“I wonder what the Covenant are after to the far north?” AJ asked while examining the topography of Equis on his DATAPAD while he, Aaron, and Zeke walked back through the corridors of Ponyville’s town hall. “There’s nothing there but a snowy wasteland.”

“I would think those split-lips would hate the cold since they seem reptilian-like,” Zeke stated.

“I think you’re thinking of Jackals, Fredrickson,” AJ corrected.

“Hey. It could be both,” Zeke excused.  

“Whatever the reason, we need to get there,” Aaron said. “It’s not just a few scouting parties: it’s the entire fleet that found the planet. This could be our chance to find and capture this Shipmaster ‘Nbek. He knows where ‘Mdama and Halsey are--and why he has taken an interest to the princesses.”

“Because they’re hot?” Zeke chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not the reason,” AJ deadpanned, unamused. “Besides that’s just wrong to think about.”

When the three Spartans exited the town hall entrance, they were surprised to find Twilight and all five of her friends waiting for them there.

“What’s going on? What are you guys doing here?” Aaron asked curiously.

“Twilight told us you and your friends were visiting the mayor,” Pinkie chimed. “What’d you think of her?”

“Uh,” Aaron murmured as he, and his team thought of the right thing to say. “She was cooperative. That’s for sure.”

“Attentive as well,” AJ added.

“She had a nice office,” Zeke managed to muster.

Rainbow Dash then face-hoofed and said, “We didn’t come to ask of how their meeting with the mayor went, Pinkie. Remember?”

Pinkie took a brief moment to think.

“Oh yeah! Uh. Then what did we come here for? I forgot already.”

Rainbow just sighed and faced the Spartans with a firm gaze.

“We wanted to know what you told the mayor; and what the hay is going on around here.”

Aaron looked at Twilight who had a shameful look on her face.

“I’m sorry, Aaron. I couldn’t do anything. Besides I think it’s about time that my friends get involved with this. They have every right to know what’s happening here besides just me, Celestia, and Luna.”

“Twilight,” Aaron began.

“No. Listen to me, Aaron,” Twilight now insisted. “Twice already our friendship has been severely pulled ever since you and your comrades set foot on Equis. If I’m the only one in the group who has the right to know what’s going on, it may put an end to our friendship for good. Please just give them a chance. Surely all six of us can aid your causes.”

“Um, Twilight. I don’t really want to be part of this,” Fluttershy said quietly, and clearly nervous. “It could be really dangerous.”

“Fluttershy is right, Twilight,” Aaron said. “It was clear the first time that we met that you shouldn’t get mixed up with beings like us. What we do can’t be solved by a means of friendship. If it’s any consolation, we can exclude you from your current involvement in our affairs if you wish.”

“That won’t change anything. I know that you and the rest of the UNSC are trying to be the heroes’ of our world; but me and my friends are heroes as well. We saved Equestria from danger with only the power of our friendship. It’s sad to hear you humans can’t see the fact in that wherever you come from--but here it’s different as Rarity had mentioned before.”

Twilight and the friends then stood proudly except for Fluttershy who looked very uneasy by the situation.

Aaron now could see now that Twilight wasn’t going to let up on him until she got what she wanted. As much as he hated to admit it, he did cause a couple of turbulent moments in the friendship of Twilight’s friends. The first one being with Applejack, then the minor conflict between Rarity and Rainbow. He knew what he had to do now.

“Alright,” Aaron finally said. “I’ll notify the captain of your request, Twilight. But are you really positive you wish to have your friends involved?”

“Yes,” Twilight stated officially.

“Very well then,” Aaron confirmed and activated his COMM watch. “Pony Express, this is Jensen. Requesting transportation to the corvette. Over.”

Moments later, the transport Pelican arrived at the front of the town hall. This action did cause some startlement among the citizens of Ponyville, but fortunately they were warned to clear the area so nopony would get hurt.

When the back hatch of the Pelican opened up, Aaron walked up the ramp followed along by Zeke and AJ. When Aaron turned back to face the mares, he saw that they were hesitating.

Both Twilight and Rainbow looked a bit unsure as if they really wanted to hop aboard. Rarity cringed as if she was thinking about all the dirt and musky smells in the compartment. Fluttershy was obviously terrified by her dilated pupils and how she trembled. Applejack, remembering what would become of her if she set hoof on one of those flying machines, made her as near equally scared as Fluttershy.

“What’s the matter?” Aaron asked.

“Isn’t your ship in atmosphere so at least few of us can get there by flight?” Twilight asked.

“No,” Aaron replied. “I got a confirmed word from Kenwood that he has settled the corvette out of atmosphere to the far North of here.”

Just then without warning,Twilight zoomed directly into the infantry-holding chamber without hesitation.

“What is it?” Aaron asked, now a bit taken aback by Twilight’s sudden change in demeanor.

“My brother and Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed. “They reside in the Crystal Empire which is in the frozen northern regions of Equestria.”

“That’s impossible,” AJ stated while checking back over his DATAPAD. “Topography indicates there’s no signs of settlement there.”

“It is there!” Twilight insisted. “But please let’s not waste anytime arguing. The Covenant maybe invading there!”

“Covenant?” Twilight’s friends asked in unison while gazing at one another in confusion.

“We’ll explain later, but Twilight could be correct. We got a report that all Covenant units are heading north of here. Whatever their up to, it has something to do with this Crystal Empire of yours,” Aaron said. “Now will the rest of you please board the Pelican. I know it looks terrifying, but it’s the only source of transport we have for the time. We won’t let anything happen to any of you. We Pinkie promise.”

Aaron then raised his right hand, and cupped it over his eye to the confusion of Zeke and AJ who just gawked at him.

"Do what I’m doing, guys,” Aaron insisted.

Zeke and AJ first looked at each other with their brows raised skeptically, then their gaze went on to Pinkie who was glaring at them with a cupcake in each of her hooves that were not there a moment ago. When they focused back on Aaron, they noticed that his gaze was flicking desperately back and forth on to them, and the cupcakes that Pinkie was holding. It was then that they knew that Aaron was trying to tell them something that had to do with the actual cupcakes.

Not wanting to find out the consequence, both AJ and Zeke did the same gesture as Aaron. As a result, Pinkie smiled and put the cupcakes into her poofy mane.

One by one, the friends began boarding the Pelican even through Fluttershy practically had to be nudged to get going.

When Rarity boarded, her suspicions were confirmed when she noticed the small specks of dirt that were clinging to the bottom of her hooves.

“Ohhhhh. When was the last time this floor was even washed?” she complained, even though her tone was more of a whine.

“It never was,” Zeke stated unwittingly, making Rarity nearly faint. Luckily Fluttershy was nearby to prevent her from getting hurt.

The last one in line to board was Applejack, but before her hoof even touched the boarding ramp, she hesitated before pulling it away.

“Ah’m sorry, but Ah jus’ can’t do this,” she admitted with shame. “Y’all go on ahead without me. Ah know y’all will be alright.”

“C’mon, AJ!” Rainbow urged. “This is Cadance and Twilight’s brother we’re talking about here. Doesn’t that have any meaning to you at all?”

“Of course it does!” Applejack retorted defensively. “But surely y’all remember what might happen tah me if Ah got on one of these here Pelican thing-a-ma-jigs.”

“I’ll give order to the pilot to look out for any threats,” Aaron reassured.

“Ah’m not takin’ any risks,” Applejack stubbornly stated. “Ah know y’all won’t let Shining Armor or Cadance down. Y’all can do this without me.”

Before anymore words could be exchanged, Discord appeared and said, “You really like to prolong things don’t you, Applejack?”

Recovering from the startlement he gave her, Applejack glared at the draconequus while reverting to a proud composure.

“Ah do not!” she argued. “It’s jus’ that--”

“Yeah yeah, we know. You're afraid that this...what is this thing called again?” Discord asked.

“A Pelican,” Aaron said.

“You're afraid that this Pelican is going to get shot down and make you, and whoever else is onboard meet a horrific fate,” Discord stated while performing a dramatic pose.

This made everypony feel uneasy once more.

“Oh calm yourselves. You all should know that this isn’t going to be the Pelican that will make you all meet your end.”

“How would ya know that?” Applejack asked suspiciously. The rest of the friends, along with the Spartans were intrigued as well.

“Well for starters it seems way too early in the plot for such a thing like that to happen. Besides it will completely throw off the reader.”

“The who?” everyone asked in unison.

Discord just sighed and reached through the viewing screen of the reader’s computer/mobile phone with his talon and partially dragged the reader into the story world for the characters to look at.

“This is the reader,” Discord explained. “If you all keep up this dialogue and don’t move on to the next thing, he/she is going to get bored.”

Discord then returned the reader back to where he/she came from before sealing up the tiny portal with a zipper that floated in midair.

Everyone and everypony was now confused as to what just happened, but they knew Discord was right.

“Okay,” Applejack finally said. “Ah’ll go, but Ah ain’t gonna like it.”

Aaron stepped down the boarding ramp and extended his hand to Applejack to offer encouragement.

Applejack first gazed at Aaron’s hand, then looked up to his face which was nodding at her to go ahead and take it. She then did so.

“You can do this, Applejack,” Aaron reassured as they both walked up into the holding area.

“Ah know,” she said quietly.

Aaron just nodded and called into the pilot’s cockpit.

“Everyone’s abroad, lieutenant. Let’s get going.”

“Yes, sir,” the pilot said and initiated the Pelican’s flight sequence before it took off into atmosphere.

During the trip, Twilight’s friends were having diverse feelings about the Pelican’s movements, and the noise the engines’ made.

Fluttershy was whimpering and cowering while holding Rainbow for comfort. Rainbow did her best to ease her friend’s tension by pulling her close in a hug; all the while trying to relieve her stress in being in such a tight area, and not being allowed to fly.

Rarity was shifting around constantly to prevent herself from getting dirty by the Pelican’s interior sediments, but was having no such luck at all--and it made her want to cry.

Pinkie seemed to be smiling and enjoying the ride as if it was a rollercoaster at a funfair. Whenever the Pelican banked a bit when it turned, she squealed and laughed with delight.

Applejack was full of anxiety as her eyes shifted around nervously, and her forehoof tapped against her leg anxiously. In her head she was screaming that this seemingly terrifying flight would be over with soon.

Seeing that Applejack had no area of comfort, Aaron strode over to her side of the hold and sat down next to her all the while gently resting a hand on her shoulder. She flinched a bit from his touch, but miraculously calmed down a bit now that she had a friend by her side.

Twilight was the most troubled however, and she knew nothing would ease her mind about what could’ve become of her brother, and Cadance.

Cadance came to consciousness with a migraine headache that left her confused and disoriented for a bit. She couldn’t remember what had happened.

When she tried opening her eyes, bright light greeted them which forced them back shut. Cadance blinked several in order for her eyes to get adjusted before blurry images of her surroundings began to appear. The only thing she could make out so far was that she was lying on a small purple bench.

When her vision became fully into focus, she discovered that she was in a small, symmetrical, square room with a single white light in the center. The bench that she was currently lying on was one of three that were placed against each wall with an opening with some sort of electrical-energy barrier covering it.

“W..where am I?” Cadance asked herself aloud.

“The brig of the Savior’s Light of course,” mockingly replied a familiar female voice that Cadance knew all too well.

Cadance steadily got to her hooves and walked over to the energy barrier to get a better view of the outside. Just as she feared, she saw the cheese-legged, insect-like Changeling queen with few of her minions who looked weak, but very hungry. Standing on both sides of the changelings were two of the four-mandibled aliens that she suddenly remembered had attacked her earlier. They both donned their minor-class blue armor with their weapons at hand.

“What’s going on here?” Cadance asked with a mixture of fear and anger in her tone. “What have you done with my husband?”

“Oh I am so over him now,” Chrysalis replied expressing her disinterest. “Besides this had nothing to do with him. It has to do with you.”

“Me? What do I have to offer you?” Cadance asked perplexed, but frightened.

“It’s not entirely me, but I won’t explain the details. What me and my changelings need from you is some nourishment,” Chrysalis said and nodded to one of the aliens who walked over to one side of the barrier which miraculously vanished from sight as he put his hand on a holographic switch.

Seeing this as a chance to escape, Cadance spread her wings as she prepared to take off, but before she could get a single flap from her wings, the other alien raised his rifle and shot a couple bolts of blue light at the center of one of Cadance’s wings. The burning pain stunned Cadance's body and caused her to scream in agony.

“The pain from getting struck by plasma is a bitch isn’t it?” Chrysalis asked sadistically. “Believe me I’ve already been there. But let’s not waste anymore time talking--it’s time for feasting.”

She then turned to her two Sangheili escorts before her and her changelings stepped into the holding chamber.

“Leave us alone for a moment, boys. We wish to play a very private game with the princess here. Also please close the barrier. Surely she’ll try to escape again.”

The two Sangheili nodded and did as they were told.

When the room was clear, Chrysalis and her minions surrounded the stunned princess and began to restrain and hold her down against her will.

Cadence wanted to scream and fight off her captors, but she couldn’t. She could only lay there and submit to her distress.

Chrysalis then positioned herself above Cadence’s body which was being forced to lay on the backside with all four of her hooves spread apart suggestively.

“I have to admit, I’ve never done female on female before,” Chrysalis said with a sultry smile and expression. “But perhaps I could make an exception. Besides when I’m done with you, my changelings will have their go as well. I hope you can deliver the same amount of  love to them and me, just as you do with your pathetic husband--who is possibly dead now. My new friends do have a way of killing without mercy after all.”

The words demoralized Cadance even more that she lost all thought of fighting and let herself go limp as tears began to flow from her eyes.

“Oh don’t be sad, dear. You should’ve know better than to marry a soldier after all.  Surely you could have known what would happen in the long run,” Chrysalis chuckled wickedly. “But enough of all this sympathy and grief. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

In saying that, Chrysalis lowered herself down on to Cadence's body, and began her fun, with her changelings soon to follow.