They Came from the Everfree

Day 11
1500 Hours
The Forest

We are marching back to camp, Twilight rounded up a few guards, she claims to be ranked 'Princess', this indicates the society is a monarchy of some sort, but considering the health of the citizens I'd call it a constitutional monarchy. They are too healthy for a tyrant to exist. There are four rather funny looking guards in gold armor, two had spears, the other two swords. Somehow all of them looked exactly alike. We started conversing about each other's species a few seconds ago, I'll continue my journal there.

"So, where did you come from? I mean, you are aliens... Right?" Twilight asks

"Well, I come from Earth, for Grayson... It's hard to tell." Elliot jokes, laughing at me. I admit, I chuckled a bit, too.

"But to answer your question, yes. We come from Earth, pretty sure this isn't even the same planet. And I have no idea how we got here. The last vehicle we were in isn't even capable of leaving Earth." I answered

"You're right, I've never heard of an 'Earth'. And your species has certainly never been seen before. It's incredible that you managed to get from wherever Earth is to here by ACCIDENT. This is unheard of!" She sounds a little too happy about the crap-pile we're in right now.

"Yeah, we're so happy to be here..." Elliot responds, a little too sarcastically.

Twilight's ears splay back and her fur fluffs slightly, she turns to face him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to neglect your situation. I'll do everything I can to get you back, I swear!" Says Twilight.

"It's fine, we understand you just want to know. Ask away, it's nice talking about Earth if we can't be there." I say.

"Well, I've wanted to know, you said something about a 'gun' earlier, what is that?" Twilight asks you.

"Oh boy, you guys are ancient, aren't you?" I tease. "It is the major weapon of our planet, it uses explosive powder to create a rapidly expanding gas, this gas builds up a pressure strong enough to send a lead projectile called the 'bullet' one or more times the speed of sound at an enemy. In conclusion, guns fire a small piece of lead faster then sound that cuts and melts its way through enemies. Our guns are bolt-action, some are fully automatic. Automatic rifles can fire 60-100 bullets a minute, but most magazines of ammunition, the part that holds the bullets, only hold thirty or so on such rifles. Any questions?" I ask, expecting a barrage of responses to such a futuristic technology in what looks to be a renaissance era village.

"So, it is pretty much like a bow, with a faster arrow, made of lead, right?" She asks.

"Not quite, the bullets are only about yay big" I hold open my index finger and thumb to explain. "We use sniper rifles, these are the longest-range firing manually operated weapons. Some expert snipers can kill a target, sometimes even MOVING, from a mile or more away. This takes extreme skill, only several people have gotten kills that far of range. The bullet also carries with it a rapid pressure change called a shock wave, so when the bullet enters the target, the shock wave rips the hole open wider, and increases the fatality rate of individuals who are shot. Our guns are also very noisy, I think you remember the loud booms in the forest when we saved those little ones you were looking for." I respond.

"That sounds really grue-WAIT, THAT WAS YOU!?" She shouts, I realize I might have overstepped your speech boundaries, should have kept that one quiet. I look over and see Elliot balling his fist, breathing quickly. He looks ready to defend me in the case that she goes violent. I don't think he has alot of respect for these creatures.

"Yeah, we saw you walk by in the forest, we hid in the bushes in our camouflage, hence why you didn't see us. Heard who you were looking for, pin-pointed their screams, and found out these strange wood-wolves were attacking three little ones, looked young. We took up a shooting spot and killed a few, we hoped the gunshots would be loud enough to get your attention to them. We left once the wolves retreated." I answer, her increasingly scrunched face is starting to panic me a little. I ball my fists up as well.

"So, you, protected the fillies, even though you didn't know anything about us?" She asks.

"Well, that's our job. Protecting those who have not proved themselves hostile is our life purpose. We live to fight for those who can't do it themselves, and besides the structure, I know I saw terror. It was no different from a scared child on my planet, action was necessary." That statement was very true, but deep down I leave out the fact that I was also antsy to shoot again.

Her expression softens, the guards seem to shrink a little bit.

"Well, that was a bold decision. We did find them safe and sound, thanks to you. Maybe I had you mapped out wrong. When you told me you were soldiers I thought you'd be aggressive, and based on fury, like the Griffon Empire. Turns out, you are alot softer and more polite than I had expected, and I'm sorry for judging you." She explains, it's kinda surprising to hear anything with a mouth actually apologize and MEAN it, that's almost unheard of on Earth anymore!

"Hey, don't sweat it. Elliot, we're almost there. Get your stuff quick when they get there, sundown is approaching." I order.

"Alrighty, hey, if you don't mind me asking, what species are you? Are you the dominant species here?" Elliot questions Twilight.

"Oh, uh, well I'm an Alicorn, but this planet also has Unicorns, Pegasai, and Earth Ponies. We are one of the largest species, but I wouldn't say 'dominant'. The Griffons are very intimidating, and could take control if they really wanted to. It's in our trust that they keep the peace." She responds, fluffing her fur slightly.

She smiles and nods at him, turning and doing the same at me. I give an open-mouth smile back, not so large that it's creepy just a sincere acknowledgement. The problem is, as soon as I open my mouth, she looks right at it, and stops in her tracks. Her pupils shrink, and I think I see sweat. These are not good body language signs, this just might go bad.

"Might I ask, what does your diet consist of?" She asks, a little shaky.

"Hmm..." I do my best to remember the food pyramid I never payed attention to in school. "Meat, vegetables, milk, fruit, beans, and... Pasta I think. Can't remember perfectly, no, grains! Not pasta, grains." I say, looking at her, she still seems nervous. The guards actually look like their pikes are aimed a little closer to me and Elliot now.

"You eat meat? Also fruits and vegetables, you are omnivores?" She asks, clearly trying not to sound shaky, but failing.

"Yeah, that's actually part of our protocol, is survival, if we get lost, we hunt, cook, and eat food. It's high nutrition keeps us alive. If we can't find moving water, we start drinking rain. We are trained to survive for as long as possible in extreme conditions." I say, it kinda rolls of my tongue. Feels good to have someone I can brag to again. I look at Elliot, who is frantically waving his arms behind the Princess in a 'shut up!' motion. As I look at the ponies the Princess looks be in a stage of fear, as the guards hold you at spear point.

Oh this is just what I wanted on a day like this...

Just as Twilight opens her mouth to speak, something bursts our of the bushes and snarls at us. I look back at it and see another Wood-Wolf growling at us. As I get ready to defend my self with attack dog CQC tactics, more Green eyes light up in the dark, and more, and more. We're outmatched. I need to think of something fast. Elliot beats me to it.

"On my go, break for the camp. One... Two..." The wolf barks at him and breaks into a run soon after, the forest line erupts into wolves charging into the trail at us. Elliot sounds like a little girl this time. "THREE THREE THRRREEEE!" He sprints even faster than I can keep up, the wolves are gaining on me, and it appears the ponies lifted off and are soaring high above me.

"Keep running dude, get your Colt and set a few suppressing rounds at 'em, should be loaded now!" I have to scream at Elliot, him running almost out of ear-shot ahead. He should be at camp any second, I can see the campfire from here!

It's only when a wolf's tooth manages to nick my heel that my speed REALLY increases. With a final burst of speed, I try to get to Elliot. When I'm only 20 or so meters out, I hear my familiar Colt. Along with the sound of wood crunching behind me. I misunderstood how close those things were, really!

I dart past the forest canopy hiding our makeshift tent, and dive for my rifle, I only have a few seconds to get the safety, turn it off, and take aim before they'll be all over me.

I do so with a hair's time left. The shot goes through the wolves and kills several and wounding others. I bolt the round faster then I think I EVER have and shoot again, and again. It's slowly cutting the pack of 30 down closer to a scattered 15. The three guards from earlier fall from the sky and land on the wolves in an Assassin's Creed worthy takedown!

Just as the right side Pegasus lands it gets pounced, it gets it's wings pinned down and the spear falls out of it's reach. It helplessly uses it's arms to hold the wolf's fangs back, but it gets closer by the second.

That had to be the coolest shot I ever had the pleasure of watching!

My bullet went right in one eye, and out the other. Like hanging a fish. The only difference is fish heads don't explode like a firework and thank you for saving their life.

Ten Minutes Later...

After a rough struggle, and 4-5 injured wolves left, the last of the attackers leave. With Elliot waving the pistol around at any movement, and me keeping my head swiveling, for safe measure of course.

It's only then that the princess lands back down near me, she keeps a firm distance between us, and every twitch you make is a flinch on her.

"Get ready, I want to get back quickly before more of those come after us. Celestia certainly will be alarmed when she hears this..." She says, in a calm, and somewhat freaky voice. Like that psycho mother who you can't tell quite if she's out to get you. She continues.

"That the aliens, from another world, just worked together to protect not only their own lives, but also risking them to protect the guards selflessly. The way you fought was very inspiring, and I'm glad you with, and not against us." She congratulates.

Something's... Off...

"Weren't you scared of us a few seconds ago? You still seem kind of nervous." I ask, trying not to sound antagonistic. Elliot begins getting his ghillie suit back on. "Are we a little intimidating? We knew we'd come off that way. Not a good first impression, but I'm sure you understand." I explain.

"Oh nononono! It's just, when I saw your teeth I saw they looked adaptable to meat. I was worried you were predators, and I had no idea how hungry you were. Not to mention you kept explaining how easily you could take a fight into your own hands, it made me a little more cautious. Now that I look, you do look built a warrior. Everything about you reminds me of a meat-eating animal. Not that I think you ARE an animal, you just-" She starts to get a little lost in her own speech.

"Hey, shh. I'll get my gear on, and we'll go explain ourselves to this 'Celestia' guy you keep talking about." I say.

"It's a mare." She responds, I don't think I remember what that word means. Oh wait, female horse! Science class WAS useful after all!

"Right, let's just get moving. This forest has me on edge." I finish up.

Without another word of conversation, I start getting my gear on, and have all of my supplies in my pack, Elliot is geared up the same way.

"Ready to go?" Twilight asks me.

"Yeah, back to the town." I reply. Stretching a little bit and starting down the long trail back.