Los Diablos: A New Beginning

Later on that late afternoon, I decided to head out and capture a bounty if I can, it's times like these that I love the pay that the guards just hand out. I changed into my ghille suit and headed down into my private armory. We have one that we all share in the communication building with the SAT radars, but nothing is better than your own personal belongings in your own usages. I picked out my favorite weapons for occasions like these. The M21 semi-automatic rifle, equipped with a long range scope, not to mention a suppressor attached to it. Making this rifle the perfect killing machine with ten rounds a mag.

For a sidearm I always took my personal favorite, the Colt M1911 .45. This thing has saved my life and countless other lives when I killed Murad with it. I even gave it a name, Isabella. I attached a suppressor to the handgun and stuck it into my holster. I then left my house and jogged to the exit to our little compound, which is a huge gate that slowly opens for heavy cargo being carried by truck or for our one tank. However, I didn't fell like waiting a whole minute for a door to open, so I walked towards the small door by the huge game that me and the rest of my team uses when it's just us on dot heading out.

I opened the door and loaded my rifle with a fully loaded clip and cocking the gun back and releasing it. Locked and loaded. I walked onto the dense forest with the biggest reputation in all of Equis. The Everfree forest, not much when you're highly trained like me and my guys, we've been in places like fucking southern Mexico and this place ain't got shit on the dangerous places and people there. Not even close, seeing as a ghille suit is useless when they know that you really aren't a bush on the ground, i decided to walk as slowly as I could. Listening constantly if anything was going to sneak up in me. I may be not just a few hundred feet from the gate, but beyond our little safe haven is place that is dangerous. And I never underestimate anything.

I raise my rifle just below eye-level so I could be ready to shoot down anything stupid enough to try anything.

After a whole hour of trekking through the forest I heard a twig snap, I quickly got down and laid myself on the ground. I slowed down my breathing and my heartbeat, I kept my eyes trained for something that might've also been hunting. It was a few minutes and still nothing happened, but I know better than to just announce the all-clear too soon and waited. Finally I heard big thumping footsteps all around me and kept perfectly still, keeping my breathing under control and staying absolutely quiet.

Then I saw them, three huge fucking manticores just walking around me without having so much as a clue to where I could be. I stayed still, wanting to understand what these manticorea might do, and if they know I'm here or not. If they are, I can run a good amount, that is if my gun doesn't end the fight for me in a few seconds. They nearly stepped on me but I held my ground and stayed still, I heard one growl I frustration and nearly hit his own head into the tree.

I guess I was right, something was also hunting. And judging by how they stopped here and are not going anywhere, I'm the something that they're hunting. Well too bad, I don't tell like being someone's chewing gum today. I slowly and steadily pulled up my rifle, still staying on the ground, and brought the scope to my eye. I looked down the scope and pointed the center of the cross onto the first one's eye, I took long and steady breaths. I got the cross nice and steady and when I felt like the shot was perfect, pow! A silenced shot went out and pierced the manticore's skull. He fell forward and laid there while the others were freaking out that his buddy just had his head blown up. They started to run but I brought he cross on another one and pulled the trigger, hitting the manticore dead center on the back of his head.

The last one must've finally grown a pair of something, because he came running back trying to avenge his fallen brothers I guess. He tore up the area looking for whoever could've done that. Now, I had he perfect shot, but something prevented me from doing so, no. This kill is too easy, I got my six inch German dagger out and when it had it's back turned, I hopped onto the fucker and started to plunge my knife deep into its neck.

The beast yelped and I don't even know how with this thing in there that deep. He jumped up and down in an effort to knock me off but I wasn't having it. I kept on stabbing and stabbing, putting the balde as deep with every strike until he started to slow down. The blood must've been loss to a weakening level by now, and he fell on his side. I fell to my side too with a sharp grunt, "fuck"!

I got up quickly and pulled out my pistol in case this guy didn't feel like accepting his fate, he didn't move even a little bit. Yeah, he's dead. I holstered my pistol and reached down for my rifle, I used the strap on it to put it on my back as I brought out the Bowie hunting knife. I set it down and put my backpack so I could reach in it. I pulled out a plastic bag and opened it up for the fur. I picked up the knife again and poked him hard on his fur, blood seeped out. I then made a sharp turn and took out the knife and tried to peel off the piece of fur on this guy. I managed to get about 5 lbs of fur on me and I put all of that shit into the bag and fucked right off, I don't have a reason to stick around for any longer.

I picked up the bag and gripped it with my left hand and held my M1911 on my right, just in case anything wanted to get the jump at me since I couldn't be at 100% with this fur I got. It's not that it's heavy, it's that the guards got specific requirements, no-go if the fur is all fucked, why?  Because they'll pull out a bullshit excuse and have me go back to get 'undamaged' fur. Picky fuckers.

As I was rehearsing in my head how I would go about with the speech, I almost ran into the door and chuckled at how stupid that would've been. I need to pay more attention when I'm out here, I could get jumped and not even know who hit me if I'm not careful with how I carry on. I reached for the touch-pas lock and pressed my index finger so it could register me in the system. "Welcome back, Gonzo", the computer said in a monotone voice.

"It's good to be back", I replied. I opened the door as it unlocked and headed inside the facility and looked around for my house and there it was. I pulled the grass-covered hoodie I had on back and pulled my face mask down so I could breathe in some fresh air. It felt so alleviating to be out of breathing in that thing for a while. Hen I noticed the street lights were on and that the moon was up and high in the sky.

"Huh?", I said scratching my head gently. "Didn't think I was gone for that long". I shrugged it off and headed inside to my garage and pulled out my table. I pulled out the bag and brought out the fur and laid it flatly. I took out the small hose I got and washed off and scraped off any and all fat, blood, whatever was sticking to it I washed off. Then I hanged it up to dry out and ready to go next time that captain of the Rita guard decides to come over. Oh wait, he's married and last I researched, he's out in the artic and has this one area covered with grass and plenty of sunlight (how?) and is coruling an entire empire. Good for him, but I guess next in command would come over to collect, I just hope that he's not a dick and pays well.

Oh shit! That's right, I have a speech to attend to in the morning, I wasted no time as I cleaned up any blood I got on me and hopped into bed to get a decent sleep before the event.

6 hours later......

I got out of bed and went straight for the shower as I didn't have any time to waste, it's 6:30 and the speech goes up at about 8:00. So I want to be ready, normally I wouldn't want to be a part of events like these but this is a perfect money making opportunity if I play my cards right. I could the attention of any potential clients as make a shit ton of money. I got out as I found myself to not smell like a pile of shit and got my best officer type of uniform on so I could get some decent vibes at this thing.

Once I felt like I was ready to go I walked out the door and ran for James's place and knocked hard, "James, you up? I need to you to fly me over to Canterlot for the speech". I heard footsteps and the door opened, James was also all dressed up in the similar uniform as me and was perky as ever that morning.

"Yeah. Let's head out for the chopper", I nodded and followed him as he ran ahead to get the thing started. The rotors spinned and I sat in the backseat and put in those headsets that they give you when you ride in a heli, it's loud and the headsets have microphones so people can hear you while you're in the air. "Hey man?!",  I yelled into the microphone, unsure if he heard me or not.

"Yeah?!", he yelled back.

"Listen, we're going to land and I'll be doing most of the talking ok?! Just be there to help me answer any questions that I can't answer!", I yelled into the mic and sat down as the heli flew over town after town. This sight was amazing it's views like these that remind you that life is full of amazing things. Even if here are dicks in the world who like to fuck it up for others. I caught a glimpse of Canterlot and pointed it out for James, "right over there buddy"!

He nodded and started to slow down as we lowered altitude and began to settle onto the middle of the street that was clear of anyone. As I hopped out, I noticed that there a shit load of ponies all around me and waited for us to leave a 'do not cross' tape that had been circled around where we landed. 'Nice job Celestia, making enough space for us to land? Got to give you props there', I thought to myself as we maneuvered through the crowd and found the stage at last.

I ran up the steps where the security guards acted like a dick and didn't let me up, "hey fuckface, I'm the reason you're all here. Can you let me up"? He gave me a dirty look and I returned it right back him, but then a moment motherly voice came out of nowhere and saved the moment.

"Let him through or I'll deal with you personally Ironhoof", Celestia stood behind him with a look like the one she gave me the other day for that comment. The guy nearly pissed his pants and let me through. I walked up nice and calm-like with James behind me. "I must say that I didn't expect to see you both in your best uniforms".

I walked up he stairs and reached out for her hand she took it and we shook, "It's the revelation to the whole world, we kind of have to".

She showed us to a table at the middle of the platform she set up and sat us down as she sat beside us with microphones in stands and requested the crowds silence. I've never heard a crowd go quiet that fast my whole life, nice.

"We are all here to publicly announce that we've had a close ally for some time and would like to bring him out now and show him how great of a nation Equestria can be", she started strongly with a good book drawing everybody closer to attention as she went on. "His name is 1st Lt. Gonzalo Castillo III, and he is the leader of a mercenary company that I've hired to help kelp Equestria safe and to assist the Elements of Harmony in doing so".

The crowd reeled back at first, but then relaxed as she said that we were on their side and all that.

"Do you have any comments Lieutenant?", she asked handing the atte took of the crowd over to me.

I took a moment then answered, "yes. I'd like to state how it's been a pleasure to serve Equestria and to preserve the long lasting peace that you've all earned and will keep defending you all as one of the closest allies you'll have and to keep it that way".

She nodded and proceeded with the interview, "what do you think of Equestria already lieutenant"?

I replied straight away, "please, call me Gonzalo and as for how I like it here. I don't like it here". Her jaw dropped and the crowd gave out one huge gasp. It took all I could to not laugh, "I love it here, so far, it's been very hospitable and I'm dearly appreciative of that".  The crowd gave out a huge sigh and Celestia relaxed a bit in her chair.

"You told me before you arrived that you have something to tell to the citizens of Equestria?", she motioned for me to give out my speech now.

I leaned forward and opened my lips to tell my speech, "I've been shown such hospitality that I've never been shown before my arrival to this great nation. I got my business started again that makes good money, We have amazing homes that the princess was kind enough to give us. And the fact that she's letting us get to know all of her amazing citizens out there and the fact that we can make this country stay the peaceful way it is".

I paused a bit before pressing on, "and I was at the bottom when I first arrived here, but thanks to the new beginning that I've been given, it seems as if I've gotten way more back for me than I was given back home. I'll give back and fight for you, 'till I'm in the ground unable to fight, thank you citizens of Equestria"! I finished with an enthusiastic yell into the mic as the crowd cheered.

Celestia ushered the crowd in silence and spoke again, "we're very thankful to have you with us and we hope that the mural feeling of close friendship may continue as we move on to further the future of Equestria".

I smiled, "I couldn't have said it any better myself princess".

She smiled back before adding, "I'd also like to invite you to a gala that we're going to be hosting for you and the rest of your men in celebration of you being such loyal and honest allies. I hope we'll see you there in a week from now".

I raised both brows and spoke up, "really"? She nodded and I kept going, "I'd love to. I'll see you there along with your great coleaders and advisors. I should be going now. But I've had a great first public impression of your country Celestia and I hope that we can go forward from here".

"Alright, but James?", she asked as he turned his head to her. "What do you think about our nation"?

He took a moment, but his British accent came forward like it always did, "I think it's absolutely amazing how you've treated us all and I look forward to the future princess".

She nodded and called over her security, "please escort them to their vehicle". They nodded and led us through the crowd and into the Blackhawk. I think it went really fucking well, I got to make a speech, do all that shit. I'm not sure if everybody watching might think of me as the best mercenary corporation out there, but I'm sure at least a few people might consider us.

Now we'd have to deal with paparazzi and all that, if we didn't have an entire forest to get through first. So good luck you creepy stalking bastards. If you can get as far to our house inmight even applaud you. All I really know for sure is how fucked up im going to get at the Ponyville bar when we finally decide to jaunt go out now.

I've been patient for two years, I can wait a couple more days