What else is up There?

Gentlemen!

Behold!

Chapter Three!

Warning! Controversial subject manner ahead. AKA a cameo appearance by Derpy Hooves.(I'm sorry.)

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Chapter Three

Liberty

March 15th, 2553
Equestrian star system
Twilight Sparkle of the Unicorn race
Town of Ponyville

Twilight Sparkle, at the urgings of Spike, had finally ventured out of the library and into the streets of Ponyville, walking along them for the first time in three weeks.

The Unicorn had decided to pay a visit to a few old friends that had survived the Conflict, mainly the former Cutie Mark Crusaders; Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.

The three of them had eventually discovered their special talents after about a year of ridiculous antics, interspersed by the Covenant Conflict. During the war they'd gotten it in their heads that their special talents might have something to do with fighting the Covenant.

It hadn't ended well, but the three of them survived.

At the cost of Twist's life Twilight thought bitterly; she wasn't angry with the three mares anymore, they understood that their actions cost the young filly her life.

The lavender Unicorn reached her first destination; the home of Sweetie Belle, on the west side of Ponyville, near the Everfree forest. Sweetie Belle, who had discovered she was to be a professional singer, bought a home in Ponyville near Fluttershy's old cottage.

Sparkle knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently for Sweetie Belle to open the door. While Twilight waited she looked around the area and appreciated how still it was, remembering how hectic it had been when the Covenant were rolling down this very street.

"For the Gods! For Honor! For the Covenant!" Thar 'Saramee bellowed, he was holding a Fuel-Rod Gun on his left shoulder and wielding his sword in his right, the launcher thumped on each sentence, soaring into the human positions.

"I am THAR 'SARAMEE!" the Sangheili thundered, he dropped the Fuel-Rod Gun and charged for the forward positions, gliding through the crowds of humans as he slashed through them.

The Wraith tanks hovered over the sandbag wall, their cannons spluttering plasma bomb after plasma bomb at the humans.

"DO NOT RELENT, PUSH UNTIL ALL WE STAND UPON ARE ASHES!"

Twilight shuddered at the memory, remembering hearing Thar's voice thunder across Ponyville, her translator spell had still been working and she understood everything he said.

Much to her own dismay.

Twilight was knocked from her musings when the local mail pony, Derpy Hooves, flew down to Sweetie Belle's home, fluttering to a stop and landing on the ground.

"Oh, hello Derpy. Come to deliver Sweetie's mail?" Twilight asked, earning a shake of Derpy's head.

"Sweetie Belle's not in town this week, Twilight. She's off in Canterlot doing a show!" Derpy exclaimed.

"Oh, I see. Thanks, Derpy" Twilight replied, earning a nod from the gray wall-eyed Pegasus before she took off, slamming face first into a neighboring house before getting her bearings straight and flying in a proper direction.

I'll never understand that silly Pegasus Sparkle thought, trotting away from Sweetie's home and making her way across town to Scootaloo's home.

Along the way she decided that she would go with Spike's suggestion and go see Applejack, the orange farm mare assuredly at home as apple-bucking season was over.

Twilight was immensely grateful that Applejack had survived the war and the trauma that came with it, and was glad that the loss of Rainbow Dash hadn't torn a rift between Twilight and Applejack.

Even though Applejack had lost her rear legs to a Covenant energy sword she had gotten mechanical replacements from the UNSC and still managed to be happy in all her days of waking, causing Twilight to be very perplexed.

She has mechanical legs and saw what kind of suffering is possible; why is she as happy as she is? Twilight wondered as she continued on to her destination.

Twilight soon made it to Scootaloo's home and knocked on the door, patiently waiting for the Pegasus to open the door.

Suddenly Derpy Hooves once again landed next to Twilight Sparkle, fluttering down to the ground.

"Oh, hello Derpy. Come to deliver Scootaloo's mail?" Twilight asked, earning a shake of the head to the negative from Derpy.

"Scootaloo's not in town this week, Twilight. She's off in Fillydelphia doing a show!" Derpy answered, flapping her wings and hovering back into the air.

Scootaloo had discovered that she was a stuntspony sometime after Sweetie discovered she was a singer.

"Oh, I see. Thanks, Derpy" Twilight said, trotting away from Scootaloo's home and making her way back across Ponyville again to go to Sweet Apple Acres, where both Applebloom and Applejack lived.

The lavender Unicorn soon reached Sweet Apple Acres and approached the barnhouse, knocking on the door and waiting for one of the Apple family members to answer.

Through some twist of fate Derpy Hooves flew down to Twilight once again, fluttering to a stop and dropping onto the ground.

"Oh, Hello Derpy. Come to deliver mail to Applejack?" Twilight inquired, earning another negative nod from the gray Pegasus.

"Applebloom's not in town this week, Twilight. She's in Appleloosa doing a show" Derpy replied.

"Applebloom doesn't do shows, and I'm here to see Applejack anyway" Twilight flatly stated, Derpy's face contorting into one of 'Oh' as she realized her mistake.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Silly me. Anyway, Applejack is also in Appleloosa" Derpy declared, taking back to the air again with a flap of her wings.

"I see. Thanks, Derpy" Twilight said, walking away from the barnhouse and beginning her trek back to the library.

The lavender Unicorn stopped, deciding that she should spend some more time outside today and find a nice place to relax. The best place to do so was the light forest that made up Sweet Apple Acres apple tree orchard.

Twilight made her way into the orchard and soon came across the old treehouse that had been the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse long ago; the old wood was rotting and it was clear that the structure was no longer safe to be in.

Sparkle approached a tree near the clubhouse and sighed with exertion as she lowered herself to the ground, her forty years of age obviously catching up to her.

"Shoot" Twilight said as she lowered her head to the ground, feeling exhausted from walking around Ponyville all day.

At least I haven't developed any kind of condition like arthritis Twilight mused, looking up at the sky through the gaps in the treetops.

The sky is so beautiful; I haven't looked at it in so long Twilight thought, knowing the very reason she hadn't done so: she was afraid that if she looked up she would see a Covenant ship.

Fear was commonplace in Ponyville now, fear of looking up and seeing hundreds of Covenant ships descending upon them, fear of looking up only to stop existing entirely as the terrifying plasma beams came down, fear of walking through the forest and seeing seven Sangheili all with energy swords coming at you.

Fear of the Covenant was something that had been firmly embedded into the minds of all sentient life in Equestria.

I remember a time when I didn't have to fear this…where did it all go wrong? Life was fine and then the Sangheili and the humans showed up with no knowledge of each other. Suddenly they discover each other and then everything degrades so quickly. It happened so fast, I just don't know how it happened the lavender Unicorn mused.

Thar…Commander Preston…the battles, gunfire, explosions, all the innocent fillies and colts killed when the Covenant invaded Ponyville...why did all of this happen?

Twilight couldn't answer her own questions.

The lavender Unicorn stood and finally decided to return to the library; the past was the past, and the liberty of the present was awaiting her.

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Author's note: This chapter explained what happened to the Cutie Mark Crusaders after the war(as if that weren't obvious) and saw Twilight realize that the liberty of life is something she should be grateful for.

God, copyright laws, why do you have to be such petty douchebags?: Thar 'Saramee, Commander Michael Preston, and all related characters belong to me. Twilight Sparkle, Spike the Dragon, and all related characters belong to Hasbro. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro. Halo belongs to 343 Industries.