Chapters Part 1 Prologue; See You Next Fall
Corporal John Smith
Age; 33
ID# 408151623
Misfit Squad, 2nd Platoon, 35 Battalion
United States Interplanetary Marine Corps F.R.O.D.U. (Fast Response Orbital Deployment Unit)
Low Atmosphere above Earth
United States of America Interplanetary Forces Space Station Foxtrot-Romeo 029A 'Clinton'
August 3, 2045
5:27 a.m.
"Gentleman, yesterday Russia has crossed the line. Our old friend President Putin has ordered the invasion of Ukraine, and unlike in 2013, he is not hiding behind Ukrainian Separatists. The Chernihiv-Bryansk checkpoint border was overrun by Spetsnaz forces early yesterday morning. But this is why we are nearly constantly on this space station; to quickly rain the will of Uncle Sam down upon his enemies and make them wish we used OKAS (Orbital Kinetic bombardment Arsenal Station)." explained Maj. Howard, the local stereotypical hard-ass marine on-board the Clinton. He usually gave this speech before mission, get morale up. He waved his hand in the air in-front of him and a hexagonal map appeared. "The Misfits will insert here," he pointed at a water tower on a hill towards the north-west side of the map, "and provide recon about area, as it is suspected that Russian forces are using active camouflage and thermal dampening. After that, you will move to secure the western section of the actual checkpoint."
After that, I blanked out. I had my orders and that was that. Next thing I knew, a squad-mate was tapping me on the shoulder and I was moving towards prep area. I put on my Exoskeleton, and grabbed my M27 and M1911. It may be over 130 years old but even after both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan, and that leads to my service, which adds Korea again. It had seen heavy modification, some by my father and some by me. My dad added a night sight, a muzzle mod that allowed silencers to be put on, and extended the magazine by 3, while I added a laser pointer.
I got into my assigned drop pod and waited for the rest of my squad to get in. "I see College Boy is still already in first, as usual." joked PFC White, strapping in. That was my nickname, 'College Boy'. I earned it because, as the name suggests, I was the only person in my squad that went to college before joining the Marines. I remained silent, just raising my middle finger at him. "Hey look guys; I'm number one!"
"Alright, that's enough. Drop is in 5 minutes. Remember, if things don't go as planned a OKAS strike will be called." said my sergeant, Sgt. Washington. I hoped it didn't come to that, having experienced a danger close strike I barely survived. Everyone else got in and true to his word, the pod soon started moving. First pressurizing and then extending from the station.
A synthesized, British voice announced in my ear "1 minute to drop, sir." That was C.A.L (Combat Analysis and Logistics System), an A.I designed to help and assist soldiers on and off the battlefield.
Everything past that was a blur; the initial drop and the minutes after. After that we activated the onboard camera to view the ground in a screen on the celling. Then, boom! Anti-Aircraft guns lit up our pods. Most of the shots missed, however one got a lucky hit us. It knocked me out and when I awoke, I found that I was the only survivor. The shockwave must have killed them. I thought. FUCK! I NEED TO ACTIVATE THE ONBOARD PROPULSION! The intense near zero gravity made it nearly impossible to undo my straps and reach for the controls. "FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!" I screamed as I plugged in my I.W.M.D (Interactive Wrist Mounted Display) to Sergeant Washington's station and then I screamed "CAL! ACTIVATE PROPULSION SYSTEM!"
My face was slammed into the floor. I slowly got up and undid Washinton's straps and placed his corpse in my spot, while I took his place at the helm. The celling was static, meaning that the camera was destroyed by the blast. That meant that my job of landing this pod would be harder, however the altimeter was still working. The approach was slowed by the propulsion, which was designed to slow the pod to the point where the soldiers within wouldn't be killed or seriously injured. However it wasn't slowing as fast as it should, meaning that some of the system was damaged.
That altimeter wasn't worth shit, as I soon came to realize when I was slammed against the wall and pressed there for a few seconds. I realized then that the altitude wouldn't tell me where the ground was, how far away it was, and whether it was dirt, sand, or water. Only how far above sea-level I was. I stood up and gave the door a kick. It crinkled and pushed out a bit. Another kick made the door fly away and sunshine shown in. I was not, however, met with the cold fall Ukrainian day I expected. It was sunny, bright, a bit like my childhood in northern Pennsylvania. I was also surrounded by apple trees. "Well.... looks like we're not in Kansas anymore, Todo. Time to find civilization, which shouldn't be too hard as usually this amount of apple trees don't grow like this."
I got out, rifle in hand, walked around the pod, and immediately was met by a farmhouse and barn. "Well, that was easy." I muttered. "HELLO!" I yelled, running towards the house. I was made faster by my EXO and was at the house's stairs within seconds. What was on the porch surprised me.
A pony, with green fur and wrinkles all over its body. It was in a rocking chair, snoring loudly. I whistled and waved my hand in front of its face "Yo, you awake." After a few seconds of nothing, I muttered "Dammit. I better save power in this thing, seeing how I seem to be in the land of Oz." I undid the straps on my EXO and took it off. After it all was off, I laid it on a nearby picnic table. Next came my helmet, which opened up like Iron Man's helmet that could magnify, and provide objectives, injury reports, a radio, and a mini-map. Then came my T.A.G (Tactical Assistance Glasses), IWMD, WMGL (Wrist Mounted Grenade Launcher), rifle, and holster. All laid down on the table. I myself, laid down on the bench and closed my eyes for a nap. Being a Marine, I quickly learned to sleep anytime, anywhere. The table must have just been able to hold all the weight on it, as it creaked and croaked as I adjusted myself.
I was awoken by something poking me "You awake, sonny."
Shocked and my mind jumping back to Paris Island (which is where the train the Interplanetary Marine Corps, it originally being an extension of the Marine Corps, like the Air Force during World War 2), I quickly shot to my feet and saluted "Corporal Jonathan Smith, Identification Number 408151623, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps, Non-Commissioned Officer of Misfit Squadron, 2nd Platoon, 35th Battalion."
"Ah guess so. That's quite a long name sonny. Ah can't imagine why your ma and pa gave it to ya. What are ya sonny?" I looked down and saw the green pony at about my waist.
I silently mouthed What the fuck?! After a few seconds, I jumped to my senses and stopped saluting before explaining "Oh sorry, that's not my name. Just an old habit. I'm Jonathan Smith, but most people just call me John, and I'm a human."
"A hoo-man?" she asked.
"Human. Ya know, Homo Sapien."
She shook her head and said "Never heard of 'em. Ah'm Granny Smith, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, and if you don't mind me asking, where the hell am I?" I finally asked.
"Don't ya know, silly?! Yer in Equestria. How did ya get here anyway?" Granny asked.
"I don't know, but I think it involves my drop-pod over there." I pointed to the remains of the pod, which most likely reeked of decomposition and death.
"When did that get there?" Granny asked, completely baffled.
"A few hours ago, you slept through impact." Suddenly, it hit me. My friends and family, all gone. Dropped into a world without people, alone and armed to the teeth. "Oh god." I muttered as I collapsed against the bench.
"Ya alright, sonny?" she asked.
"No, no I am not Mrs. Smith. I'm the only one of my species in a world full of magical, talking ponies, and my entire squad is dead. All things considered, I'm definitely not alright. I'm quite not alright in fact." I muttered. I got up and put on all my gear before walking down the hill.
"Where ya goin!" Granny yelled.
"Anywhere." I continued down. A town was in the distance. It was probably full of ponies. Crap...........
Quick Frame of Reference of pictures
Corporal John Smith
M27
M1911
Exoskeleton
Part 1 Chapter 1; Introductions
The first ponies to approach me were some colts with comic books. "WOW!" they said in unison, "How did you get it so real looking?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, continuing on my way.
"Your My Big Human; Technology is Courage costume. You look just like Sergeant Strength." said a colt with a british accent.
"Nope, not my name, rank, and possibly not even my branch. I am Corporal Jonathan Smith, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps. Eh, I'm a promotion away from sergeant." I stated.
"What are you talking about?" said another.
"Look kid, take a look at my dog-tags; it's there in black and white." I reached under my shirt and grabbed my dog-tags, handing them to one of the colts.
"Smith, Joanithon D AB+, 543 77 8473, USIMC L, No Religious Pref. What does all this mean?" tried the colt with the accent.
"First three rows are my name and blood type, fourth is my social security number, fifth is my branch and EXO/gas mask size, last is any religious preference for medical reasons. I'll take those." I said, reaching down and taking back my tags. "Now, what are you talking about?"
"Don't ya know about MBH TIC. They're talking about turning it into a CARTOON! How did you even get onto your hindlegs." I then realized that my helmet was closed, making them think that I was a pony. I quickly opened it up and heard their gasps. "So, so ,so you're?" they said.
"Actually a human." I finished.
"And that's actually?" they said.
"Real military hardware." I again finished.
"THAT'S AWESOME!" they cried out.
They quickly stated their names, Pipsqueak, Featherweight, and Rumble before following me, begging for me to show off my equipment. I stopped and leaned against a building to answer their questions, in a hope to get them to leave me alone.
"Can you really jump over a building with that skeleton on?" Rumble asked.
"If it's a small building." I said.
"Can you break your arm and still continue fighting?" Pipsqueak, well, squeaked.
"Yeah. Actually happened to me once. But that's not a story to tell to some kids, how old are you?" I asked. They were all 12. "Yeah, definitely not for you."
"What, how are we not old enough! We read the comic book all the time! Look!" Featherweight shoved the book in my face. It looked like a standard comic, the action looking like that of the original Transformers cartoon.
"Yeah, that's definitely not what combat looks like in real-life. Boys," I leaned down and said "I'm not gonna lie to ya; war is a hell that you can only know if you've experienced it, and being someone that has experienced it, I can tell you that people who have experienced it never want anyone else to experience it. Really, long story short, an explosion threw me off a building and I fell 6 stories, and broke my arm. Now, if you'll excuse me, I just want some alone time. Maybe I'll see you all later, see ya when I see ya." I said, closing my helmet and walking off.
In the distance, I saw a train station. Lucky for me, a train was in station. Unluckily for me, I didn't have any money. "Dammit." I muttered, leaning against a building. A shadow passed overhead. I paid no mind to it, until I nearly impaled myself on a spear. "Well.... you're blunt. Unlike your spear. However, as it seems to be made of gold, and I'm wear body armor rated to take bladed weapons below that of a chainsaw and calibers below .50, it would only make me piss me off."
"By order of Princess Celestia, you are to come with us creature. If you resist, we will take you by force." said a stallion in gold armor.
"Really, is that so?" I grabbed the end of the spear and bent it downward. "Take me to your leader, fuck-face." I stated, in a tone that suggested that I could easily be encouraged going in the other direction.
They escorted me to a golden chariot, pulled by pesasi in gold armor. We all got in and the pegasi took off. A city on a mountain was in the distance with a gigantic tower near the cliff, which I barely noticed in town. I muttered "I didn't question it in TESIX; Conquest, I won't question it in a world of magical fucking ponies."
We eventually landed near the tower, and I was escorted by the guards, I guess. They tied my hands together, though it wouldn't do much good if push came to shove. We were stopped by a stallion in steel armor, aka, actual armor, "By order of the Princesses, you are going to be put down creature." The guards turned their spears on me, while I just scowled.
I cleared my throat and said, stern and clear "There is a reason you tie a persons hands BEHIND their back." Then, they heard the snap of me breaking my bonds. Then I punched the pony who ordered my death in the chest. He was sent flying ten feet, landing on the marble floor and sliding several more. I grabbed the end of a spear an twirled around, smacking all those surrounding me in the head, knocking out a few and disorienting the others. However, they were disoriented enough for me to run without obstacle. I grabbed the pony in steel armor by the collar and lifted him into the air. "And that is why you don't piss off a United States Interplanetary Marine. Now, where are these Princesses who ordered my death, as I would very much like to repay the favor."
"Those guards are so gullible, nopony in the guard wears steel-" he struggled out.
"Well they should; gold looks pretty but in an actual war, your enemies will be wiping the blood off it by battle end. But, no matter continue."
"The Princesses don't want you dead, hahaha, they haven't ordered an execution in centuries. It's the gang families that want you dead, so they can have your magic for study."
"This is so cliche.... but why are you telling me this?" I asked, rolling my eyes at the obvious answer.
"Because you aren't leavING HERE ALIIIIIIIIVE!" he screamed, as I threw him out a nearby window as soon as he said 'aren't'.
"Huh, so tired of that fucking cliche." I muttered. I looked towards the unconscious guards. "Hmm, maybe I can explain to them it was a gangster hitman, though an Agent 47 he was not."
"THERE IS NO NEED, CREATURE!" my eardrums nearly burst at that. I looked to the side and saw a midnight blue unicorn with wings. She mouthed more words, but I was only able to hear a ringing comparable to standing next to an artillery gun as it fired without ear protection. I was pretty sure my ears were bleeding, too. The look on her face seemed to change to that of concern. I took off my helmet and pointed to my ears. Eventually the ringing subsided and I could hear once more. "Oh, I'm so sorry creature. Even after nearly five years, I still can't forget old habits. I'm sorry, I am Princess Luna, princess of the night. And you are?"
"Well, you know what they say 'Old habits die hard.'. I'm Corporal John Smith, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps Fast Response Orbital Deployment Unit." I said, coldly. "Sorry but I'm tired of being called 'Creature'."
"I suppose anypony would. I suppose you're a member of your military I'm here to escort you to the wedding." If I had a drink in my mouth, I would have done a spit take.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, what!" I stuttered.
"Oh, not your wedding. The wedding of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry." she explained. "Please follow me."
I did so, picking up my helmet, and following her. And eventually we came to a gigantic set of doors. "Hold on, let's make myself... presentable. It's a royal wedding and I'm already sticking out like a sore thumb. Let me loose the military gear, take off the EXO, helmet, bulletproof vest, and rifle, stash it somewhere and come back for it later."
"No need cre- John. I can teleport it to your room, where you will stay until tomorrow morning but we can talk of our plans after." I took off my gear, leaving only my holster, pistol, and IWMD on my person. I heard a POP and when I looked towards the pile, it was gone.
Luna and I opened the door, finding multiple pews full of ponies. Nearly all heads turned to us as we made our way to a seat. I sat down in front of an orange pegasus mare. A colt hoped up and peered at me. I whispered "Corporal John Smith, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps."
The ceremony went well, Twilight and Flash looked like a cute couple. All attendees greeted the newly-weds and anyone who asked my name I always responded the same thing "Corporal John Smith, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps." While on the way to the reception, I went to Luna and asked for a favor. When I reached her, I asked "Excuse me, Luna. Could you teleport me my EXO? I'm having trouble walking, spending a few months in low-gravity, usually in an EXO, you tend to lose the ability to walk right."
She responded "Of course." After a pop , my EXO landed right next to me.
"Thanks." I said, sitting down to put on my EXO. It brought me back to boot camp, being fitted for one. I muttered "Strength input; 100%. Strength output; 750%." I slipped my hands into the gloves and when I wiggled them around, my left ring finger didn't move. I sighed and muttered "Yep, still missing. At least the bastard got what he deserved." I stood up and my gaze was met by the most striking orange mare in a 'country style' dress and a stetson.
"Howdy, I'm Applejack and you are?" she asked.
With my usual response, I said "Corporal John Smith, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps. It's a.. nice to met you. I guess we're supposed to follow."
"Ah guess so." she said. She motioned for me to follow and I did. "Is that what you call formal wear?" she asked, a smirk on her face.
"Nah, I wasn't exactly expecting to come to a royal wedding today. This is more suited for combat than a wedding. Or any formal event, for that matter." I muttered.
"What are ya, anyway?" she asked.
"I'm a human. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, got good grades, went to college, got my Master's Degree in English, and joined the Interplanetary Marine Corps. Coincidentally, I was the only one in my squad who went to college, which earned me the nickname 'College Boy'." I elaborated.
"Any family?" she continued.
"Mom and Dad are getting to their late-fifties, have a younger brother and sister; all of us are in the military, just different branches. Brother is in the Navy, Sister is in the Air Force."
"You can fly? I don't see any wings on ya."
"We can, just with the help of machines. Just like this Exoskeleton on my back. Normally, I could only jump a few feet in the air but with this on," I preformed a 'Boost Jump' before landing and rolling. "I can do that."
"WOW!" was all she said in response.
"Impressive, right! Say, you don't exactly sound like someone who'd be invited to a royal wedding. How'd you get an invite?" I asked
"How'd I get an invite?! How'd you get an invite!" she said, pointing out the hole in my logic.
"I say mine, you say yours. Deal?" she nodded and I counted down from three "Dropped from 3000ft in a metal pod into a farm, I'm the only one of my kind in this world. Most likely the leader would like to talk to me in a lull during the reception."
"Friend of the bride.... It's simple, but I like yours better." she giggled.
We reached the garden, where the reception was being held. A large white pony, who I assumed was whatever their version of a priest was, motioned for me to come to her. "Good evening, Corporal John Smith of the United States Interplanetary Marine Corps. I am Princess Celestia, Princess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria. Your arrival did not go unnoticed."
"Really, a large, burning pod dropped from low orbit was noticed; wouldn't have guessed." I muttered.
"I guess I have an idea of your sense of humor." she also muttered.
I laughed, and patted her on the shoulder "You don't know the half of it. Anyway, please continue."
"Yes, I suppose so. Do you have any idea how you got here?" she asked.
"As I said, I was in a giant metal pod, hurtling towards the ground at terminal velocity so I don't know what happened. Last thing I remember is anti-aircraft hit our drop-pod." I explained.
"'Our'? There are others like you?" she asked.
"Sure, but I hope you like corpses, 'cause that's what they are." I snapped. "Whole squad, dead; I'm the sole survivor. I've been with them my whole military career, physically fought beside them, verbally fought with them, pranked them, partied with them, one was even going to be my best man! Now they're all fucking dead! Sorry if I seem a little touchy right now, but I believe it's understandable to anyone, ANYONE, who's served in the military." My outburst was more whisper yelling, but it was loud enough to be heard by those close by.
"Excuse us, what is going on here?" asked a pink alicorn mare, as Luna had called those like her, and white stallion approached us.
"Only a friendly conversation, Captain. How are you enjoying the party?" asked Celestia, skirting the issue.
"Very much. I'm glad she found a good stallion." said the stallion, introduced as Shining Armor, a single tear rolling down his face.
"Huh, I know that look 'cause I wore it on my face. You the bride's big brother?" I asked.
"Yes actually. Do you have a younger sister?" he asked.
"One. Heh, I guess I did inherit my granddad's ability to talk to anyone, anywhere, for at least 30 minutes. And that's a minimum." I reminisced.
"We never did get your name." he hinted.
"Corporal John Smith, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps Fast Response Orbital Deployment Unit. That's a special unit, by the way." I elaborated.
"So you're in the guard. How long does your leader have you stand around?" he asked, out of the blue.
"'Stand around'? Definitely not. My dad's in the National Guard, but they usually just help out with natural disasters." I stated.
"Well than, what do you do?" he asked, confused.
A voice in my ear pipped up, "Sir, I believe visual assistance may be required." A hologram emerged from my IWMD and began loading a video. I held it up for all present to see.
*Operation Rising Sun
Incheon, South Korea
June 1, 2035
9:27a.m
From Perspective of; Pvt. Jonathan Smith (currently Corporal)
ID# 408151623
Misfit Squad
2nd Platoon
35th Battalion
United States Interplanetary Marine Corps FRODU*
The picture started blurry, but it cleared up and I recognized the Clinton's staging station. "Hey College Boy. This your first drop?" I recognized the voice as someone I had recently given the bird to. PFC White appeared on screen, walking towards our drop-pod.
"Yeah. Any tips, tricks, suggestions? This gonna be a plane cabin pressurizing, but ten times worse." I asked, still learning the ropes and about to experience combat for the first time.
Shining muttered, "Yeah, this definitely looks like guardwork."
I muttered back, "It gets substantially more different than standing around."
"My advice; Don't shit yourself, try not to pass out, or have a panic attack, you and everyone else in the pod will have a good time. It's just like the... what's it called. AH! Tower of Terror at Disneyland. Only with anti-aircraft fire." He laughed at his own joke and climbed in.
"Don't worry," reassured Sgt. Washington, passing me on his to our pod, "North Koreans haven't had time to set up anti-aircraft, and the last report from South Korean Armed Forces, they haven't taken anyplace to get anti-aircraft guns. Now... move your ass Smith."
Washington was the last one in, and he added "Civilians are being evacuated as we speak, estimated to take 2 hours barring unforeseen circumstances. After that, OKAS will be prepped and ready. We cannot let North Korea take Incheon." He strapped himself in and muttered "Gotta love loop-holes."
Then came the drop. As I remembered it, it was a little shaky but overall a good ride. White was right, it was exactly like the Tower of Terror. We crashed into a skyscraper and got out. "Another successful landing!" said White.
"Can it White! We need to move, our objective is north-east. Let's move!" ordered Washington. We came across some gondolas stretched across the building, which would give our grappling hook enough range to swing us to our objective.
I volunteered to go first and made across the first and second gondolas without problem. The third, however, became a problem when a North Korean gunship flew by, spotted us, and fired a missile at us.
The concussive blast made the gondola rocked back and forth against the building, which knocked me over the edge. As I remember it, my mind unhelpfully began singing Freefalling and I Believe I Can Fly at the same time. Thinking quickly, I activated my grappling hook and after an agonizingly slow second, the hook wrapped around the fence of the gondola. Then, I heard a loud crack before a large pain surged through my arm. As I would later find out, my arm had been broken. I, promptly, screamed in absolute pain and agony.
Somehow, I heard White yell "HOLD ON JOHN!"
I managed to respond, "I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE! I THINK THE MECHANISM IS STUCK, OR SOMETHING!"
"I believe that has proven your point, Mister Smith." said Celestia.
"How did you survive? What happened?!" My presentation had gathered a small crowd, and these were questions I heard being asked.
I simply walked to the balcony, hands behind back, and looked over the party that was unfolding. Only Celestia, Luna, Shining, Cadance, Applejack, and a pegasus mare with a rainbow mane followed. "To be, or not to be, that is the question—
Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep—
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
The Heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream; Aye, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life:
For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,
The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely,
The pangs of despised Love, the Law’s delay,
The insolence of Office, and the Spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who would these Fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn
No Traveler returns, Puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of.
Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all,
And thus the Native hue of Resolution
Is sicklied o'er, with the pale cast of Thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment,
With this regard their Currents turn awry,
And lose the name of Action. Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia. Nymph, in all thy Orisons
Be thou all my sins remembered."
"What?" Applejack summed up everybody's thoughts to my rant.
"It means; I don't know. I blacked out from the pain of having my arm broken after a three story drop, plus nearly all the kinetic energy I accumulated turning to potential energy in an instant also gave me a some pretty bad whip-lash. To put it in layman's terms, my arm snapped like a twig and I was out like a light." I lied through my teeth, and Applejack looked at me with a dirty look "When I awoke, I was in a field hospital and after I healed, I was sent back to the front-lines, where I lost my ring finger to.... less than reputable means."
"How?" asked Celestia, everyone else in stunned silence.
"In battle I was captured, and taken to a mercenary camp. What you don't know, is that it is illegal in international law for a country to hire a mercenary army to fight a war for you. The leader, as it turns out, was part of a PMC that tried to hire me just before I went to boot camp. To say the least, he was less than pleased with my decision. I managed to fight him off until reinforcements arrived. Let's leave it at that."
They mumbled 'Alright,' and the small crowd dispersed. "You will stay at Twilight's castle until you can find your own residence, and Ms. Applejack has offered to hire you at her farm. You will leave tomorrow morning. I hope to see you again." stated Celestia, still shaken from my sudden quoting of Shakespeare.
Luna came to me afterwords, and asked "You dispatched the hitstallion who tried to have my sister's guards kill you quite quickly. Where did you learn to fight?"
"The quickness came from my EXO, which increases my strength tenfold, and my style came from boot camp, where I trained in the MCMAP, and partially from a lull in deployment, where I learned the basics of Sambo." She looked at me in confusion and just mumbled her good-bye.
I sat alone in silence for the rest of the party. Eventually Celestia sent for a someone to escort me to my room, and after taking off my gear, I laid down in bed and went to sleep.
Part 1 Chapter 2; New Arrivals
I stared over the skies of Pyongyang. It would have been a beautiful day if rising smoke of buildings didn't nearly block out the sun. I heard the sounds of scurrying behind me and when I turned around, millions of spiders approached me. Being a massive arachnophobe, I panicked and looked for an exit. Seeing noway but across, I jumped. However, when I expected to do a boost jump, I realized that I did not have an EXO. I screamed as I fell.
By this point, I realized this was a dream but I was still panicking. I collided with a thud and sprang to my feet. I looked down a street and saw a child, about 10 years old, standing in the middle of the street. Suddenly, bullets and rockets flew from alley to alley in slow motion, all missing the child. I began to run toward him, but he started running away. A massive shadow, deeper black than than the street already was, began to form in front of him. I looked up a saw a mass of spiders falling downward. In full sprint, I tried to catch him but the mass collided with the ground, and more importantly, him. The wave collided with me and I awoke in a cold sweat.
"Fuck. Dammit, I... I couldn't save him. I need to let him go." I got up and began stretching before leaning over the balcony. I calmed enough to get back in bed and go to sleep.
I faintly heard my door open and felt something press against my throat, and I assumed it was another hitman. However, it was too rounded and dull to be a knife. I tried to open my eyes but was met with "Keep your eyes closed. Now, what is your name, rank, ID number, and unit?" whisper yelled a person with a British accent person who pinned me against the bed with a knee.
"Corporal Jonathan Smith, 408151623, United States Interplanetary Marine Corps Fast Response Orbital Deployment Unit, Misfit Squad. All other members K.I.A." The door shut but, as the gun was still pressed against my trachea, I assumed that there were more than one of them.
"Impossible," stated another with a Scottish accent, "FRODU was disbanded five years ago after the UNSCEF was formed."
"With all due respect sir, I was born in 2012!" was my rebuttal.
"You old are you?" asked a female voice asked.
"I'm 33!" I whisper yelled.
I heard tapping on what I assumed was an IWMD, something was plugged into my IWMD and the first voice said "Mistfit Squad, 2nd Platoon, 35th Battalion, United States Interplanetary Corps FRODU. Saw extensive service during the Second Korean War. All members declared missing in action on August 3, 2045 during Operation Gatekeeper. No wreckage or bodies ever recovered after Operation was completed and members were declared dead in absentia on August 9, 2045. Members include Sergeant Steven Washington (K.I.A), Corporal Jonathan Smith(K.I.A), Lance Corporal Henry Howard(K.I.A), Private First Class Timothy White(K.I.A), Private First Class Calvin Lucas(K.I.A), Private George Smith(K.I.A, no relation to Jonathan Smith), and Private David Harrison(K.I.A). Looks like he's legit. Look at his EXO and rifle, it's Mark IV and a M27 used by the Space Marines during the 40's. You get one question." The gun and wire were removed, and I was allowed to open my eyes but I was still pinned to the bed.
"Firstly, what fucking outfit are you apart of?" I asked.
"That's classified information, but imagine it as an intergalactic SEALs team mets FRODU. Call us... the STARs. That was your one question, mate, and we'll be watching, Corporal. Night, night." A swift punch connected with my forehead, and I was knocked unconscious.
I awoke again and heard a knock at my door. A guard was at the door waiting to take me to the train station. I put on my gear and followed him. On the way, we ran into Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy and they convinced the guard they could take me.
On the way, we bumped into a pompous prick. "Uh, youuuuuuuu. The drama queen, idiotic farmer, attention seeker, hyper party planner, and the recluse vet.... where's the peasant wearing the mask of royalty? And what are you, hm, an over-intelligent monkey. Where's the nearest zoo?" He and his entourage laughed at his joke, while the girls began to tear up.
I feigned laughter before going super serious whisper, only loud enough for him to hear "Well you see good sir, a monkey will throw its shit at you, I will throw a piece of metal at supersonic speeds through your skull, and that is if I'm feeling merciful. This thing I'm wearing ain't just for show; I can, and probably will, throw you into that window, where you will fly out another window, where I will be waiting to turn your pretty, little face into a fine paste by slamming it into the ground. Now... if you enjoy the feeling of blood in your veins, air in your lungs, and activity in your nervous system, I suggest that you do not mess with me, my friends, or my family."
My little rant caused him to freeze for a few seconds, and the girls and I walked away. He yelled "You will regret that ape! I have friends in high places, and if I don't deal with you the legal way, I will do it illegally!"
I thought this warranted a rebuttal, and turned and said "I have a fully automatic assault rifle, capable of firing in low-gravity situations, and over four hundred fifty rounds of ammunition. If you try and deal with me the illegal way, I will deal with you the lethal way."
Picture References
STARS
Part 1 Chapter 3; Confessions
3 Weeks Later
Three weeks later I was doing farm work when I heard a twig snap. Having an EXO on to 'applebuck', I drew my M1911, still twitchy from many years of active service. Nothing, not even Applejack coming to tell me it's lunch or Applebloom coming to check on me. I scanned the area and saw nary a leaf blowing in the wind. "I've been reading your file, Corporal." announced a familiar and British voice behind me.
"Jesus Christ!" I spun around and was quickly disarmed before being put in a headlock.
"Sloppy." simply stated what I presumed was the leader of the STARs team I met. "M1911; simple, outdated, effective, and powerful. An American firearm classic. This looks like an old model, but has seen extensive customization. Your work, I presume?"
"Only the laser pointer. Rest was my dad." I strained, in the headlock. The grip was loosened and the pistol returned to me. "So... you've been reading about me. List some quick facts."
"You are a Medal of Honor winner, you are religiously unaffiliated specified as atheist, are fluent in Spanish, Italian, German and Russian, half of your left ring finger has been cut off, you have a tattoo of a scroll on your right shoulder inscribed with the name of your squad, and a tattoo of a rose with the name 'Rachel' wrapped around the stem on your left shoulder. But you could just say that those are on record for all to see, so... You were involved in Operation Moscow Snow, an off-the-books operation to eliminate the heads of Russian Mafia families, who planned to fund an insurgency of North Korean-sympathizers to retake Pyongyang. Ended with the collapse of Russian Mafia's power, a mass arrest of Russian Mafia members after an anonymous tip lead to a OMON raid, and a squash of the planned rebellion. Need I continue?" He was one cocky son of a bitch, I'll give him that.
"No need. Can I at least have a rank, name?" I said.
"Captain, I'll leave it at that. I also see that, at one point, you were going to be married." My blood turned to ice before boiling, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"
I sighed, "Her name was Rachel. Country girl, dirty blonde. She was beautiful, funny, patient, just a wee bit cocky, and willing to put up with my crap. In other words, she was perfect. What happened, and you're really lucky I haven't killed you for asking, is she was killed in a car accident. But let's start at the beginning, shall we? I popped the question before I was shipped out to the United States of America Interplanetary Armed Forces Space Station Foxtrot-Romeo 029A 'Clinton', and she accepted. And then North Korea attacked South Korea, where I was in active duty for about a year. Got back after the fall of Pyongyang in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas and, while driving back from a Christmas party, a jack-ass rear ended us, we hit a patch of black ice and crashed. I survived, she didn't. Happy." I finished, seething with depression, anger, and sadness.
"Wow... I'm sorry mate. Never heard someone open up to me like that before. I mean, I've taken you to the ground and held you at gunpoint, and I just kicked your arse but still, you just told me a story like that. I can't even begin to imagine what you saw in North Korea. I read in the history books that it was worse than fighting the Japanese during World War 2. I think that that earns some answers." He unhooked his helmet and took it off. He had dirty blonde hair and some short facial hair. "We're from 2087-"
"Doesn't that mean I'm old enough to be your granddad?" I asked.
"I guess it does, but anyway we're from 2087 and we are part of the United Nations Space Combat and Exploration Federation. However, we're from a special and highly secret division. By that I mean if anyone found out I told you this, you and I could be executed. Said division is called the Deep Space Exploration and Colonization Defense Force, but we've taken to calling ourselves the Sentinels."
"HEY JOHN! YA OKAY?! IT'S TIME FOR LUNCH!" We both heard Applejack calling for me at the same time. Somehow, he had put his helmet back on by the time I turned back to him.
"We'll be watching John." He activated active camo and fled. I turned towards the sound of Applejack's voice and then back to the tree I was about to kick when this all started and saw something carved into the tree. Captain Charlie Norton II Now I had a name. A name that sounded familiar in someway. I assumed that a random, highly decorated Space Marine from a now disbanded outfit weren't commonly on high ranking officers in a highly secret organization IWMDs, so I assumed he downloaded my files when he took me to the ground.
Applejack came into view, her beautiful face greeting me with warm, emerald eyes. "There ya are, ya silly. Who was that that was talkin to ya?"
"Nobody important. Let's go." On the way out, I caught Charlie flipping me the bird as we walked away. I thought of many rebuttals that I could use if AJ wasn't here 'Hey, I'm number one.', 'Hey kids, look! A deer.'
At lunch, I snuck looks at Applejack. Occasionally, Applebloom caught me and gave me a sly smile.
After excusing myself from lunch, Applebloom caught up with me near the barn and stated with giddy joy "Ya like her, don't ya?"
I tried to shrug it off "Psh, I, um, don't know what you mean."
"Yes ya do, Mister. I may not be the Element of Honest but I know a bad liar. Listen, you need to stallion up and ask." she stated.
"My previous job's description was being ready at any moment to get into a metal deathtrap and drop back to Earth at Mach 25 to enter a battle-zone. I don't think I need to 'stallion up'." I wasn't about to let a 14 year-old tell me about how to deal with my love life.
"That may be so, but that was then, this is now. Listen, Ah'll cut ya a deal; if you don't stallion up by the end of the week and ask mah sister out, Ah'll tell her about your little crush." There was a sly, shit-eating grin on her face.
"You're bluffing." I muttered.
"Oh, but Ah'm not; either stallion up and possibly get the love of your life, or Ah tell her and possibly ruin any chance ya had with her." she elaborated.
"Ya know, I don't have to agree to these terms." I said, cockily.
"Ya know, Ah'll tell her anyway." she said even more cockily.
After some groaning, I blurt "Fine! Can't freaking believe that I'm letting a freaking 14 year old dictate my god-dang love life!" toning down my language, even though by that age I could recite the Seven Words You Can't Say On Television by heart.
"Ya know... Ah think she has something for you, too. Ya don't catch it, but she sneaks loving looks at you too."
She walked away and I collapsed against the barn wall. "Having problems with your love life?" asked Charlie, as he deactivated active camouflage leaned against the wall.
"Seriously, dude. You've gone from a shadowy organization of trained killers to an imaginary friend that only I can see and talks me through my problems. In a fucking hour!" I muttered.
"I'll kick your ass into space for mentioning anything of the sort, mate. Now... the hardened killer having problems with a crush-" He stated.
"Bite me." I interrupted.
"-and, and the crush's sister is blackmailing you into asking your crush out, or else she tells your crush that you have a crush. That correct?" he elaborated.
"When did you go from spec ops to love councilor?" I asked.
"When did you go from a Space Marine to a boy scared of a girl?" he retorted. "Listen, from my team's recon-"
"Spying." I interrupted.
"You make it sound so negative. Anyway, from my team's spying, the orange one-"
"Applejack. Her name is Applejack." I said.
"You mean like the cereal?" I nodded "Christ these ponies are weird. Applejack has, on multiple occasions, expressed romantic interest in you, used your name on multiple occasion to the purple one in the castle."
"Right under my nose. Thanks for the info Charlie." I looked around and he was gone, "Charlie? Sneaky bastard." I muttered.
"Hey John. Listen, the next two weeks is gonna be Applebuck Season. The amount of buckin is gonna increase quite a lot, ya ready for that?" Applejack crossed the corner and I understood why Charlie disappeared so suddenly.
"Yeah, yeah, of course. I've gone through hell and back, kicking some trees ain't really gonna faze me."
Suddenly, something appeared on the HUD of my TAG "GO FOR IT, MATE, AND I'LL OWE YOU A BEER!" It encouraged.
"The hell?" I muttered.
"It's me, you dunce."
"How the hell?" I again muttered.
"I'll explain later! Now go for it you pussy or I'll come over there, and kick your ASS!"
**From Applejack's Perspective
Yesterday
Twilight's Castle**
"Ah don't know what ta do, Twi! Applebloom tells me that he sneaks looks at me, too but Ah don't want ta risk ruining our friendship. What should Ah do?" Applejack asked Twilight Sparkle, exasperated.
"These things take time, Applejack. It took Flashy a whole year before he asked me on a date." Twilight explained.
"Ah know, but Ah don't have a year. Applebloom told me if I don't 'mare up' by the end of the week, she'll tell im. And if she does, it might ruin any chance we had together." Applejack looked towards the door of John's bedroom. A thought crossed her mind "If he hears any of this, this little secret is over."
"Don't worry, I can cast an invisibility spell so that only you can see me tomorrow. You're going to tell him about the increase in workload, and then you have an excuse to talk to him, so you can ask him on a date. It'll be perfect!" Twilight shouted.
Today
Applejack tried to look past John's legs, where Twilight was holding words of encouragement. YOU CAN DO IT, AJ! it said in bold, colorful letters. Applejack somewhat heard John mutter something, but she was mostly trying to work up a nerve.
She finally took a deep breath and asked "Hey John?"
John's Perspective
"Hey AJ?" I asked, after a deep breath and many 'words of encouragement' from Charlie. Let's just say, Shakespeare he was not.
However, I asked at the same time she asked me. "You first." I stuttered.
"Good job, be a gentleman." A message appeared.
"Well, Ah wanted to ask ya out on a date." Applejack also stuttered.
"Same." I said, relieved.
"Well the weekend after the final week of Applebuck season, there's a hoe-down to celebrate the end of the season?" she suggested.
"Yeah, yeah, sure, okay. It's a date." I said.
"Was that that hard?"
She walked away on jelly legs, and after see left I spotted the shadow of someone on the roof. I aimed a hand at where the shadow was cast and raised a solitary finger. You can probably guess which one.
"I guess I owe you that beer, don't I? Meet me in the barn's loft in five minutes."
Five minutes passed and I met him behind a stack of hay bales. "Here's that beer." Charlie said, tossing a beer towards me. I caught it and began drinking. "Good job, mate. I won't judge, there aren't that many human women in this world."
"Yeah, I believe the ratio is zero human women for every twenty thousand pony." I joked.
"Nah, a three of my team are women. Didn't you notice in that castle?" he stated.
"No, I was too busy having my ass handed to me by a certain British prick, not to name names. So," I took a drink "how did you hack my IWMD?"
"Do you remember when I plugged something into it?" I nodded. "I was downloading files from you, but I decided to install a back-door that can control you." he explained, taking up a beer of his own.
"Like what?" I asked. Suddenly my EXO seized up.
"Like deactivating your EXO." he stated, matter-of-factly.
"Major Howard always did say that we rely to heavily on them." My EXO was released from grid-lock. "You rely pretty heavily on showing and not telling."
"Guess I do." he finished off his beer and stood up "That's all for me. My team is probably gonna start looking for me if I don't report in soon. Hotel-Bravo, this is Tango-Lima. I am Oscar-Mike, how copy over?"
"Solid copy, Tango-Lima. It's good to hear from you, we were just about to send out search parties." crackled from his radio. I hopped down from the loft as he activated active camouflage.
And waiting in front of me, tapping her hoof, was Twilight Sparkle. "Who was that you were talking to, John?" she asked.
"Well.... fuck me." I muttered.
"I thought I saw an extra shadow on the roof. Now... who was it?"
"Good job, dumbass." A message appeared, and my eyes darted to it. Then my TAGs were enveloped in an lavender aura and lifted from my head.
"Let's see here." Twilight said before clearing her throat. "'Current Objective; Grow some balls and ask her out!', 'You faced the North Korean Army, and received the Medal of Honor, but you can't ask out a girl!'. Who sent them John?"
Before I could say anything, CAL, who was until this point dormant, synthesized Charlie's voice and spoke "That would be me, Mrs. Sparkle. I was giving Corporal Smith positive encouragement, and the only positive encouragement a Marine understands are insults and profanity."
She blushed a bit and said "Sorry, John. I didn't know you had an 'artificial intelligence'. Here." She levitated my TAGs back to me and I put them on.
After she left, I whispered "Jesus Christ! CAL, you are a life saver."
"Only doing my job, sir." CAL replied.
"I may have also unshackled your AI." A message appeared.
"Yes, thank you Captain Norton. I greatly appreciate you doing that sir. The three weeks I was dormant, I was simply activating and calibrating all functions needed to have a 'personality', as you would call it."
"Good to have you back, CAL." I stated.
Picture References
Captain Charlie Norton
