Halo: Equestrian Campaign

A torrent of neon crystals and plasma projectiles shred through the hospital door, burning holes and embedding themselves in the floor of the lobby. The nurse behind the desk screams as stray shots whiz past and disintegrate the wall behind her. You turn around and dive towards the terrified mare, wrapping your arms around her tiny equine body and shielding her with your own. A number of needles shatter against the back of your armor before you fall to the ground. Without hesitation, you raise your assault rifle with your free and fire a long burst through the remains of the wrecked hospital door. The bullets hit their mark, causing one of the forward elite’s shields to fizzle slightly.

“Open Fire!” shouts Calvin, as your ODST squadmates aim their rifles out the door at the congregation of sangheili warriors. Their combined fire forces the aliens to cease their own. The majority evade your fire and take cover amidst the wooden houses and empty stalls that litter the immediate area. Four aren’t so lucky, receiving the brunt of your soldier’s fire and crumpling to the ground in a pile of purple blood and bullet riddled armor. You turn your attention to the mare you rescued as your men cease fire and return to their cover.

“Stay calm, are you alright?” you ask the terrified nurse. She visibly shakes under your vizor’s gaze, but manages to slowly nod her head in confirmation. “Good. Get to the back of the hospital near the patients, you’ll be safe there.” You roll off the mare and train your sights out the shattered hospital entrance, ensuring no covenant soldier would be able to shoot at the mare without you pumping them full of lead. Slowly, she rises to her hooves and clip-clops towards the back rooms to take refuge with the sick.

“What’s going on? What’s going on?” shouts Twilight as she catches up to Ben-Hassrathee and his entourage of zealots. The visitor from another world had received a notification from his soldiers that several humans had been spotted sneaking into the local hospital he had just passed. Without a word to his unicorn escort, he had directed his men to return to the hospital with haste and surround it. Now that the young mare had caught up, an explanation would have to be offered up. She seemed like a reasonable sort, perhaps a tempered response would ensure her world’s cooperation for a little while longer.

“Young Scholar, it seems we are favored on this day. My enemy and your predator are in that building there. Both the scourge I seek and the animal you fear are trapped in there with no way out. My soldiers have secured every exit and will soon move in to neutralize this threat.”

“But what about the ponies inside?” stammered Twilight. “We may be peaceful, but we know what weapons and warfare are. Will you be able to-” She paused for a moment. “To deal with these aliens without hurting our sick?”

“Trust me,” growled the domineering zealot. “My men will use the utmost discretion.” A few meters away, the sizzling remains of the hospital entrance collapsed under it’s own weight.