunts coming from underneath the destroyed supercarrier. The cause of these noises finally revealed itself when an arm suddenly burst from the rubble. On the end of this appendage were two very large fingers and an equally as large thumb. Several others followed in its wake as the timber wolves howled at the full moon. *** Jorge whipped his head around to meet the owner of the voice he had just heard, preparing for the worst. In front of him stood, well… hovered really, what appeared to be a miniature yellow pegasus with a light pink mane. “I’m sorry, it’s just that… um… you’re kind of… um… scaring my animals.” He had to be hallucinating. That’s it, he was hallucinating. That water he drank had some sort of toxin in it that causes hallucinations. There could never be an actual pegasus. Those things are only myths. Even if they did exist, this one doesn’t even look like a horse. Its face is too… human. His theory was immediately shot down as the “hallucination” tapped him on the shoulder. “Um… are you al-alright?” Jorge realized that he had been staring blankly into space due to the shock. He felt it, the tap on the shoulder. He had felt it. This wasn’t a hallucination. Quickly snapping back to reality, he was barely able to stammer out a reply. “Y-Yeah, I just… Need to sit down for a bit.” Jorge said as he took a seat on the couch. It creaked under his weight. “O-okay…” Fluttershy said, still a little frightened by the situation. Her heart was racing. “So… If this is really happening, and you’re not just a hallucination, where am I?” “Oh! Umm…” Fluttershy was a little taken aback by the question. “You’re in Equestria.” “Equestria? Like, horses?” “Ponies… actually.” Jorge did his best to stifle a laugh. He figured outright laughing at the dominant species on an unknown planet was not the best idea. An awkward silence formed between the two beings. A silence that, surprisingly enough, Fluttershy was the one to break. “So… Where are you from? I’ve never seen anything like you before.” This time it was Jorge’s turn to be shocked. He gathered his composure and answered. “I’m from the planet of Reach. I’ve never heard of this planet on any database we have so it must be pretty far away.” “Oh. Well, if it’s so far away, then how did you get here?” Jorge sighed. He knew she would ask that, and he was a bit reluctant to tell her. Everything here seemed so peaceful and innocent, at least from what he’d seen; he didn’t want to ruin it with tales of war. Fluttershy sensed his hesitation and decided it’d be best not to pry. “You don’t have to tell me… if you don’t want to. But, um… could you at least tell me your name, I mean, if it’s okay with you.” Jorge couldn’t help but smile at the pony’s shyness. “My name’s Jorge.” “My name is Fluttershy.” Normally, Fluttershy wasn’t so social. She was always a little hesitant when telling somepony her name. She didn’t know why talking to Jorge was so different. Maybe it was because he wasn’t a pony. To Fluttershy, it was like he was just another animal that she took care of, except this time; she could actually understand what he was saying. Speaking of which… “Listen, I appreciate your hospitality, but I really need to get back to Reach. They’re going to need me over there. Do you have anyone that could help me? Like a scientist or something.” Fluttershy was sad that her new friend wanted to leave so early, but she knew that what he was doing, whatever he was doing, was probably important. “Well, we don’t have a scientist here in Ponyville, but I do know somepony who is really smart. She might be able to help you.” “Can you take me to her?” Fluttershy started to lead Jorge to the door when she realized that walking a giant, 7-foot creature through Ponyville might not be the best idea. “O-on second thought, it might be best if you stayed at my house while I bring her here.” Jorge realized what Fluttershy had just a couple seconds earlier and quickly agreed to the change in plans. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” And with that, Fluttershy was out of the door. *** “Come on Spike! We have to hurry!” Twilight Sparkle said as she put on her saddlebags. A muffled voice could be heard upstairs. “I’m comin’, I’m comin’.” A purple and green dragon said as he made his way down the stairs. They had both seen the meteor land, well… more like crash, into the Everfree forest thanks to the unicorn’s habit of late night reading. At first, she thought nothing of it. Then she remembered that Fluttershy lived near the Everfree, and she insisted that her and Spike check if she was okay. “I still don’t see why we have to do this. That meteor landed way too deep into the forest to be close to Fluttershy’s cottage.” The dragon complained as he jumped onto Twilight’s back. “I told you Spike, it’s just to make sure she’s okay. You can stay here if you want.” Spike leaped at the chance to get a full night’s rest as he hopped off of Twilight. “Okay!” He yelled as he ran upstairs. Twilight sighed as she opened the door with her magic. She started trotting towards Fluttershy’s house when she bumped into somepony. “Oof.” She said rubbing her forehead. An all too familiar voice apologized in reply. “Oh. I’m sorry, Twilight, it’s just tha-“ “FLUTTERSHY!” Twilight yelled in surprise. “I knew it. You’re mad at me. I’m sorry it’s ju- “She was interrupted once again by the lavender mare. “I’m not mad at you, Fluttershy. I was just about to check up on you. I saw the meteor hit near your cottage and I was worried.” Twilight said as she got back on four hooves. Relieved that she hadn’t angered her friend, Fluttershy calmed down and remembered what she had come here for. “A-actually, that was what I wanted to talk to you about.” “Really? Okay, what is it?” Twilight asked. “It’s um… sort of hard to explain. It would be easier if you came with me back to my house.” “Alright.” Twilight said. She was confused and curious at the same time. The two mares made their way back towards the Everfree forest. *** Jorge sat in Fluttershy’s cottage waiting for his friend to get back. He was a bit nervous. Just who was this friend of Fluttershy? Would she be able to help him get back? Or would she just run away at the sight of him. He had to admit that to these… ponies… a normal human would probably look like something out of a horror movie, if they even had those here. However, a more pressing concern made his way into Jorge’s mind. What was happening to Reach? His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. *** “Okay Fluttershy, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?” Twilight asked as the pair arrived at Fluttershy’s doorstep. Throughout the short walk to her cottage, Fluttershy had tried to think of a way to introduce Jorge to Twilight, “tried” being the keyword in that sentence. By the time they had reached her house, she still had no idea how she was going to tell her unicorn friend. “Um… w-wait here, please.” Twilight’s curiosity rose even more as she watched her friend disappear behind the door. She pressed her ear against the wooden surface to try and get a hint at what the pegasus was doing in there. She could here muffled sounds coming from inside. Not entire conversations, but enough to peak her interest. “Um… she’s here…” “Great… are you… bring her in… or should… go outside?” Twilight couldn’t make heads or tails of the broken conversation that she had overheard. Suddenly, she reeled back as the door she had been leaning on for support opened inward. Recovering from her near fall, the unicorn looked up and found herself in front of a large ape-like creature towering over her. All she could do was stare in what can only be described as a state of amazement and sheer terror. “Uh… Hi?” “AAAAAHHHHH!!!!” The ear piercing scream could be heard all the way to Sweet Apple Acres it was so loud. It even caught the attention of several of the creatures in the Everfree forest, one of them, sentient. “Fl-Fluttershy, w-what is that… t-thing?” “This is um…Jorge. He’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” The pegasus said awkwardly. Twilight couldn’t believe her ears. Fluttershy, the pony known in town for being a scaredy-pony, was completely calm in the presence of this… thing. “So… Your Fluttershy’s friend? Can you help me? Slowly, Twilight began to realize that… Jorge… wasn’t, in fact, a monster. The main hint being that he had just asked her for help. Still a little shaky from her previous… exertion, it dawned on Twilight what Jorge had just asked her. “Help you? With what?” The stranded spartan started to explain his current situation when another scream broke the relative tranquility of the night. This one, however, was a bit less shrill. “HUMAN!” All of the blood drained out of Jorge's face leaving it pale white. That cry was all too recognizable Chapter 3Chapter 3 Fluttershy’s Cottage “Get Inside! Now!” Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle obeyed Jorge’s order without question. What they just saw was terrifying, even more than Jorge had been. It was big, bigger, even, than their new friend. Its legs were large and muscular, they bended in the same way that ostrich legs did, with a sort of “backwards knee.” The most hideous part, though, was the face. Its jaws were split into four mandibles with several teeth on each one. They stretched out when the creature had bellowed its frightening battle cry. To Fluttershy and Twilight, this creature was a monster. To Jorge, however, this creature was an Elite. As the two ponies took shelter in Fluttershy’s home, the Elite charged at Jorge. The Spartan pulled out his magnum and took aim, sending several shots barreling towards his attacker. The bullets were easily deflected by the Elite’s advanced shields, and Jorge’s clip ran out just as he was tackled by the Sanghelli. Jorge sent his curled up fist towards the Elite’s head. Its shields had been taken down by his barrage of bullets, so the punch connected with a deafening… CRACK. The Elite reeled back giving Jorge enough time to push him off and get back on his feet. While this was unfolding, Twilight and Fluttershy were watching helplessly from the cottage window. The two aliens were having an all out brawl just in front of them and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Neither of the two ponies wanted to see their friend get hurt, but what could they do? Suddenly, Twilight had a brilliant idea. “Fluttershy, we need to get into the Everfree forest.” “But, Twilight, Jorge is out there fighting that…thing…and we need to help him.” “I know. I have a plan, but I’m going to need your help. Come on. We can go out the back door.” The unicorn slowly made her way towards the edge of the Everfree with her pegasus friend close behind. Jorge and the Elite were still fighting. A punch here, a kick there, the two were going at it like a pair of timber wolves fighting for a meal. Ignoring the violent scene that was going on right next to them, the two ponies made their way into the dark forest. Jorge wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. This thing just wasn’t giving up! The Elite threw a kick at Jorge’s side. Thinking quickly, he sidestepped the gargantuan leg and sent a punch flying at the Sanghelli’s stomach. It connected, sending the creature flying back. Without a moment’s hesitation, it jumped back up and launched itself at the Spartan, catching Jorge off guard. The two fell to the ground with the Elite’s legs pinning Jorge’s shoulders to the ground. *SCHHH* An energy dagger popped up from the Elite’s wrist sending Jorge into a panic. He struggled against the Sanghelli trying to pull his arms free but to no avail. It pulled back, raising his arm for the final blow. “FOR THE COVENA-“ *BA-KAWK* Jorge strained to see what had made the strange noise. He couldn’t turn his head enough to see the animal’s head but he could make out what scaly snake-like body. Strange, it sounded like a chicken to him. When he turned back to the Elite he was met with a frightening sight. The Elite looked like a statue! Jorge was easily able to push the petrified Sanghelli off of himself. Getting back to his feet, he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. “Jorge, are you alright?” Twilight asked as she made her way over to the dazed Spartan. “I’m fine, but, what was that thing.” “It was a cockatrice.” “A what?” “See for yourself.” Twilight said gesturing towards the creature. Jorge was right about the snake body, but he was also right about the chicken noise. It was as if some sick mad scientist had stuck a chicken onto the body of a snake. Jorge slowly made his way over to it, however, he was so focused on the strange creature that he hadn’t noticed that his soft-spoken friend was right in front of him whispering some unidentifiable words to it. “Is Fluttershy talking to that thing?” He asked Twilight. “She… has a way with animals.” The unicorn replied. As the two slowly made their way towards the pegasus, her words became easier to understand. “Thank you so much for helping us with that monster,” the caretaker cooed,” now run along back to the forest.” And with that the cockatrice turned around and disappeared behind the tree line. Jorge turned back to Fluttershy. “What was that thing? And what did it do to that Elite?” He asked. “It was a cockatrice; it can turn things into stone by looking into their eyes.” Jorge contemplated this as the trio made their way back inside the cottage. As they, passed by the petrified body of the Elite, the two ponies became curious. “What was that thing?” Twilight asked. “And why did it a-attack us?” Fluttershy added shyly. Jorge sighed. He knew he would have to do it eventually. “I suppose it’s time to tell you how I got here.” The Spartan said as he stepped inside the cottage. Jorge took a seat on the couch, which, once again, creaked under his massive 300 pound body. Twilight and Fluttershy followed suit. Once the three were all settled, Jorge began the task of explaining to them where he came from. He decided to start at the beginning. “Humans came from a planet called Earth. Not much happened until we discovered faster-than-light travel. After that, we star-“ “Hang on,” Twilight interrupted,” Faster-than-light travel? How does that work?” “Uh… okay, imagine a piece of paper-“ “Okay!” Twilight said as she focused her magic. In no time at all the air exploded with a fantastic purple spark as a piece of paper fluttered slowly towards the ground. By now I should be used to this sort of thing, Jorge thought as he cautiously picked up the paper. “Er… thanks. So, say you’re right here.” He said as he pointed to one side of the paper. He slowly traced his finger in a line to the opposite end. “Instead of going to the other side of the paper like this, the ‘slip-space drive’ bends the paper,” he did so,” so you can get to the other end faster than… well, light.” “I think I get it.” Twilight and Fluttershy said in unison. “Great, now, when we discovered faster-than-light travel, we started to colonize other planets. Reach was one of the first ones to be colonized and became the brunt of our military force. For a moment, things were peaceful, but that didn’t last long as rebellion began to rise up against the Unified Earth Government. The UNSC started training Spartan super-soldiers, such as yours truly, to stop the insurrection. Then, the Covenant showed up.” “The Covenant are a coalition of alien species that declared us an ‘affront to their gods’ or something like that, and, in 2525, attacked us. In 2552, the Office of Naval Intelligence initiates Operation: RED FLAG. All of the Spartans are called onto Reach so we can capture a Covenant ship and find their homeworld but before we could, they find Reach. I was part of a special team of Spartans known as NOBLE Team and, after a couple of skirmishes, it seemed like we were about to kick them off the planet, but things are never that simple. A giant Covenant supercarrier materializes in Reach’s orbit carrying several thousand Covenant forces.” “At first, we didn’t know how to deal with it but Kat, the team’s resident genius, came up with a brilliant plan. We began Operation: UPPER CUT. The plan was to take control of a Covenant Corvette, bring on board a ‘malfunctioning’ slip-space drive, send the Corvette on a re-fueling run, and, when it got close enough, send the Corvette and the supercarrier to oblivion. Like many other operations, things didn’t go according to plan. The timer we were going to use got damaged in the scuffle. The only way to detonate it was manually. After, NOBLE six was safely off of the Corvette via space jump, I set off the bomb, and crash landed here.” “That’s why it’s so important for me to get back. I need to find out what has happened on Reach. They’re going to need me there.” Twilight and Fluttershy just stood there, dumbfounded, at what the Spartan just told them. A long awkward silence enveloped the unicorn, pegasus and Spartan. Finally, after a few minutes, Twilight spoke up. “Well, if it’s that important to you to get back home, I might know someone who can help.” … A/N Sorry about how long it took to update. I got a case of writer's block and finals, my sister's graduation, and Minecraft: X Box 360 Edition did not help with that. I'll try to be more punctual with updates but no promises until school let's out. Which is this Friday. Woot! Also credit to "im Richtofen Kool115 for pre-reading. :P Chapter 4Ponyville Library Dear Princess Celestia, I’ve recently made a new friend here in Ponyville. This “friend” isn’t really from around here and wants to get back to his home. However, he has told us that his home is so far away that I believe the only way he can get back is with your help. This situation is really best explained in person, can we please come to the castle? Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Twilight sighed with relief as she finally finished the letter. It took long enough to figure out the right words to say and, with Spike fast asleep, even longer to actually write it down. The unicorn slowly made her way upstairs thankful for the rest she was about to get. It had been an… exciting night, filled with surprises and danger, but everything would be back to normal soon. She hoped. Fluttershy's Cottage Jorge woke up feeling slightly uncomfortable. A quick check over his body revealed the answer. He had slept with his armor on. Ever since that fight with the Elite the night before, he felt the need to keep it on. Just in case. Twilight had said something last night about knowing someone who could help him just before she left. She’d be back soon… He hoped. Just outside the window was Fluttershy. She was feeding all her animals. Man, she had a lot of them. A knock on the door broke his concentration. Jorge almost answered it before he remembered that he wasn’t on Earth. Or Reach. Or any human colonized planet for that matter. He waited. “Fluttershy, open up. It’s me, Twilight.” Jorge instantly recognized the voice and opened the door. “Oh. Hi, Jorge. I got a letter back from Princess Celestia!” “Princess Who?” Jorge asked. “Celestia, she basically runs everything around here. She might be able to get you back home.” Jorge’s spirits rose at what the unicorn had just said. Back home. Back to Reach. “Great.” He said thankful that he might return home soon. The back door opened and in hovered a yellow pegasus followed by several small animals. “Oh! Jorge, you’re awake. Hi, Twilight.” She said closing the door. “I was just telling Jorge that I got a letter back from Princess Celestia.” The unicorn replied. “Ooh. What does it say?” Fluttershy asked. The lavender unicorn opened her saddlebag, unrolled the scroll, and read it out loud. My Dearest Twilight Sparkle, I am quite anxious to meet this friend of yours. The fact that he lives so far away that you think he needs my help to get him back has peaked my curiosity. Come by anytime you like. I am sorry, but I won’t be able to arrange a carriage to pick you up, the pegasi assigned to that job are all sick with feather flu. I am sure you will be able to find transport, perhaps by train. Sincerely, Princess Celestia The trio was the picture of happiness at the news that Princess Celestia had given them. Not only was she willing to help Jorge get back to Reach, she was anxious to. The gang’s celebration lasted only several seconds before a rather large problem was brought up by Fluttershy. “Umm… Twilight, how are we going to get Jorge all the way to Canterlot without anyone noticing?” Fluttershy asked, exposing the obvious problem. The cottage fell silent as this new obstacle was brought to light. Jorge was by no means a small creature. He stood over seven feet tall and his armor didn’t help to hide the bulk. His facial appearance may be common place on human-inhabited areas but to the ponies of Equestria he might as well be Discord himself. The tense moment was broken when Twilight let out a triumphant… “Aha! I got it. Ever since we ran ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’,” she said, dripping with sarcasm, “out of town, I’ve been reading up on some illusionary magic. I could disguise Jorge as a pony and we can travel to Canterlot by train like normal.” Jorge got slightly uncomfortable with the fact that he would look like a pony for the duration of his trip to this “Canterlot.” The rest of NOBLE Team would kill to have pictures of “The Big Man” as a candy colored equine, especially Emile. He would never let Jorge live it down if he saw him like that. Luckily though, NOBLE Team was nowhere near where he was, so he could suck it up… For now. “Okay, Jorge, get ready.” The Spartan did as instructed and braced himself for whatever the unicorn was doing to him. A ribbon of purple light spiraled around him as it emitted a soft glow. The ribbon spun faster and faster, completely enveloping the paralyzed soldier. A brilliant flash of light erupted from the spiraling column as Twilight completed her spell. When the light faded, a Spartan didn’t stand in front of them, but a pony. He had a slightly dull orange coat, with a short-cut, jet-black mane. At roughly the size of Big Macintosh he easily towered over the other two ponies in the room. “Did it work?” Jorge asked. “I don’t look any different.” The Spartan examined his extremities. His arms looked the same, his legs looked the same. He didn’t look anything like what Twilight and Fluttershy looked like. Twilight, realizing what was going on, explained to Jorge why he didn’t look any different. “You don’t look any different to you. It’s just an illusionary spell. You’re still the same when it comes to size and mass, you just look like a pony to everypony around you.” Jorge accepted the answer without any further thought. He couldn’t explain half the things that went on in the past few days, why would this make any more sense. “Well, if everypony’s ready, allons-y.” Twilight said. The two other ponies just stared at the unicorn with blank stares, not understanding what she had just said. “What. That doctor with the hourglass cutie-mark taught it to me. He said it meant, ‘Let’s Go.” Satisfied with the mare’s explanation the three went off towards Ponyville’s train station. - Everfree Forest Wreckage of the Long Night of Solace An Elite major stood before four Elite minors. They were surveying the results of the scan they had just done on the strange planet they were on when a rustling was heard from behind. They immediately took a defensive stance as they waited for the creature to reveal itself. Another minor burst from the bushes, putting the rest of the Sanghelli at ease. The Major walked forward. “What news have you brought us?” It said in a commanding voice. The minor was obviously out of breath. Panting and breathing heavily. Eventually though, he was able to answer. “Our scout has been petrified. I found his body just outside of a small cottage. He had been turned entirely to stone.” The Elites held their breath at what their commanding officer had to say about this. “No matter.” He said. “It simply means that we will have to act with more caution. These creatures are still no threat to us. We will conquer this land, for the Covenant!” A volley of Elite hands shot up into the air as their chants blocked out even the howls of the timber wolves. “FOR THE COVENANT!” Chapter 5Canterlot Train Station The train ride to Canterlot had been a rather uneventful one, to Twilight and Fluttershy at least. To Jorge, however, it had been a trip filled with unease and awkwardness. He still hasn’t gotten used to Twilight and Fluttershy being ponies let alone seeing so many in one place. That was the awkward part. The unease was due to the fact that to him, he was still a human, a genetically altered 7-foot tall human, maybe, but a human nonetheless. To all the other ponies around him, however, he looked like one of them, whatever they were. Thankfully, the group made it to Canterlot without a hitch although the sun was setting by the time they had gotten there. They stepped off the train and found themselves on a crowded city street. Making their way through the maze of ponies, the trio soon found themselves at the threshold of the castle. As they were escorted to the throne room by Royal Guards, Jorge couldn’t help but notice their armor, comparing it to his own. It looked like a Centurion’s armor given the crest on the helmet. It barely covered any of their legs and left the neck wide open. It was so primitive. Well… primitive to him. To these ponies this was probably cutting edge. They didn’t have the technology to create things such as shields or full-body armor. In fact, Jorge didn’t think he had seen anything electronic since he crashed here. His thoughts were cut short when he came across a large, rather imposing door. They opened to reveal an even larger, more imposing room. Pillars lined the sides of the walls, between which stood ornate stained glass pictures portraying strange events. It looked almost like a cathedral except for the fact that, where the podium should be, there was a raised throne where a large white pony, with wings and a horn sat. Jorge had heard about these in a few mythology stories. Alicorns, if he remembered correctly. Outskirts of Ponyville Five Elite Minors quietly made their way through a patch of trees with the Elite Major bringing up the rear. They were crouched so as not to attract attention to themselves. Since their departure from the forest in which the Long Night of Solace had crashed, they had somehow made their way into another forest. Only, this one was different from the last one. The trees here were neatly arranged in straight lines making it difficult to use them for cover. Once more the trees all had apples in them. The six Elites stopped as they spotted light coming from a building. It looked like a farm house with a barn not too far off. “Proceed quietly my brothers,” ordered the Major in a hushed, yet somehow still commanding voice. “There are four heat signatures in the building, Major.” reported one of the Minors. “You,” The Major said, pointing to another Minor, “take them out quietly, the rest of us will advanced toward the rest of the settlement.” The Elite Minor followed orders as he slowly walked towards the house while the rest of the Elites made their way to Ponyville. Applejack’s house Sweet Apple Acres “G’night Applebloom.” The orange coated farm pony said, tucking her little sister into bed. “Night Sis.” Applebloom replied as her older sister walked out the room and closed the door. Applejack made her way to her own room now eager to get some rest. After a hard day of bucking apples and doing other miscellaneous chores around the house she was tired, so tired, in fact, that she didn’t notice the Elite following closely behind. She shut her bedroom door, only to have it slowly creaked open again a few moments later by the Elite, who was then met with a swift, but powerful kick to the head by a certain red stallion. Canterlot Castle Princess Celestia’s throne room Celestia was taken aback by what she saw before her. After Twilight had undone her illusionary spell, the seemingly ordinary, if somewhat large, pony before her transformed into a giant bi-pedal ape. At over 7 feet tall, had it not been for her throne, the creature, Jorge, they called him would have easily towered over the Princess herself. After her shock had subsided Equestria’s co-ruler listened intently on Jorge’s explanation of why he was here. He told her about how the Covenant had invaded his birthplace of Reach, the assault on ONI: Sword Base, the attack on Spire, and finally the destruction of the Long Night of Solace. Just as he was about to ask for her help to get back to Reach, a messenger burst through the door panting and sweating. An eerie silence followed as the ponies waited for him to catch his breath. However, once he delivered his message, Jorge’s blood ran cold. Ponyville was under attack.
PrologueOrbit of Reach August 14, 2552. “Tell ‘em to make it count.” Jorge says as he hurls Noble Six off of the corvette. He quickly turns back to the task at hand. “There was no other way.” The Spartan assured himself as he prepped the bomb. “The thing came out of nowhere and we didn’t have the firepower to stop it.” The corvette, Ardent Prayer, was nearing the supercarrier’s docking station at this point. “We were lucky Kat came up with this brilliant plan in the first place.” Jorge thought with just a hint of sarcasm. The plan was simple, take a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine aboard the Covenant corvette and use it as a make-shift bomb. They would take control of the ship and set it on a refueling run. When the corvette got close enough to the supercarrier, him and Six would fly out, the bomb would explode, and the supercarrier would be sent to oblivion. Things didn’t go according to plan. Damage done to the corvette by the UNSC Savannah had blocked the path to the Sabres, the spaceships they used to get on the corvette, and the thrusters on the Pelican that carried the bomb had been badly damaged meaning the only way off was through a space jump. To make matters worse, the timer on the Slipspace bomb had been damaged by plasma fire. The only way to detonate it was manually. Jorge immediately decided that it would be him who would set of the bomb. Without a second thought, he promptly picked Six up, and sent the Lieutenant plummeting towards Reach. The Ardent Prayer was now docking with the supercarrier. “3.” Jorge mentally prepared himself for the ultimate sacrifice. "2.” Reach had been good to him. “1.” It was time to return the favor. Just outside the Everfree Forest Fluttershy’s cottage. “Oh, Angel, won’t you eat just one more bite?” Fluttershy cooed, unsuccessfully trying to coax her troublesome pet into finishing his dinner. All the animals had already been fed for the night… except for one. “Oh, Angel, what am I going to do with you?” Fluttershy asked as she made her way up the stairs, defeated. As she entered her bedroom, she stared out her window. Luna’s sky was beautiful this particular evening, the large full moon in the distance, surrounded by a plethora twinkling stars. Continuing to gaze upon the dark night sky, Fluttershy noticed a shooting star through her bedroom window. She closed her eyes and made a wish. When she opened them back up, she knew something was wrong. The shooting star was bigger than before. A lot bigger! And closer! It disappeared behind the tree line with a deafening *Crash*. She quickly flew out of the window heading towards the area where the “shooting star” had landed. When she finally got there, Fluttershy gasped. In place of the meteorite she thought would be there, was a very large hunk of metal. It was smoldering around the edges and had left a crater as deep as Ghastly Gorge and was just as long. It was nothing like anything Fluttershy had ever seen before. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the crater. An appendage popped up from the smoking wreckage. Fluttershy could only watch with a mixture of shock and curiosity as what appeared to be a large, metal, ape pulled itself out of the rubble.
Chapter 1Chapter 1 Everfree Forest Black. That was all Jorge could see, pitch black. He tried moving his hand in front of his face but found he was pinned down by something. Pushing off the twisted piece of metal, Jorge stood up, turned on his night vision, and surveyed his surroundings. He was still in the Ardent Prayer, but it had seen better days. Wires were hanging from the ceiling, sending down a shower of sparks every couple seconds. Smoldering pieces of what used to be the ship’s walls were now on the floor in large piles. Dead Covenant bodies were strewn across the docking bay. Jorge continued to look around the destroyed ship when he noticed a faint stream of light coming from a hole in the ceiling. Turning off his night vision confirmed his suspicions that there was, in fact, light coming from the outside, wherever that was. Even from the floor of the docking bay, the hole seemed large enough for Jorge to fit through, the only problem was getting to it. Jorge continued to search for alternate ways out when he noticed a cluster of wires coming down from the hole in the ceiling to the upper level of the docking bay. Spartans are heavy, it’s an obvious fact. Their armor weighs half a ton. If you add that to Jorge’s 320 pounds, the chance of climbing out of there was slim to none. Still, seeing as how there were no other ways out, Jorge had to try. He slowly made his way up to the only possible place he could have reached the wire. Gripping tightly, Jorge pulled himself up the cluster of wires. He did it carefully at first, to test if it could actually hold his weight. Surprisingly, the wires held firm and Jorge continued towards freedom. As he was making his way towards the tear in the hull, Jorge started to think. Where was he? What would he find up there? Would there be life? If so, would they be hostile? These questions repeated themselves in Jorge’s head as the hole in the roof got closer. With one final push, Jorge heaved himself out of the hole and out of the corvette. He quickly realized that adrenaline may have played a part in his climb to freedom after he collapsed in a heap on the ground. As he caught his breath, Jorge decided to look around and survey his resting place. He was in a crater, a deep one. Jorge sighed as he thought about the task ahead. More climbing. At least this time he wouldn’t have to rely on some flimsy wiring to reach the top. After a good five minutes of panting and heavy breathing, Jorge was ready to take on the crater. He was almost at the top in no time compared to his previous endeavor, and with a sigh of relief, his hand hit flat ground. Jorge pulled himself out of the crater and found himself in a thick forest. There was a clearing around the crater due to the impact of the supercarrier, or what was left of it. Jorge noticed a mountain in the distance and decided that it would be the best place to get a look around. He started limping towards it when he heard the sound of a stream. Jorge realized how thirsty he was now that water was within reach and he wasn’t about to fall to his death. He took off his helmet and made his way down to the water line and started drinking. The cool water running down his throat gave him some relief. However, that relief was short lived when he realized what he had done. Jorge started to panic; he had just taken off his helmet while on an unknown planet! The air could’ve been toxic or there could’ve been no air at all. Jorge quickly realized that this wasn’t the case seeing as how there were trees and water, but he still belittled himself for making such huge mistake. When Jorge had finally had his fill of water, he picked up his helmet and continued towards the mountain. But as he was walking through the dense forest, Jorge couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Fluttershy quickly hid behind a tree before the creature could spot her. It had just pulled itself out of the crater when it stood up. The creature was massive, At least seven feet tall! It looked kind of like a gorilla except it was standing upright on two legs. It was covered in metal, like one of Princess Celestia’s royal guards, except its helmet covered its entire face. Fluttershy’s thoughts were interrupted when the creature suddenly took off its helmet and hastily made its way to the stream nearby. Fluttershy didn’t have enough time to get a good look at its face, but she saw enough to know it wasn’t Equestrian, but it wasn’t an animal. It looked almost like a pony’s face except it had a short snout and small eyes. It seemed to have facial hair like she had seen some ponies with. When it was done drinking, it put its helmet back on and started walking through the forest. Fluttershy started to panic when she realized that it was headed for her house! The forest was full of plants that Jorge didn’t recognize. However, he did know that if this place was anything like Earth, and considering there was water and plants, there was a good chance it was, brightly colored plants would be poisonous. With this in mind, Jorge carefully made his way around the patch of bright blue leaves on the ground. Several minutes of walking later, Jorge started to notice that the forest was getting thinner. Branches weren’t slamming into his visor every five seconds and the vines that would get caught on his armor were becoming few and far between. Jorge’s spirits were lifted even higher when another clearing came into view. This was enough to cause Jorge to quicken his pace but he came to an abrupt stop when he came across a small cottage. He approached it cautiously. “Oh nonononono!” Fluttershy thought as the creature stopped moving right in front of her house. “What am I going to do? I don’t know what that thing is and now it’s going toward my house.” Fluttershy could only watch in horror as the creature slowly opened her door and started walking inside. Suddenly a thought hit her. “My animals!” The inside of the cottage was nothing like what Jorge expected. There were several bird houses and bird cages all around the living room. Pots and pans were hanging from the stone fireplace. The wooden floors gave the room a homey feel and the rug in the middle tied it all together. It took Jorge several seconds to realize that the cottage looked way too nice to be abandoned. However, he didn’t have much time to process this when a he heard a voice from behind him. “Um… excuse me.”
Chapter 2A/N Just a couple of small revisions and edits. I really have to work on communication with my pre-reader/friend. *** Everfree Forest The wreckage of the Long Night of Solace lay in a heap of crumpled metal and crackling wires. Despite all of this destruction, however, the ship was as still as the air that surrounded it. The only illumination came from the pale light of Luna’s moon. This tranquil serenity was shattered by the sound of clanking metal and inhuman grunts coming from underneath the destroyed supercarrier. The cause of these noises finally revealed itself when an arm suddenly burst from the rubble. On the end of this appendage were two very large fingers and an equally as large thumb. Several others followed in its wake as the timber wolves howled at the full moon. *** Jorge whipped his head around to meet the owner of the voice he had just heard, preparing for the worst. In front of him stood, well… hovered really, what appeared to be a miniature yellow pegasus with a light pink mane. “I’m sorry, it’s just that… um… you’re kind of… um… scaring my animals.” He had to be hallucinating. That’s it, he was hallucinating. That water he drank had some sort of toxin in it that causes hallucinations. There could never be an actual pegasus. Those things are only myths. Even if they did exist, this one doesn’t even look like a horse. Its face is too… human. His theory was immediately shot down as the “hallucination” tapped him on the shoulder. “Um… are you al-alright?” Jorge realized that he had been staring blankly into space due to the shock. He felt it, the tap on the shoulder. He had felt it. This wasn’t a hallucination. Quickly snapping back to reality, he was barely able to stammer out a reply. “Y-Yeah, I just… Need to sit down for a bit.” Jorge said as he took a seat on the couch. It creaked under his weight. “O-okay…” Fluttershy said, still a little frightened by the situation. Her heart was racing. “So… If this is really happening, and you’re not just a hallucination, where am I?” “Oh! Umm…” Fluttershy was a little taken aback by the question. “You’re in Equestria.” “Equestria? Like, horses?” “Ponies… actually.” Jorge did his best to stifle a laugh. He figured outright laughing at the dominant species on an unknown planet was not the best idea. An awkward silence formed between the two beings. A silence that, surprisingly enough, Fluttershy was the one to break. “So… Where are you from? I’ve never seen anything like you before.” This time it was Jorge’s turn to be shocked. He gathered his composure and answered. “I’m from the planet of Reach. I’ve never heard of this planet on any database we have so it must be pretty far away.” “Oh. Well, if it’s so far away, then how did you get here?” Jorge sighed. He knew she would ask that, and he was a bit reluctant to tell her. Everything here seemed so peaceful and innocent, at least from what he’d seen; he didn’t want to ruin it with tales of war. Fluttershy sensed his hesitation and decided it’d be best not to pry. “You don’t have to tell me… if you don’t want to. But, um… could you at least tell me your name, I mean, if it’s okay with you.” Jorge couldn’t help but smile at the pony’s shyness. “My name’s Jorge.” “My name is Fluttershy.” Normally, Fluttershy wasn’t so social. She was always a little hesitant when telling somepony her name. She didn’t know why talking to Jorge was so different. Maybe it was because he wasn’t a pony. To Fluttershy, it was like he was just another animal that she took care of, except this time; she could actually understand what he was saying. Speaking of which… “Listen, I appreciate your hospitality, but I really need to get back to Reach. They’re going to need me over there. Do you have anyone that could help me? Like a scientist or something.” Fluttershy was sad that her new friend wanted to leave so early, but she knew that what he was doing, whatever he was doing, was probably important. “Well, we don’t have a scientist here in Ponyville, but I do know somepony who is really smart. She might be able to help you.” “Can you take me to her?” Fluttershy started to lead Jorge to the door when she realized that walking a giant, 7-foot creature through Ponyville might not be the best idea. “O-on second thought, it might be best if you stayed at my house while I bring her here.” Jorge realized what Fluttershy had just a couple seconds earlier and quickly agreed to the change in plans. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” And with that, Fluttershy was out of the door. *** “Come on Spike! We have to hurry!” Twilight Sparkle said as she put on her saddlebags. A muffled voice could be heard upstairs. “I’m comin’, I’m comin’.” A purple and green dragon said as he made his way down the stairs. They had both seen the meteor land, well… more like crash, into the Everfree forest thanks to the unicorn’s habit of late night reading. At first, she thought nothing of it. Then she remembered that Fluttershy lived near the Everfree, and she insisted that her and Spike check if she was okay. “I still don’t see why we have to do this. That meteor landed way too deep into the forest to be close to Fluttershy’s cottage.” The dragon complained as he jumped onto Twilight’s back. “I told you Spike, it’s just to make sure she’s okay. You can stay here if you want.” Spike leaped at the chance to get a full night’s rest as he hopped off of Twilight. “Okay!” He yelled as he ran upstairs. Twilight sighed as she opened the door with her magic. She started trotting towards Fluttershy’s house when she bumped into somepony. “Oof.” She said rubbing her forehead. An all too familiar voice apologized in reply. “Oh. I’m sorry, Twilight, it’s just tha-“ “FLUTTERSHY!” Twilight yelled in surprise. “I knew it. You’re mad at me. I’m sorry it’s ju- “She was interrupted once again by the lavender mare. “I’m not mad at you, Fluttershy. I was just about to check up on you. I saw the meteor hit near your cottage and I was worried.” Twilight said as she got back on four hooves. Relieved that she hadn’t angered her friend, Fluttershy calmed down and remembered what she had come here for. “A-actually, that was what I wanted to talk to you about.” “Really? Okay, what is it?” Twilight asked. “It’s um… sort of hard to explain. It would be easier if you came with me back to my house.” “Alright.” Twilight said. She was confused and curious at the same time. The two mares made their way back towards the Everfree forest. *** Jorge sat in Fluttershy’s cottage waiting for his friend to get back. He was a bit nervous. Just who was this friend of Fluttershy? Would she be able to help him get back? Or would she just run away at the sight of him. He had to admit that to these… ponies… a normal human would probably look like something out of a horror movie, if they even had those here. However, a more pressing concern made his way into Jorge’s mind. What was happening to Reach? His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. *** “Okay Fluttershy, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?” Twilight asked as the pair arrived at Fluttershy’s doorstep. Throughout the short walk to her cottage, Fluttershy had tried to think of a way to introduce Jorge to Twilight, “tried” being the keyword in that sentence. By the time they had reached her house, she still had no idea how she was going to tell her unicorn friend. “Um… w-wait here, please.” Twilight’s curiosity rose even more as she watched her friend disappear behind the door. She pressed her ear against the wooden surface to try and get a hint at what the pegasus was doing in there. She could here muffled sounds coming from inside. Not entire conversations, but enough to peak her interest. “Um… she’s here…” “Great… are you… bring her in… or should… go outside?” Twilight couldn’t make heads or tails of the broken conversation that she had overheard. Suddenly, she reeled back as the door she had been leaning on for support opened inward. Recovering from her near fall, the unicorn looked up and found herself in front of a large ape-like creature towering over her. All she could do was stare in what can only be described as a state of amazement and sheer terror. “Uh… Hi?” “AAAAAHHHHH!!!!” The ear piercing scream could be heard all the way to Sweet Apple Acres it was so loud. It even caught the attention of several of the creatures in the Everfree forest, one of them, sentient. “Fl-Fluttershy, w-what is that… t-thing?” “This is um…Jorge. He’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” The pegasus said awkwardly. Twilight couldn’t believe her ears. Fluttershy, the pony known in town for being a scaredy-pony, was completely calm in the presence of this… thing. “So… Your Fluttershy’s friend? Can you help me? Slowly, Twilight began to realize that… Jorge… wasn’t, in fact, a monster. The main hint being that he had just asked her for help. Still a little shaky from her previous… exertion, it dawned on Twilight what Jorge had just asked her. “Help you? With what?” The stranded spartan started to explain his current situation when another scream broke the relative tranquility of the night. This one, however, was a bit less shrill. “HUMAN!” All of the blood drained out of Jorge's face leaving it pale white. That cry was all too recognizable
Chapter 3Chapter 3 Fluttershy’s Cottage “Get Inside! Now!” Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle obeyed Jorge’s order without question. What they just saw was terrifying, even more than Jorge had been. It was big, bigger, even, than their new friend. Its legs were large and muscular, they bended in the same way that ostrich legs did, with a sort of “backwards knee.” The most hideous part, though, was the face. Its jaws were split into four mandibles with several teeth on each one. They stretched out when the creature had bellowed its frightening battle cry. To Fluttershy and Twilight, this creature was a monster. To Jorge, however, this creature was an Elite. As the two ponies took shelter in Fluttershy’s home, the Elite charged at Jorge. The Spartan pulled out his magnum and took aim, sending several shots barreling towards his attacker. The bullets were easily deflected by the Elite’s advanced shields, and Jorge’s clip ran out just as he was tackled by the Sanghelli. Jorge sent his curled up fist towards the Elite’s head. Its shields had been taken down by his barrage of bullets, so the punch connected with a deafening… CRACK. The Elite reeled back giving Jorge enough time to push him off and get back on his feet. While this was unfolding, Twilight and Fluttershy were watching helplessly from the cottage window. The two aliens were having an all out brawl just in front of them and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Neither of the two ponies wanted to see their friend get hurt, but what could they do? Suddenly, Twilight had a brilliant idea. “Fluttershy, we need to get into the Everfree forest.” “But, Twilight, Jorge is out there fighting that…thing…and we need to help him.” “I know. I have a plan, but I’m going to need your help. Come on. We can go out the back door.” The unicorn slowly made her way towards the edge of the Everfree with her pegasus friend close behind. Jorge and the Elite were still fighting. A punch here, a kick there, the two were going at it like a pair of timber wolves fighting for a meal. Ignoring the violent scene that was going on right next to them, the two ponies made their way into the dark forest. Jorge wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. This thing just wasn’t giving up! The Elite threw a kick at Jorge’s side. Thinking quickly, he sidestepped the gargantuan leg and sent a punch flying at the Sanghelli’s stomach. It connected, sending the creature flying back. Without a moment’s hesitation, it jumped back up and launched itself at the Spartan, catching Jorge off guard. The two fell to the ground with the Elite’s legs pinning Jorge’s shoulders to the ground. *SCHHH* An energy dagger popped up from the Elite’s wrist sending Jorge into a panic. He struggled against the Sanghelli trying to pull his arms free but to no avail. It pulled back, raising his arm for the final blow. “FOR THE COVENA-“ *BA-KAWK* Jorge strained to see what had made the strange noise. He couldn’t turn his head enough to see the animal’s head but he could make out what scaly snake-like body. Strange, it sounded like a chicken to him. When he turned back to the Elite he was met with a frightening sight. The Elite looked like a statue! Jorge was easily able to push the petrified Sanghelli off of himself. Getting back to his feet, he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. “Jorge, are you alright?” Twilight asked as she made her way over to the dazed Spartan. “I’m fine, but, what was that thing.” “It was a cockatrice.” “A what?” “See for yourself.” Twilight said gesturing towards the creature. Jorge was right about the snake body, but he was also right about the chicken noise. It was as if some sick mad scientist had stuck a chicken onto the body of a snake. Jorge slowly made his way over to it, however, he was so focused on the strange creature that he hadn’t noticed that his soft-spoken friend was right in front of him whispering some unidentifiable words to it. “Is Fluttershy talking to that thing?” He asked Twilight. “She… has a way with animals.” The unicorn replied. As the two slowly made their way towards the pegasus, her words became easier to understand. “Thank you so much for helping us with that monster,” the caretaker cooed,” now run along back to the forest.” And with that the cockatrice turned around and disappeared behind the tree line. Jorge turned back to Fluttershy. “What was that thing? And what did it do to that Elite?” He asked. “It was a cockatrice; it can turn things into stone by looking into their eyes.” Jorge contemplated this as the trio made their way back inside the cottage. As they, passed by the petrified body of the Elite, the two ponies became curious. “What was that thing?” Twilight asked. “And why did it a-attack us?” Fluttershy added shyly. Jorge sighed. He knew he would have to do it eventually. “I suppose it’s time to tell you how I got here.” The Spartan said as he stepped inside the cottage. Jorge took a seat on the couch, which, once again, creaked under his massive 300 pound body. Twilight and Fluttershy followed suit. Once the three were all settled, Jorge began the task of explaining to them where he came from. He decided to start at the beginning. “Humans came from a planet called Earth. Not much happened until we discovered faster-than-light travel. After that, we star-“ “Hang on,” Twilight interrupted,” Faster-than-light travel? How does that work?” “Uh… okay, imagine a piece of paper-“ “Okay!” Twilight said as she focused her magic. In no time at all the air exploded with a fantastic purple spark as a piece of paper fluttered slowly towards the ground. By now I should be used to this sort of thing, Jorge thought as he cautiously picked up the paper. “Er… thanks. So, say you’re right here.” He said as he pointed to one side of the paper. He slowly traced his finger in a line to the opposite end. “Instead of going to the other side of the paper like this, the ‘slip-space drive’ bends the paper,” he did so,” so you can get to the other end faster than… well, light.” “I think I get it.” Twilight and Fluttershy said in unison. “Great, now, when we discovered faster-than-light travel, we started to colonize other planets. Reach was one of the first ones to be colonized and became the brunt of our military force. For a moment, things were peaceful, but that didn’t last long as rebellion began to rise up against the Unified Earth Government. The UNSC started training Spartan super-soldiers, such as yours truly, to stop the insurrection. Then, the Covenant showed up.” “The Covenant are a coalition of alien species that declared us an ‘affront to their gods’ or something like that, and, in 2525, attacked us. In 2552, the Office of Naval Intelligence initiates Operation: RED FLAG. All of the Spartans are called onto Reach so we can capture a Covenant ship and find their homeworld but before we could, they find Reach. I was part of a special team of Spartans known as NOBLE Team and, after a couple of skirmishes, it seemed like we were about to kick them off the planet, but things are never that simple. A giant Covenant supercarrier materializes in Reach’s orbit carrying several thousand Covenant forces.” “At first, we didn’t know how to deal with it but Kat, the team’s resident genius, came up with a brilliant plan. We began Operation: UPPER CUT. The plan was to take control of a Covenant Corvette, bring on board a ‘malfunctioning’ slip-space drive, send the Corvette on a re-fueling run, and, when it got close enough, send the Corvette and the supercarrier to oblivion. Like many other operations, things didn’t go according to plan. The timer we were going to use got damaged in the scuffle. The only way to detonate it was manually. After, NOBLE six was safely off of the Corvette via space jump, I set off the bomb, and crash landed here.” “That’s why it’s so important for me to get back. I need to find out what has happened on Reach. They’re going to need me there.” Twilight and Fluttershy just stood there, dumbfounded, at what the Spartan just told them. A long awkward silence enveloped the unicorn, pegasus and Spartan. Finally, after a few minutes, Twilight spoke up. “Well, if it’s that important to you to get back home, I might know someone who can help.” … A/N Sorry about how long it took to update. I got a case of writer's block and finals, my sister's graduation, and Minecraft: X Box 360 Edition did not help with that. I'll try to be more punctual with updates but no promises until school let's out. Which is this Friday. Woot! Also credit to "im Richtofen Kool115 for pre-reading. :P
Chapter 4Ponyville Library Dear Princess Celestia, I’ve recently made a new friend here in Ponyville. This “friend” isn’t really from around here and wants to get back to his home. However, he has told us that his home is so far away that I believe the only way he can get back is with your help. This situation is really best explained in person, can we please come to the castle? Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Twilight sighed with relief as she finally finished the letter. It took long enough to figure out the right words to say and, with Spike fast asleep, even longer to actually write it down. The unicorn slowly made her way upstairs thankful for the rest she was about to get. It had been an… exciting night, filled with surprises and danger, but everything would be back to normal soon. She hoped. Fluttershy's Cottage Jorge woke up feeling slightly uncomfortable. A quick check over his body revealed the answer. He had slept with his armor on. Ever since that fight with the Elite the night before, he felt the need to keep it on. Just in case. Twilight had said something last night about knowing someone who could help him just before she left. She’d be back soon… He hoped. Just outside the window was Fluttershy. She was feeding all her animals. Man, she had a lot of them. A knock on the door broke his concentration. Jorge almost answered it before he remembered that he wasn’t on Earth. Or Reach. Or any human colonized planet for that matter. He waited. “Fluttershy, open up. It’s me, Twilight.” Jorge instantly recognized the voice and opened the door. “Oh. Hi, Jorge. I got a letter back from Princess Celestia!” “Princess Who?” Jorge asked. “Celestia, she basically runs everything around here. She might be able to get you back home.” Jorge’s spirits rose at what the unicorn had just said. Back home. Back to Reach. “Great.” He said thankful that he might return home soon. The back door opened and in hovered a yellow pegasus followed by several small animals. “Oh! Jorge, you’re awake. Hi, Twilight.” She said closing the door. “I was just telling Jorge that I got a letter back from Princess Celestia.” The unicorn replied. “Ooh. What does it say?” Fluttershy asked. The lavender unicorn opened her saddlebag, unrolled the scroll, and read it out loud. My Dearest Twilight Sparkle, I am quite anxious to meet this friend of yours. The fact that he lives so far away that you think he needs my help to get him back has peaked my curiosity. Come by anytime you like. I am sorry, but I won’t be able to arrange a carriage to pick you up, the pegasi assigned to that job are all sick with feather flu. I am sure you will be able to find transport, perhaps by train. Sincerely, Princess Celestia The trio was the picture of happiness at the news that Princess Celestia had given them. Not only was she willing to help Jorge get back to Reach, she was anxious to. The gang’s celebration lasted only several seconds before a rather large problem was brought up by Fluttershy. “Umm… Twilight, how are we going to get Jorge all the way to Canterlot without anyone noticing?” Fluttershy asked, exposing the obvious problem. The cottage fell silent as this new obstacle was brought to light. Jorge was by no means a small creature. He stood over seven feet tall and his armor didn’t help to hide the bulk. His facial appearance may be common place on human-inhabited areas but to the ponies of Equestria he might as well be Discord himself. The tense moment was broken when Twilight let out a triumphant… “Aha! I got it. Ever since we ran ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’,” she said, dripping with sarcasm, “out of town, I’ve been reading up on some illusionary magic. I could disguise Jorge as a pony and we can travel to Canterlot by train like normal.” Jorge got slightly uncomfortable with the fact that he would look like a pony for the duration of his trip to this “Canterlot.” The rest of NOBLE Team would kill to have pictures of “The Big Man” as a candy colored equine, especially Emile. He would never let Jorge live it down if he saw him like that. Luckily though, NOBLE Team was nowhere near where he was, so he could suck it up… For now. “Okay, Jorge, get ready.” The Spartan did as instructed and braced himself for whatever the unicorn was doing to him. A ribbon of purple light spiraled around him as it emitted a soft glow. The ribbon spun faster and faster, completely enveloping the paralyzed soldier. A brilliant flash of light erupted from the spiraling column as Twilight completed her spell. When the light faded, a Spartan didn’t stand in front of them, but a pony. He had a slightly dull orange coat, with a short-cut, jet-black mane. At roughly the size of Big Macintosh he easily towered over the other two ponies in the room. “Did it work?” Jorge asked. “I don’t look any different.” The Spartan examined his extremities. His arms looked the same, his legs looked the same. He didn’t look anything like what Twilight and Fluttershy looked like. Twilight, realizing what was going on, explained to Jorge why he didn’t look any different. “You don’t look any different to you. It’s just an illusionary spell. You’re still the same when it comes to size and mass, you just look like a pony to everypony around you.” Jorge accepted the answer without any further thought. He couldn’t explain half the things that went on in the past few days, why would this make any more sense. “Well, if everypony’s ready, allons-y.” Twilight said. The two other ponies just stared at the unicorn with blank stares, not understanding what she had just said. “What. That doctor with the hourglass cutie-mark taught it to me. He said it meant, ‘Let’s Go.” Satisfied with the mare’s explanation the three went off towards Ponyville’s train station. - Everfree Forest Wreckage of the Long Night of Solace An Elite major stood before four Elite minors. They were surveying the results of the scan they had just done on the strange planet they were on when a rustling was heard from behind. They immediately took a defensive stance as they waited for the creature to reveal itself. Another minor burst from the bushes, putting the rest of the Sanghelli at ease. The Major walked forward. “What news have you brought us?” It said in a commanding voice. The minor was obviously out of breath. Panting and breathing heavily. Eventually though, he was able to answer. “Our scout has been petrified. I found his body just outside of a small cottage. He had been turned entirely to stone.” The Elites held their breath at what their commanding officer had to say about this. “No matter.” He said. “It simply means that we will have to act with more caution. These creatures are still no threat to us. We will conquer this land, for the Covenant!” A volley of Elite hands shot up into the air as their chants blocked out even the howls of the timber wolves. “FOR THE COVENANT!”
Chapter 5Canterlot Train Station The train ride to Canterlot had been a rather uneventful one, to Twilight and Fluttershy at least. To Jorge, however, it had been a trip filled with unease and awkwardness. He still hasn’t gotten used to Twilight and Fluttershy being ponies let alone seeing so many in one place. That was the awkward part. The unease was due to the fact that to him, he was still a human, a genetically altered 7-foot tall human, maybe, but a human nonetheless. To all the other ponies around him, however, he looked like one of them, whatever they were. Thankfully, the group made it to Canterlot without a hitch although the sun was setting by the time they had gotten there. They stepped off the train and found themselves on a crowded city street. Making their way through the maze of ponies, the trio soon found themselves at the threshold of the castle. As they were escorted to the throne room by Royal Guards, Jorge couldn’t help but notice their armor, comparing it to his own. It looked like a Centurion’s armor given the crest on the helmet. It barely covered any of their legs and left the neck wide open. It was so primitive. Well… primitive to him. To these ponies this was probably cutting edge. They didn’t have the technology to create things such as shields or full-body armor. In fact, Jorge didn’t think he had seen anything electronic since he crashed here. His thoughts were cut short when he came across a large, rather imposing door. They opened to reveal an even larger, more imposing room. Pillars lined the sides of the walls, between which stood ornate stained glass pictures portraying strange events. It looked almost like a cathedral except for the fact that, where the podium should be, there was a raised throne where a large white pony, with wings and a horn sat. Jorge had heard about these in a few mythology stories. Alicorns, if he remembered correctly. Outskirts of Ponyville Five Elite Minors quietly made their way through a patch of trees with the Elite Major bringing up the rear. They were crouched so as not to attract attention to themselves. Since their departure from the forest in which the Long Night of Solace had crashed, they had somehow made their way into another forest. Only, this one was different from the last one. The trees here were neatly arranged in straight lines making it difficult to use them for cover. Once more the trees all had apples in them. The six Elites stopped as they spotted light coming from a building. It looked like a farm house with a barn not too far off. “Proceed quietly my brothers,” ordered the Major in a hushed, yet somehow still commanding voice. “There are four heat signatures in the building, Major.” reported one of the Minors. “You,” The Major said, pointing to another Minor, “take them out quietly, the rest of us will advanced toward the rest of the settlement.” The Elite Minor followed orders as he slowly walked towards the house while the rest of the Elites made their way to Ponyville. Applejack’s house Sweet Apple Acres “G’night Applebloom.” The orange coated farm pony said, tucking her little sister into bed. “Night Sis.” Applebloom replied as her older sister walked out the room and closed the door. Applejack made her way to her own room now eager to get some rest. After a hard day of bucking apples and doing other miscellaneous chores around the house she was tired, so tired, in fact, that she didn’t notice the Elite following closely behind. She shut her bedroom door, only to have it slowly creaked open again a few moments later by the Elite, who was then met with a swift, but powerful kick to the head by a certain red stallion. Canterlot Castle Princess Celestia’s throne room Celestia was taken aback by what she saw before her. After Twilight had undone her illusionary spell, the seemingly ordinary, if somewhat large, pony before her transformed into a giant bi-pedal ape. At over 7 feet tall, had it not been for her throne, the creature, Jorge, they called him would have easily towered over the Princess herself. After her shock had subsided Equestria’s co-ruler listened intently on Jorge’s explanation of why he was here. He told her about how the Covenant had invaded his birthplace of Reach, the assault on ONI: Sword Base, the attack on Spire, and finally the destruction of the Long Night of Solace. Just as he was about to ask for her help to get back to Reach, a messenger burst through the door panting and sweating. An eerie silence followed as the ponies waited for him to catch his breath. However, once he delivered his message, Jorge’s blood ran cold. Ponyville was under attack.
