PONY EXPRESS

1625 HOURS

Since Kenwood had grown tired of watching the engagements aboard the Covenant Supercarrier, he decided to shut off the main interface and to observe the carrier itself, along with Equis that sat just below it. He constantly wondered if his fleet could truly save Equis, but he never got his hopes high because he knew the Covenant wasn’t capable of giving up so easily when it came to fighting for what they believed in.

He also worried he might fail Celestia and Luna as well. If this operation failed in any way, Kenwood knew that both princesses would lose trust for him, and possibly all of humanity as well. He couldn’t imagine these peaceful equine aliens to become a new enemy at all. It would make the war even more difficult as it was already.

It had been two hours since the operation began, and Kenwood would’ve thought that it would’ve ended somewhere in between those two intervals--but it did not.

The assumption was made that since Covenant Supercarriers were more complex to perform ops on than a battle cruiser, that way more time would be spent before the objectives of both boarding parties would be complete.

As Kenwood pondered deeper into his thoughts, he was interrupted when one of the officers’ reported, “Sir. I’ve got readings that all bogeys within the vicinity of the carrier are making a retreat from both the carrier and a few areas from the surface of the planet.”

“What?” Kenwood asked.

Before he could question the reason, Kenwood heard the distant rumble of an explosion from outside his ship.

Kenwood looked just in time as he saw the entire hull of the carrier vaporize into a mass of blue and pinkish fire. The operation was a success!

The crew of the bridge clapped and cheered as all surviving Covenant fighters and ships jumped into slipspace portals. Since their flagship had been destroyed, protocol within the Covenant military clearly stated that a full retreat was mandatory--even if the numbers within a fleet are still efficient enough for engagement.

Kenwood only smiled, but there was still a hint of concern within him. What troubled him was that he hadn’t got a report from neither Aaron, AJ, or the members of Marine Fireteam Echo. Also, he wondered if the princess was recovered.

“Can any transponders be tracked from any of our boarding parties?” Kenwood asked one of the COMM officers.

“Negative for now, sir,” he replied. “But I’m beginning to receive a strange signal from one of the enemy’s ships.”

“Clear it up if you can,” Kenwood instructed.

“Aye aye, sir,” the officer nodded and began to work on his task.

Kenwood feared it might be a last minute confrontation with the Covenant, or a taunt from them. Fortunately though, the officer had no trouble at all clearing up the signal.

“Sir, it’s Jensen,” he reported. “He’s inbound with a stolen Phantom, and they have Princess Cadance with them. He’s requesting medical personnel for her, and a place to land for the ship.”

“Tell him to land in Hangar B. I’ll have a medical team standing by there. Also, give word to Celestia and Luna, along with Twilight’s friends to meet up in there as well,” Kenwood ordered. Hopefully this would be a great reunion for the equines--but then again, it may or may not be that relieving as anyone might think.

Moments later within the designated hangar bay, Princess Celestia and Luna, along with only four of the Elements of Harmony, were awaiting Aaron’s imminent arrival. Each one of them would be happy and excited that Cadance was finally rescued and being brought back to them, but the medical crew that stood beside them with a gurney with a rebreather hooked up to it was a real concern, since it meant that someone or somepony was in serious trouble.

“I’ve got a really got a bad feeling about this,” Rarity stated.

“Ya always have a bad feelin’ about somethin’,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “But Ah have tah agree with ya. Whatever happened onboard that strange spaceship, it couldn’t have been good.”

“I’m just glad it’s finally gone,” Fluttershy quietly stated.

“I hope that Twilight or Dashie are alright,” Pinkie said, still looking down in the dumps.

“I’m sure both of them are alright, darling,” Rarity assured, but out of false confidence.

“If Rainbow is alright, then how come she still hasn’t bothered tah show up after what we’ve been through so far?” Applejack asked with a mood of suspicion. “This isn’t her at all.”

“I’m surprised that you still care about her, even after the way she treated you,” Rarity said to Pinkie.

“I know,” Pinkie said quietly. “But I know that the Dashie we still love and care for is still there somewhere. It was truly my fault for upsetting her like that.”

“Don’t pity yerself, sugarcube,” Applejack said while wrapping a comforting hoof on the back of Pinkie’s neck. “Frankly, Ah agree as well that the Rainbow we know was overtaken by all that anger and stress. Ah should know because I already went through somethin’ like that back at the park.”

Applejack then realized what she needed to do at that very moment.

“Princess Celestia?” she asked, cautiously.

“Yes, Applejack?” Celestia replied calmly, but she still looked and sounded sorrowed.

“Ah know this was awhile ago, an’ Ah didn’t mean to hesitate for an apology. But Ah’m…”

Applejack was interrupted when Celestia gently raised her hoof. She then managed a small, comforting smile.

“I know what you’re referring to, my little pony,” Celestia said while gently putting a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “This has truly been a hard time for all of us since the UNSC arrived on our world.”

She then turned to the nearby medic team and said, “No offense.” They only gave a shrug for a response.

“The thing is that I’ve already forgiven you, Applejack. We’ve all made errors and yours is no different from the rest.”

“Thank you, princess,” Applejack said with contentment for finally getting closure.

“Don’t mention it,” Celestia said, still with a small smile on her face. It then turned to a sad frown. “I must apologize as well for being short will all of you, including you, Luna.”

“I know, sister,” Luna assured while embracing Celestia in a comforting hug. “I never pretend to know how you feel--even if I was oblivious at first, all those years ago.”

Just then, Aaron’s Phantom approached and entered the bay through the vacuum-lock shields and docked itself in mid-air with the gravity lift emitting from its underbelly. This time it streamed down instead of up.

Aaron was the first one to gently drift down from the drop ship's interior to greet the two sisters and the friends; along with ordering the medical team to take position near the gravity beam with the gurney ready.

“Aaron. Oh thank heavens you’re alright!” Rarity dramatically stated. “You had us all worried sick.”

“I did?” Aaron asked as he removed his helmet so he could properly address himself to a conversation.

“Well...yeah. But just a bit, though,” Rarity replied with a bit of an embarrassed blush. “The main point is that you’re here, and that you’ve managed to get rid of that horrific extraterrestrial craft that had been plaguing the atmosphere of our planet with who knows what kind of pollutants.”

“But there’s still Princess Cadance,” Applejack interjected. “What’s the news on her?”

The answer was given when the sick and injured love princess was already being wheeled on the gurney, and strapped with the rebreather over her muzzle, attached to a tank of fresh oxygen, which was automatically being pumped from the tank and into her system. Not only that, but the mares saw that Cadance was wounded in a few areas, including her wings.

“Cadance!” Celestia exclaimed, full of emotion before she galloped to one side of her niece to try and get closer to her--but an escorting medic restrained her from getting too close to the gurney.

“Stop blocking me!” Celestia shouted. “I need to be with her!”

“Ma’am, I need you to relax,” the medic restraining her assured calmly, but it was in vain.

“Relax?! How can I when my only niece is in such a poor and critical state?! I can’t relax until I know she’s going to be okay!” Celestia ranted hysterically.

“She will be hopefully as long as she keeps getting fresh oxygen pumped into her lungs,” the medic replied. “Now please leave us to her. When she’s ready for visiting hours, we’ll be sure to let you know.”

“But!” Celestia protested, but was stopped at a doorway guarded by two marines. She knew she could teleport right through them, but she still had the conscious telling her that in doing so would just make matters worse for herself instead of better. She could only give in and trot back to her sister and the friends before she slumped down on her haunches, struggling not to sob. Luna held her older sister tight, trying to calm her down--but Celestia was far from getting over her grief.

“What the hay happened to her?” Applejack demanded while holding her friends who were near equally disturbed to Cadance’s condition.

“Apparently, the Covenant had put a major amount of the ship’s local wastes in Cadance’s cell, which was barricaded with a anti-ventilation shield. The result was the methane gases from the wastes were being concealed and constantly being inhaled by Cadance which would eventually lead her to asphyxiation,” AJ explained.

The equines didn’t understand AJ’s concept.

“It means she was breathing and choking on the smell of Covie shit,” Zeke stated.

All of the mares gasped in shock, and Rarity looked like she was about to faint.

“That’s exactly what I just said,” AJ said with annoyance.

“We’re very positive that she’ll make a full recovery though,” Aaron interjected before  things got quickly out of hand. “She wasn’t exposed long enough before there was nothing that medical attention could do. It will just need to take some time. Her wounds aren't that bad either, they will take a lot longer to heal up I’m afraid, but she’ll pull through just fine.”

Aaron wasn’t sure if he said the right thing, or gave any false hope, but it seemed like the logical thing to do. Besides, he was experienced enough to know medical conditions; despite not having a field in doctorology.

At first, the mares said nothing at all as they processed what Aaron told them, and to question if they should believe him--but then this hesitant silence was broken when Celestia asked out of the blue, “Where is Twilight?”

Aaron’s heart seemed to skip a beat, and he felt his blood run cold for a brief moment. His stomach also felt like it was beginning to shrink and constrict, making him almost want to vomit; but couldn’t. He saw this kind of question coming: especially when that the princesses acknowledged that Twilight didn’t leave the Phantom at all with Aaron, or his squad mates.

“I said. Where. Is. Twilight?” Celestia gritted with growing impatience. “Answer me!”

Aaron closed his eyes and bowed his head. AJ and Zeke followed the same gesture. This was a sign to the equines that they were not going to like the answer at all.

“I’m sorry, your majesty,” Aaron said remorsefully. “But Princess Twilight gave her life in order for us to successfully bring back Cadance.”

At first, not a word or sound was given from either the princesses, or the friends. It was dead silence. The expressions they had were mere shock, but Aaron could see their eyes  filling up with tears, and their lower jaws beginning to tremble.

Celestia then broke the silence with a scream of angst before it became a series of wails, both of despair and anger. She even stomped a hoof to clearly express how upset she truly was for possibly losing the best student she’d ever had. Also, one that posed as a daugher-figure as well. Nopony knew if this would be grief that Celestia would ever get over. Matter of fact, it was worse than the way she felt after she banished Luna.

Luna hugged Celestia tight and devolved into her own set of sobs as well. It was thanks to Twilight that she was freed of the Nightmare’s grasp, so she was forever in Twilight’s debt. To Luna, Twilight felt like another sister to her, but younger--and Luna always wanted a little sister. Now that she gained and lost one, the Princess of the Night’s heart broke into shambles.

For Twilight’s friends; Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy held each other close and cried into one anothers shoulders. Applejack however just took off her hat and pressed it close to her chest as she let three streams of tears leak from each of her closed eyes. Her ears were drooped low and her mouth quivered consistently as she held her her sobs, but several of them successfully got past her lips.

“I know this is all too much for all of you to take, but it was her decision,” Aaron explained the best way he could. “She told me that she wishes for all of you to move on with your lives and to not mourn over her constantly, but to remember her always.”

“B-but why w-would she do t-this?” Rarity choked. “And why alone?”

“I have no idea myself, Rarity,” Aaron replied, shaking his head. “One thing I did notice of her is that she had the soul, and bravery of a soldier. She would’ve made an excellent Marine or Spartan.”

“But what are we going to do?” Fluttershy whimpered. “Without Twilight, how can we be the Elements of Harmony without magic?”

“Ah guess we have tah find somepony else who’s a unicorn, and start over from there,” Applejack sniffled.

“No!” Pinkie wailed. “Nopony can ever replace Twilight! Ever!” she sobbed harder into Fluttershy’s shoulder who didn’t seem to mind at all.

“If Twilight wished for us to move on without her, then I think we should respect her wishes,” Rarity stated, gaining some composure. “I never doubted her at all.”

“I just wish we could see her one last time,” Pinkie emotionally whispered.

As soon as Pinkie finished saying that, AJ glanced out the hangar window in time to see some sort of object hurtling toward them.

“Uh..guys,” he said, still transfixed on the object. “What’s that?”

Everyone and everypony turned in time to see the object hurtling closer and closer to the hangar bay. There was no time to close the blast doors to the bay’s windows!”

“Everyone get out of the way!” Aaron shouted.

UNSC personnel and the equines scattered to clear the way of the object’s apparent impact zone. Thankfully, everyone and everypony made it out of the way just as the object passed through the shields and skidded along the floor of the chamber until it came to an abrupt halt near an opposing wall.

When it seemed that the object had finally settled in a resting zone, all souls began to slowly and cautiously approached the mysterious object that could not be detailed since it seemed to be covered in black soot.

When Aaron, along with the princesses and the friends got close enough, they were startled when a pair of yellow eyes with red pupils suddenly appeared on the surface of it.

As they were recovering from their shock, the object began to take the form of a snake-like body with random limbs, and an unusual tail. It then began to shake itself off which expelled the soot off of it. When the soot cloud cleared, the object turned out to be Discord who was wearing a crash test helmet on his head!

“Whoo! That was some ride I tell you!” Discord exclaimed in high spirits. “Of course performing exoatmospheric stunts is not something you should try at home, unless you have unworldly abilities that allow you to breath in outer space where it’s always dark, and a bit chilly, too.”

He brushed what looked like snowflakes from his coat, but when they hit the floor, they turned into bits of paper.

Discord then analyzed the faces of Celestia, Luna, and the four friends.

“Now why does everypony seem so glum?” he asked dumbfounded. “I thought this is a time to be happy and full of joy since those pestering aliens have finally fled our planet. Of course, I was still quite impressed from the mayhem they have caused during their visit,” he parenthesized.

“Twilight’s dead!” Pinkie blurted out of the blue before she went back to blubbering all over again.

Discord stood puzzled for a moment, not knowing what to make of the situation. But then he remembered why he arrived on the corvette in the first place.

Snapping his talon, a blue box with red wrapping ribbons appeared out of thin air and into his talon’s grasp.

It looked like some kind of present, but was big enough to contain a full grown pony. It also seemed to have holes punched in around it as if to grant air to whatever was contained inside.

“Well. I’m sorry for your loss, and I offer my condolences to all of you,” Discord said sincerely, but it seemed to be staged. “Which is why I offer you this gift. Please accept this as a token of my sympathy.”

“I’m afraid now isn’t the time for gifts, Discord,” Celestia said through gritted teeth, but her eyes still leaked tears. She wasn’t in the mood for whatever the mischievous draconequus was trying to pull.

“Oh don’t be so cynical, Celestia. I’m offering you an honest gift from the heart,” Discord protested while literally opening up his chest to display his heart that was still pumping in his lion claw. This disturbing sight made most witnesses cringe with disgust.

Discord then put his heart where it belonged and closed the ‘hatch’ to his chest.

“Look, if none of you want to open it, that’s fine. So being the good friend I am--perhaps I should do it myself. Sure it may seem a bit uncourteous of me, but this is really important. Last chance for anypony who wishes to open this present themselves.”

Nopony moved a muscle.

“Suit yourselves, but I still think you’ll be surprised anyway. Scratch that, maybe overjoyed.”

With that, Discord undid the bow on top of the present which caused all sides to fall down flatly on the ground to reveal a blinding purplish light, forcing everyone and everypony to avert their eyes.

When the light slowly began to die down and allowed every soul to look back, the light began to shrink down and seemed to take the form of a pony.

Soon enough, the details began appearing--and they were already recognisable to the princesses, and the friends. They could only sit and stare with their mouths hung wide open in awe.

When the light had completely dissipated, there laying down in a fetal but relaxed position was Princess Twilight Sparkle who was alive, and without any sign of injury on her!

“Twilight!” her friends cried gleefully and galloped over to her side. Both Celestia and Luna trailed behind them, along with Aaron, AJ, and Zeke who were quite baffled by what they were seeing.

Twilight emitted a groggy groan when she heard the voices of her friends calling her. She attempted to open her eyes, but the sudden light forced them shut.

She blinked several times to adjust her eyes and bring them into focus. It didn’t take her long to work out that the four figures standing over her were her friends.

“G-girls? Is that really you?” she wearily asked them while struggling to pull herself up, but she slumped back down, emitting another strained and frustrated grunt.

“Yes it is!” Pinkie cheered and quickly pulled Twilight up before embracing her in a tight hug; joyful tears flowing from her eyes, and her mane and coat to their rightful color shades and textures.

“Oh thank goodness yer alright!” Applejack added while embracing the dazed alicorn as well. “We thought ya were a real goner!”

“Well...thanks, Applejack. But what happened to me?” Twilight asked

“Who cares, darling. What matters the most now is that you’re here with us, and that you’re alive and well,” Rarity said, and joined in on the group hug.

Fluttershy was the last one to join in, but she was too busy weeping tears of happiness to say anything.

“Uh, excuse me? Don’t I think I deserve a thank you for what I’ve done for you all?”  Discord asked, clearly offended that we wasn’t receiving any kind of recognition.

“Wait,” Twilight said, breaking the group hug so she could face Discord. “You did this?”

“Uh, yeah. How else would have you gotten off of that exploding ship and back onto this one, without the need for any kind of space travel?” Discord replied a bit sarcastically.

“But I was going to…”

“Ah ah ah! Don’t even bother to think about it, Twilight,” Discord tsked. “I just saved your life and healed your wounds; and that’s where we’re going to leave it, alright?”

Twilight wanted to continue asking more questions because none of the events that occurred before her mysterious arrival back on the Express made any sense at all, but decided to follow Discord’s advice and drop the subject. Besides, when Discord was present: nothing was supposed to make sense at all.

“Thank you, Discord. For what you’ve done for me. What you’ve done for us all,” Twilight said with a small and content smile. Her friends and the princesses gave the same expression. “You have our eternal gratitude--I believe even the UNSC’s.”

“Well I’m touched, really I am,” Discord stated, looking and sounding a bit enthusiastic and uncomfortable. He was quite a stranger to gratitude because the deeds he’s done in the past never granted him such a thing, even when he thought he was doing something right instead for his own amusement.

“Forgive me if I’m excusing myself early, but I don’t think I’m ready to get myself involved in such a cheeky scene as this. So..uh.. later!” Discord said before quickly snapping himself out of the presence of everyone and everypony, who only stood in bewilderment while few chuckled.

“It’s great to have you back, ma’am,” AJ said to Twilight, nodding.

“You really are the leather neck, aren't ya?” Zeke added with a chuckle.

“I suppose so,” Twilight replied, not really understanding the term.

“I’m just glad that conversation back on the carrier, wasn’t our last,” Aaron stated with a relieved smile. “You wouldn’t believe the way I felt about how I would face your friends, and the princesses about...well, you know.”

“Promise us, Twilight, that you will never do something like this again,” Celestia stated while looking at Twilight with a stern but pleadful look. “You should know better than to do something like this.”

Twilight looked down at the floor with a shame and guilt painted on her face.

“I promise, Celestia,” Twilight said quietly. “And I’m sorry for causing you, my friends, and everybody else so much grief. I hope you all can ever forgive me.”

Celestia brought a hoof under Twilight’s chin to make eye contact. Celestia glanced down at Twilight with a motherly look and talked to with her soothing tone that Twilight and everypony else knew so well.

“You are one of the best prized pupils I’ve ever had in my whole eternal life,” Celestia said. “I could never stay mad at you for long, but abandoning your friends and the ones you love isn’t something I find tolerable.”

Twilight glanced back down at the floor with tears already beginning to well up in her eyes.

“But,” Celestia continued to make Twilight look back into her eyes. “You’ve managed to help our human allies to save Princess Cadance, and all of Equis from a terrible alien threat to it’s very existence. I have to say, many princesses are not willing to sacrifice their own lives for their country, or world. You have truly stood out among the meanings of royalty.”

“Is that good, or bad?” Twilight asked, uncertainly.

Celestia just gave a light chuckle.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that ,” she confessed. “But I have to say that it’s a very noble and selfless gesture; but don’t let that sort of thing get to your head, now. You and your friends have a lot of responsibility for the future of Equestria. Don’t forget that, alright?”

“Yes, Celestia,” Twilight nodded. “pardon me if I’m changing the subject, but where’s Cadance? She’s okay, isn’t she?”

“She should be in the medical wing now,” Aaron said. “She has a chance of life, but her recovery is going to take some time.”

Twilight took a quick moment to think.

“If we can go back home to Ponyville, I can look up a recipe for brewing a potion that might help her get better more efficiently. Uh, not implying that your ways are inefficient, it’s just that…” Twilight ranted awkwardly to Aaron before he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Aaron assured with an amused smile. “Whatever you think is best for her. I’ll report to the captain to set a course back for Ponyville, okay?”

“That’ll be good,” Twilight confirmed with a nod.

“Does this mean we can all go home and back to our normal lives without our every movements being watched?” Rarity asked, clearly still uncomfortable with the parole arrangements that were made for them all.

Aaron put his hand under his chin as he thought.

“I’ll have to discuss it with Kenwood,” he said. “You guys are still pretty much part of our interloping, so I can’t be sure of what he will say. But I assure you that you’ll be able to get back to your old lives in a convenient manner. We just have yet to figure it out.”

“Fair enough, I guess,” Rarity implied without much impression.

“Ah bet Spike will be happy tah see ya again, and that yer okay,” Applejack stated.

Throughout all of this war, drama, and chaos, Twilight had nearly forgotten about her Number One assistant. She felt bad for nearly leaving him without a hint for his own future.

“Yeah. I think he would,” Twilight said with a relieved smile.

“I'm sure Angel has been worried about me this entire time, and will be happy to see me as well,” Fluttershy said with relief as well. “He really likes it when I make him his favorite salad serving.”

“Are you sure he hasn’t been throwing a big party or something while you’re away?” Pinkie asked with a raised brow.

“Now, Pinkie. Angel knows better than that,” Fluttershy gently scolded. “He would never do such a thing to hurt my feelings.”

“Heh. If you say so?” Pinkie shrugged.

As Twilight and her friends ventured back to their cabins, Twilight suddenly asked, “Hey, where has Rainbow Dash been? I’m surprised she wasn’t even with you guys back at the hangar.”

Her friends looked glum at the mentioning of the cyan pegasus’s name.

“What’s wrong, girls? Is there something I should know?” she asked, now a bit worriedly.

“It’s a long story, Twi,” Applejack stated. “But Ah don’t think it’s the best time tah explain it now. Once we all get some recuperation back at home, Ah’m sure one of us can be in the mood tah tell ya, okay?”

Twilight uneasily hesitated for the moment because she somehow knew that Rainbow had gotten into deep trouble somehow, and she wanted to do whatever she could to help; but at the same time, she knew Applejack was right. Rest and recuperation is what they all needed right now.

Twilight knew that Rainbow would turn up soon; and if not that, hopefully eventually.

As for Aaron and Luna, they were still puzzled as to the meanings of their nightmares that haunted them earlier before all this happened.

A Covenant invasion just occurred on Equis, but it didn’t line up with the visions they had been having at all. This had to mean something, but what?

Couldn't it have been a false lead, or an inaccurate warning of some kind? Neither Aaron nor Luna could be sure for certain.

Whatever the answer was, both Aaron and Luna somehow but reluctantly accepted that something was not finished--but just getting started.