October 14, 2009

1627 hours

Off the coast of California

DDG-100 A.K.A USS Kidd

"Captain on deck!" My navigations officer shouted as I walked in.

"At ease, you two." My name is Cody Kegley. I grew up in San Diego. My father was a captain of a fishing boat. I used to love meeting him in the harbor when the fishing season was over. And then one day, the boat he was on sank and they could never find his body. This made me afraid of the water and ships, but when my mom told me, 'He always wanted you to join the navy,' I overcame my fears and enlisted in the navy. When I showed the navy my potential and determination, they made me an officer. I am now a Lieutenant and the captain of the USS Kidd, a guided missile destroyer we are using for a training exercise off the coast of San Diego. We were training just to get the feel of a destroyer and break in my new ship and my training crew of two.

"What bearing are we at?" I ask Chief Petty Officer Banks. Banks grew up with the navy in his blood. Both of his grandfathers were in the navy, as was his father. He grew up in Maryland and was a troublemaker from the start. Although he was smart, he was often thrown out of schools due to his behavior. But one day, the navy blood spoke out to him. He went on to graduate from Annapolis where he excelled in navigation. He was a normal sized white navy sailor, but he still loved to back-sass me.

"Heading south west at two-hundred forty-seven degrees, sir!" he responded.

"Thank you, Petty Officer," I say back. I look out onto the bow of the ship and noticed the sky turning a nasty black, even though the earlier weather report telling us it was a clear day. "Ensign, check the weather radar, please."

"Aye Aye, sir!" Ensign Brown looked down at her radar and then looked to the sky ahead of us. She then looked dumbfoundedly at me saying, "The radar is pulling up nothing, sir." Brown grew up in a rich family away from all the problems of the world. She wanted to do something crazy and adventurous. Against her parents' words, she decided to join the Navy. Passing with flying colors, she became very interested in radios and communications. She is a pretty lady who is always calm and collective.

I pondered heading toward the storm and thought it too weird not to investigate. "Banks, steer us toward that storm at full speed. Brown, call up San Diego and relay them our location and heading."

"Aye Aye, sir!" they almost said in unison.

As we got closer to the storm, I noticed a dark swirl in the clouds. My brain told me to leave, but I was too interested by it to think clearly. Too quickly, the swirl turned a lavanderish purple and began to form a circle-like shape. With my and everyone else's brain fixated on the purple swirl, no-one noticed the whirlpool below the swirl. When my eyes fell upon the whirlpool, I yelled, "Hard to port! Hard to port!" I shouted at the Banks, who was desperately trying to turn the ship around. The ship lurched left but, the turn was not tight enough to escape the whirlpool. "Flank speed, hurry!" But it was no use. The ship started to swirl about in the whirlpool, throwing the three of us around the wheelhouse. All I heard were grunts and screams of pain until I hit my head on one of the consoles and was out cold.

October 14, 2009

1630 hours

San Diego, California

San Diego Naval Station

Captain Dave Berkley had just sat down in his chair when the phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Sir! The USS Kidd just vanished off the radar!"

"W-WHAT?" Berkley turned an unnatural shade of white. "Was there a mayday or distress signal?"

"No sir, they just said they were heading for an unknown object about 200 miles from here."

This spooked Berkley even more. "Scramble the fighters! I want those F-18s up in the air in record time! And call the Coast Guard with those last known coordinates!"

"Yes sir!"

As the call ended, he dialed the last number he had hoped he would ever dial.

"This is the Pentagon, where may I direct yo-" the secretary started.

"Get me General Stevens! This is a priority one call!"

"Directing you now, sir."

"Stevens here."

"Sir, this is Captain Dave Berkley of San Diego Naval Station! One of our guided missile destroyers vanished without a mayday!"

Stevens knew this was not good, but he knew how to keep himself composed. "Alright, I'll conduct an emergency meeting with the president and the secretary of defense. We'll get this resolved quick."

"T-thank you, sir."

Stevens could tell the captain was shook up and immediately called the president. "Mr. President…"

Date: Unknown

Time: Unknown

Place: Unknown

DDG-100 A.K.A USS Kidd

"Ugh…what happened?" Lieutenant Kegley uttered. He then noticed that Brown and Banks were still knocked out. He tried to get up, but since he was still groggy from the likely concussion he had, he sat back down. He looked down at his watch and saw it was eight-thirty on the nineteenth. He looked back up and waited until a few minutes later, Banks started to stir.

"Did anyone see the lisence number on that truck?" He said groggily.

"You alright Banks?" Kegley asked.

"Huh? Yea I'm fine. You?"

"Yea. I think I've got a concussion, though."

"Ditto." Banks rubbed his head. "That really hurt. Wait. Why aren't we dead?"

This hadn't occurred to Kegley. Ships that entered whirlpools usually were destroyed. If not, severely damaged and yet, "I have no idea. How's Brown?"

Banks checked her pulse. "She's fine. Just knocked out. You should call San Diego and get a chopper here to pick us up."

Kegley got up and went to the radio and tried to turn it on to no avail. "Radios fried." He then looked at all the other consoles only to notice they were down also. "And so is everything else. Great."

"Well? How do we contact another ship?"

Kegley pondered this for a moment. "I got my flare gun still. Let's try that." He went out onto the observation deck and fired his flare.

"Will that work?" Banks asked.

"Doubt it."

"What about the Mark 45?"

Kegley almost forgot that even though they were on a training mission, the Kidd was still armed to the teeth. "We'll try that, too."

They went to the weapons control room, only to find its systems fried also.

"Damn it! Can we catch a break?" Kegley yelled.

"Don't worry cap, the guns can still be loaded and fired manually."

Kegley and Banks both turned to see Brown leaning against the doorway, smiling.

"You okay, Brown?" Kegley asked.

"Yea, just a little groggy," she replied. "We need to head to the turret to fire it, so let's go."

They headed toward the bow of the ship and onto the deck.

"In here," she said. "This is how you load it." She picked up a round for the loader and shoved it into the barrel. "And this is the trigger. Captain? Want to do the honors?"

"Of course." He put on the earplugs in the turret and put his hand on the lever that was supposed to act like the trigger. "Everyone ready?" The two nodded their heads. "Good. 3, 2, 1, FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

*BOOM*

October 15, 2009

0910 hours

Ponyville, Equestria

Twilight Sparkle's Library

"Spike?"

"Yea Twilight?"

"Could you find the book called History of Equestria, Volume 6?"

"Sure, Twilight!" responded Spike. He climbed onto the ladder and grabbed the book.

*BOOM*

"Whoa!" Spike yelled as he toppled of the ladder. Almost all of the books fell off the shelves, and the whole tree rattled.

"What was that?!" Twilight asked.

"How should I know?"

Skies over Everfree Forest

"Finally done!" Rainbow Dash breathed to herself. As she was flying back towards Ponyville…

*BOOM*

The shockwave knocked her off course. "Whoa!" She regained herself. "What was that?!" She turned around and headed toward the sound.

Fluttershy's Cottage

"That's right little birdies, lunch time!" Fluttershy told her animal friends.

*BOOM*

"Eeeeep!" Fluttershy quietly screamed. She immediately ran back into her cottage and locked the door.

Sweet Apple Acres

"Almost done buckin' those apples Big Mac? Applejack asked her brother.

"Eeyup."

*BOOM*

"What in the world?" Applejack said, stunned. Some of the apples that were on the trees were now on the ground. "Now that's just great. That just made our jobs harder, Big Mac."

"Eeyup."

Carousel Boutique

"…aaand…done!" Rarity said with the last stitch completed in her new dress.

*BOOM*

"Ahhh! What was that?!" She screamed shakily. She attempted to straighten herself. "W-well I'm sure it was nothing…"

A./N. Thank you ChancellorPuddingHead for correcting my work and thanks to all the people reading and enjoying this story! If something is not to your liking, please feel free to tell me in the comments or by P.M. (constructive only please.) More likely than not, I will need some O.C.'s, so please P.M. me about them. Thank you for choosing whynotzoidberg for all your MLP Fanfic needs! 'Why not?'

October 15, 2009

0915 hours

Location: Unknown

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Banks yelled.

"Now let's hope someone heard THAT," Kegley remarked.

"Wait." Brown butted in. "What if we are in an uninhabited area?"

This was also something Kegley hadn't thought about. "Noted. Let's load up and take one of the Zodiacs."

The three headed toward the armory and grabbed their combat gear: standard issue M4A1 Carbine rifles, Sig Sauer P226 pistols, and Kevlar vests.

"Let's rock and roll," Banks said with a smug look on his face.

"You've been waiting to say that forever, haven't you?" Brown replied with a slight annoyed tone.

"Yeah."

The three then headed off toward the helicopter hanger and pulled a Zodiac out onto the deck.

"Brown, Banks, unlatch the railing and safety net," Kegley ordered.
"Yes sir!"

After they unlatched the railing and threw the Zodiac into the water, the trio climbed down the side ladders into the small boat.

"Banks, go around the boat in a circle in an increasing diameter with each pass," Kegley ordered.

"Yes sir."

Right as they were about to give up, Kegley saw signs of land.

"Over there. See the birds? They have to eat somewhere. Follow them," the lieutenant ordered.

"Yes sir," Banks responded. He turned to boat toward the birds and followed them at a good distance to avoid scaring them.

"Hey! Lieutenant!" Brown shouted.

"Yes?"

"Land off the bow!" Kegley saw what she was talking about. Off in the distance was a colorful, vibrant forest.

"I don't remember there being any forests off the coast of Cali," Banks commented quizzically.

"There aren't," Brown replied sternly.

"Get closer. Put us on the beach," Kegley said calmly. Banks motored the small craft onto the shore.

"Brown, you stay here with the boat. Banks, you're with me."

"Yes sir!" the two replied. Kegley and Banks walked into the dark, dense forest.

"Lights on, Banks."

"Yes sir."

As the two got deeper into the forest, Kegley thought he heard a twig snap behind him. He turned to see only trees and brush.

"You hear that Banks?"

"Hear what?" Banks replied.

"Never mind."

'It was probably nothing,' he thought to himself.

As the two walked deeper into the forest, he thought he saw a blue blur race by him.

'Now it's something.' "Whoever is there, come out with your hands up!"

"See somethi-oof!" Banks started before he was blindsided by a powerful punch to the temple that knocked him out instantly. As Kegley was turning his head to check on him, he was tackled by the unknown assailant.

Kegley could see his attacker in the shine of his flashlight. It was a light blue equine with a rainbow mane. And it seemed to be studying him.

"What the hay are you?!"

"You talk!?" was all he could manage before blacking out.

October 15, 2009

1030 hours

Location: Unknown

'What is taking them so long!' Brown wondered to herself. 'Screw it. They might be in trouble.' Brown knew disobeying an order was grounds for a court martial, but she had to risk it. She walked into the forest and turned on her flashlight. After 10 minutes of walking, she came across some bright, white light. She raced toward it and found Kegley and Banks on the ground out cold.

'What could have done this?' she wondered.

She heard the snapping of twigs behind her, and turned around quickly to see a small figure ready to pounce on her. She pulled up her weapon to aim, but the attacker was too fast and tackled Brown. The two wrestled for a while, neither of them giving an inch. Brown, the bigger of the two, was able to overpower her assailant and pulled it into a bear hug before her enemy started screaming, "Wait! Wait! You win, alright!"

Brown dragged her attacker toward the lights and saw she was carrying a small, blue horse with a rainbow mane.

"What in the world? Are you a talking horse?"

"NO! I'm a PONY!" she yelled.

"Oh, a talking pony! That explains so much!"

"Well? What are you?" the pony asked.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well, those two didn't tell me." The pony smirked after her last comment.

"You mean you knocked them out?"

"Yeah! It was so easy too!"

"Why you little…" Brown started, fists clenched until she saw a purple glow coming from the pathway.

"Hello? Is anypony there?" 'Anypony?! Why would anyone say that?!' Brown thought to herself.

"Twilight! Help me! This thing is holding me prisoner!" the attacker screamed.

"Rainbow Dash? Is that you?!" the voice yelled back.

"Of cou-!" the ambusher started before Brown cupped a hand over its mouth.

"Hold on, Rainbow, I'm coming!"

As the purple light got closer, Brown punched the blue pony in the jaw, knocking it out.

"C'mon you- whoa!" Brown screamed as she was lifted into the air. "A unicorn!? This keeps getting better and better!"

'Huh. It talks.' Twilight thought to herself. "Tell me; what are you and what did you do to her?" she asked, looking at Rainbow Dash.

"I am a human! She attacked me! I was acting in self-defense!" Brown yelled. "Now will you please let me down! I won't hurt you. I promise!"

The purple unicorn pondered this for a while before responding. "Not until you give me a better explanation."

Brown sighed. "I can't think in this bubble. Now will you please let me out of here?"

"Fine," Twilight sighed as she lowered Brown to the ground. "Now, help me get these three out of here and to the hospital. And if you do anything funny, I'll just use a knock-out spell on you and have you thrown in the Canterlot Dungeon. Got it?"

"Okay," Brown said, "But what is your name and where are we?"

"I'll tell you on the way but, what are these?" Twilight asked, gesturing toward the guns the three were carrying.

Brown hesitated. "I'll show you when we get to wherever we are going. But about this place?"

"Okay."

Twilight then explained who she was, and also about Equestria and their princesses.

"Who is she?" Brown asked, pointing at the blue pony.

"She is Rainbow Dash. She is very brash and stubborn."

"I found that out earlier."

Twilight then turned toward the two bodies she was levitating in front of her.

"Who are they?" she asked.

Brown went on to explain about the ship, the storm, the whirlpool, the navy, and her crewmates.

"That's weird. Was there a purple glow to the storm?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I may have caused that. Sorry," she said, ears drooping back.

"But how?" Brown asked, astonished. Twilight began to explain magic and how powerful it can be.

"So that's how you lifted me up like that. Still doesn't make any sense to me, but that's not unexpected," Brown responded.

"No worries. But it seems we are almost out of the forest." The two walked a little further till a small rural town appeared in the distance.

"Welcome to Ponyville," Twilight said with a outstretched hoof.