Chapters The Factions of Equestria
A Life with a Job (EDITED)
A Life with a Job (EDITED)
On Earth...
In a small town, there lived a man named Luke. Luke was a twenty-three year old man with a height of five-foot seven, blue eyes, and smooth, light brown hair. He had possibly the most standard life one could have. So much so, that it was almost repetitive: He wakes, works, goes to sleep, and does the same the next day. His job was working at the local cereal factory. His assignment every day was to load the trucks with crates containing boxes of cereal of all types. The hours were long and repetitive, and the pay was average. However, it was enough to have a roof over his head and food on his table. Still, it was boring. The only thing that made Luke's life a little more interesting was watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. While he kept it a secret, he LOVED the show. He adored the sheer positivity that the show had, and often wished that the real world was as happy and joyful as Equestria was. While he loved all the characters, there was one that he loved a little more...it was Twilight Sparkle. There was just something about her that...got his attention. Yes...he had a crush on Twilight...she was kind of the reason why he watched it. She was something to look foreword to...
Anyways, that brings us to a certain day...where EVERYTHING changed. Luke came home from a long, back-breaking day of work when he decided to lay on the couch and watch some television. As he flipped through the channels, he began to get drowsy. He was still in his t-shirt and jeans, but he decided to get some sleep anyways. Getting comfortable, he closed his eyes and let the beauty of sleep overcome him.
The Factions of Equestria
Luke woke up the next day, and laid in bed. He wasn't tired, he wasn't ill, he was just feeling a little down. There were many days like this for him. He often would lie in his bed and think about life. "What am I gonna do with my life?" Luke often would ask himself. When he got into his self-evaluation, he would get depressed. And when he got self-depressed, he would go online. He would often go on youtube, and then scroll through his empty E-Mail. That was exactly what he did that morning. However, his E-mail wasn't exactly...empty that day. When he checked it, he got two links. One said, "If you're a brony, click here!" and the other said, "If you hate ponies, click here!". Luke clicked on the brony link (obviously) and was taken to an odd site. The screen turned white, and he was presented with a few questions. He answered the following.
Question 1: Do you enjoy My Little Pony?
Yes.
Question 2: Do you like guns?
Unsure.
Question 3: What would you do to the haters?
Prove them wrong.
Question 4: Do you have a job? If you do, do you like it?
I have a job, but I dislike it.
Final Question: Are you willing to leave behind your old career, for a more exciting one?
Yes.
After pressing the "submit" button, his screen went back to normal. Huh, weird Luke thought. What an odd combination of questions. Luke left his room and went into his kitchen. He turned on his stove, set a pan on it, and cracked two eggs into the hot pan. As he cooked his breakfast, he thought he heard something at his front door. He brushed it off, and placed his food on a plate. He then heard his doorbell ring, which was strange...because...his doorbell broke three years ago. This time, Luke paid attention. He went to his front door, opened it carefully, and...
Nothing.
"Heh, pranksters.." Luke said to himself.
He was about to close the door, until he noticed what was left on his doorstep. He found a black hard case on his welcome mat, with a piece of paper on it. He took the box inside, closed the door and read the note. It simply said, "Welcome to the Herd". Luke looked at it quizzically and opened the hard case. When he did, he gasped when he found a Colt 1911. For some reason, he got the urge to...touch it...
He laid his hand upon the wood on the handle. When he did, he felt dizzy. Very dizzy. He lost the control in his legs, and he soon collapsed onto the floor. He began to panic, and hyperventilate. He tried to pull himself up, but found that he lost control of his arms...they felt like jelly. Everything around him went white...
A-Am I...dying? Luke thought before he passed out.
The Factions of Equestria
Well, that Escalated Quickly.... (EDITED)
Well, that Escalated Quickly.... (EDITED)
In Equestria...
Luke woke up on an unfamiliar surface. It was not his couch...there were no cushions. It wasn't his bed...there were no blankets. Was he in a hospital? Who would call? He lived alone. Why wasn't he in his home? As he opened his eyes, he shut them again. He squinted as he saw the morning sun directly in front of him. He then examined his attire, which looked awful! His shirt was in tatters, and his jeans were full of holes. As for his shoes...well, they were gone. Looking around, he found himself in a field with lush green grass, hills, and a big forest nearby. However, something seemed...off. To start, this place looked like it was nowhere NEAR his town. It didn't even look REAL. It all looked like something one would find on the back of a cereal box: Colorful. Unrealistically colorful. As he got up, he felt like he knew this place...it felt...familiar. One thought came into mind, but he thought it was impossible. He couldn't be in Equestria...could he..? He decided that he would get answers if he explored. He took a step, but as he stepped foreword, he stepped on something hard. Lifting his foot, he saw something shiny in the grass. He picked up the object, and it didn't take him long to realize what it was. The object was the pistol that he got on his doorstep. Luke wasn't a gun nut, so he didn't know what type it was. There were no labels or company names. It was simply a gray handgun with a brown wooden handle. Considering the situation he was in, he put it in his pocket and began to walk through the field.
As he walked through the field, he felt uneasy. He got the feeling like he was being watched. Luke was a paranoid person, so he assumed he was just worrying too much. He learned very soon that you must trust your gut instinct. He suddenly heard a click behind him. Turning around, he saw a man in a red t-shirt, black pants, a vest, and a revolver.
"Well, well." The man said, pointing the gun directly at Luke.
"U-um...can I help you..?" Luke said, remaining calm on the outside.
"Yeah...how long have you been here?"
"Like...I've been awake for about ten minutes now, I think."
"Uh huh..."
Suddenly, two other men rose up from the tall grass. Both wearing the same outfit as the first guy. Now Luke had three men with guns pointed directly at him. He was polite and chill on the outside, but on the inside he was screaming. These guys could do anything to him at any moment, he just had to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.
"Now," One of the men started, "Do you like those ponies?"
"Excuse me?" Luke asked, confused.
"You know, those stupid colorful girly things."
"You know, 'Friendship is Magic' crap." Another said, his gun still pointed at Luke.
"Um...kinda. I think it's an okay show." Luke said.
"Uh huh. That's all we needed to know."
"Okay guys, let's get him." One said, pulling a pair of cuffs from behind his back.
Before Luke could say anything, a popping noise was heard. The man with the cuffs grabbed his leg and fell in pain. The remaining two men pointed their guns in the direction of the pop, but gasped when they saw the four men with their own handguns pointed at them...one of the pistols with a silencer, and it was smoking. They were different from the men in red. They wore coats, t-shirts, jeans, shorts, just any casual clothes.
"Lower your guns, and kneel." The man in front said, his silenced pistol still pointed at the red men.
They obeyed and kicked their weapons to the men, who picked them up. The red guys were then detained by the other men with plastic cuffs. After that, the man with the silenced pistol approached Luke.
"Thank you so much, man." Luke said gratefully.
"No problem," The man said, "Those guys have been causing all kinds of trouble. You almost got captured."
"Who are they?"
"The FTP clan. Some guys who hate ponies so much, they are willing to kill them and those who adore them."
"Wait, why?"
"Eh, they're jerks."
"No, I mean...killing ponies? Like, at farms?"
"No...dude, don't you even know where you are?"
"Afraid not, man."
"Dude...you're in Equestria!"
"What?!"
"Yep. It's all here. The Mane-Six and everything."
Luke was excited. He completely forgot about almost getting captured and focused on the fact that he was living every brony's dream!
"Dude, I gotta go meet them!" Luke said, Twilight Sparkle on his mind...
"Sorry, dude. We can't reveal our presence yet." The man sighed.
"Why's that?"
"The FTP clan has given humans a bad name. They have attacked some areas in Equestria and now almost all ponies think that humans are evil!"
"What does FTP stand for?"
" It stands for 'Fuck The Ponies'."
"Wow...I guess the haters are never gonna be creative."
"I know. You're a brony too?"
"Yeah. Never been too open about it, but yeah."
"Wanna join us? We can show you to our leader and we can give you a place to stay."
"Really?"
"Sure."
"Cool! Hey, what's your name?"
"My name is Michael." He said, offering a handshake. "Yours?"
"Name's Luke. It's a pleasure." Luke replied, shaking it firmly.
"Alright. Just come with us, and we can see what we can do about you."
Luke followed Michael as he lead his group towards their base, taking the red guys with them. When they reached the base, it looked just like a castle from the medieval times. It was made of stone, had a big wooden door, had watch towers, and a banner above the door. On the banner, the words "Protect All Ponies" could be seen. Luke cringed at the name and proceeded to walk into the fort. It seemed even bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. He walked into a huge courtyard, where he could see buildings that had different purposes. There was a cafeteria, some houses, and a few other buildings that seemed to have more living quarters. Luke's observing was interrupted by Michael.
"Yo, Luke." Michael said.
"Yeah?" Luke said, turning to Michael.
"This is Jack, our leader," Michael said, introducing Jack, "Jack, meet Luke. Luke, meet Jack."
"Nice to meet you, lad." Jack said, offering a handshake.
"Nice to meet you too, Jack." Luke replied.
Jack was a tall man, Luke estimated he was at least six feet tall. His hair was blond, and combed to the side. His eyes were green and shiny. He wore black rubber boots, black suit pants, a blue t-shirt, black tactical vest, a black trench coat over it, and to top it off...a black military captain's cap, with a golden medal with the initials "PAP" engraved on it. Sticking out of one of the pockets in his vest was a very large chrome revolver with a black rubber grip.
"So, you wanna join us?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Luke responded.
"Do you have a gun?"
"I have this one." Luke said, revealing his pistol.
"Wow. A Colt 1911. Nice." Jack said.
"Yeah."
"I just got a few questions for you."
"Okay."
"Do you have firearm experience?"
"Not really."
"How would you describe your muscle mass?"
"Average."
"How do you deal with conflict?"
"I try to talk out of it, but that doesn't mean I won't get physical if I have to."
"Do you deal with problems right away, or choose to ignore them?"
"I deal with them, but I make sure to have a plan."
"Last question: Are you loyal to your authorities?"
"...depending on the circumstance."
Jack thought about it for a moment, until finally deciding what to say.
"Okay, Luke." Jack started, "You're in, but you have a job to do here."
"And that is?" Luke asked.
"I'd like you to be our constable."
"What? You mean, like a sheriff?"
"Yeah. Sure. Would you like to?"
"Well, I don't think I have much more to do."
"Alright. Michael, show him around."
After that, Michael showed Luke around the base. He showed him the armory, the shooting range, the living quarters, and the guard towers. Luke was then shown to his personal room, which had a bed, a closet, and a nightstand. Apparently, the whole group was here for a few months, and they were able to establish the base with a lot of hard work. They wanted to keep their organization a secret until a proper way to introduce themselves could be made. To stay hidden, they based in the field near the Everfree forest.
"Nice place." Luke said as he looked around his room.
"Yeah. You got one of the best ones, too. Since you are gonna enforce the rules here, you should at least be paid with better privileges." Michael explained.
"Like?"
"You have access to equipment, like our armor that we make from scratch. You also have free access to our shooting range, and authorization to search one's living quarters to search for items they shouldn't have. With a valid reason, of course. "
"So...I'm the cop."
"Basically. Oh! That reminds me. I should hand you the rules. How could you enforce them, without even knowing what the rules are, right?" Michael then hands Luke a piece of paper with ten rules on them.
The rules seemed to be reasonable. That were all "don't do this or that" kind of stuff. However, rules nine and ten made Luke irritated. Rule nine said, "Humans cannot have relationships with ponies, and rule ten said, "No indecent acts. Especially not with Jack's girlfriend." Luke wondered. Why can't we have relationships with ponies? And, what if some of the human couples here want to have a child? These were questions that were circling his mind, but his thinking was interrupted by Michael.
"You alright, man?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, yeah." Luke said.
"Your uniform is in the closet. Put it on, and meet me back in the courtyard."
"Gotcha."
Michael left the room and Luke opened his closet. Inside, there was a blue dress shirt, a pair of Jeans, and some boots. Luke changed into the clothes and walked outside. When he reached the courtyard, he was greeted by Michael.
"Here's your equipment." Michael said, holding out a holster and something made with two metal plates.
"What is this?" Luke asked as he held up the metal object.
"It's one of our homemade bulletproof vests. It may just be two sheets of metal held together with cloth, but it will certainly protect you."
"Why are you putting all this trust into me?"
"We are all depending on each other to make sure everything goes well. The one thing we are going to have to do is trust. We're humans. We stick together."
"You have a good point."
"Mhm."
"So, what kind of guns are we working with here?"
"At first, only pistols have been appearing. For some reason, everyone who answers the E-mail gets a pistol. Whether it be a .22 caliber or a .50 caliber, they were the only weapons to be found. Just weeks ago, we started seeing airplanes fly high in the sky. They drop a box with a parachute, containing supplies like guns, ammo, building materials, and even food. The main issue with that is...anyone can see the box, so it is hard to retrieve the supplies with the FTP clan also wanting the materials. We are unsure who is delivering these supplies to us, but our main focus is just to settle here in Equestria. For now, only handguns and shotguns are the only things that could be found."
"Yeah, because THAT makes sense." Luke said sarcastically.
"Haha." Michael responded.
"So, weapon caches are in airdrops?"
"Yeah. Hopefully, better items will be found."
"Hey Luke!" Jack called from his main office, which was across the courtyard.
"Yeah! Be there in a sec!" Luke said before approaching Jack.
"Okay, now listen to me. Being the constable is a big responsibility. You read the laws and rules I gave to you?"
"Mhm."
"Good. I'm sure I can count on you to keep this place safe. You seem like a man who gets shit done."
"Yeah. That's great and all, but may I please head into my living quarters? I mean, this is all a little overwhelming to me."
"I understand. I would do the same if I were in your shoes. Go get some rest. A lot of people are tired when they first come here."
"Thanks, Jack."
With that said, Luke headed back to his room. He removed his vest, and suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired. Man, Jack wasn't kidding. Even though it was morning, Luke laid on his bed...and before he knew it, he was in a deep sleep.
The Factions of Equestria
It's Just A Social Experiment...
In Luke's new room...
When Luke woke up, it was morning. Was I just dreaming? Oh well, it was as unrealistic as every other dream I had. He then rose up, only to notice he was wearing the blue dress shirt. Oh man. He thought to himself as the realization kicked in: This is real. I'm in Equestria.
Luke got up from his bed, slipped his vest on, and stuck his 1911 pistol in his holster. He then entered the bathroom in his living quarters to freshen up and brush his teeth. When he finished, he exited his dorm and entered the courtyard. Not too long after, he was stopped by Michael.
"Yo! Luke!" Michael yelled while waving.
"Michael!" Luke yelled back.
"I see you slept well."
"I feel more rested than I ever have...but I think I only slept for an hour...it's still morning."
"Hour?! Ha! Dude, you went to sleep yesterday morning."
"Holy crap! I slept that long?"
"Yeah, but don't worry too much about it. Some people have been asleep for three days!"
"Fuck, man."
"I know...but in a world full of magical talking ponies, that's the least strange thing."
"I gue-"
"Say that to my face!" A third voice interrupted their conversation from afar.
At the cafeteria, a crowd gathered around two men. They seemed to be verbally assaulting each other, and things were getting tense.
"Oh shit, a fight's gonna start." Michael said as he and Luke ran to the situation.
When they approached, it was too late. They already started swinging fists, and no mercy was shown. One of the men were larger than the other, and he pinned the smaller man against the wall and began beating him. Luke wasted no time on what he did next. He grabbed the larger guy from behind and threw him to the side. He got up and pulled out a knife, but he found himself staring down the barrel of Luke's pistol.
"Drop it." Luke said in a commanding tone.
The larger man obeyed and dropped the knife, letting nearby constables restrain him. Suddenly, people around Luke started clapping. What the hell? Luke was confused at this, until Jack himself came out and shook Luke's hand.
"Congrats, Luke!" He said, excitedly.
"Huh? What did I do?" Luke asked, confused.
"You did what you were assigned to do: stop conflict. You passed this test. I knew that you could!"
"Huh? You mean, this was staged?"
The man who was getting beaten nodded, and so did the cuffed guy.
"Yep!" Jack said.
"So...what does this mean?" Luke asked.
"It means that I made a good decision in making you the constable. You are a guy who gets shit DONE. That means that I think I can trust you."
"Trust me with what?"
"You see, Princess Twilight is coming here tomorrow to make peace negotiations. She can help the ponies of Equestria see that us humans are not evil. Can I count on you to help make sure nothing bad happens? I know that we all want peace with ponies, but it's just a formality."
Luke's heart begins to throb at the mention of Twilight, "S-sure! Absolutely!"
"Great! Make sure to do a little training when you can. Maybe sharpen your shooting a little."
"Will do!"
Jack leaves and Luke begins heading to his room quickly. He is then approached by Michael.
` "Why are you in such a hurry?" Michael asked.
"I might meet the princess of friendship tomorrow, I need to find a decent shirt!" Luke said excitedly.
The Factions of Equestria
The next day...
Oh, man! Today's the day I might actually meet my waifu! Holy shit, SOMEBODY pinch me! I must be dreaming...
Luke suddenly gets pinched in the arm.
"Ouch!" Luke said, rubbing the spot.
"You looked like you were daydreaming, so I figured I should help snap you out of it." Michael said, grinning.
"Did you have to pinch me THAT hard?"
"No...but I chose to anyways."
They shared a laugh and fist bumped each other.
"You excited?" Michael asked.
"Yeah!" Luke responded.
"Jack seems to like you. He says that he sees potential in you."
"How so?"
"Don't tell him I told you this, but he says that he liked how you stopped conflict quickly and with no questions asked. Maybe he thinks you are obedient."
"I try."
"Well, Princess Twilight is coming in twenty minutes. I recommend you finish preparing yourself in ten minutes. Jack wants his constables to be in formation when Princess Twilight arrives. You know, to look professional."
"That's true. First impressions are important."
"Well, this isn't exactly the fi-"
"Michael! She's arriving early! She will be here in five minutes! Come outside and get in formation!" A fellow constable came in and alerted the two.
"Oh shit! Gotta go! Come quickly, Luke." Michael said before going out the door.
Luke tightened the straps on his metal plate vests, making it stay flat on his chest. He then rolled up the blue sleeves on his dress shirt so the sleeves wouldn't get in the way of his hands. Luke then tied the laces on his boots before looking at himself in the mirror. He aimed his pistol at the mirror, posing. "Do ya feel lucky, punk?" Luke said to his reflection. He then laughed and put the pistol in his holster before going outside and into the courtyard.
Outside, people seemed busy. The citizens were standing in front of their homes, the guards in the watch towers were scanning the sky, and the constables were grabbing shotguns from off a table. It was at this point when Luke noticed the main difference between the citizens, and the constables. The citizens wore casual clothing, while the constables wore jeans, a blue dress shirt, the metal vest, and boots.
"Luke!" Michael said as he ran to Luke, carrying two pump shotguns.
"Hey, Michael. What's with the guns?" Luke asked his friend.
"Jack ordered me to give this to you," Michael said as he handed Luke a Mossberg 500 pump shotgun, "Careful, it's already loaded."
"Woah, is this really necessary?"
"This is mainly to show professionalism, but we also want to be prepared for an invasion from the FTP clan."
"Oh, I get it."
"Yeah. Now, I doubt that there actually will be an attack...but just in case, here is a few extra shells." Michael said as he gave a handful of 12 gauge rounds to Luke.
"She's here! Open the gates!" One of the guards in the watch tower yelled to the rest of the compound.
Luke and the rest of the constables got in an organized formation. They stood in the middle of the courtyard in a 5x5 square, with Jack in the front. He was fifteen feet away from the formation, and waiting patiently. Luke and Michael were in the back of the formation, their shotguns on their shoulders.
Luke's heart was racing with excitement. He never thought that he would ever have the chance to meet his favorite pony. A smile formed over his face, and he couldn't be happier. Nothing could possibly ruin this! Luke thought to himself. Suddenly, the large wooden doors opened. Luke resisted the urge to let out a fangirl squeal. Stay professional, Luke. Stay professional. Two royal guards marched in, and stood near the doorway. Finally, the Princess of Friendship herself entered the compound. Luke's heart was beating like a piston now. He took a moment to admire the shine in her mane as it moved in the sun, her big majestic purple eyes, and the way her mane matches her tail. She really looked more beautiful in person than she did in the show.
The citizens bowed to her. The constables saluted, Luke included.
"Twilight!" Jack said happily.
"Jackie!" Twilight responded happily.
"Jackie?" Luke thought. Why did she call him-
His thoughts, and all his thinking stopped when Jack kneeled...and was sharing a passionate kiss with Twilight...
The Factions of Equestria
Luke suddenly felt very ill. Maybe it was his body's attempt to hide the extreme sadness he was feeling, or maybe it was a result from the sudden change in emotion he was feeling. Luke's legs started to feel like jelly, and he began having a hard time standing.
"You okay, Luke?" Michael asked.
"Nngh...I....I don't feel so well..." Luke responded weakly.
"Come on, lemme get you back to your room."
Michael supports Luke as he stumbles to his room, and tears start to fill his eyes.
"Dude, what is the matter with you? You were so happy." Michael asked.
"..." Luke was silent.
"Come on, man. You can tell me. I ain't no snitch."
"Promise not to tell anyone?"
"I promise."
"Pinkie Pie promise?"
Michael sighs, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Okay..." Luke hesitates, "I have had a SERIOUS crush on Twilight...like, for a long time..."
"Luke! That's violating rule nine! And ten!"
"I know...but I can't help it! I always liked her in my world, and when I came here, I thought I had a chance with her! And now, that chance is fucked! Fucked, I tell you! FUCKED!"
"Shh. Calm down, Luke. Calm down. I understand, but you gotta get over it. I mean, there's nothing you can do now." Michael puts a hand on Luke's shoulder.
"How come he gets to have a relationship with a pony, and we don't?"
"Two reasons. One, he's the boss...and two, Twilight's the only pony this group is in contact with."
"..."
"I'm sorry, man."
Jack enters the room suddenly.
"Luke! Michael! Why did you leave the formation?" Jack asked.
"Sorry, Jack! Luke here started feeling ill. He almost passed out." Michael responded.
"Oh...okay. Well...I hope you get better, Luke. I'll see you later. Michael, come on."
"Yes sir!"
Jack and Michael exit the room, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts. He sat there, on his bed, staring at the wooden floor. He began thinking about the situation, he knew that Twilight was already with someone, and that someone was the leader of the organization he had to work for. Suddenly, Luke did something that he didn't do in a long time...the only thing he COULD do: he began to silently cry. While he knew that crying wasn't a tough thing to do, he also knew that it wasn't healthy to hold in these emotions. They felt like caged beasts, just waiting to be released. After about fifteen minutes of nonstop tears, he suddenly stopped. He rubbed his eyes, and looked in the mirror. On the other side, he saw a red-eyed, pale-faced, crybaby. He got a feeling of sudden rage, and punched the man in the mirror...breaking him into pieces.
Luke no longer felt sadness, or...any emotion. In fact, the only emotion he COULD feel...was rage. Deep, boiling, steaming rage. He felt as if Jack had taken away something from him, he felt a hatred towards Jack. However, he knew that he couldn't do anything about it without consequences. Luke had to find something to do to take his mind off the situation. He suddenly took off his vest, set his guns on his bed, and began to do push-ups. He had so much rage-fueled adrenaline in him, and he had to get rid of it somehow. He did about fifteen push-ups before he started doing sit-ups. He felt the energy going away, and the calm feeling that was coming across him was blissful. He continued exercising until he finally collapsed onto his bed from exhaustion. He laid there in bed for hours, just staring emotionless at the ceiling until it became dark out.
Luna had raised the moon, and nighttime had come to Equestria again. Luke exited his living quarters and examined the courtyard. The buildings had some of their lights on, and the guards patrolled their spots. Luke re-entered his room and got his gear before heading out. The night was surprisingly bright for a night, and the stars complimented the moon, which shined like a pearl. Luke's stargazing was stopped by another constable.
"Hey!" He yelled.
"It's me, it's me!" Luke responded.
"Oh...sorry, Luke. You know how it gets here. You can never be too prepared for a possible attack."
"I understand."
"So, where are you heading?"
"I'm heading to the shooting range/armory. I wanna sharpen my skills."
"Oh, sure. Just be careful, waking Randy up. He sleeps on the job sometimes, and almost shot some poor guy when he woke him up."
"Thank you."
Luke continued and entered the three-story building. It was made of stone, and his footsteps echoed as he walked up the stairs. When he reached the second floor, he saw a guy sleeping in a chair behind a window. Behind the window with him, was an assortment of pistols and shotguns. Luke walked up to the desk, and carefully knocked on the glass. When he did, the chubby man behind the counter woke up.
"Aah! Who's there?!" He yelled, pointing a pistol at Luke from behind the glass.
"Woah, woah! It's me, Luke! Relax!" Luke said, raising his hands.
"Oh...sorry, Luke. It's just...you're kinda new here, and I didn't expect to see your face."
"It's alright. Apology accepted."
"What do you need, Luke?"
"I need some .45 pistol rounds, and some twelve gauge shotgun rounds."
"Sure. For the shotgun, do you want birdshot, buckshot, or slugs?"
"Twelve of each. I wanna do some experimenting."
"Sure thing."
Randy gives Luke the appropriate ammunition and Luke heads to the firing range. The firing range was simple: There was a long line of tables with a place to store your ammunition, and across the room, were test dummies made of wood and straw that were shaped like humans. Luke had never fired a gun before, but something inside him told him that he had to. He unholstered his pistol, pulled back the hammer, and fired at the dummy. The sound hurt his ears slightly, but at that point, he didn't even care. He examined the shot: he hit the dummy in the leg, and he was aiming for the head. Wow, that is emberassing. Luke scoffed at his crappy aim and focused on his next shot. He took aim, a deep breath, and fired. The shot hit the wall just inches away from the head. Getting better. Luke took aim at the head of the dummy, concentrated on the head, and fired. In an instant, the bullet made contact with the cranium, and bits of hay flew from the hole it made.
Luke spent the next few hours testing the shotgun ammunition. He didn't like the birdshot at all. He liked the buckshot better, but his favorite was the shotgun slug. He watched in amusement as the dummy got turned into a mass of wood chips and hay. All that was still intact of the dummy was the head. Luke loaded in a slug, took aim, and saw the ball of hay explode before his eyes. He grinned and felt satisfaction, he was relieved of his stress...for the moment.
"Take that, hay." Luke said as he ejected the empty shell from the shotgun, and listened to it clink against the ground.
The Factions of Equestria
A few weeks later...
Luke was almost never seen around the compound. The only places he was seen commonly was either at the shooting range, or in his room. When he wasn't shooting, he was exercising. Some constables would complain to Jack that Luke wasn't doing his job, and he was too busy messing around, but Jack didn't mind. In fact, when asked, Jack would simply smile and say that he's proud.
In Jack's office...
"Jack!" Michael said to his leader as he approached his desk.
"Ah, Mikey! Have a seat." Jack said with a douchey smile, "What can I do for you?"
"I've got bad news. The rations and other supplies are low."
"What about the guns and munitions?"
"Ammunition, mainly. And Luke is the only one that really uses it. Should I tell him to hold back?"
"No. I see something great coming from that guy. He has been practicing for a month now. Have you seen his arms? He's got some pretty big muscles."
"What do you have planned for that guy?"
"He's gonna make a GREAT soldier. He barely talks, he's devoted to his training, and when I do tell him to do something, he does it without saying a peep. He gets shit DONE."
"So what do you have in mind to help with our lack of supplies?"
"Well, we don't exactly have any soldiers outside. However, my marefriend has made Ponyville aware that we are okay people. If we get some guys out there to scout and make another base, we expand....and have a better chance to get supplies."
"Who will go out there?"
"Only the best of the best. We will grab our best constables...or civilians, if they're up to it, and put them to a test. If they pass this test with a good enough score, we will allow them to go outside the walls and make another base."
"Sounds interesting. When will we start?"
"Tomorrow. For now, tell everyone about the test. This is important."
"Yes, sir."
Michael left the office, and wrote in his journal.
Dear journal...
I dunno what Luke ate that made him sick a few weeks ago, but whatever it is, I like what it's doing to him now! He's gotten good at marksmanship, I spy on his progress...and will say, I'd be scared to be in the direction of his gun. I'm also impressed with the muscle mass he built up! He's only been here for about a month, and he's got a six-pack!
I got plans for him. I've always wanted someone who does things for me without questioning their orders! If I were to put it immaturely, I want to make him onto my own "super soldier". I'm not saying I want to brainwash him...well, actually...I guess it wouldn't be such a bad thing. I know it may be seen as inhumane...but nobody has to know.
Anyways, I have to plan tomorrow's test. I will write down the results when I get back.
Sincerely, Jack.
The Factions of Equestria
The following day...
The courtyard had been cleared for the occasion. There were multiple activities awaiting the twenty five constables and the few citizens who wanted a try. While most of the constables were chatting amongst themselves, eager to possibly win a chance to explore outside, Luke was staring blankly...his arms crossed. Luke's foot tapped idly as he waited in line for the tournament to start.
"Luke!" Michael said, approaching Luke.
"Huh..." Luke grunted in response.
"You excited?"
"Meh..."
"Look, I know you've been upset about the Twilight thing for a while now...but you've gotta get used to it. You just may have to face the fact that Twilight is in love with someone already."
"...my brain accepts that...but my heart does not..."
"Alright, but...try to take it easy...okay, bro?"
"Yeah."
"Hey. I'm here to help ya, okay?"
"I gotcha, man."
Michael got back in line, and let Luke get back to his thoughts. Luke was on the verge of tears again, but he stopped himself. Oh, no you don't. You are NOT gonna start crying again. Real men don't cry. Suck it up, and move on with your life. Just accept the fact that she's with someone else. No, I cannot. I can't pretend to not be bothered by this. And Jack...that fucking HYPOCRYTE. Telling us we can't date ponies while he's dating Twilight. Makes me soooo mad-
"We now present, the Princess of Friendship!" A royal guard yelled as they made way for Twilight to come in.
Crap...mumble about Jack later. For now, focus on the tournament...
Jack went down to Twilight and kissed her cheek, much to Luke's disgust. After that, they went and sat in two fancy chairs at the end of the courtyard. When they got comfy, Jack pulled up a cone and began speaking into it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mares and gentlestallions! Welcome to the first tryouts for the PAP clan's offensive and expansion forces! We are looking for the best our people can offer, and in order to see who they are...we must put them through a test! We are going to start with a strength test, where each participant must do twenty push-ups, twenty squats, and thirty jumping jacks! Heh...no pun intended." He started.
Oh, fuck off. Luke thought, angrily. Smug dickhead...
"The second test will involve our contestants running through an obstacle course. This includes jumping, climbing, and did I mention running?"
Yeah, you did. Douche.
"And finally, our contestants will then prove their marksmanship skills! They will have to use their primary and secondary weapons to take out the hay mannequins at the end. The best fifteen will win!"
The citizens cheered. The constables were all flexing, saluting, and waving...all except Luke. Twilight looked at the group of contestants and waved at them. When Luke saw this, his attitude changed from exasperated to slightly loopy. Just seeing Twilight wave to him made his heart throb. Jack began counting down from ten, and Luke got ready to sprint to the exercising station. You know what? Fuck Jack. This is about proving myself worthy for the outside world. Twilight came to see us compete! Well, I'll give her a show she'll NEVER forget!
"GO!" Jack yelled.
In an instant, Luke went full sprint...
And tripped.
A series of laughs from the crowd was enough to make him get right back up and run again. He had no time to feel embarrassed, he had to continue. After about ten seconds of sprinting, the men and women reached the exercising station. Luke immediately got down and did his twenty push-ups. While some struggled, Luke did them rather quickly. The audience almost immediately stopped laughing and began cheering. Jack watched with a smile, watching Luke smugly as he completed his push-ups and squats like they were nothing. Luke then did his jumping jacks, which were absolutely no trouble for him.
After that, Luke...along with about eleven other contestants sprinted to the obstacle course. Along the way, there were hurdles that they had to jump over. Luke had never done them before, but he knew he had to try. He watched as the people in front of him either jumped over the hurdles...or tripped on them. There were three ahead of him. He jumped over the first one, then continued to sprint. He jumped over the second one, and continued to sprint. A single drop of sweat rolled down his forehead, but he was not tired. He couldn't be tired. Not yet. The third hurdle was approaching...FAST. Luke jumped, and made it. The crowd erupted with ear-piercing cheers. Some of the citizens started chanting, "Luke! Luke! Luke!"
This got the attention of Twilight Sparkle. She looked at the man in the lead who was sprinting to the marksmanship test, leaving the tripping contestants behind in the dust.
Twilight leaned over to her boyfriend, "Who's the guy in the lead?"
"That's Luke." Jack responded, smirking.
"My gosh, he's fast!"
"I know...he trains every day..."
Luke reached to the shooting test, with only Michael next to him. They looked at each other.
"Let the best man win." Michael said.
Luke nodded and drew out his sidearm. He aimed at the head, took a deep breath, and fired. Headshot. Michael did the same. By the time they did this, most of the contestants reached the range and began firing...and missing. The area was loud, the popping of gunshots impossible to escape. Luke picked up a pump shotgun and noticed a sticky note. It read, "Birdshot, Buckshot, and Slug". He aimed the birdshot at the chest, and fired. The shot peppered the torso, doing a lot of external damage to the hay dummy. Luke ejected the empty shell and aimed the buckshot at the torso. He fired and hit it in the chest again, weakening the torso. Luke ejected the shell onto the table and took aim. Time to finish this with a bang. Luke concentrated his sights on the head. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed the trigger. In an instant, the head exploded...and the dummy fell on the ground.
The crowd EXPLODED into cheers. Luke ejected the shell and kicked it into the sky. He raised both his hands into the air and took in all the cheers. Yes, he was showing off a little...but he was enjoying himself. After about three minutes, fourteen more people passed the test and Jack blew an air horn. Everyone stopped. Jack got up from his seat and called the winners to him.
"Everybody! I present you, the winners!" Jack said, standing in his seat.
Luke was sooo close to the lavender alicorn that he admired. She was congratulating them all for their efforts...and then she called for Luke. Luke got butterflies in his stomach as he approached her, and when he arrived, he almost let out a fangirl squeal.
"That was amazing!" Twilight said in her seat, "How could you do that without breaking a sweat?"
"W-well...heh...I-I practice a-a lot." Luke managed to stutter. Smooth, Luke. Reeeeal smooth.
"And that is why he is NOT going to be an expansion troop." Jack said, sternly.
The crowd gasped, and Twilight did a double take.
"Why not? He arrived in first place!" Twilight said.
"He is not going to be an expansion troop," Jack started, "Because as your commander, I am officially making Luke here...our executive officer!"
"Huh?!" Luke said as he too, did a double take.
The crowd cheered and yelled so loud, it could've shattered the stained glass windows all the way in Canterlot. Luke was having a hard time comprehending what he was just told.
"W-what?" Luke asked again, still struggling to understand.
"You see, the executive is just under the commander. I am your commander. You are now the executive. That means you are second in command, and will have almost as much power as me! And to top that off, you will be given a better housing unit! We will discuss your job later." Jack exclaimed.
For the first time in a long time, Luke smiled. He felt genuinely happy. And with Twilight congratulating him, he felt even more confident in himself than ever.
The Factions of Equestria
Executive Luke, You've Got A Visitor
The very next day...
"You're the executive now. That means you have a BIG responsibility. You are given the task of commanding the constables, granting search warrants, and keeping order when I'm busy." Jack said.
"Cool." Luke simply said, looking at his new room/office.
It was a very nice room. In the center, there was a big reclining chair across from another. On the left, there was a big bed with a blue blanket and a pillow. To the left of it was a nightstand with three drawers, and a lamp on top for late-night reading. To the right of the bed was a closet for hanging up his wardrobe. On the right side of the room, there was an office desk complete with drawers, pencils, ink, pens, a quill, two ink cartridges, a lamp for late-night work, a typewriter, and a comfy chair to sit in. To top it off, it was all in front of a window...where the whole compound could be overseen.
"It's almost as good as MY office!" Jack said with his trademark douche smirk.
"That so?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed. The guys are trying to build an elevator that runs off of steam power in my building. Neat, huh?"
"Uh huh."
"Oh! I almost forgot. I want you to wear this."
Jack then hands Luke a set of folded clothes. After getting dressed, Luke examined himself in the large mirror next to his closet. His outfit was similar to Jack's: black boots, black suit pants, blue shirt, black vest, black trench coat, and a military captain's hat. However, the medal on this hat was silver. There was no engraving on it. Jack left the room and allowed Luke to admire his new uniform.
Once Jack leaves Luke's new office, he begins heading for his own. Once he enters, he sits at his desk...and opens his journal again.
Dear Journal,
Everything is going as planned. I have given Luke the executive position. Hopefully, the power will go to his head...and will think he is powerful, and combined with his marksmanship...he WILL become powerful. Under my command, the PAP clan's name will be heard all across Equestria!
However, this will take time. Hopefully, Luke will gradually rise in power and strength to become my own super soldier. Maybe through more power, we can become just as good as-
Jack's writing was interrupted by one of his watch tower guards. The guard burst into the office, making Jack leave a long streak of ink onto his paper. After recovering from the shock, he got up from his chair and spoke to his guard.
"Dude...what's up? Why did you just burst into my office?" Jack asked, mildly irritated.
"It's Twilight! She has arrived at the gates." The guard responded, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Oh really? I wonder what she wants to talk to me about~." Jack said, combing his hand through his blond hair.
"Actually...she came to talk to Luke."
"Oh..."
"Shall I let her in?"
"Of course, of course."
A few minutes later...
Luke was in his room, admiring himself in the mirror. He had just finished adjusting the straps on his tactical vest when he heard a knocking at the door.
"Come in!" Luke said, still looking at the mirror.
"Executive Luke, you have a visitor." A guard said, poking his head in.
"Visitor? Who?"
"Me." A female voice said.
Luke gasped as he turned around to see Princess Twilight standing in the doorway.
"May I come in?" She asked.
Luke's mopey expression changed to an enthusiastic one. He smiled and responded, "Of course! Come in and make yourself comfy!"
Twilight smiled and sat in one of his reclining chairs, and Luke sat down in the one across from it.
"Let me say that it is an honor to meet you, Princess Twilight." Luke said.
"Thank you, and it is also an honor to meet you too, Executive Luke."
Luke almost squealed yet again, but simply smiled.
"Please, just call me Luke" Luke said.
"Okay then, Luke." Twilight said, smiling.
"So, what can I do for you?"
"I wanted to interview you. I wanted to know how you rose up to be who you are in only a few weeks. Jack has told me a lot about you, but I wanted to met you myself." Twilight responded, pulling out a notepad and a quill and ink.
"Oh, um...sure."
"Okay, what was your occupation before you came to Equestria?"
"I worked in a factory that made breakfast cereal. Nothing too special."
"Okay, now...what happened when you first came here?"
"I was almost kidnapped by FTP clan members. God knows what would've happened if Michael and his squad weren't nearby to save my skin."
"Okay, and what motivated you to begin training hard?"
Luke hesitated, before saying, "Let's just say that I went through a sudden depression. I melted my stress and sadness away with exercise, and shooting. I became fairly good at it, if I do say so myself."
"I agree, you put on quite a show yesterday. I'm impressed."
Luke blushed, and let out a goofy smile, "Oh, shucks."
"Heh, anyways," Twilight said, "Now, what will you do now that you have the executive position?"
"I simply want to protect the ponies of Equestria. Humans can be destructive, yes...but we also can be very peaceful. While I try to avoid conflict with people, that doesn't mean that I will not use violence to keep peace. Folks who commit horrible acts of terrorism upon ponies will get the justice they deserve as long as I'm around."
"That's very noble. May I use that in a quote?"
"Of course."
Twilight wrote down a few more notes, and then looked at the clock.
"Oh! Would you look at the time? It's getting late, and I have royal business back at my castle. Thanks for letting me speak to you!"
"The pleasure's all mine. Come by whenever you want!"
"Oh, I will!" Twilight said, giving Luke a smile that made the darkening night a whole lot brighter.
"Good night, Princess Twilight!" Luke said, waving.
Twilight opened the door, and looked back at him, "Please, just call me Twilight," She said before smiling and leaving the office.
Luke laid down in his bed and clutched his chest, feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside. His face was blushing a red brighter than an apple from Sweet Apple Acres.
"It really IS a good night." Luke grinned before closing his eyes and letting sleep overcome him.
The Factions of Equestria
Showing Off For The Princess
The next day...
Luke was at the shooting range with a Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun with a pistol grip and a foregrip. While Luke was more used to shotguns with a buttstock, this gun didn't have one. The pistol grip was made of rubber, so it was comfortable in his hands. He was just about to fill the dummy with lead, until someone opened the door. Luke turned around, and smiled at the sight of Twilight in the doorway.
"Twilight!" Luke said, smiling.
"Hi, Luke!" Twilight said, returning a smile.
"What's up?"
"Well, yesterday I submitted our interview into the newspaper, and-"
"Wait, you submitted the interview in the paper?"
"I'm sorry, did you not want that?"
"Nonono! I'm actually flattered. It's cool!"
"Oh, good! Because, you're the talk of the town in Ponyville!"
"Wait, really?"
"Yes! The few ponies who feared all humans in town have changed their minds since the paper came out this morning!"
"Wow....heh..."
Luke scratched the back of his head, and chuckled slightly. An awkward silence filled the room as Luke and Twilight stood there for about twenty seconds, occasionally looking at each other. Then, Twilight cleared her throat and began speaking.
"Oh, um...was I interrupting you?" Twilight asked, sheepishly.
"Oh, no! Not at all. I was just planning to squeeze in a few shots here in the range." Luke replied, chambering a shell in his shotgun.
"Oh! Well, may I observe your marksmanship?"
"Well, sure...but the noise that a gun makes may hurt your ears."
"It's fine! I'll just cast a spell to silence the loud, abrupt noise."
"Well, okay. Get comfy!"
Twilight sat on a stool behind him and observed. Luke already was nervous. He had never fired a shotgun with a barrel that short, so he didn't know how accurate he was going to be. He then took a deep breath, and fired. BOOM! The recoil on that gun was hard, but was easy to manage with the foregrip. The buckshot exploded from the short barrel, and spread far apart. Some pellets hitting the chest, two in the legs of the dummy, and a single pellet hitting the target where the teeth would be. Bits of hay flew about in the vicinity of the impact points. Luke ejected the shell, and heard the sound on hooves clapping. He turned around to see Twilight applauding him for his marksmanship.
"That was amazing! While I am not one for violence, I see why Jack chose you as his executive officer!" she said enthusiastically.
"Indeed." Luke said, ejecting the rest of the shells and setting the shotgun down, "I was just testing this one out. I think I like regular shotguns instead."
"What makes the 'shotgun' different from the 'pistol'?"
Perfect. Time to teach her of my knowledge of weapons!
"Well," Luke started, "Guns come in many shapes and sizes. All guns have the same purpose: launching projectiles at your foes at high speeds."
"Okay..." Twilight said, pulling out her notepad again, "I hope you don't mind if I recorded this data."
"Not at all. Go ahead."
"Okay...continue, please!"
"The pistol is a basic gun. They can be fired with at least one hand, depending on the power of their bullet. Bullets can be loaded into handguns and revolvers alike, but they are both different. Pistols use magazines that you have to load with bullets. You then load the magazine into the handle of the gun, chamber a bullet, and fire. Like so," Luke said as he took out his 1911 pistol and demonstrated the magazine and how it works.
"Fascinating! And, what about the shotgun?" Twilight asked as she finished scribbling into her notepad.
"Shotguns are interesting weapons. Shotguns almost always require two hands to use, and use a special type of bullet called 'shells'. There are many types, but the three most well-known shells are birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. Birdshot uses teeny tiny pellets to do external damage to the body. Mainly to cause pain to the skin. Buckshot is similar. It uses pellets too, but these pellets are much larger. For twelve gauge buckshot, there are usually nine balls of lead that fire out to do external, and internal damage. And finally, we have slugs. Slugs are very simple: They fire a single, accurate, and powerful piece of lead to do more internal damage. Not to mention, the kick on the weapon is incredible when using such ammunition. Something to note is because buck and bird uses ammo that spreads, it is best to use it in close quarter combat. As for slugs, they are better for longer ranges," Luke said as he loaded all 3 types in his shotgun, and demolished the target.
"Wow...Luke...that was incredible!" Twilight said in amazement as she scribbled the last notes on her pad.
"Ah, well...it was nothin'." Luke said, sniffing the smoke coming from the barrel of his weapon.
"I must say, you have improved since the first time I saw you."
"Huh?"
"When I arrived at base, I saw you stumble into a building with Michael. "
"Oh...yeah, I was getting sick."
"I see..."
"...hey! Wanna meet my good friend Randy? He's the quartermaster. He's got one of the best jobs: managing all our weapons and ammunition!"
"Okay, sure!"
Twilight hops off of her seat and follows Luke into the hall. After a few moments, they reach the front desk. However...no one was there.
"Huh?" Twilight raised an eyebrow as she looked through the glass.
"Randy?" Luke called out, "Strange. He's not here. He even left his donuts on the table."
"You think he could be on break?"
"Uh uh. His job is so simple, he never leaves this seat."
"Well then. Maybe some other time."
"I guess so."
"Well, I must get going. I will be busy at the castle tonight!"
"Okay! Well...thanks for visiting me, Twilight! Come back soon!"
"Oh, I will!"
Luke smiled to her, which she promptly smiled back at him. After that, she left the room and exited the PAP compound. When she left, Luke decided to look for Randy. He searched the entire compound, but didn't see or hear of him. This got Luke slightly concerned, so he decided to go ask Jack about this...even though he hated Jack. Still, he had a job to do: making sure his clan mates were safe and happy. He entered his office, and called out.
"Jack?!" He yelled, but got no response.
Luke approached Jack's desk and found his journal. It was open, and it was that day's date. He sat down, and read the entry.
Dear journal,
Twilight re-visited the compound today, and just like yesterday...she didn't come to see me. I'm not mad, I just...kinda want her to pay a little more attention to me. After all, I am the guy who raised the army who protects her and Equestria from the dangers of the FTP clan. Maybe...when we get married...I may become a prince...and have enough power to make everypony worship us!
Anyways, I must get back to work. Earlier I saw Randy leave the compound without permission, and before we could stop him...he already disappeared from view. Now, I don't care too much about the obese bastard...but I do care about a guy who will distribute our weapons to our members without asking questions. To be honest, I don't care if he got eaten by timber wolves, or lost in the Everfree...but I will need to find a new quartermaster soon.
-Sincerely, Jack.
After Luke read the rest of Jack's journal, including the plans to brainwash him...Luke was furious. He slammed his fist into the table and let out a roar of frustration.
"Turn me into your own super soldier, huh?" Luke started, "That why you gave me the executive position?! No wonder Twilight isn't interacting with you all the time; you don't deserve her! All you are is a power-hungry, hypocritical, lying, first-class, fucking hoe!"
After Luke had a stomping fit, he exited the building. He no longer was worried about Randy anymore. He now learned what was REALLY going on. Jack wanted power, and wanted to use Luke to rise. He knew what he had to do, but to be honest...what could he do? He couldn't mention this to anyone: if he failed, Jack would realize that Luke was snooping and would demote him...or worse. Luke knew that Jack was a tyrant...but he had nothing he could do about it. Betraying Jack may hurt Twilight's feelings...and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Still, it bugged him that Jack was simply using Twilight to rise in power...
There was one thing that was for sure.
The fucker had to be STOPPED.
The Factions of Equestria
Eight Months Later...
Just three months after the tournament and Luke's new given position, the PAP clan has already been improving. While Jack was busy with the brand-new trading compound in Ponyville, Luke was almost always in charge of the main operating base. This lead to Luke getting a lot of respect from the citizens, as well as the constables. With Michael as his best friend, this lead to many more friendships with him and the group. The clan almost saw Luke as a less-douchey version of Jack.
For instance, they are both seen as leaders. However, Luke is a lot less strict when it came to the work that the clan members had to do. When the guards in the watch tower needed a break, he would give them two hours to do what they wished while some constables took over. Whenever someone got hurt, like a cut or sprain...once, a broken limb, Jack would just slap a Band-Aid on it and tell them to "man up". With Luke in charge, he made sure the doctors were doing what they could to make sure every clan mate is healthy. This made many of the PAP members see him as a role model, and someone they can depend on if they struggled. If anyone had an issue, he welcomed them to come into his office and talk about how they can solve the problem.
A month after that, Jack returned to the PAP base with news that the trading complex was successful...and sure enough, profits were coming in. With the extra money, the clan was able to gain enough resources to upgrade the base. Not only that, but also obtain food, water, and clothing. The clan was thriving, and so were the lives of ponies. The local economy boosted a noticeably larger amount, as well.
However, Jack's return disappointed the clan members a little. When he overheard about how Luke ran the base, he was mildly agitated...but he didn't want to ruin his plan. Hearing about how the members appreciated Luke made him jealous. It was at this point when he realized that Luke wasn't as quiet or depressed as he was a while back. He was commonly seen walking around the base, engaging in conversation, or teaching other clan members how to shoot well. Jack was irritated by this, but he knew that he couldn't remove Luke from the executive position. He was getting too much attention. If he demoted him, everyone would wonder why.
And then there was the visits. For the next five months, every day, Twilight would come to the base. She only would say hi to Jack or give him a hug or kiss...and then she would go directly to Luke and talk with him. He knew that they weren't doing anything that would break rule ten, he watched them through the window of the rooms. They simply sat and talked. What they talked about was beyond him, but this definitely added to his jealousy. He wanted Twilight to himself if he wanted royal powers, but he also couldn't tear her away from her new friend. That would give a sign.
That brings this adventure to about eight months after Luke's arrival. Jack was in his office, yet again writing in his journal.
Dear Journal,
The PAP is a success! We have made a lot of money, thanks to the trading complex in Ponyville. We have improved the overall conditions of the base as well, such as better quality food and clothes. We are also well-known by the public, so that only improves our good publicity!
However, not all is good. Twilight hasn't been talking to me much. She would come visit every day, but would only talk to Luke. I'm her damn boyfriend! I should be the one getting visited and talked to at least an hour a day! I know they aren't doing anything that would break rule 10, but I am curious on what they talk about. Tomorrow, I'll eavesdrop on their conversation...and see what they are discussing. I'd like to know what goes on between those two.
-Jack
The Factions of Equestria
The next day...
Luke was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept all night, he was thinking too much. He and Twilight had been friends for months, and they were really close. They talked at least once a day, and he enjoyed her company. However, he couldn't get the fact that he loved her off his mind. He had strong feelings toward the lavender mare, but her dating Jack, along with rules nine and ten, were the only things stopping him. He didn't want to keep any secrets from her. When the sun was up, and the clock hit ten AM...he knew what he had to do.
That's it. I can't take it anymore. If I don't tell her today, I'll live with this secret on my chest. She's a good friend, I shouldn't have any secrets between us. When she comes today, I'm gonna tell her exactly how I feel about her.
Luke sighed, and got up from his bed. With the new water system, he took a shower. He then brushed his teeth and hair, and put on his executive uniform. He looked at himself in the mirror. The man in it stared through him. Luke realized that he had changed. He wasn't the puny little factory worker anymore, he was now the big strong quasi-military executive. He stepped away from the mirror and secured his pistol in his holster, and then strapped his favorite pump-shotgun onto his back. After that, he sat in the reclining chair he usually sat in when Twilight visited. For hours, he sat there contemplating what he would say to Twilight. I'm just gonna be straight forward about it. He thought.
When the clock struck 1:00 PM, Twilight arrived.
"Hi, Luke!" Twilight said, smiling.
"Oh, hey Twi." Luke said, barely smiling.
"What's wrong?" She asked as she sat in the chair across from him.
Jack snuck into the building, and was right outside the door...listening in on them.
"Well, I...have something I've got to get off my chest."
"Oh? What is it?"
"The thing is...I'm not sure if I should tell you."
"Why not?"
"..."
"Luke...you can tell me. Can't you trust me? Don't you?"
"I do...but..." Luke sighs, "Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course!" Twilight said, looking concerned.
"Okay..."
There was a long pause. Seconds turned to minutes. Luke sat there, wondering what to say.
Come on, Luke. BE A MAN!
"Twilight, I love you!" Luke said, abruptly.
Before she could react, the door flew right off its hinges.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Jack screamed, red-faced and standing in the doorway.
Luke's eyes widened. Instantly, his fight or flight instincts kicked in.
"Nope!" Luke yelled as he jumped right out of his window, smashing through the glass and falling two stories down onto the grass.
The sound of glass shattering caused all the PAP members to stop what they were doing, and notice Luke laying on his side in the grass. Luke groaned and looked up at the window, and heard Jack yelling at Twilight...and then he peeked down at Luke from the window. He pulled out the large revolver that he always carried, but dropped it by accident. Michael caught it, and stood right where he was, watching the events unfold.
"I just KNEW you were trying to steal MY mare!" Jack said, waving his fists and stomping in a fit of rage.
"I just wanted to tell her how I feel! Just because she likes talking to me more than you, doesn't make me a waifu-stealer!"
The crowd gasped. Nobody had ever talked to Jack that way before, and the one who did was his most trusted member.
"Not to mention, you don't deserve her! You just want to use her for your own personal gain! You don't really love her! Twilight's a sweet, caring mare with a heart bigger than anyone I've ever met! She wanted you to be happy! And you just want to be known as "Prince Jack" and shit like that! Please, the only thing you'll be is a ROYAL PAIN! And your plans to make me into your own little "super soldier"! Yeah, that's right! I've read your little book! You think you're on top! You aren't! This business isn't about the protection of ponies! This is about your own personal gain!" Luke then turns to the other members, who were all watching him, "Everyone, look at what he does! How he used to treat you all! And what about him breaking his own rules! We aren't allowed to be in love with ponies, and yet...he dates one! Don't you all want to be with the mare or stallion of your dreams?!"
A long silence hovered in the area for thirty seconds.
"Yes! I do!" A constable spoke up and stepped forward, "I always wanted to win the heart of Roseluck!"
Another member spoke up. She was a citizen, "I always wanted to date Braeburn!" She yelled.
"Traitors!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs, "You're all gonna be arrested for this! Guards!"
Nobody dared to move. Nobody spoke. The constables simply stared at Luke...then back at Jack.
"I trusted you, Luke. I gave you the executive position, and this is how you repay me?!" Jack yelled.
"I'm not your executive anymore." Luke said dryly, "I'm leaving."
"How?"
"Like this."
Just like that, Luke simply stood up...and walked out of the complex. The gates opened for him, and he went outside for the first time in a long time. Not looking back, he went along a dirt road...heading to Ponyville. He then realized that he did it...he told Twilight how he felt...and now he was free from his clutches. However, he was alone.
Or...was he..?
"Yo, Luke." A familiar voice said from behind him.
He looked back, and saw Michael. Behind Michael, were ten more PAP members. They were walking with him.
"We're with you, Luke." One said.
"Yeah. Jack is an asshole. You're a better leader." Another mentioned.
Luke smiled. "Thanks, guys. Well...what are we gonna do now? We have no place to live or operate."
Michael made a creepy smile, "I've got an idea..." He said, grimly.
In Ponyville...
The residents of Ponyville watched in awe as Luke and his fellow rebels were marching through the streets. They were facing straight forward, and heading to the PAP trading complex. Once they arrived, Luke looked at Michael...and Michael nodded.
"Attention, traders!" Luke yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth.
The chief of the elites came out and greeted Luke, "Executive Luke! What can I do for you?"
"Jack has sent us," Luke lied. "And he wanted me to tell you that I am now in charge of this area. You may leave."
"Really? I thought he said that only the elites could wor-"
"Are you questioning your executive officer?" Michael asked, stepping forward.
"N-no! Not at all! I'll get everyone to pack their bags and get moving really soon!"
The chief of the complex re-entered the trading building. Luke smirked.
"Nice." Michael said.
"Yeah." Luke responded, grinning.
"Oh, and Luke? You got lucky. The gun that Jack dropped was a .500 magnum! If he shot you, that would've been really bad."
"Damn! I got lucky."
"Yeah."
"And you know what? Keep it."
"Why?"
"Well, my executive will need it."
"H-huh?"
"This is the birth of a new clan. I will need someone I can trust...and I can trust you, bro."
"Thanks, Luke. Means a lot."
"No problem."
After their little chat, the chief along with twenty other PAP elites marched out of the building, backpacks in tow.
"Okay, guys! Everyone go in and secure this place!" Luke said.
"Yes sir!" Everyone yelled as they entered the trading complex.
The complex had an interesting design. They even had three floors underground. Mainly their vaults containing money and supplies. Awesome! Luke thought. Now that we have captured this base along with its supplies, Jack will weaken. Just as a little extra "fuck you" to jack. The living quarters were good, but Luke checked out the chief's bedroom. It was on the top floor, and it was the best. There was a wooden nightstand with two lamps on it, a walk-in closet that had a mirror in it, a door that lead to a small balcony hanging outside, and to top it off...a king-sized bed with two fluffy pillows, and three comfy sheets on top. Bedding fit for royalty.
After everyone got comfy, Luke went to an intercom and spoke into it.
"Attention, everyone. Please head to the lobby for announcements." he said, before heading into the lobby himself.
When he entered, he was surprised to see that everyone already got in a line...awaiting his announcement.
"Wow, you are all fast." Luke said with a smile.
"Awaiting your instruction, commander Luke." One member said.
"Right! Okay. Listen..." Luke thought for a moment, wondering what to say, "Okay. Today, I will prove to you all that things will be better. For rules: they are all common knowledge. All of Jack's rules apply...except for nine and ten!"
The members smiled and whispered amongst themselves.
"And!" Luke started, "It is 8:14 PM. If your mares/stallions of your dreams are awake...I will give you until 9:00 PM to go find and meet them! By 9:15 PM, I want everyone to go to bed. And just because I like you, I'm gonna give you all the day off tomorrow to explore town and socialize with everypony!"
The members cheered loudly, until one stepped forward.
"Wait!" One said, "What are we now gonna be called?"
"Our clan name?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. What's our initials?"
"I already have that planned..."
"Oh?"
"Yes! From this day forward, our symbol color will be green! And we will simply be known as the Equestrian Defenders! We will become Equestria's TRUE protectors!"
"Yes!" The ED members cheered.
"We are the ED Clan!" Luke yelled, a fist in the air.
"Hoo ha!" The members cheered loudly, moving their fists in the air.
"Now, go meet some ponies!"
Without saying anything more, the ED members rushed out the building. Luke smiled. He did what Jack failed to do: Let his members be happy.
Forty-five minutes later...
The ED members returned. Some were saying that they made friends, and other have said that they even managed to score dates!
"Thanks to you, I will be going for coffee with Roseluck tomorrow!" One member said to Luke.
Luke again smiled at what he accomplished. He truly felt like he did something right...and while he was heading back to his room, he already heard snoring. The guys are all worn out. I would be, too if I was excited for part of the day.
He entered his room, and hung up his trench coat and hat on the coatrack. He looked in the mirror, and the man on the other side was truly happy looking. Luke stood there, admiring the small items on the nightstand when he head something step into the room. He turned around, and saw Twilight standing in his room in front of the balcony door. She was looking at him, and he was staring back.
"H-hi." Luke said, nervously.
"Hello, Luke." Twilight said, equally nervous, "M-may I have a seat?"
"Y-yeah..."
Luke sat down on his bed, and Twilight sat next to him. They looked around the room, awkwardly as silence yet again took over the area. Suddenly, Twilight broke it.
"Those things you said, earlier," She started, "Were they true?"
Luke looked at her, "Yes," He started, "Not just Jack wanting to use me and you...but...I truly do admire you. You have a heart of gold, and a kind soul. You brightened up my day whenever you visited, and you cured my depression. When I saw you kiss Jack months ago, I fell into a deep depression. I trained to melt it away...and you coming to only talk to me made my day worth waking up for."
"That...is...so sweet..."
"I had to tell you eventually...I didn't want any secrets betwe-"
Luke's sentence was stopped by Twilight's lips colliding with his. He gasped, but didn't pull away. The kiss only lasted for about three seconds before Twilight finally pulled away. This time, Luke couldn't hold it in. He squealed a little, and looked at her.
"W-wow..." Luke said, shaking a little.
"Luke...you treated me better than any other man or stallion on the world. Jack would yell at me, once shoved me. You...I could talk to you. Your face always lit up when I came, and that gave me a warm feeling inside. I felt like you actually appreciated me. I thought I loved Jack...but secretly inside...I just...never knew that I truly had feelings for yo-"
It was Luke's turn to interrupt her with a kiss. He closed his eyes, and passionately kissed her. Their lips parted and their tongues wrestled in each other's mouths. Luke continued to kiss her as he combed his hand through her soft, purple mane. When they released, they were panting...and a little shocked.
"Well...I did it..." Twilight said, panting.
"I finally kissed the mare of my dreams...my life is complete..." Luke said, smiling.
"What should we do now?"
"Well, it's getting late. This bed is big enough for two, it's rather comfy...and you're not a bad kisser..."
"Are you asking me to spend the night with you, making out?!"
"Hm..." Luke said, placing a hand on his chin and exaggerating a thinking pose, "Yes, I believe I-"
Luke was interrupted by Twilight kissing him again, and just as he fell back onto the bed, she flicked the lamp off.
The Factions of Equestria
The next day...
Celestia brought the sun up, and the new day came. A brand-new day for the PAP, FTP, and the ED clan. When there's a new day, new events and surprises were to come. Especially surprises. The first surprise came from a question from in the minds of everypony in Ponyville: Where is Twilight?
That brings us to the ED trading building. Inside Luke's room, mainly. The second the alarm clock went off, Luke grabbed his 1911 pistol, and used it to smash the clock into pieces. He dropped the pistol, and opened his eyes.
"Good morning to you too, clock." Luke mused at the broken timepiece.
He attempted to lift his arm, but felt weight on it. Looking over, he was face-to-face with a peacefully sleeping Twilight. Her mane was quite a mess, her wing's feathers were pointing in many places. Luke suddenly remembered what happened, and why he was where he was.
"Oh yeah..." Luke held in a laugh, recalling the memories of last night...
He looked at himself. His blue shirt was gone, and his simple white t-shirt was wrinkly. He wore only one sock, and his hair looked like a porcupine straight out of the dryer. Damn, I'm a mess.
Outside the room...
Michael and the rest of the elements made a search party amongst themselves. They searched all of Ponyville for her, but still no sign.
"I hope she is okay." Michael said.
"I hope she wasn't captured by the FTP..." Fluttershy shuddered, remembering their first attack...
"I doubt the FTP took her."
Michael approached the door, and have it a knock.
"Luke!" Michael yelled, "You in there? We gotta talk to you!"
Only a few seconds passed when Luke opened the door and peeked out at them.
"Can I help you?" Luke asked, a grin that SCREAMED "douchebag".
"We're looking for Twilight," Applejack said, "Have you seen her?"
"Actually-"
"Was she captured?" Fluttershy asked frantically.
"No, but-"
"Was she just up all night with royal business?" Rarity tilted her head and asked.
Oh yeah, there definitely was some "business". Luke chuckled lightly at his thought.
"Do you find Twilight missing amusing? Why I oughta-" Rainbow dash started.
"Luke? What's going on out there?" Twilight got up and appeared in the doorway behind Luke.
The second everyone looked at Twilight, they all stared. Twilight's eyes widened, she yanked Luke back in, and slammed the door. Michael grinned, Fluttershy stood there with a gaping mouth, Rarity lightly giggled, Pinkie had no reaction, Applejack seemed to be holding back her laughter, and Rainbow bluntly let her laugh out.
"Holy crap!" Rainbow said through her laughs, using one of the many phrases she learned from humans.
"Well, looks like Luke finally got the 'rodeo' he always wanted." Michael said dryly.
The room went quiet, before everyone began laughing.
A few minutes later, Luke and Twilight exited the room. Twilight's mane and feathers back to normal, and Luke's full executive uniform on. He glared at Michael and the rest of the elements, his arms crossed. A few seconds later, they look notice and stopped.
"Heh...hey, Luke!" Michael said, sheepishly smiling.
"..." Luke continues to stare at him.
"Um....look at that! You finally got Twilight! Look at you!"
"I'll tar and feather you later," Luke said, grimly, "but for now, I have some organizing to do. Are you willing to spare any time?"
"I got a few minutes, sure."
"If we want to OFFICIALLY be an independent clan, we must show our independence."
"How are we gonna do that?"
"Come to the lobby, we can talk about it downstairs."
Luke, Michael, Twilight, and the rest of the elements went downstairs into the lobby. The lobby was a clean room, with marble tiles and cushioned benches. Luke dragged a bench across from another and sat down. Twilight sat right next to him, and Michael along with the rest of the Mane Six sat across from him.
"Okay," Luke started, "To start, we should change our colors. I mean, these uniforms are CLEARLY symbols of Jack's clan."
"What do you recommend?" Michael asked.
"I say we simply change our uniform colors to green. We could possibly dip our blue uniforms in yellow dye and-"
"Wait!" Rarity chimed in, "Let me help you make uniforms for your group! I can make some that are far better than your old ones!"
"Really? That would take a lot of time and wor-"
"Please, do not finish that sentence! For rescuing Twilight from her abusive ex-boyfriend, it would be no trouble for me to make you all new uniforms!"
"Well, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Rarity."
"What about the base itself? There are banners draped outside with "PAP" initials on them." Michael asked.
"We simply take them off, and replace them with "ED" banners."
"Sounds reasonable. What about our relationship with Jack's clan?"
Luke furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the ground at the mention of Jack. Twilight responded to this by affectionately nuzzling his cheek. His eyebrows went back to normal, and he regained his happy mood. "Jack doesn't exist to us. We won't talk about, or interact with his clan, unless we absolutely have to. Simple as that." He said.
"Alright."
"Anyways, that's all for now. We can make this base officially ours tomorrow. For now, everyone's having fun and talking to everypony. You should too, Mike."
"Well, I dunno. I mean, what about my duties?"
"Relax, bro. Today's a day of celebration. Now, you go out there and make some friends! Your commander orders you." Luke smirked.
"Heh heh. Okay, okay. I'll see ya later, then."
Michael left the building and left Luke in the lobby with the elements. The room was quiet, until Pinkie broke the silence.
"Ooh! I just realized! We should totally have a 'Welcome to Ponyville, ED Clan" party at Sugarcube Corner later! Oh no...if I want it to be tonight, I gotta get started now! Sorry to leave, but I gotta go!" Pinkie said frantically.
"No problem. Have fu-" Luke couldn't even finish his sentence before Pinkie zipped out of the building.
"I hafta go back to the farm. It's gonna be a busy day today. After all, yall gotta eat. Right?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah, but don't stress yourself. This base has enough food to last a while. But I appreciate the gesture.
Applejack smiled and left the complex.
"I suppose I must be going, too. I have to start working on your uniforms!" Rarity said, cheerfully.
"Wouldn't you need to like...measure us, or something?" Luke asked.
"No need, I am good at measuring one's form in my head. I think human form will be an exciting challenge for me!"
With that said, Rarity left the complex as well.
"Fluttershy and I have to go. She needs my help chasing a lost pet. A parrot, or something." Rainbow said, simply.
"Don't get yourself killed." Luke said.
Dash and Fluttershy left the building, leaving Luke and Twilight alone.
Luke sat there on the bench with Twilight, occasionally looking around. Twilight then places a hoof on his hand, which he gently holds. They turn to each other, and look in their eyes. Luke stared into her big, purple eyes. Twilight stared into his shining, blue eyes. After a minute of gazing, Twilight broke the silence.
"You did it." Twilight said.
"Did what?" Luke asked, "Finally win the heart of the mare I love?"
"Hehe~. That, and finally becoming independent. You're the leader of an army, Lukie!"
"I don't really want to think of it as an army. I want to think of this group as...a task force. People who help those in need. Not just making money, but making a difference in this world."
"Aww, you're so sweet."
Twilight kissed Luke on the cheek, and he put an arm around her. They then faced each other and shared a long, passionate kiss. Luke ran his hand through her mane, and rubbed her back. Twilight finally released the kiss, and looked into his eyes.
"So, what do you plan on doing now?" Twilight asked.
"For now, we relax. I'm sure Pinkie will host that party tonight, huh?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mhm. You won't wanna miss one of Pinkie's parties!"
"Oh, I'll make sure to go!"
"So...what now?"
"I dunno," Luke's stomach grumbled, causing him to blush a little, "Actually, wanna go get some breakfast? I'm famished."
"Sure. That sounds great!"
With that said, the two left the building and went out to eat.
The two arrived at Sugarcube Corner, and Twilight was confused that the door was closed. In fact, locked.
"Strange," Twilight said, "The doors are almost never locked during the day."
"Let me try." Luke said as he knocked on the door.
The door creaked open, and Pinkie poked her head out.
"Hello, Luke! Hey, Twilight! What's up?" she asked.
"Oh, sorry for bothering you. We were coming for some breakfast...but I can see that you're busy..." Twilight began saying, before she was interrupted by her pink friend.
"Oh, you're not bothering me! Don't worry! What would you like?"
"I would really like some pancakes."
"I don't need much, but I would really like a chocolate muffin." Luke said.
"Coming right up!" Pinkie said before pulling her head back in, and popping out with a small pastry box. "Here ya go!"
"Thank you!" Luke said, "How much do I owe you?"
"Just six bits, please."
"Here, take ten." Luke said, handing her the money, "Because you're such a friendly pony." Luke said with a smile.
"Thanks, Luke! I'd hate to cut our conversation short, but I have to get back to work! Oh, um...your symbol color is green, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You'll see! See ya tonight!"
Pinkie Pie then closed the door, and busy noises could be heard from inside. Luke and Twilight headed to Twilight's castle. When they arrived, Luke was shocked to see how large it was.
"Wow...it's...much larger than I thought..." Luke said, truly amazed.
"Come on in!" Twilight said, opening the door and going inside.
Luke followed her down the long halls. The castle was truly mystical. It was MUCH bigger looking on the inside than it looked on the outside. The hall was long, and they could hear their own hoof, and footsteps, clinking against the floor. Eventually, they reached the dining room. Twilight sat down, and Luke sat next to her. Luke opened the box, and a sweet smell emerged.
"Oh, man..." Luke said as he pulled his chocolate muffin out from the box and licked his lips.
"Pinkie makes some of the most delicious treats." Twilight said as she levitated a pancake and took a bite.
"I know. In fact, a lot of my members know that."
"What do you mean?" Twilight said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well...how can I put this..." Luke thought for a moment, "Well, let's just say...humans in my world had a way of seeing your adventures. We know a lot of things about Equestria, and those who fight for ponies respect it."
"So...what about the FTP?"
"The FTP are just the opposite. They have little to no knowledge of Equestria. In my world, they HATED humans who admired this world."
"That's horrible! Why would they do such a thing?"
"Who knows? They all had their reasons. In my world, ponies were appreciated by young girls. Therefore, most people thought ponies were just little girl things. So when there were grown men who liked ponies, some chose to hate them."
"So, the FTP are expressing that hate with acts of terrorism?!"
"Pretty much. It's sad, really. They are willing to risk their lives to kill ponies and all humans who love them."
"Well...with you as captain of your ED clan, I know you will protect us from the FTP."
"For ponies, anything."
They continued eating their breakfast, and then Twilight asks Luke something that he wasn't too prepared for.
"Are there ponies in your world?" Twilight asked.
Luke nearly choked on his muffin. The answer to this question may disturb Twilight...but he knew that she was going to figure it out sometime, "Well, yeah...but," He started, "They don't talk, fly, or use magic."
"Oh? Well, are they intelligent?"
"Not highly. They're just tiny horses. Not too smart, seen at zoos and farms...and to be honest, they kinda smell."
"Oh..."
"HOWEVER, they're nothing like you or the ponies of Equestria!"
Twilight smiled and they finished their breakfast. After that, they went back to Luke's complex and to his room. They sat on the bed and talked about various things for hours. HOURS. Talking turned to cuddling, and cuddling turned to kissing. By this time, the sun was going down. Luke released the kiss and looked at Twilight, who looked back at him. Before they could continue, Michael burst into the room.
"Luke! Pinkie's party has star-" Michael said, before trailing off and looking at what he interrupted, "O-oh my..."
"N-nothing happened!" Luke said as his face turned a deep crimson.
"Anyways, ahem...Pinkie's party is at Sugarcube corner! They're all wondering where you two are! You coming or what?"
"Yeah. Heh..."
They exited the complex and headed for Sugarcube Corner, which had music blaring from it. There were green lights coming out of the doors and windows.
"You'll love this." Michael said with a grin.
"I don't like the combination of that creepy smile and what you just said." Luke said, raising an eyebrow.
The door opened, and Pinkie emerged.
"Hi, guys! Glad you could make it!" She said, a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Hi, Pinkie." Twilight said.
"Come on in!"
The three entered Sugarcube Corner, and noticed that it was unbelievably crowded. Ponies and ED members alike were chatting and talking...and an ED member and Roseluck were seen making out in the corner. There were tables laden with sweets of all types, like candy and cakes. There were green and black streamers and balloons that decorated the room, representing Luke's clan.
Luke and his clan had a BLAST. They had fun stuffing their faces with pastries, joking amongst themselves, dancing with their marefriends, and making poor attempts to dance with their marefriends (*cough couch* Luke *cough cough*). The party lasted until 1:00 AM.
When it was over, everyone was tired. Those who weren't tired were already passed out outside. Most ED members went back to base, and Luke was one of them. However, he needed help getting home...as he injured his leg while on the dance floor.
"I can't believe you attempted to dance like that!" Twilight said, trying to hold back her laughter.
"I was just trying to impress you..." Luke said, embarrassed.
"Dude, you looked like a spider on a hotplate!" Michael said, causing nearby ED members to laugh their heads off...some falling and rolling on the ground from laughter.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."
Luke was helped up the stairs and into his bed.
"Thanks, Twi." Luke said, smiling.
"Your welcome, Lukie." she replied, returning the smile.
"Hey...wanna share the bed with me? I mean, I could use somepony to snuggle up to me."
"You know that I can't say no to you, Luke"
With that, Twilight climbed in bed with him, kissed him on the lips, and they fell asleep in their loving embrace.
The Factions of Equestria
Spread the Word, Make it Official
The next day...
This was a day of work. A lot of work. Luke was true to his word: Yesterday was a day off, but the next day was going to be all work. Sure enough, that was true. Every ED member had to participate in what Luke affectionately called, "Operation Jack Sucks". The process involved removing every trace of the PAP clan's symbols and propaganda. Yes, to Luke's dismay, Jack had propaganda promoting the PAP clan's cause. The posters said things that Luke realized were outright lies. Things like "guaranteed protection" and such. There were PAP posters and banners all on the trading complex. Not to mention, Luke's clan still used the uniforms of the PAP.
Luke wasted no time in ordering his soldiers to carry out "Operation Jack Sucks". To start, the propaganda had to go. The ED members woke up at 5:00 AM, and spent the next four hours collecting countless posters containing Jack's bullshit. They then went to the trading complex and took the banners off. That night, Luke ordered the posters to be burned...and the ashes be shipped to Jack's compound. Just as a little "screw you" to him.
After the posters were collected, it was 9:00 AM. Luke then had his members drape new banners on the building to make his clan official. With the help of other ED members, they painted "ED CLAN" on banners with green and black paint. They then hung them over the entrance, proudly displaying their independence.
With the décor finally erased and replaced, they had to focus on uniforms. Now, Luke wanted to keep it simple...so he asked Rarity to make outfits similar to their uniforms...just make them green and black. Well, Luke learned that Rarity knew how to satisfy her customers...whoever they may be. She used an odd combination of durable cloth and soft cloth to make green shirts, and black pants. All of which had many pockets for carrying supplies. She also made them black, durable backpacks used to carry even MORE supplies with them. She made them all black rubber boots with padded interior and textured soles to provide comfort and grip for the ED members. Rarity used the same material for Michael's uniform, which consisted an outfit similar to Luke's old executive uniform, except Michael's cap had a silver medal in the center...with "ED" engraved in it. Luke's uniform was the one that stuck out the most. It had dark blue pants and a dark blue long-sleeved shirt. He wore a belt with a round, golden buckle on it. He wore black rubber gloves and boots. His military captain's hat had a golden medal in the center, the "ED" initials engraved in it.
Later that day, Twilight approached Luke in his brand-new uniform. He truly looked like a leader.
Twilight whistled at him, "Hey there, handsome~."
"H-hey, Twi," Luke said, spreading his arms and turning around a little, "How do I look?"
"Like a brave, strong, military captain."
She then jumped into his arms and kissed him on the cheek. Luke blushed, which caused Twilight to giggle a little. Their sweetheart moment was interrupted by Michael.
"Commander Luke," Michael said, holding a clipboard.
"Ah, Mike! What's up?" Luke asked his trusted associate.
"We have successfully carried out 'Operation Jack Sucks'."
"Creative name." Twilight said, smirking.
"Yeah, yeah," Luke said.
"Yep. We successfully removed the propaganda, took down the banners, and even told the ponies that Jack was a big turd." Michael said.
"Wait, really?"
"Nah, that last part was a lie."
"Oh, you dick."
The two shared a laugh.
"Well, I think we can call this a success." Luke said, proudly.
"Agreed. You wanna give the guys a break?" Michael asked.
"I don't see why not."
With that, Luke let his clan members off duty for the day...and at night, they all went to sleep.
The Factions of Equestria
That night...
The sun went down, and the moon took it's place. The stars twinkled and looked down upon Equestria, showing off the beauty of Luna's night. The night was dark, but the moon provided just enough light for anyone to see.
The perfect setup for a secretive deed.
At Sweet Apple Acres, everything was quiet. The Apple family slept in their beds, the pigs and sheep slept in their pens, and the chickens slept in their coop. It was midnight, the day before the harvest begins. The crops were ripe, just waiting to be picked.
And then, they came...
At the start of midnight, three wagons rolled up. They were being pulled by mare and stallion ponies alike. They had cloth gagging them so they wouldn't say a peep. They had tight red and black jumpsuits on, and their expressions were miserable. Riding in each wagon, there were three humans...male and female alike. Their shirts were blood red. Their black vests, pants, and boots were almost invisible in the darkness of the night, and their expressions showed pure hatred. They stepped off, and surveyed their surroundings.
"All quiet," One man said.
"I dunno about you, but I'm tired as hell," Another said.
"Shut up, man. Command told us we all had to do this."
"But-"
" 'Buts' are for pooping! Don't be a bitch, and do your job."
A chubby man stepped foreword.
"Yeah," He said, "I know for a fact that this will benefit the group."
"Whatever you say," the other guy said.
The men scouted around the farm, their suppressed weapons pointed wherever they looked. When they realized that the coast was clear, they brought large bags out from inside one of the wagons. They then began bagging the produce. Corn, carrots, grapes, and apples were shoved into bags and loaded onto the wagons. Eventually, they ran out of room for the produce and wondered what to do with the rest.
"Boss," One man walked up to the fat man, "What do we do with the rest?"
"You got silencers?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, do some target practice. Just keep it quiet."
"As for the animals?"
"No need for headshots." The fat man grinned a smile that would intimidate a grizzly bear.
While six of the men shot at the produce and farm animals with suppressed weapons, the other three snuck into the Apple farmhouse. After picking the lock, the three men, including the fat man, tiptoed into the farmhouse.
"What now?" One whispered to the fat man.
"This way," He responded, pointing to the staircase.
They went up the stairs and tiptoed down the hall. The fat man pointed to one of the rooms. The other two nodded, and opened the door. Inside, they saw a red stallion snoring loudly...clutching a raggedy doll close in his sleep.
"Big Macintosh," The fat man whispered, "He's not important. Wedge the door.
The two men nodded and closed the door, putting a rubber wedge under the door to stop it from being opened. They then proceeded to the next room, and opened the door. Inside, there was an elderly green mare sleeping with a sleep mask on.
"That's Granny Smith," The fat man said, "If my guesses are correct, there should be..."
The fat man tiptoed inside, reached under her bed, and pulled out a sack of bits.
"Jackpot," The fat man whispered, "The Apple family savings. Take this to the wagons."
"Yes, sir." One of the men said as he grabbed the bag and went out.
The fat man and the other guy slipped a wedge under that door as well, and they proceeded down the hall to another room. They opened the door and saw an orange mare sleeping with a cowboy hat on the nightstand next to her.
"Applejack," the overweight man whispered, "Just wedge this door. She's also of no importance."
They closed the door and slipped another wedge underneath it. They reached the final room. They opened the door and saw a little yellow filly sleeping, a pink bow on her head.
"Wedge it?" the man asked the fat man.
"No," he said, "She's coming with us. Consider her payment for what you're having me do."
"Fine by me."
The two snuck in, and the other guy pulled out a roll of duct tape. He pulled the roll, making a noise loud enough to wake the filly up. Before she could react to what was going on, the tape was placed around her mouth. She let out muffled yells for help, but the fat man pointed his pistol at her head, making her fall silent. She froze in her place as the two men taped her legs together, and grabbed her. She whimpered as they carried her outside, and the fat man held her as he sat in his seat on a wagon.
"Alright. We got what we came for. Let's go." The fat man said.
"Okay," One of the other men said. The man then slapped a mare hard on the flank, making her yelp, "Move it! Back to base!" He yelled at her.
She whimpered and the other gagged ponies looked at her.
"Do you want to end up like her? Move it!" A man yelled.
The ponies sighed and struggled as they steadily pulled the wagons laden with produce down the trail. As they left, the wind picked up...and the flags on the wagons fluttered...
And on the flags, the initials "FTP" could be seen in the night.
The Factions of Equestria
The next morning...
It was the loud scream from Sweet Apple Acres that woke Ponyville up at 6:00 AM. While everypony was awake and wondering what that noise was, Luke ordered his ED troops to follow him to the Apple farm.
They were not prepared for what they saw.
It was a mess. There was apple mush on the ground. The dirt in the fields was disturbed, indicating that the veggies that once grew in the soil was harshly pulled up. The trees had bullet holes in them, and brass casings littered the dirt. The chicken coop had blood dripping from the ramp, the pigs were either injured or dead, and the sheep were bald and shot.
"Good lord..." Luke said, shivering at the chilling sight.
The other members were staring...mouths agape. One of them had to turn away from the gruesome display to avoid throwing up.
"Come on, guys. Scout the area." Luke commanded his troops.
The men saluted and walked around the area, searching for the culprits. Luke and Michael went directly to the farmhouse, and saw Applejack crying on the ground. She was curled up, and tears pooled the ground underneath her.
"Applejack! You okay?" Luke asked, genuinely concerned.
"T-they took e-everything!" Applejack managed to choke out, "T-they took t-the harvest...a-all the money....b-but most o-of a-all..."
"Yes..?"
"T-they took my little sister!"
Applejack stood up and collapsed at Michael's feet, and he hugged her.
"Shh, shh. It's okay. Don't worry. We're gonna take care of it." Michael said, holding Applejack close to himself.
"Damnit! Who could've done such a thing?!" Luke said, his rage building up.
"I'll comfort her. You go ahead and order the troops to search for clues."
"Yeah, alright."
Luke got up, cupped his hands over his mouth, and yelled to his troops.
"I WANT EVERYONE TO SEARCH THIS PLACE FOR CLUES TO WHO DID THIS! LEAVE NO STONE UNURNED!" He yelled so loud, the windows of the farm rattled.
The ED troops wasted no time searching high and low around the farm for anything that could identify a culprit. They searched the farm, the fields, and even in the trees. The hunt continued for fifteen minutes, until someone in the farmhouse shouted for Luke. He ran inside, and an ED member held three little triangular objects in his hands.
"What the fuck are those?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow.
"These are rubber wedges. Someone came in and put them under the doors to stop them from being opened." the member said.
"Someone knew what they were doing, and wanted to keep them contained."
The member pointed to the shattered door, that belonged to Applejack's room. The other wedges must have been pulled out from underneath the other doors. However, Apple Bloom's room was wide open.
"Someone came in, stole crops, and Apple Bloom. But...that's an odd combination of items. Who steals crops and then an innocent filly right after?" Luke asked.
Another voice yelled from outside, calling for him. He took the wedges and ran outside to the man who was calling for him.
"What did you find?" Luke said, frantically.
"This," The ED member said, holding out a loose piece of cloth.
Luke took the object and examined it closely. It was a piece of red and black cloth, and there was a slimy substance on it. Luke sniffed the liquid, and he determined it to be saliva. Luke thought for a moment, until he determined what it was.
"This is a gag rag," Luke said, "This was shoved into somebody, or somepony's mouth to keep them quiet. I guess one of them got their gags off."
"Who could've done this?" The member asked, his shotgun resting on his shoulder.
Luke unfolded the rag, and upon seeing the three letters that stood for the clan of the most disgusting humans all across Equestria, Luke was seething with rage. He clenched the rag in his fist and roared with anger, making nearby crows fly up into the sky.
"What should we do?" The member asked, "Should we tell Princess Celestia about this?"
"What good would that do? We don't know where the FTP is based, let alone where Apple Bloom could be! We have no guides, and no ideas! All we got is a couple of wedges and rag!" Luke said, a big vein bulged out of his forehead.
"Calm down, Luke. Calm down. We'll get to the bottom of this. We just gotta keep looking."
Again, someone calls for Luke. He hurried to who called him, and listened to what he had to say.
"Luke! Look!" The third member said, pointing to the ground.
Luke looked down and noticed footprints, and long lines on the ground.
"What could those be?" Luke asked the ED troop.
"Those are wheel tracks," he replied, "There are six lines on the ground, indicating there were three...what we can guess would be wagons due to the hoof prints on the ground, at this location."
"I think we can safely say that this wasn't just a random robbery-plus-kidnapping, this was deliberately planned."
"Indeed."
"Come. Gather some troops to help follow these tracks. When you're done, report to me."
"Yes, sir!"
The troop saluted and gathered four more men and they ran on the road, following the tracks.
Luke turned back at the mess that used to be the peaceful farm that supplied food for the majority of the town, but was then transformed into a terrifying scene that was the result of the gruesome and cruel activities enjoyed by the FTP. Luke returned to the farmhouse, where Michael was still hugging Applejack in an attempt to comfort her.
"Mike. We have confirmed the culprits of this deed." Luke said to his trusted friend.
"Let's hear it." he responded.
"The FTP came and raided this joint, destroying what they couldn't take. However, their purpose for taking Apple Bloom is a mystery."
"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go kick their asses!"
"Do YOU know where their base is?"
"Well...no..."
"Exactly. We have to figure out where the base is, retrieve the crops, and most importantly...Apple Bloom."
"Yes! But...how?"
"We will discuss it at base. For now, I want you and two more guys to stay here and protect AJ and her family."
"On my honor."
Luke orders two more men to stay with Michael and the Apple family, and takes the remaining two with him back to base. When they return back to their base, they find the five men have returned...and they had very useful news. They sat in the lobby, and Luke paced the floor...ready to ask questions.
"What did you find out?" He asked the members that followed the tracks.
"The tracks go right into the Everfree. DEEP in the Everfree." One said.
"Did you go any further?"
"No, sir. The tracks went to some rocks, and they disappeared."
"Anything else?"
"Well," Another said, "We found and took a piece of meat off the ground."
"What? Meat? As in, muscle from an animal?"
"Yes. The meat appears to be cooked and salted, but that isn't the important part."
"Then what is?"
"The meat has skin connected to it. Or...scales."
The member hands Luke a slab of salted, cooked meat. Luke examines it closely. It is tough, and almost feels like a rock. The scales were tough, and brown. It also let off a rather bad smell when he applied pressure to it.
"We should hand this over to a professional," Luke started, "If we figure out what creature this belonged to, we can determine where this came from. If we figure out where this came from, we can find out where the FTP is. This could be the food that the FTP troops were eating and living off of."
"I will get it checked out right now." A troop said, taking the meat and going outside.
"We will continue the investigation when the results come in. Until then, I want everyone to be on their toes. Be ready for anything."
"Yes, captain!" The troops said together.
The Factions of Equestria
Three days later...
The slab of meat was unidentifiable. It ended up getting preserved and shipped to the scientist ponies of Canterlot to try and determine what animal it was once a part of.
As the days went by, more ponies began disappearing. At first, only one was missing...but the next night, ten were gone. By the third night, about half of Ponyville's population was gone...and the majority of them were mares.
Ponyville was in a panic. Neighbors wondered where their friends were, stallions wondered where their wives were, and foals wondered where their mothers were. Everypony was angry and demanding answers.
Mayor Mare became desperate. Ponyville was scared and dangerously mad. She was running out of options, until she got an idea. She approached the ED base within Ponyville and asked if Luke could do anything to assist her in calming the citizens down. They ended up signing "The Coalition Agreement", a document that allowed the ED clan to be an official part of Ponyville. They were given the power to enforce laws, arrest criminals in the town, and unlimited access to town hall. They took advantage of that by making it into a secondary base...supplying it with weapons, bunk beds, and provisions. In exchange for this, Mayor Mare was given two ED members to protect her at all times. They had to wear gray armbands on their right arms wherever they went. Along with that, Michael was ordered to stay in Town hall and be second in charge there.
Luke knew he had to do much, MUCH more to make sure nopony else got taken away. Two days ago, five more people rebelled from the PAP clan and joined Luke's clan. Along with them, a small group of seven wandering humans stumbled across the ED clan. All these members made Luke's clan member count go from twelve, to a whopping twenty-four! Three out of the five ex PAP members were skilled builders and engineers.
Five days later...
Using his new power and engineers, Luke had several watch towers made of bricks posted all around Ponyville. There had to be one person in each tower all the time, and if danger was sighted...they had to blow their air horn. Troops had to regularly patrol town every day, and ever night. This did stop the pony-napping, but the ponies who already were...still weren't located yet. Some ED members became depressed because their marefriends were gone. Families were upset and scared for their loved ones. However, the Apple Family were the most depressed. Applejack hardly spoke, Granny Smith became so upset...she got ill, and spent most of the day in bed. Big Macintosh...well, he would simply stare at the wall in his room...it was rather creepy to anyone who walked by.
Luke was constantly stressed. He knew he had to find the missing ponies, but...he didn't know where to go. The results still didn't come back from Canterlot...so all he could do...was wait.
And wait...
And wait...
.............and wait...........
The Factions of Equestria
Ground Breaking Discovery
The next day...
The results finally came. Wrapped in a scroll, the information was delivered to the ED building personally. Upon receiving it, Luke called all ED members to hear the results. They all gathered in the lobby, and Luke stood before them. He unrolled the parchment paper, and read the results out loud.
"Dear Luke. Thank you for choosing Canterlot Royal Science Laboratories...yadda yadda yadda...the flesh of the animal is confirmed to be that of..." Luke's eyes widened and he gulped, "A Hydra."
The whole room gasped and the ED members whispered among themselves.
"You all know what this means, right?" Luke asked, looking up at his clan members.
"T-the FTP base is located in..." A member started.
"Froggy Bottom Bogg," Everyone said at the same time.
"Commander Luke! What does this mean we do?"
"Simple," Luke said, "I need volunteers."
"F-for what?" One member asked.
Luke signaled everyone to stand, Michael stood behind him to his right. Luke stared to everyone, and put his hands behind his back.
"We are going to war!" He yelled.
"YES, SIR!" They all yelled.
"Michael!"
"Yes?" His executive asked.
"Fetch me a map of the Everfree. Specifically to the Bogg."
"Yes, Captain."
"Everyone else, I want you all to grab the biggest...and most powerful guns and ammo. Strap on your body armor, grab some medical supplies, and wear socks! That means you, Axel."
After hearing Axel yell "Shit!", they all went downstairs into the armory. They stuffed their backpacks with guns, first aid, and plenty of ammunition. They grabbed their armor and secured it to their chests. After arranging in formation, Luke stood in front of the group...and got ready to travel as soon as Michael returned. However, Twilight approached them.
"What in the WORLD are you doing?!" Twilight asked her boyfriend.
"We're gonna do what's right, " Luke said, loading his shotgun with buckshot, "We're gonna fight the FTP."
"But...you could die! You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Twilight, there are innocent ponies out there with god knows what happening to them. We have to get them back. I wouldn't be doing my job as the captain of the Equestrian Defenders if we didn't rescue the innocent."
"Luke..."
Twilight went closer to him, and Luke kneeled. She wrapped her front legs around him and hugged him tight. Luke returned the hug and nuzzled her cheek. They released the hug and shared a passionate kiss. After a minute of this, Michael returned.
"Luke, I got the map." Michael said, giving his captain the map.
Luke released the kiss, "Outstanding. Well...I guess we'd better not waste the daylight." Luke said as he took the map and studied it.
"Luke..?" Twilight said.
"Yes, Twi?"
"I love you..."
"...I love you too, Twi."
Luke smooched her on the cheek one more time, and then stood up. He faced foreword, a look of determination imprinted on his face, and marched down the road...straight to the Everfree.
The Factions of Equestria
That same day...
Roseluck didn't know what was happening. Ever since two men invaded her home...she had been blindfolded, gagged, and thrown into a silent room and left there.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door opening. A pair of boots entered the room, and she heard a masculine voice speak.
"Hm......that one." It said.
She squealed as she felt herself getting harshly pulled by her mane. After getting up on her hooves, she was being guided through a long hall. She could hear the echoes of her hooves and the boots as she walked. Suddenly, she stopped...and heard another door open. She was then dragged inside and she squealed as she felt the gag get viciously ripped from between her lips.
Outside her blindfold, an overweight man sat behind the desk. He wore a specially made red and black uniform, a badge with the initials "FTP" engraved on it. He grinned upon seeing the blindfolded Roseluck.
"Happy hour, already?" He asked the FTP guard who dragged Roseluck inside the office.
"Yeah. We owe it to you after you gave us that useful info. You were right: Eliminating Ponyville's food supply would certainly cripple the town," The guard responded.
"And there's more to come after this."
"Yeah, yeah. So, what do you want done with this one?" The guard referred to Roseluck, who squealed in fear.
"I think I want a 'show'."
"Okay then," The guard knocked on a door on the opposite side of the room, "Bring in the horned one."
Right after he said that, another guard comes in...dragging a mint colored unicorn with him. The gag was ripped from her mouth, and she whimpered in fear.
"You got Lyra, too?" The fat man asked, surprised, "Nice find. Perfect. Okay, now get out! Let me have my happy time."
"Ugh, you make me sick...but you being our best info source, I'm not gonna question," A guard said, a sickened look on his face.
The two guards exited the office, and left the fat man with the terrified Lyra and Roseluck. The fat man pulled a Desert Eagle out from a drawer in his desk and chambered a bullet in it, slowly and loudly so the two blindfolded mares would hear it.
"Okay," He started, "Step towards each other. Slowly."
The two mares stepped approached each other, staggering...still unable to see, until they were nose-to-nose.
"Stop. Good. Now, start kissing."
"B-but, I have a boyfriend!" Roseluck started.
"You're never gonna see him again. Now, start smoochin' before I start shootin'."
They hesitated, before the two began kissing...much to the fat man's amusement.
"Heh heh, yeah." He laughed a deep, grizzly laugh.
A guard entered the room without knocking.
"Administrator! The young Apple Bloom has awaken! It's 10:30 AM" He said.
"Damnit," The fat man started, "Why don't you ever kno- wait...she is?"
"Yes. Don't you want to begin your daily brainwashing for her?"
"Of course! Here, take these two whore-ses back to the mare pens immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The guard took Roseluck and Lyra back to their pens as the overweight FTP member lumbered towards a wooden door in the back corner of his office. He unlocked the door and entered. Inside, a yellow filly with a red mane and tail lay on the floor. She has no blindfold, but she had a gag. The fat man smiled warmly at her and sat down.
"Okay," He started, "Are you gonna be my daughter?"
Apple Bloom shook her head.
"Well, you will. You will love me like a father."
Apple Bloom again shook her head.
"Plus, the sooner you say you will...the sooner you'll be able to eat again."
Apple Bloom teared up, but still shook her head.
The fat man sighed, "I will come back later, and I'll ask you again"
He left the room and sat back in his chair. He pulled out a piece of paper, and began writing on it.
Entry number 1
This is the first day of the brainwashing experiment. Of course, I'll let no harm come to my daughter. I want her to grow up healthy. In order to do that, I will give her privileges as soon as she says she will love me. However, I had to let her starve in that room alone to make her desperate. As soon as she begins saying "yes", the brainwashing will take affect.
Until then, I must get back to work.
Signed, Administrator of the Froggy Bottom Bogg FTP compound.
Meanwhile...
Luke and his entire squad of 24 members marched their way through the Everfree. While Luke studied the map, he lead the whole clan on the trail straight to the swampy lands known as Froggy Bottom Bogg.
"Luke?" Michael asked his captain.
"Yeah?" Luke responded, not taking his eyes off the map.
"Are you sure we're ready for this?"
"What do you mean? We have trained hard for a moment like this. We are skilled soldiers!"
"Skilled, but not experienced."
"...you may be right, but there's a first time for everything. Besides, these guys were just chumps that hid behind their computer screens and talked trash in our world. They're likely too dumb to know how to chamber a bullet."
"Let's not get too cocky."
"I'm just trying to keep my confidence up. I mean, our lives are in danger just going on this trail. I'm scared, you know?"
"You are?"
"Of course! I could possibly die today! However, knowing I could die trying to free a slave, or save a life...is the best way to go in my opinion."
"Wow...that's....deep."
"Heh...that's what she said."
"Oh shut up!"
The two shared a laugh, and continued to walk through the dense forest. Occasionally, a pair of glowing eyes would peek at them through the bushes...but would flee upon seeing the army on the trail. After about an hour of walking, they see a clearing at the end of the trail. The large amount of mud, insects, frogs, and the overall swampy environment told them that they went the right way.
"Well, here it is." Luke said, taking in the surrounding area.
"It's...gross." A female ED member said.
"I know."
"Luke! Look!" Another ED member said, pointing.
Luke looked in the direction that was pointed, and was shocked to see what it was. Far off to the right, there was a large corpse of a Hydra lying in the mud. There was a large hole cut into it, and inside it was hollow. It was reduced to simply a shell made of scales and held up by its skeleton.
"Good god!" Luke yelled, "If they managed to take this thing down...maybe I should rethink what I said earlier."
"They took down one of Equestria's most powerful beasts! Maybe we should just turn back..." Michael said, shaking in his boots.
"No. We're gonna attack them today, and I don't care HOW long it takes!"
For the next thirty minutes, Luke and the ED clan trudged through the thick, gooey mud. Occasionally swatting at a mosquito. After lots of walking, and with tired feet, they finally found the FTP base. It was much larger than they anticipated. They expected a camp, or a cabin...but it was like a CASTLE. Stone and mud bricks alike made up the walls, there were towers that could be seen peering out from inside, there were two small doors on the left and right sides, and there was a big wooden gate in the center.
"Holy crap," Luke said, "It's a lot...bigger than I expected."
"So, what's the plan?" Michael asked.
"Okay. I want you and twelve members to wait by the left door, and I'll take the other twelve to the right door. When I blow the air horn, you will kick down the door and begin shooting all members you see. I'll do the same. Remember, we are searching for the missing ponies...but don't be afraid to eliminate any and all opposition."
"Perfect plan. Okay. I'll take them. Good luck, Luke."
"Godspeed."
Michael took his twelve members to the left, and Luke took his twelve to the right. Luke got in position, hot his air horn out...and hesitated. He took a second to think about everything that had happened in his life: From his fourth birthday, to sharing a bed with Twilight. Suddenly, he realized he still had something important to do. In ten seconds, I'm gonna blow this horn...and it'll start.
Inside the FTP admin office...
The fat man watched his clock, and then the next hour finally struck.
"Oh, good!" He started, "Time to try brainwashing again!"
He barely managed to get the key inside the lock when he heard the sound of an air horn.
"What the-"
Suddenly, the loud sound of gunshots rung out throughout the outside of the complex. An FTP member busts into the room, his nose bleeding.
"Sir!" He started, "We're being attacked!"
"By who?"
"The ED clan! They found us!"
"Shit," The fat man pulled an auto shotgun out from under his desk, "Well, I'll be here waiting for them."
"You chubby motherfucker..."
The FTP member left the room, and left the fat man in his office.
"They will NOT take her away from me..."
Outside...
It was brutal outside. Upon entering, the ED clan fired at three FTP members...one of them suffered a bullet in the head. The FTP and the ED were forced to use the buildings for cover from the massive amounts of lead flying through the air.
"Luke!" Michael yelled as he ducked when a bullet hit a nearby wall, "What now?!"
"Search the buildings! Find the ponies!" Luke yelled as he peeked form his cover and shot at a rather persistent FTP member.
Michael took his squad into a rather large stone building. There was a desk with a set of keys on it.
"Excellent," Michael said as he picked them up.
However, right when he grabbed them, an FTP member jumped out of a closet and popped a bullet into Michael's arm.
"Agh! You little shit!" Michael yelled in anger as he and his squad peppered the man with more lead than a bodybuilder would ever have.
They continued to advance through the building, and stumbled upon a metal door. Using they keys, Michael opened the door and gasped when he saw many mares and a few stallions locked in wooden cages.
"Bingo!" Michael said as he let the other members in.
"Roseluck!" A member yelled as he pushed through the squad.
"Axel? What are you do-"
Michael's sentence was cut off when Axel grabbed the wooden bars and ripped them off, snapping them apart. Axel then pulled off Roseluck's gag and blindfold.
"A-Axel?!" Roseluck asked, hardly believing who it was, "Is that you?"
"Roseluck! Oh, I missed you!" Axel responded as he showered his marefriend with kisses.
"I thought I was never going to see you again!"
"I'd hate to interrupt this heartwarming reunion," Michael started, "but other ponies want to be freed too."
"Executive Michael!" One member asked, "I don't see Apple bloom in any of these cages!
"Maybe she's on the second floor..?"
"We'll keep looking. Come on, keep watch while we open the cages."
Michael ordered his twelve members to guard the first floor, while he went by himself upstairs. On the second floor, there weren't any cages...but there were footlockers. Michael opened them, and gasped when he pulled out one of the objects inside. It was indeed a gun, but he was shocked to realize what it actually was: It was a WW2 era Grease Gun.
"Wait, how come THESE haven't been showing up inside the air drops?!" Michael said as he took the weapon with him.
Walking past the crates of similar guns, he discovered a barrel brimming with soda cans. Upon inspection, he realized they had fuses sticking out of them.
"Hm..."
Outside...
Luke and his twelve members were getting into an intense firefight with the FTP. There were a few that have positioned themselves on the wall, firing down at Luke and his squad, while others took cover behind crates and tree stumps outside.
"They're fucking everywhere! And these shotguns can't do SHIT at that range!" One ED member yelled.
"Use your slugs!" Luke yelled over the loud gunshots.
Without asking a question more, the ED members emptied their shotguns of buckshot and inserted slugs. As if they practiced many times, Luke and his squad emerged from their cover and blasted at the FTP members. The ones on the walls got hit in the chest, and all fell off...the impact killing them if the bullets already didn't. The ones behind other cover suffered a similar fate, minus the fall. Suddenly, it went quiet. Too quiet. Luke signaled his members to follow him towards a building with the FTP's logo spray-painted in red on it.
They entered the building and looked around, surveying the surroundings. It simply lead to a stone staircase that went up. There were rooms on the left and right sides, leading to Celestia-knows-what.
"Six of you, check the left. The other six check the right." Luke ordered his loyal ED members.
"Yes, captain!" they responded as they ran into the assigned rooms.
Luke then proceeded on his own up the stairs and through a hall. His boots clomped on the stone floor as he walked to the door at the end of the hall, his shotgun in his hands. Loaded and the safety off. He practically snapped the knob off as he viciously opened the door, and walked in.
Luke gasped as he saw the fat man, the administrator, standing behind his desk with an automatic shotgun pointed to him. However, the shotgun wasn't the thing that shocked Luke. It was who the fat man was...
"RANDY?!" Luke screamed as he realized who he was looking at.
"Hey Luke!" Randy smiled at his old friend, "Long time, no see!"
"Randy..? Wh-what is happening?"
"Well, you see...I made the right choice."
"Huh?"
Randy sat in his leather chair, his shotgun still pointed at Luke, "You see...back when we were part of the PAP, I would sneak outside at night with a hole that I dug in the floor. Yes, I do have SOME muscle."
Luke nodded.
"Anyways," Randy continued, pushing his glasses up his nose, "I was approached by some FTP members one night while on one of my walks. Their first idea was to kidnap me, but after seeing that I was unarmed...they offered me a deal that I simply couldn't refuse. In exchange for information, they would give me whatever I wanted. So, I snuck out and met the FTP guys at the Everfree's entrance. They said that they spoke with command, and that command agreed to an exchange."
"Command?" Luke asked, "You mean, you're not the leader?"
"Me? A brony in the FTP a leader?" Randy said as if he was speaking to an idiot, "Dude, I'm simply the admin of this base. When I tell them something they would like to know, they give me things I want. Specifically, the hottest mares in Ponyville."
"That's...awful!"
"Not really. They don't see anything. Only feel." Randy said as he waved his eyebrows.
"You sick fuck!" Luke gritted his teeth, "You betray your friends, kidnap ponies, and rape mares!"
"Well, 'rape' is such a strong word," Randy said, smiling, "I prefer to call it 'struggle snuggle'."
"You disgusting hog, what did you do with Apple Bloom?!"
"Her? Oh, don't worry. She's just gonna be starved until she agrees to be my own daughter."
"Dude...that's...just not right!"
"Why not? With her being like my own daughter, she can have everything she ever wants, her own servants, and power!"
"Dude...you had friends back in the PAP. You were appreciated!"
"Appreciated?!" Randy let out a grizzly laugh, "That's a joke! I was just the bumpy guy who handed you guns! Well, look at me now! I'm successful! Not to mention, you also rebelled from Jack."
Luke hesitated, "True, but we had a reason. Jack was in it for himself. I rebelled for the right reason. And now, I'd devoting myself to keep ponies safe. You could have joined me. How could you have thrown it all away?" Luke asked.
"I have something better than that now, " Randy dryly said, "Power, mares, and guns."
Luke stood there, staring and hardly believing what was happening.
"Well, I think we've been talking long enough. And I think we both know what has to happen next. So...you ready?"
"Burn in hell, asshole!" Luke said as he pulled his shotgun up.
Without hesitation, Randy pulled HIS shotgun up and fired at Luke. Luke took cover behind a crate and heard rapid fire of shotgun buckshot smash against the wood.
"Can't hide behind that box forever!" Randy yelled over the gunshots.
Suddenly, he heard a sizzling noise. Luke turned around, and saw Michael lighting a soda can with a fuse in it. Michael chucked it into Randy's office, and the office filled with smoke.
"What the fuck?!" Randy yelled as he was surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke.
"Motherfucker!" Michael yelled as he and the other members shot into the office.
They weren't necessarily aiming for just Randy, but just shooting into the cloud of smoke. Not stopping until their magazines were empty. Finally, the bullets ran out...and they ejected their empty mags. After a minute, the smoke cleared up...revealing the bloody mess. There, lying lifelessly on the floor, was Randy. He was a bloody mess, holes all over him. Luke had no time to react to it, there was a muffled noise coming from inside the closet.
Luke pulled the door, actually ripping the knob off the door, and opened it. Inside, Apple Bloom was laying on the floor. She noticed Luke and let out muffled noises to get his attention.
"Apple Bloom!" Luke yelled as he ran to her and pulled her gag off, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?!"
"N-No...he just...left me alone in this creepy room. A-and he kept trying to say that he was my new Dad" Apple Bloom said, shaking.
"Well, you're safe now. You're going back home. Michael! You find the other ponies?"
"Yes, sir!" Michael said, "And one of which was reunited with a special member of our clan."
"Outstanding. Okay. We'll loot this place later. Until then, let's get the mares and stallions back to their homes."
"Say no more."
With that said, Luke picked up Apple Bloom and carried her outside. In the courtyard, they could see that plenty of hours have passed. Nighttime was nearing. Outside, the kidnapped mares and stallions were being guarded by ED members...just in case there were any more FTP members left. Luke stood before them, and began speaking.
"Everyone!" Luke said, "You have all been freed! Please, allow us to escort you back to your homes in Ponyville."
The mares and stallions smiled and Luke signaled everyone to follow. They all trudged through the mud, exited the Bogg, and walked along the dark trail through the Everfree. Normally, ponies would be scared going through the Everfree forest...but with Luke and his army escorting them, they never felt more relieved in their lives. Apple Bloom felt safe being held in Luke's arms as Luke walked on the trail.
"Where'd you guys get that badass weaponry?" Luke asked, pointing at the Grease Guns.
"The FTP had the armory right above the holding cells." Michael responded.
"Heh, idiots."
After more walking, they finally exited the Everfree Forest. They finally reached Ponyville, and there was a crowd waiting for them. When they arrived, the crowd exploded in cheers. Everyone was yelling and cheering upon the arrival of their friends and family members returning.
"Apple Bloom!" A southern voice yelled.
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom responded, jumping out of Luke's arms and right to her older sister.
"I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too! Luke saved me!"
"Well," Luke said, "Actually, if it weren't for my friend Michael here, I wouldn't've been able to rescue Apple Bloom here."
Applejack stopped hugging her sister and approached Michael from behind. She poked him. Michael turned around and before he could say, "Yes?", she got up on her hind legs and planted a big smooch on his lips. She got down and looked at him.
"Thank you, Mike." She said, sincerely.
Michael blushed deeply as Applejack walked away with her sister, looking back at him and winking.
Luke looked around and took in the heart-warming sight of everyone reuniting with their loved ones. Suddenly, Luke fell down and his vision was a blur of purple. He was face-to-face with Twilight, who pounced on him...tears in her eyes.
"I'm guessing you were the one who gathered this crowd?" Luke asked as he stroked her mane.
"It was all she talked about!" A nearby pony said, "She was worried sick!"
"Y-yeah! I was so worried about you! You could've died, Luke!" She said as she held onto him. Her hugging and kissing turned into her giving Luke a punch in the gut.
"Ow! What was that for?" He asked.
"For making me worried sick about the man I love!"
She went back to smothering him with hugs and kisses, and the rest of the night was peaceful. Luke ordered his troops to keep watch that night...after what he did to the FTP base in Froggy Bottom Bogg, the FTP likely weren't happy.
That night, Twilight spent the night with Luke. They snuggled with each other, until she poked him.
"Yes?" Luke asked.
"I really worried about you, Lukie," Twilight started, "I love you...and I don't want to lose you."
"Don't worry about me, Twilight. I'm devoting my time to make the world a safer place for you and everyone else living in Equestria." Luke gave her a genuine smile, which she returned.
"Well, I don't think you know how much I missed you...and I am determined to show you how much I love you."
"How?" Luke asked, scratching his head.
Twilight's horn lit up, and a sparking noise could be heard.
"What did you do?" Luke asked.
"Sound-blocking spell," Twilight said, smirking at Luke.
"Why-....oh my..." Luke said, blushing deeply.
Twilight turned off the lamp, and...well, let's not get descriptive about what happened next.
