Author's Notes:

I'M BACK BABY!!!

LITERALLY EVERYTHING AFTER THIS CHAPTER IS SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK MAN OH MY GOD IT IS SO GOOD.

Expect the following -

- Better character development.
- A more serious Anderson.
- Improved romance system.
- Likely more sex.
- Definitely more sex.
- More backstory.
- More guns.
- More fancy future tech that makes no sense, and could never exist in reality.
- A better explained universe.
- More jokes.
- More clever jokes.
- More stupid jokes.
- Comedy.
- More action.
- Did I say more guns?
- Whiskey will play a larger role. (Although his backstory remains the same.)
- More of the Main 6.
- More fantasy crap.
- Anderson will totally have a one night stand with a princess at some point.
- Better explanation on Anderson and his augmentations.

Next chapter to be rewritten is 3. You can expect Anderson meeting the princesses, talking, and him finally having a civilized conversation with Twilight. Chapter currently has 1,897 words and I'm still writing, it'll likely have around 2,400 by time I'm done.

The Fallen Soldier

Chapter 2

--------------------------------

“Come on buddy! Get out of the way!” A voice called out behind me.

Surprised, I quickly moved to my right letting a man and his wagon stroll past. As I watched the horses calmly walk away, I heard a faint “Pssst!!”

Turning my head, I was welcomed to the sight of a kids head popping out of the white fabric covering the wagon. The little boy asked, “Want an apple mister? It’ll be 8 bits!” He looked at me like he expected me to know what a bit was.

“Sorry kid, ain’t got no money,” I replied, patting the parts of my armor where I’d normally have pockets.

He frowned and looked me in the eyes. “Are you homeless mister? You ain’t dressed like everyone else.”

“I’m fine kid.” I huffed.

His head disappeared inside the wagon, moments later he popped out again. This time, an arm came with him, he tossed me a single apple. Which I caught with ease.

Looking at the apple in my hand, I felt a twinge of hunger suddenly. I looked at the boy and smiled, “Thanks kid, I won’t forget this.”

The small boy gave me a beaming smile in return, “Nothing to it mister! Just don’t tell my dad I gave that to you for free!”

I chuckled, “I won’t.”

He smiled again and disappeared behind the white fabric. I stopped and watched the wagon snail away. Feeling grateful for the boy's hospitality, I took a bite out of the apple. My mouth was overwhelmed with its sweetness, something about it told me it was all grown with love.

Looking around, I realized I walked past a turn I should’ve taken forever ago. Turning around, I corrected myself and reset myself back on the path to Golden Oak.

Golden Oaks Library.

It certainly lived up to the ‘Oak’ in its name, seeing as it was built inside of a giant oak tree. From a designers perspective, it was actually pretty cool. But I wasn’t here to admire.

The door was large and made out of some kind of wood with a large metal ring attached to it along with a small bell at the top. I pushed on the door which opened with a loud ring of a bell. Stepping inside, I was immediately thankful to be out of the cold.

Actually, it wasn’t much warmer in here. But the cold no longer nipped at my face, so it was an improvement in my book.

“I’ll be down in a bit!” Called out a male voice from upstairs.

I reply with, “I just need to see a Twilight Sparke!”

I was expecting a boy to walk down the stairs. But was surprised by a small lizard-like creature stepping down.

“I’m sorry. But Twilight left for the hospital, not that lo-” The lizard froze when he saw me. He looked at me for at least 4 seconds before turning and dashing back upstairs.

“OH NO! IT’S ALIVE!” He shouted.

I calmly followed him upstairs, all while searching for the right thing to say. “Listen! I’m not going to hurt you! I just wanna talk about some things!”

The lizard shouted back, “Twilight said you might not be the talking type!”

Unsure as to why she’d say something like that, I realized that she likely found me armed to the teeth. I couldn’t remember exactly but stopped thinking about it when I caught the lizard trying to climb out of a window.

“Hey, that doesn’t seem like the smartest thing to do!” I exclaimed, “We’re almost 3 stories high!”

The lizard faltered, “But what if you eat me or something?” He asked, his body already partly out the window.

I groaned, “And why the hell would I do that!” Realizing that my frustration was showing, I took a deep breath and calmly said. “Look, I’ve just woken up. I’m on some unknown planet and I’ve got no idea on how to get back home. I just need some answers, and maybe a location so I know where I’ve gotta go next. Can you help me?” I asked, letting my more passionate side show.

The lizard seemed to be in deep thought. After a moment of silence, however, he got off the window and brushed himself off.

“Yes, I can help. But no funny but-”

This time he was cut off by a woman yelling, “SPIKE!”

The small lizard supposedly named Spike, replied with, “I’m upstairs Twilight! With the guy you found!”

After he said that, all I could hear was feet stomping up the stairs. “Stay away from it Spike! It’s highly dangerous!”

I glanced at Spike, who didn’t respond in any way. Turning back to the door, a woman dressed in jeans and a thick looking winter jacket appeared. Before I could say anything, she raised her hand which began to glow a bright purple.

“Don’t move!” She ordered. “O-Or I’ll do something neither one of us will like!”

On instinct, I raised my helmet and readied myself for anything. “This isn’t necessary!” I advised, “We can talk this out like adults!”

Twilight was making her way to Spike with her glowing right hand still pointed at me. “Come on Spike,” She ordered, “We should let the Royal Guards handle him.”

Spike opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself.

I continued, “I just wanna find my way home. I’ve got no reason to harm anyone, and I’m not planning on it anytime soon!” Watching her face for any sign of change, I was disappointed to see her still eyeing me like I just murdered a box of kittens.

“I just wanna know how you found me!” I lowered my helmet and looked her in the eyes.

Her stare softened, “You don’t remember?” She asked.

I shook my head, everything about what I was doing before I arrived here was nothing but a blur.

“We found you near a burning metal structure in the Everfree. I wanted to see if anyone else was on board, but the structure exploded not longer after we pulled you out.” Twilight started to lower her hands.

I felt a twinge of regret for some reason, but it was lost on me. So instead I wanted to ask a million more questions. But the first one to leave my mouth was, “Can you help me return home?”

Twilight frowned, “I don’t know where your home is. And I’m sorry to say, but the Princesses have ordered your capture.”

Rage overcame me, but I tried to hide it as best as I could. “And what the fuck do they plan on doing?!” I instead just managed to violently ask my question.

Twilight frowned. “I’m sorry. After what the Princesses told me about you, and since I found out about your escape. I knew I had to put the safety of others before my own morbid curiosity.” She raised her hand again, its purple color quickly returned.

“I can’t let you leave.” She stated, “The Princesses have ordered your capture with a Dead or Alive option, and I don’t want to do anything drastic. So please don’t make me.”

Moments after she said that, I heard dozens of war cries downstairs. Then the sound of at least a dozen men trying to all come up the stairs at once. The same men from the hospital appeared, but now there was just more of them. I assumed they were the Royal Guard Twilight mentioned before.

Admittedly, has time slowed down and I considered all my options. Everything seemed to aim towards violence, but I had a gut feeling, and the gut feeling told me to just surrender. I prayed to all the gods I know, just let these people spare me. And if they don’t.

May I live long enough to find my own way back home.

The first guardsmen to rush in shouted, “Surrender now! We have been granted the authority to use lethal countermeasures should you fight back!”

I didn’t respond, instead, I just got on my knees and put my arms behind my head. And as 15 men all dressed in gold shuffled into the room, I considered my future, everything I accomplished up till now, and why I couldn’t remember how I got here.

And my last thought before guardsmen slammed me onto the ground and began to yell all the ‘rights’ I had into my ear. Was how all the men looked so alike.

Eventually, one of the guards tried to picked me up, but couldn’t.

“Are you feeling okay?” Someone whispered into my ear.

No, I thought to myself. Far from it.

Not long after the guards got me on my feet, one of them shoved a bag over my head. Preventing me from seeing anything, and from raising my helmet. I’m also pretty sure they put cuffs on me.

For the sake of getting this all over with, I didn’t fight them when they escorted me downstairs and outside. And when they told me to sit on some seat so one of them could buckle me in, I did so peacefully.

“No.” I deadpanned. “I could be a lot better.”

The voice didn’t reply for a while, but eventually they asked, “Do you need water or anything?” Before quickly adding, “Do you drink water?”

The voice sounded familiar and feminine. With no solid evidence, I said, “I’d like to know where we’re going.”

“Well.” The voice paused, “We haven’t left yet but we’re taking you to see the princess’s.”

“Can I at least get a heads-up on what's gonna happen to me?” I asked.

“I can’t say I know what’s going to happen to you because I don’t know what is going to happen to you.” The voice replied.

At this point, I heard the voice talk enough to realize that I’ve been talking to Twilight Sparkle. “Yeah,” I sighed, “I’d like some water if you wouldn’t mind.”

Moments later, the sack over my head was pulled off. Much to my expectations, I was talking to Twilight, who was sitting right next to me inside of a wagon.

Twilight pulled a bottle of water out from behind her, “I’ll hold it for you okay?” She seemed to question, holding the water away from me.

I looked down at the cuffs on my wrists, then back at her. “Of course.”

Hesitantly, she held the bottle up to my lips. Tilting it slightly, a stream of crystal clean water hydrated my mouth. The bottle ran dry before I even realized it. As she pulled it away, my mind decided that I was feeling a little bit of everything. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion, annoyed, angry, sad, thankful, you name it and I’m probably feeling it.

“You must be really thirsty,” Twilight stated.

I ignored her and tried to look outside the wagon. Instead, I moved away in surprise when two guards suddenly opened the door and climbed inside. They sat across from me and Twilight, both men stared me down before the one on the right thumped his fist on the wall.

The wagon suddenly jerked, then we were on the move. Twilight tried to ask me some questions, but I ignored her again and looked outside. As I watched the buildings pass by, I began to notice that the wagon was starting to move up. I thought, Maybe we’re just going up a hill.

But as I watched the buildings get smaller and smaller, It dawned on me. We were FLYING.

“Twilight!” I exclaimed, “We’re FLYING?!”

She smiled, “Yes. Yes, we are.”

“But how!?” I asked, looking out the window again.

“Magic.” She simply replied.

I think that’s where it killed it for me. “Bullshit.” I deadpanned.

Twilight winced at the word, but continued, “I can understand why you'd maybe think that," she added, “But I’d rather not explain how we're flying, instead I'd like to ask you some questions while I still can.”

The way she said that worried me, but answers was something I needed. “An answer for an answer Twilight,” I offered.

Twilight nodded rather quickly, “Me first, though.” She spoke while pulling a small notepad out from her jacket along with a pencil. “Where are you from?” She asked, studying my face.

“Born on Earth, Illinois.”

Now it was my turn, “Where are we going?”

Twilight answered, “Canterlot,” adding, “To see the princess’s.”

She scribbled something down and asked, “Who are you?”

I thought over the question, “Scott Celaya Anderson. Military rank; Staff sergeant, I’ve served 13 years and I plan on serving more.”

Twilight wrote it all done and looked at me, “Your turn.” She said.

“Tell me about the princesses? What about the King and Queen?”

“The princess’s are Celestia and her sister Luna. Beyond that, we haven’t had a King or Queen in over 789 years.”

I found the thought of something like that rather dumb.

“What can you tell me about the thing you’re wearing. And how it managed to block crossbow bolts without being physically touched?”

Technically, I wasn’t allowed to reveal information like that. But I did anyway, honesty was the only way I’d be able to (maybe) walk away unharmed.

“It’s called a AMAHS suit, worn by a highly elite class of soldiers. The suit comes equipped with technology that emits a constant stream of energy around me. I can’t disclose any delicate details because I am under oath.” I watched her scribble something in her journal.

I wanted to know the whereabouts of my stuff, so I asked, “What happened to everything on me?”

Twilight seemed hesitant to answer, “It’s in a safe place. And before you ask, I can’t give anything back to you unless Celestia herself lets me.”

I sighed at her response, no ounce of surprise made its way inside me.

Twilight wasted no time with her next question, “You said that only an elite class of soldiers wear one. And you are in one, so. . . What are you capable of?”

I smiled, “If I really wanted too.” I moved my hands apart, stretching the metal chain. “I could snap these cuffs in half and kill everyone on this wagon, but I’m not going to. I just want to find my way back home, no one needs to die for me to accomplish this.”

I eyed the guards, “If I am for whatever reason attacked, I will kill anyone who tries to stop me from finding a way home.”

One of the men gulped, the other huffed and said, “Put the bag back on him, I’m tired of hearing his voice.”

Twilight said, “Sorry.” Before putting her journal and pencil away. Reaching behind her, she pulled the sack out and slid it over my head. Plunging me into a world of darkness.

The rest of the ride was quiet.