Cybernetic Magic

Time: 1400 Hrs.

Location: Everfree Forest

Squad: Elements of Harmony

As Twilight and her friends trotted to the location of the event, she had to think over what the Crusaders said he looked like. Tall, hairless ape covered in strange devices with a 'fancy looking club.'

"Girls," Twilight started, "What do you think about this...'Hairless Ape?'"

"It sounds like I could take it," Rainbow commented.

"Darling, that 'Ape' took down four manticores without trouble," Rarity retorted, "There is no way you can take it down."

"It still doesn't sound that strong."

"Girls, we're here," Twilight told her friends.

As we looked at the scene, we noticed that the manticores, or what was left of them, were butchered to pieces. Fluttershy, who was already scared at the fact that this...'ape' took down four manticores, got ever more so when she saw what it did to the manticores.

"Twilight, I see smoke farther north!" Rainbow exclaimed, "Looks like a camp of sorts."

"Good job, Rainbow," Twilight told her, "Let's get going."

A couple minutes later, they made it to said site, only to find a fire pit with nothing there. As they looked around the camp, they noticed something coming back. It was the ape! When it noticed them, he dropped the sack it was carrying and ran.

Time: 1430 Hrs.

Location: Outside camp, Unknown

Squad: Ninja

When I noticed that my camp (which wasn't even completed yet) was compromised, I started to run, with the cyan pegasus(?) gaining up on me, I activated my Active Camouflage ability and dove off to the right. I started to run off to the right, leading them on a chase, after my Ability wore off. A few more failed attempt to catch me later, she finally gave up. Just as I was about to celebrate my victory, a lavender aura surrounded me, lifting me off the ground.

'Really?! Now that's not fair!' I thought bitterly. As the lavender unicorn approached me, a million scenarios went through my mind, none of them good. Deciding to try something, I released a swarm of fireflies towards the unicorn. which caused her to drop me do to her concentration focusing on the robotic flies.

"You should know better that to try to take on a super soldier," I chided them, "Trust me, if I wanted you gone, you would already be dead." They all looked at me with some degree of fear, until I smiled at them. "However, seeing as you aren't dead yet, I guess you have a few questions for me, so ask away." They all looked dumbstruck before the lavender one regained her composer.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"My name is Applejack," the orange mare said.

"I'mPinkiePie!" the pink one said excitedly.

"I'm Rainbow Dash," the cyan pegasus said reluctantly.

"I'm Rarity," the white unicorn introduced in a fancy accent.

"I'm Fluttershy," the yellow pegasus whispered, so silently that I barely picked it up.

"My name is Lieutenant Colonel James Johnson, but you can call me Ninja." They all tilted their heads at that.

"Why Ninja?" Twilight asked.

"Because of my skill in the art of stealth," I said, appearing right next to her, causing her to jump.

"Gah!" she exclaimed, "How did you do that?!"

"Cyber Abilities," I said simply.

"Cyber-what...?" she tilted her head in confusion.

"Cyber Abilities is what I used to get away from y'all," I explained, "One of the abilities is Active Camouflage, which allows me to go invisible for a short time."

"So that's how you disappeared from sight," she said while writing on some paper with a quill, "I originally thought that you could use magic."

"Magic?" I parroted, "From where I'm from, magic doesn't exist. Only Illusions and tricks."

"A...a place without magic...?" she said, "Then, how did you use those...'Cyber Abilities'?"

"Where we lack in magic we make up in technology," I explained to them, "I actually lost my arms during a mission."

"If you lost your arms, then why do you still have them?" she questioned before glancing at Pinkie, who was still bouncing.

"Oh, these things? These are prosthetics, or replacements, that use technology that I control using a DNI embedded in my brain." I explained.

"DNI?" Twilight parroted.

"A DNI, or a Direct Neural Interface, is what connects me to my new body and the outside world," I told them, "It's what allows me to control my new limbs and use my abilities."

"Now that that's out of the way, what are you?"

"A Human."

"Wait, aren't humans just myth, Twilight?" Rainbow asked.

"Y...yes," said pony stammered before looking curiously at me because I started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"It's just where I came from, Pegasi and Unicorns were just myth, too," I told them, unable to control my laughter, "From Greek Mythology, to be exact." She looked at me for a moment before giving a laugh herself.

"I guess it's funny when you think about it." Before she could continue, we heard a roar from our right.

"How about we get out of here?" she asked.

"Agreed, meet me back at my camp in an hour, I'll hold it off," she looked like she wanted to protest, "Now!" With that, I raised my new energy directed KN-44 and got ready to hold off the manticore.

Time: 1530 Hrs.

Location: Ponyville

Squad: Elements of Harmony

As we awaited the response of the princess, Twilight couldn't help but think about how selfless James was, he stayed behind, intentionally, so that they could get away. She was torn out of her thought when there was a flash of gold in the corner of her eye. In its wake was Princess Celestia along with some royal guard.

"Princess!" I exclaimed before bowing, which was followed by the rest of my friends.

"No need for that, my little pony," she said, "Now, where is this human you were talking about."

"H-he stayed behind so we could get out, he also told us to meet him back at his camp in about ten minutes."

"Ok, should we get going?" she asked, to which I nodded.

Time: 1539 Hrs.

Location: Camp, Unknown

Squad: Ninja

I was cleaning my KN-44 as I waited for the girls to return, who were due to be here in a minute (actual time). As they were due, I quickly put back together my firearm. During the time they were gone, I managed to finish my underground food storage. So I was waiting up top when I saw a cyan blur directly above me, so I assumed they were here. Checking my watch, I saw that they were 30 seconds late, not that I was picky about it. As they walked into the camp, I turned to them and nodded a head in there direction. However, I tensed when I saw some guards and who I assumed was a princess. Quickly equipping Active Camouflage, I got ready incase they attacked.

The Attack never came.

"James!" a voice that I recognized as Twilight's said.

"Twilight, I said you can call me Ninja," I chuckled. Before I could continue, the guards pointed their spears towards me, causing my instincts to kick in. Boosting back, I disengaged the safeties on my firearm and pointed it at the princess.

"Drop the spears or I shoot," I warned. Seeing where I was aiming, they dropped the spears, though a few were reluctant to do so. Once they dropped them, I lowered my gun and re-engaged the safety before putting it up. "The last thing I wanted to do on my first visit from Royalty is to hold her hostage, even though it was from a distance," I sighed. I then motioned for them to pick back up there spears. After they picked them back up, albeit reluctantly, I asked, "So Twilight, were there any other questions you wanted to ask?"

"Just one, how did you get here?" a voice interrupted, which originated from the princess.

Sighing, I said, "Sit down, this is a long one." After waiting for them to get comfortable, I started to recount what had happened before I woke up here. After I was finished, they looked at each other before looking back at me.

"W-why do you fight this...NRC?

"Personally? They killed my family." And with that, the questions ended. It wasn't long before I was embraced by Pinkie.

"Um, Pinkie, there's no need for that, that happened years ago. I've taken my anger out on the NRC by taking out the ones who threaten innocents," I told her. She held on for a few more moments before releasing me, wiping a tear from her eye.

"W-who would do such a thing?" she asked.

"They only did it in retaliation for the Cairo Uprising, which they were apart of," I told them with nearly no emotion, on the outside, "They killed thousands of innocent lives that day." This caused gasps all around.

However, before I could continue, someone said, "Star? Are you ok?"