“So that’s pretty much everything that’s happened up to here” I said, concluding my story. Myself, Terra’s Princesses and this worlds princesses were sat in the dining hall, eating breakfast whilst we explained the situation, though the mood was somewhat dampened by the recent death of the commander of Celestia’s honour guard.

“So that aircraft that attacked you is one of your enemies” this world’s Celestia said.

“One of four separate groups” I said, before counting them off on my fingers “Teridax and his allies, the Covenant; they pose the biggest threat next to the Daleks, and finally the Sontarans”

“Let us hope they don’t decide to attack whilst you are resting in Ponyille” Luna said.

“They know what would happen if they even attempted to attack somewhere that they knew we were protecting” I said “Just one Neu-Toa can give our enemies a run for their money, we have three full teams plus a full ships worth of crew with combat experience and 416 teams worth of original Toa. That’s not even taking into account the Avengers, the Guardians, the Defenders, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Spartans. We also have two Alicorns” this world’s Celestia and Luna blinked.

“You have…quite the army.” Celestia said.

“Yes, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to be getting back to the Jörmungandr” I said “Unfortunately I have to inform one the crewmares that their wife won’t be returning” the two native Alicorns nodded sadly.

“Tis a shame” Luna said, before standing up “I can transport you back, I have a castle outside Ponyville”

“Just give me a few moments, I need to get someone”

*A few minutes Later*

I teleported back into the dining room holding an equine body wrapped in cloth, I walked over to the three Alicorns and Spartan that were waiting, the native Luna lit her horn and in a few brief moments we found ourselves standing in the field where the Jörmungandr was located. The native Luna looked up in awe at the immense ship before focussing on the name

“This world has a World Serpent called Jörmungandr” she said, I went pale “Is something wrong?”

“Nope” I replied, before glancing down at the body in my arms, we approached the ship and soon a small group of guards approached us. Crimson continued walking towards the ship whilst I turned to a Guard.

“Put her in the morgue,” I said softly, the guard nodded before levitating the body towards him and Teleporting away, I gave an audible sigh and ran a hand down my mask with an audible clank “Now comes the hard part”

Myself and Celestia teleported into one of the corridors containing the sleeping quarters, I was not looking forward to this. I check the information for the sleeping quarters and approached the door before knocking. A few moments later a Unicorn mare opened the door, she took one look at us and scoffed.

“What’s she done this time?” she asked, rolling her eyes. I sighed and stepped aside to let Celestia walk forward.

“I’m afraid your wife won’t be with you for Hearths Warming” she said, the mare was dumbstruck

“What…?” she asked, her eyes beginning to water.

“On route to Canterlot our Dropship was attacked and forced into a crash landing” I explained, I was feeling like scum for doing this “Your wife was killed in the impact” the mare sat on her haunches and broke down, Celestia rushed forward and surrounded the mare in a comforting embrace.

“I am so, so sorry, my little pony” she said, nuzzling the grief stricken mare, I had to walk away and walked towards a balcony before sitting down, overlooking Ponyville with my back against a wall

“I can’t fucking do this” I muttered, about half an hour later Celestia slowly walked over looking exactly as I felt. “This is why you rule a nation, and I don’t. I’m terrible in situations like this”

“Commander Sure Hooves was a fine guard” Celestia said “and a very dear friend”

“When I find Thundercracker, I’m going to wish he was never built.” I said, I sighed before getting up and leaning against the railing. “Sometimes I just wish I never got displaced to Terra; I wouldn’t have had to deal will all this bullshit that’s been going on around me…but then I think of Autumn and the kids and wonder how I could imagine life any other way. Then there’s everything the Neu-Toa have done” I began to recite some lyrics that came to my head.

“’We remember the fields, where our tanks held the lines, we remember our brothers in arms. When the war has been won, and our march home begins, what awaits has not yet been revealed. What was won? What was lost? Will our deeds be remembered? Are they written in stone of in sand?’” Celestia turned her head to look at me and raised an eyebrow.

“Sabaton?” she asked, I blinked in surprise.

“Yes, how did you know?” I asked. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t exactly look like to sort of individual to listen to Swedish power metal”

“I don’t” she said “Luna does”

“Damn” I muttered. After sometime we headed into Ponyville, where Pinkie Pie was going ballistic with all the new faces in the town. She sotted us and bounced over.

“Hey-Celestia-but-not-Celestia-hey-Vuur-Koning-where-have-you-been?”

“How do you know my name?” I asked, At that moment the Pinkie Pie from my world jumped out of the native Pinkie’s tail, saluted me and Celestia, and jumped into a plant pot “Of course, It’s fucking Pinkie Pie”

“Should I be concerned that she was able to travel to this planet by her own means?” Celestia asked.

“I tend not to think about it.” I said. By now Pinkie Pie had moved onto the next group of Jörmunganduns and the two of us were left to wonder the streets of Ponyville.

*POV 3rd Person. Location: Song of Retribution, CAS class Covenant Assault Carrier*

Aboard his flagship, fleet master Jul ‘Mdama watched the planet below with interest.

“[According to our ally, the] Jörmungandr [is currently docked on the planet below]” an Elite Minor said, Jul nodded.

“[Send a landing party,]” he ordered “[keep this to a small scale, we merely want to remind them that will are still a worthy opponent]”

*POV 1st Person Vuur Koning*

I was walking through Ponyville next to Celestia. Twilight was also walking with us, and bombarding me with endless questions.

“So what type of magic do you specialise in?” she asked

“Not counting my Ta-magic” I said, holding a ball of flames between my hands before dispelling it. “I’m most skilled in teleportation and quick travel, I can travel the entire length of the Jörmungandr in a few seconds, and expend no more energy than a pony skilled in levitation magic would if they were lifting a 5kg object. In fact, I only use a Kenohi Kualsi in dire circumstances”

“A what?” Twilight asked.

“Mask of quick travel” I explained.

“And what would you class as ‘dire circumstances’?” she asked, a warning blipped on my HUD and acting on instinct I grabbed Twilight and Celestia and teleported out of the way using my Kualsi just as a fuel rod exploded where we had been standing. We reappeared near a building and I released Twilight.

“This is the exact definition of a ‘dire circumstance,’” I said, getting my swords out and deflecting on coming plasma fire “Princess, I strongly suggest you get yourself and your friends to safety. Celestia, if you would be so kind to escort her” she nodded.

“Yes, High-lord General” she said, before teleporting away with Twilight. Jörmungandr popped up on my HUD.

“A small Covenant landing party has attacked Ponyville” the A.I. said.

“No shit” I said, running towards a speeding ghost, jumping on the side, kicking the pilot off and doing a backflip before landing in the driver’s seat “I want all of the ship’s turrets providing artillery fire, if you can’t stop them from landing you make sure they can’t escape”

“Understood” soon heavy-duty spell fire began to fill the air as the citizens began running for cover whilst the Jörmunganduns began to defend the town alongside changelings from the nearby Changing keep. I aimed the guns of the Ghost at approaching Covenant and opened fire; I put myself between a large group of ponies and the approaching covenant foot soldiers. They began to direct their fire on me and soon the ship was on its last legs so I locked the throttle in full-forward and jumped out just as the flaming vehicle crashed into the group of foot soldiers and exploded in their midst. I sailed through the air and landed in a crouching position in front of the group of ponies with my back to the fire.

“W-who are you?” A pony asked.

“Not important right now” I said as I stood up “You need to get yourselves to safety, your best bet is to head towards the castle” they all nodded before bolting in the direction of the castle. Over the sound of artillery fire I heard 6 distinctive ‘thunks’ and saw six large object sailing through the air towards the street I was stood on. A few moments later 6 Kaita slayer mechs impacted with the ground and five of them began charging towards the Covenant forces, whilst the 6th stomped over to me, it soon became clear that this was Ruby and Breezy’s mech.

“Need a hand, Dad?” Ruby asked. At that moment, two Hunters burst through a building, flanked by a small squad of foot soldiers.

“You had to ask” I said, before getting out my swords “Keep them busy, I need to get to Sugercube Corner”

“Got it!” she said, before she and Breezy slammed their fists together and charged at one of the Hunters.

“Dewch i gael rhywfaint o cont estron i chi ffycin! [Come and get some you fucking alien cunt!]” Breezy shouted, before upper cutting the hunter as Ruby kicked its leg out from underneath it before grabbing a leg and swinging the Hunter at its brother. With those Covenant taken care of, I began running towards Sugercube Corner.

*POV 1st Person Stag*

I was honestly  entranced by now. I had only met Vuur a few days ago, and now aliens were attacking left and right.

Currently, this meant I was facing down a reptilian beast with an energy shield like those wielded by the Lemurians, and a small chimp-like being with some kind of breathing apparatus. They both seemed confused that I wasn't running around or panicking.

To be honest, I didn't want to. They weren't making any threatening moves, and neither was I.

Instead, I slowly sat down to observe their reaction. This only seemed to confuse them even more. The chimp-thing gibbered and waved its weapon, but I made no move.

They obviously had no idea what to do. I gestured up to where I assumed the "mothership" was, then pointed to them, and then to me.

I was a diplomat first, after all.

*POV 1st Person Vuur Koning*

I rounded a corner and leapt across the street just as a charging hunter reduced the building behind me to rubble.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” I shouted as I jumped to one side to avoid a fuel rod that created a crater where I had been only moments before. I had managed to slay its brother, right before the one that was currently after my arse went into a blood frenzy. I saw Sugercube Corner up ahead so I quick travelled the last couple hundred metres, startling the ponies gathered inside.

“Who’s good with shield spells?” I asked. Firefly, who had been tending to an injured Pegasus, stepped forward. “Hope you can keep a Hunter at bay for five minutes” she nodded and her horn stump flashed before a shield expanded out, just as a fuel rod slammed into it.

“So, what’s the plan?” an aging earth pony stallion asked over the pounding from the Hunter trying to break through the shield. I pulled out a grenade and a flair, surprising the gathered ponies.

“Get all the flour you can find” I said, those that could stand ran into the kitchen and store room and returned a short while later with enough bags of flour to supply Canterlot Palace for a week. I arranged them all into a cluster and tied them together using a rope, with the flare poking out of the middle with its nozzle pointing up. I then loosely tied the grenade to one side and lifted the whole cluster up.

“What the hay is that supposed to do, blind the Hunter?” Firefly asked.

“Basic science” I said. “Apply a flame to any atomised particles and you get a big boom. The grenade is merely to separate the particles, the flair is what is going to ignite the flour. Though it doesn’t have much concussive power behind the blast, this should be enough to at the very least stun the Hunter so I can get a chance to take it down.” I then walked to the door. The Hunter was now pacing back and forth, waiting for the shield to come down.

“When I give the word” I said, moving my hand to the flair and igniting it “I want you to lower the shield and then bring it back up” I waited until the Hunter was the right distance away.

“Now!” I called, and in one fluid motion, I pulled the pin on the grenade and chucked the cluster through the door as Firefly brought down the shield. As soon as the crude cluster bomb was clear of the building, she brought the shield back up. The Hunter stomped over to the cluster and stared at it with curiosity, a few moments later the grenade exploded and the cluster turned into a massive fireball that knocked the Hunter to the ground. The shockwave shattered the windows of nearby buildings as well as Firefly’s shield and she cried out in surprise before clutching her head in pain “Okay, wasn’t expecting it to work that well” I cautiously stepped out with my swords drawn.

“Is it…dead?” one of the ponies asked, I walked up to it and poked it with a sword. Thankfully, the creature remained unmoved.

“Yep” I said. I put my swords away and turned to walk back to the building only for something to slam into my side and send me flying across the street and through the walls of multiple buildings. I laid in the pile of rubble in shock as my vision flickered for a few moments before focusing; one of the lenses was cracked.

“That…hurt” I said, before getting up

“Communications systems: offline. Weakness analysis systems: offline. Shields: failing. Lower abdominal armour: critical. Vital systems: stable.” droned the voice of my internal A.I.

“Okay, no more mister nice guy” I said, before walking through the multiple buildings and back into the streets. Stood before me was an Elite with ornate armour, wielding a gravity hammer. I pulled out my swords and let the tips touch the ground. “You damaged my new armour, you prick!” the Elite chuckled before raising up the hammer and charging. I waited for the right moment before leaning to one side to avoid his swing and bringing up my swords to slice the hammer clean in half. I then used the advantage to run him through before pulling my swards out and kicking him over. I put my swords away and picked up the hammer before shaking my head and chucking it to one side.

“So uncivilised” I muttered as it clattered on the ground. I caught sight of a low flying Banshee and ran towards it before taking a great leap and grabbing onto the wing. The sudden imbalance in weight caused the alien aircraft to veer towards the Everfree forest before levelling out. I pulled out my pistol before opening fire on the thrusters, soon they began to spark and fizz and the craft began to dive towards the forest below. I grabbed onto the fuselage before ripping the rear wing off, sending the craft into a spin. Just before the craft slammed into the trees, I let go and let myself fall through to the ground. Mid-way down my legs caught on a branch, flipping my whole body upside down and whacking my head on the trunk, knocking me out. Next Chapter: Chapter 38 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 29 Minutes