The Truth About the Humansby Robert Emerald FountainChaptersGearing Up for the MissionArriving at EarthThe Defense Force GrowsLaunchConfrontation and TruthFuture VisitGearing Up for the MissionAfter getting word of the upcoming battle, citizens all over Equus began gearing up for deployment. Soldiers quickly primed their weapons and took test shots to make sure their aim was on-target. Soldiers also carried out hand-in-hand drills to make sure their ground skills were up to speed. The Young Six also trained the Inkstar's crew members in space battle tactics so they would know what to do if they were shot at again, whether they were in space, in the air, or on the ground. During this time, Walker told everyone to watch out for some of the humans' weapons. These included rifles that fired plasma bolts, rocket launchers, and a handgun called a "needler", which shot needle-like bolts made of energized crystal. The decision was also made to equip the Inkstar with shields and weapons. The first time, the ship was built on the ground and it launched by taking off like a plane. Now, it had been taken to a launchpad in the North Luna Ocean, where it would tilt backward and then blast off. Once everyone was sure they were ready for battle, they bid farewell to loved ones, boarded flights to the nearest shuttle pad, and prepared for the journey to Earth. For safety purposes, all of the crew members' children would be taken to a safe place on Earth before their parents went to battle. Arriving at EarthFour hours after going to warp speed, the soldiers arrived in Earth's orbit. They immediately picked up signals from human defenses and got into battle position. Flurry ordered the Equestrian Space Force to surround the Inkstar as a swarm like wasps protecting their nest. As the ships passed through the entry corridor; human weapons began flying towards them and they quickly opened fire to defend themselves. "Looks like we're coming down on the main battlefield. All squads, prepare to drop stun charges. Paratroopers, prepare to jump.", said Flurry. Several transport ships and bombers dove for the ground while the Inkstar and several Equestrian ships headed for the outskirts of Inkopolis and Splatsville. In a flash, bay doors and hatches flew open. Paratroopers leaped out and glided down, and stun bombs fell to the ground. After their parents had taken all of the children to a secure place to watch over them, Callie and Marie introduced Flurry Heart and the Young Six to the Squidbeak Splatoon. "This is Squidbeak Captain Casey Cephalopod. She succeeded our grandfather, Craig Cuttlefish, when he passed away last year.", said Callie. "I'm sorry that you lost him.", said Gallus. "While he is no longer with us physically, he still lives in our hearts and watches over us from above.", said Marie. After getting introduced to Agents 3, 4, and 8, Callie and Marie said they were Agents 1 and 2. Then, everyone donned their battle gear and charged into the heart of the fight. The Defense Force GrowsThe new plan was to unite Equestria's Defense Force with the Humans, and all of the new species on Earth. A decision was made to call this the "Intergalactic Defense Force". The training began two days after the plan was put in place. The humans taught the Equestrians, Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings how to use their weapons, the Equestrians demonstrated some of their rescue tactics, and everyone shared their battle strategies with each other. Learning how to use the humans' weapons was difficult for everyone in the beginning, especially the rifles and the rocket launcher, as they would kick back hard and knock the user to the ground. After a few weeks, they mastered the weapons, and it was time to move on to air and space battles. For the most part, It was only the Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings that had to go through this, because the humans were trained in this long before them or the Equestrians. They started off by using simulators to shoot at stationary targets, then they started on moving targets. Once everyone had mastered the simulators, they started doing lifelike scenarios by using infrared lasers to disable whoever was playing the enemy role. They started off by doing scenarios where individual soldiers took on each other, then they started doing team battles where one group would try to take down all of the soldiers in the other group. They also did battles where a large group was taking on a single soldier. These scenarios were the most complex, since the single soldier would be using tactics to avoid multiple shots at the same time. Once the three branches in the new defense force were fully trained in all types of combat and defense, it was time for the Equestrian Fleet to head home. Over time, there were unknown attacks, but the defense soldiers were able to take them out before any major damage was dealt. LaunchAt the launchpad, the Space Force soldiers boarded rockets to reach the ESS and then head for Earth. Simultaneously, the Inkstar's crew boarded their ship for their return journey. At T-Minus zero, the ships lifted off and began ascending into the sky. Two hours after lift-off, the shuttles were docked and the crews made their way to the ships. Each of the Young Six commanded a squadron consisting of their own species, and Flurry Heart was "Gold Leader", meaning she was leading the Equestrian Space Force. Before going to warp, all of the soldiers checked in. "This is Gold Leader. All soldiers report in.", said Flurry. "Ponies standing by.", said Sandbar. "Changelings standing by.", said Ocellus. "Hippogriffs standing by.", said Silverstream. "Griffins standing by.", said Gallus. "Yaks standing by.", said Yona. "Dragons standing by.", said Smolder. "Inkstar standing by.", said Walker. "Warp speed on my mark. Five, four, three, two, one, MARK!", cried Flurry. Engines fired brightly and the ships zoomed into deep space, bound for Earth. Confrontation and TruthThe battle was taking place outside of Inkopolis. Upon entering the battle, everybody opened fire and released their full fury against the humans. This included Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings charging out of strongholds to add more fuel to the fire. Some of the Equestrians took to the air in their ships while the rest of them, the Squidbeak Splatoon, the Octarians, and the Salmonlings readied themselves for the ground battle. The waiting soldiers emerged from their bunkers and joined up with their commanding officers, and everyone opened fire. Walker gave some tips to the ground troops since he knew a good amount of detail on the weapons that the humans were wielding. Prior to coming into battle, Flurry had made everyone agree not to kill anyone, only to subdue them. So, all of the pilots had their weapons set on stun. The dragons left many soldiers with their clothes scorched by their flame breath, and the yaks dealt heavy damage by charging forth and knocking soldiers down. This left some of the humans with ugly bruises. The griffins and the hippogriffs dealt large cuts with their sharp talons, and the changelings used their slime to restrain humans in place so they couldn't move. The ponies made up the air force and dropped giant canisters of sleep gas and stun grenades into the large groups of soldiers. The Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings did not hold back on how much ink they shot. They left numerous humans covered in it and having to clean off their helmets. Some of the humans ended up with their weapons getting shot out of their hands. Eventually, the battle ended with the humans unable to see where they were going, due to the ink covering their helmets' visors. Seeing an opportunity, everyone charged for the humans' ships on the water. As they approached, one of the ships' Captains came running out with a look of confusion in his eyes. "Why are you shooting at us?", he asked in alarm. "Don't play innocent with us. You've been capturing our friends.", hissed Andrew. "What are you talking about? They volunteered to be interviewed. We are trying to study the evolution that has taken place all of this time we've been asleep underwater.", said the Captain. Suddenly, as if a record scratch had occurred, everyone was wide-eyed and they lowered their weapons. "You're studying the new life?", asked Marie. "That's right. My name is Everett. I'm Captain of the Voyager.", said the Captain as he extended his hand. Walker was hesitant at first, but he soon stepped forward and shook hands with Everett. "We're sorry that we mistook your actions for capturing. We should have waited to meet you first.", he replied. "If you were trying to study them, then what happened to their ship that caused them to crash? We thought they'd been attacked.", asked Flurry Heart. "One of our ships tried to follow them and call out that we meant no harm. Unfortunately, their radio shorted out and the engines overheated near a planet with intelligent life. Damage like that can look like the ship was attacked.", explained Everett's First Officer, Mariah. "That planet is called Equus. It's where we come from. We repaired their ship after rescuing them.", said Ocellus. Walker called out on radio to say that the battle was over and that the humans were not attacking. The next morning, a news report went out, detailing the true reason for the residents from Inkopolis and Splatsville disappearing, which was the invites to be interviewed. Three days later, the Equestrians were interviewed and a new plan was formulated. Future VisitTwenty-two years later . . . All was going well on Equus. Flurry and the Young Six were at their base one summer evening when they picked up a call from Thorax on the Equestrian Space Station. "You have some visitors coming. They're on a spaceship that takes off and lands like a plane.", he said. "Copy that, Thorax. We'll be waiting.", replied Yona. They headed to the Ponyville Airport to greet their visitors. When the new spacecraft touched down and came to a stop after deploying parachutes, ten individuals from Earth got off and came rushing to Flurry and the Young Six. Along with them were three new faces they had not seen before. "This is my husband, Leo.", said Lizzie as she introduced them to a handsome inkling with bluish green tentacles and green eyes. "This is my wife, Elizabeth.", said Angelo as he introduced them to a sweet inkling girl with dark blue tentacles and red eyes. "My wife's name is Allison.", said Jacob as he introduced them to an octoling girl with magenta eyes and tentacles as red as a ruby. "I haven't found a boyfriend yet, but I'm happy for Lizzie and Angelo.", said Atari. "I'm coming along nicely in college.", said Erica. "Shine has found herself gifted as a sorceress. I'm on the path to becoming the Salmonling Queen.", said Goldie. "I'm going for a Master's Degree in Chemistry.", said Taylor. "I'm majoring in Electrical Engineering.", said Tamaki. "My major is in Biology.", said Takara. The visit went very well, and Twilight liked being able to meet the new faces. Once the visitors returned to Earth, their lives progressed with flying colors and they all lived happily ever after.
Gearing Up for the MissionAfter getting word of the upcoming battle, citizens all over Equus began gearing up for deployment. Soldiers quickly primed their weapons and took test shots to make sure their aim was on-target. Soldiers also carried out hand-in-hand drills to make sure their ground skills were up to speed. The Young Six also trained the Inkstar's crew members in space battle tactics so they would know what to do if they were shot at again, whether they were in space, in the air, or on the ground. During this time, Walker told everyone to watch out for some of the humans' weapons. These included rifles that fired plasma bolts, rocket launchers, and a handgun called a "needler", which shot needle-like bolts made of energized crystal. The decision was also made to equip the Inkstar with shields and weapons. The first time, the ship was built on the ground and it launched by taking off like a plane. Now, it had been taken to a launchpad in the North Luna Ocean, where it would tilt backward and then blast off. Once everyone was sure they were ready for battle, they bid farewell to loved ones, boarded flights to the nearest shuttle pad, and prepared for the journey to Earth. For safety purposes, all of the crew members' children would be taken to a safe place on Earth before their parents went to battle.
Arriving at EarthFour hours after going to warp speed, the soldiers arrived in Earth's orbit. They immediately picked up signals from human defenses and got into battle position. Flurry ordered the Equestrian Space Force to surround the Inkstar as a swarm like wasps protecting their nest. As the ships passed through the entry corridor; human weapons began flying towards them and they quickly opened fire to defend themselves. "Looks like we're coming down on the main battlefield. All squads, prepare to drop stun charges. Paratroopers, prepare to jump.", said Flurry. Several transport ships and bombers dove for the ground while the Inkstar and several Equestrian ships headed for the outskirts of Inkopolis and Splatsville. In a flash, bay doors and hatches flew open. Paratroopers leaped out and glided down, and stun bombs fell to the ground. After their parents had taken all of the children to a secure place to watch over them, Callie and Marie introduced Flurry Heart and the Young Six to the Squidbeak Splatoon. "This is Squidbeak Captain Casey Cephalopod. She succeeded our grandfather, Craig Cuttlefish, when he passed away last year.", said Callie. "I'm sorry that you lost him.", said Gallus. "While he is no longer with us physically, he still lives in our hearts and watches over us from above.", said Marie. After getting introduced to Agents 3, 4, and 8, Callie and Marie said they were Agents 1 and 2. Then, everyone donned their battle gear and charged into the heart of the fight.
The Defense Force GrowsThe new plan was to unite Equestria's Defense Force with the Humans, and all of the new species on Earth. A decision was made to call this the "Intergalactic Defense Force". The training began two days after the plan was put in place. The humans taught the Equestrians, Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings how to use their weapons, the Equestrians demonstrated some of their rescue tactics, and everyone shared their battle strategies with each other. Learning how to use the humans' weapons was difficult for everyone in the beginning, especially the rifles and the rocket launcher, as they would kick back hard and knock the user to the ground. After a few weeks, they mastered the weapons, and it was time to move on to air and space battles. For the most part, It was only the Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings that had to go through this, because the humans were trained in this long before them or the Equestrians. They started off by using simulators to shoot at stationary targets, then they started on moving targets. Once everyone had mastered the simulators, they started doing lifelike scenarios by using infrared lasers to disable whoever was playing the enemy role. They started off by doing scenarios where individual soldiers took on each other, then they started doing team battles where one group would try to take down all of the soldiers in the other group. They also did battles where a large group was taking on a single soldier. These scenarios were the most complex, since the single soldier would be using tactics to avoid multiple shots at the same time. Once the three branches in the new defense force were fully trained in all types of combat and defense, it was time for the Equestrian Fleet to head home. Over time, there were unknown attacks, but the defense soldiers were able to take them out before any major damage was dealt.
LaunchAt the launchpad, the Space Force soldiers boarded rockets to reach the ESS and then head for Earth. Simultaneously, the Inkstar's crew boarded their ship for their return journey. At T-Minus zero, the ships lifted off and began ascending into the sky. Two hours after lift-off, the shuttles were docked and the crews made their way to the ships. Each of the Young Six commanded a squadron consisting of their own species, and Flurry Heart was "Gold Leader", meaning she was leading the Equestrian Space Force. Before going to warp, all of the soldiers checked in. "This is Gold Leader. All soldiers report in.", said Flurry. "Ponies standing by.", said Sandbar. "Changelings standing by.", said Ocellus. "Hippogriffs standing by.", said Silverstream. "Griffins standing by.", said Gallus. "Yaks standing by.", said Yona. "Dragons standing by.", said Smolder. "Inkstar standing by.", said Walker. "Warp speed on my mark. Five, four, three, two, one, MARK!", cried Flurry. Engines fired brightly and the ships zoomed into deep space, bound for Earth.
Confrontation and TruthThe battle was taking place outside of Inkopolis. Upon entering the battle, everybody opened fire and released their full fury against the humans. This included Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings charging out of strongholds to add more fuel to the fire. Some of the Equestrians took to the air in their ships while the rest of them, the Squidbeak Splatoon, the Octarians, and the Salmonlings readied themselves for the ground battle. The waiting soldiers emerged from their bunkers and joined up with their commanding officers, and everyone opened fire. Walker gave some tips to the ground troops since he knew a good amount of detail on the weapons that the humans were wielding. Prior to coming into battle, Flurry had made everyone agree not to kill anyone, only to subdue them. So, all of the pilots had their weapons set on stun. The dragons left many soldiers with their clothes scorched by their flame breath, and the yaks dealt heavy damage by charging forth and knocking soldiers down. This left some of the humans with ugly bruises. The griffins and the hippogriffs dealt large cuts with their sharp talons, and the changelings used their slime to restrain humans in place so they couldn't move. The ponies made up the air force and dropped giant canisters of sleep gas and stun grenades into the large groups of soldiers. The Inklings, Octarians, and Salmonlings did not hold back on how much ink they shot. They left numerous humans covered in it and having to clean off their helmets. Some of the humans ended up with their weapons getting shot out of their hands. Eventually, the battle ended with the humans unable to see where they were going, due to the ink covering their helmets' visors. Seeing an opportunity, everyone charged for the humans' ships on the water. As they approached, one of the ships' Captains came running out with a look of confusion in his eyes. "Why are you shooting at us?", he asked in alarm. "Don't play innocent with us. You've been capturing our friends.", hissed Andrew. "What are you talking about? They volunteered to be interviewed. We are trying to study the evolution that has taken place all of this time we've been asleep underwater.", said the Captain. Suddenly, as if a record scratch had occurred, everyone was wide-eyed and they lowered their weapons. "You're studying the new life?", asked Marie. "That's right. My name is Everett. I'm Captain of the Voyager.", said the Captain as he extended his hand. Walker was hesitant at first, but he soon stepped forward and shook hands with Everett. "We're sorry that we mistook your actions for capturing. We should have waited to meet you first.", he replied. "If you were trying to study them, then what happened to their ship that caused them to crash? We thought they'd been attacked.", asked Flurry Heart. "One of our ships tried to follow them and call out that we meant no harm. Unfortunately, their radio shorted out and the engines overheated near a planet with intelligent life. Damage like that can look like the ship was attacked.", explained Everett's First Officer, Mariah. "That planet is called Equus. It's where we come from. We repaired their ship after rescuing them.", said Ocellus. Walker called out on radio to say that the battle was over and that the humans were not attacking. The next morning, a news report went out, detailing the true reason for the residents from Inkopolis and Splatsville disappearing, which was the invites to be interviewed. Three days later, the Equestrians were interviewed and a new plan was formulated.
Future VisitTwenty-two years later . . . All was going well on Equus. Flurry and the Young Six were at their base one summer evening when they picked up a call from Thorax on the Equestrian Space Station. "You have some visitors coming. They're on a spaceship that takes off and lands like a plane.", he said. "Copy that, Thorax. We'll be waiting.", replied Yona. They headed to the Ponyville Airport to greet their visitors. When the new spacecraft touched down and came to a stop after deploying parachutes, ten individuals from Earth got off and came rushing to Flurry and the Young Six. Along with them were three new faces they had not seen before. "This is my husband, Leo.", said Lizzie as she introduced them to a handsome inkling with bluish green tentacles and green eyes. "This is my wife, Elizabeth.", said Angelo as he introduced them to a sweet inkling girl with dark blue tentacles and red eyes. "My wife's name is Allison.", said Jacob as he introduced them to an octoling girl with magenta eyes and tentacles as red as a ruby. "I haven't found a boyfriend yet, but I'm happy for Lizzie and Angelo.", said Atari. "I'm coming along nicely in college.", said Erica. "Shine has found herself gifted as a sorceress. I'm on the path to becoming the Salmonling Queen.", said Goldie. "I'm going for a Master's Degree in Chemistry.", said Taylor. "I'm majoring in Electrical Engineering.", said Tamaki. "My major is in Biology.", said Takara. The visit went very well, and Twilight liked being able to meet the new faces. Once the visitors returned to Earth, their lives progressed with flying colors and they all lived happily ever after.
