Equestria, Ponyville
Around Seven PM
Though the streetlights in Ponyville were still coming to life, many of the homes in the town were dark, their inhabitants already asleep. Crickets chirped in the tall grass, and nocturnal animals set out to find their evening meals.
However, there were still six ponies awake at this time. The Elements of Harmony were all bundled together in Twilight's new Castle, having a jovial sleepover.
"Well Twilight, you couldn't have picked a better night for this." Applejack beamed, pulling out her sleeping bag. "Everything's been perfect so far."
"Well, I did cross-reference five star charts, two lunar calendars, and the Celestial Graph in order to have tonight be perfect." Twilight replied. "It also helps that Princess Luna owed me a small favor."
"Why would Princess Luna owe you a favor?" Fluttershy asked. "That seems odd."
"Well, after what happened, I wouldn't call it odd." Twilight rolled her eyes in mirth at her pegasus friend. "Anyway, I've got the entire agenda set up, right here!"
As Twilight unfurled a scroll, Rainbow Dash sat in a bay window, unpacking her own sleeping bag. She turned to admire the stars for a moment, but then something caught her eye.
In the distance was the Castle of the Royal Sisters, on the edge of the Everfree. Though Rainbow's was certain her eyesight was tricking her, she could see a faint orange light in the castle itself.
"Eh, just seeing things." she said to herself. "It's not like there's gonna be a giant forest fire tonight."
"What's that about a forest fire?" Pinkie spoke up. The group turned to Rainbow, who shrugged.
"There's some kind of light in that castle in the Everfree." Rainbow said. "Am I the only one who's seeing it?"
"Well, I don't see anything..." Twilight said, looking towards the old castle. "Maybe we need a closer look?"
"Here, take this!" Pinkie smiled, pulling an extra-strength telescope out of her mane and opening the window. Though Twilight was completely astounded, she huffed and aimed the telescope towards the castle. There, visible though an archway, was a small, flickering flame.
"She's right." Twilight said, her eye still in the telescope's lens. "There's definitely a fire in the Sister's Castle."
"Well, should we go put it out?" Rarity asked. "I mean, I'm not one for unnecessary trips into the Everfree, but it that fire gets out of control...well, I'd rather not say what might happen."
"That's a good point." Fluttershy said. "Even Timberwolves and Manticores need a home to live in."
Twilight pulled the lens away from her eye and sighed.
"Well, okay." she said. "Let's get over there and find out what's going on. If push comes to shove, we'll get the weather crew to put it out."
"Alrighty then!" Pinkie said, posing in a dramatic manner. "Onto our next adventure!"
As the Earth Pony bounced out to lead the way, Twilight took a deep breath to relax herself.
"Okay, it's not like something in the Everfree started a fire." she said. "Nopony except Zecora lives there, and she would never do something like that. She cares for the Everfree more than anypony out there..."
====
About three hours earlier...
Earth, South America, Unknown Location
Federation Prison Complex
High-Security Wing
As the moon rose over the Amazon jungle, the searchlights of the Federation Prison threatened to drown the moon out. A massive facility made from concrete, barbed wire, and steel, the Complex was built to be inescapable. The prisoners there ranged in identity, but one in particular stood out.
An American soldier, a member of the feared unit known as the Ghosts. All the Federation staff knew was that Commander Rorke had captured him during the latest battle, and brought him here for interrogation.
The staff had heard rumors from the front about the Ghosts. Many of these rumors were easily passed off, but one in particular stuck out. It was three simple words, words that still frightened the Federation soldiers.
"Ghosts don't break".
===
In the interrogation room, Rorke himself watched a pair of Federation soldiers beat the Ghost without mercy, as he was tied to a chair bolted to the ground. The pipes they were using echoed off the walls of the room, and so did the barely contained screams from their captive.
"That's enough!" Rorke ordered. The two soldiers stepped back and readied their assault rifles as Rorke came forward.
"I will say, kid, you're tough." he laughed. "I think you set some kind of record on my end."
Rorke laughed and knelt before the Ghost, breathing deeply.
"I can't say I'm surprised." he continued. "I mean, Ghosts don't break? Everyone breaks in the end. I'm going to show you how sometime."
Rorke motioned with his hand, and the two soldiers opened the door.
"But that time will come." he laughed. "Get some sleep, kid. You'll need it."
The Ghost glared at Rorke with untold hatred in his eyes as the two soldiers departed. As the pain in his legs and chest began to fade, he began to breathe.
"Ghosts don't break." he growled. "One day, Rorke. Just you wait."
As the alarm signalling lockdown blared and the doors shut, the Ghost looked over his shoulder as the searchlight passed by his cell.
"Showtime." he murmured. As he began to work away at his restraints, he started with his left hand. Throughout his captivity, he had learned something that would now aid him. There was a small dent and a crack on the left side of his chair. If he could do this right, the rope would tear when it caught the dent.
As the Ghost pulled his bindings up as far as they could go and further, he smiled at the ensuing sound of torn rope. As he pulled his left hand free, he set to work freeing his right, then his ankles. As he stood up, he stretched his limbs and turned to the wall of his cell, then to the chair.
As he yanked the chair out of the ground, the bolts giving way, he mounted the chair against the wall and on one of the metal legs. With one swift motion, the rusted metal broke, giving way to a cracked edge, like a shiv. It wouldn't be much use in a gunfight, but it would allow him to kill a guard and take his weapon.
The Ghost then reached into the ground beneath the chair and pulled something free. It was a small access card that one Federation soldier had left behind during one of his sessions with Rorke. As the Ghost opened the door without triggering the alarm, he began to make his escape through the desolate cell block.
====
As the Ghost stalked through the hallways towards the office where his personal effects were stored, he ducked into a closet at the sight of a Federation soldier on patrol. Though he didn't have a firearm, the Ghost wasn't taking any chances.
The Ghost readied his shiv, waiting for the right moment. As the Guard passed, the Ghost buried the shiv in his neck, followed by the Guard's own knife. As the Ghost picked up the Ka-bar style blade, he sheathed it in his belt and opened the door. He sighed in relief at seeing his mask, armor, and radio still intact, lying on a table. As he properly equipped himself and put on his mask, he quickly snatched up his radio and exited the room after hiding the dead soldier in the shadowed corridor.
As he made his way to the armory, he dodged a second patrol and made his way inside. As he locked the door behind him, he sized up the impressive array of firearms now available to him.
As he retrieved an SA-805 assault rifle, and equipped it with a Red Dot and a Silencer, he grabbed a P226 for good measure, along with flashbangs and frag grenades. As he turned to leave, he also picked up a Federation-issue survival kit.
As the Ghost exited via the back door, he found himself in a sub-control room. Thankfully, it was empty. As he turned on and then disabled the perimeter turrets and opened the door to the vehicle bay, he turned into the dark corridor, once again merging with the shadows.
However, his intrusion had not gone unnoticed. As he turned the corner, a voice barked out in Spanish, ordering him to halt. The Ghost replied with a flashbang and took off, sprinting for the vehicle bay as the alarms began to blare.
====
Gunshots sparked and bounced around the Ghost's head as he made his way towards an MRAP. Slamming the keys into the ignition and gunning the engine, the car blasted outward towards the jungle beyond.
As the Ghost continued to drive frantically towards safety, he could see in the mirror three Federation humvees equipped with mounted guns. The Ghost spun his car to the left and drove towards the edge of a massive waterfall, placing himself on the precipice of death.
As he was surrounded, Rorke approached from the crowd.
"Well kid, I have to say that was some driving." Rorke laughed. "But playtime's over. Why don't you come on back and we can pick up where we left off."
There was no response. Rorke motioned a squad forward, and yelled again.
"If you're not out here in ten seconds, I'm dragging you back myself, kid. Don't make this hard on yourself!"
As Rorke began to count, the Federation troops closed in. The Ghost looked towards the waterfall, and closed his eyes before slamming his foot on the gas pedal. As the Federation troops opened fire, the MRAP dove off the cliff and towards the ferocious river below.
====
As the Ghost saw his life flash before his eyes, he spoke in a quiet tone, one of regret.
"Hesh, Dad...I'm so sorry."
There was a crash, the roar of water, and everything went black.
====
The Ghost opened his eyes to a vast expanse of white. As he sat down on the ground. he sniffed in sorrow.
"I'm dead, aren't I?" he murmured.
"Not yet, Logan. You're still alive."
Logan spun to his right to see his father Elias Walker appear out of nowhere and take his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
"Dad?" Logan asked. "How are you here?"
"Welcome to the void, kid." Elias said. "You had what we know as a "near-death experience". You're alive, but you'll be leaving soon, heading back to the land of the living."
"What about you?" Logan asked.
"I made my peace, son. I'm gone for good." Elias said. "Logan, before you go, I want you to know something. You made me proud when you and David joined the Ghosts, and you always have since then. I don't blame you for my death, not one bit."
"It was Rorke." Logan said. "I'm going to kill him once and for all."
"Not yet. There'll be another time for vengeance." Elias said. "Logan, it's about time for you to head back. But promise me one thing first."
"Anything, dad." Logan said as he saw his vision start to fade.
"Live your life to the fullest, and keep your brothers safe for me." Elias said. "It's time to say goodbye, Logan. I'll tell Ajax and your mother that you said hello."
As Elias stood up and vanished into nothing, Logan closed his eyes as his vision once again turned to black.
====
As Logan's eyes snapped open, he stood upright in a flash. As he scanned his surroundings, he could see the stolen MRAP lying in a heap beside him. As Logan stood up and pried a door open, he retrieved his stolen gear. Thankfully, his survival kit had survived the crash. As he proceeded to take the satellite radio from the dashboard, along with the battery, he looked up at the sky.
The moon was rising in a horizon full of stars that shimmered like crystal as the sun faded, making Logan give a slight smile. As he took off his mask and began to wash his dirtied face, he sighed in relief at the water cooling his skin. As he stood up and filled the canteen in his survival kit, he looked up at the area above him.
The shape of a ruined building lay a short distance in front of him, and it clearly had not been inhabited in some time. Logan placed his mask back on and pried a branch off a tree. Taking the lighter from his kit, he made himself a rudimentary torch. As he began his walk to the building, the sky took on a shade of total darkness.
====
By the time Logan had reached the ancient castle, it was now completely dark. As he ascended a worn set of stairs and onto a windowed balcony, he set his torch down in a cask mounted on the wall. Setting his gear down, he pulled out a flare from the survival kit and ignited it.
As the flare's orange light began to illuminate the area, Logan took off his combat gear and stowed it in a nearby alcove. Placing his SA-805 to the side and loading his pistol, he leaned back into the wall and began to rest, his exhaustion lulling him to slumber.
Author's Note
Yep, redone and better than ever.
Next time-Logan meets the Elements, though many questions remain unanswered on both sides...
Chapter 1-Of Days Long Gone
As the Element Bearers entered the worn stone path that lead to the Sister's Palace, Rainbow stretched her legs while she hovered in the air.
"What's wrong?" Twilight asked.
"Eh, I'm fine Twilight." Rainbow replied. "Just stretching."
"I can see that." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Look, let's keep moving. If we can catch the fire before it spreads, we'll have an easier time putting it out."
"Agreed." Applejack nodded. "So, let's get a move on!"
As the six of them headed deeper into the forest, the orange glow coming from the castle grew brighter and brighter in the darkness.
"That doesn't look like fire." Pinkie frowned thoughtfully. "There's no smoke."
"You're right!" Twilight said, noticing Pinkie's statement was correct. "If there's no fire, what's making that light?"
"Aliens?" Rainbow asked, almost hopeful.
"Please, Rainbow." Twilight rolled her eyes once more. "The odds that aliens reached Equestria in the time that light appeared in the castle to now is infinitesimally small. in fact, I'd say it's impossible."
"C'mon, Twilight, what else could it be?" Rainbow protested. "Like, ghosts or something?"
"Well, that I could say.... is well, unlikely. Probably it's some creature causing mischief." Twilight deadpanned. "We're almost there."
As they approached the old castle, Twilight could see the light source was starting to fade. While they approached the steps leading to the balcony, the light moved out of their fields of vision.
"See, nothing to worry..." Twilight stated, only to be cut off by the light being thrown into their faces. As the orange light blinded their vision, Twilight heard heavy steps coming towards them, followed by a metallic clanging noise. As they recoiled, the footsteps stopped.
Then, a voice, toned and gruff-sounding, but with a hint of fear, spoke directly to them.
"What the hell are you?"
=====
Logan had been roused from his sleep by footsteps and feminine voices speaking in the courtyard below. As he reached for his SA-805 and picked up the flare by his side, he threw it into the courtyard. As his eyes searched for any potential hostiles, they soon widened at the sight of what had approached him.
Loading and aiming his SA-805, he spoke in a tone that attempted to disguise his uncertainty.
"What the hell are you?" he asked, his left hand shaking slightly on the rifle's foregrip.
"What's that? Who's there?" came the reply. "I can't see!"
Logan rolled his eyes, picked the flare up and threw it to the side, nearly out of view. Now that the light had softened, the voice was revealed to be the last thing Logan expected to see.
Six small equine beings, each with pastel-colored coats, were gaping at him like fish out of water. Logan could see that they each had a unique feature. One with a rather styled mane had a horn, two others had wings, two didn't have either. The one in the point position, however, had both. As they stood, completely paralyzed with shock, Logan could tell they weren't armed in any way. As he sighed and started to leave, a winged one with a rainbow-colored mane flew in front of him.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked aggressively.
"Back to sleep." Logan replied, pushing past her. The equine's reply was to fly in front of him again.
"You can't sleep here!" she protested. Logan huffed and looked her in the eye.
"Who says I can't?" Logan said. "This place isn't a hotel, you know. I don't have that luxury available right now, so for now, get out of my way."
The being was speechless. As Logan ascended the stairs and shouldered his SA-805, the rainbow one growled at him.
"Rainbow, I wouldn't do anything brash." one wearing a stetson hat cautioned. "I think he means business."
"How can you tell it's a he?" the one called Rainbow asked.
"His voice." the hat-wearer replied. "Let me handle this, okay? Trust me."
As she approached Logan once more, he turned around and raised an eyebrow underneath his mask.
"Listen, mister. We don't want to cause trouble with you." she said. "I reckon you have a lot of questions about where you are?"
Logan nodded, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"Well, if you'll come with us, we can answer them." she said, taking off her hat in a respectful manner. "We've got questions about you, so...I guess we can answer yours, and you can answer ours? Does that sound fair?"
There was quiet. The being turned and sighed.
"Alright." he said. "I'll come with you. Let me get my gear first."
"Go on ahead." she said. "I'm Applejack. You got a name?"
"Logan." he replied. "One sec."
As Logan finished climbing the stairs and grabbed his survival kit, he took a little time to put on his combat gear once again. Holstering his knife and shouldering his rifle, he went back down the stairs once more.
"All set." Logan said to Applejack, who nodded. As the five others watched, Applejack showed Logan to the rope bridge, which they easily crossed.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm impressed." Pinkie said, her eyes wide with admiration. "See what I mean?"
"I do, Pinkie." Twilight said. "I'm not sure where this will go, but for now, let's play along. We can ask him whatever questions we want, when we get back to Ponyville. Until then, let's keep to ourselves."
As Rainbow frowned slightly, the others set off after Applejack and Logan. Eventually, she swallowed her pride and huffed before following the others back to Ponyville.
====
As Logan and Applejack walked ahead of the group, Applejack looked over their companion with curiosity. His clothing was colored gray, black, and white, with pockets and pouches scattered about. A knife rested in a sheath on his left shoulder, with a small L-shaped object on his right thigh.
What fascinated her the most was his mask. It covered the whole of his face apart from the eyes, and it was a shade of black so dark Applejack had trouble telling it apart from the sky. Painted in a rough manner on the front was a skull, or what Applejack assumed was a skull. As they walked in silence, Applejack looked away for a moment.
"Something wrong?"
Applejack shook her head, and looked at Logan.
"Not really. The mask you're wearing is...interesting, though." she spoke. "Where'd you get it?"
"It was my dad's before it was mine." Logan said. "A symbol of the group of brothers I belong to. We were an elite unit designed to strike fear behind enemy lines."
"You're a Royal Guard?" Applejack asked. "Like, in the military?"
"Yes and no." Logan said. "I am a soldier, but not a "Royal Guard" as you said. My unit consisted of a chosen few, the best of the best. To my country, we were honored. To our enemy, we were feared."
"What kind of soldier are you?" Applejack queried, only for Logan to quietly chuckle.
"A Ghost." he replied, intimidating Applejack with the tone of his voice.
"Okay then..." she said, shaken. "We're home."
Logan looked up to see that the seven of them had arrived in a small town on the edge of the forest. The one called Twilight took the lead and brought them to a Crystalline tree-shaped structure on the edge of a grass field. They headed inside to a living room covered in sleeping bags and games, with a library in the other adjacent room visible through a door.
"We were in the middle of a sleepover." Twilight explained. "I guess we can put that on hold while we answer your questions."
"That's fine by me." Logan said. "Mind if I take the couch?"
"Sure."
As Logan sat down on the crystal-shaped sofa, he gently removed his mask as he relaxed. Now that his face was unobscured, the six of them could see that he had a black crew cut, with a clean-shaven face. His eyes were dark brown and gave off a feeling of intent and dedication.
"So, where do we start?" Twilight asked. "Where are you from, Mr. Logan?"
"Well, I'll start from the beginning, then." Logan said. "My full name is 1st Lieutenant Logan Walker, of the Ghosts. I'm a human from planet Earth. Here, let me show you."
Logan pulled out a small tablet from one of the pockets on his chest, and flicked a switch. A pale blue light appeared, showing a map on the screen. Twilight could identify several major continents across the screen.
"This is your world?" she asked.
"Yeah." Logan said. "I'm from the United States, right here in North America."
As he zoomed in, the ponies crowded around.
"I'm not exactly well-versed in our nation's history, seeing as it's been years since I was in an educational environment." Logan said. "I graduated from college about three years ago."
"Then why are you a soldier?" Applejack asked.
"I'll explain." Logan said. "About four years ago, the great deserts of the Middle East that supplied most of our world's fuel began to run dry. Fuel became scarce, and as a result the entire Middle East descended into chaos. From this, the Federation began to rise."
"Federation?" Rainbow asked. "Where's that?"
"This is South America." Logan said, scrolling the map. "The Federation is the name of the government that united all the nations in South America under one flag. It's based in Caracas, Venezuela, here."
"The Federation quickly took control of the remaining fuel available to the world, and began amassing a powerful military. They began to push north, towards the United States, conquering nation after nation in their path."
"How could they do that?" Fluttershy asked. "Didn't anypony try to stop them?"
"No." Logan replied. "The Feds had a military that was second to none. Whatever nations that didn't stand aside because of that did so because they needed Federation fuel. Soon, the United States stood alone against them. We had a military comparable in size and prowess, but they had numbers on their size. Soon, we had one last deterrent against an invasion."
"What was that deterrent?" Twilight asked. "What kept this onslaught at bay?"
"ODIN." Logan replied. "The Orbital Defense Initiative. Our world had achieved spaceflight by this time, so the US built a defensive platform in our planet's orbit. One central module controlling five satellites, each of them equipped with a payload of kinetic energy missiles."
"What's that?" Rarity asked.
"These missiles were essentially giant rods made of metal." Logan said. "All propelled by rockets, each of these rods, when fired would slam into their targets on Earth. They also hit with enough force to level cities and create massive sinkholes on impact. And that's just the capability of one. Each of these ODIN satellites carried a payload of seven."
The ponies blanched a stark white, with Pinkie's mane starting to deflate.
"ODIN was considered untouchable." Logan said. "The threat of an ODIN strike on the Federation states forced them into a temporary truce with the US. However, it wouldn't last."
Logan took a deep breath before continuing.
"On one fateful day, the Federation launched a space shuttle full of veteran soldiers equipped for space combat to take control of ODIN. Using intercepted codes, they boarded the main capsule and took control of all five satellites. We were caught completely by surprise. Then, the Feds hijacked one of the satellites and turned it against us."
"Using their newly acquired weapon, they fired all of the rods into the seven main cities on the US and Federation border, decimating the land and killing countless numbers of innocent people as well as some US soldiers." Logan said. "The damage was incomprehensible. The neighborhood I once lived in with my dad and my brother is now the site of a giant, miles-wide sinkhole, the city nearby a ruin."
If the concept of ODIN alone had shocked the ponies, the destruction it caused floored them. Pinkie's mane deflated, Fluttershy began to cry, and everypony else just stood there gaping.
"However, two US astronauts managed to scuttle the satellite and knock it into the Pacific ocean, presumably destroying it and preventing further destruction." Logan said. "But the deed was done. The Feds had turned a once-prosperous section of my home nation into a devastated warzone now known as No Man's Land. The beaches I used to play on were mined with explosives and abandoned. The war as we knew it had changed forever."
Logan sucked in a breath and continued.
"I saw the kinetic rods hit my neighborhood." he said. "It was hell on earth to put it lightly. After my family and I escaped, my brother and I joined the US Army while my dad returned to the service."
"What happened after that?" Rarity asked.
"The Feds after the ODIN strikes believed we were crippled, weak, prey to be taken." Logan said. "But we regrouped, and fought them over two years to a bloody stalemate. One day, my brother and I were on patrol when we learned the city of Dallas had been taken by the Feds. That was when the war truly began for me and my brother."
"After engaging the Feds, our dad sent us to link up with two soldiers in No Man's Land. Their names were Captain Merrick and 2nd Lieutenant Keegan. They were scouting a Federation base to recover their friend, Ajax. He had been captured by the Feds. While we scouted the Fed's base, we caught a glimpse of a strange man leading the Fed soldiers, and interrogating Ajax."
Logan pulled up a video, and hit play. An image appeared of three men on a platform. Through the grass, they could see one wore urban clothing with a tied-back bandanna. The second was clad like Logan, complete with a Mask, and the third held what was presumably a weapon to the head of the second.
"The man there is Ajax, held by a Federation infantryman." Logan said. "Watch this."
"Well, well. So nice you could join us." the first man said, placing his hands on his waist.
"Rorke?" Ajax gasped, clearly frightened.
"What's the matter?" Rorke taunted. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"You won't get anything from me!" Ajax recovered.
"That's too bad, then." Rorke said, holding a pistol to Ajax's head. As he pulled the trigger, a click could be heard. The ponies realized Ajax was fine, but shaken.
"You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you? Oh no, we got a lot of catching up to do." Rorke said, motioning to the Fed soldier. As Ajax was carried away, Rorke spoke to the watching crowd.
"Move everything to Firebase Charlie! Including him! Operation Homecoming will proceed on schedule!"
As the video ended, Logan sighed.
"As we linked up with Merrick and Keegan, we attempted to recover Ajax, only to learn he had been moved to a Federation base built in a sports stadium. Merrick and Keegan were dead-set on recovering their Ghost, and we were going to help them."
"What do you mean by "Ghost"?" Twilight asked.
"Merrick and Keegan were members of an elite unit called the Ghosts." Logan said. "They were the shadows of No Man's Land. The Federation feared little, but they definitely feared the Ghosts, for good reason. My brother and I met them, and we were determined to join them."
The ponies were spellbound as Logan continued.
"We smashed our way through the Feds defenses and made to Ajax, but we were too late. He was wounded, and he wouldn't survive. As he died, he told us Rorke was hunting the Ghosts. On the wall across him Ajax was a kill-list made by Rorke himself. As we escaped, we learned the Federation was attacking Fort Santa Monica, where dad was at, en masse. On our arrival, we jumped into the fight. However, when we searched for dad, we were rescued from the battle by the Ghosts."
"Turns out that all along, Dad was a Ghost." Logan said to the stunned ponies. "he was testing us, and we passed. Dad inducted us into the Ghosts, and our new mission was to take down Rorke."
"What's Rorke got to do with this?" Rainbow asked.
"Rorke was good, very good at his line of work." Logan growled. "He knew how the Ghosts operated, because he was one of us. During the early days of the war, a US invasion attacked the Federation capital of Caracas. The Ghosts' mission was to kill a leading Federation General. They succeeded, but in the battle, Rorke was lost to a raging flood. The US presumed him dead, but he was alive and in Federation custody."
"That's not good." Twilight said.
"Not good at all." Logan sighed. "Rorke had been tortured, brainwashed, and turned into a monster by the Feds. He was the Ghost Killer now. During a Fed Holiday, we secured intel on his location, and later captured him."
"However, our plane was shot down and Rorke escaped." Logan sighed. "We conducted later ops against the Feds, and later learned that they had reverse-engineered a copy of ODIN, codenamed LOKI from the remains they found in the Pacific."
"Oh no." Twilight gasped.
"Oh yes." Logan said. "We managed to regroup in the ruins of Las Vegas, but Rorke knew where we would be. We were captured, and Rorke...shot my father. Executed him before leaving the rest of us to die. We managed to get out alive, but we were not the same. Now, our mission was personal."
The ponies had grief and pity displayed on their faces as Logan wiped his eyes.
"We had one last change to stop the Feds. We risked everything for a surprise attack on the LOKI platform. Though we succeeded, we lost our last aircraft carrier. Soon after, we struck at the space center controlling LOKI while our ground forces began their attack. Soon, a team of US Army astronauts took control of LOKI just like the Feds did to ODIN. Let's just say the payback was worth it. We decimated the Fed military while my brother and I headed off to find Rorke."
"Did you?" Twilight asked.
"Yes. We made a plan with Merrick, and boarded a train carrying Rorke to safety. We cornered him, but he bested us and was going to kill my brother when we sent the signal word to Merrick."
"What was that?" Applejack asked.
"Checkmate." Logan said. "That was the signal for the troops on LOKI to fire on our position. We were trapped underwater, and I managed to shoot Rorke. As we swam to the surface, we saw the Fed's navy be destroyed."
"Did you win?" Rainbow asked. "Did you beat the Federation?"
"No." Logan said. "We only wounded Rorke in the end, as he was wearing a bulletproof vest. He kidnapped me and dragged me to a Federation prison in the Amazon jungle. He tried to break me like what had happened to himself, but I had learned that Ghosts don't break from my dad. One day, I managed to escape. As I was cornered on top of a waterfall, I knew that I wasn't going to make it out of this alive. I drove the MRAP I was in over the waterfall. I wasn't going to let Rorke win, even if it cost me my life. Next thing I know, I woke up in my crushed MRAP in the forest, and then that led me to now."
Logan took several deep breaths as the ponies took in what they had heard.
"Now, I'm stuck here." he said. "I know my time will come when I'm going to kill Rorke, but until then...I'm here for the time being."
Twilight hopped up next to him and sighed.
"Logan, you can stay in my castle for as long as you want. We'll get you home somehow, I promise.'
"Thank you." Logan said. As the others affirmed Twilight's statement, Logan stretched his weary arms and sighed.
"You got a spare bed?" he asked.
"Upstairs to the left." Twilight said. "Bathroom's on the right. Come down if you need anything."
"Thanks."
As Logan followed Twilight's instructions, he stripped off his gear in the bedroom before cleaning himself up. As he entered the bedroom again and fell backwards onto the mattress, he was soon in a well-deserved slumber.
It wasn't long before the ponies downstairs followed suit, and soon Twilight's castle was quiet, the moon taking its apex position in the night sky.
Author's Note
Wow, this is now the longest chapter I've ever written. And I'm proud of that.
Next time-Logan's first morning in Equestria, and on Earth the Ghosts resume their seach for Logan and Rorke.
