Yesterday my teammate and I where surprise when our boss told us we were selected on our first mission to investigate a forest fire close to Canterlot. I was worked up all night with a bazillion of emotion from energetic to anxiety. I couldn’t wait to finally be in the base but now that is finally time, I felt my breakfast reaching my throat.

Jetstream is a pegasus pony who recently joined the guards in Canterlot. Her coat was pink, light red mane and her cutie mark was a cloud with red rain.

“Are you done putting the luggage?” a disinterested guard said.

I just turn and scowl my partner “No, maybe if you help me, we would have been long gone by now”

“I’m good”

‘tsk’ Breath in and out Jets, today is your big day to impress the boss. Just keep working. Imagining myself getting a promotion in just a couple months. I could rub it in my snot nose sister face, just because she a Wonderbolts she thinks she so much better than me.

“Hey hurry up, I wanna go” he said.

I angrily stare at the bored looking stallion hanging by the luggage. His name is Cherry Fizzy he’s an earth Stallion who started work around the same time I join. His coat was brown with a black mane and two cherry as cutie mark and sadly, we were partners. I remember how our body language crash when we were assigned together, his lukewarm reception to my over enthusiastic reaction set the tone for our relationship. It’s fine if he doesn’t like me for whatever reason but I’m not doing all the work by myself “Can you at least get Ace ready”

“Uh, fine”

“Thank you” I offer before he walks out. Ace was the only reason you will never hear a complaint from me, one of our train humans. His just the cuties thing you will ever see and what more where going to drive this super slick black armor truck with tinted window. I caught myself staring, shaking my head while cleaning a little bit of drool off my lips.

I’m excited about this mission however, I’m not dumb. The guard’s base lacks fund so we run side-business like finding rare crystal gem, protection for the right price and the most lucrative market, selling humans to the public. If we get lucky, we might find a pre-own human lost in the woods. We snatch them right up and register them again and re-sell it back. Even if the owner happened to show up, we legally own the human so there nothing they could do.

All the humans are to be taking in, Including the infected one. A lot of time we sell the ill ones to scientist as test subject to figure out what’s the cause of the infection and to come up with a medicine.

We have ways of treating them but on the early stages of the symptoms. Normally human are taking to the shelter to be sold but if they were too expensive to care for and there no taker, then they will be… put down.

Don’t know how to feel about taking human away from there owner or out of their habitat, I don’t like it but working as a lower lever guard is how you join the royal guard. Working next to the princes was my dream job. I could be important. That why I can’t afford to be distracted.

Double-checking the most important material we must carry: Shocker stick for paralysis any threats, restricted hands glove for touchy humans and a collar for the more non-passive humans, Clean cages inside the tuck and basic medicine.

While I Finish packing the material, I hear Ace sprinting my way. Surprising me when he picks me up and hug me “Aww who’s a good boy” I said, caressing the human.

“You’re not supposed to play with them” Fizzy said.

Jets look a bit down knowing that Cherry was right “Ace, put me down boy”. He proceeded to follow my order. He had his blue and black uniform and all his gear set up. Wearing a light but strong fiber around his chest, arms and legs but leaving some spot open like the knee and elbow for agility while wearing a mask with protected google, to top it off Ace carry a shocker stick in one side of the leg and a knives in the other.

“Come on boy, Get on the truck” I said opening the back door while throwing a snack inside. Closing right after him. I jog to the driver seat and close the door loudly. Hearing a knock in the driver window, it was my partner talking but no sound coming in. I made hoof sign of not receiving sound. He looks irritated thought the glass window and walk to the passenger seat. “I want to drive” he said while getting on.

“Too bad” I mock.

“To you even have your driver license”

“pss, of course I do” turning the key to start the truck. Hearing the engine roaring just fine and quickly turning right off. I look at my companion “How to you turn it on again?”

“This is going be along ride”

Hearing Ace in the back make playful ‘howl’ sound.

____________________

We finally made it out of Canterlot and right now where driving through the forest. Yeah, we're bit late, but I would like to point out that is not all my fault when somepony rather watch me struggle and laugh than help me figure out how this thing work. Speaking of which Cherry has been awfully quiet, he was resting his head in the window. This vehicle is soundproof so there a contrast of the lively outside door versus the dead silence inside the vehicle. I sneak a few glances to my teammate. When he’s not being an annoying jerk, he can look kind of cute. Our eye connected for a split second and I hastily turn my eyes back on the road.

“What” he said.

“Nothing, you been quite for a while”

He just look back toward Ace “Why did we bring the mut”

I gasp hearing the profanity “His name is Ace!” I demanded “And for your information, Ace is our best train human”

Cherry laugh before responding “Yes, well I caught our prodigy eating from the garbage again”

“What! And you didn’t stop him”

“No way, have you seen the size of that thing”

“Well he’s very sweet if you treat him nice”

“Again, you never answer my question”

“And I shouldn’t but because I’m so nice I will” I smugly responded to a mildly interested companion “They were report of fire in the middle of nowhere so the captain send us to investigated and if we happened to find any human. We use our Ace in the hole to catch them, uh get it” giving him a smile. Receiving a small chuckle from him. “Uh see, and you said I wasn’t funny”

“It was hilarious” he said mindlessly staring at the outside world “Using humans to hunt other humans, I’ll admit, that’s smart”

“Detaining, is very different”

“Whatever you say”

____________________

Quinn didn’t have a wink of sleep last night. There no way I could go to sleep with does idiot in the cave. The heatwave was consuming me and my back hurts from laying in the dirt. the fire was out but I still had couple dry wood left in case I spend another night in the wood. The sun was out, and I try to stand up but quickly flop when I put strength in my bad arm “ah, this suck”. I try again and succeeded in standing up.

The weirdos are still in that cave. Last night I hear weird noises coming from that place. I wonder what they have in there. I wouldn’t mind eating something. Hearing my stomach rumbling from my though running wild. I probably should check on that guy I hurt last night. Even if he was weird, I felt really bad for what I did yesterday.

Grabbing a stick just in case I need it to defend myself. Approaching the cave and seen nothing but small illuminating lights in the cavern. Not sensing any dangers, I processed to enter cautiously. The cave expands sideways making it bigger than I thought.

Inside the cave where small light of crystal giving me small sense of where to go but too dark to really see much. Accidentally stepping on something making a loud crack, it made the shadow in the roof move. Hearing chirps sounds and wing flapping around me, after a couple second my view was clear, and I saw the bats fly away from the disturbance.

Continuing my search for the nude people was boring. No writing on the walls, no food, no cloth or beds anywhere until I saw shadows much. From the small lights I manage to see two folks from yesterday but there shaking. Are they scared of me, is it because I hurt one of them?

“You guys ok?” hearing my voice echo “I promise I’m not here to hurt you, I just want it to check up on you”

No response from nether of them “what the matter-“ my respond was interrupted by an echo of a loud growl startling me. I jolt and hold my breath when I look at the direction of the scream. “Hello” my voice echo thought the cave. The shadow of the man sluggishly walking toward me swinging side to side. The two people next to me got up and ran.

While I was distracted by the two people running, I notice the figure of the snarling man sneak up on me and try to snatch me up. “Not again” I knew I shouldn’t have come here but I did anyway. Damn my good nature. “Dude you don’t want to mess with me, I burn someone eyes last night” my voice echo while I grip the strong stick on my right hand.

My taunts did not receive any response. The figure ran to me, but I predicted his movement and I dodge it. “Dude, your too slow” slowly walking back. I was suddenly grab and pull by my short hair ‘gak’ my face was under another man’s glance, the same man who’s eye I burn last night but he looks different. With the amount of small light, it was hard to see anything but being so close to this person I could pick a few details.

The burn scar around one eye but he was bleeding from both them, feeling the small spasm of his muscle with his tight grasp around my hair. Pulling me close to his face, the excessive drool falling on my cheek. He opens his mouth slowly and approaching my face. Without a second though I brought the stick I had in my hand and shove it in his open mouth.

As soon as he let me go, I ran for my life and I over hear step right behind me but still manage to exit the cavern. I was suddenly assaulted by a person who jump and wrap their leg around my waist and their arm around my neck. The unknown person bites my ear and pull left and right.

‘Awk’ I scream. The stature of the person felt small, so I jump and landed on my back where the attacker was grabbing me from. Hearing a small squeak from my back. Letting me go when we both hit the ground and manage to get up to see a young girl with the brunet hair.

Where in the middle of the open space in front of the cave where the bonfire was. With the light available again I could see that she looks different from before, bright yellow iris with blood oozing from them and saliva falling from her mouth, feeling the drool running down my neck close to where she bit me. Taking step back while watching the strange girl slowly get up. Accidentally moving an unused dry wood next to my foot and immediately pick it up with my good arm. The small looking branch didn’t look like much but with enough strength I could do some damage.

“I swear I won’t hold back, so you better step back” I raised my voice to the strange girl who keep walking closer. Clearly, she not listening. What do I do, I could run but my arms and legs tremble. So much for looking intimidating. She ran my way but I doge it, observing my movement getting slower. My fear is making me paralyzed. If I keep wasting time with her the other two guys are going to show up and then I might as well dig my own grave, but l can’t die here. Not when I made a promise to my sister. Mentally preparing myself to hurt another human being.

Predicting the same movement as before and I easily sidestep out of her reach and I swing the stick. Directly hitting her in the back of the head. The piece of wood broke with the hard hit and she stumble to the floor. I was stun when blood spill out of her hair. She manages to get up, but the hit seen to slow her down. I was shock when the I saw too much blood spill from her skin and reacted to ate when she threw herself on me and effectively snagging my bad arm. “Ow, ow” the pain halted me in place and the aggressive girl when to bite me in the face but I stop her when I put my right arm instead.

‘uagh’ I scream when the chomp down on my arm and got scared when I saw my sleeve cover in blood. When I try to yank my arm away, she bit down harder. ‘argh’ I yelp. I position my arm so we can see each other face to face. Pulling my head back and forth smacking her on the nose with my forehead. Momentarily letting me go but receiving blood and sweat in my eyes leaving me blind.

Taking random swing with no avail. I was tackled to the floor and in a state of panic she started going wild scratching me every time she landed blow. Not eating for a long period of time was taking its toll on me and I had very little energy to push her off me. She caught my neck with a firm grasp and lift me up and smash the back of my skull on ground repeatedly. After a coupe hits, she left me disoriented.

I keep reaching for her face to scratch her back, but it was not working. I had a million though run my mind and not one of them would help me at this very instant. With no air reaching my lung I just stare the pretty girl in my futile fight.

____________________

“And she had the audacity to tell me, ma’am there the same size”

“Aaah!” Cherry scream “Jets, can you please stop talking about chocolate”

“What?” Jets looks bother “Are you serious, like can you not see that chocolate bar are getting smaller”. Jets abruptly stop the vehicle on our destination saw two humans trying to kill each other.

“Cherry are you seen this”

“Yeah, there fighting”

“We should go and help” Cherry grab Jets and said “No, stick to protocol. We send Ace first and when the situation is under control, then we step in” the pegasus didn’t like sending Ace alone, but she follows the rules anyways

“Ok, let’s get Ace ready”

____________________

The nude girl releases the tight grasp she had on me. I gasp for air and noticing the girl was distracted by a black truck. Not wasting an opportunity like this I scavenge my surrounding but as a consequence I got the attention of the bloody girl, when she was going to attack me again my hand found a rock the size of my palm. I grab it and swiftly smack her in the side of the head, knocking her out. I trash around the floor trying to get away from the unconscious human.

She just lay in the ground and I lightly move her body with my foot but there was no response. I hope I didn’t kill her I thought as I watch her calmly sleep in the floor and thinking of how scary similar she was scarily similar she was to my friend Dina. I notice a small tag on her ear that said ‘F.R.C. Must be a acronyms but I don’t know what is stand for.

My eye return to the scene at hand when the back of the truck open and a man step out, the door close right back. His uniform was black and blue with some metal plate around him. Is not any type of policeman I ever seen but I was ecstatic to see another person and thank goodness he’s wearing cloth.

“Help! I’m hurt” I shouted.

The police officer was approaching me but suddenly stop when the other two freaks show up. One man with a scar around his eyes that still had a branch stuck in his mouth and the other nude male was a tall guy who sprinted toward the officer.

The guy looks ready for the attacker, grabbing the tall man and throwing him to the ground. The nude man screams but quickly got up and became more wary of the policeman after he defended himself. The officer was to focus on one person and forgot the other human with a scar on his eye sneaking behind him and succeeding hugging the office. They both fell back while the tall man jumps on top of the man in blue and attempt to bite him only to hear a clank noises every time he attack the officer.

I watch in horror as the only other person that could help me get out of here might die. I slowly got up ignoring my own injuries and jog my way to them. None of them acknowledge my presence which was fine by me and I made it next to the scene. I look at the branch next to him were the man with the scar still had it in his mouth and I pull it free. Managing to lift up the heavy stick up and whack the man enough time to fall over. His body Slump while the officer free himself and put the other man in a choke hold and eventually the man with the scar stop moving. The officer stood up and stare at me with his hand in one pocket.

“Thank god, I’m safe” Dropping my weapon. “You have no idea how scare I was” I slowly walk closer to the man in uniform “I need help, see” putting my hand up “I need medical attentzehzezet-“ He sneakily put a metal stick away from my stomach and my body slumping next to the man with the scar. From the corner of my eye I saw an animal step out of the vehicle.

Man, I’m really tired. I’m imagining animals driving cars. They approach my paralyzed body. Hearing a voice after what felt like days “Aww sweetie don’t worry, everything is going to be ok. Just go to sleep” she said that while caressing my hair. I try to keep awake but I was too tired to keep my eyes open and slowly I when to sleep.

Author's Note

(Updated)