Chapters The smell of smoke filled Preston's lungs, which nearly choked him. The thick smog made him feel like he was going to hack up his lungs. His vision was blurry and crimson red but he didn't care right now. He had to get away from a potential fire, rising to his feet he looked down seeing a Heavy Pulse Rifle. Something urging him to pick it up and he did, grabbing it he limped his way out the flames spreading throughout the forest his only thing driving him was his instinct to survive along with the military training he had been graced with. Eventually the limping stopped and he took off in a casual jog, and then in the growling and roaring of the flames he heard the sound of water...the flames now starting to come close to his back. The burning sensation massively uncomfortable. Picking up the pace he stopped seeing massive cliff with water at the base, looking behind him at the now rapidly spreading flames, Preston leapt off the cliff falling fast toward the water and losing his grip on his Pulse Rifle. As he hit the water, a massive splash soaked the land nearby. Then it was silent for a few seconds and then suddenly rising up gasping for air, Preston and his Pulse Rifle where softly moved to shore, the feeling of exerting himself after he had just woken up from unconsciousness finally took its toll. Preston ripping off his Tactical Visor replica off his face he dropped it on the ground and began to regurgitate his lunch. Laying on his belly he looked at the Tactical Visor, it had been stained with mud on the Visor as he wiped it off, "Ngh...what the...where am I...?" Preston looked around not able to see much but darkness.
It was beyond belief...one moment he was in Comic-Con enjoying a beer with his friends...the next he was running for his life from a forest fire. "What forest is this....it looks...odd...creepy...." Preston said standing up now actually recovering, grabbing his Pulse Rifle replica which felt a lot heavier...speaking of which, he rubbed his hands against his Tactical Visor, he couldn't feel it underneath his gloves but he could tell. It wasn't plastic. It was metal, checking his Pulse Rifle he pulled the trigger and the kickback caused Preston to drop the weapon, looking at the Pulse Rifle he gasped. The weapon...the mask...they were real. Hesitantly he picked up the weapon and began to wander now that he had slightly recovered. Still he was in complete disbelief he had the actual Soldier 76 weapons and equipment. Preston felt exhausted. His eyes tracing every inch of the forest as he kept exploring.
Hearing a low rumble he turned around seeing a piece of wood as he tilted his head, then something slammed into him from behind, it looked like a...wooden wolf!? The creature snarled at him as Preston raised his Pulse Rifle firing a shot and missing as he growled himself. The wolf charging at him as Preston quickly evaded slamming the butt of his gun against the wolf's head knocking it down eliciting a small whimper from it, the whimper surprisingly enough attracting more wood wolves. One managing to jump on Preston's back as he grunted grabbing its stick tail and slinging it at a tree, turning his head two more wolves charged at him. Preston grabbing one wolfs muzzle and slamming it against the ground the second he slammed the heel of his foot into its noise getting a rather loud whimper, the wolves from what he saw defeated as he panted. "Haven't had to fight like that in a while..." he mumbled as he began to keep walking a loud crackling and rumbling sound behind him.
Pausing he turned around seeing a massive wolf staring him down and howling. "OH shit.." Preston mumbled as he took off in a sprint the super wolf after him, evading a few snaps of its jaw he couldn't evade getting slammed by its claw into a tree as he grunted in pain. Standing up he raised his Pulse Rifle and took shots at the wolf, the weapon actually beginning to land hits as the wolf staggered. An opening! Running forward Preston quickly kicked the wolfs ankle before slamming the butt of his gun into its face. Preston seeing his attacks actually doing very little damage decided a tactical retreat was the best course of action. Taking off as the wolf howled pursuing him. Preston looked around at his surroundings, seeing a massive rock he climbed the wolf clawing at it managing to climb up. "WHERE ARE THE HELIX ROCKETS ON THIS THING?!" Preston shouted as he spotted a small switch, hitting it and pulling the trigger three tiny missiles shot out of it in a spiral, upon hitting the wolf it completely destroyed it as Preston panted, sitting on his butt as he ran his gloved hand through his hair. He was tired and hungry.
Twilight Sparkle had felt it...the magical surge erupting from the forest as her horn began to glow softly. It was a odd feeling she got...than there was a series of knocking at her door, Spike groaning as he awoke from his nap and scratched his head. "I'll get it..." Spike said as he opened the door a literal stamped of ponies trampling over him, all of them yelling and screaming so loudly and randomly you couldn't understand it. Twilight opened her wings the ponies silencing themselves as she began to speak. "Now one by one tell me what's wrong?" One of them raised their hands. Twilight pointed to him, a light blue unicorn with one red eye and the other a bright purple he was sporting a good looking hoodie with a massive green slash down the middle, "THERE WAS THIS WEIRD HOLE IN THE SKY!" He shouted Twilight's ears perking up, "THAN SOMETHING FELL OUT OF IT!" a female with yellow fur shouted, she was sporting stockings, a over-sized tee shirt and a pair of wings. "AND THE EVERFREE FOREST STARTED FLAMING! IT STILL IS!" Twilight was knocked out of her thinking as her eyes widened.
"Wait....WHAT!?!?" she shouted quickly she darted outside and flew to Fluttershy's cottage, Rainbow Dash looking at the massive forest fire as she frowned. "As much as I despise this forest we have to save it." She said, Rainbow Dash was wearing a pair of torn skinny jeans a tank top and a ear ring on her left ear. Fluttershy eventually stepping out with a pink sweater on and some shorts.
"Oh dear...I hope the animals are ok..." She said shyly.
"Don't worry Fluttershy, they are. I promise." Twilight said, Applejack and Pinkie Pie finally arriving.
Applejack wearing her usual hat and a pair of clean jeans. While also sporting a shirt that had a pattern of black and red squares on it, Pinkie Pie was wearing a very odd firefighter outfit that looked like it came out of a Halloween store. Applejack spoke, “Where’s Rarity?” She asked looking at the blazing forest not daring to step inside without the whole group. Pinkie Pie bounced around, “I dunno! Maybe she’ll have a fire fighter outfit like me!” She said cheerfully.
Rainbow Dash raised a brow, “Since when has RARITY ever wore something like a firefighter outfit?” she asked as Pinkie rubbed her chin.
“Good point…” she said still carrying a bubbly attitude, finally after a minute passed Rarity showed up panting looking like she ran a marathon. “Sorry darlings...I’m here!” she said as Twilight pouted.
“Well what are we all waiting for!?” Rainbow Dash shouted to the group as they nodded, finally entering the forest Rainbow Dash creating rain clouds to put out the fires while Twilight used her own magic to control the blazing flames. Finally making their way through the forest fire they found, a massive crater in the ground, Twilight looked at it and began to move toward it Rainbow Dash grabbing her arm, Twilight was sporting a sort of librarian look as the two looked at each other. “Twi. We didn't go in alone, remember what happened with Discord.” The mare nodded.
“I remember vividly Rainbow Dash.” She said chuckling as she and the cyan mare slid down. Seeing nothing in the crater but footprints, footprints to something that didn’t walk on hooves.
Rainbow rubbed her chin as she looked at the prints.
“What do you think caused these?” She asked.
Twilight kneeled down putting two fingers on the prints, “I dunno...but I feel like this thing is bad...BAD news…”
Preston in his time in the army had seen some pretty amazing things, things that would more than likely scare a average civilian shitless. But today after his fight with wolves made out of WOOD he had seen it all, his Heavy Pulse Rifle in his hands as he wandered the forest.
He felt like he had been walking in circles, breaking a branch off of a tree he dropped it on the ground, "this should help distinguish where I have been." He said as he kept walking. The sound of leaves crunching making him pause as he quickly hid behind a tree.
"I dunno Twi. What if this thing is friendly?" A country sounding accent, Preston hadn't heard one of those in a while. "AJ. If it was friendly. Why did it set the Everfree Forest on fire? And cause a massive magical disturbance?" A feminine voice said, from what Preston gathered the more feminine sounding voice was what 'AJ' called Twi.
'That's a weird nickname...sounds like something from the Twilight Zone.' He thought as he kept listening, 'at least I got a name of where I am.' He thought as he began to follow them.
"That is true. But considering the reputation of the Everfree Forest how do you know it just got tired of living here?" AJ asked.
"Applejack why are you siding with a arsonist? That's like siding with that dragon we met on the mountain." Twilight said.
Applejack sighed, "I'm just saying." She said shrugging.
Preston narrowed his eyes underneath his visor, 'what are they talking about.?' He asked himself raising a brow. The fact they were humanoid colored horses, looking at the top left of his Tactical Visor he saw a small bar that read 30%. He raised a brow but shook his head as he kept following them.
"What are we even lookin for?" Applejack asked the purple unicorn/human.
"Unforgettable hoofprints. Anything that doesn't look like a pony or anything we've seen in the Everfree."
"Hmmmmm...alright...I reckon we go back to the others. Regroup." Applejack said, 'there's more of them?' Preston thought listening closer.
"I suppose we should." The unicorn said as she sighed putting her hands in her pockets, walking forward Preston not far behind.
After a 10 minute walk of complete silence and reaching the edge of the Everfree Forest. The gang finally got back together, Rarity shivering. "I hate going in that forest..." She said. Pinkie giggled, "I like it! It reminds us of when we stopped Nightmare Moon!"
Rainbow Dash chuckled slightly, "and when Twilight was still stuck up egghead?"
The purple unicorn blushed, "how many times do I have to say I'm sorry about that?" She asked embarrassed, Fluttershy smiled faintly. "I like the variety of animals in there…”
A shadow was behind a tree as it watched them. It's red visor shining slightly as its head turned, its white hair flowing slightly as it saw a town in the distance. ‘Maybe I'll find someone like me…’ Preston said as he slowly made his way past the Mane Six managing to pass them before running off to the town.
Upon entering he walked along what was supposed to be the main road, looking around seeing ponies with boarded up doors and windows. Some peaking through them looking at him as he passed, Preston held his Heavy Pulse Rifle as he narrowed his eyes underneath his visor. ‘They are...scared of me?’ He asked himself in his mind.
He remembered back when he was first given the title commander, chuckling to himself at the feeling of happiness. Shaking his head he kept walking until he heard something behind him, “u-uh...excuse me..?”
He moved his head to where he could see behind himself, seeing a little girl, her...fur yellow and her hair red with a massive bow in it. “Are new to t-town?” She asked him.
“Yea.” Preston responded trying to copy Soldier 76’s attitude.
“I don't understand why everyponies so scared...I thought w-we got past that with Zecora.”
Preston shook his head, “maybe they haven't seen anything like me before. Understandable.” He said flatly as he turned his head back. “Listen kid. Maybe you should listen to them, frankly I don't know what happened to me and if it's bad or good. So run home kid,” he said as he kept walking the girl just staring at him as he eventually reached the edge of town. A chariot flying in overhead as Preston looked up it had sun like patterns on it as the ponies began to step out to the regal looking object.
The chariot landed on the ground right in front of Preston, the human stopped and looked a woman stepping out. She was wearing old timey battle armor with white and gold on it. The metal glimmering in the sun, a platoon of guards surrounding him with their spears drawn at him.
The woman stepped closer to Preston, “you are under arrest for disturbing the peace and attempting to burn down the Everfree forest.”
Celestia looked at the creature, in her years as an immortal she has seen many things, draconequus, dragons, unicorns turned into dark lords. But this thing, this creature gave her an odd vibe...as if it didn’t belong. That same feeling is whats urging her to capture him. The feeling of curiosity, she could tell by the grey hair on its head that it was elderly. Easy right?
Preston stood there, the spears pointed at him from all sides as he formed out his attack. He wasn’t going down without a fight, his mentor taught him better. Quickly he threw his Pulse Rifle up in the air grabbing one of the spear heads with his gloved hands as he pushed it back knocking the guard away with staggering strength, this feat stunned the taller anthromorphic pony as Preston continued his attack.
Swiftly he smacked a guard away with his fist another jumping on his back as he countered with a elbow to the stomach and then smacking him with his fist. He then looked up grabbing his Pulse Rifle as he looked around at the remaining guards, one charged him with a spear as Preston charged back using his gun as a shield before grabbing the spear and ripping it away from the guard. The guard before he could react was promptly kicked in the ribs sending him back a few feet. Preston looked around at the unconscious guards, only a few remaining as he flicked the switch on the side of his gun. Rolling on the ground he fired the same rockets he used to destroy the timber wolf at the guards, Celestia finally intervening by using her magic to redirect the mini rockets her eyes back on the fleeing human as she growled to herself. Spreading open her wings she took off after him Preston whipping around and firing his Pulse Rifle.
Most of the Pulse Rounds missing Celestia, but one. The Pulse Shot went clean through her wing as she screamed in pain. It catching the attention of the ponies inside their homes as they flooded out to check on the princess, Preston stopped looking at her as she looked up at him. “I’m fine my subjects…”
Something caught Preston’s attention, it was the little filly he had meet before all this chaos started. His red visor glowing a bit as she looked at him fearfully, Preston’s expression under his Tactical Visor softening as he shook his head. But than he saw something, a rainbow streak slamming into his side sending him flying deeper into the town. Falling on a small bridge as he shook his head.
The rainbow pegasus he had saw earlier, and she looked pissed...Preston stood up as he looked around, he saw possibly his only escape. The night time. He stood up the Rainbow streak darting after him again as he jumped forward narrowly evading the charge as he landed on the ground looking around. ‘Gotta find a place to hide…’ his tactical visor set its sights on small sorta run down house. Darting into it while the ponies were dazed and confused, “where'd he go?!” Dash asked growling.
