Chapter Six: The March

"Dear Princess Luna, we have moved back to this universe for the night. Zach has successfully located the human we're trying to rescue. Unfortunately, an evil entity known as 'The Master' has taken him prisoner. Zach has arranged for us to enter The Master's lair to rescue the human. We have also discovered that The Master is building an army of terrible creatures to try to take over that world. We will try our best to stop him and save the human. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle. Did you get that, Spike?"

"Yep." The dragon sealed and sent the letter.

The night was quiet and pleasant, and we had crossed universes to find ourselves in a meadow. As Twilight had Spike write and send the letter, I began to think about the difficulties we'd have in executing my plan. We were going to bypass a small army of super mutants, destroy The Master, free the trapped human, and leave alive. At least, if everything went well. While Twilight and Rainbow were both capable fighters, we would still be horribly outgunned and outnumbered. I wasn't a fighter, though, hardly at all. I avoided conflict when it was preferable to do so, and my low speed, endurance and strength- just walking around all day made me extremely tired- were ill-suited to a combat role, not to mention my human mortality. The thought of my mortality had been churning about in my mind for hours; I could die. I wasn't planning to, of course, but just a single bullet wound, a single hit, could kill me, easily. The ponies and dragon that I'd brought with me had a better chance of survival, I thought. Twilight had magic, Spike had his 'thick scales', and Rainbow had her speed. I had nothing.

"We should get some sleep. Did any of you bring any sort of tent or anything?" Everyone looked at each other for a moment. I sighed, "guess not."

I set my backpack down on the ground, laid down, and put my head on it. It was going to be a long night. I gave my sweater to Spike to use as a blanket, Rainbow slept on a fluffy cloud overhead, and Twilight quickly fashioned a bed out of the long grass of the meadow, something she'd 'learned in a book'. The adorkable mare and her friends fell asleep quickly. After an hour, despite how tired I was, I was still wide awake, laying there in the grass, my head on my backpack, wearing U.S. Army-issue combat armor. I was thinking about the specifics of my plan, mulling it over. Thinking about how I'd get the team back, each of its members in one piece. I could not rest as long as I had any reason to fear for the lives of those I'd promised to protect, and who had selflessly promised to help me retrieve my fellow humans. I finally involuntarily drifted off at around four AM.

*****

My sleep didn't last very long, and I awoke to see Celestia's stunning sunrise. Soon after, I saw Rainbow leave her roost and do several spirals and loops before coming to the ground. She was surprised to see that I was awake.

"I thought I'd have to get you all up again today, but it looks like that won't be needed in your case." Rainbow laughed. "Come on, Twilight, come on, Spike, get up!"

Twilight rolled over, and mumbled something incomprehensible. Spike didn't move.

"Come on!"

Twilight responded almost immediately this time.

"Rainbow, why do you always have to do that?" Twilight groaned, rising from her bed of grass and stretching.

"A good schedule is part of being awesome, of course."

Spike stirred in the interior of my fleece sweater. "Just a... few more minutes..."

I swiped up the sweater, and shook it off, the dragon falling face-first to the ground.

"Sorry," I said flatly, and placed the sweater in my backpack.

"What was that for?" the dragon snapped, angrily, suddenly awake.

"Had to get you up somehow. Come on, we've got about six hours to get to the caravan meeting. You can sleep on the way there."

"Six hours is a lot of time. Maybe we should look around New Metropolis some more, get into contact with Stross again," Twilight suggested.

"Good idea, we haven't talked to him in a while, but I'm sure he knows our plan."

Spike got into my backpack, I opened the portal, and we went in.

The early morning here was not nearly so wonderful as it was in Equestria. I immediately tried to contact the Brotherhood.

"Stross, are you there? Stross?"

"Zach, you've come back into this universe, I see." Stross chuckled, "we've been reviewing your plan, and we do believe we can assist you. When you need assistance, say 'ring of fire' and we'll send in a diversionary force. From what we've gathered from pre-war schematics of the base, The Master is likely to be on the third floor, and the captive you are looking for on the first. I will have no contact with you until after our locator indicates that you've left the base. Good luck, and send The Master my regards."

"Thanks, Stross, but... how will your diversion get to the base fast?"

There was no answer.

"Come on, let's get moving again. We should be early to the church."

*****

The ponies' routine was flawless as the caravan was set to depart. A pair of brahmin laden with supplies of various, probably sinister purpose, twenty cultists-, probably to be 'dipped'-, the lead cultist, the ponies, and myself made up the caravan. This was it, we were going to be marching straight into The Master's abode to strike him down. I had placed my two pulse grenades in my pockets, just in case I needed them in a hurry, and managed to hide my laser rifle by carefully taking it apart and stowing it in a compartment of my bag that Spike did not occupy. The caravan was underway quickly, and was making good time. I lagged behind a little, and caught a glimpse of a figure in gray armor observing us with binoculars. I gave a subtle wave, which the figure returned, and caught up with the group. Now, I thought, we just keep walking.