Of Friendships and Warships

In front of the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters were landed two Pelican dropships, Foxtrot-247 and Echo-418. Fourteen individuals were inside the castle’s library.

“We’d like to have a squad to go through go through your library for whatever can help us, Sparkle,” Cutter said.

“Sure. What will they do after they’re done?” Twilight inquired.

“Just hang around Ponyville until we can leave, or something happens,” Cutter replied, then turned to Sheppard, “Major, you are to wait for new orders.”

“Yes, sir,” Sheppard replied.

“Aure, I found something. It’s about that structure we first found,” McKay told Sheppard approaching with a book, “Good thing Anders was able to upload a translation software to our implants.”

“You said there was nothing there in your report,” Cutter said.

“So we thought, but according to this that wasn’t the structure. It was built to disguise the entrance,” McKay said, “Though this might be wrong.”

“Guess we’re going back there,” Sheppard said to his team, “Atlantis, move out.”

“Where are they going?” Applejack asked Cutter as she walked over to him.

“The structure they found two weeks ago,” Cutter replied knowing they couldn’t be stopped if he was right.

“Stop them! Before put any more timberwolves on fire!” Applejack yelled, still angry at them about that.

“Darling, that was an accident,” Rarity said, concerned Applejack was taking it too hard.

“I don’t trust them,” Applejack growled back.

“They’re cool, AJ. They rescued the fillies, remember?” Rainbow said.

“That doesn’t mean they’re good. I say we kick them out of Equestria,” Applejack said.

“Does anypony know why Pinkie is just imitating a statue?” Twilight asked of everyone left in the room.

“No,” everyone in the room answered at once.

“PINKIE,” Rainbow yelled at Pinkie from behind her, and got no reaction from her. Pelican Foxtrot-247 lifted off, and the sound of the engines still did not get a reaction out of her.

“Hey, guys, I made cupcakes!” Pinkie said upon entering the room, “Wait, is that another Pinkie? I did not use the Mirror Pool, I Pinkie Promise.”

“Could one of them have come from the mirror?” Anders asked.

“Knowing Pinkie Pie, it is a very real possibility,” Twilight said.

“That means we have an axe-crazy pink pony in this room,” Kinsano said readying her flamethrower.

“I don’t think burning anything is the answer, Major Colonel,” Cutter said to Kinsano.

“How come you don’t use the first part of your names, if you use your names?” Rainbow asked Cutter out of curiosity.

“We have ranks. Do I need to explain?” Cutter replied.

“Yes?” Rainbow cautiously answered.

“Rainbow, his rank is Captain,” Twilight said.

“Like Spitfire, right?” Rainbow asked.

“I would think not. I command a warship with a crew of 3500,” Cutter replied.

“WHAT!?” Twilight asked shocked by the large number of people Cutter commands.

“There are plenty of warships in the UNSC fleets that have larger crews, if they survived. When we left the war wasn’t going well,” Cutter explained.

“You’re at war? With who? And why?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, we are at war. With the Covenant, a collective of alien races who want to wipe humanity out of existence,” Cutter explained, causing all the ponies’ jaws to drop except for one.

“I think I know how to figure out which Pinkie is from that mirror,” Anders told Cutter.

“Let’s hear it, Professor,” Cutter said.

“We describe, in detail something really violent, and whoever doesn’t react we detain until determining that they are from the mirror,” Anders explained.

“Okay, let’s do it,” Cutter said

=== ===

“Atlantis, LZ looks clear, I’m bringing us down. The structure is a few hundred meters southwest of us,” Woolsey told the fireteam.

“We might be a while. If you have to, circle until we ready for pick-up. If don’t report in an hour, get reinforcements,” Sheppard ordered the pilot. The fireteam disembarked and walked to the structure.

“Clear off the floor, if you find anything that looks like a hatch or a door, shout,” Sheppard order once they had entered the building. The fireteam started brushing dirt to the edges and pointing their flashlights at the floor. After doing this for ten minutes, they finally found a door.

“McKay, go back to the Pelican and get the shotgun,” Sheppard ordered.

“Sir,” McKay acknowledged, and ran out of the building to the Pelican. McKay got back to the rest of the fireteam after twenty minutes with a shotgun.

“Looks to be a hole in it that is probably how we get it open. Woolsey, start the clock, we’re going in,” Sheppard told over his commlink.

“Yes, sir. Relaying message to Captain Cutter, good luck down there,” Woolsey replied.

=== ===

The Pinkie that brought the cupcakes had been tied up. “Yes, make sure they come back here. They need to give an explanation,” Cutter said to Foxtrot-247 over commlink.

“Definitely like the cupcakes from the mirror,” Kinsano said after examining the cupcakes.

“Alpha-111, take a squad, recover the mirror, and take it to the most remote area there is. Spirit of Fire, lock on that mirror and fire all Archer missile when Alpha-111 gives the all-clear,” Cutter ordered.

“Isn’t that a bit overkill? All of the Archers?” Kinsano asked.

“How powerful are those missiles?” Rainbow asked thinking she could hit harder than the missiles.

“Powerful. They are designed to kill other warships. And we have thousands of them on the Spirit of Fire,” Kinsano explained, “And using all of them on a mirror is overkill.”

“I will NOT risk anything else coming through that mirror. This way it will be more than destroyed,” Cutter said to the rest.

=== ===

Atlantis entered a room with a large circular console in the center, and no visible light fixtures. “I think this is the room we can turn the lights on from,” McKay said approaching the console and hitting a button that just changed to read ‘ON.’ All the lights came on.

=== ===

Mayor Mare was in townhall with several others, listening to the descriptions of the missing ponies. “her cutie mark is three candies,” finished a very light aquamarine unicorn.

“Okay, everypony. I’ll have the guard search, but no promises. They may have just left town for a few days,” the brown pony said.

“I know who can help! The spirit of fire that brought the humans!” the very light aquamarine pony said, then she started running to the Castle of the Two Sisters.

=== ===

“Missing ponies?” Cutter asked the unicorn who ran there, “I’ll see if the Spirit of Fire can scan for them.”