The Passing

*******************Sweet Apple Acres******************

“It looks like Command opted for ariel transport insead,” said Whiplash. “It must be pretty urgent for them to be using the new aircrafts.”

“Look at the creature at your hooves. Didn’t he blast your feathery butt outta tha sky?” quipped Applejack in a mocking tone. “And ya wondering why they’re taking caution?”

Whiplash returned the smug look.

 The large gyro touched down in the center of the iconic apple farm and two strangely dressed ponies stepped out carrying an enclosed stretcher. Twilight noticed one of them had a device similar to Whiplash’s MAG unit, though smaller, strapped to one of his hooves. The two slowed for a brief second at seeing the unconscious Lt. Jackson being closely watched by Applejack. Command had warned them they would be transporting a strange creature, but neither of them were expecting this.

        “Major Whiplash, I hear you gave your team quite a scare earlier,” one of the suited ponies said through an external speaker.

“And I thought I taught them better than that. You must be my ride out of here.”

“Yes Sir. But I hope you don’t mind company. Your unconscious friend there is tagging along.”

“You can have em’,” said Applejack backing away from the Lt. body. “What's with tha fancy getups though.”

“It’s just precautionary Miss. If you all just clear away we’ll take it off your hooves now.”

        The two suited ponies awarkly grabbed each end of the Lt. and heaved his body onto the waiting stretcher. The clear lid was shut and the air-tight seals checked. With a deep breath the two heaved the stretcher on their backs.

“Flyers, this things heavy.”

        “Where are they taking it?” questioned an ever curious Twilight looking at Whiplash.

“Their taking it to a military base outside Canterlot as far as I know. Command wants me to go with them,” said Whiplash heading toward the waiting aircraft. “I’d love to stay and chat, especially with someone as refined as you Miss Applejack,” Whiplash yelled over the aircraft’s engines, his voice dripping with sarcasm aimed at the fuming orange pony.

“Dontcha worry. We can meet up again and chat over the repair bill I’ll be serving ya for the holes in ma barn,” shouted Applejack, a hoof shaking in the air.

Twilight could only chuckle at how the two seemingly rubbed each other the wrong way.        Soon the aircraft had lifted off and was fading from view.

“Ooh...argh...that arrogant...gahh!” steamed Applejack surveying the damage Whiplash has caused, seemingly oblivious to the incident with the strange creature earlier.

        “Twilight!” called shy, yellow pegasus coming up the footpath.

“Fluttershy. You're still here? I thought you and Spike were on the train out of here.”

“We met up with the rest of the girls and tried to board, but the Equestrian Royal Army came and quarantined the entire town. They’re not letting anypony in or out.”

“Things must be worse than I thought,” said Twilight evidently worried at the latest news.

“Umm...what happened to Applejack’s barn,” asked Fluttershy looking past Twilight. Applejack, muttering curses under her breath, was placing a temporary piece of plywood over a large hole in the side of the barn. It did little to cover the massive hole.

“Err...it’s a long story. I’ll explain it all but I have to get in touch with Princess Celestia. Let’s get back to the castle.”

Turning around to call to Applejack Twilight was met with a gruff, “Ahm kinda busy right now Twi, ah’ll meet ya’ll there later as soon as ah got this covered.”

Fluttershy and Twilight turned to each other Twilight saying, “Like I said, it’s a long story. I’ll explain along the way.” The two turned back down the footpath and hurried back toward Ponyville, Twilight recounting the harrowing event leading up to now.

The gyrocopter carrying the Lt as well as Whiplash made a sudden course correction as it approached Canterlot. Whiplash inquired what was going on with the co-pilot.

“New instructions just came in from Central. We’re being directed to the CED headquarters. It seems like the guys back at Site Alpha found three more of these things along with some unidentifiable toxin.”

“Toxin?”

“Yea, evidently some poor little critter was exposed to some black substance. They said it was pretty gruesome from what I heard. Some weak stomached Private lost his lunch. Flyers this is crazy.”

“You’re telling me.”

The pilot turned in his seat to face Whiplash, his voice real low.  “Rumors are going around Central. There’s talk of these things being...like...otherworldly.”

“You mean like aliens?” questioned Whiplash skeptically.

“Think about it. They said our friend here shot you out the sky with that shiny black device of him,” nodding toward the Lt.’s pistol in an evidence bag. “You ever seen anything like that. I know I haven’t. And Princess Celestia calling in the CED, before they even found anything. This thing is obviously some sort of intelligence creature like Equestria has never seen before, and Command is leaving out the details”

“You may just be right. Maybe…”

 The aircraft soon flew past the large city of Canterlot and headed around the side of the mountain. Ahead of them was a flat section of ground into which the entrance of the CED was located on the side of the large mountain. Designed to contain diseases and toxins of all sorts, the CED was at the forefront of protecting Equestria from all sorts of deadly organisms and substances.

        Dr. Haze was bent over the sink in her office bathroom. Her breathing was shallow and it was a struggle for each breath. She reached for the medicine cabinet. Her forehoof didn’t want to respond. Come on. She tried again, and this time her hoof slowly reached for the mirrored cabinet. She grabbed a clear pre-filled syringe, her hoof now shaking violently. With a quick jerk, she stabbed the needle into her opposite shoulder and depressed the plunger. Relief. Her breathing slowly returned to normal and the muscle tremors soon settled down. They’re getting worse, she told herself. How much longer do I have?. All she needed was a little more time. But deep down inside she suspected it was a futile attempt. The technology she needed just wasn’t there. Her mental resolve broke. I’m going to die alone, she thought to herself. For a moment she almost broke down in tears. She looked up at her reflection in the mirror, her face contorting into an angry scowl.

“NO!” she yelled aloud.

You can do this. Get yourself together. Success was just with her reach. Just a little more time.

Dr. Haze, now calm and collective, was wearing a white lab coat and heading out the CED’s main entrance. She strolled out onto the landing pad where she greeted a stallion who looked like he had a rough day.

“Hi. I’m Dr. Solar Haze. You must be the fellow who subdued the creature outside Ponyville.”

Whiplash stood outside the aircraft, letting the Ensign and co-pilot lug Lt. Jackson through the entrance built into the mountains. “That’s correct. Major Whiplash. Pleasure to meet you Ma’am,” he said extending a hoof.

“Fascinating!” said the excited Dr. “Please, if you follow me we just need to recount some of the details you observed about the creature.”

Dr. Haze led the Major into the instillation. Built into the very mountain on which Canterlot sat, it was theoretically impossible for any contagions inside to be exposed to the outside. After passing through the main airlock, Dr. Haze led Whiplash down a large corridor past several laboratories. “I take it you heard the team at Site Alpha found three more of these creatures?” questioned Haze as they continued deeper into the facility.

“Yea, I also heard of some sort of toxin.”

“That’s what the evidence points to so far. I just so happened to be halfway back from delivering some protective suits when they started to frantically call us back. I went ahead and sent several aircraft to retrieve the three other creatures along with a sample of the toxin. They should be here within the hour.”

 The two stopped at an observation room perched above a medical bay. Down below them a group of ponies in protective quarantine suits were sliding the unconscious Lt. onto a medical table.

“Whiplash?” began Dr. Haze not diverting her eyes from the scene below. “We need you to recount your interactions with the creature.” She pulled a voice recorder from a pocket. “Do you mind if I record this.”

“Not at all,” replied Whiplash.

For the next fifteen minutes he relayed the earlier event being stopped every few minutes for questions and clarifications from Dr. Haze. As he recalled the events the medical team below began a initial analysis of Lt. Jackson. Wires led from his now exposed chest to a video display to monitor his vital signs. Whiplash finished recounting his harrowing tale as Dr. Haze switched off the recorder and walked over to a nearby intercom.

“What do you have so far?”

“Initial observation points to a possible concussion as well as a suspected fracture of his lower right appendage. Vitals seem to be similar to most warm blooded species, though we can't be sure until we get a baseline on the other three creatures. Judging from its tooth structure we can assume it’s an omnivore, though I wouldn’t put bits on it. Oh, and it appears to be a male”

“Keep me posted.” replied Dr. Haze.

A lanky brown colored pony stepped into the observation room.

“Dr. Haze, the other creatures just arrived along with that toxin sample you wanted analyzed. The sample is being analyzed down on the level four containment lab.”

“Thank you Trotter. What's the status of the other creatures?”

“Unfortunately it looks like one had expired before they were discovered. The other two seem to be stable, yet still unconscious for the moment.”

“Thanks for the update. If anything changes I’ll be in the level four lab. I’m sorry Major but, I’m afraid we have to cut our time short. If you follow my colleague Trotter he’ll lead you back to your aircraft. I’m sure your higher ups will want to debrief you themselves.”

“No problem,” said Whiplash quietly looking at the Lt.’s unconscious body one last time before silently heading out the room.

**(Level Four Containment Lab, Center for Equestrian Diseases)**

        “What do we know?” said Dr. Haze through the comms unit of her protective suit.

“Our initial observations point to something viral, but it’s not like any i've seen before. It seems to have been modified,” said a similarly dressed lab tech

“Modified? Why do you think that.”

The lab tech directed her to the microscope.

“See the head of the virus. It’s been enlarged almost five-fold. It must contain a massive DNA strand from what I can tell. One thing I do know is that nature doesn’t do that. And that’s not even the dead give-away. Their genetically tagged.”

“Tagged?”

“Yup. Each and every one. My theory is that this virus was modified to only attack certain types of cells.”

“Which ones?”

The tech shrugged “No idea, yet. Labs will take at least another week, and that’s a conservative guess.”

“Could the USSM have created this?”

“Not possible. Even with OUR best technology could we even do this. This is borderline science fiction. I can tell you for certain though, you definitely don’t want this thing getting out. This has biological weapon written all over it.”

Dr. Haze looked up from the microscope deep in thought. So then where did come from.

“Ok, here’s what we do. Run the labs, but this thing says on level four; full containment. We destroy any possible contamination sources. We need to tell the Princesses. I think we just received a  golden opportunity.” she said a smile creeping across her face.

“What about your new pets upstairs?”

“I’ll leave them in Trotters control. This is way more important.” replied Dr. Haze looking in her microscope at the answer to her problems.

************(Princess Twilight’s Castle, Ponyville)************

Back in Ponyville, Twilight had just finished recounting the earlier events to Rarity, Pinkie and Spike. Fluttershy had gone back to her cottage to check on her animals since it was getting late. Already the Sun had begun to set, the moon rising over the horizon to take its place. It had definitely been a long day full of danger and worry. While most of the townsfolk had returned to their normal routines under the Army’s vigil, Twilight was still up and restless.

“I have to talk to the Princesses. There are so many unanswered questions,” said a worried Twilight.

“I’m afraid it’s not possible dearie. The army has shut down all the communication towers and the trains as well,” explained Rarity. “Unless you want to travel all the way to Canterlot, I’m not sure how you could talk to Princess Celestia and Luna.”

A grin spread across Twilights face. “There is one other way to get in touch with Canterlot. Spike!”

Spike came strolling into the room after having recently raided the castle’s pantry. Besides being little older and a little moodier, the teenage dragon had not changed much since arriving in Ponyville alongside Twilight.

“Yea, Twilight?”

“I need you to send a letter to Celestia.”

“A letter? Jeez, I haven’t sent a letter to anyone in years since they put in those radio towers.” said Sike as he rummaged around for paper and quill.

        Twilight dictated out the letter to Spike, urgently asking for information about the recent events from her former teacher and fellow Princess. With a bright green flash the letter had disappeared and was on its way to Canterlot.

 The three ponies sat in Twilight’s study as they anxiously awaited a reply. Spike had seemingly wandered off to carry out a second raid on the kitchen pantry.  Rarity finally started up a conversation to pass the time.

“So Pinkie, do you have any ideas yet for Rainbow Dash’s visit next week?”

“Oh no! Is that next week? I totally forgot,” said Pinkie jolting up in her chair. “It’s going to have to be the most awesome welcome back party ever. There is still so much planning to do.”

Twilight chuckled at the pink pony’s hyperactive behavior. “Don’t worry Pinkie. She only has five days leave before she has to leave again for training. I’m sure she just want to see us and spend the day around town. I can’t believe it’s been almost six months she’s been gone.”

  It had been a long road for Rainbow Dash, that Twilight remembered well. It had been close to five year ago that Rainbow had joined the Equestrian Royal Army with the hopes of becoming Commander of the Wonderbolts. While she wasn’t quite there yet, she was still a well respected member. Evidently she was involved in some of the new development programs, testing and flying some of the newest flight gear. She rarely talked about her job though. But that was usually normal for ponies in tech development. Everypony always so concerned with espionage and what not. They had kept in touch, but work had always seemed to take priority, save these few visits.

In the background Rarity and Pinkie continued the conversation on Rainbow Dash’s visit while Twilight paced around her study. She still could not shake the bad feeling that had been following her most of the day. She tried to shake it off as just her normal worrisome self, but something told her there was more to it. Spike came strolling into the study, a bowl of chips tucked under an arm.

 Twilight sighed, “Spike, don’t be eating those in the study. You always leave crumbs everywhere.”

“Oh, sorry Twi-BURP-light.” A sealed scroll had magically materialized and fallen to the floor.”

The conversation between Pinkie and Rarity came to a stop as Twilight retrieved the scroll and broke the seal. She read the contents of the letter aloud for the others to hear.

“My dear Twilight. I am so sorry I did not contact you sooner. Things have been hectic hear to say the least. We have many important things to discuss. I will send an aircraft for yourself and friends at first light.” Twilight placed the letter down on the table.

“That’s all there is.”

Rarity stood up from her seat. “She want’s to see us? But why. We placed the Elements of Harmony in the Canterlot Vaults over seven years ago.”

“ Do you think they need us to use them? We haven’t had to since that nasty Tirek guy,” inquired Pinkie equally confused.

“I don’t know.” said Twilight, annoyed. “Thats why I wrote Celestia. To try to get answers. Evidently she needs to meet us Canterlot. Better tell Applejack and Fluttershy. It looks like we’re needed one again,” replied Twilight, eager for some answers.

Just as Princess Celestia had said, a gyrocopter touched down in Twilights backyard in the early morning light. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, and an excited Spike boarded the aircraft and strapped themselves in. A few minutes out of Ponyville an excited Pinkie pointed out the aircraft’s window at the ground below.

“Look!”

Below them was a large group of ponies coming through the large debris field of site Alpha. Applejack noticed something odd about the ponies down below.

“Twilight, look. They’re all wearin’ those protective suits we saw yesterday when they took that thing away.”

Twilight had noticed them, too. She knew the suits were to protect against contamination. So what were they afraid of and where did all that debris come from? What were they looking for. Still more questions.

Less than an hour later the group was being escorted into the large Royal Castle by some guards. They sure have increased security since I was last here, noticed Twilight. Everywhere ponies and administrative workers were hustling about. There were even some military brass milling about. Things sure are tense here.

 They were soon herded into a spacious meeting room by the guards who shut the doors behind them and posted on either side.

“Twilight. You made it.” said a bleary-eyed Princess Celestia who stood beside her royal sister Princess Luna. She didn’t look any better than Celestia.

Niceties and quick hellos were passed around the rooms occupants before they all took their seats around a long table.

“Before you begin Twilight, I know you must have so many questions. I myself have many, too,” began Celestia. “Let us just lay some facts on the table. Luna, could you begin. I need some coffee.”

“Sure.” replied Luna as her sister made her way to a coffee urn in the corner. “So here’s what we have so far. At 0900 yesterday morning satellites picked up an explosion followed by an unknown signal outside of Ponyville which was labeled Site Alpha. The cover story right now is that it was a satellite that was knocked out of orbit and crashed. Initial reconnaissance by a team of Wonderbolts discovered an unknown hostile which grounded a pilot with a projectile weapon. Twilight here along with the downed pilot confronted the target outside ponyville where he was subdued and transported to the Center for Equestrian Diseases. Along with the creature recovered at Sweet Apple Acres, the team at Site Alpha recovered three more, one of which had expired from its injuries.”

“Oh no,” squeaked Fluttershy.

“Along with the creatures, the teams have found multiple items of concern. One in particular appears to be some sort of enhanced virus pathogen that we believe was modified to be a weapon.”

“A bio-weapon?” interjected Twilight. “Was this the USSM?”

“What troubles me is that it doesn’t appear to be. This is something much worse. The teams at Site Alpha have recovered evidence of a highly advanced technological race of intelligent beings. Technology that is way ahead of our own and the USSM combined. I’m talking otherworldly beings.”

The room was deathly silent. The group sat in stunned silence, letting the reality sink in. It was Applejack who finally broke the silence.

“So why do ya’ll need us here.”

“It’s merely a precaution,” explained Celestia returning with a cup of coffee. “The Elements have and always will be our last line of defense. Technology can break. Systems and backups can fail. But the spirit of the Elements endures above all. You all are a clear example of that philosophy,” said Celestia, a smile returning to her face.

“We just think we had better play things safe for now,” explained Luna.

It was Twilight’s turn to speak up. “Can..Can we see them?”

“I can arrange something if that’s what you all would want,” offered Luna. “I haven’t see them up close myself.”

“Count me out.” exclaimed Rarity in a fluster. “I don’t want to see some scary monster.”

“Monster? I...I think I’ll stay here, too.” said a scared Fluttershy.

“I’m with them,” exclaimed Spike. “Wanna see what the kitchens are cooking up Pinkie?”

“Ohhh, I could go for some cake now that you mention it.” With that Spike and Pinkie strolled off toward the kitchens.

Twilight turned toward Applejack. “What about AJ?”

“Ah, I guess I could tag along and see the others they found,” she said, not fully sure of herself.

“Ok then,” said Celestia, rising from the table. “I have some advisors to meet with for now, but Luna can show you to the tram.”

One of the latest achievements of Canterlot esteemed engineers, the tram line led into the mountain, connecting all parts of the massive city. It even ran to the Wonderbolts Hanger as well as the CED on the opposite side of the mountain. Twilight, AJ, and Princess Luna descended lower into the Castle’s underground chambers where a section of the tram line was located. A simple open car design sat on steel rails.

“We’re still waiting for them to install the passenger cars. This will have to do for now,” said Luna hopping in.

After Twilight and AJ boarded, Luna pushed the throttle forward and the railcar was soon speeding down the track.

******************(CED, Isolation Level)*******************

        Lt. Jackson was floating above a dark, black, sea.

Where am I.

He looked around but didn’t see anything.

Wait. Are those voices?

He could barely hear someone, though he couldn't tell where it was coming from. Slowly the blackness began to brighten, soon becoming a bright light that filled his vision. It was beginning to clear. Then the pain hit him.

Ahhhhhhh, he groaned internally. It felt like something had kicked him in the head. Something big. Like a horse. The good news was that he could now see clearly.

I’m in a hospital bed? How did I end up here?

He slowly reached down toward his leg holster only to find it was empty.

Not a good sign. His bloody and dirty camo jacket was splayed open, wires running from his chest to several monitors. I’m in the hospital. But I don’t remember… The Lt. jumped upright in his bed.

The flying creatures… getting shot at...running for that red barn. He recalled these vivid events from what seemed like just yesterday. Was all that real? No. That all must have been just been a bad dream. The Lt. relaxed and eased back into his bed. Just a bad dream. The Lt.’s eyes fluttered as he began drifting off into slumber. Man, I’m tired. Just before he closed his eyes for good, the sound of a door opening and a voice roused him up into a sitting position.

“...always getting put on these weird cases. They must think I’m sort of vet..”

A white pony had entered the room. She jumped back violently upon seeing the clueless  Lt. now awake and propped up in his bed.

“Sweet Celestia, it’s awake!”

The Lt. stared blankly at the white pony who was plastered in fright against the wall. Is this a dream too.

The pony reached for a black device clipped to her white lab coat.

“T-T-T-Trotter! Subject One is awake!”

“He’s awake? What’s he doing? Don’t move! I’m coming!” crackled a voice on the radio.

“H-He’s just sitting there. Hurry, please!”

The Lt. levered his legs out of the bed and stood up, still in a bit of a daze. It sure seems like a dream. He attempted to walk toward the unusual talking pony. This is one weird dream. The leds from his exposed chest were ripped off. “Ow.” That felt pretty real.

The white pony gasped at the Lt.’s exclamation. The Lt. looked down at his hands, his eyes soon drawn to the rough metal splint on his leg. His fingers inspected the splint, feeling the cool metal and soft bandages. It slowly dawned on him. The flying monsters...running for the barn...it had been real. His heartbeat and breathing were increasing.He looked up at the white talking pony, a wild look forming in his eyes. Their gazes locked, the pieces starting to add up in the Lt.’s still foggy mind. The flying things that attacked me… the orchard fire-fight...the talking pony looking creature in front of me. There the same? What were they doing to me? His fight or flight instinct kicked into gear. His eye’s scanned for anything around the hospital room to use as a weapon. A metal IV hanger in the corner caught his attention. As he lunged and grabbed the makeshift weapon, Trotter burst into the room flanked by two  rather large orderlies. Trotter threw the petrified attendant out the door and blocked the exit. He faced the now armed Lt., taken aback at the crazed look in the creature’s eyes.

“Let’s just calm down, mate. You’re hurt. You’ve been in an accident.”

The scared Lt. was startled at hearing the brown pony talk.

That thing just spoke English.

“I don’t know if you understand me but you have to put that down. We’re here to help.” Trotter turned his head to address the orderlies at his side. “Just back up a bit. Give him some space.”

In the tense silence that followed Lt. Jackson’s wild eyes danced around the room, no one daring to move. Slowly he lowered the metal IV pole, not taking his gaze off Trotter.

“There. See. He doesn’t want to hurt anypony. He’s just scared.” said Trotter smiling back at the shaking orderlies.

It was then, their guard down, Jackson charged.

        “This tunnel seems ta’ go on forever,” said AJ, still taken aback at the size of the tram’s unfinished tunnels.

“We’re still extending it to other parts of the mountain. Ponies will soon be able to travel from Canterlot to their places of work all over Canterlot.” explained Luna. “With the city’s expansion we had to get creative with how we got around.”

The tram car sped down the track passing several unfinished tunnels where crews expanding the line. Large tunneling devices tore at the rock, the tram passing through several dust clouds.

        A short while later the tram slowed as the cart turned down a smaller, finished tunnel. A sign above read “Center for Equestrian Diseases”. The cart came to a stop at a brightly lit terminal, several armored Royal Guards standing by. An orderly stood off to the side, introducing himself as the group stepped out the tram car.

“Ah, your Highnesses, Princess Celestia said you would be honoring us with a visit. Please follow me.”

They walked from the station down several passageways eventually passing through several airtight doors before they came to the main facility.

“I was told you were all quite eager to see the creatures we recovered earlier.”

They were shown into an observation room perched above a room similar to a hospital bay. Down below two of the strange beings were lying in beds, several monitoring instruments attached to them. In the far corner a large object on a table was covered with a white sheet. Stains of a red substance were covering parts of the sheet.

“So far, from what we can tell, they seem to be an intelligent bipedal species. They seem to resemble  mammalian organisms. They have organ and nervous systems that are quite similar to our own. Heart, lungs, brain, and what not. Their hemoglobin is even iron based. It’s quite fascinating.”

“So where did they come from?” asked an astounded Twilight.

“Well, um, we have no historical records of such creatures ever existing and considering some of the technologies they possessed we had to look at other options.”

“You mean aliens,” stated Applejack matter of factly.

“Err...well...yes. The one thing that baffles us however is how they got here. The debris we found them in could not have come from any vehicle. The patterns just don't match.”

“How so?” questioned Luna.

“For one, most of the debris is rubble and what appears to be a concrete like rock. The impact area doesn’t match a crash either. It would seem it was all simply dropped there from a small height from what ballistic test tell us.”

“Interesting,” mumbled Twilight deep in thought.

        “So what happened tha’ dark skinned one that appeared at ma’ farm? I don’t see him down there.” said Applejack.

“We placed him in another room for the moment. Being the least injured and having heard that he attacked somepony we felt it best to isolate him.”

“So what do you plan on doing with them?” asked Twilight.

“For now we just want to try and tend their injuries as best as we can. Then, if possible, find out if we can establish some sort of communication with them. Hopefully get some answers.”

        The orderly was about to show the three ponies to the facility’s cafeteria when lights began to flash outside in the passageway. A moment later an alarm similar to a fire alarm could be heard throughout the facility.

“What in tarnation is that?” asked AJ, annoyed by the loud alarm and flashing lights.

“That’s a containment alarm. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, but we might have to cut our tour short I’m afraid.”

        Outside the sound of hooves could be heard running down the corridor. The orderly began herding the ponies out of the observation room and down the passage toward the tram station. The group came to the airlock they had passed through earlier. Pulling a keycard from his pocket the orderly stepped toward the access panel.

        Twilight hear something running behind her as they stood waiting to pass through the entrance. She turned just in time to see an enraged Lt. Jackson swing a metal pole at the unsuspecting orderly. She cried out but was too late.

“Look out!”

        The metal pole stuck the orderly under his jaw, knocking him back onto the floor and out cold. Luna in the blink of an eye, pushed them into an adjacent room. The latch on the door slid into the locked position right before a massive thud hit the door. The three ponies jumped back as the deranged Lt. looked through the door’s window.

“That’s the one from Applejack’s farm,” said Twilight more curious than afraid at seeing the strange creature for a second time.

“How did that thing get out!” exclaimed a frightened Applejack, her courage failing her at seeing the creature dash out of view.

“This isn’t good,” said Luna looking through the window at the direction Jackson disappeared. “It’s heading toward the tram station. We have to stop it before it disappears.”

After a tense minute of hesitation, the girls unlocked the door. Outside the orderly lay against the wall out cold, his keycard not gone. The three quickly ran toward the tram station, Luna leading the charge.

“Our carts gone. It took it!” said AJ looking down the bare terminal.

“Over here!” yelled Luna from a spare cart. “Get in. The only place the track leads is the Castle. We have to stop it before it hurts anypony else.” With an shriek the cart sped off towards Canterlot Castle.

        Back at Canterlot Castle Fluttershy and Rarity were relaxing out on one of the castle's beautiful balconies. Spike, who had gladly stayed behind, was lounging inside taking advantage of the well stocked food cellars.

“I need more days like this,” said Rarity from her lounge chair. “Between running the boutique and taking Sweetie Bell to her choir practices, I haven't had much time for relaxation.”

“I know what you mean,” replied Fluttershy. “It is hard to find time to just relax.” She looked over at Rarity. “What do you think of all of this commotion over those things they found? Can’t you help but think about what else is out there,” she said looking toward the bright blue sky.

“The less it involves me, the better Fluttershy. As far as I see it shouldn't concern us. Let the military handle it.”

“Oh...yea,” mumbled Fluttershy. But isn’t it situations like this that their friendship was founded on. Over the past few years, they had slowly been drifting apart it seemed. Everypony caught up in moving forward with their lives. Sure, it was nice them not having to save something from destruction every other week, but it just didn’t seem the same, thought Fluttershy.

“Oh my, this heat is starting to get to me. What do you say we get a drink.” said Rarity, breaking Fluttershy’s train of thought.

“Oh, sure.”

The two rose out of the lounge chairs and made their way past Pinkie and Spike. They had evidently just demolished a rather large cake and were passed out in a food induced nap.

 Rarity and Fluttershy strolled down one the elegant halls of the castle.

“I think the kitchen is somewhere down this way,” noted Rarity. “I can never remember how to get around this ridiculously large castle.”

They walked on, suddenly aware of a loud clunking coming from around the corner ahead. They rounded the corner and froze in their tracks. A Royal Guard, his armor suit suit dented around the helmet area, fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. What stood behind him was what caused the two to freeze.

I have to get out of here, was all that had gone through the Lt.’s head as he ran down corridor after corridor. He had just finished knocking out one of those pony critters in armor. His makeshift weapon now dented and bent was held firm in his grip. He looked up out of breath. A white pony stood in front of him, frozen in shock, with another behind it.

You’re not going to take me alive, whatever you things are.

 He raised his battered IV pole and charged ahead blindly.

I’m not going down without a fight. Rarity leapt backward with a bloodcurdling scream, taking off down the hallway. The Lt. prepared to bring down the pole on Fluttershy. She could only crouch down and cover herself whimpering in fright. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his pole still raised above his head. Time seemed to stop.

What are you doing? Clobber that thing, his training told him. But something else inside him stopped him. The yellow pony peeked out from under her hooves, quickly covering them again.

It...It’s scared.

His training tried with all its might to bring the pole down on the pony, but some part of his brain said no. He slowly lowered the pole, it falling out of hand and onto the floor.

I give up. He sank to his knees, defeated. It’s all a bad dream, he told himself, tears rolling down his face.

The yellow pony timidly looked up, not ducking back this time.

A croak escaped Jackson’s throat. “I just want to go home,” he sobbed quietly. Just let it end, he pleaded with himself. And is by magic, everything flew into a familiar darkness.

Thankyou.

“What did you do!?” screamed Fluttershy as Lt. Jackson’s body fell limp on the floor. Behind him a stunned Luna stood, her glowing horn still pointed at the creature on the floor. Fluttershy grasped the limp figure of the Lt. as Twilight came running up to her.

“Fluttershy. Are you Ok,” she asked, her voice shaking. Fluttershy looked up, a tear running down her face.

“He was scared Twilight,” she whimpered. “He was scared and he just wanted to go home.”