I sat in the chair completely baffled. Celestia and Luna held the same expression I have and don't even answer for a good five seconds. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that." Celestia replied calmly. "Now if that was all you called this for I believe this 'meeting' is ove-"

"Let me rephrase that then. We are demanding full control." The same guy shouted.

This caught Celestia off guard and she looks extremely nervous. "W-what would you need the equestrian army for? Surely you could do whatever it is you need to do without them." she tried to reason, but the commander won't have it.

"I assure you, princess, that they are necessary."

I can see Celestia pondering this along with Luna. "Well, I don't really see any reason for you to need them."

"Ma'am, as you may remember, we just had proof that the Covenant can enter this would. Last time we got lucky and I'd be damned if we aren't prepared for an invasion." The commander replied. "Now you may not know, but allow me to explain just what the Covenant can achieve. If an invasion fleet were to arrive here, two things can happen. One: They will glass this planet, destroying it with in hours. Or, they send ground troop because there is something they want and glassing isn't an option. Now you'd be damn lucky if you got option two because then you'd actually have a chance to push back the invasion and send their asses back to where they came from!"

"If I may," Luna interrupted, "I fail to see how this involves the guard. Last I saw you all held off the last attack rather easily."

"Allow me to show you then." The commander pulled out a small device and set it down on the railing in front of him. The device is a rectangle, the top has a slight slant to it and in the front is what looks to be a lens. With a press of a button the device lit up and projects a picture onto the wall. "I'll let the video speak for itself."
____________________________________________________

"Anything?"

"Nah, close range sensors are clear."

"Shit"

The marine looked over at his spotter from his side of the trench. He can barely make out his shape in the black night. He laid in the dirt looking through a pair of binoculars that were set up on a tripod. The marine shouldered a sniper rifle he had set up on the support stand that was attached to the rifle itself. Off in the distance is a large city. All the lights are off with the civilians evacuated.

"Come on, intel is jack. We need to move o-"

"Wait! Look at the sky."

The marine looked up and saw a large clumps of pitch black clouds covering they sky. It was quiet for five seconds. The marine checked the short range sensors again. "Shit, I'm getting hits on the sensor. Whatever it is it's big."

Both marines are quiet for another full thirty seconds before the clouds began to break up, streaks of purple falling through them. "This is King-Two, Charlies is touching down, over."

"Ten-Four King-Two. Move to position Alpha-Delta, how copy?" Another marine replied over the communications.

"Good copy, moving to heading One-Twenty, Four Zero Zero One." The marine felt a hand on his shoulder and lifted the sniper rifle up and retracted the bipod.

"Roger that, good luck out there."

The marine stood up and slung the sniper over his shoulder and pulled out an SMG. The marines began to make their way from the ditch and towards the highway they had been next to. It took them all of five seconds to reach the concrete railing and hop over it. Position Alpha-Delta was just another one-hundred meters in front of them when large bulbous craft flew past them with a roaring hum to them. The craft was a purple color and it went right over them.

"Looks like the Covenant are doing air and ground attacks."

The Marine didn't reply but watched as more phantoms flew over head. Another two minutes of sprinting the marines reached their check-point and are met with a tank squad. The two quickly hopped on the treads of the tanks and the column rolled forward. A large flash of purple lights in the clouds made the marines and tank gunners look up. Three large black things feel from the sky in quick succession and onto the group.

"What the hell were those?"

The radio crackled in the marines ear piece before a voice broke through. "Covenant ground forces are pushing. We have confirmation of three super scarabs! I repeat, three super scarabs are in the city!"

"Haha! Now we've got something to fight! Squad, sound off!"

"Cobra-Two, hit 'em hard!"

"Cobra-Five, we're mean, green squashing machine!"

"Cobra-One, rolling."

"Cobra-Three, ready!"

"Alright, Cobra squad, head to barring Zulu-Two-Four. Those scarabs are about to get a big surprise!"

Just after the call-off finished one of the rear scorpions erupted in two bright green flashes and the sounds of high pitch screechs passed by.

"Cobra-Five is down! Banshies in the sky!"

The marines in the turrets pointed their 50-cal's up to the sky and began to fire. The sound would be deafening if it weren't for the earmuffs. Streaks of white hot rounds penetrated the bodys of both banshies, tearing off pits and pieces of the wings and main body. Two well-placed tank rounds caused both banshies to detonate in the sky in bright flashes of purple plasma.

"Keep those guns hot, we'll be entering the city so--"
___________

The video paused and I sat there still confused as to why we, then UNSC, need a bunch of ponies in the military. "That right there, Princess, is why we need control."

Celestia thought over this for a moment before looking at the wall with the projected picture. "As far as I'm concerned they took care of those things quite easily."

"Allow me to skip forward a bit then." The video zipped forward until the commander found a suitible spot to stop. The video showed the super scarab up close. Its main assault cannon fired a stream of pure plasma that burned green through the air. A whole corner of a street is gone with in seconds along with a large portion of a sky scraper.

Both Celestia and Luna watched completely intrigued by what they saw. Again the video zipped forward. This time squads of elites deployed along with hunters. A good five dozen marines tried to hold off the attack but eventually had to pull back. What used to be piles of sandbags are now just black smoking heaps of melted glass. The streets have numerous creators in them from the blast of wraith rounds hitting them.

"Alright, commander, I think I see your point now." Celestia announced looking back towards us.

"Hold on. Not so fast." Celestia gave him a raised brow along with Luna who seemed the up most worried. "If this is going to happen, we're going to play by my rules. Do I make myself clear?"

Celestia hesitated to answer for a moment but brought herself to answer. "Very well then."

A grin came across the comanders face. "Good. I want everyone in this city gathered at the courtyard. You're going to help me with a little something."
___________
___________

It took only thirty minutes for the royal guard to gather all the ponies in the cortyard, least to say some of the nobles didn't look happy. Celestia took a deep breath. This was not what she had planned. She is slowly losing control of her kingdom and losing the loyalty of her student. And all for what? What did she gain from this? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! She wished she had the power to send all the humans to the moon so she wouldn't have to deal with them again. But that's not going to happen.

The time came for Celestia to make her statement to the whole population of Canterlot, and they're not going to like it. Celestia trotted out onto the balcony and looked down at the thousands of ponies. "Citizens of Equestria!" She began in a strong and powerful voice. "I have gathered you all here in Canterlot for an important announcement that will change everypony's life. It's imperative that you all cooperate. Due to recent events, the UNSC will now be a permenant unit in the royal guard. As such, the UNSC has been given full militia control."

At the end of the last sentence an uproar of ponies getting mad and yelling. Celestia waited a while before continuing. "Everypony is required to start training in two days. Failure to comply will result in consequences."

Right as she finished that line, multiple black objects hurled to the ground and Celestia only now realised that there are only nine ships in the sky. The black objects landed outside the courtyard and opened revealing ODST marines. They quickly picked out stragglers and took them back to the courtyard.
________________

I stood inside the courtyard with the ponies, not to keep them under control, but to look for Twilight. Surely the guard must have found her and brought her back here. Unless she teleported somewhere else. Some place I don't know about. Of course Celestia has to go and be a bitch and split us apart, and now I can't find her because of it.

I noticed that ponies began to leave, then the unmistakeable thump that metal made when it hit concrete went through the air. I look up to see ODST pods being dropped and landing outside the courtyard. The ponies waddled back in the courtyard with looks of disgust and anger.

"I assure all of you, this is for the best." Celestia continued even though she could tell just how restless they are getting. "You are all free to go, that is all."

With that being said ponies began to leave, pushing past the ODST guards who stood at the entry ways. I joined them and scanned for the lavender fur of Twilight but never saw it. I noticed a few unicorns teleport and I figured she either did that or never showed.
__________
__________

It's dusk. The sun sinking below the horizon and created a mix of oranges and purples. It looks beautiful. After looking for Twilight for hours I finally came to my last option. The tower she stayed in. It took me a while to climb up the flight of stairs but I eventually made it to the double doors. I knocked hard enough to make my knuckles hurt and waited.

The door opened and I'm met face-to-face with the princess of the night, and she didn't look too pleased to see me. "Ah, Taylor. I see you have come to grace us with your presence." she taunted in a rather bored tone.

"I came to see Twilight." I growled back in response.

"Hmm, so you did. Very well, but I do not think Celly will be happy to see you." Luna moved over to allow me room to enter and I did.

First thing I notice is how large the place is. On the far wall is a bed and to the right of that are rows of bookshelves that are built into the wall. There is also an upper balcony for the higher books. In front of that is a large window with a telescope set up in front of it.

Celestia and Twilight both sat on cushions on the floor, an extra one that lay empty where luna was sitting. Celestia and Twilight looked up at me and they seemed unsure of who I am because of my armor. Luna must have know it was me by my voice and the fact that I knew where Twilight stays. I took off my helmet and Twilight's face lit up, Celestia's darkened.

Twilight rushed forward and hugged me at the waist. "Taylor!"

I kneeled down to hug her back, the bulky armor making it slightly difficult. "Hey, Twi." I rubbed my head against hers while using my hand to scratch behind her ear. She unconsciously pushed her head further into my hand. I pulled away and I can see a hint of disappointment in her expression, but the smile on her muzzle did well to hide it.

"Ahem!" I looked up to see a very annoyed Celestia and amused Luna. "If you're finished."

Twilight and I went back to where the two alicorns waited for us. Twilight sat back down on the cushion and I took a seat next to her on the floor. Celestia glared at me so I decided to scoot closer to Twi. "Why are you here?" Celestia demanded not bothering to hide her annoyment.

"Why else? I want to spend one last night with her before your royal ass passes the new law tomorrow morning! Why the hell can't you accept it? It's not that hard, and as far as I'm concerned you could give less of shit about griffon-pony relationships, so what make me any different?" I yelled in protest, throwing my arms in the air.

"Because... because... it's...."

"Because it's Twilight? Is that your only reason? Because it's her. So you're telling me you could care less if I decided to hit on any other mare, but you care because it's her. Am I right?"

Luna rolled her eyes and let out an frustrated sigh. "Just tell them, Celly."

"No! I-I can't. It's not right, I shou-"

"Celly! You're making yourself sound stupid! Just. Tell. Them." Luna demanded now looking rather irritated.

Celestia looked back and forth between me and Twilight, a slight worry in her eyes, before she let out a long breath to prepare herself. "Twilight... I... have feelings for you."

Twilight's mouth dropped open, eyes wide with surprise. It took a moment for me to register what she just said to formulate my own reaction. I sat there motionless, waiting for something to happen. The reason is because she is jealous of me! Unfuckingbelieveble!

"Twilight?" Celestia called quietly, a look of anxious worry over taking her. I knew that she knew rhis can either make or break Twilight and her's bond.

"Out." Twilight stated calmly.

"What?"

"Out! I want everyone out!" she yelled this time, jumping to her feet. The unmistakeable look of anger twisted her expression. I moved to take her in an comforting embrace but she swatted my hands away with her hoofs. "Don't touch me!" I backed off and decided to move to the door.

Celestia and Luna joined me as I stormed outside and into the night's chilly air. I turned to Celestia with my fists rolled into balls. "I cannot believe this! All of this is because you're fucking jealous of me!" I stated without yelling but kept the rage I felt. "That's real fucking low princess!"

Celestia didn't respond but looked at the floor beneath her hooves. I can feel Luna watching me from the corner as I lashed out at Celestia. "You know, I thought this wall because I was a danger to her or you thought that it wasn't right, but apparently those were just coverups for what you really felt! You know, hearing that you've been alive for more than a thousand years I would've expected better." With that I stormed back down the stairs and to the nearest bar I could find.

Author's Note

Gasp! Sub-plot twist! Who would've guessed? Well me obviously, but still, gasp!