Equestria: Ally Unknown

Ponyville Outskirts. 19:34 Local time, 10:40 Operations Time. Local date: undetermined. Operations Date: 0-03-00. Operation Dark Messenger

Fluttershy was anxious. The day was turning into night and the temperature was dropping, and she had to get her animals safe and warm inside their homes before it got any colder. As she herded the critters in her care into their respective shelters, the pegasus mused on how much she disliked this time of year.

Granted, she didn't hate autumn. Fluttershy knew that just switching the seasons from summer to winter would be a terrible shock to the ecosystem. She also appreciated the mild days and loved the way the leaves changed as the season progressed. No, she didn't hate Fall, but it meant extra trouble for her. Migrating birds began flying south to warmer climes, hibernating mammals became moody and demanded more food to prepare for their winter nap, and the animals that did stay around her house and awake for the season needed her attention more than ever.

Other ponies had it just as bad. Rainbow Dash had told Fluttershy several times how uncertain the Weather Bureau was, calling for cloud cover only to change the order to clear sky less than an hour later. Applejack and her family struggled to finish their harvests before snowfall. Pinkie Pie and the Cakes needed to prepare, physically, mentally, and fiscally, for the mad, demanding rush of the holidays. Ponyville ponies love sweets, and the craving only seemed to grow as the weather got colder.

Rarity and Twilight Sparkle might have an easier time adapting to the shifting seasons, but they were run just as ragged by the time true winter arrived. The unicorns helped their friends as much as they possibly could. Spike usually followed in the unicorns' wake, assisting one or the other with some task. The thought of her friends working so hard to help brought a smile to Fluttershy's lips. Maybe she and Pinkie could put together a little celebration for all their friends, so everypony could get a chance to relax for a little while. The thought cheered her up, warming her despite the chill air of the autumn sunset.

Nevertheless, the pegasus let out a relieved sigh as the last of her chickens settled down in their coop. Her cute little assistant hopped up to her and gave her a salute.

"Okay Angel, now let's get inside. Maybe we can have a little hot chocolate before bed-time."

The white rabbit nodded and eagerly rushed inside to await his treat. Fluttershy giggled and began walking, but stopped when she spotted something behind her house.

She sat still and stared around the corner of the cottage, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

Under the boughs of the Everfree forest, which remained unnaturally untouched by the changing seasons, the pegasus could see a strange gleam of light. Oscillating strands of dark purple, almost invisible in the shadows of the trees, danced like an aurora brought to earth.

Fear and uncertainty gripped the pegasus. On the one side, she feared the Everfree. Any sane pony did. Many strange and dangerous things lurked in that forest, things that became very, very active at night. Fluttershy's knees began trembling as her imagination populated the forest with glowing, bestial eyes, their owners just waiting for her to take one step over the border.

But, on the other side, Fluttershy also knew that sometimes a pony got lost in the Everfree. Somepony who thought themselves brave and skilled enough, or a young, foolish colt or filly caught up in the dares of his or her classmates. Desperation sometimes drove ponies into the forest to search for something, or to seek the help of the zebra herbalist Zecora.

The glow Fluttershy saw could be the result of unicorn magic. Some poor unicorn, scared and alone, probably hurt. Trying to get out of those terrible woods. Somepony who needed help. Her help.

Swallowing her fear, the timid pegasus stepped away from her home to get a better look at whatever she was seeing. She had to make sure.

Come.

The whisper came suddenly, without sound. It had not bothered with her ears and sank directly into her brain. Against the frightened pegasus's will her legs took another step forward.

Yes. Come.

No, Fluttershy thought. She tried to speak, to yell, to scream for help, but the alien presence in her mind stopped her. The forest is dangerous. Predators! Poisons! Monsters!

Her protests seemed to amuse the presence. No danger here. We know, we looked, we chased everything away. Here is safe. We will not harm you.

To the pegasus's dismay, her body kept walking towards the glow. It filled her vision now. The presence, the voice in her mind came from that glow, and it held her attention and mind in a terrible grip. And yet, it was being more gentle than it could be. She could tell.

Good, good. Come.

What do you want! Fluttershy wanted to scream as she passed under the draping branches of the Everfree forest. She recalled every legend she had heard. Of the Willow-the-Wisp, a creature that lures travelers to their death. Of fairies that would steal ponies from their beds and use them as slaves.

Be brave, the voice said.

She entered a clearing, not far from the edge. There was, something, in front of her. It stood on two legs, the glow emanating from the two five-fingered hands on the ends of its forelimbs. The thing was covered head to toe in black armor that reflected none of the faint purple light illuminating the clearing.

Good girl. Very brave. Hold still for us. It may sting a little. The voice was still gentle, but the grip it had on her mind and body was stronger than ever. Fluttershy couldn't help but obey as she heard another creature approach.

Inside her mind, the pegasus panicked. What was happening? Who were they? What were they going to do to her? She couldn't turn her head. Were they going to hurt her? She wanted to shout for help. For her friends, Pinkie, Rainbow, Twilight! For anypony!

She heard the creatures converse above her head. She did not understand them, but one of them, the one in front of her, sounded feminine.

A warm hand gently lay itself on her withers, awkwardly stroking her trembling back. Keep being brave. No harm. You will be okay. Be brave.

The being in front of her knelt down to her level, allowing the pegasus to see through the visor on her helmet. Fluttershy locked gazes with the startling blue eyes behind the glass, each iris backlit by the purple glow. The being raised a hand and ran her fingers through the pony's mane. They both flinched when something thin and sharp pierced Fluttershy's flank and deposited something.

Still holding her gaze, the being that had so effortlessly captured Fluttershy's mind had another verbal conversation with her partner. She then patted the pegasus gently on the neck. Good girl, such a brave girl, she praised.

The pony didn't understand what had just happened. She was alone, terrified, and facing something she had never seen before. These creatures had her completely defenseless. All and all, the yellow pegasus didn't feel very brave at the moment.

Go home now. Sleep. Forget about us.

Fluttershy could already feel herself slipping away. Her body turned, but she managed to send one more thought before her connection to the being was cut. Who are you?

We will be watching, she said before she vanished into the trees.

C(X)M

Later that same night, Twilight Sparkle was interrupted by what she thought was a light ascending from the Everfree Forrest into the night sky. By the time she focused her telescope in the direction of her sighting, the light had vanished. The unicorn grumpily dismissed the event as a sign of sleep deprivation and wisely decided to call it a night.

C(X)M

Brindle Point, 50km SE of Baltimare. 02:45 Local Time, 11:02 Operations Time. Local Date: undetermined. Operations Date: 0-03-00. Operation Shadow Contract

The night breeze cut through Private Clear Strike's coat and Night Guard armor like it wasn't there. Not that she minded, she needed something to pep her up after being hauled out of bed at such a late hour. The unicorn rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear the sleep and adjust to the NightSight spell her armor granted her.

"Why did the cap wake us up for this? It was supposed to be our night off." Sledge rumbled at her side. Her big earth pony squadmate was sitting in the exact middle of the sky chariot they were using to get to the small village of Brindle Point. He was never very comfortable with flying, nor was he shy about expressing his opinion.

"Sarge drew the short straw for reserve duty, that's why." One of the pegasi pulling the chariot, Guiding Star, shouted over his shoulder and the wind.

Clear chuckled at the squad rookie's joke and decided to clear the air before Sledge lost his legendary temper. "I don't like it any more than you do, big guy, but that's the job. An emergency hits after dark, the princesses want extra security after the whole changeling thing in Canterlot, and lo and behold we are a free reserve squad! Cap gets eyes on the problem, no patrols get mussed, and the Baltimare company looks good for the brass. Plus, overtime!"

Sledge grumbled but relented, his anger successfully difused

Clear leans over the forward lip of the chariot to adress the squad's leader. "So what's the deal, Sarge?"

Sargent Polaris, a massive pegasus veteran, spoke up for the first time during the trip. "Only going to say this once, so listen up. A little over an hour ago a patrol saw the Bridle Point lighthouse go dark. Nopony responded to telegram messages or light signals. We are to get in, assess the situation, assist if necessary, and report. Clear?"

The squad responded crisp and sharp, "Clear!"

Polaris and Guiding Star brought the chariot down in the town's central square. The pegasi landing brought none of the expected reactions. Nopony came to meet them, no ponies gathered to gawk at the rarely seen Night Guard. The town was silent.

"Hello?" Guiding Star's shout echoed softly through the empty streets. "Night Guard, we're here to help! Anypony home?"

With no response to the rookie's shout, the squad became uncomfortable. Every shadow seemed to carry an invisible threat, empty houses now hid unseen enemies, and the night breeze carried half-familiar scents and phantom noises through the streets.

Sledge secured his lance in the harness strapped to his back. "Something isn't right here."

"What was your first clue?" Clear snarked.

"Stow that." Polaris snapped his head around twisted his ears towards a sound unheard by the rest of the squad. "Search pattern. Sledge on point. Guiding, you're up top. Clear, watch our backs. We clear the town street by street." The mammoth pegasus loosened his sword in its scabbard. "Go."

The squad's training took over under the Sergeant's orders. Grouping together tightly, they moved as one down the street. Sledge and Polaris stoping to clear each building while Guiding kept an eye on the rooftops. Clear kept her head on a swivel, ready to react as soon as she spotted a threat. With each building cleared the squad only became more and more anxious.

Where is everypony? Clear thought to herself as her squadmates cleared another house. It didn't make sense. She expected to see evidence of some kind of struggle.

At last, the Night Guards turned a corner and began closing on the town's lighthouse. That's when they saw it.

Guiding Star was the first to react. "I see something moving up the block."

The rest of the squad leapt into action, galloping down the street to intercept whatever it was that the airborne pegasus had spotted. Sledge skidded to a sudden stop when he spotted a faint green light emanating from the building ahead of them.

Lowering his lance to attack position, the earth pony guard whispered, "You seeing this, Sarge?"

"Yep." The pegasus narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Keep sharp team."

The squad assembled in front of the building. Polaris and Sledge flanked the door, weapons ready. Guiding and Clear took position in the street, covering the approach for their teammates. Once everypony was ready, the Sergeant nodded and Sledge did what he did best.

A single kick was all it took for the earth pony to reduce the door to splinters. Polaris prepped to enter after his squadmate when he heard a strangled cry from inside the building. At the same time, Clear spotted movement on the rooftop of a three-story building overlooking their position.

She tried to sound an alert, but all Tartarus broke loose before she could get her first word out.

Polaris stood in the doorway as a grey earth pony charged out of the darkened room beyond and crashed into him. The sergeant grunted in pain as he felt Sledge's lance pierce his armor and dig into his shoulder, the earth pony's eyes filled with a malevolent violet light.

"Guide, up top!" Clear shouted, sending the hovering pegasus up in an instinctive and trained reaction to get a clear view of a possible threat. What he saw was a strange being; bipedal, large-headed, and silver skinned. More alarmingly, it was drawing a bead on the flying guard with some kind of forelimb mounted weapon!

Back at the door the light faded from Sledges eyes and his face transformed from a blank expression to horror. "Sarge! I-"

"Get down!" the pegasus yelled as he pushed his shocked attacker to the ground. Green bolts flew out of the doorway, effortlessly penetrating Polaris's enchanted armor and leaving horrific and fatal burns in his flesh. Fighting through the pain, the Night Guard remained standing long enough to hurl his sword into the source of the blasts and was rewarded by a gurgling cry of pain. Having done his country proud, the Sergeant collapsed to the street.

Guide dipped in the air, going into a roll to avoid the fire he knew was coming. He evaded the first two shots, only for the third to strike him in the wing. The hit sent the pegasus howling to the ground.

"No!" Clear shouted as she channeled her magic. With a crack of disturbed air the unicorn sent a surge of kinetic energy flying into the being that had just shot down the rookie. The silver-skinned creature's head snapped back as it went flying over the peak of the roof.

Sledge heard a noise and turned his head to spot several more of the thin-limbed monsters advancing down the street. Eager to avenge his squadmates, the earth pony screamed a war cry and charged the creatures. Clear saw him shrug off two glancing hits before he was stopped by a round object hitting him in the head.

The guard looked down at the green, blinking object in confusion. "What the hay?"

Then he vanished in a violent burst of green light.

Clear Strike coughed as the dust from the explosion stuck to the surfaces of her nose, mouth and throat. Trying not to think about what the dust might have been less than a second ago, she grabbed Guiding Star and ducked into the rubble that used to be a street-facing wall. The creatures were already throwing more of those deadly green bolts into her cover, blowing chunks off the masonry.

The unicorn desperately tried to find a way to get out of the situation alive. She had always been good with tactics, but her position was hopeless. The Sarge was down. Sledge was gone. Guiding was in bad condition. His wing was mangled. Charred flesh hung off of burnt bone and his side was already blistering from secondary burns. He was breathing, but barely. She was the only squad member left, but she was hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned.

The only question in her mind was weather the creatures had the patience to destroy what was left of her cover or if they would just throw another explosive and be done with it.

Aided by despair, fear froze the unicorn in place. Her fate was sealed.

Then, with a rumble like thunder, a light descended from the night sky. The creatures immediately shifted targets and began firing at what gradually became a vehicle. None of their shots connected, but they got close before the aircraft swooped down, opened a door on its underside so four tall, bipedal, armored figures could jump out, and accelerated away.

One of these new beings, clad in silver armor, stopped its fall with thrusters of brilliant blue flame. It lifted a tube-shaped weapon and took steady aim. A bright blue bolt shot from the weapon and connected with the large head of one of the smaller bipeds, vaporizing it.

Two of the others rushed into Clear's cover. The larger one immediately began poring a storm of blue fire into the enemy position, sending the creatures fleeing for cover. Clear was to stunned to react as the other one, smaller but no less armed, sprayed something onto the wounds of the fallen pegasus.

The two remaining beings were pinned down behind a corner by the armored ones' heavy fire, the others already mowed down before they could reach cover. By some unspoken agreement ragged strands of violet light connected the two silver-skinned creatures. One began returning fire, and the heavily armored being near Clear Strike was forced to take cover in the face of the shots enhanced accuracy.

Then she heard a bang from the unarmored creature's position. The creature firing at their position suddenly dropped, and a forth armored warrior shimmered into existence from behind the enemy position.

Just as quickly as it began, the fight was over.

Although she knew, logically, that she had just as much to fear from these armored beings as the silver-skinned ones that just attacked her, Clear felt an immense sense of relief. She locked gazes with the being tending to her downed teammate.

"I don't know who you are, or why you saved us. But thank you."

The unicorn heard a soft footstep behind her. She turned to face the one that had been invisible moments ago, holding some kind of can in its hand. A mist burst into her face, and within seconds the unicorn's vision darkened and her legs weakened. Something caught her as she lost consciousness.

C(X)M

Report 1, Morpheus Base to CON Headquarters. From the desk of Commander Clearwater.

Gentlemen and ladies of the Council of Nations, I am writing you from the first extra-solar human settlement in our species history. My only regret is that this base was established as part of a military operation.

As we suspected, the mothership that attacked our system was but one of many that our enemy has operating in the galaxy. Using our reverse-engineered hyperdrives, we have located a second ship on a similar mission and followed its signal to the target system.

This sector of space is home to many unusual stellar phenomena (See attached Science report for details), but we have adapted. Morpheus Bas was established in record time thanks to the Outsider technology recovered from the abandoned base in Nevada. Operations have begun to gather intel and counter enemy activity in the system.

The planet in question has been confirmed to be habitable, Earthlike, and occupied by sentient species. Local technology is a mix of pre-industrial and steam-based engines. These people cannot hope to stand against enemy attack for long. I have authorized first contact procedures, and my staff has begun making preparations to initiate Phase One of the Bhodisatva protocol.

I understand that many of you might have a problem with me making such a monumental decision without consulting the Council. Please understand that my choice was not an attempt to undermine your authority. Strategically, we are far from home, working with few resources, and have an extremely small pool of personnel. Resupply from home base will take months even with hyperdrive technology. Therefore, we will need the aid and support of the native population if we are to have any hope of thwarting this invasion.

Thank you for reading my report, as well as those of my Section Chiefs.

Thomas Clearwater, Commander-in-Chief of X-Com.