Vance stared straight ahead as his Humvee rumbled alongside his men, a rock-hard, stoic look on his face. “Sir?” Parker asked beside him. Vance was silent. “Sir, we did all we could, we searched everywhere. But we couldn’t compromise…”

“…The mission, I know,” Vance grumbled. “Still, I have this feeling we didn’t do EVERYTHING we could, that there was some stone left unturned, or…”

“…Something you missed?” A familiar voice asked from beside him, adding to the growing string of interruptions. Parker leapt from his seat at the sudden intrusion. Vance, by now used to Swarm’s appearances, just grimaced deeper.

“Hello, Swarm,” he mumbled, keeping his focus on his men marching along.

The impeccably handsome man with the jet-black hair, perfect cleft chin and ever-present leather jacket grinned at the old marine from his spot on the floor. “Come now, Captain, why the long face? You look like you’ve lost something important.”

“I have, Swarm. Most important thing in the world to me.” He glared at the man in the leather jacket out the corner of his eye. “Too bad you weren’t there to help, eh?”

“Yes, Captain,” Swarm sighed, the smile fading. “But you know my rules. I am stretched to my limits as it is, and I can’t afford preferential treatment to one of my friends just because they happen to know me. It isn’t fair, especially to the…”

“I’ve heard this lecture before!” Vance snapped. Swarm looked back at him with the saddest, most apologetic eyes Vance had ever seen. The Captain sighed. He knew Swarm could produce that expression on a whim; it would only take a simple rearrangement of the molecular structure of his face, child’s play for him. Yet somehow he knew this expression was genuine; real, true sorrow. “I know, alright? I get it. But…it’s just…”

To his surprise, a warm smile crossed the man in the leather jacket’s face. “Vance, I think you’ll find that sometimes these things can solve themselves. It just works out in the end, you know?”

“Oh wow, groovy bro.” Vance grumbled, his face hardening again. “Where’d you pick that one up? A college student’s blog?”

“No, just something I have observed in the past, and believe I will continue to observe in the future, as current patterns hold.”

Silence overtook the vehicle for a few minutes, until Parker spoke up: “Why am I the only one in here surprised by the guy popping into existence between us?”

Ignoring him, Vance just grumbled to himself: “Current patterns, my ass, the day I see something to make me believe that is the day I’ll eat the boots right off my feet!”

Suddenly, the Humvee screeched to a stop. Vance and Parker had to brace themselves against the frame just to stay upright. As usual, Swarm remained seated perfectly-still on the floor, completely unfazed. “The hell…” Parker started just as Webb jogged up to the window with a massive grin on his face.

“Webb! For God’s sakes, man, if there’s anything short of the apocalypse holding up this convoy, I’ll have the head…of…” Vance trailed off as Webb stepped aside and a man in a naval aviator’s uniform walked up to them, his face dirty, his gait thrown off by an obvious limp, and a look of absolute exhaustion in his eyes. Vance’s jaw dropped, eyes widening as he slowly picked himself up and stepped down from the Humvee.

Uris tried to paste a smile on his face. “Dad,” he said, a few tears starting to sprout, “I’m so…”

Vance rushed out of the vehicle and wrapped his arms around the pilot, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I-I thought I’d lost you, son.” He choked. “For a few minutes, I-I was thinking this was your brother all over again, you were both supposed t’be far from the battle, and still, I-I thought I was gonna lose…”

“Dad,” Uris grinned, swallowing the lump in his throat. “You’re babbling.”

“God damn, I know, I’m sorry, but…” He listened to the sound of the Humvee door opening and closing behind him, Swarm and Parker joining his side.

“Your son, eh?” Parker sighed. “That…complicates things.”

“Sorry to keep you all in the dark…” Vance mumbled.

“Eh, I figured it out,” Webb smiled, leaning coolly against the Humvee’s side. “A man doesn’t look as desperate as you did while searching for a stranger.”

“Parker, I know what this means,” Vance sighed, releasing Uris. “I was emotionally compromised and expended valuable resources running a mission for my own personal gain. I am aware of the consequences of this action.”

“Dad…” Uris said, his hand clasping his father’s shoulder.

“I hereby voluntarily surrender my command to you,” the old Marine said, an air of dignity in his voice as he removed his walkie-talkie and pulled out his sidearm, holding them out to his second-in-command. “As per U.S military law, I will now wait with a guard of neutral MPs for my court martial.”

Parker raised an arm, and promptly brushed both the pistol and the walkie aside. Vance arched an eyebrow. “What for, sir? For searching for a pilot that we didn’t even know was your son?”

“Um…” Vance said, obviously confused.

“After all, Bannon only reported that ‘a’ chopper went down, not which. There’s no way you could’ve known that just happened to be the bird your son was piloting, right?” He smiled at the commander, who grinned right back as he holstered his pistol and clipped the talkie back on his uniform.

“Well, with that bit of drama out of the way,” Swarm said gleefully as he rested his arms on Vance and Uris’s shoulders. “Why don’t we welcome some new friends, eh?”

“Hmm?” Vance turned and finally noticed the six little ponies gathered behind his son’s boots, most of whom were wiping tears from their eyes from his reunion with his son. “Oh my God,” he sighed, massaging his temples. “What part of ‘minimal contact with native populace’ is too hard for you all to understand!?”

“Pardon me, sir,” Twilight said, offering her hoof, “I think I should start the introductions. I’m…”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Swarm finished, brushing Vance aside and shaking her hoof vigorously. “Also known as the Element of Magic, possibly the most gifted unicorn in all of Equestria and Princess Celestia’s protégé.”

“Yes,” Twilight said in absolute shock, “but how did you…”

“Oh, Princess Celestia has told me all about you. She’s quite proud of you, you know.”

“Oh, my, well…” Twilight said, blushing as Swarm jumped over to AJ.

“And here we got Applejack, th’ Element a’ Honesty and the owner of Sweet Apple Acres, one a’ the most successful orchards in all of Equestria.”

“Well, Ah wouldn’t go all that far…” she said with a prideful little smile. Swarm barely paused before leaping down in front of Pinkie.

“Next up: Pinkie Pie! The best party planner Ponyville has ever seen and the Element of Laughter!”

“Oh, boy! A psychic!” She grinned, hopping up and down in excitement. “Quick: what number am I thinking of?”

“I’m not a psychic; at least, not in the sense you know them,” he replied, hopping up and down in perfect time with her. “But I do know that’s a trick question: you’re thinking about the term ‘Antidisestablishmentarianism’ and what effects its genesis might have had on modern British history.”

She stopped hopping. “Wow, you’re good.”

“Jeez, you got Pinkie Pie to shut up,” Rainbow Dash said. “You ARE good.”

“Ah, and here we have Rainbow Dash!” Swarm said forcefully, striding up to her with his chest puffed out. “The Element of Loyalty and the fastest flyer Ponyville has ever known, hands down!”

“You got that right!” She said boastfully, cracking him a few times on the shoulder with her hooves. He shoved her right back, and before she could react, he ducked away in a swooping bow, picking up Rarity’s hoof in one smooth motion and giving it a gentle kiss.

“And now we arrive at Madame Rarity,” he said gently. “The Element of Generosity and the brightest of the up-and-coming stars in Equestrian fashion.”

“Dahling, flattery will get you everywhere,” she replied, making no effort to hide her blushing cheeks contrasting with her white coat.

Finally, Swarm picked himself up and slowly made his way towards Uris, who had a little, yellow pegasus clenching tightly to his boots. “And last, but certainly not least,” he said as quietly and gently as possible, “Fluttershy. The Element of Kindness and the little pegasus who just can’t say no to a creature in need: a trait which has earned her the love of millions all over, both abroad and somewhat closer.”

“Um…” she stopped shivering for just a moment as Uris glared Swarm’s way, cheeks reddening. “What-what do you mean?”

Swarm just smiled knowingly in Uris’s direction and danced to Vance’s side. The commander’s jaw gaping. “Hold on now, Elements? You mean these are…”

“The Elements of Harmony, Equestria’s best weapon against invaders, saved by your son in a wonderful tale I hope he plans to regale us with as we proceed to the village of Coltton,” he grinned as Twilight Sparkle frowned. Something about that name seemed familiar…

“Anyway, Commander,” Swarm spoke again so suddenly it derailed Twilight’s train of thought. “By the looks of things, I should say only one question remains to be answered.”

“And what would that be?”

The man in the leather jacket simply produced two bottles. “Would you like red, or white wine with your boots?”