The Equestrian

***Introduction***

Canterlot was under siege for three days. The human army climbed up the face of the mountain and marched on the city. The battle was bloody, as both sides racked up casualties. Despite all the humans had risked to attack Canterlot, they were no match for the power of pony's magic and ability to fly. Unable to retreat back down the mountain, the human army was forced to surrender.

***Part 1: The Old Master***

"Come on, I have to go, Shining! You can't do this!" Fives protests.

The stallion frowns.

"Oh, Fives..." He says softly. "She just wants you to be safe."

"But, I'm worried about her safety!" Fives counters. "Out there in the Everfree... There's hundred's of human rebels, and Nightmare Moon is-"

"Twilight is a strong mare. Plus, she has those other mares with her. They seem to care for her, and I am sure they will keep each other safe."

Fives sighs and holds his hands to his face. It still felt really sore, but that wasn't why.

"Fives, are you crying?" Spike asks.

"Spike, go to the kitchen and get him something warm to drink, please." Shining tells him.

As soon as the little dragon is gone and out of earshot, Shining kneels next to Fives so his head is level with the human's.

"Fives, tell me what is going on. Why do you have to go after Twilight? Why can't you just trust her to be fine without you?"

The human doesn't answer, but tears were still pouring down his cheeks.

"Come on, Fives. There isn't a single thing in Equestria you can't trust me with. Please, tell me."

Fives sniffles as he attempts to dry his tears. He lowers his gaze and stares at Shining's hooves. Then, he looks back up to meet his eyes.

"I... I have to go after her, because... I... I love her..."

***Part 2: Plots And Schemes***

"Major Appleton!" Simco shouts.

"Sir!" Appleton reports.

"Is your regiment ready for its special mission?"

The Major lowers his head.

"Y-Yes, sir... but, I don't think-"

Simco spins around and raises his fist, causing Appleton to flinch.

"I did not order you to think, Major..." He growls. "I ordered you to track down this party of Equestrians that managed to slip past our lines and break into the Everfree Forest. There are only six of them, two unicorns, two pegasi, and two earth ponies. I trust you should have no difficulties in capturing them."

"But, sir, our own men have never ventured this deep into the Everfree before. This is uncharted territory, and many good soldiers will be put at risk." Appleton objects. "Besides, even if we do find them, what should we do?"

Sinco smiles evilly.

"Kill them all."

The Major's eyes widen with shock.

"S-Sir?"

"You heard me, Major Appleton. I want you to kill all six of them on sight. Let none of them leave the forest alive. We must keep the ponies in Ponyville before we burn it to the ground."

Appleton shakes his head.

"S-Sir, I don't think I can-"

"Are you thinking again, Major? Are you disobeying my orders?"

"No, sir! It's just-"

"You will take your regiment into the forest and kill those ponies, or I will shoot you myself for insubordination!"

The tent was dead silent. Even the murmuring among soldiers outside had stopped. Appleton's heart pounded heavily with fear. The Major closes his eyes before giving a short bow.

"By your order, General Simco..."

***Part 3: Big Brother***

Fives yelped as he fell out of the window and into the dirt road. Shining poked his head out, looking both ways to make sure the coast was clear before jumping out of the window himself.

"Come on, Fives. We don't have a lot of time."

"What about Spike?" Fives asks as they begin running down the road, towards the Everfree Forest.

"He'll be out cold for a while."

Fives turns to the stallion with a look of shock on his face. Shining notices and chuckles.

"Oh, it was just a harmless spell to put the little guy to sleep. I didn't hurt him. We can't have a little, baby dragon running into the forest. Now, I'm going to get you passed the guard check point by the town hall. Then, it will be up to you to catch up to Twilight."

The two of them stop just behind the town hall. The check point was just around the corner, and it was heavily fortified.

"Listen carefully to me, Fives..." Shining says softly. "I love my sister more than anything on this planet, and you are the only one I trust to keep her safe. If what you told me is true... if you really feel for her the way you say you do, then you must go after her. Do I make myself clear?"

Fives nods vigorously, causing Shining to grin.

"Great. Now, let's get you on your way."

***Part 4: Dark Trials***

"Great job with the manticore, Fluttershy." Twilight mutters. "How did you know about the thorn?"

Fluttershy grins as she hides behind her mane. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were still pretty shaken up after the quick encounter.

"Maybe we shouldn't judge another animal by his behavior." Applejack comments.

Twilight's eyes narrow as she thinks of Fives.

"Twilight, dear, are you alright?" Rarity asks.

Twilight snaps back to reality.

"Huh? Oh... Y-Yeah..."

"Hey," Applejack mutters. "Where is that crazy, pink pony?"

Everybody spins around. Pinkie Pie was gone.

"It was rather quiet, wasn't it?" Rarity scoffs.

The trees and beaches rustled in the wind eerily.

"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight calls.

At the edge of the clearing, just met to the pass the manticore was guarding, a human soldier steps into the moonlight, his musket raised.

"H-Hello..." He says rather nervously.

Twilight lowers her horn as she prepares to fire a bolt of magic. The human soldier's eyes widen.

"No! Don't shoot, please." He says as he lowers his musket.

The soldier then looks behind him and whistles a long tune. Several more soldiers emerge from the thicket, weapons lowered. Behind them stood Pinkie Pie. The pink mare smiled wildly and waved her hoof.

"You brute!" Rarity accuses. "Release our friend!"

"Release me?" Pinkie Pie asks. "Why would he need to release me? We were only talking. He seems very nice."

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack scolds. "Everyone seems very nice, to you."

Pinkie Pie happily bounces over to her friends.

"What do you want?" Twilight demands. "You work for Simco, don't you?"

He nods, then shakes his head.

"Well, which is it?!" Twilight shouts.

He looked as though he was struggling to speak.

"M-My name is Nathaniel Appleton, Major Appleton. Yes, we used to work for Commander Simco, but we do not any longer. I only wanted to talk to the pink one so I could then give her back, as a gesture of... friendship."

Twilight's gaze softens.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to help you." Appleton says. "We want to help you, all of us. Simco is a crazy bastard, and he needs to be stopped."

"And why should we trust you?" Applejack demands.

The Major lowers his head.

"I know, you have no reason to trust me, but you also have no other choice. There are dozens of P.L.A. camps throughout the Everfree. There are even camps near the old castle. That's where you're going, isn't it?" Appleton asks.

"How did you know that?" Twilight counters.

The Major clears his throat.

"That old castle, deep in the forest, didn't always belong to Princess Celestia. It used to be the last line of defense for the Human Empire near the end of the war, over a hundred years ago. If you want to make it there without getting caught, you'll need my rangers. We are at your service."

***Part 5: Eternal Night***

Fives was broken, beaten, sweating like Wonderbolt, and... well, he was tired beyond all other meaning of the word. He had been running, no, springing through the Everfree Forest. Whenever he saw a light that looked like a rebel camp, he turned right around and heading in the opposite direction.

"Uhg!" Fives groans aloud. "I'm so fucking lost... I... I don't..."

He looks around for the path he had begun on, but it had long disappeared. The wind was picking up, and the temperature in the air had dropped significantly.

"What do you think you are doing here, hairless ape?" A soft voice asks from behind him.

Fives spins around, but no one was there.

"Ah, I am up here." The voice says.

Fives looks up towards a break in the trees. The moon was bright and shining. He squints harder to look for whomever had spoken. There was no one.

"Boo!"

It came from right behind him. Fives let out a scream that could only be achieved by a six-year-old filly. The voice laughs.

"Hazzah! I still have it." She celebrates.

Fives turns just in time to see Nightmare Moon materialize out of the shadowy thicket.

"Nothing beats a good scare." She says. "Now, answer my question. What do you think you are doing here?"

Shaking, Fives swallows his fear.

"I... I am looking for my mistress..." He stutters.

"Your mistress?" Nightmare repeats. "If she is the mare who enslaved you, why would you want to be reunited with her?"

"Well, I... I just want to keep her safe, just like she has tried so hard to keep me safe. She cares about me, and I would be damned if i said I didn't care about her."

Nightmare Moon glares at Fives as she recognizes him.

"You... You are the beast from the town hall, the one who reeks of Celestia..."

Fives had no idea of what she meant, but Nightmare was turning hostile. She looks as though she is about to advance, but shouting in the distance catches her attention. Human soldiers were approaching. Nightmare turns her head back to Fives.

"I will deal with you later..." She snarls.

Just like that, Nightmare Moon melts into the shadows. Fives gives a sigh of relief, and he closes his eyes to think. Nightmare Moon had said she needed to stop the Elements of Harmony. That is exactly where Twilight said she needed to go, as well. Fives gains a newfound strength, and he bolts through the thicket. He needed to get Twilight and warn her. Nightmare Moon was coming.

***Part 6: The Bridge***

"We are almost to the bridge. After that, we should be able to make it without any more detours." Appleton says cheerily to Twilight.

He looks back at the troop of ponies behind him. All looked tired and worn out. All but one, who had her eyes trained on him. Appleton turns back around and keeps his eyes trained forward.

"Um... Miss Twilight..."

"Yes, Appleton?"

"Who is the blue mare? The one with the colored mane." He asks quietly.

Twilight cocks her head as they continue to march.

"Oh, that's Rainbow Dash. Why?"

The Major stays quiet.

"Why?" Twilight asks again.

"Nothing..." Appleton says quickly.

He raises his hand to stop the regiment. Another human soldier rushes up to the Major.

"Sir, our scouts up ahead have just reported that the bridge leading to the old castle is down..." The soldier says.

"Down?" Appleton repeats.

"It's gone, sir. The entire bridge has fallen due to torn ropes on the opposite side. There is no other way across the crevice."

"Uhhh, did you guys forget we have wings?" Rainbow Dash asks.

Appleton turns around just in time to see Rainbow Dash floating above them.

"I can fly across and see what I can do about the bridge." She volunteers.

Giving Appleton a sly grin and a wink, she flies into the fog."

***Part 7: Silvershield***

Fives breaks through another clearing. The forest was breaking up. He could see the castle in the distance.

"Twilight has to be here, but where is she?" He mutter.

There was no way over the great divide in the ground between him and the old castle. He had to find another way around. Fives turns around to begin looking for another way, only to come face to face with Silvershield.

"Hey, Fives."

His hoof makes contact with the human's jaw, sending Fives flying to the edge of the cliff.

"Hahaha! This... This is so... perfect. Yeah, that's the word."

Fives struggles to stand on his feet.

"You..." Fives growls.

"Me?" Silvershield mocks. "Oh, Fives... Oh, you poor thing. I must have hit your little head to hard. You see, I'm stronger than you in every way. On top of that, I have magic at my disposal, which I will now use to kill you, once and for all..."

Silver lowers his horn and begins charging it. Fives knew Silver was right. He could never beat him like this. He needed to even the playing field.

"Wait, Silvershield!" Fives shouts. "If you really want to kill me that badly, is blasting me off of a cliff the best way to do it? I mean, what satisfaction do you gain from that?"

Silvershield actually raises his horn, stopping the magic.

"What in the hell are you getting at, whelp?"

"A duel." Fives smirks. "A brawl, if you will. No magic, just fists and hooves."

The former guard looks at the ground, then to a bush to his left.

"What, are you scared? I thought you were stronger than me in every way." Fives recalls, mockingly.

"Alright!" Silver snaps. "If you want a slow and painful death, you shall have one."

He removes his helmet and tosses it aside. The fire in his eyes was pure malice. Fives was starting to have second thoughts.

"AAAAHHHH!" Silvershield yells as he charges towards Fives.

The human reacts instinctively, jumping to the side and avoiding the first charge. Silver's rear legs fly back and catch Fives in his thy. He groans loudly from the blow. His left leg felt as though it would collapse. He could not have that. He could not fall to the ground, now. Silver comes back around and rushes Fives. This time, he was ready. Fives jumps forward and wraps his arms around the Unicorn's neck, bringing him down.

"Uhg! You fucking pest!" Silver cursed as he tries to buck Fives off of his back.

Fives clenches his right hand and socks Silvershield in the jaw as hard as he can, stunning him briefly. Now, the unicorn had his back to the edge, his tail swishing nervously. Fives was still limping heavily. He was exhausted, and Silvershield knew it. He lunges forward to catch Fives off guard. The human, stricken with fear, falls on his back, raising his feet. Silvershield is caught right on top of Fives' boots, and the human kicks Silver over his body. The unicorn lands with a hard 'thud' behind him. Fives spins around. Silver was still on the ground, groaning.

"How 'bout that..." Fives mutters as he stands shakily. "Looks like... I win..."

He grabs a stone, a big stone, like, the size of his head. The fire in Silvershield's eyes vanishes the second he sees the huge stone being held over his head. They were now filled with terror. He desperately tries to charge a bolt of magic, but Fives stomps his foot right on top of his throat, hard. Silvershield gasps and groans as the human crushes his wind pipe. Fives raises the stone, preparing to drop it.

"Fives..." A soft voice says.

Fives' eyes widen. He knew that voice.

"C-Celestia?" He asks.

He heard her voice but saw no princess.

"Fives..." She says again. "I thought you were raised better than this..."

"Y-Your highness..."

"I am not here, Fives. Right now, I am far away. Nightmare Moon has taken my place, but there is still time to stop what has been set in motion..."

"What do you mean?" Fives asks.

The voice was beginning to fade away.

"You will know soon enough, Fives... Follow the crevice. You will find a bridge and a company of soldiers who will help you on your way. Good luck, my-"

She was gone. Fives didn't hear her last words. What was she going to say? He looks at the stone in his hand, then down at Silvershield. He could do it. He could still kill him.

"I won't... I won't do it."

Silvershield couldn't speak. He could only gasp for air.

"I'm not going to kill you, but I am going to make something very clear..." He says in a low, and quite scary, voice.

"I am stronger than you..." Fives hisses. "Maybe not in physical strength, but in mind and heart. I am stronger than you could ever dream of being, so you just sit here and pick your stupid ass off the ground. I have a country to save.

***Part 8: Rainbow's Crush***

"This place looks pretty beaten up..." Applejack mutters.

"This fortress was under siege for three weeks before the pony's forces ran the human defenders out. After the war, Celestia set up residents. Canterlot was still in ruin from the human's previous invasion, so it seemed like a fair trade." The Major explains.

Rainbow Dash lands from her hovering and begins walking next to Appleton, glancing up nervously at him.

"Alright, everyone," Twilight says. "We need to find the Elements of Harmony before Nightmare Moon. Spread out and search through every room."

"I'll go with Appleton!" Rainbow Dash volunteers quickly.

Silence followed. Rainbow's ears fold down.

"Um..." She mutters.

"Great idea." Appleton says. "I'll need a strong, capable pegasus providing recon assessments. Rainbow Dash, let's take the west tower."

The blue mare was blushing bright red.

"R-Right..." She whispers. "I'm right behind you..."

Twilight watches as Appleton, Rainbow, and a few soldiers head up the staircase.

"Uh... anyone else think Rainbow is a little-"

"Into the Major?" Applejack finishes for her. "Yeah, Twilight, we do."

***TO BE CONTINUED***