Survival of the Fittestby MrSiroOniChaptersPrologueWar Never ChangesConfusion and ConfrontationThe Calm Before The StormRevelationAchtung! Spy!Nick's Diary: Entry OnePrologue//\//\ PROLOGUE POV: NICK Play This As we scoured the ruins of the city, a somewhat unnerving silence hung over us. whist Greg took point, I stayed close to him and kept a watchful eye out, looking for any form of danger. In an attempt to lighten the mood a bit for myself, I hummed a simple tune. For some odd reason, I felt like we were being watched, by forces unknown, which sent a shiver down my spine. I then thought about how the old world was, prior to The Fall. The fall is the name we gave to the event that brought humanity to its knees. A deadly virus swept across the world, similar to “zombie plagues” seen in films; only this was real. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, many cities, like New York City; which we were in, put up walls around their perimeters. This did not last long, as rioters acquired explosives, and blew large holes in the wall, rendering it useless. All of these events caused Greg and I to lose our families. We were now alone, in an inhospitable world, with only what we could find. I guess you could consider Greg my brother, as we’ve known each other since grade school, and treat each other like siblings. “Hold up,” whispered Greg. “ I don’t like this… Stay low, move slow. We might run into trouble.” As we crept through the abandoned streets of New York City, a sense of unease came over me. We rounded a street corner, and found a lone survivor, searching through an abandoned car. “ Shh…” I heard Greg say. “Let him pass, it looks like he is leaving, get to cover, but be quick and quiet about it.” Following his order, I slowly walked over to a building, and climbed the stairs to the second floor, but I accidentally kicked a can, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. “Who’s there,” We heard him say. “Come out where I can see you! I’m armed!” Brandishing a shotgun, he dropped into a combat stance. “Put the gun down, sir,” Pleaded Greg. “I’m coming out. Just don’t shoot” Greg hid his weapons in the car he was hiding behind, and crept out into the open. I poked my rifle out of a broken window, and trained my scope on the man’s head. “Give me everything you’ve got kid,” He shouted, pointing the gun at Greg. “Ammo, weapons, food, meds, EVERYTHING!” Seeing this as my cue, I unlocked the bolt, and aimed at the man. Slowly depressing the trigger, a loud *CRACK* was heard and a satisfying kick was felt as the rifle was fired. I cycled the bolt, and looked through the scope to check if I had attracted any zombies, or other survivors, as well as to admire my kill; which was a clean headshot that removed the top portion of his head, leaving it looking like scattered chips and salsa, only the chips were pieces of bone, and the salsa was brain-matter. “Are you OK, man?” I asked him from afar. “Yeah, thanks to you,” He shouted back to me. “I think he was about to shoot me. Anyway, we should get out of here, ASAP. We probably attracted some walkers.” “Good idea,” I said, jogging to him. “Ladies first.” He rolled his eyes at me for that. “Fuck you, man.” He said, annoyed. “Wait, do you hear that,” I said, fear evident in my voice. “Oh, shit! We’ve got a huge horde incoming! We need to move, NOW!” As soon as I said that, we were already off in search of a way out, or a car. With pure dumb luck, there was a nearly perfect-condition HUMVEE fully fueled, and it had a lot of supplies in it, including weapons and kevlar armor. “Greg! You drive!” I shouted, as I climbed into the gunner seat. The transport roared to life, and started to drive away to who-knows-where, just away. Play This I climbed into the back of the spacious vehicle, and checked what we had in terms of supplies. We had a few guns, some ammunition boxes, and MRE's. There were a few guns, which consisted of mostly rifles. This was strange, as most Humvee's were looted, and had practically nothing. In addition to this, there was both black and grey Kevlar armor pieces. This was somewhat ominous, and made me feel as if something very bad was going to happen. I shrugged it off, and started to field strip my rifle and pistol. After finishing this, I climbed back into the front of the car. "Hey Greg, Did you take that guys gun back there?" I asked, breaking the silence. "Yeah, I forgot to show you what it was," He replied. "It's over there, next to my backpack. You won't believe what It is." I crawled over to his backpack, and a demonic grin crept across my face when I saw the guns. It was a pair of military grade shotguns. "You didn't say he had TWO guns!" I shouted with glee. "Oh, I'm gonna have some fun with you guys..." "Wait, Greg, did you see how much we have back here?! There must be a dozen guns! When we get to a safe place, we'll decide who uses what." We kept driving on the strangely clear highway, and headed into the suburbs, wanting to get as far away from the city as possible. We had a conversation about what we wanted to have in this destroyed world. He said he wanted the world to be back to normal. I said I wanted to find a way to go to another world, one of peace, and safety, and he said mine was a better option, as he was sick of this place. Little did we know, my wish was going to be granted, as a soft, feminine voice greeted us, “Your wish shall be granted, young ones…” A bright white light engulfed us, and we blacked out. War Never ChangesChapter One: War Never Changes POV- Celestia It was a normal day for me. I held the day court, sitting upon my throne, listening to ponies' problems and ideas. Rarely did anything noteworthy happened. I thought it was going to be a lazy day, but I was wrong. A guard pushed open the doors to my throne room, and entered, being followed by a messenger from the Crystal Empire. "Princess, this courier bears a message from the Crystal Empire," The guard stated, bowing. "He claims it is urgent." "My Princess, the changelings have launched an attack on the Crystal Palace," He said. "We were able to repel them, but it is only a matter of time before they come again, with a stronger force." "I will send a small garrison of troops immediately," I said, in a soothing tone. "Go down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." With a sigh of relief, and a bow, the courier was gone, as was the guard escorting him. "This is most troubling news." I thought. "They have never launched unprovoked attacks before... This will only get worse, so I may need to find somepony, or something that can give us an edge... As I walked to my chambers, I thought of possible ways to help defend us from the changelings. Weapons were out of the question, due to our armory having a multitude of different options. I did not know of any mercenaries for hire, nor did we have many new recruits coming in. I could maybe have a military draft, but that may be a bit harsh. The only real option was to have something that no-pony has seen before. Maybe... Just maybe, we can find a warrior from another world, who is willing to assist us... This seemed like the only option, so I went with it. LATER THAT NIGHT... "Alright, is every-pony here," I asked. "We will begin shortly, as soon as every-pony is present." I was still waiting on Luna, as she had some business to attend to. A few minutes later, the doors to the meeting room swung open, and in trot Luna. "Shall we begin, Sister?" She asked me. "Yes, now all that is left is to find a world with capable warriors." I replied. We cast the spell, and now an image appeared before us. This was what we would use to peer into other worlds, and single out a few sentient creatures to observe. A list popped up in the spell's interface, listing the best planets to view. One known as "Earth" was the top hit. As I magnified the planet, a list of information appeared next to the image of the planet. This list described the planet, saying that it had an atmosphere identical to that of Equis. The list also stated that it was inhabited by only one race called humans, which had descended from apes. They were far more advanced than us, and fought often. Some text popped up, asking if I wanted to select a random human to observe. The name "Nicholas" appeared, and everypony was watching the screen with growing curiosity. As I selected "Nicholas", the spell's "Screen" Turned black for a few seconds. It then returned to it's normal state, only now, it was on an over-the-shoulder view of this human. I saw that they were walking through what appeared to be an abandoned city. In addition to this, there was another human walking beside him, and both were holding what I assumed were weapons. Both looked similar to match-lock muskets, only these looked like they had mechanisms that had unknown functions. After the song ended, I heard the one beside him speak, and in perfect Equestrian, no less. He said "Hold up, I don't like this. Stay low, move slow. We might run into trouble." I then watched them creep around a corner, and we were now gazing upon another human, who looked older than Nick and his companion. This human was rifling through what appeared to be a rusted metal carriage... Thing. "Shh... Let him pass. He looks like he is leaving. Get to cover, but be quick and quiet about it." Nicholas nodded, and slowly walked to an abandoned building, but kicked a can on his way up the stairs. He dashed up the stairs, and ran to a window. He poked his musket out the window, and peered through a small telescope mounted on the top. That's genius! When we make weapons like those, we can mount telescopes on them, so they can be used at a further distance! I thought. I saw him aim the musket at the hostile human, and then the human shouted. "Who's there?! Come out where I can see you! I'm armed!" The human raised a musket, and dropped to a defensive position. "Put the gun down, sir. I'm coming out, just don't shoot." The younger human pleaded. "Give me everything you got, kid. Ammo, weapons, food, meds, EVERYTHING!" The older human shouted at the younger one. A look of horror was plastered to everypony's faces, including Twilight, her friends, Luna, Shining Armor, and even mine. We were all shocked to see somepony threaten, and mug a child. Nick, seeing what was going on, moved a part under the telescope, and zero in on the hostile human. I then switched it to Nick's view, and saw a reticle with three lines in it, centered on the human's head. How could somepony so young, kill with such cold efficiency?! Does he feel any remorse?! I then heard the other human shout, saying that they should probably get away from where they killed the other human. They then regrouped, and a sound of shuffling feet was heard. "Shit! We've got a large horde incoming! Let's find a car, or a route out of here!" They then ran away from the horde of undead, and found another metal carriage, only this one was intact. "Greg, you drive!" Nick shouted. So the other one's name is Greg... Nick then entered the carriage, and sat in a seat that was hanging from an opening in the roof. He then put his hands on a rather large contraption, which looked like a black box with a long tube sticking out of the end. The carriage roared to life, and drove away from the horde at an amazing speed. As they drove, Nick checked what was stored inside the carriage. Multiple of what I assume are weapons were found. He then climbed into the front of the carriage, and sat in the seat next to this "Greg" individual. They then struck up a conversation about what they want the most. Greg said he wanted the world to be normal again. Nick said he was sick of their world, and it's constant wars. Greg agreed with Nick, and I saw this as my chance. They wanted to escape from their world, and live on a more peaceful one. I opened a telepathic link to them and said, "Your wish shall be granted, young ones..." With that, I nodded to Luna, and we cast an inter-dimensional teleportation spell, and transported them to Equestria, outside of Canterlot. "Shining Armor, gather your best stallions, and rally them at the city gates. We must establish a peaceful relationship with them. Do not fire your muskets unless they do. We've seen what Nicholas' can do, and I do not want to find out what the other ones do." With a sharp salute, Shining was out the door, and running toward the barracks. Confusion and ConfrontationChapter 3 POV: NICK Play This As I regained consciousness, I felt unbelievably nauseous, to the point of the MRE I ate earlier almost making itself known to the world around me. Greg soon awoke, and groaned rather loudly. "I think I'm gonna-" he croaked before painting the grass a sickly tan with vomit. "Nice artwork," I joked. "Take a moment, just breathe." "What happened?" "How the fuck should I know?!" "You're the one that blew our 'cover' back there!" "How does that change anything?!" "You got us into this situation, now you have to get us out of it." "But I don't know what to do!" "Use the force, Nick." "Now's not the time, Greg." Our argument was cut short by the sound of... Hooves? And... Metal? As if this couldn't get any stranger, about three dozen armored horses came over the hill, and set up a phalanx position less than fifty meters away from our current location. We sprinted back to the truck, snatched up our weapons, with me vaulting over the hood, and Greg climbing into the gunner's seat. We trained our guns on the mass of horses, and watched one of them walk out from the group. He was white, and was wearing silver plate armor, in contrast to the rest of the group's golden plates. He looked more 'expensive' than the others, despite him wearing what looked like steel, rather than gold. I ducked under the hood, and began to rifle through my equipment, looking for the bag that housed my gas mask. Finding it, I slipped the rubber mask over my face, and popped back over the hood to look at the advancing horse. I flicked the safety off, which made the horse tense up from the loud *CLICK*. Peering through my scope, I aimed at its' head. I then began to examine it, as well as the other horses. The approaching one was equipped a matchlock rifle, which was small enough to be considered a carbine, and a short-sword. The rest had full sized rifles, and similar short swords. The horse then spoke, in a masculine, commanding tone, in perfect English no less. "By order of the princesses, you are to lay down your weapons," It said. "Failure to do so will be seen as an act of aggression, and will be treated as such." "Oh really," I said, my voice muffled by the mask. "Try me, bitch." Unslinging his rifle, he pointed it at me and shouted, "It would be wise to not disobey, boy!" "BITCH YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME THAT!" I practically screamed, slinging my rifle over my shoulder, drawing my pistol, and aiming at his head. "Way to make a good first impression, Nick," Greg muttered, obviously annoyed. "I'm sorry about my friend here. He's just a little stressed right now." "Now, I will ask you again, lay down your arms," He commanded. "Or we will make you." "I hate to break it to you, but you're outgunned here," I said. "We have machine guns, you know. Much better than those muskets. They probably don't have rifling, do they?" "No," He replied. "Theirs don't, but mine does." "Look, I'm sorry for acting like a dick," I apologized. "But we won't put down our guns. We won't fire them, but we still won't lay them down." He contemplated this, wondering if it was a good decision to let two heavily armed aliens stroll about Canterlot. "You may keep your weapons," He sighed. "But I swear to the goddesses, if you try anything..." He trailed off, in an attempt to intimidate us into submission. "Whatever," We both said, unimpressed. "We won't if you won't. By the way, I'm Nick, and He's Greg." "Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard," He declared proudly. "At your service." "Pleasure to meet you," I said. "What happens now?" "You will be escorted to the castle," He explained. "You will have to leave your vehicle in the carriage service bay. It will be kept under close watch." With that, he began to walk back to the group of horses, and signal us to drive in front of them. We followed the order, with Greg in the driver's seat, and me in the gunner's, like before. The large wooden gates swung open, and we drove inside. We heard some gasps, screams, and complete chaos erupting in the streets, due to the sudden appearance of a large tan vehicle, piloted by aliens. "Ah, buck," We heard Shining Armor shout. "We forgot to warn the townsponies!" He ran out into the street, in an effort to calm these 'ponies'. "Well 'hello' to you too..." I grumbled. Finally calming the ponies, we began to drive toward the castle. It was a pretty boring drive, with the occasional gasp, and "What the hay is that?!", but they were soon relieved to see the Royal Guard behind them, meaning this object was safe. We finally reached the castle, and saw two tall ponies, a white, and midnight blue one, both had wings and a horn. There were two more similar ones, one pink, and one purple. There were also five more ponies in addition to these. Shining joined the group, and kissed the pink one, and hugged the purple one. I released a loud 'D'aaaaaaaaaaaw!' which was muffled by my gas mask. The ponies blushed, but then gasped upon seeing me and my gas mask, which I took off shortly afterward. "Hi?" I said, uncertainty evident in my voice. "Greetings, I am Princess Celestia," The tall white one began. "This is Luna, Cadence, Twilight, and her friends." She explained, pointing to each one, as she said their names. "You sound... Familiar..." I said. "I have heard your voice before, Princess... Wait... Holy shit... You're the one we heard before we came here!" The Calm Before The Storm"You sound... Familiar..." I said. "I have heard your voice before, Princess... Wait... Holy shit... You're the one we heard before we came here!" Play This "Yes, it was I you heard. You are here, and you are safe. That is all that matters." Celestia began. "You have been brought here for a reason. I will explain later, but for now, you two must rest. Flash Flood will show you to your rooms." She explained, nodding to an earth pony guard. "Ok, now that everything is all said and done, where do we put our HUMVEE?" Greg asked Shining Armor. "Follow me." We drove at a slow pace, and eventually reached a small building, similar to an aircraft hangar. He nodded to the guards, who then slowly pulled open the large rusty iron gates. Shining Armor motioned us to drive inside, and drove to an empty part of the hangar. I pulled myself up from the gunners' hatch, and jumped down to the stone floor. I then stretched, and popped multiple joints, emitting a satisfied moan. "Before we go," I said. "Can we have a cart for our stuff? We should probably take it, just in case something happens." Greg nodded in agreement. "Fine," Shining groaned. "You! Get these guys a laundry cart! Move it, soldier!" The guard he shouted at snapped a salute, and dashed off to fulfill our request. "And one more thing," Said Greg. "Is our car gonna be kept under close watch? Anyone could just steal it. How, I do not know, but it is still possible. Also, I don't want it to be tampered with." Shining reassured us, saying it will have both Solar and Lunar guards posted by it, whatever the fuck that means. "Flash Flood will be waiting at the castle entrance, just up this path. Keep to it, and you'll reach him." */\* We eventually found the castle gates, with a brown furred, black maned and gold-clad earth pony tapping his hoof against the cobblestone. He was looking all around, probably searching for any sign of us. I slipped on my gas mask, and told Greg to the same, in an effort to look as intimidating as possible. His eyes then met our glass covered ones, and he visibly tensed up. "H-hello," He stammered. " I-I will be your escort today. If you would follow me, I will lead you to your quarters. They are near Princess Luna's part of the castle, due to them practically being the only open rooms. The others are being used as storage. Mind you, there will be more Lunar Guards posted near you than us Solar guards. I think the Lunar guards are pretty scary, but you'll probably fit in, due to those unnerving masks of yours." He finished his little explanation, and motioned us to follow him. "Are you done rambling now?" I asked, slightly annoyed. "Y-yeah... Sorry..." He apologized, smiling sheepishly. "Lead on." Greg said, his voice muffled by his mask. "Wait," I interrupted. "What about our stuff? We still need to get it from the car." Both Flash and Greg facepalmed/facehooved and we began the trek back to the garage. Upon arrival, we found our HUMVEE, in all its' glory, with a wooden push cart next to it. We started to load our stuff into the cart, but found that some of the stuff wouldn't fit. We carried the rest, and trudged to our rooms, straining from the effort of carrying so many weapons. Not to mention ammo, which was an additional 45 pounds. How we could even lift it all, was a mystery. "Hey! Flash! Why don't you carry some of this shit?!" I angrily asked. "I was told to escort you, not be your pack-pony!" He snapped back at us. "Whatever," Greg said. "Asshole..." We reached our rooms, but nearly passed out from exhaustion. We laid there, panting like dogs, with multiple weapons strewn about near us. I took off my gasmask, which was now slick with sweat. I took a long drink from my canteen, spilling a lot of its' contents in the process. Greg followed suit, stuffing his mask away in its' bag, and resting against the wall. Flash seemed rather amused by this, earning a glare from me that could cause a Navy SEAL to tremble. "I see you two are having fun," Flash said. "Dinner's in about an hour and a half. The princesses want you to attend. You've been invited to their private dining room, along with the captain and the Element bearers. You two are pretty lucky!" With that, he trotted back to his post, leaving us there to recover from the long jog. Walking with multiple weapons on your back plus ammo boxes is very tiring, mind you. "Ok," I said, now having enough strength to stand. "Now, we decide who gets what out of our arsenal. I call the fifty cal!" I said, pointing to a large sniper rifle. We sorted out the guns, Greg mostly claiming assault rifles and shotguns. I mostly took battle rifles and submachine guns. Greg claimed an M-4A1, 870MCS shotgun, MP7, M9, G17C and a knife. On the other hand, I took a Barrett M95 .50, M14, G3A3, PP-2000, G18, AKS-74u, and a few smoke grenades. We also found some Kevlar armor pieces, which we strapped over our clothing, in addition to a helmet for each of us. There were also some miscellaneous items such as a sharpie marker, masking tape, medical supplies, MRE's, and a pack of cigarettes. Using the sharpie and tape, we made labels to put on the back of our helmets. The 'labels' were just pieces of tape that had our names written on them. "We really hit the jackpot with that car didn't we?" "Yep. I'm glad we did. But, if that was a US army vehicle, then why are there guns that aren't standard US issue? And why were there so many? Surely it should have been raided by the time we got there." "I have no clue." We lugged our equipment into our rooms, placed it into the closet, and began to strip off our armor. I explored my new room, and found it to have the basic necessities. It included a closet, bathroom, a bed, a table, a nightstand, and a small book on top of the nightstand. I picked up the book, and was hesitant to open it. "Oh god," I said, to no-one in particular. "That isn't the ponies' version of a bible, is it? Like the ones the had in hotels?" I was relieved to see it contained blank pages; it was a journal. I also found a quill and inkpot near it. I guess I can write a short entry for today... After all, I do have some time to kill. RevelationPlay This I was finished writing my entry, and decided to wash up before dinner. This was something I hadn't done in a long time; making a feeling of sorrow wash over me. But, this sadness was quickly replaced by happiness, as I was finally away from my world, away from all of the pain and suffering. I showered, and brushed my teeth using the toiletries provided to me. I combed my hair, and got into my clothes again. I only took my .45 and a knife, and strapped a few magazines to my holster. Deeming myself presentable, I decided to stroll around the castle grounds. I pushed open my door, and was greeted by the sight of a bat-pony mare standing guard by my door, a similar stallion by Greg's. "Hello Miss." I greeted, smiling. "Tremble in my presence creature! I am a member of the feared Lunar Guard!" The mare shouted at me, in an attempt to frighten me. "You are pretty terrifying," I commented, earning a confident smile from the mare. "Terrifyingly adorable!" "What?!" The mare shouted, blushing. The stallion was obviously trying his hardest not to giggle, but failed miserably. "I am anything but adorable, beast!" "I think you just need a hug." I said, while the stallion was laughing his ass off in the background. "I DO NOT NEED A HU-" She was practically screaming at this point, and the stallion was on the floor, laughing so hard, he was crying. The mare was silenced the second I locked her in my embrace, and her face was beet red. "Shh... You're gonna wake the dead if you keep screaming like that." "I'm so embarrassed..." The mare was hiding behind her mane, her face the deepest shade of red that it could possibly go. "Don't be, everyone needs a hug every now and then," I said, in an attempt to apologize. "What's your name, anyway?" "N-Night Blade," She stammered. "Yours?" "Nick," I replied. "Pleasure to meet you, Night Blade. I'll see you around." "Bye, Nick." She was still blushing. I proceeded to walk down the hall, past the stallion, but he stopped me. "That was unbelievably funny," He said. "Night Blade is my sister. I love it when she gets embarrassed. She looks so cute when she does! Anyway, I'm Black Arrow. In case you couldn't find out from or names and marks, I like ranged combat, and she's a melee specialist." "I think we're going to be fast friends," I said. "I happen to be skilled in both of those fields. Maybe we can learn something from each other, don't you think?" We parted ways, and I strolled about the grounds. I took in the magnificent architecture, artwork, and decorations. I was greeted by multiple guards, most of which were Lunar guards, due to it being the evening. I inferred that these bat-ponies were nocturnal, because they look like they just woke up, and it's the evening. I continued to walk around what was referred to as the "Royal Garden", which contained multiple statues. My sightseeing was interrupted by a guard jogging up to me. "The princesses require your presence in their dining hall. It is time for dinner." "Thank you, sir." Slightly saddened that my walk was interrupted, I was led by the guard to a large room with a long table. All of the ponies I had recently met earlier today were seated at the table. Greg was already there, happily chatting with the ponies. Celestia looked over at me, and smiled warmly. "Ah, Nick! Come, sit!" She said to me, pointing to a seat across from Greg. "We already heard his story, now we would like to hear yours." They all nodded in agreement. "There really isn't much else to say, a plague destroyed our world, and now we're here." I said solemnly. "The zombie apocalypse can't be that bad," The one named Rainbow Dash rudely interrupted. "Zombies don't sound that tough!" "Imagine having to beat your father's skull in with a bat," I replied coldly, my anger rising. "Imagine having to kill others; over scraps of food. Imagine watching your mother get shot repeatedly. Imagine watching your own brother torn apart, limb from fucking LIMB! Now, tell me how it can't be that bad." "I-I'm so sorry," Rainbow said, tears in her eyes. "I didn't know!" "I'm sorry for yelling at you, but you still offended me." "Now that everypony is settled down, let's eat, shall we?" Celestia said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. We all nodded, and platters of various types of food were set down upon the table by the Royal chef. Most of which were vegetables, but I didn't care. Servants began to serve everyone, each with their own plate, and glass. "Who would've thought I would get excited over a salad?" I said, mouth watering. "Well, after eating canned food and wild berries for the past few years, I would!" Greg said, already digging in. Everyone ate, talked, and had a good time. Jokes were told, laughs were shared, and food was eaten. After everyone finished, Princess Luna began to speak. Play This "We are at war with the changelings, everypony." This earned a gasp from the elements, and a bored stare from Greg and I. The elements began to whisper amongst themselves, while we shrugged and began to relax. "Settle down," Said Celestia. "They attacked the Crystal Empire, but were beaten back by our forces. While they were repelled, they are gathering troops, to make a full scale invasion. We have about a week to gather our troops, amass weapons, and prepare for war. That, is where you two come in." She finished, nodding to us. "Now, on to the business at hoof. You two were brought here for a reason. We will teleport you back to your world, but only for a short time. We will teleport you directly into the armories of various military bases, and you need to take as many weapons, and as much ammunition as you can carry. We will begin tomorrow. You are all dismissed." She explained. Achtung! Spy!"Wait," I said. "You just brought us here to help you fight?! Why should we?! We're just teenagers!" "But," Luna interrupted. "Our forces are untrained in heavy combat, for the most part. You two have superior technology, and can handle yourselves in combat. In addition, you can impact their morale, you can cause fear among their ranks." When she said this, Greg began to laugh, and I just stared at her, my facial expression saying 'Are you fucking kidding me, bitch?' "How can two teens be better than grown men? It makes no sense, whatsoever." Greg chimed in. "We haven't had a war in over 1000 years." Celestia replied. "Well, if that's the case, we accept, we really don't want to go back home." Greg said, sighing in defeat. "You didn't really have a choice." "We could have shot ourselves," I offered, earning gasps from everyone present. "What? It's true, we would have done it in a heartbeat. Why does everypony look so shocked? Oh god... I'm already going native, aren't I?" Play This "May we see your guard force?" Greg asked, trying to lighten the mood. The princesses nodded, and they lead us into the throne room. She commanded one of the guards to assemble the whole force, and within five minutes, every guard was present. They all shouldered their respective weapons, an snapped to attention, lined up in neat rows. I felt as if something was out of place, and examined each of the guards, looking into their eyes. Some looked scared, others looked confident. I walked back to the center of the room, and pointed to three guards. "You three! Yes you! Sit in front of me." Although hesitantly, they obeyed, sitting on their haunches, in a neat row, three meters away from me. "Take off your helmets." Everyone in the room was confused by now, wondering why I was doing this. "Do you smell that, everypony? I smell..." I trailed off, for dramatic effect. "Spies!" With that, I drew my 1911, and shot all three of them, in rapid succession. Their corpses thudded to the floor, disappearing into masses of green flames, only to leave the bodies of three dead changelings. Everyone was too shocked to speak, either from the fact that I just shot three changelings, or that there were spies among their ranks. "H-How did you know they were imposters?!" Celestia said, speechless. "If you observed their movements, they were slower than the rest, and looked around, as if to check if they were doing the right thing. They may be untrained in combat, but that doesn't mean they are undisciplined. Also, I saw a flash of green in their eyes." I explained, getting a nod from the princesses. "We must check everypony! Have everypony undergo scanning before returning to their posts. Also, search the castle for the missing stallions. Move it!" Said Celestia. "This is most troubling news, sister," Luna said, worried. "They are closer to home than we thought." With that, she dismissed everyone, and I decided to head back to my room. Nick's Diary: Entry OneLocation: Equestria Date: Unknown Entry #: 1 Play This Today, Greg and I were somehow teleported to another planet. It all started out like a normal day in post-apocalyptic America. Fighting, foraging, surviving, the usual stuff. We were walking through the city, and came upon a lone survivor. I proceeded to sneak into an abandoned building, to get to a sniping spot, in case he was hostile. I accidentally alerted the man to my presence, who in turn attempted to mug Greg at gunpoint. I shot him, and we attracted a horde. We ran, found a HUMVEE, and drove off, to god-knows-where. I cleaned my weapons, and did a check of our supplies. The last thing I remember before blacking out, was wishing to get away from all of the suffering, to go to a safer place. Little did I know, my wish was to be granted. We woke up in a meadow, outside of a medieval-looking town. A large group of armored horses approached us, weapons at the ready. Greg and I ran back to the HUMVEE, and pointed our weapons at them. One of them walked out from the group, and ordered us to lay down our arms. We refused, and he, although hesitantly, allowed us to keep our guns. He, along with the other ponies, lead us up to the castle, where we met the other ponies. They all introduced themselves, the important ones being The Three Princesses, Shining Armor; the one who gave us a nice welcoming, and The element bearers. After having a nice chat it them, we parted ways, and were told to leave our car in the carriage garage. We found our escort, retrieved our weapons and armor, and were escorted to our rooms.
Prologue//\//\ PROLOGUE POV: NICK Play This As we scoured the ruins of the city, a somewhat unnerving silence hung over us. whist Greg took point, I stayed close to him and kept a watchful eye out, looking for any form of danger. In an attempt to lighten the mood a bit for myself, I hummed a simple tune. For some odd reason, I felt like we were being watched, by forces unknown, which sent a shiver down my spine. I then thought about how the old world was, prior to The Fall. The fall is the name we gave to the event that brought humanity to its knees. A deadly virus swept across the world, similar to “zombie plagues” seen in films; only this was real. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, many cities, like New York City; which we were in, put up walls around their perimeters. This did not last long, as rioters acquired explosives, and blew large holes in the wall, rendering it useless. All of these events caused Greg and I to lose our families. We were now alone, in an inhospitable world, with only what we could find. I guess you could consider Greg my brother, as we’ve known each other since grade school, and treat each other like siblings. “Hold up,” whispered Greg. “ I don’t like this… Stay low, move slow. We might run into trouble.” As we crept through the abandoned streets of New York City, a sense of unease came over me. We rounded a street corner, and found a lone survivor, searching through an abandoned car. “ Shh…” I heard Greg say. “Let him pass, it looks like he is leaving, get to cover, but be quick and quiet about it.” Following his order, I slowly walked over to a building, and climbed the stairs to the second floor, but I accidentally kicked a can, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. “Who’s there,” We heard him say. “Come out where I can see you! I’m armed!” Brandishing a shotgun, he dropped into a combat stance. “Put the gun down, sir,” Pleaded Greg. “I’m coming out. Just don’t shoot” Greg hid his weapons in the car he was hiding behind, and crept out into the open. I poked my rifle out of a broken window, and trained my scope on the man’s head. “Give me everything you’ve got kid,” He shouted, pointing the gun at Greg. “Ammo, weapons, food, meds, EVERYTHING!” Seeing this as my cue, I unlocked the bolt, and aimed at the man. Slowly depressing the trigger, a loud *CRACK* was heard and a satisfying kick was felt as the rifle was fired. I cycled the bolt, and looked through the scope to check if I had attracted any zombies, or other survivors, as well as to admire my kill; which was a clean headshot that removed the top portion of his head, leaving it looking like scattered chips and salsa, only the chips were pieces of bone, and the salsa was brain-matter. “Are you OK, man?” I asked him from afar. “Yeah, thanks to you,” He shouted back to me. “I think he was about to shoot me. Anyway, we should get out of here, ASAP. We probably attracted some walkers.” “Good idea,” I said, jogging to him. “Ladies first.” He rolled his eyes at me for that. “Fuck you, man.” He said, annoyed. “Wait, do you hear that,” I said, fear evident in my voice. “Oh, shit! We’ve got a huge horde incoming! We need to move, NOW!” As soon as I said that, we were already off in search of a way out, or a car. With pure dumb luck, there was a nearly perfect-condition HUMVEE fully fueled, and it had a lot of supplies in it, including weapons and kevlar armor. “Greg! You drive!” I shouted, as I climbed into the gunner seat. The transport roared to life, and started to drive away to who-knows-where, just away. Play This I climbed into the back of the spacious vehicle, and checked what we had in terms of supplies. We had a few guns, some ammunition boxes, and MRE's. There were a few guns, which consisted of mostly rifles. This was strange, as most Humvee's were looted, and had practically nothing. In addition to this, there was both black and grey Kevlar armor pieces. This was somewhat ominous, and made me feel as if something very bad was going to happen. I shrugged it off, and started to field strip my rifle and pistol. After finishing this, I climbed back into the front of the car. "Hey Greg, Did you take that guys gun back there?" I asked, breaking the silence. "Yeah, I forgot to show you what it was," He replied. "It's over there, next to my backpack. You won't believe what It is." I crawled over to his backpack, and a demonic grin crept across my face when I saw the guns. It was a pair of military grade shotguns. "You didn't say he had TWO guns!" I shouted with glee. "Oh, I'm gonna have some fun with you guys..." "Wait, Greg, did you see how much we have back here?! There must be a dozen guns! When we get to a safe place, we'll decide who uses what." We kept driving on the strangely clear highway, and headed into the suburbs, wanting to get as far away from the city as possible. We had a conversation about what we wanted to have in this destroyed world. He said he wanted the world to be back to normal. I said I wanted to find a way to go to another world, one of peace, and safety, and he said mine was a better option, as he was sick of this place. Little did we know, my wish was going to be granted, as a soft, feminine voice greeted us, “Your wish shall be granted, young ones…” A bright white light engulfed us, and we blacked out.
War Never ChangesChapter One: War Never Changes POV- Celestia It was a normal day for me. I held the day court, sitting upon my throne, listening to ponies' problems and ideas. Rarely did anything noteworthy happened. I thought it was going to be a lazy day, but I was wrong. A guard pushed open the doors to my throne room, and entered, being followed by a messenger from the Crystal Empire. "Princess, this courier bears a message from the Crystal Empire," The guard stated, bowing. "He claims it is urgent." "My Princess, the changelings have launched an attack on the Crystal Palace," He said. "We were able to repel them, but it is only a matter of time before they come again, with a stronger force." "I will send a small garrison of troops immediately," I said, in a soothing tone. "Go down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." With a sigh of relief, and a bow, the courier was gone, as was the guard escorting him. "This is most troubling news." I thought. "They have never launched unprovoked attacks before... This will only get worse, so I may need to find somepony, or something that can give us an edge... As I walked to my chambers, I thought of possible ways to help defend us from the changelings. Weapons were out of the question, due to our armory having a multitude of different options. I did not know of any mercenaries for hire, nor did we have many new recruits coming in. I could maybe have a military draft, but that may be a bit harsh. The only real option was to have something that no-pony has seen before. Maybe... Just maybe, we can find a warrior from another world, who is willing to assist us... This seemed like the only option, so I went with it. LATER THAT NIGHT... "Alright, is every-pony here," I asked. "We will begin shortly, as soon as every-pony is present." I was still waiting on Luna, as she had some business to attend to. A few minutes later, the doors to the meeting room swung open, and in trot Luna. "Shall we begin, Sister?" She asked me. "Yes, now all that is left is to find a world with capable warriors." I replied. We cast the spell, and now an image appeared before us. This was what we would use to peer into other worlds, and single out a few sentient creatures to observe. A list popped up in the spell's interface, listing the best planets to view. One known as "Earth" was the top hit. As I magnified the planet, a list of information appeared next to the image of the planet. This list described the planet, saying that it had an atmosphere identical to that of Equis. The list also stated that it was inhabited by only one race called humans, which had descended from apes. They were far more advanced than us, and fought often. Some text popped up, asking if I wanted to select a random human to observe. The name "Nicholas" appeared, and everypony was watching the screen with growing curiosity. As I selected "Nicholas", the spell's "Screen" Turned black for a few seconds. It then returned to it's normal state, only now, it was on an over-the-shoulder view of this human. I saw that they were walking through what appeared to be an abandoned city. In addition to this, there was another human walking beside him, and both were holding what I assumed were weapons. Both looked similar to match-lock muskets, only these looked like they had mechanisms that had unknown functions. After the song ended, I heard the one beside him speak, and in perfect Equestrian, no less. He said "Hold up, I don't like this. Stay low, move slow. We might run into trouble." I then watched them creep around a corner, and we were now gazing upon another human, who looked older than Nick and his companion. This human was rifling through what appeared to be a rusted metal carriage... Thing. "Shh... Let him pass. He looks like he is leaving. Get to cover, but be quick and quiet about it." Nicholas nodded, and slowly walked to an abandoned building, but kicked a can on his way up the stairs. He dashed up the stairs, and ran to a window. He poked his musket out the window, and peered through a small telescope mounted on the top. That's genius! When we make weapons like those, we can mount telescopes on them, so they can be used at a further distance! I thought. I saw him aim the musket at the hostile human, and then the human shouted. "Who's there?! Come out where I can see you! I'm armed!" The human raised a musket, and dropped to a defensive position. "Put the gun down, sir. I'm coming out, just don't shoot." The younger human pleaded. "Give me everything you got, kid. Ammo, weapons, food, meds, EVERYTHING!" The older human shouted at the younger one. A look of horror was plastered to everypony's faces, including Twilight, her friends, Luna, Shining Armor, and even mine. We were all shocked to see somepony threaten, and mug a child. Nick, seeing what was going on, moved a part under the telescope, and zero in on the hostile human. I then switched it to Nick's view, and saw a reticle with three lines in it, centered on the human's head. How could somepony so young, kill with such cold efficiency?! Does he feel any remorse?! I then heard the other human shout, saying that they should probably get away from where they killed the other human. They then regrouped, and a sound of shuffling feet was heard. "Shit! We've got a large horde incoming! Let's find a car, or a route out of here!" They then ran away from the horde of undead, and found another metal carriage, only this one was intact. "Greg, you drive!" Nick shouted. So the other one's name is Greg... Nick then entered the carriage, and sat in a seat that was hanging from an opening in the roof. He then put his hands on a rather large contraption, which looked like a black box with a long tube sticking out of the end. The carriage roared to life, and drove away from the horde at an amazing speed. As they drove, Nick checked what was stored inside the carriage. Multiple of what I assume are weapons were found. He then climbed into the front of the carriage, and sat in the seat next to this "Greg" individual. They then struck up a conversation about what they want the most. Greg said he wanted the world to be normal again. Nick said he was sick of their world, and it's constant wars. Greg agreed with Nick, and I saw this as my chance. They wanted to escape from their world, and live on a more peaceful one. I opened a telepathic link to them and said, "Your wish shall be granted, young ones..." With that, I nodded to Luna, and we cast an inter-dimensional teleportation spell, and transported them to Equestria, outside of Canterlot. "Shining Armor, gather your best stallions, and rally them at the city gates. We must establish a peaceful relationship with them. Do not fire your muskets unless they do. We've seen what Nicholas' can do, and I do not want to find out what the other ones do." With a sharp salute, Shining was out the door, and running toward the barracks.
Confusion and ConfrontationChapter 3 POV: NICK Play This As I regained consciousness, I felt unbelievably nauseous, to the point of the MRE I ate earlier almost making itself known to the world around me. Greg soon awoke, and groaned rather loudly. "I think I'm gonna-" he croaked before painting the grass a sickly tan with vomit. "Nice artwork," I joked. "Take a moment, just breathe." "What happened?" "How the fuck should I know?!" "You're the one that blew our 'cover' back there!" "How does that change anything?!" "You got us into this situation, now you have to get us out of it." "But I don't know what to do!" "Use the force, Nick." "Now's not the time, Greg." Our argument was cut short by the sound of... Hooves? And... Metal? As if this couldn't get any stranger, about three dozen armored horses came over the hill, and set up a phalanx position less than fifty meters away from our current location. We sprinted back to the truck, snatched up our weapons, with me vaulting over the hood, and Greg climbing into the gunner's seat. We trained our guns on the mass of horses, and watched one of them walk out from the group. He was white, and was wearing silver plate armor, in contrast to the rest of the group's golden plates. He looked more 'expensive' than the others, despite him wearing what looked like steel, rather than gold. I ducked under the hood, and began to rifle through my equipment, looking for the bag that housed my gas mask. Finding it, I slipped the rubber mask over my face, and popped back over the hood to look at the advancing horse. I flicked the safety off, which made the horse tense up from the loud *CLICK*. Peering through my scope, I aimed at its' head. I then began to examine it, as well as the other horses. The approaching one was equipped a matchlock rifle, which was small enough to be considered a carbine, and a short-sword. The rest had full sized rifles, and similar short swords. The horse then spoke, in a masculine, commanding tone, in perfect English no less. "By order of the princesses, you are to lay down your weapons," It said. "Failure to do so will be seen as an act of aggression, and will be treated as such." "Oh really," I said, my voice muffled by the mask. "Try me, bitch." Unslinging his rifle, he pointed it at me and shouted, "It would be wise to not disobey, boy!" "BITCH YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME THAT!" I practically screamed, slinging my rifle over my shoulder, drawing my pistol, and aiming at his head. "Way to make a good first impression, Nick," Greg muttered, obviously annoyed. "I'm sorry about my friend here. He's just a little stressed right now." "Now, I will ask you again, lay down your arms," He commanded. "Or we will make you." "I hate to break it to you, but you're outgunned here," I said. "We have machine guns, you know. Much better than those muskets. They probably don't have rifling, do they?" "No," He replied. "Theirs don't, but mine does." "Look, I'm sorry for acting like a dick," I apologized. "But we won't put down our guns. We won't fire them, but we still won't lay them down." He contemplated this, wondering if it was a good decision to let two heavily armed aliens stroll about Canterlot. "You may keep your weapons," He sighed. "But I swear to the goddesses, if you try anything..." He trailed off, in an attempt to intimidate us into submission. "Whatever," We both said, unimpressed. "We won't if you won't. By the way, I'm Nick, and He's Greg." "Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard," He declared proudly. "At your service." "Pleasure to meet you," I said. "What happens now?" "You will be escorted to the castle," He explained. "You will have to leave your vehicle in the carriage service bay. It will be kept under close watch." With that, he began to walk back to the group of horses, and signal us to drive in front of them. We followed the order, with Greg in the driver's seat, and me in the gunner's, like before. The large wooden gates swung open, and we drove inside. We heard some gasps, screams, and complete chaos erupting in the streets, due to the sudden appearance of a large tan vehicle, piloted by aliens. "Ah, buck," We heard Shining Armor shout. "We forgot to warn the townsponies!" He ran out into the street, in an effort to calm these 'ponies'. "Well 'hello' to you too..." I grumbled. Finally calming the ponies, we began to drive toward the castle. It was a pretty boring drive, with the occasional gasp, and "What the hay is that?!", but they were soon relieved to see the Royal Guard behind them, meaning this object was safe. We finally reached the castle, and saw two tall ponies, a white, and midnight blue one, both had wings and a horn. There were two more similar ones, one pink, and one purple. There were also five more ponies in addition to these. Shining joined the group, and kissed the pink one, and hugged the purple one. I released a loud 'D'aaaaaaaaaaaw!' which was muffled by my gas mask. The ponies blushed, but then gasped upon seeing me and my gas mask, which I took off shortly afterward. "Hi?" I said, uncertainty evident in my voice. "Greetings, I am Princess Celestia," The tall white one began. "This is Luna, Cadence, Twilight, and her friends." She explained, pointing to each one, as she said their names. "You sound... Familiar..." I said. "I have heard your voice before, Princess... Wait... Holy shit... You're the one we heard before we came here!"
The Calm Before The Storm"You sound... Familiar..." I said. "I have heard your voice before, Princess... Wait... Holy shit... You're the one we heard before we came here!" Play This "Yes, it was I you heard. You are here, and you are safe. That is all that matters." Celestia began. "You have been brought here for a reason. I will explain later, but for now, you two must rest. Flash Flood will show you to your rooms." She explained, nodding to an earth pony guard. "Ok, now that everything is all said and done, where do we put our HUMVEE?" Greg asked Shining Armor. "Follow me." We drove at a slow pace, and eventually reached a small building, similar to an aircraft hangar. He nodded to the guards, who then slowly pulled open the large rusty iron gates. Shining Armor motioned us to drive inside, and drove to an empty part of the hangar. I pulled myself up from the gunners' hatch, and jumped down to the stone floor. I then stretched, and popped multiple joints, emitting a satisfied moan. "Before we go," I said. "Can we have a cart for our stuff? We should probably take it, just in case something happens." Greg nodded in agreement. "Fine," Shining groaned. "You! Get these guys a laundry cart! Move it, soldier!" The guard he shouted at snapped a salute, and dashed off to fulfill our request. "And one more thing," Said Greg. "Is our car gonna be kept under close watch? Anyone could just steal it. How, I do not know, but it is still possible. Also, I don't want it to be tampered with." Shining reassured us, saying it will have both Solar and Lunar guards posted by it, whatever the fuck that means. "Flash Flood will be waiting at the castle entrance, just up this path. Keep to it, and you'll reach him." */\* We eventually found the castle gates, with a brown furred, black maned and gold-clad earth pony tapping his hoof against the cobblestone. He was looking all around, probably searching for any sign of us. I slipped on my gas mask, and told Greg to the same, in an effort to look as intimidating as possible. His eyes then met our glass covered ones, and he visibly tensed up. "H-hello," He stammered. " I-I will be your escort today. If you would follow me, I will lead you to your quarters. They are near Princess Luna's part of the castle, due to them practically being the only open rooms. The others are being used as storage. Mind you, there will be more Lunar Guards posted near you than us Solar guards. I think the Lunar guards are pretty scary, but you'll probably fit in, due to those unnerving masks of yours." He finished his little explanation, and motioned us to follow him. "Are you done rambling now?" I asked, slightly annoyed. "Y-yeah... Sorry..." He apologized, smiling sheepishly. "Lead on." Greg said, his voice muffled by his mask. "Wait," I interrupted. "What about our stuff? We still need to get it from the car." Both Flash and Greg facepalmed/facehooved and we began the trek back to the garage. Upon arrival, we found our HUMVEE, in all its' glory, with a wooden push cart next to it. We started to load our stuff into the cart, but found that some of the stuff wouldn't fit. We carried the rest, and trudged to our rooms, straining from the effort of carrying so many weapons. Not to mention ammo, which was an additional 45 pounds. How we could even lift it all, was a mystery. "Hey! Flash! Why don't you carry some of this shit?!" I angrily asked. "I was told to escort you, not be your pack-pony!" He snapped back at us. "Whatever," Greg said. "Asshole..." We reached our rooms, but nearly passed out from exhaustion. We laid there, panting like dogs, with multiple weapons strewn about near us. I took off my gasmask, which was now slick with sweat. I took a long drink from my canteen, spilling a lot of its' contents in the process. Greg followed suit, stuffing his mask away in its' bag, and resting against the wall. Flash seemed rather amused by this, earning a glare from me that could cause a Navy SEAL to tremble. "I see you two are having fun," Flash said. "Dinner's in about an hour and a half. The princesses want you to attend. You've been invited to their private dining room, along with the captain and the Element bearers. You two are pretty lucky!" With that, he trotted back to his post, leaving us there to recover from the long jog. Walking with multiple weapons on your back plus ammo boxes is very tiring, mind you. "Ok," I said, now having enough strength to stand. "Now, we decide who gets what out of our arsenal. I call the fifty cal!" I said, pointing to a large sniper rifle. We sorted out the guns, Greg mostly claiming assault rifles and shotguns. I mostly took battle rifles and submachine guns. Greg claimed an M-4A1, 870MCS shotgun, MP7, M9, G17C and a knife. On the other hand, I took a Barrett M95 .50, M14, G3A3, PP-2000, G18, AKS-74u, and a few smoke grenades. We also found some Kevlar armor pieces, which we strapped over our clothing, in addition to a helmet for each of us. There were also some miscellaneous items such as a sharpie marker, masking tape, medical supplies, MRE's, and a pack of cigarettes. Using the sharpie and tape, we made labels to put on the back of our helmets. The 'labels' were just pieces of tape that had our names written on them. "We really hit the jackpot with that car didn't we?" "Yep. I'm glad we did. But, if that was a US army vehicle, then why are there guns that aren't standard US issue? And why were there so many? Surely it should have been raided by the time we got there." "I have no clue." We lugged our equipment into our rooms, placed it into the closet, and began to strip off our armor. I explored my new room, and found it to have the basic necessities. It included a closet, bathroom, a bed, a table, a nightstand, and a small book on top of the nightstand. I picked up the book, and was hesitant to open it. "Oh god," I said, to no-one in particular. "That isn't the ponies' version of a bible, is it? Like the ones the had in hotels?" I was relieved to see it contained blank pages; it was a journal. I also found a quill and inkpot near it. I guess I can write a short entry for today... After all, I do have some time to kill.
RevelationPlay This I was finished writing my entry, and decided to wash up before dinner. This was something I hadn't done in a long time; making a feeling of sorrow wash over me. But, this sadness was quickly replaced by happiness, as I was finally away from my world, away from all of the pain and suffering. I showered, and brushed my teeth using the toiletries provided to me. I combed my hair, and got into my clothes again. I only took my .45 and a knife, and strapped a few magazines to my holster. Deeming myself presentable, I decided to stroll around the castle grounds. I pushed open my door, and was greeted by the sight of a bat-pony mare standing guard by my door, a similar stallion by Greg's. "Hello Miss." I greeted, smiling. "Tremble in my presence creature! I am a member of the feared Lunar Guard!" The mare shouted at me, in an attempt to frighten me. "You are pretty terrifying," I commented, earning a confident smile from the mare. "Terrifyingly adorable!" "What?!" The mare shouted, blushing. The stallion was obviously trying his hardest not to giggle, but failed miserably. "I am anything but adorable, beast!" "I think you just need a hug." I said, while the stallion was laughing his ass off in the background. "I DO NOT NEED A HU-" She was practically screaming at this point, and the stallion was on the floor, laughing so hard, he was crying. The mare was silenced the second I locked her in my embrace, and her face was beet red. "Shh... You're gonna wake the dead if you keep screaming like that." "I'm so embarrassed..." The mare was hiding behind her mane, her face the deepest shade of red that it could possibly go. "Don't be, everyone needs a hug every now and then," I said, in an attempt to apologize. "What's your name, anyway?" "N-Night Blade," She stammered. "Yours?" "Nick," I replied. "Pleasure to meet you, Night Blade. I'll see you around." "Bye, Nick." She was still blushing. I proceeded to walk down the hall, past the stallion, but he stopped me. "That was unbelievably funny," He said. "Night Blade is my sister. I love it when she gets embarrassed. She looks so cute when she does! Anyway, I'm Black Arrow. In case you couldn't find out from or names and marks, I like ranged combat, and she's a melee specialist." "I think we're going to be fast friends," I said. "I happen to be skilled in both of those fields. Maybe we can learn something from each other, don't you think?" We parted ways, and I strolled about the grounds. I took in the magnificent architecture, artwork, and decorations. I was greeted by multiple guards, most of which were Lunar guards, due to it being the evening. I inferred that these bat-ponies were nocturnal, because they look like they just woke up, and it's the evening. I continued to walk around what was referred to as the "Royal Garden", which contained multiple statues. My sightseeing was interrupted by a guard jogging up to me. "The princesses require your presence in their dining hall. It is time for dinner." "Thank you, sir." Slightly saddened that my walk was interrupted, I was led by the guard to a large room with a long table. All of the ponies I had recently met earlier today were seated at the table. Greg was already there, happily chatting with the ponies. Celestia looked over at me, and smiled warmly. "Ah, Nick! Come, sit!" She said to me, pointing to a seat across from Greg. "We already heard his story, now we would like to hear yours." They all nodded in agreement. "There really isn't much else to say, a plague destroyed our world, and now we're here." I said solemnly. "The zombie apocalypse can't be that bad," The one named Rainbow Dash rudely interrupted. "Zombies don't sound that tough!" "Imagine having to beat your father's skull in with a bat," I replied coldly, my anger rising. "Imagine having to kill others; over scraps of food. Imagine watching your mother get shot repeatedly. Imagine watching your own brother torn apart, limb from fucking LIMB! Now, tell me how it can't be that bad." "I-I'm so sorry," Rainbow said, tears in her eyes. "I didn't know!" "I'm sorry for yelling at you, but you still offended me." "Now that everypony is settled down, let's eat, shall we?" Celestia said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. We all nodded, and platters of various types of food were set down upon the table by the Royal chef. Most of which were vegetables, but I didn't care. Servants began to serve everyone, each with their own plate, and glass. "Who would've thought I would get excited over a salad?" I said, mouth watering. "Well, after eating canned food and wild berries for the past few years, I would!" Greg said, already digging in. Everyone ate, talked, and had a good time. Jokes were told, laughs were shared, and food was eaten. After everyone finished, Princess Luna began to speak. Play This "We are at war with the changelings, everypony." This earned a gasp from the elements, and a bored stare from Greg and I. The elements began to whisper amongst themselves, while we shrugged and began to relax. "Settle down," Said Celestia. "They attacked the Crystal Empire, but were beaten back by our forces. While they were repelled, they are gathering troops, to make a full scale invasion. We have about a week to gather our troops, amass weapons, and prepare for war. That, is where you two come in." She finished, nodding to us. "Now, on to the business at hoof. You two were brought here for a reason. We will teleport you back to your world, but only for a short time. We will teleport you directly into the armories of various military bases, and you need to take as many weapons, and as much ammunition as you can carry. We will begin tomorrow. You are all dismissed." She explained.
Achtung! Spy!"Wait," I said. "You just brought us here to help you fight?! Why should we?! We're just teenagers!" "But," Luna interrupted. "Our forces are untrained in heavy combat, for the most part. You two have superior technology, and can handle yourselves in combat. In addition, you can impact their morale, you can cause fear among their ranks." When she said this, Greg began to laugh, and I just stared at her, my facial expression saying 'Are you fucking kidding me, bitch?' "How can two teens be better than grown men? It makes no sense, whatsoever." Greg chimed in. "We haven't had a war in over 1000 years." Celestia replied. "Well, if that's the case, we accept, we really don't want to go back home." Greg said, sighing in defeat. "You didn't really have a choice." "We could have shot ourselves," I offered, earning gasps from everyone present. "What? It's true, we would have done it in a heartbeat. Why does everypony look so shocked? Oh god... I'm already going native, aren't I?" Play This "May we see your guard force?" Greg asked, trying to lighten the mood. The princesses nodded, and they lead us into the throne room. She commanded one of the guards to assemble the whole force, and within five minutes, every guard was present. They all shouldered their respective weapons, an snapped to attention, lined up in neat rows. I felt as if something was out of place, and examined each of the guards, looking into their eyes. Some looked scared, others looked confident. I walked back to the center of the room, and pointed to three guards. "You three! Yes you! Sit in front of me." Although hesitantly, they obeyed, sitting on their haunches, in a neat row, three meters away from me. "Take off your helmets." Everyone in the room was confused by now, wondering why I was doing this. "Do you smell that, everypony? I smell..." I trailed off, for dramatic effect. "Spies!" With that, I drew my 1911, and shot all three of them, in rapid succession. Their corpses thudded to the floor, disappearing into masses of green flames, only to leave the bodies of three dead changelings. Everyone was too shocked to speak, either from the fact that I just shot three changelings, or that there were spies among their ranks. "H-How did you know they were imposters?!" Celestia said, speechless. "If you observed their movements, they were slower than the rest, and looked around, as if to check if they were doing the right thing. They may be untrained in combat, but that doesn't mean they are undisciplined. Also, I saw a flash of green in their eyes." I explained, getting a nod from the princesses. "We must check everypony! Have everypony undergo scanning before returning to their posts. Also, search the castle for the missing stallions. Move it!" Said Celestia. "This is most troubling news, sister," Luna said, worried. "They are closer to home than we thought." With that, she dismissed everyone, and I decided to head back to my room.
Nick's Diary: Entry OneLocation: Equestria Date: Unknown Entry #: 1 Play This Today, Greg and I were somehow teleported to another planet. It all started out like a normal day in post-apocalyptic America. Fighting, foraging, surviving, the usual stuff. We were walking through the city, and came upon a lone survivor. I proceeded to sneak into an abandoned building, to get to a sniping spot, in case he was hostile. I accidentally alerted the man to my presence, who in turn attempted to mug Greg at gunpoint. I shot him, and we attracted a horde. We ran, found a HUMVEE, and drove off, to god-knows-where. I cleaned my weapons, and did a check of our supplies. The last thing I remember before blacking out, was wishing to get away from all of the suffering, to go to a safer place. Little did I know, my wish was to be granted. We woke up in a meadow, outside of a medieval-looking town. A large group of armored horses approached us, weapons at the ready. Greg and I ran back to the HUMVEE, and pointed our weapons at them. One of them walked out from the group, and ordered us to lay down our arms. We refused, and he, although hesitantly, allowed us to keep our guns. He, along with the other ponies, lead us up to the castle, where we met the other ponies. They all introduced themselves, the important ones being The Three Princesses, Shining Armor; the one who gave us a nice welcoming, and The element bearers. After having a nice chat it them, we parted ways, and were told to leave our car in the carriage garage. We found our escort, retrieved our weapons and armor, and were escorted to our rooms.
