Not Exactly Green; No ODST Is

by SpilledInk

First published 7th of January, 2012

An ODST finds himself in Equestria...

ODSTs are trained to handle any situation. Get any better, and they become Spartans. However, no trooper is truly perfect. Garrett Archer gets more than what he bargained for after following an order to go back to Earth. He finds himself crashing in flames and waking up in Equestria, only to be introduced to more problems that add to the weight of the Human-Covenant war. Some see him as a monster, a friend, and the last piece of the puzzle.

Cover art: Natural Born Hero created by CAUS7IC from DeviantArt
Special thanks to my pre-reader AidanMaxwell

Prologue

It was midnight on the moon of what used to be Madrigal before the Covenant glassed it. An ODST prowled through the cliff face until he found the Sangheili sniper watching over their target. Garrett Archer tackled the alien down to the ground, and it writhed as he lay on top of it. Finally, he plunged his knife into its helmet. After one violent jerk, the alien died. A silent kill. He was on cue in the join-operation with the squad headed by Captain Drake Locke. His team was composed of Jerome, the main sharpshooter, Michael, the explosives expert, and Douglas, a well-respected veteran who was the weapons expert.

The ODST deployed the bi-pod of his sniper rifle on top of the dead alien and loaded armor piercing rounds. He had a perfect view of the factory. It was a spire forty stories high that stood on a massive crater. The top of it was barely seen from the outside of the crater. One bridge going down was the only connection to the outside world. It emitted pulses of energy from the spherical shield surrounding the crater, making it impossible to destroy from orbit. He looked down on the bridge through his scope, then he radioed the troopers.

"Reporting in. I'm inside the shield and in position."

"Copy that, Archer. We're moving out," replied Drake. "It'll take us a while to reach the bridge. We'll radio back once we're near."

"Roger that."

"Why wasn't I assigned to be the main marksman? I'm sure as hell better than this rookie," came Jerome's voice.

"Command said something about him being a pretty good lone wolf because he took the extra mile and enrolled in more training than the average. Aced them pretty well, too," said Michael.

"And it's because I forgot to bring my leash," added Drake coolly.

"Woof. Woof," taunted Jerome.

As much as he hated to admit, Jerome was right. He was a rookie. He only did one mission in his career, with this being his second. He didn't need to be so cocky about it, though, he thought to himself. The ODST decided to pass the time by marking targets for him and the squad to take out when they charge in. Hanging off from his neck, his dog tags screened his name.

GARRETT S. ARCHER
MALE
2ND LIEUTENANT
UNSC MARINE CORPS
BLOOD TYPE: O+
SERIAL NUMBER: 09374-26518-GA

"Archer, we're at the bridge, and thanks for marking targets. We want you to take out anybody that goes through the factory doors. High profile targets only, no grunts or jackals."

"Affirmative."

"On my mark."

Garrett lined his sights with a Sangheili pair on a guard tower at the far end of the bridge.

"Three."

Get ready for all hell to break loose.

"Two."

He placed his finger on the trigger, senses becoming so tuned that he could hear his own heartbeat.

"One."

It's now or never.

"Mark."

He squeezed the trigger twice in two seconds. Out of the corner of his eye, Garrett spotted the ODSTs charging through the bridge. Plasma bolts were flying through the air, aiming straight at them, and they happily returned the welcome with shredder rounds. He continued his orders and took out two more elites before needing to reload. The grunts squealed and scattered as their squad leaders fell.

Garrett took a peak at the squad. Everyone, except for Jerome, was up front fighting in close quarters. Douglas was raining lead on a group of grunts with a massive chain gun, even cutting some groups literally in half with bullets. Drake and Michael were both fighting elites in close quarters. Michael was shooting elites in the chest at point blank with his shotgun. Purple stains splashed onto his armor after every shot he took. Every round Jerome shot from his sniper rifle was to the head.

An elite thrust its spear to Drake. He dodged it with a quick jump to his side, grabbed the spear, and bashed the alien with his shoulder. The alien let go of its spear, stepping back as it absorbed his attack. He then plunged the spear into the the elite, and it fell with a loud thud without having a moment to realize what happened.

"Wow, you guys are good," commented Garrett. I definitely need to remember that move.

"Thanks, and stay focused," replied Douglas. "You're doing good so far."

Garrett continued taking down elites with his sniper rifle. As he loaded a fresh clip of ammo, a phantom drop ship zoomed past his view and landed on a platform slightly lower than where he lay. From the doors of the spire, the Prophet of Retribution emerged, scared and escorted by three elite guards. He rushed through the platform to the phantom to take him out of the battle. Well, hello there, the trooper thought as he shifted his position. The ODST lined his sights with the prophet, took aim, and fired. The alien's chair crashed down as its owner collapsed from the gunshot. The elites roared in anger as their dead leader lay down on the platform. Garrett wiped out the three guards, and the phantom flew away. Have a good day in hell, you floating bastard.

"Rookie! Where's your sniper support?!" yelled Jerome over the radio.

"Sorry about that. I just found a target which was begging for a bullet to the head."

"Yeah?" And what target would be so important to disobey orders?" taunted Jerome. "The guy who stole your lollipop?"

"The Prophet of Retribution, corporal."

Jerome kept his mouth shut, giving Garrett a sense of pride. He could not resist giving a smirk.

"Heard you had a really tight grudge against him," said Michael.

"Pity, actually. We were such good friends."

"Should have invited us for drinks!" chuckled Douglas.

"Yeah... margaritas and martinis for everyone. Would have been on me."

Garrett and the squad continued their onslaught, and with all their firepower, numbers of alien bodies were piling up. He had only one magazine of ammo left. Four bullets were enough to take down four elites. However, there were two targets that the trooper was never prepared for, and they made a shock shoot through his spine. Out from the doors came out two massive aliens, each twice as tall as a human, each armored with bullet-proof metal, each armed with a shield on the left arm, and a fuel rod cannon on the right. The pair were charging through the war zone. Smoke was blocking the squad's view. They never saw them coming.

"Heads up! Hunter pair incoming!"

The ODSTs leaped to cover as the aliens materialized through the smoke. the hunters fired their fuel rod guns, missing them, but pinning them to the wall. As the aliens brought up their shields to crush the humans, Garrett saw the opportunity. He took the shot, firing two bullets into each of the aliens' "neck". Orange mist floated on where what used to be the aliens' "head". The two behemoths crashed down with loud clunks to the purple floor.

"Thanks, Archer. I guess command was right when they said that you're a good shot," said Drake over the radio. "Hell, maybe you're even better than Jerome."

"Oh, up yours! Up yours, sir!" snarled Jerome.

Garrett spotted Douglas gesturing him a thanks-for-saving-our-lives-salute with two fingers. He gestured back.

"Hate to break up the party, but I'm dry now," said Garrett, disappointed that he had to abandon a good view.

He loaded a hook lined with a cable which he got from his rucksack onto his rifle's muzzle, then loaded a special round into his gun. He fired at a pillar closes to the landing platform where he killed the prophet. The hook landed firmly into position. He tied the cable around a boulder, then hooked his line onto the cable. Before he began sliding down, Garrett brought with him the dead elite he killed with his knife. As he slid down the cable, he positioned the elite in front of him, with its front facing him. The other ODSTs raised their eyebrows under their helmets.

"Hey, trooper," said Jerome as Garrett continued to zip down the line, "why the hell are you bringing with you an eli--"

The ODST hit the pillar hard, but the dead alien cushioned his impact with a loud thump.

"--oh."

"You know, Jerome," said Douglas, "you could learn a thing or two from this guy."

Garrett slung his sniper rifle and brought out his silenced submachine gun. I really need to get a raise or a medal for having to deal with this 'Jerome' guy. Note to self: pull rank on him next time he acts like that.

"Are we gonna blow this place to bits or what?"

"Remember your objective up there?" asked Drake.

"Find any good intel and Covenant gear that's still intact while you go in and plant the bomb."

"Good. When we're halfway to the bomb zone, we'll radio in for you to start searching for intel."

"Hoorah."

The squad charged into the spire's base entrance. The sound of alarms went off and echoed to Garrett's ears. After fifteen minutes, Drake's voice came over the radio.

"Alright, Archer, go inside."

"Roger that."

Garrett opened the door and sneaked through the corridors, apparently finding no Covenant at all. He breached the wall to the command center with an explosive, charged in, and found them waiting for him. Every alien inside was a grunt covered in plasma grenades and containers. They laughed like maniacs as they primed their explosives, even jumping up and down.

"Crap!"

Garrett's heart raced as he ran away from the grunts which chased him on all fours. Every second felt like an eternity. He tripped over a weapon box, making it spill out its contents. He could hear the plasma grenades hiss through the corridors, getting closer and closer. Without looking, his hands snatched an object and stuffed it in his rucksack. He reached the ledge of the spire, but not before the grenades detonated. The force of the explosions lifted him up into the air, causing him to free fall to the ground. The entire top floor of the spire blew up in a pile of blue fire. After gaining enough distance and after stabilizing himself, he opened his parachute.

"What the hell was that?!" yelled Douglas.

"For once, that wasn't me!" added Michael.

"Archer! Where the hell did that explosion come from?!" barked Jerome.

"The top floor was rigged with explosives. Learn how to give some respect, corporal! They knew what I was going to do. I had to get out!"

"Damn, so much for getting intel," growled Drake. "Okay, we'll finish up here. You go ahead back to your ship."

"I still don't get why command made a rookie become a lone wolf and give him his own ship," said Jerome.

"Santa knows that he's a good boy," said Douglas.

After landing on the rock and packing up, Garrett climbed up to his old sniping point and collected the cable he used to reach the spire. He looked back at the spire and saw the squad leave the structure. Right on cue, the entire spire exploded, lighting up the night sky so bright it was as if it was day. After jogging for a few minutes, the ODST reached his mongoose ATV. He mounted the vehicle and drove back to his Longsword interceptor waiting for him.

The inside of the ship had all the things needed for a lone wolf. A small armory and a parking space for the mongoose lay after the main door. Up the ramp there was an automated operating table, a cryo-tube, lockers with a mirror, a computer, and a cockpit. The ship itself was modified to be able to use a slipspace drive.

He stripped off his equipment, and underneath his armor was casual clothing, or whatever was casual in the UNSC. He looked at himself in the mirror, and a tired man with crew cut hair looked back at him. He wore a black shirt with the UNSC insignia on the top left corner, and the words "ODST" printed on the center, accompanied by black pants and black boots. Garrett looked back at his armor bundled up together in a corner of the ship next to the lockers. The main color was the standard ODST grey camouflage. The entire armor, from torso to legs, had extra pockets for added storage. The rucksack had a detachable parachute at its rear. He picked up the helmet, unpolarized the silver-blue visor, then threw it back to the pile.

A knock from outside the ship echoed to Garrett's ears, followed by Drake's voice. "Next time, Archer, don't forget to close the lid after you enter." He walked up the ramp and looked at him.

"Noted. Is there anything else, sir?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about." Drake opened a small bag and revealed a 1st lieutenant patch, a ribbon, and a new set of dog tags engraved with Garrett's name. He tossed it over to the newly promoted trooper. "Sorry for the informality. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir."

Drake extended his hand. "Your old tags."

Garrett handed them over and placed on his new ones. "Umm... sir?"

"Yeah?"

"What's with the fast promotion? I was just promoted to Second Lieutenant a few weeks ago, and I"m still considered a rookie if you count my time in service after training."

"Hell if I know. My guess: we're running out of heroes that aren't spartan. You may be a rookie, but you're a good one. Keep up the good work, and you may be leading a squad soon."

Garrett nodded.

"Stay green and mean, trooper," said Drake as he left the ship and closed the airlock.

The computer beeped to life as someone from UNSC command was calling Garrett. He tapped the monitor, and an officer in his sixties wearing a white uniform appeared on screen.

"Colonel Stanford, sir!" said Garrett as he stood straight and gave a salute.

"At ease, and congratulations on the new promotion. Found any intel in that spire?"

"Thank you, sir. The Covenant rigged the floor to explode when I got in. There's some good news, though. I was able to take down the Prophet of Retribution, and Captain Locke's team was able to complete their objectives."

"At least it's not all bad. Alright, we're moving you back to Earth to regroup with the Eighth ODST Battalion. your lone wolf operation with the squad is now over. After you meet up with the Eighth, you'll do one more patrol and receive some time off. You deserve it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Go to cryo sleep for the meantime. We'll wake you up when you're here."

"Affirmative."

The tired marine signed off from the computer. The engines roared as he sparked them to life. Once he was out of atmosphere, he set the course of the slipspace drive for a random location, then for Earth. Home, he told himself, smiling, I'm going home. The joy in him was quickly destroyed as a squad of four banshees flew out from the moon's shadow and charged in a flying V formation right at him.

Garrett released the mines from his ship, and he watched carefully as the interceptors slowly came into range. The first banshee hit a mine and exploded in flames. the Second banshee had a mine detonate by its side, causing it to crash into the third banshee. The resulting explosion destroyed the fourth one.

Idiots, he laughed to himself as he made the slipspace jump to Earth, then he proceeded to the cryo-tube. He lay down on the metal freezer and watched as the canopy covered him. 1st Lieutenant Archer... I like it. His vision started to blur, and he relaxed as the ice slowly encased him.

Amidst the rubble of alien craft, one more banshee came out of cover. It fired a banshee bolt as Garrett's ship opened the slipspace stream. The bolt came in contact with the ship right before the stream closed.

Twilight Sparkle lazily opened her eyes. the light seeped in through the window and shined right on her face. her head was resting on the table, softly cushioned in a pillow of books. Another night where I fell asleep studying, she thought to herself. She slowly wiped away the salive dripping from her lips and proceeded downstairs for breakfast.

Spike already finished setting up two hot bowls of oatmeal on the table. "Morning, Twilight!" he cheered with an enthusiastic smile.

Well, at least he's up an running. "Good morning, Spike," she yawned. Twilight sat down on her seat and, still feeling too drowsy to even think, used her own hoof on the spoon to eat her meal.

As she scooped an overflowing amount, Spike felt a sensation quickly crawl up to his throat. Before he was able to do anything, his loud belch caught her off guard and sent the spoon full of oatmeal to splatter all over her face. A hot breakfast of oats and condensed milk to the face finally did the trick to wake her up.

"Oops, sorry," he said, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"It's alright," replied Twilight gently as she wiped off the mess on her face. She finally decided to user her magic and opened the letter her assistant delivered.

To my faithful student,

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

It has been a long time since we have spoken face to face. Luna and I are inviting you to come over to Canterlot with your friends for afternoon tea and dinner. We hope you can come. -Princess Celestia

Time flew by, and Garrett woke up from cryosleep. He saw no one else in his ship, so he checked the clock. He was asleep for two days, and his journey to Earth would have taken longer. The data showed that the ship already jumped from the random location. Something was wrong. Alarms were going off as the ship came out of slipspace and into orbit around a planet. He quickly strapped himself to the cockpit. He took a look on where he was, but the scanner showed up negative for any confirmation of his location. A violent jerk was enough to wake him up, quicken his heartbeat, and understand the scenario.

He was lost, his ship was breaking up, and he was being pulled into the planet. The friction of the atmosphere was tearing his breaking ship apart, and he was closing in on a mountain, fast. As a last ditch effort, Garrett recorded himself to an S.O.S. probe.

"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! This is Garrett Archer of the Eighth ODST Battalion. My Longsword has taken damage, and I'm crashing into an unknown planet. To any UNSC vessel that can hear this, please send help! I've transmitted my coordinates into this probe!"

Garrett prayed that someone would hear his signal, but before he was able to launch the probe, his ship violently impacted the mountain and knocked him unconscious.

The moon shined brightly in the night sky. The stars were as clear as reflections on still water. Equestria fell silent as its residents went to bed. Luna, Celestia, and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony watched as the night sky glittered with stars in the castle observatory.

"You did an amazing job with the night sky tonight, your highness," commented Twilight.

"Thank you, Twilight," replied Luna with a smile.

"Sometimes it's just nice to slow down and absorb the peace and quiet of the night," said Celestia.

"I agree," added Rarity. She pointed to a streak of light flying in the sky with her hoof. "What a beautiful shooting star."

Pinkie Pie's tail began to shake uncontrollably. She raised an eyebrow. "Hmm..." A sudden jolt traveled through her, and her eyes opened within a fraction of a second. "Twitchy tail!"

"What in the hay is that doing?!" Applejack pointed to the fire, which was no longer a shooting star falling from the sky. The burning object impacted off the side of a mountain, then crashed down outside the princesses' castle, screeching to a halt after leaving a long trail in its wake.

"Come with me," said Celestia in a serious tone as she rushed to the door. Outside, there stood the captain of the guard, a unicorn.

"Your highness, something has crashed nearby!"

"I know, Captain Galea. That's why I want you and the other guards to join us in looking at what that thing is."

The broken wreckage lay smoking in the place of impact as the group approached it. Several guards were already on the scene securing a perimeter.

"What is this thing?" Twilight etched even closer.

Pinkie Pie was jumping about. "I think it's a Longsword!"

"What? How do you even know that?" asked Twilight.

"It says right here on the side!" Pinkie Pie galloped to the wing and pointed out the scorched text labeled LONGSWORD.

"Look!" Rarity pointed to the bay door slightly opened beneath the nose of the ship.

The guards pried it open, and the group slowly entered the alien craft. They slowly looked around the spacecraft. "Sure is tight in here," commented Rainbow Dash as they went up the craft.

"What kind of pony would live here?" Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow. "It's so boooooring."

Twilight moved next to the cockpit chair, inspecting the pilot. She felt a shock travel through her spine as she yelped and jumped. "I don't think a pony lives here!"

"Why? What's heppenin'?" asked Applejack as she and the others joined Twilight near the chair. On it, unconscious and slumped over the controls, was a human still strapped to the seat.

"Oh my word! What is this... thing?" Rarity gasped.

"It is still alive!" exclaimed Luna.

Pinkie Pie approached the human and poked him in the face. "Helloooooooo? Anypony home?" No response came.

Celestia straightened up. "Captain!"

"Yes, your highness?"

"Bring this wreckage to storage room one, and bring his alien to the medical room."

"Understood."

"And one more thing, don't tell anypony about this other than the guards. This is now a tier one secret."

In the darkness of the night, another hid in the shadows and watched the group adore the night sky. Soon, Equestria will be min-- what the?

He watched as the burning object fell form the sky, crashed into the side of the mountain, and came to rest near the castle. Curiosity overcame him, and he teleported inside the ship, finding the unconscious alien. What is this thing? It's definitely not from here. When it wakes up, perhaps I may be able to make it join my side. The sound of the bay door being pried open by the guards interrupted his trail of thought. He quickly teleported out of the ship and into the safety of the shadows.

Part 1: A Snapshot from Where He Was From

The six bearers of the Elements of Harmony spent the night in the Castle. The next day, they joined the princesses and proceeded to the examination room. Accompanied by a doctor, they all entered and took a look at the alien.

It was on the examination table in the middle of the marble room. It was just as tall as Celestia herself, minus the horn. It had a very short mane and a very short snout. It did not have much of a coat, just skin. Hooves were replaced with a pair of feet and a pair of hands. The doctor opened the mouth, which revealed its set of teeth designed for tearing and shredding meat.

“Carnivore,” said the doctor as she wrote down on a medical clipboard.

“Then we should keep it asleep, so it can’t hurt anypony,” muttered Fluttershy.

“Hold on,” the doctor said as she opened the jaws, which revealed a another set of teeth designed for grinding and crushing. “Omnivorous, then.”

“At least there’s a chance that it won’t eat us,” commented Rainbow Dash. She peeled back the black shirt, revealing a body forged from years of extensive ODST training. “That’s a lot of muscles. Still doesn’t look so tough.”

“A very interesting and complex muscle system. Will inspect later,” the doctor wrote down again as she said it out loud.

“What in the hay is that?” Applejack pointed to the dog tags on the neck beneath the peeled shirt. She came to the side the creature’s head and slowly took it off. “Wadda ya’ s’pose this is for?” She held up the tags by the chains.

“It must be some form of accessory,” said Rarity as she took a closer look. “But I dare say, it is very unappealing to fashion.”

Applejack took another look at the tag. “It’s a he, huh, and his name’s Garrett Archer. Lieutenant, too” She carefully placed the tags on a table behind the medical bed.

“Doctor, what does your scan say?” asked Celestia.

The doctor’s horn glowed as she said, “A short scan with my horn indicates that the alien is of course alive. I also hypothesized that a severe concussion to the head has put him in a state of sub-consciousness.”

“He’s asleep, then?”

“In short yes. Brain activity shows that he can detect some of its surroundings.”

“So... he is asleep and can hear us?” said Luna as she began to move closer to the alien.

“Hypothetically, he may be able to.”

Luna placed her mouth close to Garrett’s ear. “Garrett? Can you hear us? If so, do something to let us know.”

“I’m sorry your highness, but he is in no state to give a reply.”

“I think there’s something in his pocket,” said Twilight as she used her magic to pull out a strange object from the inside. “What is this thing?” she said as she made a data drive the size of a USB spin in the air. Finally, she placed the drive on the same table where the dog tags lay. She checked the other pockets and found nothing. “Your highness, what should we do now?”

“I know a spell that can look into his past. First, I’ll need a mirror,” said Celestia.

The guards brought in the mirror as requested. The mirror was large enough to reflect the entire body of Princess Celestia. Her horn glowed as the reflection began to transform into Garrett’s memories.

It was sunset, and Garrett and other strangers were standing in front of two coffins. Eight ODSTs in ceremonial wear stood beside them. Seven of them were wielding rifles, and the last one approached Garrett and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Any last words before we bury your father and mother?”

Garrett shook his head. “I’ve already said what I wanted to say.”

“A-ten-hut!”

The soldiers turned and pointed their guns to the yonder as the coffins sunk into the grave.

“Fire!” seven shots flew. “Fire!” another seven shots. “Fire!” the final bullets left the barrels, then the soldiers turned and saluted their fallen comrade.

After the burial ended, the same ODST approached Garrett.

“You signed up for ODST training. Am I correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When do you want to leave?”

“Now, sir.”

“Your things are already on board the pelican. Follow me.”

The trooper brought Garrett to a pelican, which was already filled with the other ODSTs that gave the twenty one gun salute. He entered the ship and took a seat. It went into orbit and closed in on the Phoenix-Class Colony Ship UNSC Burning Frost.

“Is this the new guy?”

“That’s me.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Your mom and dad were the best I could have ever asked for. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure that those Covenant bastards pay.”

One of them extended his hand and shook Garrett’s as he said, “Welcome to the ODSTs.”

“Thank you, sir.”

After the pelican entered the ship, one trooper brought Garrett to the sleeping quarters. The ODST finally brought him into his bunk. “This is where you’ll stay until you reach the training center. Good luck in training,” said the trooper as he patted Garrett on the back and left. The recruit lied down on his bunk and fell asleep.

Garrett got woken up by an ODST with a shake.

“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. Mission briefing starts in five minutes.”

Him and his fellow ODSTs, fresh out of training, were in full combat armor aboard the UNSC Burning Frost. Garrett retrieved his weapons from the armory, then proceeded with the others to the briefing room. It was filled with the ODSTs and with a hologram of the city on the center. Colonel Stanford waited for them inside the room.

“Alright, troopers. Here’s the situation. Evacuation has already begun, and Covenant forces are pushing towards the city. Your job is to make sure that evacuations will not be interrupted. There are twenty evac centers in total.” The hologram highlighted the evacuation centers equally spread throughout the city as the colonel continued, “Some of you will be separated into twenty groups of twenty to protect the centers, and the rest will support the marines down there. Get to your pods and prepare to drop.”

Everyone entered the room that contained the drop pods. Garrett stood outside his, clutching onto his mother’s and father’s dog tags and a laminated picture. The picture was of him with a diploma and with his parents who were both wearing ODST uniforms.

“Hey, why aren’t you getting inside your pod?” said an ODST as he passed by. He spotted at what Garrett was holding. “Oh. Hey man, I’m sorry for your loss,” he said as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

Garrett shrugged off the hand. “Piss off.”

The ODST backed away. He knew it was not ordinary for Garrett to be that mad, yet he knew that he was thirsty for payback.

Each trooper, including Garrett, got on their respective drop pods and strapped in, enthusiastic and pumped up for their first mission.

“Mind the gap!” laughed a trooper.

The colonel switched on the radio. “Alright, first group drops off here.”

Garrett’s pod dropped off and rapidly descended to the city. It was four in the morning in the planet’s time. Smoking wrecks of Covenant and UNSC ships lay outside the city, lighting up the dawning sky. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small, purple, flaming object charging right at him.

“Look out! Banshee!” cried another ODST, but the warning came to late, and the banshee crashed into Garrett’s pod. It blew up in flames as it impacted his pod, sending him flying out of the formation. His pod crash landed a distance away from the landing zone.

Damn it! My first mission and it starts out like this?! Way to go, Garrett, way to go, Garrett cursed to himself as he punched the button to eject the drop pod door. He stepped outside and familiarized his surroundings. He was in an alleyway in some sort of park. Immediately, he spotted a group of five marines running right outside the alleyway.

“Hey!” Garrett called out. “Where’s the fight happening?”

“Make a guess, Einstein!” replied the marine as they continued running.

Garrett walked out of the alleyway and saw that the marines were running away from an entire legion of thirty grunts charging on all fours, laughing and barking.

“Oh crap!” He felt a jolt of panic travel through his spine as he started to make distance between him and the aliens.

Garrett joined the running marines and began to fire at the group with his silenced submachine gun, but he knew it was pointless as they just kept on charging. He noticed that the grunts were unarmed and explosive canisters were strapped to their sides. Suicide grunts. He armed a grenade and threw it at the stampede.

Deafening chain reactions of explosions filled the area. Pieces of grunts flew everywhere. After a half a minute of non-stop explosions, the air finally toned down, and scorched marks were all that remained where the legion used to stand.

“Nice throw!”

“Thanks.”

They heard a small clunk of metal down the same alleyway Garrett dropped into. Cautiously, they entered and searched it. Everything was as he left it, the pod, the garbage bins along the side, and the graffiti-free wall. They gave a thumbs up as they began to leave.

“Nothing here.”

Right as Garrett said it, a sangheili zealot rolled out of cover from a garbage bin. The alien sliced a marine’s gun in half, then grabbed the soldier and proceeded to the park, with the other humans in pursuit. The zealot stopped right in the middle of the park which was scorched thanks to the suicide grunts. His hostage was struggling and kicking in his grasp, until finally he brought out his energy sword and placed it near his neck.

The hostage froze and watched as his fellow humans stood still, pointing their guns at him and the zealot. He heard a hissing noise from his side, and found a primed plasma grenade on the alien’s hand, being aimed straight at Garrett.

“No!” He grabbed hold of the plasma grenade, intentionally getting his fingers attached to it with a loud beep. The alien roared in shock, and was immediately cut off as the explosion killed him and the human, sending both of them out with a loud bang.

Garrett and the other troopers could do little else but watched in horror as he gave up his own life to save them.

A marine mumbled as she tried to suppress her tears, “Poor guy... today was his wife’s birthday...”

Garrett took it even worse. Right next to his feet was a plasma pistol, fully charged and more than capable of taking out the sangheili’s shields. It was personal for him, because every human life, to him, was his responsibility. After all, it was what each recruit was told when they sign up for ODST training.

After jogging for a moment, Garrett made it to the evacuation center where he met his fellow ODSTs. The center took a beating with multiple scorch marks on the walls, and bodies of dead aliens lay burning outside. The sun was just starting to emerge as troopers popped out of cover.

“Well, well, look who’s late for the party!” laughed the trooper-in-command of the center.

“Yeah, very funny, Dante. Anyway, what’s happening?”

“Not much. We were able to push them back a while ago. We’re expecting them to return in a matter of mome--”

“Covenant outside the perimeter!” interrupted another ODST. “This time, it’s a group of zealots! I doubt that we can hold them back.”

A screen showed a legion of twenty sangheili zealots armed with energy swords and spears and a stampede of grunts charging to the direction of the evacuation center.

“Well it’s a good thing this is the last transport. We’ll be at least able to delay them until it leaves.” Dante pointed to a group of five ODSTs. “The five of you will stay behind as a last defence.”

“Oh, and one last thing,” he said as he ripped off his dog tags and placed it on a table beside the five ODSTs, “tell Colonel Stanford that it’s been an honor fighting by his side.”

Garrett and the thirteen other ODSTs followed and also placed their dog tags on the table. As they were leaving the room, the last five that stayed behind gave salutes. They knew that they would never see their comrades again. Out of the corner of his eye, Garrett spotted a tear fall down one of the five faces.

“Gentlemen, lock and load!”

“HOORAH!” they all shouted in unison.

Twenty Sangheili zealots and a legion of grunts charged head on with the fifteen ODSTs. A hailstorm of bullets greeted the aliens, yet those merely encouraged them to charge even faster. The two groups finally met in close quarters, howling their battles cries, but not before the troopers were able to severely damage their shields and kill majority of the grunts.

The close quarters battle was short and bloody. Knives and guns versus energy swords and plasma weapons. Garrett took down one zealot with a burst to the head, and everywhere he looked his fellow ODSTs were getting slaughtered. Some had their heads and limbs cut off, some had swords plunge straight through them, and some went down and decided to bring a zealot and a few grunts with them using a grenade.

Garrett was finally the last one standing. Him against two more zealots. As he was about to make his move, one zealot sliced his gun in half and smacked off his helmet with an uppercut, literally launching him to the air. Once he landed, he was pinned to the floor by the zealot’s massive foot. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the final transport evacuate the planet. He thought to himself, My work here is done. I’ve done my duty. He looked up as he saw the alien “smile” as he stood on top of the defeated soldier.

“Go ahead. Finish the job,” he spat with a smirk of grin triumph.

The zealot gave a short laugh. “Kill you? No, you are coming with me.”

Garrett held up his middle finger. “Screw you.”

The alien kicked him in the face and knocked him right out.

Garrett finally regained his consciousness. He was not wearing his armor, just the UNSC clothes that were beneath. His hands and feet were bound together, and he was being dragged across the floor by two elites in a Covenant corridor.

“Damn, you guys look even uglier up close!” he laughed.

“Silence, human!”

“Why do we have to bring this insect?” questioned the other. “Why not we just send it to the front line? They could use the meat.”

“Them?! What about us?! My stomach growls! Our food here tastes terrible, and we have fresh meat right here, just the way I like it!”

“Why do we have to capture this thing as our prisoner?”

“It is because he is new. I can smell it. He can easily be broken.”

They tied him to a chair in a small, dark room. Blue lights emerged from the purple walls were the source of light. Out through the door came the same zealot that knocked him out. He kicked Garrett straight at the chest, punched him square in the face, and strangled him with his massive fingers. Finishing it off, he spun around and gave one strong kick to Garrett’s ribs, and he swore he heard some crack.

“I can stop this if you want,” said the elite, “if you give me the secrets that you are keeping in your head.”

“I said it once and I’ll say it again, screw you, split-face!”

Another volley of fists and kicks attacked Garrett. “I will ask you again, where is your home?!”

“Go to hell!”

“Not a wise answer,” the zealot pummeled him again, emphasizing each word with another blow to Garrett’s face. “Why... do... you... keep... on... fighting?!” The final punch came, and blood dripped out of the his nose.

“It’s because when I fight, I know that a family can live with less fear of annihilation, and with more happiness on a field of green grass as they play under the sun and watch the stars at night. Is that something not worth fighting for?!”

“A noble cause!” said the alien as another punch came to the face, “for a noble death! Let me be the one to give it to you!” The zealot raised his fist again, but a hand stopped it from coming.

“Enough, brave warrior,” a prophet said as he came past the elite. “It is now my turn to ask him the questions.”

“Yes, Great Prophet of Vengeance.” The zealot stepped back as the prophet moved closer on his levitating chair.

“Strange for such a fragile creature to offer such resistance.”

“Fragile? Look who’s talking. You don’t even use your legs! Get me out of these restraints, and I will show you who’s ‘fragile,’ Mister Vengeance McStupid.”

The zealot grabbed Garrett by the throat, and activated an energy sword. He carved along his neck as he snarled, “You will learn how to respect our holy leaders, and I shall be your teacher!”

Garrett screamed in pain as the energy sword slowly made it through the right side of his neck, burning and slicing open the first layers of his skin. After the sangheili cut the scar on his neck, the Prophet of Vengeance pressed a switch on his chair, then electric currents traveled through every inch in the prisoner’s body. His body shook uncontrollably, but the restraints kept him to moving a few inches. He screamed in agony as the volt traveled through him.

“Where is the location of your home? You can end your painful suffering right now if you tell us. We will release you if you do.”

“Suffering? My training is more painful than this!”

“Oh? Let’s see if your ‘training’ can save you from this.” The prophet pressed a switch on his chair. “He has no more use to us,” he said to it. It responded with a quick beep. Behind him the doors swung open. Two zealots came in, bringing with them another ODST; a survivor from Garrett’s firefight.

“Johnny!”

The sangheili pair dropped the human on the ground in front of Garrett.

“H-hey, Garrett. Small universe... ain’t it?”

The zealot activated his energy sword and brought it on top of Garrett. “Say goodbye to your friend!”

“No!” yelled Johnny. “Let him live! K-kill me instead!”

Garrett looked at him in shock. His body froze and his breathing changed. “Johnny... don’t do this...”

“Shut up, Archer. W-we all know that... you’re one of the b-best shots... in our battalion. Y-you need... another day to fight.”

“Don’t throw your life away for me!”

Johnny shook his head slowly. “R-remember... Reach, Garrett. Remember our original home. D-don’t let Reach happen again. The UNSC... needs one of the b-best alive, and y-you’re... one of ‘em.” The zealot raised his sword high. “Goodbye... Archer.”

Garrett watched as the sword went through his friend, and watched as the end stopped inches away from him.

The zealot pulled out his sword and smirked as he watched Johnny collapsed.

“Johnny! You bastards! I swear I will kill all of--”

The prophet pressed the button again, and another shock came. He screamed even louder as the electricity traveled through him. It ended again, and Garrett’s head hung back as his body was breaking.

The prophet grabbed his throat and moved closer. Instinctively, the trooper thrust his head forward and headbutt the prophet right in the forehead. The alien moved back as he absorbed the attack. He was not happy and pressed the button on his chair. Another volt of electricity travelled through Garrett, and he screamed the loudest he ever did.

“I will ask you again, where is your home?!”

“Kiss my as--”

“Raise the voltage!” the prophet commanded as he pressed the button again.

Garrett was too weak to even scream as he let the electricity go through him. The shock finally ended as his vision blurred, and his hearing muffled. Eventually, he relaxed.

“He’s fading out. Put him on a cell block while he’s unconscious.”

The zealot kicked Garrett in the stomach as the alien said, “Get up.” Another kick landed on him. “I said get up!”

Garrett got to his feet. “What now? About to tell me that mouthwash became standard-issue?”

The zealot grabbed his throat. “This station is under attack. I just wanted to make sure that your rescuers will not see you alive. I just wanted you to see your end in front of your very fa--”

A shotgun went under the alien’s arm, pointed pointed to his head, and shot it with one loud bang. The headless body fell down on the floor with a crash. Behind the elite was another ODST in full combat armor, and she was one of the five troopers that stayed behind. She took a look at the heavily bruised and electric-fried Garrett.

“Archer? Is that you?”

“The one and only, Jenny,” replied Garret as he wiped the blood off his face.

“Wow... you’re beaten up to a pulp!” she commented as she freed Garrett’s bounded feet and hands.

“Whatever,” Garrett took a look at the zealot on the floor, and he kicked him right on the stomach. He spat to the alien, “For the record, I would have kicked your rear the first time if we settled this one on one.”

“We thought you were dead. When we heard that there were no survivors we thought we lost... all of our friends.” Her voice began to shake. “Arthur, Dimitri, Dante, Edwardo, Ashley, Christine, William, Johnny, and the rest... all of them... dead.”

“Hey,” said Garrett softly as he placed his hand on her shoulder, “I’m still alive.”

“Yeah, thank God for that. Here are your tags,” said Jenny as she pulled out his dog tags from her pocket and gave them back to him. “Let’s get you back to the ship and tell the others.”

“Hoorah.”

Using Jenny for support, he slowly limped to a pelican waiting outside. Everywhere other ODSTs from his battalion were cheering as they found their lost comrade. They boarded the aircraft, and the pilot offered him a cigar.

“A Sweet William?”

“Hey, you’re alive and we kicked ass. Seems perfect to end it all with a victory smoke.”

“Sorry, I don’t smoke.”

“Suit yourself.”

The sun was going down as the aircraft flew in the air. Garrett smiled as he thought to himself, What a first mission, get blown out of orbit, kill lots of grunts, fight zealots, get captured, tortured, and get rescued. All in the same day. Jenny gave him a nudge

“What?”

Jenny opened her communications. “Command, we have found a survivor, Garrett Archer. We are currently bringing him to the Burning Frost for recovery.”

“Understood, and thank God,” replied Colonel Stanford. “A frigate will be coming in to demolish the Covenant base. MAC rounds have been authorized.”

Garrett looked at Jenny in shock, eyes wide open. “MAC rounds?! That’s overkill!”

“Who cares?! We all need some fireworks!” she laughed.

They both watched as a UNSC frigate turned and aimed itself right into Garrett’s former prison. A streak of light emitted from the end of the ship, and destroyed the base with a loud bang. Hundreds of debris flew through the air and away from the fireworks of blue and yellow.

“Hoorah!”

The mirror turned back into the reflection of the examination room in the castle. “I think we’ve seen enough,” sighed Celestia. “This thing needs to be kept asleep. No matter what.”

Time to wake up, my alien friend.

Twilight moved to the table behind the examination bed. She focused her magic on the data drive. It floated and turned slowly in the air as it kept her curiosity glued to it. Finally, she said, “I want to see how this thing works.”

“Twilight, dear, we’ve already seen how much of a monster he is!” protested Rarity. “What more horrors will we find out in that thing?!”

“He’s still sleeping,” chuckled Pinkie Pie. “What’s the worse that could happen?” She stuck her tongue out in front of Garrett’s face and gave a long raspberry. No response came. She giggled and gave another one, and another empty response replied. “See?”

“It’s settled then, let’s go to his ship,” said Celestia. “Maybe we can find out how that works there.”

“I shall return to my room,” sighed Luna as she made her way out the door. “I want to rest from all of this.”

“I will go formulate conclusions on our findings today,” said the doctor as he left the room.

“If anypony needs me, I’ll be in the kitchen baking some cupcakes!” said Pinkie Pie as she began to hop out of the room.

“I think a guard needs to er... accompany Pinkie Pie to make sure she doesn’t blow us all up,” suggested Twilight.

The captain gave a nod motioned another guard to join him. Together, they followed Pinkie Pie as she hopped to the bakery.

Everypony else entered the ship, into the massive storage room. despite merely being a room without much to care about, it was still covered with white marble walls and flooring. They began searching for clues on how to activate the data drive, flipping over anything that was not planted on the floor and were extremely careful to avoid anything in the armory. They came to the computer and searched it as if there was a lost contact lens somewhere there. Twilight finally spotted a small socket the same size as the drive itself in the computer.

“I think it’s suppose to go in here,” she said as she placed it inside. The computer beeped to life.

Garrett’s voice came out through the speakers. “Hello?”

“Hello!” came an enthusiastic, female voice.

“Claire?! Is that you?!”

“Of course it is! How could you not recognize the voice of your own wife?”

“Hi daddy!” came another voice of a small girl.

“Sarah! It’s so good to hear your voices again!”

“So,” said Claire, “How is everything on the front?”

“I got into a little trouble with some zealots, but we were able to resolve it by the end of the day.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Colonel Stanford will give me time off after two more missions.”

“Daddy, does that mean you’re going home?”

“Yes, daddy’s going home. Daddy will be home.”

“Daddy’s promise?”

“Daddy’s promise.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too. Be strong, Sarah, because you’re a big girl now. Anyway, I have to go for debriefing.”

“Goodbye!” said Sarah and Claire simultaneously.

“Goodbye, Sarah. Goodbye, Claire.”

RECORD ENDED flashed on the screen.

“H-he has a family?” Celestia stuttered in disbelief. She began writing down a note to Luna and said out loud as she wrote it, “Luna, we made a discovery about him. He has a wife named Claire and a daughter named Sarah.” Once she was done, the note burned into ash and vanished out of sight.

“I reckon’ they’re what made him fight on during his torture,” said Applejack with a nod.

“What a gallant cause,” commented Rarity.

“He’s got a lot of guts to be doing that,” added Rainbow Dash as she approached Garrett’s armor in the corner. She picked up the unpolarized helmet.

“That looks absolutely horrid for fashion!” yelled Rarity in disgust.

Rainbow Dash slowly placed it over her head, which easily fit inside. “Well, I think it looks cool!”

Another voice joined the conversation. “I agree, but I would really appreciate it if you remove my helmet and give it back to me.”

Behind Rainbow Dash stood Garrett pointing his M6G Magnum Sidearm to the back of her head, with the end of the barrel pressing firmly against the nape of the helmet. Insurrectionists, no problem. Aliens, okay. Horses, where the hell did Charles Darwin go wrong?

The Rainbow Dash’s eyes were vinyl discs. Her body stood stiff like a stone statue. She slowly took the helmet off, placed it back into the pile, and joined the others.

Garrett’s finger was confused whether to follow code of shoot first think later, or to talk to them. I didn’t see any Covenant contraband and such when I woke up, so maybe they aren’t with them. Hell, I still don’t trust them. What am I suppose to do? I didn’t train to be a negotiator, nor was it even available as an option. “Stay right there. I’m not going to hurt you, but I will if I need to,” he said as moved to the computer terminal while he still had a gun pointing at them. He pressed the screen.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is Garrett Archer of the Eighth ODST Battalion. I have crashed and require evac. The coordinates to my ship are in this message. To any UNSC ship that can hear this, please send backup ASAP!”

He pressed on the screen again and the words MESSAGE SENT appeared. Garrett ran another short scan through his ship. The word marched along his screen, which made it visible to everyone.

ENGINES: OFFLINE
SLIPSPACE DRIVE: OFFLINE
LONG RANGE COMMUNICATIONS: OFF--

Garrett punched the off button and cursed, “Damn it!” He turned and tightened his grip on his weapon. “Move over there to the wall.” They did as he ordered, and watched as he picked up his gear, placed on the armor, polarized the silver-blue visor and modified the contents of his rucksack with strange packages and objects. “Alright, I don’t want this to get ugly, so I want you to explain--”

“Hey!” shouted a guard from outside the ship. “Stop right there!” he said as he charged and tackled Garrett to the ground.

Using his left hand as a pivot, the trooper lifted himself to the air and kicked the guard right at the head. The guard fell unconscious with a loud clunk to the floor, and a massive dent lay on the left side of his helmet. Garrett’s instincts and training sparked his body to move. He got back to his feat and sprinted out of the ship in panic. The hunt has begun.

“Guards! Guards! The alien has escaped!” yelled Celestia as she took chase.

Immediately, bells went off and royal guards began rushing through the door. They surrounded Garrett before he even reached it. He slowly backed up to one of the walls and knocked on it. There’s another room behind this door. I can place an explosive charge strong enough to just blast this wall open and go outside. Note to self: do not shoot them. I don’t want to kill any non-Covenants. Garrett placed a small hand-held explosive on the wall, and stood out of the way from the blast radius.

“Hey! What are you do--” the explosion cut off the captain in the middle of his speech, and immediately they all became disoriented. Garrett took this opportunity to go through the hole.

Captain Galea placed on the last piece of his armor after he finished washing off the icing and sugar Pinkie Pie threw at him in the kitchen. He passed by the shooting range, which was filled with other guards practicing. He retrieved his arcane crossbow from the weapon rack. It was no ordinary crossbow because it had no string and no trigger. Instead of firing arrows, it fired special bolts of magic which can be changed to different purposes such as bolts of lighting, fire, armor-piercing, among others, and only unicorn guards were issued with them, since it required magic to operate.

He moved up to a target and took aim with his magic. He fired a bolt and it shot a magical arrow which glowed brightly. It stuck on the center of the target, and the bolt dissolved a few seconds later.

After a few more shots, the captain felt that he had enough practice for the day. He passed by the other pegasi practicing their weather abilities by controlling small storm clouds to fire bolts of lighting at their targets and slicing up dummies with their wings.

As he was about to lay down his crossbow, the bell of an attack rung, and all of them snapped into attention.

“Let’s go!”

Garrett activated his VISR. It immediately highlighted the hallway and showed him the path. He ran through the marble corridors as his adrenaline was pumping him up. The sun light shined through the windows as he passed them. He kept on running and found himself in another large room filled with civilian unicorns seated on chairs and with one unicorn on a stage in front of them. They each stared at Garrett with shock and confusion. His VISR, on the other hand, was having trouble marking them whether as friend or foe.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting, but--”

A guard’s voice echoed through the hallway behind Garrett, “He’s went through here! He’s inside the classroom!”

Garrett rushed to the opposite side of the room through the stage, but not before the guards and Celestia surrounded him on the center of the stage. “Let me go peacefully if you don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Oh, sure,” scoffed a guard. “Let’s let a crazy, bloodthirsty alien that destroyed a part of our castle, threatened our princesses and assaulted guards walk freely out of our grasp and into our peaceful land.”

“For the record, you attacked first.”

Celestia took a step forward as she said, “Garrett, please cooperate with us. Do you not you want to see Sarah and Claire again? Do you not want to see your home again?”

He froze, shocked. All of the blood on his face drained away and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Worst of all, he became scared because they found out the weakest hole is in his spirit. He cursed with his teeth clenched together, “Damn it... you found out.” As Celestia took another step forward, Garrett brought out his silenced submachine gun and yelled, “Stay back!”

He shot straight at the ground, two meters away from Celestia’s hooves. Everypony inside the room flinched as the bullets pinged off the floor, and the students yelled in fear as they scrambled out of the room. Garrett saw the opportunity. After he holstered his weapon, he charged straight through the wooden door which he tried to get through earlier. Again, he was running through another marble corridor while being chased by the guards.

Applejack took the lead of the guards as she readied her lasso. She chased Garrett all the way to the library, slowly catching up to him. Pretty fast for a thing on two legs, she thought to herself. He bashed the door open to the library and just continued sprinting through the room. She threw her lasso and caught him in the legs.

“Hold it there, partner!” She said, holding her stance. Accompanied by more guards, she closed the distance between her and the lassoed ODST. She tightened the loop and started to drag Garrett across the floor and into them. She watched as he struggled to free himself, but suddenly came to a stop, aiming high at something directly above them. One shot was enough to take it down. She dropped her rope scrambled back yelling, “Get back!”

The chandelier crashed down to the floor and caused all the students in the room to panic and scatter like ants. Amidst the screams and hooves, Garrett wrapped the rope around his arms and ran to the window, intentionally leaving behind a trail. “Thanks for the rope!” he taunted as he ran.

Garrett quickened his pace and went on to a full sprint to the window. Applejack fell for the bait and grabbed the rope, hoping to slow him down. The guards also followed and grabbed the rope.

The dominoes were falling in to place, and the human shot a clean hole right at the window. He used the resistance from the ponies to use as a stand for him to scale the wall down. The rope was finished in mere seconds, for he literally ran down a total of ten stories on the wall, but there was still another ten to go. Garrett cursed to himself, “Damn it! What now?!”

Allow me to help, alien.

Right on cue, a cluster of hay lay right below. Garrett let go of the rope and dove right into it. His landing was muffled as it cushioned what would have been a lethal injury. He jumped out and found himself in a field of green grass surrounded by the different buildings of the Canterlot Castle. The birds stopped singing. The servants of the castle stopped and stared at him.

Before he was able to ask a question on where he was, more guards surrounded the trooper, pointing their crossbows and setting up the storm clouds to aim right at him. Celestia and the rest joined in the massive army of royal guards.

“Stand down!” demanded the captain. “We have you surrounded!”

“They say a cornered cat becomes as fierce as a lion,” Garrett said with confidence. “No way in hell will I surrender to a bunch of horses. Not while I have unfinished business.”

The guards charged the alien, raising their hooves to strike. Garrett fought back with punches and kicks. The trooper kicked one guard in the face, and he fell down with a loud clunk of his golden armor. Another guard tried to attack him from behind, but he elbowed him right in the snout. A guard charged him at the front, and he punched him right in the face with the same arm he used to elbow the last one. One grabbed hold of him in the back. The ODST crouched down and the guard flipped right over him, finishing it off with a blow to side of the head. Celestia saw enough of the violence and pinned his torso to a wall with her magic.

“Enough is enough!” she yelled.

Garrett struggled to fight free of the grasp, but came to a halt as he felt the magic slowly crawl to his shoulders, seizing them. With what he had left, he found just enough space to reach for a flashbang grenade in his pocket. He pulled the pin and threw it in the air. The loud bang and flash of light was enough to disorient everypony in the vicinity.

The moment the loud ringing noise in their ears stopped, and when the blurs on their visions dissolved, the trooper was gone and was no where in sight.

“Where did he go?!” yelled the captain as his head scanned the area.

The answer came to them with a loud shriek that ripped through the atmosphere and made everypony jump, scraping their nerves like sandpaper, especially Celestia. She felt her stomach make a violent turn. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. “LUNA!”

Part 2: Friend or Foe

After giving a loud yawn, Luna, with her eyes barely able to stay open, dragged herself to her four-poster bed. She locked the door with her magic and placed her jewelry in their respective boxes on the table beside her. Slowly, she pulled the blanket over and allowed the finest fabrics of Equestria to cover her. As she was about to close here eyes, a letter suddenly appeared right above her table, landing softly on top of her jewelry box. Will read later, she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

Discord stood triumphantly on top of a pillar as he watched Luna and Celestia look at Equestria in shock after he performed his own strand of twisted magic on the land. “Priceless!” he cried, bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. Tears were flowing out of his eyes as he began coughing.

“Thou shall not escape with such acts!” yelled Luna with the most volume her voice could have given as she held up the Elements of Harmony with her magic.

“Oh, but I already have!” replied Discord as he continued to laugh his lungs out. “Victory for Discord! Oh, how I wish I can save this moment for an eternity!”

Luna and Celestia exchanged looks, and they finally gave nods to each other. They both focused their magic on the Elements of Harmony, making it release a wave of energy that quickly encased Discord, who was still laughing like a psycho.

It started with his feet, slowly climbing up his body and freezing each part into stone. He cared not about what was happening and continued enjoying his entertainment, savoring it until the very last laugh. Once it was done, Discord, the spirit of chaos, was a statue, defeated and trapped. Frozen, he collapsed to the ground with a loud bang, but the bang sounded too real.

Luna’s senses were coming back, and she was hearing footsteps sprint across her room. Opening her eyes, she found a human skidding to a halt right next to her bed. For a split second, they were looking eye to eye until he shouted, “Oh crap!” Luna watched the ODST pull out a knife, and the last thing she recalled was him reaching out to her with his hand.

With hearts pumping like drums, everypony rushed up the stairs of Luna’s tower with all the speed they could muster. Celestia was the first up and found her sister’s door broken open. Inside, right beside the bed and table, the trooper was holding the letter and Luna up by the neck with his left arm, and his right had his knife near her throat. Luna trembled as the stalemate began. Her breathing was irregular as the knife was mere centimeters away from her neck.

“Great, now this one knows. What’s next? You’ll be broadcasting it to the entire planet?” he growled as he dropped the letter.

Celestia felt her anger reach to a boil inside her. The time for negotiations ended, and the time for actions started. Her horn glowed brightly as spears materialized by her sides, floating freely in the air. Each was aimed straight at the human’s head. “LET HER GO!” she snarled with her wings spread out, ready to charge at the blink of an eye.

“Don’t try anything. One wrong move is all I need. Wrong moves include bluffing with that crap you’re doing right now.” Garrett moved closer to the window behind him, with Luna still in his grasp. He looked over his shoulder and discovered that the castle stood high on the mountain side. It would have been a long fall to the ground. Damn it! So much for roping down the wall again. He looked back at the ponies on the far side of the room. “Listen, like I said, I don’t want to hurt you and make things ugly, but I will if I need to. So how about this, lay down flat on the ground, lay your weapons down, and I’ll release her. That includes putting the weapons away, lady.”

Everypony hesitated, still suspicious about the terms.

"Do it!" Garrett snarled.

The spears floating in the air slowly disappeared. Celestia, with anger flourishing throughout her face, was the first to lay down on the floor, and everypony else followed. The unicorns threw their crossbows right at Garrett’s feet, and the pegasi made their clouds disappear. Altogether, they went down to the ground as well.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” said Garrett as he slowly walked to the group. He released Luna from his arms, and she dashed towards her sister’s embrace. He quickly reached for his rucksack and pulled out three gray sheets. He connected them to his arms and legs. Once he was done, his entire body was webbed together like a frog’s foot.

As the reunion took place, the trooper shot a hole his size into the window with his submachine gun and kept his weapons. He charged right through the improvised exit and jumped out into the open air. After gaining reasonable distance, he extended his arms and legs and opened up his wingsuit.

“He’s getting away!” screamed the captain.

“No he won’t!” yelled Rainbow Dash.

“No! Wait!” cried Celestia. It was too late. The pegasus took off, flew through the window, and chased down the gliding soldier.

Garrett glided over the skies of Equestria, absorbing the silence, openness and freedom of the alien air. He looked back at the castle as he savored the new air of the sky. The farther I am from that place, the better, he thought to himself.

“Hey!” barked Rainbow Dash as she charged at the soldier. Her anger was more powerful than a raging bull. It was personal for her to see the princesses in danger and to see such threat merely slip away freely, and she knew what action her loyalty would do. They began free falling down to the ground, fast. She aimed for his head, but her hooves merely clunked off after every strike. On her account, it was still loud enough to let her know that she hit him hard, and he would have felt it somehow. She tried at the visor as well, but it yielded the same result. She let go and left him free falling down. Flapping her wings even faster, she ascended high into the sky. Finally, she turned in an arch and charged down at him, ready for round two. She was not the only one prepared.

Garrett watched as Rainbow Dash sped up towards him, and she raised her hoof to begin another volley of blows. He brought his head back, waiting for the right time. His VISR easily showed the distance in between him and her, and it was draining fast. The moment their faces were a mere foot apart, he thrust his head forward, ramming his forehead into hers, but he was careful not to hit too hard. He spun out of control in the sky, losing track of his opponent.

Before he knew it, he was alone again. Garrett continued to glide down and searched for a safe place to land as. He expected for another volley, yet it never came. Every second felt longer to him. After more time burned, and after no more attacks, he sighed in relief and thought, That outta give her the message to live me alone. Now I can start looking for a place to land. Still have to be careful for the next time if she charges me. He looked back, and a cold chill shot through his spine like lightning. Oh, no...

Garrett quickly turned in a circle. He fixed himself to catch the falling and unconscious Rainbow Dash in the air. Once he caught her, he was descending even faster to the ground. He angled himself to fall next to a river. The parachute automatically activated, and he slowly glided towards the riverbank filled with trees, with the pegasus in his grasp.

The human and the pegasus hit the ground hard. Garrett’s training kicked in as he quickly stuffed his parachute and wingsuit into his rucksack and picked up the unconscious Rainbow Dash. He placed her over his shoulders and started to run. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him and the pony, to the point where he nearly collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. He had no idea where to go, but all he knew was that he was even more trouble with a hostage. The last thing he needed would be the Covenant. Crap, this is one time I actually don’t want to punch an elite in the face.

From the safety of the high clouds, he watched as the ODST made his escape to the forest. He chuckled as he thought, For one creature, he can put up a very good fight. Yes, he is perfect for my cause. Now all I need to do is convince him to join me. If I can get more creatures like him, I can overthrow Celestia and Luna within one day. Let the games begin.

Celestia and the others stayed with Luna in her bedroom in an attempt to calm her down after the ordeal. Luna was shaking as she covered her face with her hooves. The hole in the window filled the room with light, making her cast a shadow over her sleeping quarters.

“We were all caught off guard when he woke up. It will be alright,” hushed Celestia as she embraced her sister. “We will get her back. I promise.” The princess made the sun and moon start their exchange of positions. She turned her attention to the captain of the guard. “Captain Galea!” Her voice was stern.

The captain also felt a sense of responsibility. It was his job to make sure that threats like Garrett were to be controlled, and he failed. Every inch of his body itched and craved for payback. He replied firmly, “Yes, your highness?”

“I want extra guards posted in every town of Equestria. I want roaming patrols all around. I want a bounty for any bit of information we can get about the escaped alien. I want wanted posters everywhere. Most of all, I want Rainbow Dash and the alien alive.”

“It will be done,” he replied as he made his way out. Already he was drawing his crossbow, making sure that it and his armor had a nice polish. After all, he needed to look good when he hunted Garrett down.

Twilight and the others stood behind the shattered window and watched the setting sun. Pinkie Pie’s enthusiasm was drained away. Her eyes, which used to hold so much joy and laughter, were replaced with eyes of worry and concern.

“If ‘ya think about it,” said Applejack, in an attempt to cool everypony’s nerves, “he could have killed us all right there, but there was somethin’ inside him that was stoppin’ him from shootin’ us dead. I saw it in him. Even said so himself that he don’t wanna to hurt us. He hit back for self-defense. Reckon’ we convince him that we’re not with them aliens we saw in his memory, and he could give us back Rainbow Dash!”

“You do have a point, dear,” said Rarity, attempting to second the thought. “What did stay him from eliminating us?”

“So there is good in him,” murmured Fluttershy. “Maybe... maybe we can help him.”

“I don’t know. I just don’t know,” sighed Twilight. “Oh, Rainbow Dash, please be alright!”

Rainbow Dash felt cold, wet cloths press over her head. Now this is the good stuff! This is really awesome after I fought with-- wait a minute. She slowly opened her eyes, and found Garrett without his helmet in front of her. He was the one applying the cloth. It was the dead of night. A campfire made the his shadow cover her. His eyes looked down on her with no anger whatsoever.

She began to struggle, but her wings and legs were tied together, and she found herself tied to a tree. Her body started to pump adrenaline and only encouraged her to struggle even more. Garrett placed his hand on her side.

“Woah, easy there, lady! You got hit hard. I’m just trying to heal the damage I’ve caused.”

Rainbow Dash continued struggling. Her anger was beginning to burn. “Sure I will! Right after pigs fly!”

“Hold still, will you? I’m not gonna hurt you. Stop trying to escape. Those things are made of the same material we use for ascension cables. In other words, it’s useless to even try to break free,” Garrett said in a remarkably calm voice. He wet the cloths again, and placed it on her forehead, again. Rainbow Dash just continued to struggle in the knot.

“Can you stop moving?”

She continued to attempt to free herself, focused on trying to slide free and getting payback.

“Stop struggling! Look at yourself! Your scraping yourself against the cables!”

She did not stop and continued to move, ignoring his warning.

Garrett had enough. His instincts switched from “I’m seeing someone new” to “hostile identified.” He slammed his fist down to the ground with a loud thump. “Stop moving and shut up or I’ll knock you out again!” He yelled. His eyes glared right into Rainbow Dash like ice. A simple message reached into her in an instant: he could kill her easily and get away with it.

Immediately she stopped and looked at Garrett in fear.

Garrett quickly realized what he was doing. He even found himself having his hand gripping his knife, with a small piece of the blade already exposed. Wow, not even a day after meeting them and I’m already pulling out a knife to silence. He immediately withdrew himself, ashamed and embarrassed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to yell at you. Anyway, just please hold still while I undo the damage I’ve done to you.”

“For what? So you can eat me later on? And you still didn’t answer my question!”

Oohh, she’s bold. “Listen, I always help those who are not with the Covenant. Go get some sleep. We’re already off with a bad start. I don’t want to make it any worse. Besides, I, and many other humans, hate eating horse meat.”

“Least there’s a chance that you won’t eat me. By the way, I’m not a horse. I’m a pegasus.”

“Lady, you’ve got no idea how screwed up the idea of a flying horse... pegasus is in my race’s perspective.”

“And stop calling me ‘lady!’ My name is Rainbow Dash! We know you’re name is Garrett Archer. We read it on your necklace thing.”

“I was wondering where my dog tags went. Go get some sleep.”

Rainbow Dash cautiously closed her eyes and turned her back against Garrett as the crickets chirped in the night. She tried to fake that she was asleep, failing miserably. When I get my hooves free, he’s going down.

Garrett, on the other hand, looked up and watched the moon and the stars shine. I need to get some food for me and for her. There’s definitely no way that she’ll be eating meat. No way will she eat my rations, because I’m saving those as a last option. Looks like I’ll have to do some shopping in the town.

The morning sunshine woke up Rainbow Dash. Despite the uncomfortable space, her temper finally managed to cool down. The light made her finally see her surroundings clearer. The tree she was tied to was massive and its leaves covered the entire campsite, which was beside the river. Right across it was the Everfree Forest, and she felt as if it itself was watching her. Its trees and self-moving clouds made her uncomfortable and scared.

The campfire still burned warm in its place. Beside her head was a canister full of water and a heaping basket of apples. She slowly angled herself to be able to reach the apples with her mouth. She got one from the pile and took a bite. Her eyes opened wide, and she spat it all out, knowing all to well that they were from Sweet Apple Acres. After she took it, Garrett, in casual clothing, walked into her sight. He had his own heaping basket of apples.

“Morning,” he greeted as he gave a nod.

“How’d you get all of this?”

“You were asleep for eight hours. You’ll be amazed how much I can do in four. Eat up. You’re getting breakfast in bed.”

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and found three boxes filled with apples and another box of medicines stashed next to another tree.

“You’ve been stealing all of this?!”

“What else could I do?”

“Turn yourself in, duh.”

“Can’t afford to do that at this time.”

“Why? You’re already doing bad. Might as well raise the white flag before things get worse.”

“You don’t get it. If I turn myself in, I’ll be hanged for what I did. I fought with the guards, I nearly killed you and your friends, I took your princess hostage, I destroyed parts of your castle, and I took you as my prisoner. In the ODST book, that’s a reward of death by firing squad.” Garrett placed his pile of apples on the floor as he continued, “There’s only one way to know how much mercy your princesses have, and I don’t intend to find out. I’m your land’s most wanted criminal, so I have no choice but to live a life of theft. I’m sorry. Besides, I’ve already made a name for myself. They placed wanted posters with my face everywhere.”

Garret brought out a poster with an impressively accurate drawing of him.

Wanted
Name: Garrett Archer
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Wanted for: Resisting arrest, attempted murder, and kidnapping
Note: Armed and extremely dangerous

“I’m actually amazed they drew me so well.” He took an apple from his own pile and got a huge bite. “Keep eating,” he said with a mouth full of fruit. “You’re starving. I know it.”

Rainbow Dash reluctantly continued eating. “We don’t hang criminals.”

“Hell, maybe I’ll be the first one.”

An eerie silence passed by, and Rainbow Dash decided to break it. “Garrett?”

“Yeah?”

“When you were talking to the alien about living safe, you were talking about Sarah and Claire, weren’t you?”

“I’ll tell you when the word ‘classified’ means ‘open.’”

In the middle of the night, Rainbow Dash waited until Garrett was asleep. He himself slept in his casual clothes beside her. She spotted two objects clutched in his right hand, and they were within her reach. Carefully, she opened his palm and picked them up. The two objects were a laminated picture and a small string that was lined with colorful beads that spelled out “DADDY.” She turned her back against Garrett and allowed the light of the campfire to give her more light for a better view of the picture. Upon further inspection, it was of Garrett with two other humans, and the words “DADDY’S PROMISE” were scribbled in a corner.

The first human was, in her eyes, beautiful. Long, blond hair reached to the area slightly higher than the abdomen. The other was the smallest in the photo, bearing much resemblance between Garrett and the other. Golden-brown hair fell right past the shoulders. Garrett himself looked like he was a man with a perfect and happy life. They all smiled in the photo, happy and safe.

Wow, Garrett looks so... happy. Maybe--

“You’re not suppose to be looking at that.”

Rainbow Dash felt a shock travel up her spine as she turned around, finding Garrett staring straight at her.

“Give it back,” he ordered. Rainbow Dash let go of his possessions, and he quickly snatched them away from her.

“You look really happy in that photo. Is that your family?” she guessed.

Garrett remained silent, acting like she said nothing. “Go back to sleep.”

The other hid in the shadows of the trees as he stalked Garrett and Rainbow Dash, taking note of every single detail, including the picture. He has a family? That was easy. He teleported away from the campsite.

Five days passed since the first time Rainbow Dash woke up and found herself in captivity. Eventually, the pegasus was able to be more open and convince the human to start talking in a system of information trade. However, every time they were about to reach a sensitive topic, such as family, Earth, among others, Garrett would have quickly ended the conversation. At late afternoon of the sixth day, the trooper, fully armored, snuck into a market in Ponyville and picked up pieces of food which easily fit inside his pockets. He carefully crept through the shadows to avoid the ponies, waiting up to hours for an opening. Halfway to the forest where his camp lay, he heard hooves go closer to his position. Instinctively, he covered himself in leaves and laid down absolutely still.

The hooves drew even closer. Through his polarized visor, he spotted a group of five royal guards, including the captain, all wearing shining golden armor. The unicorn guards had their crossbows drawn, and the pegasai guards had their wings spread out, ready to conduct lightning and ready to slice anything. The group inched even closer, to the point that they were standing on top of Garrett himself.

“Stay sharp,” Galea said. “He may be somewhere nearby.”

“Gotta give him credit for hiding well inside the perimeter,” said the first

“Yeah,” said the second.

“The town folk have really gone all-out with giving him names,” said the first. “Hey, I’ve heard them call him Reaper, Ghost, and Shadow.”

“Shadow?”

“They said that he moves in the shadows like him and it are one, hence his name.”

“When I get my hooves on him, I’m going to rip him to shreds and make him beg that he never woke up,” said the captain.

“If we can’t have him as a prisoner, then let’s make sure that we have him as a trophy, and I’ll see to it that his helmet is to be mounted on top of the fireplace,” added a pegasus guard. He opened his wing and sliced a tree in half. It toppled down with a loud crash. “I’ll make sure that I’ll be the one who does it.”

“Come on, let’s continue our patrol,” said the captain.

Damn, I’m famous. The group moved away and off of Garrett. He waited for ten minutes for any sign of movement. Once it was clear, he doubled back to his camp.

The entrance of his camp was well concealed. The only way in was through a small tunnel of roots underneath a tree. He went inside the tunnel, carefully closed the lid with camouflage, and crawled through and out of the tunnel into an open space where his camp stood.

Back in his camp, the tied up Rainbow Dash was napping with her head resting on a root. Garrett added more wood to the fire and placed an open canister filled with water on top. He mashed the ingredients and poured them into the soup. The result yielded a nice, thick broth. He looked back and the pegasus was wide awake.

“What’s cooking?” she asked.

“I honestly have no idea. You know, your Ponyville friends have called me things like Reaper, Ghost, and Shadow.”

“Shadow?”

“Yeah, me too. They said that I move like the shadow is my kind of element.”

“That sounds like an awesome name, though. Seems fit for a guy who sneaks around like you.”

“Twenty credits or whatever-currency-you-use say the next name they call me is something along the lines of Cobra.”

Rainbow Dash forced a smile. “You’re on.”

Garrett took a share of the soup and left it half full for Rainbow Dash. He moved closer and tipped the canister at her mouth. She slowly drank and he saw in her face the smile of satisfaction.

She’s been really cooperative. She even stopped trying to escape. I guess I have to reward her. Garrett slowly untied her hooves and extended the rope keeping them together, then tied them again. He dared not to touch her tied wings. Her hooves were free enough to walk around with, but were still bound together to prevent any running.

“Thanks,” she said as she stretched her legs.

“You’re welcome.”

Garrett’s training and instincts, however, were shouting at him on the inside. What are you doing, Garrett? Why the hell are you doing this? Is it because she’s not a Covenant? Are you trying to be friends with her? She’s your prisoner, you idiot! Point your gun at her head or something! What’s next? Bedtime stories and goodnight kisses?

At the same time, the same thoughts ran through Rainbow Dash. What are you doing, Rainbow Dash? Are are you trying to be friends with the guy who’s taking you prisoner? What do you want him to do? Make him close enough to be your friend so you can convince him to turn himself in?

Luna, Celestia, and the remaining bearers of the Elements of Harmony stood in front of Garrett’s computer. The screen stayed the same as he left it last time, black, and his data drive was still plugged in.

“Please remind why we are back here,” moaned Rarity.

“The more we know about him, the better,” answered Twilight.

“Exactly,” added Celestia as she placed her hoof on the screen, which beeped to life. It showed many files, and she selected the first that was on the selection. The moment she pressed her hoof on the screen, it showed a blank line, asking for a password. Dismissing it, she moved on to the next, and again, it requested another. On and on, each was demanding an answer for access. “Each of these files are protected with a password,” she said as she gave up more than halfway through.

“Wait,” said Luna as she came closer to the screen. “This last one...” she pointed it out, “...is labeled, ‘Reach.’ This is what Garrett’s friend mentioned before he...” She broke off as she tapped on the file, and to their surprise, it was not protected by a password. The file opened and even more programs were shown. Luna tapped on the first program, and the screen began to transform into a video.

UNSC ORBITAL DEFENCE PLATFORM ANGEL’S PROTECTION
AUGUST 14, 2552
SECURITY CAMERA 5
COMMAND CENTER

The naval men and women were cheering as they watched the Covenant Supercarrier, Long Night of Solace, exploded in half by the improvised slipspace bomb.

“Hoorah!”

“That’ll teach ‘em not to mess with the UNSC!”

“Bring out the champagne!”

An AI’s automated voice interrupted, “Slipspace rupture detected.”

All the crew went silent and looked outside the window. Another Covenant supercarrier came into view, and another came out of slipspace, then another. Suddenly, there was a massive wave of supercarriers coming out of slipspace.

“My God...”

“It must be their whole damn fleet!”

The commander snapped, “All crew, to your battle stations!”

Every naval member immediately sprinted to their consoles and started typing down commands so fast it sounded like machine gun fire.

“MAC round ready!” yelled an officer.

The entire station spun around and pointed straight at a supercarrier. “Target acquired!” yelled another.

“Fire!” barked the commander.

“On the way!” screamed the officer as she pressed the switch. A streak of light came out and was heading straight at the supercarrier. The super-charged MAC round tore the ship in half and sent it spinning out of control.

“Reload! Get me a new firing solutions!” ordered the commander.

The entire station spun around again and aimed at a new supercarrier. “Target acquired!”

“MAC ready!”

“FIRE!”

The next supercarrier broke as well as the round pierced through it like butter.

“Slipspace rupture detected,” said the AI again.

Another supercarrier came out of slipspace right next to the station. It opened fire with its plasma batteries and tore a hole through the command center. Every crew member inside screamed as they were sucked out through the vacuum and into the darkness of space. The command center fell silent in a matter of seconds.

“Breach in command center. No survivors.”

RECORD ENDED

Garrett finally finished setting up the camp fire for the night. The heat easily reached Rainbow Dash and she sighed in relief as the warmth surrounded her. He suddenly froze and stared at her. “Rainbow Dash, hold perfectly still,” he said as he slowly moved closer to her. He walked as if he was on a minefield.

“Huh? What’s happening?”

“Don’t freak out, but there’s something behind you.”

“What?! What is it?!” Her answer came quickly as she felt two long legs crawl on her back, then four, then six. The surprise traveled through her spine in a cold shock, even making her tail shoot up like when Pinkie Pie tricked her into thinking that there was a dragon. She gasped and nearly squealed, but she covered her mouth with her hooves.

“Don’t squeal,” Garrett said firmly as he stopped in front of her, poised to strike.

“What are you doing?!” she hissed. “Get it off me!”

With a quick attack like a snake, Garrett seized the spider by the legs, leaving it dangling in the air.

"Get rid of it!"

Garrett took a long look at the spider and sat beside Rainbow Dash. He forced on a smirk. “You know... us ODSTs are trained to get protein and energy from all sources.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “You’re not gonna...” She was too late and watched as Garrett ate the spider whole. Every bite was a crunch, and he had the strangest look at his face. The fact that she was watching him eat another animal scared her even more, and it reminded her that she herself could be potential food.

“I know... It’s not fun.” He spotted her look of fear. “I hate horse meat, remember? On a side note, this spider doesn’t help a lot when you’re trying to talk.”

“So... uh... How does it taste like?”

“Bullcrap. Could use some garlic, though. Lots of it.” He looked like he was about to vomit. "Okay, a ton of garlic."

Rainbow Dash broke out in laughter as she watched Garrett try to swallow it down with even more disgust on his face. Tears were filling her eyes she watched him try so much to hold it down. She desperately wished she had a camera.

Once he was done, he couldn’t help but laugh as well. His smile was friendly and without any hostility. “Next time, I’ll save one for you.”

Two guards, both of which were unicorns, patrolled the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. Armed with their magical crossbows and lamps, they carefully scanned the area, eyes trained on finding their human.

“I’m still amazed he’s been hiding so well. No other criminal has been on the run for so long,” said the first.

“I know, right? Captain Galea’s getting mad, and he’s been ordering the other commanders around like crazy. I’m actually starting to feel sorry for them,” added the second.

“Still... of all the guards... why us?” asked the first.

“What do you mean?” asked the second.

“I mean, we’re not exactly the bravest pair to patrol the forest.”

“...True.”

Fear started to fill them. Each tree looked like a face that was ready to attack them.

The first tried to laugh. “Heh... creepy tree... right?”

The second gulped. “Yeah... just a tree...”

“I mean... look at them! They’re just... No... don’t look at them...” the first muttered as he tried to pull his eyes away from the trunk.

“Hey! Wait a second!” shouted the second guard as he grabbed the first by the shoulder with his hoof. “There’s something strange about this trunk.”

“I told you I don’t want to look at them!” snarled the first. “Besides, all the trunk here have something ‘strange’ on them!”

The second acted like the first said nothing as he shined his light on the tree, following the strange roots all the way to the middle of the trunk. However, there was an odd, grey pattern along the wood. As the two followed it, they eventually found themselves looking straight at a silver-blue visor staring right back at them.

“Wait a minute...” said the first.

“...Damn it...” came another voice.

Part 3: Choices to Make

Garrett ducked right on time as three crossbow bolts flew passed him and stuck on a tree. It was quickly encased in ice the moment all three of them made contact with it, and he swore he thought the feathers of one of them might have scraped his helmet.

“After him!”

“Don’t let him get away!”

“Remember! We want him alive!”

Dawn was approaching as Garrett was sprinting through the forest, with the royal guards in pursuit. His adrenaline-pumped body made him run the fastest he ever ran in his entire life. His heart was pumping so hard he could feel it bump against his armor. He jumped over a fallen log and climbed over a ditch. Waiting on the other side, however, were Luna, Celestia, and Captain Galea. The rage-filled faces were impossible to miss.

“Oh crap!” Garrett turned to his right and tried to make a run for it, but not before the captain shot a powerful bolt from his crossbow next to his feet. The ground exploded as it hit and launched him into the air. Right before he landed, they all caught him with their magic and pinned him to a tree. Directly afterwards, they pinned his arms and legs, restricting any movement.

“So we meet again, Garrett,” Luna hissed as she moved closer. The grudge from their last encounter still lingered within her, and it pleased her that it was her turn to be in control. The other guards caught up and watched the interrogation.

“Seizing my arms and legs already? Now I’m impressed.” Good idea, Einstein. Next time tell them that water is wet.

“Enough of this!” yelled Celestia as her and Luna’s magic tightened around his throat. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”

The trooper refused to respond and struggled to free himself from his bonds.

The captain decided to take it another step further, and his magic began crushing Garrett’s body. Every single piece of protection that clothed him contracted around him. He screamed in pain as his own armor squeezed the life out of him.

“Where is she?!” demanded Galea, raising his crossbow and aiming it straight at him.

“Not so much, captain,” ordered Celestia as she released her magic from Garrett’s throat. “We need him alive so he can talk.”

The captain reluctantly stopped crushing him, but still kept him pinned to a tree. After this interrogation, his helmet is mine, he thought to himself.

Luna released her magic from the throat as well, but also kept him pinned.

Garrett, on the other hand, was trying to collect as much breath as he could after being strangled in magic. I first received orders to go back home, now I’m here being tortured by ponies. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

“She’s safe and alive... for the moment,” he breathed.

“For the moment?!” growled Galea.

“I’m her lifeline. I’m what’s keeping her alive. If it wasn’t for me, she would be starving right now.”

“What do you mean?” asked Celestia.

“I’m the man who’s been feeding her. I’m the man who’s been giving her water and food. I’m the man who’s been taking care of her. Take me away, and Rainbow Dash will have an empty stomach for a while,” Garrett said coolly.

Luna had enough. The anger inside reached to a point of being like a supercharged MAC round against a defenseless Covenant banshee, and her voice boomed with enough volume to be heard in Ponyville. “WHERE IS RAINBOW DASH?!” She got carried away and sent a strong shock of lighting right into Garrett. A bone-chilling scream of agony came through, the same scream of agony that he made when he was captured by the Covenant. She stopped the voltage and watched as he tried to recover.

“Just like the Covenant! You’re just as merciless and as ruthless as they are!” he spat.

In an instant there was the silence of guilt and shame, minus the sounds of Garrett wheezing and moaning. Celestia and Luna both exchanged each other looks. Neither of them wanted to start a war with an alien race, nor did they want to be seen as ruthless as the Covenant.

The captain, on the other hoof, took it personally as an insult. He dashed right into Garrett’s front and smashed his helmet with the butt of his crossbow. It was so loud and strong that it made the guards cringe.

“You will not talk to our princesses like that!”

“Oh, who’s this guy? You’re pet?! Let me guess, I bet he’s the one who’s going to be torturing me! What’s first? Electricity? How about whipping?!”

Celestia took a step forward. “Garrett, let me explain.”

“Then convince me that you’re not gonna fry me again!”

As Celestia took another step forward, nerve-scraping hisses and rattles broke out into the sky. She jumped back in shock as a group of freaks from the Everfree Forest made their quick appearance.

Out from the bushes behind Garrett, a nest of thirty flying serpents flew out, hissing and rattling their tails as they finally found suitable prey. Each of them had their fangs opened wide to expose their primary weaponry, accompanied by shark-like teeth on the side for tearing meat. Some were flying around, flapping their wings and showing off their long bodies reaching ten feet, and some were on the ground, standing as high as four feet. Each reptilian wing was able to match a pegasus’s, and they were literally as sharp as a manticore’s claw. Green scales reflected sunlight brightly, and the ones on their forehead were extra thick and tough, making it look like it was actually a piece of scale armor. Such protection was accompanied by yellow, powerful snake eyes in a head as large as an anaconda’s. It would have been an amazing sight if they were not planning to kill.

“What the hell are those things?!” Garrett yelled.

“Defend the princesses! Now!” ordered the captain.

They all dropped Garrett from their magical grasps, and he took it as a cue to get out. That he did, and he charged through the bushes, not looking back.

“Flee, Garrett! Like a coward!” yelled Luna as she shot a lighting bolt at a flying serpent. Celestia was already fighting off other beasts. All the royal guards scrambled and began to take on the others.

Captain Galea and the nest leader circled each other in a showdown, each determined to see the blood of their foe spilled on the ground.

The serpent attacked first with a charge, attempting to sink its fangs into him, and the captain shot its forehead with his magical crossbow, making it jerk and miss him. It then flew to the air again, aiming to slice him with the weapons on its wings.

He rolled to his side, narrowly dodging it as it scraped the ground.

The nest’s plan was going into place, as one serpent hid in the shadows, eyes fixed on one pony.

Garrett continued running; if he would have been on a hundred meter sprint, he would have already won first place twice. He continued running, then stopped abruptly to sit down next to a tree to take a breath. The past few days of running have taken a toll on him. He was hungry and was desperately in search of food, daring not to touch the ones he reserved for Rainbow Dash. After spotting, a small, purple flower on the ground he took off his helmet, picked up a petal, and performed the edibility test. He sloshed it around his mouth, bearing no uncomfortable symptoms. It’s safe to eat, he told himself as he started picking more petals. Weird how these petals are in shades of purple and have the shape of... hearts? Either way, they taste pretty good. Right before he sat down, a snap of a twig made him raise his guard again, and he quickly placed on his helmet.

“Who’s there?!” he demanded.

A zebra walked into his sight, wearing a hood, and she showed no sign of hostility. “I did not plan to make our paths meet, for I only seek the plant you eat.”

Garrett looked down on his palm, which still had a few petals. “And what is this plant?” he asked, still cautious.

“The plant you are eating is Heart’s Desire, known to ignite the inner fire.”

A scream of pain echoed to his ears, and made all of his hairs stand erect. True enough, a voice that was his yelled at him inside, GO! Immediately, he started sprinting back and readying his weapons. At the same time, a flashback was going through his mind.

Garrett, in his freshman college years, was walking down the hallways of the University of the Inner Colonies, which itself sat next to the UNSC Army College. Carrying only an apple, he savored every bite. He looked up and watched as other students walked along the sidewalks of the upper floors, proceeding down to lunch.

Garrett suddenly lost balanced and landed on his hands. He watched as his apple fell to the floor, rolling to the left, then suddenly make violent jerk to the right, and another even more violent one to the left. Screams of terror filled the room as the paintings hung on the walls came crashing down.

“Earthquake! Get to cover!” yelled a student.

At once Garrett crawled to a table next to him. As he braced himself, he found a woman standing in the center of the room, screaming in terror. She was right below a ceiling that was ready to crumble. Before he knew it, he found himself rising from under the table, flipping it over, and sprinting right into her. He lifted her up with his own arms and tried to make it to cover.

It was too late, however, and the ceiling came crashing down right on top of him. As a last ditch effort he dove forward, and they narrowly missed getting crushed by falling debris. He covered the girl with his own body and stiffened himself to prepare for whatever hell was about to come. The last thing he recalled seeing was another large piece of concrete landing on top of them, stopping inches right above him.

The shaking finally ended. It was dark, and debris covered him and the woman he saved. Garrett coughed and tried to get up, only to get stopped by a heavy piece of concrete pressing down on his legs. The person bellow him was still breathing and alive.

“You alright?” he coughed out.

“Y-yeah. Thanks. I owe you.” The girl brought out a small flashlight key chain and shined the light around Garrett and herself.

They were completely encased in rubble, with only two feet of space going up. Garrett gave another scan and found a small hole just big enough for the woman to fit through, with light shining at the far end.

“You go ahead and squeeze through that hole.”

The woman made her way through the hole. Garrett tapped her leg. “I want you to crawl your way out. Call for help from the UNSC center and get yourself to the hospital wing. Got it?”

“What about you?”

“My legs are trapped. Broken, maybe. My neck hurts a lot. Listen, don’t care about me. Get out of here now.”

“But--”

“Now.”

She nodded and crawled her way out, leaving him behind in his sarcophagus of concrete.

A spark of hope finally came when Garrett heard footsteps above him. He knocked on a piece of metal as hard as he could to at least get attention. “Help! Please! Down here!”

“Hey! There’s another live one over here!” came a voice muffled by the concrete in between Garrett and the source.

The piece above was lifted up, and two marines in full combat armor came like angels. It then became clear to Garrett the extent of the damage. The building itself was still standing, but the ceiling has collapsed.

The first marine activated his radio. “Pilot, I’ve got another one! He needs evac ASAP.”

“Roger that!” replied the pilot.

A pelican lowered a stretcher down from the hole in the ceiling, and Garrett’s heroes secured him to it.

"Thanks. I owe you guys.

The second marine grinned under his helmet. “A girl pointed us here. You owe her big time, kid. Trust me, ladies like it when you return their favors.”

The other shoved him away. “Relax, kid. He’s just being an a-hole.” He waved his hands to the pelican and the stretcher began rising.

“She owed me, too. I guess we’re even.”

“Step Two complete, kid. Step Three: the first date!”

The first gave the second a blank stare. “You’re a real piece of work.”

Luna held the side of her front leg. The serpent in the shadows ambushed her, but she was able to dodge it at just the right moment. However, it scratched her with one of its fangs, and it sent her into a shock due to the toxins. Small ounces of blood began to trickle out of the scratch.

The nest hissed in excitement as the scent of fresh blood reached their nostrils, but a different hissing noise made them stop and look down. Right next them was a high explosive, fragmentation grenade, primed and set off. The explosion sent shrapnel out into the air and killed four of the flying serpents. Amidst the chaos, Garrett, adrenaline-pumped, jumped through the bushes, roaring his battle cry and firing his submachine gun, which he fitted with a bayonet that was his multi-purpose knife.

He took down a serpent with a storm of bullets and stabbed another one with his blade, literally lifting it up to the air before taking five shots on its abdomen. He pulled his submachine gun out of the dead animal and sprayed a burst to another serpent’s head. Once they realized what happened, Garrett lobbed another grenade at the group, bringing down three before taking cover behind a tree. Opposite to him, taking cover behind another tree was the captain.

“Hey! I know you and I both hate each other to death!” Garrett yelled.

“You think?!” the captain snarled back.

“But if we want to save your princesses and kick some ass, let’s put aside our differences! Agreed?”

“Agreed!”

“I’ll keep them pinned while you and your troops cover her! On my mark!” yelled Garrett as he removed the bayonet and kept his silenced submachine gun into his rucksack. He then pulled out another version without the suppressor and attached the knife.

“I’m the captain, and I give the orders!” objected the unicorn.

“I don’t care about your damn orders! On my mark! Three! Two! One! SUPPRESSING!”

It was as if time slowed down as the captain watched Garrett dash out of cover first and fire a strong spray of bullets right into the nest. The loud cracks of gunfire made him cringe as he tried to use his magic on his crossbow to target two serpents. His crossbow was firing specialized bolts which froze them in ice. He and the other guards pushed on with the ODST in the lead, and they eventually came to Luna’s side.

Garrett kept the heat on. His suppression of bullets quickly depleted the ammo clip, and he swiftly replaced it. He shot three down in bursts and jammed his bayonet to the body of another. The beast screamed in pain, and he killed it with a three round burst. The nest leader gave a hiss, which ordered all the flying serpents to aim right at Luna, who was still covering her ears in an attempt to suppress the noise of the gunfire.

She instantly realized that she was being targeted, she and was too late to do anything as the nest leader flew through the air, jaws open wide. She closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of fangs biting her. The sound of impact quickly reached her ears, but she did not feel a thing. Opening her eyes, she found Garrett in between them and her with an activated the Covenant shield gauntlet on his left arm, with the serpent’s fangs still being pressed against it. His right hand still had his submachine gun.

As Garrett was still fighting off the fangs, he saw one more flying serpent charge at his three o’clock position. He raised his weapon and killed it with a burst that ended with a click.

“Damn it!”

With the availability of his right hand, he quickly removed the blade and held it on his hand, dropping the submachine gun. He switched his attention to the nest leader, which still had its fangs pressing against the shield. He bashed off the beast and rammed his shield right into its face, causing it to stagger backwards.

The other guards and serpents stood by and watched as Garrett separated from his foe. They all took it as a cue to charge and fight.

“Hold it!” Garrett yelled as he motioned them to stop. “I want zero interference.”

The guards stayed back and so did the serpents. They started to cheer, hiss, and rattle their tales as the two combatants circled each other; Garrett, with a Covenant shield gauntlet and a knife on his hands, versus the nest leader, armed with sharp teeth, intimidating fangs, venom, and a very bad temper. It gave a loud hiss and incited its nest.

Celestia and Luna felt shocks travel through their spines as they knew that he was fighting a very powerful foe.

Garrett, on the other hand, kept his cool. “All hiss, and no guts.”

He was the first one to move. He switched his blade into a reverse grip and charged. Swinging his arm in an arch, Garrett was able to catch the flying serpent right where he wanted it.

The serpent, on the other hand, flapped its wings and dodged him right on time, but not before the blade sliced it near the jaw and across its face. The beast fought back with a slash of from its wing. Garrett’s knife received the full force of the blow, causing him to drop it. With a quick swipe, he pulled out his pistol, flipping it around and holding the barrel as the grip. Striking in a large arc, the hand grip of the magnum smashed into the area behind the flying serpent’s eye. He literally hammered it down and continued striking the monster before jumping back.

The serpent was already losing its balance, retreating as it tried to recover.

Garrett charged again. He jumped into the air, aiming for the tree next to the flying serpent. The moment his right foot came in contact with it, he kicked off again, launching himself in another direction.

It became clear to the serpent what his true attack was, but was too late to do anything as Garrett’s boot came in contact with its face, causing it to fall. The royal guards cheered as the ODST picked up his knife from the ground for the finishing strike, but another loud hiss broke out from the bystanders. Another flying serpent took a cheap shot and struck Garrett by the chest plate with its wing, knocking him down. There was a loud outburst of protests as he landed on the ground.

Garrett lost grip of his weapons, and the nest leader slithered and took a position on top of him. He instinctively raise his shield to block him, and the beast furiously slashed it. It slowly started to change color. From purple it turned orange, then red, and with one last strike, it died. Then the nest leader pinned his arm to the ground with one wing, noticing the part of his arm that was not covered by armor. It opened its jaws wide, revealed its fangs, and bit, breaking through the layer of kevlar.

One spine-chilling and stomach-turning scream of pain ripped through the air as the fangs made their way through his arm. Garrett even unpolarized his visor, showing his expression of agony. He sent his right hand straight at the serpent’s head, pulling it away and removing its fangs from him in the process.

The captain finally saw the opening, and he fired three bolts from his crossbow right at the serpent. At once, it froze solid and was encased in ice. Him, Celestia, and the other royal guards charged at the entire nest, chasing them away and out of Luna’s and Garrett’s sights, thinking that he was incapable of doing anything anymore.

Luna watched Garrett clutch his arm and moan in pain. He was barely moving. She slowly dragged him to her with her magic and inspected his wound. The fangs went in deep, and the venom was already burning him inside, easily shown by his face. The ground on where his arm used to be before he was dragged was soaked with blood. He may not make it, she thought to herself. The least she wanted to do was to make him know that she was thankful for his bravery. She tried to give an assuring smile, but it was impossible to hide it.

He weakly mumbled, “I’m... sorry...”

“Garrett, we-”

Garrett cut her off as he forced a cloth on her snout. Luna’s world quickly faded to black, her hearing became muffled, and she relaxed as the anesthetic knocked her out.

“Fall back!” ordered Celestia. “We’ve driven them off far enough!”

“We have to get medical attention to Princess Luna!” yelled the captain to his troops as they charged through the forest back to where Garrett’s duel took place.

There, they found Luna fast asleep, and the limb where she was hurt was bandaged. Garrett and all of his weapons were gone. On the bandage itself, there was a small text written in marker.

Cleanly dressed the wound. Even added some biofoam for extra measures and gave her my first and only shot of adrenaline to prevent anaphylactic shock. She’ll be fine. -Garrett

PS: If I die from this venom, I’ll kill you.

Rainbow Dash watched Garrett crawl out of cover, clutching his arm.

“You alright?”

“Don’t ask,” he growled. After limping around and refilling Rainbow Dash’s canister of water, he suddenly collapsed in front of her, wheezing and gasping for air.

“Garrett!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she removed his helmet. She felt sick as it was all coming to her. His face was white and on the line. She placed her foreleg on his forehead, discovering that he was burning hot with a fever.

He spoke in a barely audible whisper, “Is this how it feels to die? Should have just let that thing finish me off. Dying this way blows.”

Rainbow Dash reached for a small box, hoping to find anything that could have helped. Opening the box, she found ten potions ranging in a variety of colors, and they had strange markings that reminded her of the ones she saw in Zecora’s home. Every breath Garrett took sounded like it would have been his last, making her heart race even more.

“Which one do I use?!” she asked, with fear too present in her voice.

“The... red one... and... yellow one...” he breathed.

After quickly uncorking them, she forced the potions down his throat. Almost immediately, his fever was starting to go down.

“Check... rucksack... biofoam...” he mumbled.

Rainbow Dash then searched his pocket and finally found the canister and a few bandages. After reading the instructions, she inserted the tube in the wound and pressed. The sensation of burning ants crawling around the wound made Garrett wince in pain. After dressing the wound to the best of her abilities, and after an hour of forcing more potions down his throat, the pegasus sighed in relief as she found him stabilized.

“Thanks, I owe you.”

Garrett slowly got up and filled up another canister of water. He then washed off the blood from Rainbow Dash’s hooves and his own armor.

The night was chilling to the bone. Rainbow Dash’s body shook uncontrollably. It was impossible for her to sleep. Every breath would come out as a white mist on those merciless hours.

Garrett, in full combat armor, watched as she tried to hold herself together in a fetal position. Time for a fire, he thought to himself. As he reached to his chest plate, his heart skipped a beat. He looked down on his armor in disbelief, but finally came acceptance. The pocket which had his lighter was ripped off when the serpent took the cheap shot at him. Crap! He looked back at Rainbow Dash, even more worried that she may not survive the night, and he did not want to have her death on his account.

I’ve been conditioned to handle temperatures like this. What the hell am I suppose to do? Let her die freezing? No way will she be able to survive this chilling night. He weighed in his options. A: Let her get sick from this cold, probably even die because of it, and get an even bigger bounty on my head. B: ...Damn it...

Rainbow Dash felt a warm piece of fabric cover her entire body. She opened her eyes and found a wingsuit covering her. ODST armor was in front of her, scattered on the ground. Garrett himself was in casual clothes, exposed to the night.

A wingsuit alone is not enough to keep her warm.

Rainbow Dash looked back at him with her mouth agape. Is he crazy?! He has nothing to protect himself against this cold!

Garrett sat right beside her, rested his back on the same tree where she was tied to, lifted her up, and placed her on his lap. He used pieces of his armor to cover exposed parts, and covered her with his own arms.

Rainbow Dash easily received his body heat. She felt warm under the blanket of his clothes and his limbs. She rested her head on him, and heard his rhythmic heartbeat, which took her mind off the fact that she slept right next to the Everfree Forest. Deep inside he’s not so bad, she thought to herself. When she finally stopped shaking, she finally spoke out, “Garrett?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Go to sleep.”

Rainbow Dash started to feel that Garret’s hands were trembling, and she remembered that, despite giving him the potions, he still had a fever. His teeth started to chatter, and she could feel his entire body shake, with him desperately trying to fight it. She knew it was a losing battle. “You’re even colder than I am.”

“N-not c-complaining,” he said in between chatters. “Sh-shut up and s-stay warm.”

“Why are you being nice to me?”

“R-returning the f-favor. G-go to s-sleep. Th-that’s an o-order.”

Applejack and Big Macintosh proceeded outside to buck the apples off the trees. They opened the barn doors, and the light and fresh air seeped in, filling the building with life. The apple orchard stood in its usual beautiful shades of green, accompanied by dots of red. The dawn colored the sky in the vibrant colors of orange, purple and pink. The birds began their morning songs as the moon faded out of sight.

“Nice to see the warm sun after the chillin’ night,” smiled Applejack.

“Eeyup.”

“Well, them apples ain’t gonna buck themselves.”

“Eeyup.”

“I’ll buck the apples on the other side of the orchard, and you buck the apples on this side of the orchard, ‘kay?”

“Eeyup.”

She moved to the very end of the orchard and found the three guards who always passed by that part of the orchard by that time of the morning.

“Mornin’ boys!”

“Good morning, ma’am.”

She placed the buckets beside the tree trunk and kicked the tree with her hind legs. The day would have gone as usual, kick, hear the apples fall and thump, and bring them in. Instead, no apples fell down. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up. All the apples in the tree were picked cleanly off, and some branches were cut off.

“Ahh horse feathers, we’ve been robbed... again.”

The three guards approached the seen of the crime.

“You have to give him credit for staying hidden so well,” commented a guard as he flew up and inspected the trees.

“Yeah, I guess you’re--” the shine of a small plastic-foil packet laid near the roots caught Applejack’s eye. “What the hay is this?” She picked up the pack and took a look at the front.

UNSC-GRADE PROTEIN BAR
FOR THE HUMANS IN THE FRONT LINE
CHOCOLATE FLAVOR

The guards stared at the little package. It was the first time that they ever got anything that was sure to be form him. One of them finally straitened up. “Get the princesses and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I think we’ve just found a trace to our illusive alien.”

Applejack whistled to the barn. “Winona! Get over here! I need ‘ya for somethin’! Apple Bloom, get my rope!”

Rainbow Dash woke up even before dawn came. She was still under the protective blanket of Garrett’s armor and gear, but he himself was not there anymore.

“Garrett? You here?”

Garrett, still in casual wear, crawled out of the tunnel of roots carrying two heaping piles of apples. The trooper laid down the piles right next to Rainbow Dash. He filled up her canister of water and placed it beside her head.

“You can have your stuff back,” said the blue pegasus.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, thanks.”

“Feeling better?”

“Better than before you forced down those potions.”

He slowly placed on the armor, but did not put on the helmet. He crouched next to Rainbow Dash and moved the pile of apples even closer. “Well, here’s breakfast.”

Since he gave Rainbow Dash more leg room by loosening her ropes, she was able to eat the apples with her hooves. Garrett crouched in front of her and also ate an apple.

As their meal went on, they watched as the sun and moon begin their exchange of place. The moon slowly walked to the horizon as the sun climbed out and into sight. The sky turned from the sacred night, to vibrant pink and orange. The clouds were highlighted in gold and silver from the East. Finally, the sun rose up to the sky like an Olympic torch. It was a thing of beauty.

“It never gets old, does it?” said Garrett as he finished his apple and turned to Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah... First time I ever noticed a sunrise like that... Kinda reminds me of when I did a sonic rainboom.”

“You know, even though we’re from different corners of the universe, it’s nice that we can both just stop and appreciate the same simple things in life. It’s nice that we can both just look at the same thing and appreciate its beauty--”

A bark of a dog interrupted him. He quickly placed on his helmet and polarized the visor. Out from the tunnel, Winona charged out, accompanied by Applejack and the three guards. Everywhere around Garrett, thirty more royal guards were landing from above. A carriage landed near the river, and out came Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, who no longer had the bandage, and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Pinkie Pie had a bag on her side and was growling. She opened the bag and revealed that it was filled to the brim with cupcakes.

“You’re gonna to give him cupcakes?” Twilight asked in disbelief, resisting the urge to facehoof.

“Does it look like I’m gonna ‘give’ him cupcakes?! No! I’m gonna assault him with extra sugary cupcakes and a thing called ‘diabetes’ Pinkie Pie style!” she snarled as she grabbed one and raised it high.

Twilight rolled her eyes as she and the others, including Fluttershy, were ready to rope Garrett down.

The guards surrounded the human and the pegasus by the tree. The ODST stayed absolutely still. He was still crouching and facing Rainbow Dash.

Out of the corner of the her eye, Rainbow Dash spotted him slowly reaching for the pistol on his waist.

Celestia’s voice boomed through the campsite. “We have you surrounded!”

All the royal guards and the princesses were poised to attack as Garrett slowly unbuttoned the holster and placed his hand on the grip.

“Garrett,” Rainbow Dash pleaded as she shook her head, “Please, don’t do it.”

After a short pause, Garrett removed his hand from his pistol and took off his helmet, revealing an emotionless face. He looked at Rainbow Dash. He had no more options, but he did not want to give up. He untied her and let her wings spread freely after being tied for so long. Finally, he stood up and took a deep breath. “Go.”

Rainbow Dash stood up and galloped to the care of her friends, who greeted her with hugs and cheers.

“Rainbow Dash! It’s so good to see you’re alright!” cheered Twilight.

“Rainbow Dash! Oh it must have been absolutely awful to be in the hands of that ruffian!” added Rarity.

“We were all so worried!” said Fluttershy as she was hugging her.

“Woohoo! Let’s celebrate with a party!” cheered Pinkie Pie.

“Come on, everypony! Quit pilin’ up on Rainbow Dash here! She needs room to breathe!” said Applejack as she was motioning them to loosen up.

Rainbow Dash smiled back at her friends. “It’s good to see you guys again!” As quick as the happiness of freedom filled her, worry began to make its way through her.

“Uhh... surgarcube? Y’alright?” asked Applejack

“I am... it’s just that... well...” She turned to Garrett, who was still standing still with his back facing her. “Garrett?”

Garrett said with a sigh, “Sorry, Dash, I’m not going to be taken prisoner again...” He raised his pistol and made the end of the barrel press against the side of his head. “...Not while I still have a chance.” His finger slowly came to the trigger.

“NO!” cried Celestia. In an attempt to stop him, she started to cast a spell to stop the trigger, but she was too late.

The moment Garrett heard the word, it was as if time slowed down around him. He spun around and threw his final flashbang. With one quick trigger, he shot it in the air with his pistol, closing his eyes before the round came in contact with the canister.

They were all caught completely off guard. The moment they came to, he was gone, and his helmet was gone as well.

The captain snapped, “He’s still nearby! Go! Go! Go!”

All the pegasi took off to the air while all the unicorns crawled through the tunnel and fanned out, with their crossbows drawn by magic.

Garrett continued sprinting. His camp was his only fallback plan, and it was gone. He had no more plan, and he just needed to run. He was already worn out and felt like he could not go any further. Even worse, the flying serpent venom and fever were still having effects on him, slowing him down even more.

Everywhere around him he could hear wings flap, hooves hit the ground, and guards yelling in pursuit. He heard crossbows fire and jumped to the side right on time to see them fly passed his sides, landing in the stump right in front of him. It was quickly encased in ice. Immediately he took cover and activated his VISR for any open area.

On all of his sides, he could see golden armor highlighted in red fly through the air and charge through the forest. The only open route he still had that did not have a guard was a clear shot through the forest and into a clearing. One more time, Archer, he told himself. He took one deep breath, and he sprinted with whatever strength he had left, ducking and dodging crossbow bolts, lighting bolts, and pegasi flying down as he finally made it to the clear.

One...

As he got even closer, the sound of rushing water became louder and louder.

More...

When he reached the end, without even thinking, he jumped with whatever his body could still give, falling down to the rapids.

...Time.

The last thing he could remember was his boots breaking the surface of the water, followed by the rest of his body.

Soaking wet, gasping, and unable to stand up, Garrett dragged himself up the riverbank. Every inch he moved felt like a mile. He dumped his helmet and felt the air rush into his lungs. He let his face rest on the ground and allowed the water to drain out of his mouth. His ears could hear hooves get closer and closer. He heard them come to a halt in front of him. Closing his eyes, he prepared for the worst.

“Please... make it fast," he begged.

Instead of what he expected as a ruthless beating, he felt a pony go under his outstretched arm and help him get up. Opening his eyes, he found Rainbow Dash by his side, carrying his weight.

Before he could even give her his thanks, he heard even more hooves crash down like thunder in front of him. Looking up, he found Luna, Celestia, the captain and a squad of ten pegasi guards glaring at him. They were barely five meters away. Behind the ponies were two carriages, one for the royal sisters, and one that was obviously meant to be for him.

Rainbow Dash turned her attention to the guards, standing high, still offering herself as a support, and blocking the way between the ponies and the human.

“Thanks for helping me, Dash,” Garrett said as he stopped at his knees.

“Hey, I owe you for keeping me alive. It’s what friends do.”

“And I owe you for saving my life, but I want you to leave.” He took his hands off her. “This is my conflict.”

“I don’t leave my friends behind!” she protested.

“Friends help each other, and I’m helping you by telling you to leave.”

“And I’m helping you up! Don’t handle things on your own! You’re just scared!”

Garrett paused for a moment and looked at her. Somehow, he could hear an explosion and a dying soldier whisper into his ears. “You’re right, Dash. I am scared. I’m scared of others stepping in the way and getting hurt because they’re trying to protect me. I’m scared of all this useless torture. I don’t want the same thing that happened to Johnny and the other guy happen to you. No one else, including you, should get hurt. It’s not fair for you to get stuck in the crap that I’m in. Want to return the favor of me helping you? Leave. Now.”

“But--”

“Follow a damn order!” he barked.

Rainbow Dash stood still like a statue, eyes wide open with shocked.

“Please... for once, listen to the lieutenant. I want to do this alone.”

Without giving a response, Rainbow Dash left his side and flew away with a guard escort of two.

Garrett shifted his attention to Celestia and Luna, closed his eyes, and continued standing on his knees. “I surrender. If you will give any harm to Rainbow Dash, give it to me. I’m the one who started all of this, and I’m the one who deserves it all. I’m willing to stay in the mess I made.”

“Gallant,” Luna commented. She turned toward Celestia. “Let us make sure that he has no more gear to surprise us with.”

“Agreed.”

Together, they both used their magic to open each pocket Garrett had. One by one, they emptied each pocket and floated the contents into a chest on their carriage, which already had many of the contraband that he used to have, such as his lighter. Every object, from his weapons, to his rations, to the gear in his rucksack, he surrendered willingly. The final pocket opened, and out came Garrett’s pictures of Sarah, Claire, and his parents. Next, his relics of home, his parents’ dog tags and a small, black box the size of his palm floated out. When he opened his eyes and saw them floating between him and the ponies, he immediately shot himself up.

“NO!”

He swiftly tried to reach for them, but was stopped as the pegasi guards bucked him to the ground. They began beating him, and he covered his head with his arms in a futile attempt to protect himself.

“Stop!” ordered Celestia. At once, they stopped. She took a careful look at the objects and floated them right in front of her.

Garrett slowly dragged himself across the ground to Celestia. He tried to reach up to retrieve his relics, but his hand fell short by mere inches and was shaking in the air.

Celestia payed extra attention to Garret’s, Sarah’s and Claire’s smiles on the photo. They, in her eyes, reminded her of the family love she shared with Luna. She remembered her little sister’s cheerful smile, which she kept reminding herself that it was worth fighting for. Carefully, she placed them into the chest and looked at Garrett, who was looking back at her, defeated and helpless.

“It’s over,” Celestia said, confused whether to feel proud and happy that he has been captured, or sad and pitiful that he was already suffering too much. “Give him a cell in the castle with a bed that fits his size.”

All of the guards, including the captain, cheered and celebrated as they brought Garrett to the second carriage, chained and restrained. They taunted him as they shut the door, and without muttering a single word, he placed on his helmet in shame. He was so drained and weak that all he could do was rest his head on the metal bars.

As the royal sisters got on to theirs, Celestia opened the chest again and brought out the black box. She opened it with her magic, and inside lay a diamond and sapphire ring shining brightly against the sun. It was so beautiful that it even made Celestia herself envious. There was a text printed on the inner side of the box, where it would be above the ring if it was closed. Celestia and Luna both read it.

I was the happiest and luckiest woman in the universe when I married you. No matter where you are or no matter what happens, Garrett, I’ll always remember you, and you’ll never leave my heart. I’ll always love you. I’ll see you back home! - Claire

Celestia then brought out the family picture. Staring at them, she and Luna reflected on what they knew about Garrett’s war, which was next to nothing.

“They have beautiful smiles,” Luna finally said as she shifted her attention from the ring to the picture.

“Much like yours.”

“He looks so happy... Why would he leave them behind?” said Luna, also feeling confused on her emotions.

Celestia shifted her attention to the captain. “Captain!”

“Yes, your highness?”

“When we get to the castle, see to it that Garrett receives proper medical attention. You and the other guards are to not give any harm to him whatsoever.”

“Understood.”

Garrett lost count of how many potions and spells the doctors gave him. By the time they actually finished giving him medical attention, it was already dusk. He barely cared. He was just glad that he was able to start recovery. They brought him to his cell. A massive mirror spanning one side of the wall lay opposite to his bed; a twin size bearing the scent of fresh woodwork. He was no idiot and he knew that the opposite side of the mirror had an observation room.

Garrett lay down on the bed. He spent so much time sleeping in a cryo-tube and on the ground that he forgot how soft a bed could truly be. It felt alien to him. He felt exposed that he did not have at least one hand on any sort of weapon or any armor on. For a strange reason that he could not comprehend, he felt safe. He closed his eyes and quickly felt relaxed. Exposed... but safe, he told himself before sleep took him over.

Part 4: A Starting Point

Garret paced everywhere inside his cell. He was well-rested, yet his body ached and was still slightly stiff as the last bits of the poison were still burning away. Finally, he stopped and looked outside the window. The sun shined brightly in the sky, and the citizens of Canterlot happily came about their daily business, reminding him of the peace humanity used to have before the Covenant War. Someday... we’ll have that again, he told himself. Someday...

The captain’s voice echoed behind the human. “After all this time, finally, we’ve got you. I have to give you credit for keeping it up for a long time, you insane son of a buck.”

Captain Galea, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia stood on the opposite sides of his cell, staring at him like he was their prey.

“As a UNSC jarhead, I’ll take those as a compliments,” Garrett answered back.

The captain rolled his eyes. “You humans have strange senses of humor.”

“It’s a marine thing,” Garrett laughed insultingly.

“Captain, please leave us,” said Celestia to Galea.

“Will do, your highness,” replied Galea before leaving.

“Wow, what a kiss ass,” Garrett said, shaking his head after the unicorn closed the door.

“Enough jokes, Garrett,” hissed Luna, temper beginning to rise. “Tell us what we want to know.”

“My name is Garrett S. Archer of the Eighth ODST Battalion. Lieutenant. UNSC Marine Corps. Serial Number-- ”

“We already know that,” interrupted Celestia.

“Then I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything else,” said Garrett as he sat down on his bunk. “Even if you try to force the answers out of me, I’m not going to spit a single word. We had a deal. I’ve done my part of it by going with you peacefully. Now it’s your turn, what did you do with Rainbow Dash?”

“We will not lay a single hoof on her,” said Luna. “We just want you.”

“You better.”

“Why do you care so much about her?” asked Celestia.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”

“You really enjoy toying with us, do you not?” said Luna as she shook her head slowly in disapproval.

“Yes and no.”

“Let’s start with the basics,” said Celestia. “Why are you here, and what do you want?”

“Last thing I remembered was receiving an order to meet up with my battalion. Before I knew it, I found myself being interrogated by ponies. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“But why did you have to threaten us at our first encounter?” asked Celestia.

“Sorry, you’re not the one who had an alien ship shoot you after waving and saying hello,” Garrett said, irritated. “I don’t care what you tell me. The earlier I get off this rock and regroup with the UNSC, the better. At least there I’m not having to deal with situations like this, and I all I have to do is point, shoot, and be honored as a hero.”

“Equestria has also faced dark times, and, with diplomacy and peaceful means, we have managed our way through them,” said Luna.

“And stop thinking about yourself and your war, Garrett,” said Celestia. “You are not the only one who’s been through difficulties where violence was found.”

Garrett took full notice of her first comment, and his voice was rising. “Myself? Myself? I’m just talking about myself? Listen to me very carefully, princess. Do you think I enjoyed in watching planets burn on video? Did I love hearing more news about families crying over their destroyed homes? Did I take pleasure in seeing marines give their blood to defend the places they held dear, only to have it burned down and have the ashes fall like snow?”

Luna and Celestia noticed a pain that was going through him, but it was difficult to see because of the anger present in his face.

“Garrett,” Celestia said, worried, “I did not mean that-”

“Spare me the lecture,” Garrett growled. “You don’t know what humanity’s been through, and you don’t know how it feels like to see a Covenant ship glass New Alexandria on screen, killing numbers of innocent, helpless people in the blink of an eye. Did we do anything? The closest battle group from another deployment was 48 hours away, so all we could have done was watch the news and back up a graveyard-” He raised his hand to cover his mouth, but he stopped halfway through. “Crap... I said all of that out loud, didn’t I?”

Garrett’s question did not need an answer. The three of them stood silent, looking at each other with lost words.

“Please, sister, this is only getting worse,” Luna pleaded to Celestia.

The two alicorns left the human and allotted themselves time to plan their next approach. Garrett, on the other hand, kept quiet in his cell, feeling guilty that he talked about the war in a way he never meant to say.

“Ordinarily, I would have given you hay, just like any other prisoner, but a certain pegasus saw to it that I give you this.” Captain Galea floated over Garrett’s lunch of steamed vegetables, fresh from the kitchen. The tray floated passed the door and landed with the soft clank of metal on the ground.

Garrett picked it up, smiled inside, and sat on his bunk as he ate his first ever cooked food in a long time. Thanks, Dash.

“I’m surprised you actually eat vegetables,” commented the captain.

“Hell, this is five stars compared to the stuff I was trained to eat.”

“Oh? Then what were you trained to eat?”

“You don’t want to know. Period.” Garrett forced a laugh. “I’m even amazed that it’s you who’s still entertaining me. I figured that your commanding officer would have wanted to talk to me instead.”

“I am in the highest rank of the guard, human. The ponies higher than my position would be the princesses.”

“Right, and I’m the heir to the throne.”

The captain felt his anger quickly reach to a boil inside him. He moved even closer to the steel bars separating him and Garrett as he growled, “You think you can just crash into Equestria, challenge me and the royal guards, threaten the princesses, and just taunt me?” It was his turn to force a laugh. “I’ve fought dragons, hydras, ursas, and many other monsters that make you look like a tiny mouse.”

Garrett dropped his fork on his meal, set it aside, and shot the captain a very nasty look that can challenge a cockatrice. “You think you’ve dealt with serious crap?” He stood up straight, taking full advantage of his superior height. As he moved closer to Galea, he allowed his temper to feed him as he continued, “Listen up and listen good, dirtbag, I’m fighting an alien armada so powerful and ruthless that they can turn this place into molten glass in a matter of seconds. They talk as if hunting my race is a sport, they shoot and kill without mercy, and they willingly display our bodies as trophies. Worst of all, they have split-lipped freaks that make you look like you could win a beauty pageant.”

He was so close to the captain that the only things dividing them were the steel bars. “I would have grabbed you by the shiny collar on your armor, asshole, if you stood a little bit taller. We don’t fight under the same flags, and as far as my war is concerned, your life means nothing to me.”

“Now, human, you’re speaking my language.”

“Good. Now shut up, leave me alone, and let me eat in peace.”

The captain turned and paced out of sight. Garrett could not help but flip him a middle finger as he left. Somehow, he felt satisfied on how he handled the conversation. Maybe it’s just the way I told him about the war. One way or another, he’s definitely a kiss ass.

The moon and sun finished their dance of colors after they exchanged places. Residents began turning off their lights, and the crickets chirped harmoniously to their rhythm. The door of Garrett’s cell swung open as Rainbow Dash entered his cell. “You alright?” she asked, still bearing a look of regret and worry.

“I’m fine. Your princesses and captain of the guard came and had a talk with me. I wasn’t in the mood to have a chat with them, especially with the captain. Gotta give your princesses credit for not having my head served to them on a silver platter... yet. Anyway, my real concern is your state. You defended and helped me, and by doing so, you defied your leaders.”

“I’m alright. They didn’t hurt me or anything if that’s what your thinking. They told me they weren’t going to hang you. Besides, they’re my friends. I trust them, and they trust me.”

“It’s either your princesses are saving me for something worse, or they still have a bit of mercy left in them. Either way, thanks for standing by my side,” he smiled. “Next time, follow an order.”

“Brought you a little gift to make up for it,” said Rainbow Dash as she revealed a small box she hid under her wings. She tossed it over to his hands.

“Thanks,” He said after he opened the box. He placed on his dog tags and kept his relics of home, smiling as he knew he had all that he needed.

Celestia, Luna, and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony sat behind the one-way mirror and watched the human and pegasus talk to each other.

“We are playing a dangerous game, sister,” said Luna.

“I know,” Celestia sighed, “but it may be the only way to get him talking without hostility.”

“I just hope she can convince him to trust us,” said Luna, “but after all we did to him and after all he did to us, it is almost impossible to even start one.”

“Don’t worry, your highness,” Applejack assured. “We can trust her t’ah get him started somewhere.”

“One thing I want to know is if he likes cupcakes!” squeaked Pinkie Pie.

“Ooh, I hope that ruffian won’t do anything to Rainbow Dash,” murmured Rarity. “If he does, however, he will pay.”

Twilight kept silent as she had a quill and papers, ready to take down every single detail of Garrett’s conversation.

Rainbow Dash leaned against the wall and watched Garrett look at his pictures as if he was holding the key to humanity’s victory against the Covenant. “Garrett, you’re a really awesome guy. You’re hardcore and tough with a good side. Why did you join the ODSTs?”

Garrett sat down and kept his items. “I graduated army college with flying colors and got into the coast guard. Claire and I settled down for a moment, and I did some additional studying while on the job, which, by the way, helped me a lot later on for the real deal. It was only when my parents died when I truly understood the weight of the war and signed up for ODSTs.

I’ve trained so hard back at the center. I poured out my blood, sweat, and tears to get those flying colors. I wanted to protect my teammates-- my friends, making sure that none of them get hurt. And what happened? Day one, fifteen people... gone, and two of them took the pain that was meant for me. In hindsight, it’s two people... for one life... One single life out of billions who could have easily replaced me.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Garrett in worry, aware that he may be going too far. “Garrett, stop talking like that-”

“This war has destroyed the life where we thought humanity could live safely among the stars. It destroyed the life where we could be playing and laughing under the sun and adoring the stars at night, knowing that we’re safe from threats. I’m fighting to get that reality back as much as I can... if I can. I would do anything just to see that again, but what could I do? I’m just one small man.”

Rainbow Dash’s thoughts were shouting inside, Come on, Rainbow Dash! This isn’t hanging out for you or for him! Think of something! “But out of the billions of humans out there, you are the one and only Garrett Archer. You’ll never be replaced.”

“Yeah, and neither will the planets the Covenant glassed and the people who died in this war.”

Garrett kept his head down. “I was one of the oldest in the group because I completed army college and took the extra courses. Me and Dante both took officer’s school. Somehow, I was the one who got more attention. It was as if I was their role model, and they would have followed me to the gates of hell.

All of them looked up to me like I was some sort of war hero. Through our training, we forged new families together. Those bonds were so strong that we marched straight to a group of zealots, in the full knowledge that we would die together, fighting.” His voice was breaking apart. “It’s really interesting that... It’s funny because... Excuse me for a moment.”

He walked to the window, and his breathing became slow and steady. He rested his head against the steel bars which overlooked Canterlot, face hardened in deep thought, then he returned back into a seating position on the edge of the bed, still facing the window. “They were good people... like a family away from my family. Brothers and sisters fighting side by side. Brothers and sisters marching together. Brothers and sisters...‘til the very end.”

The princesses and the six heroines of Equestria felt those sentence hit hard on them, and they all were feeling sorry for him. Rainbow Dash stood up and looked at him, face flowing with pity. “Garrett... I’m really sorry...”

Garrett nodded. “I... Just give me some time.”

Rainbow Dash nodded back and left him. She looked back at him as she was at the door, face buried with emotions.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, had other plans. She passed through the doors, entered the cell, and went passed Rainbow Dash. “Garrett?”

Turning his head, Garrett found the yellow pegasus looking at him, eyes filled care and love instead of the usual hate and anger the others usually gave him. “I said leave me alone,” he grumbled.

“Garrett, I don’t want to hurt you. I want to help you.”

“Tell that to your princesses and the captain,” He said as he looked away.

“Please, listen to me,” she pleaded in her soft, angelic voice as she came to his side. “I take care of animals. I love and care for each and every one of them, and I want to share that kindness to you.”

“I want nothing of what you have... except for isolation.”

Disobeying his request, Fluttershy took a seat beside Garrett. “Please, talk about it. It’ll make me understand you more, and it’ll make you know yourself more.”

“Garrett, talk to her. I trust her, and she really wants to help,” Rainbow Dash said before leaving him and Fluttershy alone.

Sensing the truth in her voice, Garrett gave in. Really, Archer? he thought to himself. You’re that desperate for home?

Yes, damn it. I am.

“I’m surrounded by a million faces, I’m getting a hell of a lot of attention, and I’m getting one of the hardest things in life, kindness and compassion in an instant, from a yellow pony, yet it’s still not what I want.”

“Then what do you want?” asked Fluttershy.

“I just want to go home.”

The statement took a hit on everypony, making them fall even more silent than thought possible.

“I would send letters, but most of them are a line or two that go along the lines of ‘I’m fine. Hope everything’s okay back there.’ My words are cold and flat, and Sarah and Claire deserve more than that.”

As Fluttershy was about to make a move, Garrett cut her off by talking again.

“If you’re about to ask why I joined the corps, it’s also because I want to make sure that my wife can be safe and my child can grow up safe. I... I haven’t talked to them in person for...” His voice shook a bit. “...I lost count. I thought that intentionally forgetting how many years I haven’t talked to them without a screen in between wouldn’t make it hurt as much as counting. If I needed anything from back home, Claire would have sent it to me by mail. An average training course for an ODST takes a long time, and I enrolled on majority if not all of them to be one of the best. Turns out, even the best have breaking points. I’ve never been so alone my entire life.” He gave a single, short sob, but he quickly sucked it up. “Damn it... why am I being soft at a time like this? Am I really this desperate?”

Fluttershy shushed him gently. “It’s alright. We all have those feelings locked inside.”

“And another thing, why are you being nice to me? You know I caused a lot of harm. I figured you would at least gotten payback.”

“I’m not like that.”

“Still, why are you here? If I had a dangerous alien in a cell, I would have left it alone and let the others handle it for me.”

“In my eyes, you’re not dangerous. You’re scared, Garret. You’re alone, you miss home, and you’re sad. You need friends,” she placed her hoof on his hand as she said, “and I want to be one of those friends because I want to do what I can to heal the wounds of your heart.”

Garrett at first winced as her hoof came in contact, but he accepted it and saw a small smile appear on her face. Taking it another step further, he placed the same hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder, grasping gently as well. “You’re the first pony I’ve met who isn’t trying to harm me. You remind me Claire so much. You’re loving, caring, understanding, and forgiving... just like her... Thank you for talking to me and bringing me at least a small piece of home. You’re right. This... really helped a lot.”

“I hope we get to talk again soon.” Fluttershy smiled, satisfied that she got him on his good side. She left the room, leaving behind Garrett, who had a weak smile on his face and a spark of hope in his soul.

Luna felt her emotions form mixed results inside her. Despite everything he did, part of her wanted to go to his side and whisper that everything will turn out fine. “I... I do not know what to do with him anymore. His words have touched me, and they came from his heart. He spoke the truth, and no amount lies could have been made with such emotion.”

Celestia sighed, also confused with her emotions. When she heard about Garrett’s family, she remembered how lonely she felt when Nightmare Moon was imprisoned, leaving her alone and without the sister she cared for. “How about this, I cast the same spell to look inside his mind to our mirrors, and if something happens, at least we’ll know about it. Okay?”

“Alright, sister. Come, let us go to bed. Perhaps tomorrow we... we can think of something.”

The next day, nopony dared to utter a single word to him. Garrett may have supressed his emotions, but it was easily exposed that he was still hurt deep inside, and when that happened, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would be there to talk and comfort him.

Celestia, Luna, and the other bearers, finally including Rainbow Dash, scanned through Garrett’s files on his data drive. This time, however, the screen was labeled differently.

WELCOME, GARRETT ARCHER
HELMET SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE
ONE NEW AUDIO LOG
PASSWORDS HAVE BEEN LIFTED ON FOLDER A

Celestia pressed on the first file that had its password lifted. At once it the screen opened into an audio message, and the timeline showed that it was during Garrett’s return to Canterlot Castle. The speakers whispered the passing air and flapping wings of the pegasai as he was being flown back in his escort. Failure and defeat were all too present in his tone.

“Sarah, Claire, if you receive this... I just... I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I’ve been captured, and I’m being flown in to who knows what kind of sentence I’m getting. I don’t know if I’ll be executed or tortured to beyond being saved. Daddy may not be going home. I’m sorry. This is one promise he can’t keep.”

“I just wanted to tell you, Sarah, that I was just trying to protect you. I love you and I would have done anything to make sure you’re safe. Please, I want you to understand that your happiness and safety are what kept me going. Daddy’s always happy when you’re happy... that was the only thing he dreamed of. ‘Nothing gold can stay.’ I know you’re still too young to understand this, but later on, you’ll realise that you saw everything like it’s a new adventure. You always see everything as something new to learn from, and you’re always excited to jump in. That’s gold. Keep it that way. It’s the best way daddy knows you’re happy.

Claire... I just wanted you and Sarah to be safe. I... I don’t know what to say. Words can’t describe how I truly feel. The years that I have spent with you were the best of my life, and if I had a choice to live a time of my life over and over again for the rest of my life, that time would have been the years I spent with you and my parents. Don’t feel sad. You know me, and you said that I would never leave your heart. Don’t be burdened by me. If you want to truly remember me, I want you to live the values we live by everyday, and I want you to pass those to Sarah like you’re her guide. Teach her everything.”

The captain’s voice growled through the speakers with flame. “We’re here, human. Get over here!”

Garrett’s last words were the barely audible whispers of a man who was going to say his final sentence before execution. “Goodbye... Daddy loves both of you very much.”

AUDIO LOG COMPLETED

A cold breeze blew through the windows, and Celestia closed them and the blinds as the blanket of the night covered Equestria. No matter how many times she tried to clear her mind, Garrett’s message to his family seized to leave her thoughts. Garrett, what am I suppose to do with you know? After she lied down in bed and covered herself with blankets, she took one last peek of his dreams through her mirror.

In his mind, Garrett was back at his camp after the flying serpent incident, and he was watching Rainbow Dash hold herself together as the cold temperature took control of her body. It showed the discovery of the lost lighter, to the sacrifice of the insulation of his armor, and to the point where he shared his body heat.

“You’re even colder than I am,” Rainbow Dash said.

“N-not c-complaining,” Garret said in between chatters. “Sh-shut up and s-stay warm.”

“Why are you being nice to me?”

“R-returning the favor. G-go to s-sleep. Th-that’s an o-order.”

The cold breeze was blowing even harder against the window, and Celestia remembered that Garrett’s room was facing the direction of the wind. She knew that the blanket the guards provided him gave next to no insulation. It’s your duty as a princess to help anyone, she told herself, and anyone includes him.

With that in mind, Celestia got out of bed and left her room. Right outside her door was Luna, who was also going to the direction of Garrett’s cell, and her face showed that she had the same intention. They both gave nods to each other before going down the hallway.

When they reached Garrett’s cell, they saw him shaking uncontrollably as the cold was encasing his body, making him stiffen and curl up in an attempt to stay warm, but the two princesses knew that his attempts were futile. Celestia and Luna cast their spell, weaving a blanket of magic that glowed orange. They covered the human with it, and almost immediately he stopped shaking, loosened up, and relaxed.

“That spell ought to keep him warm until the morning,” Luna whispered to Celestia, satisfied. They both went down the hallway, leaving Garrett alone.

“Thank you,” he said to them right before they closed the door of the hallway. Fluttershy’s voice echoed in Garrett’s head saying, “You need friends.”

“All right, I’ll give it a shot,” he murmured to himself.

After dawn, Celestia, Luna, and the others insisted that Garrett be allowed to get some fresh air in the gardens. After being searched numerous times, and after being stripped down to his casual UNSC clothes, he was finally shown the door. Opening it wide, the immediate rush of fresh air filled his lungs and somehow made him relax. He walked around the gardens and looked at the various fountains and plants which the keepers maintain year-round. To make sure that he did not try anything, twenty guards, Celestia, Luna, and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony accompanied him. Showing no interest at all in even thinking of escaping, he just sat on a bench that lay next to a pond.

Celestia moved to his side. “Garrett, you’ve seen and experienced so much. You’ve been fighting in a bloody war, you’ve been captured twice and tortured on the first, and you haven’t seen your family in years. From what I know, many would have already lost themselves to great extents. How are you able to keep yourself together?”

Garrett was silent for a minute, staring at the pond. “You are who you choose to be,” he finally said as he turned to her with a face that showed zero hostility. He then turned back to the pond and watched a white lotus float by. “Some cultures use the lotus to represent purity because it stays clean above water. I guess they’re right. No matter how much things have happened, a man’s soul will never change. Its beauty will stay pure and unaffected. No matter how much things I’ve been through, the most important thing to know is that I should not let that change who I truly am. If it were to change me, I would try to make sure that it would be for the better.”

“Beautiful and very poetic,” Rarity commented.

“Thanks.”

“So how do you humans party?!” Pinkie Pie half-yelled.

Garrett turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”

“How do you party?!” Pinkie Pie repeated, emphasizing every phrase with a jump. “You know! Cake, music, streamers, balloon, and-- ooh! Cupcakes!”

“Small group of friends, nice and calm music in the background, and a nice view of the city,” replied Garrett.

“That sounds boring!” the pink pony squeaked, still bouncing about. “Where’s the fun stuff like confetti?!”

“There are people, like me, who prefer less... loud occasions. I admit, it’s fun every now and then to go to a party and dance to the music provided by the DJ, accompanied by laser lights and glow sticks.”

“Ooh! Do they give cupcakes there?!”

“...Why cupcakes?” Garrett asked back.

Pinkie Pie gasped. “Because cupcakes are sweet and tasty! You can make a cupcake made of your craziest ideas, and it’ll still be good!”

“So? Me and my friends have done crazy things with pizza a long time ago.”

“Ooh, tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!”

“The crust was made with chocolate chips and stuffed with dark chocolate. Instead of tomato sauce, we used peanut butter and chocolate spread. We replaced cheese with marshmallows and macadamia nuts. Did I mention the pizza was sixteen inches?”

“We should try that!” the pink pony squeaked, mouth watering just by thinking of it.

“You still didn’t answer my question, though,” Garrett said. “Why put cupcakes in the kind of party I was talking about?”

Celestia smirked. “Why not?”

Garrett turned to her, and he opened his mouth to say something, but he found no words to use.

“...Well played,” he said as he clapped his hands.

“You ODSTs fellers must be the best. Reckon’ y’all take on them aliens head-on and buck ‘em straight to the moon!” Applejack said.

Garrett looked back at her with a smirk of pride and a face of shame. “No... ODSTs aren’t the best. There are these select group of soldiers called Spartans. They’re highly trained, ready to snap a neck with one hand, and their bodies have been modified so much that their bones are virtually indestructible. Their reflexes are twice-- thrice as fast as mine. They’re so strong they can tear off my arm clean off the socket with all their limbs tied together. Their armor is so high-tec that it weighs a ton, and they carry it around like a feather. Perfect soldiers, right?”

They all nodded, and some guards moving closer, filled with a sudden interest.

Garrett kept all of his attention at the lake as he continued, “That’s the problem. Us ODSTs hate being beaten. We hate being outdone. We... don’t exactly agree with spartans, but in the field, we put our differences aside and work well enough to make twice as much noise and fireworks. Some officers back at Command also despised the spartans, so they decided to make bold decisions with the budget. As far as I go, I’m fine with all of it. All I care about is winning the war.”

“So... how come you did not join the spartans?” asked Rarity.

“Only a select few get chosen. Plus, I’ve seen pictures of augmentation process. If you survive, you’re Superman. If your body fails to adapt...” Garrett shivered just by thinking of it. “The results aren’t pretty.”

Twilight was taking down notes of the entire conversation, obviously indulged by the information Garrett was providing. “Can you tell us more about your race?” she asked, dipping her quill with ink.

“Where do you want me to start?” he asked, eyes fixed on the swans bathing in the water.

“How many humans are there?”

“I honestly have no idea. We’ve had roughly twenty billion casualties in the Covenant war so far.”

Everypony gasped.

“The advantage of colonizing other planets.” Garrett picked up a stone and flung it, making it skip across the pond. “Ten skips... not bad.”

Celestia floated a rock with her magic and also made it skip as well, smiling in satisfaction as it fell with a loud plop. Silence quickly covered the area, and she discovered that Garrett was looking at her, eyes fixed her and on Twilight’s floating quill.

“Never go the chance to ask you about that...”

“You can’t do magic?” Twilight asked as she had the quill ready for the answer.

“No. We rely on technology to do things such as making artificial gravity in deep space. We only fake that there’s magic by using cheap illusions and tricks.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “I thought I told you we do magic here in Equestria.”

“Half of the time I thought you were lying to me, and the other half, I wasn’t really listening,” replied Garrett. “Tell me the basics of your ‘magic’. I’m all ears.”

“...Controlling the sun and moon, changing the weather, changing mice to horses, breaking the sound barrier and making rainbows with those wings, and more crap I can’t understand. Hell, and I thought the Covenant loved screwing with human minds.”

“Wait, if you can’t understand magic, then who controls your sun and moon?” asked Twilight.

“No one does. Gravity does the work for us. In my race’s reality, animals take care of themselves in the wild, plants grow on their own, biological life can’t break the sound barrier, and the weather operates on its own will.”

"Like the Everfree Forest," mumbled Applejack.

“Pretty much.”

“What do you think of the image you made of yourself here in Equestria?” asked Twilight. “You’ve been thought of as a ruthless, merciless killing machine.”

“I don’t care what you say about me. In the front line, all I care about is the safety and welfare of my men and humanity. If there’s someone who’s considered a threat to my mission and my soldiers, I would gladly pump him full of lead. You can call me whatever you want, but I have a wife and child to look after, and they’re both waiting for me back home, waiting for the father that’s been gone for years...”

A guard finally broke out, “I’m amazed you aren’t even trying to escape.”

“Why should I? I’m being fed, I’ve got a place to sleep, I’m protected by walls, I’m not being tortured... so far, and you’re all doing your part of the deal. Looks like you’re being soft on your prisoner. Besides, what’s the point of escaping? My ship’s a wreck, and I can’t do anything that can get me home.”

Twilight’s quill stopped the moment he said prisoner. “You’re not our prisoner,” she said.

“Then what am I?”

The silence offered no form of help.

Garrett sighed. “I’ve had enough fresh air for the day. I’ll be back in my cell if you need me.”

The days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to two. The human never tried any attempts of escape. The princesses and the six heroines of Equestria never returned to his ship, fearing that the may find more disturbing files. During those two weeks, whenever they tried talking to Garrett, even with the bribery of Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes and the encouragement of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, he somehow managed to slip away and cut off each conversation. That left them unable to get any information out of him. Amidst all that time, he never revealed his emotions about the war and home again, keeping up his “hardcore soldier” attitude.

Garrett was in his armor being pinned by two jackals in a land of scorched earth. Three elites were standing in front of him. Through his eyes, they each deserved a bullet or two to the head. He yelled at the top of his voice, “Come on! Fight me! Hit me! I’m not afraid of you!”

“Silence, human!” said the first one.

“Like hell I will!”

The alien punched him in the face.

Wait a minute, that didn’t hurt, so that means I’m dreaming. “Is that all you got?!” he taunted.

The second elite spoke out, “He will not stay quiet, but I know what will.” The alien walked past Garrett and away from his sight.

The sound of another struggling human, male, echoed behind Garrett. The same elite came back into his view, but with a very familiar looking naval officer in its grasps, and the appearance made his face lose color. “Colonel Stanford!”

The elite brought out a plasma pistol and aimed it right at the colonel’s head. “Talk, human! Or you’re white-dressed master will become my next meal!”

Garrett spotted the colonel slowly shake his head and mouth out, “No.” As ordered, he kept his mouth shut.

“No words? Very well.” The sangheili shot the colonel, and his lifeless body fell on to the scorched earth.

“No!”

The aliens tossed the body to a pile of carcasses which, to Garrett’s horror, were composed of Johnny, Dante, Jenny, Ashley, and the rest of his close ODSTs with similar scorch marks on the back of their heads.

“Wake up! Wake up!” shouted Luna as she shook her sister awake in her bedroom in the middle of the night.

“Why? What’s happening?” asked Celestia, still slightly drowsy.

“Look!” Luna held up a mirror with her magic.

The mirror again showed the alien bringing another human, a female.

Garrett felt his stomach make a violent turn and his spine send a shock so strong the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight. “CLAIRE! NO!” This is just a dream! This is just a dream! This is just a dream! She’s still safe! It’s just a dream!

The alien forced his wife to her knees.

“No! Don’t hurt her! Shoot me instead!”

“Too late, human!”

The alien pointed its weapon to his wife’s head.

“I love you, Garrett!”

The elite fired.

Celestia and Luna felt cold shocks shoot up through their spines like lightning as they were already dashing towards Garrett’s cell.

Garrett’s rage made him howl and fight so hard that he slipped free of the jackals’ grasps. He quickly reached for the needler on one of the jackal’s waist and shot both of them in the head. After quickly recovering the second needler of the other jackal, he aimed both of them at the trio of executioners. His anger made him squeeze the triggers so hard that it was a miracle that they stayed intact, and the elites screamed in agony as the spikes made their way to them, but they were quickly muffled as they exploded into a pink cloud.

Luna and Celestia finally reached his cell. Garrett was covered in sweat and he was breathing irregularly. They both shook him awake with their magic.

“Garrett! Wake up! Wake up!” they yelled.

Garrett finally opened his eyes. He quickly stood up and raised his fists up in the air, ready to fight whatever was out there. “Come on! Who’s next?! Bring it!” The fires of rage were all too present in his tone.

“Calm down,” said Celestia, backing off slightly, “You were having a dream, and you looked like you were having trouble.”

Realizing that he was back in reality, Garrett allowed his rage to simmer down. He slowly lowered his fists, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and took a seat.

“Are you alright?” asked Luna

The human kept quiet. He stared at the floor with his elbows on his knees and muttered, “Claire... Stanford...”

While he was not looking, Celestia conjured a glass of water and offered it to Garrett. “Would you like to talk about it? If you’re uncomfortable, I understand.”

Garrett shook his head after he finished the glass. “I’ve had a lot of nightmares before. I’m not new to these. Just give me a moment.”

They nodded and watched him stay quiet, pondering over his dream. After a while, he finally asked, “How did you know I was having a nightmare, anyway? I’m sure you couldn’t have heard me from your towers.”

“We cast a spell on a mirror to see into your dreams, so we can tell if something is wrong,” replied Luna.

“In my race’s perspective, we call that being a... never mind,” Garrett replied. “The dream, though... it felt... real.”

“All dreams feel real,” replied Celestia. “It’s only when we wake up that we realize that it was all in our head.”

“Yeah... all in our head. Thanks for getting me out of it, by the way. Sorry for disturbing you at this time, ma’am.”

Celestia and Luna nodded before making their way out, leaving Garrett behind, who was as silent as the night. Before they split up to reach respective bedrooms, they both came to a halt.

“Sister,” Luna said, “there was something I sensed about Garrett’s dream that was... unnatural.”

“I know. I sensed it, too. There was a strange strand of magic in there, and it could only be done by...”

Luna completed the sentence for her before going away, “...Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia did not go back to sleep. The soft and luxurious bed offered no comfort to her. She spent the remaining time before sunrise staring straight at the window which overlooked Canterlot, waiting for time to pass by and pondering over the strange magic and Garrett’s last sentence. That was the first time he ever called me ma’am.

Light seeped in to the office as the mayor of Ponyville continued doing her daily routine. Stacks upon stacks of paperwork were waiting on her desk, demanding her attention. The only sounds in her office were the sounds of a wall clock and her quill writing on papers. Another day... another pile of papers, she thought to herself, yawning. After she finished reading a report on how Pinkie Pie was keeping a low profile ever since the date Garrett got captured, she decided to have a break and went outside for fresh air.

At once, she seized the chance to abandon the paperwork, proceeded through the doors, and found a gathering crowd in surrounding a carriage which had a strange object strapped to the back. Captain Galea and several other commanders of the royal guard already took positions in creating a perimeter.

As the door swung open, everypony tried to raise their necks to see the passengers exit. After Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity stepped out, they started greeting their Ponyville friends with smiles and giggles. However, before any conversation was about to begin, the six ponies stepped aside, allowing another figure to exit the carriage. Everypony gasped and started backing away as Garrett stood outside, wearing only his casual black pants, black ODST shirt, and black boots combination. He surveyed the area without any sign of hostility. The Ponyville residents, however, were the complete opposite.

“It’s him!”

“It’s the alien!”

“He stole from my shop!”

“Why isn’t he in chains?!”

“Lock him away! Let him rot in a cell!”

“Or to the moon for a thousand years!”

Big Macintosh walked out of the crowd and stood in the way between Applejack and Garrett. “Go away,” he growled as he was getting himself ready to attack the human in an instant.

Garrett sighed and looked at Twilight, face bearing nothing but disappointment and shame. “I told you they’d hate me.” He made his way to the rear of the carriage, released the straps, and placed down a strange object with four massive wheels.

“Garrett, what are you doing?” asked Rarity.

“Leaving,” he said coolly. “I’m going back to my cell since I’ve got nothing better to do. Besides, if they want me to be behind bars, fine. At least there I have the luxury of talking to your princesses, which I admit I’m starting to look forward to.”

“But you can not simply leave! We have so much we want to show you!”

“Garrett, I know things aren’t turning out so well, but you’ve gotta believe us that Ponyville is full some of the nicest ponies I’ve ever met,” said Twilight.

Garrett’s voice was filled with dead enthusiasm. “Right, if this is your idea of the town being nice, then I don’t want to find out what being hostile is.”

“Garrett, please,” begged Fluttershy.

“Come on! I’ll start a party just for you!” cheered Pinkie Pie.

“And I want to show you some of my tricks!” yelled Rainbow Dash.

“An’ I wanna bring you t’ah Sweet Apple Acres f’er some apple pie!” added Applejack, who was about to get closer to Garrett, only to be stopped by Big Macintosh, who shook his head as their eyes met.

Garrett made sure that everypony was listening to him. “Look, if they want an alien in their midst to leave them alone, so be it. The least I could do for this place is to give them something humanity can’t have.” He mounted the vehicle and hit the ignition, making it growl and show off its horsepower.

The one time the princesses allowed him to get one thing that wasn’t a weapon from his ship, it had to be something fast, Captain Galea thought to himself.

“Feels good being on a mongoose again,” Garrett said, smiling to himself as he revved up the vehicle. He directed his attention towards the road, which was blocked by the town folk. He cleared his throat. “Well? Aren’t you going to make way for the alien to get his ass in gear?”

With that, the residences happily opened the road, showing off the path heading to Canterlot. “Don’t go back to Canterlot,” said Garrett to his six acquaintances. “I don’t want to make your day even worse.” After finishing his sentence, the trooper drove off.

Galea turned to two of the pegasi commanders, which were a mare and a stallion. “Commander Turbulence, Commander Downburst, make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble.”

The two commanders nodded. Turbulence, the mare, was the first to take off, followed by Downburst.

“Oh, Garrett,” Flutttershy murmured, “please forgive them.”

“Whaddaya suppose we do now?” asked Applejack. “He ain’t gonna take a step into Ponyville f’er the rest of his life.”

Twilight felt a fire of hope ignite inside her. “I have an idea.”

“A party for him?!” asked Pinkie Pie.

“No.”

“A new range of clothes for him?” asked Rarity.

“No.”

“Front row seats to the Wonderbolts, with him getting autographs?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“NO!”

Garrett and Celestia were walking and talking together as they passed through the hallways of Canterlot Castle. The sunlight shined through the window and reflected off the marble walls and floors, lighting up the entire place.

“Garrett,” said Celestia, “we’ve been talking mostly about your war and violence. I do not want to know you as a soldier, but as an individual.”

“Alright, then where do you want me to start?”

“Perhaps tell us something about your forms of entertainment,” She suggested.

“Jogging early in the morning with my pet dog Viktor. Usually we do it along the coastline so we get to watch the peaceful, quiet night turn into the beautiful day. On a regular winter day, Sarah would usually be in the daycare center, and Claire would be home, dead tired after looking after her. On that kind of day, I sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with a good book in my hand. Viktor would usually be sleeping on my lap, and Claire usually naps on the same couch and almost always rests her head on my shoulder as I read.”

“You have simple tastes,” said Celestia, smiling as she tried to imagine the scene.

“Though the nice silence gets interrupted every now and then by Viktor’s snoring,” Garrett chuckled. “He’s only a puppy, though, so it gets really cute, and when Sarah naps, her snore is cuter than Viktor’s.”

“That must be something you look forward to.”

“I sure do. By the way, where’s Luna? Usually she’s always with you every time we talked.”

“She’s in the library.”

“No kidding,” he said as he stopped in front the door of the princesses’ private library, the door creaking open. “Is she still here?” he said as he stuck his head inside.

“Last time I recall, yes.” Garrett was suppressing laughs like a moron. “Is there something wrong?” asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow. The trooper motioned Celestia to also stick her head inside. After doing so, the sun princess heard the unmistakable sound of snoring and saw the sight of Luna sleeping like a student bored to tears in a classroom, head cushioned in a pillow of books.

“Wow, that’s a cute one,” Garrett whispered, grinning stupidly. Celestia giggled, also trying to prevent waking up her sister.

“She had a busy night last night, and it would be rude to wake her up,” she said, closing the door with her magic. However, it was probably the loudest sound she ever heard as the mechanism clicked. The sound of Luna giving a quick snort came next, followed by her hooves approaching the door.

“Is somepony there?” she asked.

Garrett and Celestia started to pace away from the library. They were too late, however, and the white, marble doors swung open, revealing an alicorn curious of the situation.

“I have to admit, you were pretty adorable,” Garrett said with a sinister grin.

“W-what?” Luna stuttered in shock.

Garrett chuckled and replied, “You were snoring inside the library.”

Celestia giggled. “Yes, and it was quite of a cute one.”

“S-stop it!” Luna stuttered again, blushing. “I do not snore!”

“You’re blushing, that means you do!” Garrett said with a laugh.

“You have no evidence that I snore!” Luna answered back.

“If you do that spell thing where you look into my mind, I can show you,” Garrett insisted, giving a nod to Celestia.

“Never!” yelled Luna.

The passing guards nearby broke out in laughter, and Garrett and Celestia joined in, savoring the first friendly laugh they ever had with each other and leaving Luna giving an adorable pout.

Part 5: Earning

The morning birds chirped cheerfully as the sun rose, lighting up Equestria and starting off a new day. Garrett heard the door swing open, followed by a single set of armored hooves that undeniably belonged to a guard.

“This early?” he grumbled. “What do you want from me now--” he was cut off as he saw a different guard come into view.

A mare pegasus guard stood straight and was looking at him, eyebrow raised as if she was expecting more. For a soldier that can cause a lot of havoc in an hour, he looks so... incapable of doing so, she thought to herself.

“Who are you suppose to be? Kiss Ass Number Two?” Garrett asked.

“Lieutenant Commander Turbulence.”

“So your captain got bored with me. Let me guess, you started making bets who could piss me off the most.”

“No,” she replied. “Captain Galea is my commanding officer, and he gave us an order to not harm you. Fortunately for you, none of the other commanders wanted to do anything while the princesses were busy with you.”

“Just get to the point.”

“I think differently compared to them.”

“Everyone does, genius.”

“I always tried to put myself in your situation. I tried to think of myself crashing in flames, waking up only to be greeted by freaky aliens, and do whatever’s needed to survive. Apparently, I would have also found myself in a similar situation such as yours, minus the fact that you did a wheelie on that vehicle thing while you were going back here. I admit, that was impressive.”

“What? Trying to be my friend, then?” he asked sarcastically.

“Stop trying to act so tough. I’ve been overhearing your conversations, and yes, I’m feeling sorry for you. It’s hard not seeing your family for years.”

Garrett growled, feeling exposed, “Does anyone else know?”

“No. I’m the only one. I want you, me and the rest of the guard to mutually respect each other, and I would prefer to start off by seeing what you can do.”

“Your point being?”

“You’ve been threatened by us the entire time you’ve been here. You’re like a phoenix that’s been locked up in a cage for an eternity. I want to see what you can do in the open. Besides, it’s scheduled for sunshine all day for the next few days.”

“Arranging a little ‘accident’ for me, then? That doesn’t seem so polite. After all, I did save your princess from snakes.”

Turbulence felt the memory flash right before her eyes. She remembered watching Garrett attack the flying serpents like a furious bull that was pumped full of rage, and she also remembered his note on the Luna’s bandaged foreleg.

“...And because of that,” she said, snapping back into reality, “I’m going to give you a treat.” She opened his cell with a key and motioned him to follow her.

Cautiously, he did so, senses tuned in so well that it was easy for him to hear a pin drop.

The majority of the guards in the dining room were still drowsy after waking up. They were out of their armor and were in the various stages of lining up, eating, and chatting, still cheerful about Garrett’s capture. Captain Galea picked up his food and sat with Commander Downburst and a group of guards, who were in the middle of a discussion.

“Morning, captain,” one guard greeted.

“Morning,” he replied. “Nice to see a change in schedule today. Nothing special happening for the rest of the week.”

“I agree,” said another guard. “Still... what about the human?”

“Yeah,” said a third, “what are we going to do with him? I mean, in my opinion... he’s just... scared and freaked out. I don’t really think he’s not that bad. I would’ve done the same thing if I met a group of aliens.”

Downburst snorted. “Which part? The part where he punched me in the snout at the beginning, or the part where he’s been the main topic of chat among us?”

“Well... he did manage to make Princess Celestia laugh. That counts as something, doesn’t it?”

Downburst shook his head. “I swear, the only time I’d believe that he ‘isn’t so bad’ is if he’d walk straight inside here, take a tray of breakfast, and eat with a commander--” he was cut off as the entrance door swung open.

Ordinarily, everypony would have greeted the ones coming in. This time, however, all the guards fell silent. It was hard to concentrate as Lieutenant Commander Turbulence walked in, escorted by First Lieutenant Garrett Archer. “You have got to be kidding me,” Downburst grumbled.

The moment Garrett got a view of the room, he quickly came to a halt, eyes fixed straight at Turbulences’ with straight rejection.

“Hell. No.” He was clenching his fists tightly in an attempt to expel some of the energy building up inside him.

The pegasus paid no attention to him as she continued moving down the hall and lined up for her meal. Turning back, she found Garrett still standing at the door and still staring at her. “It’s either you get moving, or you won’t eat anything.”

“Fine,” Garrett growled, anger all too present in his voice. He marched down the hall and also took up his spot in the line, positioning himself in such a way that he would not be flanked so easily. All the guards were staring at him, suspicious.

Turbulence raised an eyebrow. “Why are you doing that?”

Garrett’s voice was cheerfully dead and irritated. “Oh, I’m sorry, I just don’t want to get stabbed while my back’s turned.”

“We have strict orders not to inflict any harm on you.”

“Do you think I would actually believe that?”

“Okay, maybe we can slap you once or twice.”

“In return, I’ll punch you once or twice. That goes double for your captain.”

After the two got their meals, Garrett made his way to a corner farthest from the ponies, leaned against the wall, and ate his food in silence, with all the other guards still watching and keeping their distances. Turbulence, on the other hoof, sat on the table closest to him. “Well? Good enough for a treat?” she asked.

“At least it’s better than the crap Captain A-hole-” he shot a look at Galea “-forces down my throat,” Garrett said, forcing a laugh before he started eating as fast as he could and staying completely silent.

“Come on, Garrett,” Turbulence interrupted. “Give us a conversation on grounds we can relate to, and no more insults.”

“Like what?” Garrett asked after he wiped his lips with a napkin and placed his tray down. “I can’t think of anything.”

Turbulence was silent and in deep thought. How am I suppose to help this guy look better to us? “Did you really see planets burn?” she cautiously asked.

Garrett stared at her, aware of what she wants him to talk about. This time, however, he was not afraid to say it. “...Yes. Why do you think I signed up for the military’s special forces?”

Scattered murmurs echoed throughout the room.

“Tell us a mission you did,” Turbulence suggested.

“All right,” Garrett said, setting up a chair for him to sit on in the corner. “I was on the moon of what used to be the planet Madrigal before the Covenant, the alien alliance my race is at war with, attacked it. I prowled my way through the cliff like how a tiger hunts its prey, and I found the sniper I was suppose to take out...”

“...I knew I had to get out, so I ran as fast as I could, but I tripped over a weapon box, falling down to the ground. As I tried to get back up, I could hear the plasma grenades hiss through the corridors, getting closer and closer. I picked up whatever was closest to me, and, before I knew it, I was seeing the the end of the platform, but the little aliens were hot on my heels.” Garrett stopped to take a drink of water, smiling as all the guards were on the edge of their seats, eager to know the rest.

“What happened next?” asked Turbulence after he finished drinking.

“I was too late.”

There was an outburst of shouts and gasps from the guards that filled the entire room. Even Captain Galea raised his eyebrows, impressed with how Garrett told his tale.

“So how did you escape?” asked one guard.

Garrett chuckled. “That’s up for you to decide.”

“Keep talking like that,” Downburst said, “and, worst case scenario, I might end up respecting you.”

“Right back at you.” Garrett switched his attention to Turbulence. “If I remember correctly, you said to me that you’ll offer me some fresh air.”

Turbulence raised her hoof. “Only if you promise not to cause any more trouble.”

Garrett smirked. “I swear I’ll behave and play by the rules.”

The armory was nothing like Garrett could have imagined. He expected a dusty, dirty, and hot room with black tools. Instead, he saw a clean, well-ventilated, and magnificent marble room. All the tools were made of a strange material that looked like gold, which he assumed it was, and the blacksmiths were large, muscular unicorns who could have even challenged Big Macintosh for size.

“All that gold must have been a pain in the ass for the budget,” Garrett said with a nod.

Turbulence shook her head. “They’re not made of gold.” She switched her attention to one of the blacksmiths. “Do you have my special request?”

With a sinister smile, the blacksmith raised a strange crossbow and tossed it to Garrett’s hands. “Just to let you know, commander,” he said, “arcane crossbows work only for unicorns because it magnifies the power and speed of spells slightly.”

“I know,” said Turbulence.

He switched his attention to the trooper. “We tried to copy the grip of one of the weapons in your armory.”

“Seriously?” Garrett asked in disbelief as he inspected the crossbow. “You’re giving me a weapon? FYI, I can’t do magic.”

“True,” said the commander.

The blacksmith focused his magic on the crossbow and yanked it away from the trooper’s arms. He then held it in front of Garrett and showed off the customized pistol grip which bore much resemblance to his sniper rifle. Before the human could have done anything, the unicorn quickly aimed it at Garrett’s arm and fired a bolt which splattered into blue paint upon impact, making him wince slightly.

“Feels like a paintball,” Garrett commented as he wiped it off. “Didn’t really hurt, but it did make me feel that I’m hit.”

“Good, that means it works. Plus, that’s as far as we can go to make arcane crossbows works without magic, and don’t worry about eye protection, because it’s pretty much a sprinkle of water,” said the blacksmith as he returned the weapon to the trooper. He then pointed to a target with his hoof. “Take a few shots on that so you can get a feel of it.”

With that in mind, Garrett raised the weapon and fired five shots at the target, with each one hitting it on the bullseye. “Semi-automatic, and same recoil as a battle rifle. Not bad. Wish this had a non-magnifying scope and a black finish, though.”

“That could be arranged,” said the blacksmith, smiling as he knew he was about to learn a little bit about human engineering.

“What’s going on here?” Princess Celestia asked as she and Luna were approaching a gathering crowd of guards and commanders in an observatory which overlooked the training field, and the ponies themselves looked like die-hard fans of the Wonderbolts watching one of their airshows.

“The human’s attempting to conquer the Watchtower Challenge,” said Commander Downburst.

“None have ever completed the Watchtower alone, and the only way to finish this challenge is with a unicorn and pegasus team,” added Luna in disbelief.

“He’ll be in the company of a small team of unicorns, fresh out of training.”

“They are using training spells, correct?” asked Celestia.

“Yes, your highness, just as protocol dictates. I can assure you that he will not be hurt at all,” replied Turbulence.

“They didn’t even allow him to wear any armor,” said a guard. “However, for fairness, they allowed him to bring a kit of things no larger than his weapon from his ship, and Captain Galea saw to it that they were not any form of weaponry.”

“If they were smart, they would use their crossbows to make ascension ropes,” said Downburst.

“And what are the odds of them knowing that spell? We just developed that two days ago,” said another

“Twenty bits say that they won’t last five minutes when the action starts!” yelled a second.

“This may not end well,” murmured Luna.

“Don’t give up so easily,” said Celestia, nudging her slightly. “We’ve never seen his ability to adapt with this much of a view.”

The Watchtower Challenge took place in a large, rectangular field. Tall grass and bushes stood everywhere, but they only stood until the height of the flank of an average unicorn guard. The only truly tall plants were trees scattered about. The perimeter length of the area was lined with four archer towers, and the field itself also had a two towers stationed in the center.

The Watchtower itself stood five stories high, and it looked like it was built to survive waves of pegasi attacks. Starting at the second floor, there were windows for guards to shoot out of. The tall structure was surrounded by a ditch, leaving anypony exposed if one tried to climb without clearing out the shooters. A lone, red flag stood on top of the building, easily seen throughout the area. Opposite the Watchtower, on the other side of the field, was a small gate, which was open and covered, where the team was to come from.

Garrett looked at the field and inspected his team of five unicorns. “What’s our objective for this place?”

“One of us needs to turn the mechanism to release the flag. After that, lift it up, and you win,” said one guard.

“We are so dead...” murmured another guard.

“Shut up, kid,” said Garrett as he was bringing out strange sticks and yellow-brown nets from his rucksack. He then began pulling long strands of grass and plucking leaves from a nearby tree. “No way in hell can we just charge in head first, so we’ll be doing the second best thing. I’ll be naming each of you first to fifth, respectively, and you have to listen to me very, very carefully. First, take off your gear... all of it.”

“What’s taking so long?!” Downburst growled impatiently. “What could they be possibly be doing in that gate for an hour and a half?!”

“Actually, it’s now two hours,” mumbled a guard.

“Patience is a virtue,” Turbulence said with a sigh of impatience.

All hopes were raised when a strange clanking sound reached their ears. Even all the training guards on the field became excited as they raised their crossbows and shot paint bolts at the source of the noise, only to be disappointed. Instead of a hint of a living thing, everypony only found a guard helmet, which was magically floating in the air, smashing against the base of a tower.

The sound of more crossbows firing came next, but it quickly died out within ten seconds. When everypony turned and looked again, nothing but the grass, trees, bushes, archer towers, and the Watchtower were on the field. However, the guards on the right side of the field were all giving the signal that they were hit by leaving their post and keeping their crossbows, and the towers themselves had newly added paint marks.

“What just happened?” asked a guard, dumbfounded like the rest.

The same clanking sound reached their ears again. This time, however, it was on the exact opposite side of the field from where the first one came from. The guards again looked and found another helmet smashing against the base of another tower. Celestia and Luna, on the other hoof, were not looking at the helmet. They were focusing their attention to the plants on the opposite side of the wall where the clanking sound was coming from.

Instead of the motionless vegetation which they both expected, the two alicorns found a bush stand up and raise a distinctive, black crossbow that had a scope. Two more bushes stood up, floated up two magical crossbows, and aimed at the towers. It finally became clear to them who the figures were, and they both smiled in amazement as Garrett and the two unicorns wiped out the guards watching from towers lining the other wall and the two towers in the center.

“Good work, Garrett,” Celestia said as she and Luna nodded in satisfaction.

“Phase two,” Garrett said in confidence to the guards behind him and gave a nod. He and the two unicorns pulled back the hoods of their ghillie suits. The trooper charged out of cover and reached the center of the field, attracting the attention of all the guards of the Watchtower, who were the remaining ones left. The other members of the team followed up, floating their armor with them as they formed a wall covering them and the human.

Despite being out in the open, it was still hard to see the figures because of their improvised camouflage and face paint patterns. The only things the other guards were able to see were walls of armor levitating right above ground in different spots and crossbows floating in the air, firing paint bolts right at them. More guards popped out of cover from the Watchtower, returning fire.

“Tighten the gap!” barked Garrett. “Regroup!”

The unicorns made the bits and pieces of armor gather up into another wall, and the they met under the safety of improvised shields. Paint bolts impacted the armor and easily disorientated the team.

“There’s no way we can get passed them without getting hit,” Garrett said, adrenaline starting to pump him up, “so we’ll push our way.”

“Why do we always get to do the fun stuff?!” asked One.

“Getting there isn’t the fun part. Finding a way to get up is the fun part,” replied Four, giving a cocky smile.

“I like your spirit, kid. Stay behind me.” Garrett mounted his crossbow on a piece of armor along the floating barricade, using said armor as a pivot for steadier aim. The other unicorns did the same. “March forward on my mark. Three. Two. One. Mark!”

Right on cue, hooves and a pair of boots marched forward like Roman legionaries, stomping on the ground with enough courage to fend off a hydra.

“Keep shooting! Keep shooting!” yelled one of the guards from the Watchtower, his voice easily giving away that they were starting to get worried.

“We’re almost there! Hold it together!” barked Garrett to his team. “Take your time, and think of every shot as your last!”

“I’ll make a dash for the tower!” yelled Four guard, who broke formation and made a break for the objective.

“Kid! Wait!” yelled Garrett, but he was too late as he saw the unicorn abandon the protective wall.

Guard Four barely made any distance from the group before hearing Garrett’s voice, which was not in a good mood anymore. “GET DOWN!”

Immediately the guard slowed down, but before he could have even turned his head, he felt a fist smash his temple, making him fall into the cover of a tree. Amidst the very short moment, he was able to see the human raise a golden chest plate right on time to have a paint bolt land on it, spraying his face with the fluid.

Garrett felt the liquid cover his eyes and he lunged towards the same tree for cover.

“When this is over, I’ll whip you into shape!” he snarled to the guard with enough power to make a lion whimper as he was forcing the pony’s head down with his right hand and wiping the two different paints off of his face with his left. The rest of the team finally marched their way to the two and provided protection.

The guards on the Watchtower fired bolts right at them, only to be stopped by the wall and get shot by the team’s careful aim. Garrett and the unicorns finally reached the base of the structure, and they took cover in the blind spot of the shooters.

“Okay, I guess we have to use our ascension rope spells,” said Five.

“Which means?” Garrett asked, still mad about Four’s immature move. “You know what, never mind. I’ll just see where this gets to.”

The five unicorns took positions on the edge of the blind spot, aimed their crossbows high, and fired. Ropes shot out of the ends of their weapons, and the bolts that carried them stuck to the top of the Watchtower, secured tightly like a screw. Confident, they each took a cord, but before the team was able to do anything, the ropes quickly vanished.

“What the hell just happened?” asked Garrett.

“Umm... there’s a complication to this spell,” said Guard Three. “We just developed this spell a few days ago, and none of us have successfully done it... yet.”

Garrett slapped his forehead with his palm. “Are you telling me that you’re using tactics that haven’t even been field tested yet, and you don’t even have a single clue on how to do it?”

The unicorns shamefully nodded.

“Galea, you’re an a-hole,” Garrett growled in a low voice. He switched his attention to the team. “Let’s finish off these guards, and I’ll think of something.”

The trooper rolled out of cover and fired at the remaining guards of the Watchtower to get their attention. They happily returned his greeting, and they managed to pin him down to the cover of a tree.

The remaining members of the team followed and dashed out of cover, shooting at the distracted guards and taking out the stragglers. As the final guard abandoned post, the unicorns looked at Garrett, who was staring right at the Watchtower.

“What’s next?”

“Who’s the physically strongest among all of you?” he asked, attention still glued at the objective.

“I guess that’s me,” said Two, raising a hoof.

Garrett reached the base of the building, lowered himself down to one knee, and held both of his hands out. “Get on my hand, and I’ll lift you up.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Guard Two in disbelief as he was approaching the trooper.

“Hey, if you can think of a better way, be my freaking guest,” replied Garrett in a slightly annoyed manner as he was lifting up the unicorn, “and lose some weight while you’re climbing up!”

Some unicorns chuckled as Two grumbled and continued climbing by grabbing hold of the holes where the trainers would shoot out of. Halfway up, he said, “Nopony’s ever climbed the Watchtower before, and I guess I figured it out bec-- ack!”

The paint bolt marks on the wall made his grip slip loose, leaving him with only one hoof hanging on and the rest of his body dangling off the wall.

Garrett and the others felt the hairs behind their necks raise.

“Kid! You alright?!” Garrett yelled.

“I’m loosing grip!” Two yelled, panicking as his hoof was slowly slipping off. He struggled to get a hold of anything, but it only made him loose grip even faster. Finally, his hoof came off the wall. It was if time slowed down when he finally saw it lose contact, sending him into a free fall. He fell past one floor, but he stopped when a hand grabbed him by the hoof on the second floor.

Garrett was holding on to the building with one hand, and the other was clinging on to the guard. He screamed in agony as pain shot through his muscles as he had to carry himself and the pony with only one arm. Finally he threw the unicorn to his side, making sure that both him and his teammate had a decent grip.

“Make me do that again,” the human said, panting and clutching his arm while hanging on, “and I’ll just let you fall face first!”

Guard Two stared at Garrett, stunned by how fast he climbed.

Garrett, on the other hand, was in no mood for staying still.

“Oh, for the love of...” the trooper gently smacked the back of his fist against the unicorn’s temple, snapping him back into attention.

“H-how did you climb that fast?” asked the unicorn, still dumbfounded.

“Shut up and get going!” Garrett ordered, his voice switching to an officer’s tone.

“But...but I can’t,” the guard breathed. “Too... slippery... and too... tired... can’t hold on. I give up.”

Those final three words made Garrett know what was needed.

“...That’s it?” He spat, disgusted. “You’re just going to stop this far? You’re right. You’re weak, immature, and pathetic.”

Two was silent, staring at Garrett.

“That’s right. Take it all in, you useless piece of crap. Admit it, you’re a waste of space, resources, and time. Looking at a loser like you makes me sick. It takes a real badass to finish this easy-as-hell course, and you don’t even qualify in any category to be considered one.”

“Stop it...” the guard growled. “I’ll... I’ll climb this.”

“You?” Garrett scoffed. “I said a badass, not a baby that’s too scared to get dirty. Go back down, and I’ll finish it myself, maggot.”

“SHUT UP! STOP IT!” the guard shouted back. “I will climb this! I’ll pass this challenge!”

After that sentence, the guard roared out to the sky his battle cry, forcing himself higher and higher up the structure. The only thought that was going through his mind was raising that flag and proving Garrett wrong. His muscles were screaming at him, but he brushed them off. When the guard reached the top, he found Garrett standing on top of the structure, smirking as he was looking at him.

“Told you I could climb this,” the guard said, smiling proudly.

Garrett extended his hand and helped him up. “Good job, kid.”

“This challenge was easier than I thought, and thanks. The only thing needed now is the even bigger congratulation we’ll get back at the dining hall.”

“I’m not congratulating you because you won.”

“...Sorry?”

“What you just showed me down there is that you have what it takes to be a proper marine. Give enough time, and you can become an elite, an ODST. Because of that, you’ve earned my respect, so congratulations, again.”

The guard smiled.

“Come on, we still have a flag to raise.”

With that, the two walked to the flag, unlocked the mechanism, and raised hit high, both smiling proudly of their achievement.

“Hey!” Garrett shouted, pointing to the observatory, “I told you I could do it! If there were any bets, I’ll start collecting them later!”

The trooper doubted if his call reached the observatory. After all, it was hard to hear almost anything amidst the cheers of the team.

“Let’s all give a loud hoorah on my mark!” Garrett incited the five unicorns. “Three. Two. One. Mark!”

Five hooves and one fist raised up high, followed by voices that were heard all throughout the field. “HOORAH!”

Celestia and Luna clapped their hooves together, congratulating Garrett and his team as they left the field. All the guards in the observatory were murmuring amongst themselves.

“Well done, Garrett,” Celestia said with a smile.

“I have never seen such resourcefulness used to conquer this challenge,” Luna added.

Turbulence followed as well, joining the applause, followed by Downburst. One by one, other commanders and guards were celebrating along. Soon, all the poines in the observatory were clapping their hooves together.

Even Captain Galea, who joined the crowd right before the action started, had his hooves clapping slowly. He’s smart, I admit. “Well, back to work, everypony,” he said to the guards before he accompanied them going out of the observatory.

When the last guard left, Celestia and Luna took one last look at the Watchtower Challenge.

“He can make quite a mess, can’t he?” Celestia commented before leaving. He’d make a fine leader.

“Sister, wait,” Luna said abruptly as she stopped her sister. “Look.” She pointed to the base of a tower with her hoof.

The paint bolt marks along the wall started moving, sliding over the surface and into one particular area. One by one, the paint started forming letters, and the two alicorns watched in confusion and disbelief. As the final letter formed, it became clear what the message said.

He’s just as grim as you, Celestia.

-Dissenso

The letters quickly vanished and fell to the ground like a normal fluid would.

“Who is this Dissenso?” asked Luna.

Celestia shook her head. “I don’t know...”

Turbulence accompanied Garrett again as he entered the royal guard dining room for lunch. Again, all the guards inside were silent as they were watching him line up. After he got his food, he found himself in the middle of leaving, bringing it to his cell, but a group of cheers erupted from the onlookers. Specifically, five hoorahs. The five guards which he conquered the Watchtower Challenge with were inviting him to join them on their table.

“Now that’s more welcoming,” he said, smiling and taking a seat.

“I’m still amazed by the fact that we conquered the challenge,” said One.

“...Did you have to yell at me?” asked Two, slightly cautious.

“Military pep talks are the best kinds of pep talks, kid. Intimidation in training is what made every ODST like me tough,” Garrett said.

“Could you tell us how you survived the exploding spire?” asked Three. After he said his question, many other guards in the dining room stopped their current conversations and began listening quietly.

Garrett smiled. “I went off the ledge, and that’s as far as I go.”

There were scattered gasps and woahs throughout the room.

“Can you give us a space battle between the UNSC and the Covenant?” asked Four.

Garrett eased back on his chair. “Back in the early phases of the war, Harvest was the first colony to get hit...”

“...We returned to Harvest with a fleet strong enough to wipe out the Insurrectionists in one swift strike, so there we were, forty warships versus one Covenant capital ship.”

“Those odds were incredibly in your favor,” Donwburst said with a smile.

Garrett just stared at him, and the mere look of it made everypony’s jaw drop.

“No way...” the commander shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve got forty ships, and it wasn’t enough to take it down?!”

Garrett sighed. “We tried everything. Nukes, MACS, missiles, and even more, but its energy shields were too strong.” All the guards in the room whispered and murmured amongst themselves.

“So... you lost,” mumbled a guard.

“I’m not done yet,” Garrett said, managing to keep his enthusiasm down. “We knew those shields could take on anything, so we tried one more move: Hit it with everything at one go.”

“...And?” asked a hopeful guard, who was just as excited as a pony in line during Cider Season.

“We won.”

Cheers and sighs of reliefs erupted in the room, leaving Garrett happy that he was able to keep up the entertainment.

“How’s Earth’s defence?” asked Turbulence.

“Can't tell you. If I did, I'd get executed, but let's just say it's enough to tell them that we're not going down without a fight.”

“I admit, those are interesting stories,” Galea said. “Your race has a lot of courage and determination, and I respect those part.”

“Want me to prove to you how much I really have?” Garrett asked.

“Well, you’ve jumped off a spire and fought a flying serpent in a one-on-one death match. If you want to prove just how much courage you truly have and actually make me think of you as ‘one of the best,’ go ahead.”

Garrett gave a smile which made the captain uncomfortable.

I have a bad feeling about this... Galea thought to himself as he saw the human stand up.

Celestia and Luna waited in their dining room, smelling their dinner which was laid out before them. Garrett sat on the opposite side of the table, also surveying the food in front of him. Adding to the mood, Philomena was singing a song in her cage.

“How’s this for a change of scenery?” asked Celestia.

“It’s definitely nice to be with others who aren’t guards for once,” Garrett said as he began helping himself to a bowl of Canterlot onion soup.

“You were amazing on the Watchtower,” Luna said.

“Just did what I learned back in boot camp, ma’am, and at least now I’m getting the good kind of attention back in the barracks.”

Out of nowhere, Philomena flew out of her cage and landed on Garrett’s arm. The trooper flinched as the talons gripped, and he held still, confused what to do. The phoenix then plucked out a feather and offered it to him.

“Uhh... thanks,” he said as he accepted it.

“That means she likes you,” said Celestia with a calm smile. “And that also means that she knows that we can trust you.”

“I guess I should consider myself lucky, considering the fact that she’s... fire related,” Garrett said as he kept it. Philomena let out a small screech of satisfaction and flew back to her cage.

“I heard that you were able to get a lot of respect and trust from the guards,” added Luna.

“Sure did.”

“What did you do to earn so much from the guards in so little time, Garrett?” asked Celestia.

Garrett shrugged, acting like he knew nothing. “After I ate, they wanted to see how much courage I had, so I showed it to them.”

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Commander Turbulence entered. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but I have a report from the medical wing. Captain Galea has sustained an injury. Specifically, a black eye. He may not be able to report for duty tomorrow.”

Turbulence winked at Garrett before she closed the door and left.

Celestia and Luna stared at Garrett, giving him you-have-got-to-be-kidding looks.

“Heh... karma’s a strange thing... right?” Garrett gave an unsure smile.

They continued giving him the look.

“...I regret nothing... On the bright side, the guards are starting to like me,” he said before he continued eating his meal.

“ODSTs are bold ones,” Luna said as she picked up her spoon with her magic to eat her Canterlot onion soup.

“If that’s how an ODST can be, I can’t imagine what a spartan is capable of,” Celestia said, also picking up a spoon to help herself with her soup. Before she even penetrated the very seductive grilled cheese layer on top, she noticed letters in the form of burned cheese appear on her meal.

Don’t be fooled by his soft side. Garrett is dangerous, and you know it. Keep him on a leash.

-Dissenso

Celestia shot a look at Luna, and she too was looking at her, for the same message was on her layer of grilled cheese.

“Something wrong, ma’am?” Garrett asked.

“Nothing, Garrett,” Celestia said as she shook her head.

“I know that look, ma’am,” Garrett said as he also shook his head. “That’s the same look that tells me crap just happened.”

That simple message on her soup was sinking into Celestia. She knew that Garrett was still a soldier, and he would carry out his orders when needed. But he is still a good individual with a conscience, she told herself, somehow managing to control her stress. “Nothing is happening. Everything is all right. It’s just somepony using their magic to write on food.”

“...With all due respect, who the hell would do that?” Crap... they’re giving the same looks those politicians back on Earth gave when news of Reach getting glassed came.

“You will be amazed how some minds work here,” said Luna, who also had the message affecting her. He is not dangerous, she tried to convince herself, he knows what is right and what is wrong. He will never cause more harm than he did when we first met. Never...

Part 6: The Need of Restraint

Celestia was leading Garrett down the various halls of the castle.

“Garrett?” Celestia called out.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Remember a while back when you asked us if you were our prisoner.”

“...Yeah.”

Celestia opened a door, revealing a massive guest room. A four-poster bed lay inside. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. A fireplace gave warmth to the room. Several wardrobes and closets offered more than enough storage. Lastly, a large window overlooked Canterlot.

“Hot damn, really?” Garrett muttered.

Celestia floated over the key. “You have access to any part of the castle from now on.”

“Including my ship?”

“...Yes, including your ship.”

Garrett took a look at the key. I can go anywhere, he thought to himself. Anywhere...

The trooper shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am. Thank you for the offer, but if I’m here, I’ll only sleep in one of two places, my ship or a cell.”

Celestia was silent for a moment, pondering over his words. “Very well, then. You have full access to your ship and your equipment.”

Celestia watched as Garrett ran his fingers across the walls on the inside of the ship. “It’s nice to be inside something from the UNSC again,” he said.

A guard carrying a large package knocked on the ramp. “Here’s his armor and gear, your highness.”

He set it down next to the armory.

Garrett walked to the package, opened it, and pulled out the left shoulder pauldron. “If you don’t mind,” he said, “I’m planning to sleep early today, so I’d appreciate it if you gave me some time alone.”

“You didn’t even have dinner,” Celestia said.

“I’m fine. I’ll just have a ration.”

Celestia nodded before she and the guard proceeded down the ramp. Once they were out, Garrett closed the hatch.

“Your highness,” the guard said, “with all due respect, are you sure about this? He might end up bringing out his weapons and causing harm again.”

“I understand your concern. Remember, when Commander Turbulence brought him to the blacksmiths, he had every opportunity to retrieve a weapon, cover himself with makeshift armor, and start a rampage, but he didn’t. They gave him a training crossbow, and he could have used it as a blunt weapon to escape, but he used it as a training device. He had multiple chances to wreak havoc, but he followed the rules. Besides, I trust him.”

“...You have a point, princess.”

Breakfast was the only thing on his mind as Garrett was walking down the hallways of the castle. Already many were glancing at the newly armored soldier, slightly intimidated. Everypony who saw him noticed something new. Philomeena’s feather and an ace of spades that had the UNSC insignia printed on it were secured to his left shoulder pauldron with a black band.

“That’s a nice look,” a guard commented, smiling. “The feather and card suits you.”

Garrett nodded back before he opened the doors of the dining room, and he found Luna and Celestia sitting along the table, welcoming him with the sweet aroma of food and the melody Philomena’s songs.

“Good morning Garrett,” Luna greeted cheerfully.

“Good morning ma’am,” he greeted back.

“Sleep well?” Celestia asked.

“Sure did, ma’am. Feels strange that two days ago I was behind bars and doing the Watchtower Challenge.”

“Time flies fast, and change comes equally fast,” said Celestia, smiling. “I still can’t understand how you can find so much comfort in a cramp space such as your ship.”

Garrett laughed. “Magic.” He helped himself to a few scones.

He never told anypony about the mechanics of cryo-sleep, so he enjoyed toying with them and listening to their guesses on how he slept so well. What really made Garrett laugh was how everypony came to the conclusion that he slept in the cockpit chair. To make sure that none tried to seek the answer while he slept, he closed the ship’s hatch every time he went to the cryo-tube. Respecting his privacy, nopony teleported to the interior of his ship while the hatch was closed.

“What is the card for?” asked Luna, motioning with a hoof to Garrett’s shoulder.

“Good luck charm. Thought it would have went well with the feather.”

“It clashes, in my personal opinion,” the moon princess added.

“Well, not really,” said Celestia. “For me, it’s quite all right.”

Garrett shrugged. “I’ve seen guys carve skulls into their visors.”

Their meal went on, and casual chats and jokes were tossed every now and then. For once, something was actually normal in between the two alien species, and it was big accomplishment for Garrett since all the aliens he previously knew of wanted him dead.

Once the ODST finished his meal and left, Celestia and Luna were once again the only ones in the room.

“Any news on Dissenso?” Celestia asked, worried.

Luna shook her head. “Nothing.”

“You have guests,” said a guard before opening a door in front of him.

“...I told you not to come back here,” Garrett mumbled to six very familiar heroines as they charged into the room, smiling and cheering as they saw him.

“We brought cupcakes!” squeaked Pinkie Pie, revealing a box full of the treats. Just like always, they were baked with her passion. A simple glance at them was able to seduce anypony to wanting to have at least one.

“I don’t care,” Garrett said, already motioning them to leave.

“We somehow managed to make them full of protein, calcium, and other healthy vitamins and minerals,” said Twilight, reading the recipe. “We also managed to reduce the sugar in them.”

“Ooh oh!” Pinkie Pie squeaked. “They also have coconut frosting!”

“Though tempting, I still don’t care. Go back to Ponyville while you can--”

Garrett was cut off as Pinkie Pie shoved a cupcake into his face, and Rainbow Dash quickly flew up and gently nudged him on the back of the head, forcing him to take a bite. At first he tried to spit it out, but the moment his taste buds sent the message of flavor to his brain, he stopped and began chewing slowly.

“...Keep talking,” he said as he started indulging himself with their bribery.

“As we all know, you aren’t getting the good kind of popularity outside the castle,” said Twilight.

“Here we go,” Rainbow Dash cheered as she rolled her eyes. “I’ll be reading some Daring Do if you’ll be needing me.”

Twilight shot the pegasus a look.

“As I was saying,” her voice drifting off to the annoyed side, “we want you to change your image on Equestria, so we decided to lead a workshop to help you improve your appearance to everypony.”

“One step ahead of you,” Garrett mumbled with a cupcake in his mouth, pointing to his feather and card.

“...More than just your outside look. We want to show them what’s inside, the kind, loving man who has a family and is missing them so much.”

Garrett stopped. “What’s the point?”

“You can’t simply stay in here forever,” Rarity said.

“On the contrary, I can.”

“Oh, Garrett,” Fluttershy begged, “please give us another chance. We’re doing this all for you, after all.”

Garrett paused for a minute. What’s the point? he asked himself in thought. The residents will still hate me. Hell, at least they’re giving you a shot at looking better. He sighed. “Fine, I’ll play along. What’s your first step?”

“That, Garrett, will be handled by Rarity,” said Twilight motioning the white unicorn.

“I know the perfect pony to make even you shine,” Rarity said, bearing a very large grin. “Now, I know you have the attitude for it, and I’m quite sure your armor fits in for the pizazz, especially that feather.”

Fluttershy gave her a look. “Oh, no... Rarity, of all the ponies, please not--” she was cut off as a door slammed opened, followed by a voice that she knew all too well and feared.

“I. HAVE. ARRIVED!”

“--Photo Finish,” Fluttershy whimpered as she finished her sentence.

“Which of you will I help shiiiine across Equestria?” Photo Finish asked as she scanned the room. She stopped at Garrett, easily getting the message. “Ooh, zis will be interesting. Ze cold, aggressive alien warrior is easy to do if you are asking for very tough attitude and a lot of intimidation!”

“Actually, Photo Finish, we want him to look more... approachable,” Rarity corrected her.

“Whaaaat?”

Garrett knew his queue, and he silently brought out his small, black box. He flicked open the case and showed off the diamond and sapphire ring within, making Rarity bite her lip in envy. Adding to the scene, he also brought out the picture of his family, showing both objects side by side.

“Think you can do it?” he asked kindly.

“Aaaah,” Photo Finish said, approaching him. She began to poke him around with her hoof. “Zis will be interesting! I can see ze magics in him!”

The photographer snapped to Rarity, “I accept your challenge!”

Garrett looked at his six companions one last time. Then, he gave Photo Finish a confident nod.

“We go!” the pony snapped as she led Garrett to a private room.

“If she starts telling me to rip off my shirt, the deal’s off,” Garrett mumbled before the doors closed, sealing off any communication.

Twilight turned to Rarity, who was busy sketching on various papers. “How did you manage to find her again?”

“Oh, Fancypants has many contacts, you know. At first, it was hard to convince them to get it started, but it became easy after I stressed on the fact that one simple photo can start a lot of talk.”

“I present to you... ZE MAGICS!” Photo finished yelled as she showed off the poster to Garrett, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Appejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna.

It was a compilation of two photographs of Garrett standing and looking at the viewer, head bent down slightly. His right half was of him in ODST armor, visor polarized and assault rifle on hand, making him look ready to fight at a moment’s notice. His left half, however, was in his casual clothing. He held his wedding ring on his palm and sported a black UNSC patrol cap. The head was bent at the same angle as the right side, but it made him look like he was deeply burdened. Despite appearing soft, his eyes were hidden by the visor of the cap, making any reader wonder what emotion was under there.

A small text hovered above his head saying, “You can call me whatever you want, but I have a wife and child to look after, and they’re both waiting for me back home, waiting for the father that’s been gone for years.”

Everypony turned to Garrett, who was staring at the photo while he was cleaning a part of his chest plate.

“...Pretty good, but I’m still not comfortable with me having to look so soft,” he commented as he placed down the piece of armor.

“But it’s the best way to show your nicer side,” said Fluttershy.

A knock on the door prevented Garrett from saying another sentence. A guard entered and said, “The first batch of photos are being distributed, and already the media’s buzzing like bees.”

“That’s good. Thank you,” said Celestia before dismissing the guard.

“What’s the next step?” Garrett asked as he placed his armor and gear in an organized pile.

“Make more posters,” Rarity said.

“After that?”

“...Meet the press and the public.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that.”

In Ponyville, posters of Garrett being a hero were everywhere. The mayor had one giant poster right outside her bedroom window. It was of the trooper issuing orders to royal guards and helping another get up, and a text hovered on the top saying, “As long as someone needs help, I’m always offering it.”

Even among the royal guards there was a “human” touch. Every now and then one of the guards on routine patrols would have an ace of spades secured to their armor, and he or she would have proudly shown it off. Rumor had it that some guards wanted Garrett to apply face camouflage on them.

The mayor stood on the entrance of Ponyville, fussing over last minute details with her secretary. Majority of the town folk were already taking up their positions, readying themselves to greet the incoming guests.

“Is everything ready?”

The secretary nodded. “Yes.”

“We can’t afford to have anything wrong happen again, especially since Princess Celestia is accompanied by Princess Luna this time.”

“They’re just having lunch here, and the food is catered by the one and only Chef Ratatouille. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“...Remember that other time with the parasprites?”

“Oh yeah... right.”

Right on time, five royal guards flew into the town, scouting out the area. They landed and scanned the location. After a moment, one of them pulled out a small, black box and placed on the ground. He then pressed it with his hoof and said, “The area is secured.”

“Affirmative,” replied a voice from the box that sparked murmurs in the crowd.

Before more discussion came, the royal carriage came into view over the horizon. The closed top made it impossible to see who were the ones inside. As it came to a stop, everypony bowed down as a sign of respect, knowing that at least two of the passengers are the princesses.

The mayor thought to herself, And this is the part when Captain Galea steps out to... Oh no...

“Never knew the royal guard had a new member,” mumbled the mayor’s secretary.

Instead of the captain she expected, an ODST got out of the carriage, pulled down the ramp, and saluted as Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy exited.

The greyness of the combat armor which everypony grew accustomed to in the posters was not there. Instead, his armor was shining gold. Areas that plating did not cover were brilliant white, and his visor was sky blue. Philomena’s feather and a UNSC ace of spades were still secured to the shoulder pauldron with a black band. A MA5C assault rifle was attached to the back of his rucksack, his knife was in its sheath, and a magnum pistol was holstered at his waist.

Celestia turned to Garrett and smiled. “Thank you, Garrett.”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, I still think we should have gone with my plan. There’s better security than being out in the open like this.” Especially since whoever made her nervous like last time could be out here...

“I understand your concern, Garrett, but I’m confident that there’s nothing to be worried about here.”

“If you say so.”

Celestia turned to the mayor. “It’s a pleasure meeting you again, mayor.”

The mayor bowed. “And it’s an honor to talk to you again, your highness. With all due respect, why is he-” she pointed to Garrett “-like that? If I remember correctly, he was one of the most wanted in Equestria not too long ago.”

“We were able to get a chance to talk with him and to make him change. Turns out, he’s a very good individual deep within.”

“And, despite our differences, he makes a very good leader,” added Luna. “In one of the most difficult challenges in royal guard training, he personally lead a team of five unicorns to victory.”

“How come you changed his armor, your highness?” the mayor asked again.

Garrett cleared his throat. “Well, after our talks, we agreed to promote synergy. No, we didn’t change my armor, we just recolored it to look like your uniforms, courtesy of Rarity.” He motioned Rarity, and she gave a bow, proud of her work. “If you’re about to ask why, yes, it’s part of the agreement.”

Pipsqueak pushed his way out of the crowd. “Umm... mister?” he nervously mumbled to Garrett. “If you’re gonnna be helping the guards protect us, will you still be mean and scary?”

Garrett slowly walked to Pipsqueak and lowered himself to one knee. “Can you see my face?” he asked in a voice with zero hostility.

Pispqueak tried to focus through the visor, but the only thing he found was his own reflection on the blue faceplate. “No,” he replied.

“Do I look mean?”

“Yes.”

“Do I look tough?”

“Yes.”

Garrett took off his helmet and gave a gentle smile. The trooper then brought out his ring and picture. He showed them off to Pipsqueak, allowing the little pony to take note. “Can you see a man who cares for his family?”

Pipsqueak nodded. “Yes.”

Rarity saw what Garrett was trying to do, so she cast a spell that made his armor start to fade back into its old shades of grey.

“I’m trying to teach my daughter the positive values I live by,” Garrett said to Pipsqueak, “and I’m trying to make sure she and my wife are safe and have hope in them.” He allowed him to continue looking at the ring and picture. After a while, he asked, “Do I still look like a cold, hardcore killing machine to you?”

Garrett’s armor was completely back to normal.

Pispqueak gave a smile. “No.”

Garrett gave a smile as well, the same kind of smile a father would give before saying how proud he is of his child. “See, kid? If you look past the hard armor of the outside, I’m flesh, blood, and soul-” he nudged Pipsqueak’s shoulder “-just like you.”

“Well said, Garrett,” Celestia said with a smile.

Lunch was set up in a large, beautiful tent outside Ponyville. Long tables lined the sides as the scent of fresh air mixed with the smell of food, inviting whoever passed by. After everypony took their meals and sat, they began going on with their casual conversations, starting with how life has been, the recent news, among others.

Twilight, however, noticed that Garrett was not eating. Instead, he was leaning against one of the poles in a corner, arms crossed. He watched silently and surveyed the area like how regular royal guards would do. “Aren’t you hungry, Garrett?” she asked.

Garrett shook his head. “Ate before we left.”

“Well at least have something. After all, it’s not everyday you get to have something like this,” she said right before licking her lips and helping herself to a daffodil salad.

“Fine. I’ll eat a bagel.”

At a moment’s notice, a unicorn, who was one of the chefs, floated over a plate that had a fresh, hot bagel, sliced in half and expertly buttered.

“Now that’s service,” Garrett said with a smile as he took off his helmet, held the plate, and took a seat with Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

Before any conversation could have started, a journalist unicorn cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Mister Archer?”

“That’s me,” Garrett said as he turned his head.

“Would it be alright if I pull you aside for a quick interview?” she asked.

A small smile appeared on everypony’s face except for Garrett’s. He merely nodded. “Go ahead,” he said, easing back on his chair.

The journalist floated out a pen and notepad. “The posters and a few sources” -she looked at Twilight “- say that you are a soldier and you have a family. And your race is at war with an alien alliance. Do you sometimes regret leaving them behind?”

“The biggest regret I have so far is standing on the side as a witness and merely watch as people get hurt. I’m not going to let that happen while I have a war going on.”

“Do you think it’s worth travelling far distances just to fight?” the journalist asked again. The tent started falling silent as everypony was starting to shift their attention to Garrett.

“You should see what happens when we hear of a UNSC victory amidst an ocean of defeat. You don’t know how it truly feels like to see your neighbors, friends, and family smile again as they see a good thing in these dark times. I joined because I also wanted to be the one who gave them something to smile and be happy about. Isn’t that at least a small thing worth fighting for?”

The tent was deathly silent as everypony, except the guards, had their full attention on Garrett.

“So you’re proud of being a fighter?” asked the journalist.

“I’m not proud of being known as a merciless, killing machine to a few. People in my reality need heroes to give them hope, so I’m proud of protecting and giving hope to those who’ve lost it, all for a living.”

“In short,” the journalist said, “you’re the sort of hero that many kids want to be.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Have you experienced anything which made you tell yourself that joining the special forces was the right thing to do?”

Garrett was silent for a moment. “...There was actually this one time I helped a refugee, a kid, back at boot camp. He kept on telling me that he lost his parents, his brother, and his home to the Covenant. Said he just wanted to die already. He said, ‘We’re being attacked everywhere. I’ve lost everything. If the Covenant find me again, I’ll just let them shoot me. It’s better that way.’ I asked him, ‘So you don’t want to live anymore?’ He said, ‘Yes. I just want this all to end. When I die, hopefully, I can finally meet my friend, brother, sister, mom, and dad somewhere else which is nicer, and I finally get to say, right in their faces...”

He gulped.

“‘...I love you.’ After that... he broke down and cried. I stayed by his side the entire time, making him know that there’s at least one stranger that still cared. I promised him, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to stop them from hurting more people, and as long as my pulse is still pumping, I’ll never make anything like that happen to anyone else.’ I’ve been keeping that promise to the best of my abilities.”

“How is he now?”

“After our talk, I saw to it that he was given to a proper family who always wanted to have a son. He even gave me a letter showing how thankful he was. Inside, there was a full deck of cards. Only, it was filled with one kind of card...” He pointed to his left shoulder pauldron. “...The universally lucky ace of spades. UNSC edition, too. Sure, I already had my own, but this batch was something special.”

“Thank you for your time,” the journalist said with a smile before leaving. Everypony started going back to their usual conversations, but the main topic was about the ODST.

“Glad to see that everything went well,” Twilight said, wiping her lips with a napkin.

“I admit, the gold armor part was a nice touch,” commented Garrett, making Rarity smile.

“What is she doing out there?” Garrett pointed to the outside of the tent, showing Rainbow Dash hovering in front of two guards. She began making downright silly faces, attempting to make at least one of them smile. From crossing eyes, to making fake fart sounds, to flailing her tongue in front of them, she tried them, but they yielded no effect.

“Oooh, you’re good... just like last time,” Rainbow Dash said before flying off to Twilight’s table.

“You can’t make them laugh like that,” Garrett said, shaking his head and suppressing laughs. “They’ve been trained not to show any reaction to outside noises or images while the princesses are present.”

“Hey, at least I tried!” Rainbow Dash protested.

“You didn’t try hard enough.” Garrett placed his mouth near her ear and whispered two words that made a very large smile appear on the pegasus’s face. She quickly trotted back outside and faced the same pair of guards, still bearing the sinister look.

“What did you tell her to do?” asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Garrett smiled. “Watch.”

Rainbow Dash went directly to the front of one of the guards, still smiling maliciously. The guard, however, showed no sign of emotion. That was until the blue pegasus wrapped her forelegs around his neck and hugged him, causing the other to shoot a very strange look.

All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie slid out of cover from under the tables and came to Rainbow Dash’s side, also grinning. “Ooh! Is it ‘Hug a Guard Day’ today?! Let me join!”

The pink pony also hugged the same guard, who had his lips beginning to quiver in misery and had his eyes desperately fighting to stay staring straight.

The second guard, however, completely lost it. He fell to the ground and burst into laughter.

“Success!” Rainbow Dash cheered. She and Pinkie Pie let go of the guard and began laughing so hard that her sides hurt.

Satisfied, Garrett stood up, took his helmet, and went to Celestia, who was sitting beside Luna. “Ma’am, permission to leave the tent and look around the town.”

Twilight got up and went to Garrett’s side. “Your highness,” she said to them, “May we go and accompany him?”

Celestia smiled. “Go ahead.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Celestia and Luna both felt happy as Garrett left the tent, accompanied by the six ponies they knew as his friends.

When Celestia floated over a salad to share with Luna, both of them noticed the dressing on the salad began forming another message.

Where’s his leash?

-Dissenso

“You are wrong, Dissenso,” Luna muttered in a voice soft enough for only Celestia to hear before she began mixing the salad. “Garrett is not a danger to anypony anymore.”

The small party went on just like how any other party with the princesses would be. Hours upon hours of cheers, small conversations, laughs, and endless supplies of delicacies continued until late afternoon.

“...And that’s basically how Hearth’s Warming Eve came about,” said Twilight as she finally finished her lecture on a few of Equestria’s Celebration. She closed the book and returned it to the library shelf.

“How did we get from me asking you for an overview about the town to you giving me a lecture about winter spirits?” Garrett asked.

The unicorn shrugged. “Rarity did say that she, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash would be busy setting up a place. Might as well make myself useful and keep you busy while waiting.”

Garrett leaned back against a table and took a look at an illustration of Pansy, Cookie, and Clover fending off windigoes. “Those... what do you call them? Wintergoes?”

“Windigoes.”

“So windigoes are pretty much what scared the three tribes into caring for each other?”

“No, Pansy, Cookie, and Clover didn’t really hate each other.”

“And their leaders hated the oppositions so much that the windigoes froze them to ice cubes?”

Twilight nodded. “All because of their hate.”

“Hot damn... wish I could ask a few of those windigoes to pay a visit to the heart of the Covenant Hierarchy. Maybe that ought to teach them to stop glassing us.”

“I’ll go make some tea,” Twilight said as she went to the kitchen.

Garrett was left alone in the library. The mere fact of being able to carve a structure inside a tree while keeping it strong was an amazing feat for him. The inner child inside him was screaming with joy as he finally got to be in something better than a tree house. As he silently waited, his helmet started picking up energy readings that were closing around him.

His heart rate quickened, and the hairs on the back of his neck were beginning to stand. Covenant? Please don’t let it be them... not in a place like this.

He quickly brought out the assault rifle on his back and cocked it. He raised the weapon high, and he prepared himself for whatever was coming to meet him. Scanning the room, he found a strange figure taking shape above the staircase. It started as a fine mist gathering up in a small spot. Slowly, it took the form of an earth horse the size of Celestia, but it still kept a translucent appearance.

“...A windigo? Hell no. I’m not getting iced just yet,” Garrett said, pointing his weapon to the strange figure.

Indeed, the strange being had a similar form to a regular windigo, but there was a slight difference. Instead of having a dark blue color, it was glowing red, and it began to slowly make its way down the stairs.

“Don’t even think of taking a step closer to me,” Garrett warned, gently resting his finger on the trigger.

The figure stopped at the bottom of the stairwell and stood there, staring at Garrett. “I have been waiting,” it said in a ghostly voice.

“...Waiting to get shot at?” Garrett asked.

A familiar voice hummed out of the kitchen. “Tea’s ready, Garrett.”

The figure turned its head towards the door, shot a look at Garrett, and vanished, leaving the trooper alone again and confused.

Twilight popped her head out of the kitchen. “Something wrong?” she asked Garrett, who was keeping his assault rifle.

“Could have sworn I saw a windigo,” Garrett said.

“Nice try, but you’re not fooling anyone,” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. “It’s not even winter.”

“Yeah...” So what the hell were you?

As the scheduled sunset was closing in, which was the time Celestia, Luna, and Garrett were to return to Canterlot, Celestia motioned the attention of a guard. “Please give a message to Garrett that I require him to meet us within an hour.”

The guard nodded and brought out the radio which Garrett lent him. “We’re leaving in the next hour. The princess would like you to be here soon.”

“Leaving, hour, got it,” Garrett replied. “Can’t talk right now. I’m on a boat.”

“...Say what?” the guard asked back.

“The seven of us borrowed a boat. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and I are rowing, Twilight’s eggheading on figuring out the ‘proper’ rowing technique, Rainbow Dash and Rarity are sunbathing, and Fluttershy’s singing with birds.”

“CANNON BALL!” yelled an unmistakable, high-pitched voice.

“Pinkie!” Garrett snapped, “I said not to-” He was cut off as the sound of Pinkie Pie crashed into the water, and, judging by the noises coming through the radio, the boat rocked and flipped over.

“Agh! My mane!” cried Rarity right before Garrett cut off the radio.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie,” Luna smiled, stifling a giggle, “she truly is a random one. Much like how she was a chicken on Nightmare Night.”

Celestia did not hold back the laugh. “Did I ever tell you about that time she led a parade of tiny creatures... what do they call them? Umm.. parasprites, yes. She lead a parade of parasprites when I scheduled a visit...”

The residents of Ponyville gave the final waves of their hooves as they watched the royal carriage disappear in the horizon. Little by little, the crowd started to dissolve and return to their daily lives. Twilight used her magic to dry her mane that was still damp due to her recent swim in the lake, which has sucked much of her energy like a battery. As she was doing so, she overheard the many comments and remarks of the town folk.

“He’s not so bad.”

“That guy really did sacrifice a lot. I can’t imagine being away from my family for so long. Not to mention having to take care of heart-broken refugees.”

“What a hero...”

“He’s a tough one, I’ll give him that.”

As Twilight was making her way to the library, she passed by Photo Finish, who was smiling with pride as she gave one last scan of all the posters she worked on.

“I have to say, we couldn’t have done it without you, so thanks for all your help,” Twilight said, smiling with the last bits of energy her body could have given.

“Zat was a very... interesting shoot,” the photographer said with a mischievously made grin.

“Uhh... right.” Photographers, I’ll never understand them... without the proper research.

When Twilight finally reached the door, she opened it with her magic and entered her domain, feeling at home once again.

“Your new friend’s not half bad,” Spike said as he was arranging a few books.

“See, Spike? I told you he’s good. Just give everybody time, and he can become a good friend.”

“Heh... yeah...” Spike sighed as he placed the last book left, Daring Do and the Windigoes’ Orb, on the shelf. He mumbled to himself, “And I wish he could tell me a few secrets about getting into shape so I can finally pick up Rari-”

“Sorry? Didn’t catch that,” Twilight said.

“N-nothing,” Spike said, shaking his head.

Captain Galea rubbed the area which used to have a black eye with his hoof, and he looked himself at the mirror, trying to find any evidence of Garrett’s previous act of courage, only to find none. At least the doctors were able to fix it quickly.

Right after he shut the door, he heard stifled giggles echo down the hall. Curiously, he tracked the noise down silently, only to find to mare royal guards suppressing laughs as they were looking at a set of pictures.

“Should I be concerned about what you’re laughing at?” Galea asked.

“Nothing, sir,” replied one the mares, “just a few photos Photo Finish took of Garrett.”

“Mind if I take a peek?” he asked. “I want to see how much more they want us to like him.”

The two mares exchanged looks with very wide grins.

“Sure,” they replied in unison as one of them passed over a photo.

One image was enough to make Galea question what or even how Photo Finish acquired it. It was of him fishing his six friends out of the water, and his shirt easily outlined every flexing muscle of his torso.

The second guard said, “There’s even one picture of him-”

“-I don’t even want to know,” Galea interrupted as he raised his hoof, trying to not act confused as he returned the photo. “I’m not interested in you looking at humans flex their muscles.”

“...Note to self, never do anything that involves water in open places again... unless it’s in boot camp,” Garrett said to himself as he was overlooking the three guards, his face hidden by his helmet visor.

Garrett switched his attention to Galea. “Damn... you would have looked better with an eye patch.”

“Seriously?” Galea asked.

“Yeah, I should punch you more often.”

“No thanks,” Galea smirked. “What are you doing here in the first place?”

Garrett unpolarized his visor and shrugged. “Taking a walk. Currently returning to my ship, but before I go...” Garrett seized the photos and picked up a small lighter from his pocket. He flicked open the cover and lit up the images, starting in the corners, and he smiled as he saw them burn right before him.

The mares gave a few awws, and Galea gave a quick laugh.

“Stay green and mean,” Garrett said before walking away, smirking and leaving behind a small campfire of burning photos.

Celestia accompanied Garrett as he was setting up his ship for the night, mainly by piling up his armor in an organized clutter next to the cockpit chair.

“I have to say thank you for all your help,” Garrett said as he was polishing his ODST helmet. “Never thought it would be possible to change my image in such short notice,”

“Nothing is impossible, just difficult,” replied Celestia. “I’m just glad we-” she was cut off as Garrett’s computer started beeping loudly.

Garrett placed his helmet next to the keyboard and tapped on the file. At once the basic information started marching on the screen.

“Garrett? What’s happening?” asked Celestia.

“Priority one message... Sent in a probe launched into deep space that travels faster than standard channels... Open channel.... Sent three days ago from... damn it.”

Celestia immediately felt and saw Garrett’s mood change back into the soldier to the core. Garrett tapped on the message, and an audio file was opening before them.

The sound of alarms were going off everywhere.

“Commander! The probe is away and ready for recording!” yelled a voice.

Another voice, female, said, “This is Commander Whitmore of the-” a muffled explosion distorted the message “-Station. The Covenant have found Earth. I repeat, the Covenant have found Earth...”

“They’ve opened fire! Ten seconds to impact!”

“All UNSC personnel must fall back! Parts of New Mombasa have already been glassed!”

“Five seconds to impact!”

“...God have mercy on our souls...”

Another explosion, which was not muffled, blew through the speakers, and the message cut to static. Barely, just barely, screams of agony were heard.

Celestia stood there, staring at the screen in disbelief. Worry filled her as she watched Garrett stand like a statue. He took his helmet and stared at his reflection on the visor.

“...Garrett,” Celestia muttered.

“...Get out of my ship...” he breathed through clenched jaws with enough power to stop a Covenant Fleet on the spot.

Sensing the growing danger, Celestia slowly moved closer to him. Every hoofstep was a challenge as each one was shaky. When she got a view of his face, she already saw the pain flowing through every inch of it. “Whatever has happened, I’m sure that--”

“I SAID GET OUT!” Garrett yelled at the top of his voice, which was so loud it shocked Celestia, forcing her to take a few steps back. It was almost as bad as being shouted at through a megaphone. “I GAVE YOU A DAMN ORDER!”

Not wanting to worsen the situation, Celestia gave in and proceeded down the ramp. When Garrett was nearly out of her sight, she finally saw her fear coming true.

Garrett threw his helmet down to the floor, making it a wonder how it came off without a scratch.

“Damn it!” he yelled.

Celestia watched in horror as he began kicking the lockers so hard with the tip of his boot, leaving a dent after every attack. It was a mystery how much force the metals could have resisted, because the alicorn was sure that each hit was strong enough to break a bone.

“I should be there!” Garrett shouted before kicking it again in one violent outburst. “Why?! Where the hell did I go wrong?!”

He cursed and swore until it sounded like his throat went dry. Finally, he fell to his knees and rested his arms and head on the locker.

“...Stupid...” He said to himself as he began to gently pound on the locker with his fist. “You’re suppose to be there... You’re meant to protect them... Where are you now?”

Garrett started to shake. “...Can’t even defend my own home...”

Celestia heard hooves go up the ramp.

“...Sister? What is happening?” asked Luna, who overheard Garrett’s smashes against the locker.

Just by trying to find the words to say, the situation was already affecting Celestia as it was becoming clear to her just how deep it already was.

“...Earth... has been found,” she barely managed to say as she tried to hold down the tears of knowing that an entire race was calling for help for its last stand.

Luna let out a gasp and froze like a statue, listening to Garrett mumble and curse to himself. Celestia turned around and found many other guards standing silent with their eyes closed and their heads tilted down, needing no need for an explanation.

“...Reach... was taken out by a fleet of more than three hundred...” Garrett’s voice was shaking. “They’ve already glassed parts of a city... who the hell knows how many ships they brought?” he asked himself, the words that he feared to say, but it was inevitable that it would have happened in reality.

He let out a long, loud howl of anguish before sobbing silently.

The princesses and the guard were reminded that, despite a being a hardcore soldier, there was always a chink in the armor, and Garrett’s was hit with the heaviest kind of artillery.

Celestia had enough. She somehow managed to break the power which made her stand still like a statue. The sun princess came to Garrett’s side, went down to his level, and wrapped him with her forelegs and wings. Past all the hardened bones, strengthened muscles, and tough will, all of which earned from ODST training, it was easy for her to feel someone who was empty and broken inside.

Luna did the same, attempting to offer any way of comfort to him.

The way the alicorns embraced the humans reminded them so much of how they came to each other’s sides and exchanged care when they were feeling down. Celestia remembered how it felt like to have a loved one again when her sister was finally free of her Nightmare Moon curse, and Luna remembered the same, but Garrett’s situation was different. They both new that it was his turn to have a piece of kindness and compassion, especially now.

“...Earth...” Garrett managed to mumble.

“Whatever it takes, Garrett, just remember that we will always be here,” said Luna.

Garrett sniffed and nodded. “I... need some time...”

As per requested, the two princesses and the guards left the ship and watched the boarding ramp close, sealing them away.

Garrett then went to the cryo-tube and put himself on ice, using the only way he could have found any form of sleep. A few tears managed to slide down his face before they froze along with him.

Luna woke up early in the morning to see how Garrett was doing. As she made her way to the storage room, she tried to convince herself that what happened last night was a dream and that the trooper would come out of the ship smiling. However, all attempts were useless.

The ship had its hatch open, so Luna saw it as the sign that she was allowed to enter.

“Garrett?” she asked before entering the upper area. No response came, and she felt her heart skip a beat as she found the area empty. Some weapons from the armory were removed, the cryo-tube was open, the organized pile of ODST armor was gone, and the mongoose was not in its parking space. A message was left behind on Garrett’s computer.

I need fresh air... a lot of it. I’m not coming back.

-Garrett

“Oh no...” Luna broke into a furious gallop as she exited the Longsword. Outside, she found Celestia bearing a curious and worried look.

“Luna? What’s-”

“Garrett ran away!” Luna screamed as she made a quick teleportation spell to the outside of the castle in hopes of him not going too far. After she materialized beyond the castle gates, another horror struck her. A scheduled early morning shower of rain had gotten rid of any tracks whatsoever.

Celestia teleported to the area, also hoping to find a clue, but she also discovered the same result. "Oh no..."

With tear-filled eyes, the two of them stood there and attempted to comfort each other, staring at imaginary ATV tracks which had long been erased.

Every guard that was capable was out patrolling and scouting for any sign or trace of Garrett. However, the most they were able to get out of the small clues they found were either burnt out campfires or makeshift beds made from vines and leaves. Surprisingly, they found no animal dead or eaten, considering the fact that humans had meat in their diet.

“A month of searching of searching, sister,” Luna sighed, “and there is still no sign of him. Even our guards from surrounding towns have no news. Twilight and her friends have gone from worried to fearful, knowing that Garrett is losing himself and has no one by his side.”

Celestia kept silent, accepting that fact.

A knock on the door quickly made them snap to attention.

“We have found tracks of his vehicle in Ghastly Gorge, your highness!” a guard said through the door.

At once the two princesses sprung into action and galloped down to their royal carriage. Already there were many pegasus-driven chariots which had two crossbow-wielding unicorns riding.

Ghastly Gorge was just as dangerous as everypony knew it. Crumbling walls of rock, strange creatures inhabiting the empty spaces, and clusters of thorns were scattered about.

Celestia and Luna, accompanied by the guards, left their transports outside. Slowly, they went into the massive gorge and followed the fresh trail of tracks. As they moved on, however, a few guards noticed that something was wrong, as heard by their murmurs.

“Your highness... he was followed,” a guard finally said as he pointed out large paw prints on the ground, “and he knew it.”

The guard then pointed out multiple used shotgun shells and assault rifle cartridges.

Feeling the tension build up in the princesses and the guards, the group started to quicken their pace until they finally found Garrett. He was sitting down on the ground with his back against his mongoose. A shotgun and an assault rifle were stored in the vehicle, accompanied by a box that looked like it was designed to keep large boots. It was the size of the rucksack of the ODST battle armor.

“Garrett!” they called out in joy and relief as they began galloping to him.

Garrett, however, raised his hand to stop them. “Don’t come any closer,” he ordered.

They all stopped, confused. Celestia and Luna began to slowly inch their way towards him.

“Garrett? What’s wrong?” Celestia asked.

“I said don’t go near me!” Garrett yelled, standing up and backing off. There was one new thing noticeable in his tone, something that he never showed since his first encounter with them, fear, and his voice was shaky to prove it.

“We are your friends, remember?” Luna reminded him as she and Celestia continued getting closer.

“Stop!” Garrett pleaded, halting as his back was pressing against a rock wall. Realizing what was happening, he stretched out his neck and revealed a horror to everypony. A collar has been secured tightly around his throat, and it looked like it was specially designed to hold a large, rogue animal.

“Garrett, what happened to you?” Celestia gasped as she looked at it.

“We must take that thing off of you!” Luna yelped. She broke into a gallop.

“No! Wait!” Garrett yelled. The moment Luna was five meters away, the collar glowed yellow and began sending an electric shock through his body, making him scream in agony.

Everypony started to panic as they began to gallop closer to Garrett, hoping to offer any help, but the nearer they got, the more he screamed.

“GO AWAY!” he managed to shout amidst his cries of pain.

Immediately they stopped and retreated. As the distance in between them and Garrett grew larger, the collar stopped giving him the electricity, and the trooper fell to his knees.

“This thing... hurts... a lot,” Garrett groaned painfully.

The day of horrors refused to end as a howl echoed throughout the gorge, followed by the steps of a very large creature.

“Oh no...” Garrett breathed.

A massive animal, which was just as tall as a Covenant hunter, jumped out of the cover of the shadows and into the sunlight. It revealed itself as a werewolf that had eyes that glowed a sinister, hellish red. It had tough, naturally-grown bone plates protecting it as armor, and they bore much resemblance to crocodile scales. Some plates were either damaged or scarred with bullet markings, particularly in the head. It was also able to stand on its hind legs, showing off its incredible height. The werewolf hybrid stood in between Garrett and the ponies, showing off its incredible protection and razor-sharp teeth.

“Who are you?! What do you want?!” Luna demanded as she and everypony else stood their ground.

The hybrid smiled. “I am merely here to deliver a message from Dissenso.”

It held out its paw and wrote the message in the air, leaving the letters highlighted in flame.

“You see? He is behaving now with the nice leash. Decorate it with a few diamonds. He’ll make the perfect pet.”

The message burnt out like candle.

The werewolf hybrid then made its paws illuminate with yellow light, and again Garrett’s collar glowed brightly as a fine, yellow mist began to flow out of it. The trooper was groaning as if a blade was carving something on the surface of his skin. The mist then gathered into a ball and floated to the front of the hybrid, and the creature bit and swallowed it whole.

“Hmm... his power is delicious,” the hybrid complemented, smiling as it saw Garrett struggling to stand up. “Time for some seconds.”

The hybrid quickly did the same process again in a second, and Garrett fell to the ground, motionless and gasping for air. “He will make a very fine meal. Pathetic that he wasn’t so fun to play with.”

Celestia and Luna growled and had their horns glow, preparing to cast a spell with enough power to challenge a MAC gun. The unicorn guards raised their crossbows, and the pegasus guards prepared small storm clouds to shoot lighting bolts.

“Nah-ah-ah,” the hybrid taunted, raising his paw and waving a talon in an insulting manner. “Hurt me, and he-” it pointed to Garrett “-will get it.”

The collar on Garrett’s neck began to glow again. It was as if it was ready to give the death blow. “Please... do what he wants,” he begged.

Having no other options, the horns stopped glowing, the crossbows were lowered, and the storm clouds were dismantled.

“What do you want?” Celestia hissed.

“Now where’s the fun in simply asking and going?” the hybrid asked. “Some predators have a habit of playing with their prey before eating their meal.”

Garrett let out a disgusting cough that sounded as if he was infected by a plague, and it made everypony feel a sense of concern and fear, especially the princesses.

“Can we at least see what is wrong with him?” Luna half-asked and half-ordered.

“Fine, bring out your medic,” the hybrid commanded.

Without a moment’s hesitation, a pegasus guard retrieved a saddlebag full of medical supplies and made his way to he trooper. The pony dragged Garrett to the side of his mongoose and made his back rest against the vehicle. He opened his saddlebag and brought out a small potion. The guard then made the human take off his helmet and drink it to the last drop. The two exchanged murmurs and whispers. The only sentence heard from the two was when Garrett said, “I don’t care. Just do it.”

“All right! Time’s up!” the hybrid yelled, grabbing the pegasus by the shoulder and forcing him back into the crowd.

“How is he?” Celestia asked, hoping for nothing that ran along the lines of plague, sickness, and extensive torture.

“His body is not suffering malnutrition, surprisingly. Currently, he is stabilized, but in order to have a full recovery, he needs to have a steady supply of healing spells and potions in a hospital.”

“Thank you, corporal,” said Celestia, motioning him to move back into the safety of numbers.

The medic, however, looked like he was holding back on something. He bit his lip and shot an unsure look at Garrett.

“You heard your orders, corporal!” Garrett managed to breath. “Carry them out!”

The pegasus snapped. “Sir! Yes, sir!”

The medic turned around, quickly set up a storm cloud, and shot Garrett with a lightning bolt. The attack caught everyone by surprise, and when they came to, the trooper looked as good as dead.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” the hybrid barked as it and everypony else snarled at the medic in anger.

“...Following my orders!” Garrett yelled as he stood up, primed a fragmentation grenade and threw it at the hybrid’s head. It bounced off before detonating and blowing off several parts of its bone plates. It gave a small groan of pain as a few drops of blood oozed from a few newly added wounds.

“Why you little...” the werewolf hybrid made its paws glow again, but the human only laughed.

“Oh, needing this?” Garrett asked as he raised his broken collar which was glowing brightly. “Nice shot, by the way.”

The medic smirked and bowed his head in pride.

Garrett switched his attention to the hybrid. “Call me pathetic-” he cocked his shotgun and kept his assault rifle “-and it’s you who’ll need a medic.”

The hybrid cracked its neck and smiled as play time was about to begin. “Now that’s more I like it.”

The monster was the first to attack by giving a downward slash with its paw. This time, however, Garrett was ready. He jumped to his side and gave a shotgun shell to the head, but because of its extra thick plates, it only caused the werewolf hybrid to feel a bad concussion.

Garrett was not done yet. He stomped on the claw the hybrid used in its first attack, pinning it to the ground. He then pulled out his knife and jammed it into the exposed underarm area. Adding to the pain, he planted his boot on the handle of the blade, forcing it down even deeper.

The hybrid howled in pain, and everypony, including Celestia and Luna, cheered for Garrett as he cocked his shotgun and shot the beast again, only to have most of his shots stopped by the bone armor. In an attempt to fight back, the creature, who still had the trooper putting his weight on its forearm, shoved him away. It pulled out the blade in its arm and inspected its own blood.

As the hybrid focused its attention to Garrett, who was lying down with his back on the ground, it saw an assault rifle aiming straight at its head.

Garrett squeezed the trigger and yelled with the voice of an army as he shot lead at the beast, who covered itself with its arms for protection.

A full magazine of rounds was definitely enough to enrage the hybrid. Once it heard the angelic click of an empty gun, it pounced Garrett and grabbed him with its teeth. It then gave a very short jolt of electricity through its canines, making the trooper scream in agony. Finally, it flung him towards the guards.

The ponies scrambled to dodge the human projectile.

Celestia and Luna both managed to flap their wings up in time and cushion his crash with a layer of magic. However, they took that as a cue to join in the fight.

Celestia conjured up weapons that took the form of throwing spears that glowed brightly, the same ones she used when she threatened Garrett. Luna, on the other hoof, created free-floating lightning bolts, intimidating the hybrid as it gave a glance on the power of one single pony.

“Well, it’s been nice playing,” the hybrid said with a smile, setting itself down on all fours, “but I’m really in a hurry to Ponyville.”

It broke into a sprint and quickly climbed up the the canyon. Celestia and Luna flew to the air and followed the hybrid, shooting it with their weapons.

“After it!” a guard shouted as everypony began making their way back to the carriage and chariots. The unicorns carried Garrett and his gear with magic, including the mongoose.

They loaded Garrett onto a chariot, and they brought his mongoose into another. Medics were already treating him with several potions. The pegasus-drawn vehicles flew to the air, and the ones that carried the ODST and his possessions were going back to Canterlot.

Celestia and Luna, both adrenaline pumped, took turns in strafing the hybrid as it made its way to Ponyville. It was as fast as a cheetah and was dodging their attacks as they came. It seemed like the odds were in its favor, but, the explosion of a fragmentation grenade near its side forced it to slow down.

“Your highness! Please get on board” cried a guard as their chariot flew to their side. Sitting outside and next to the door was Garrett, who was readying his shotgun and assault rifle.

The two princesses quickly got inside, and Garrett climbed in through the window.

“Stay in here, and don’t get in the way,” Garrett ordered.

“Garrett, go back to Canterlot,” Celestia said. “Let us handle this. Besides, you need medical attention.”

“I don’t care,” Garrett said, temper growing. “The medics gave me some potions to help me go on a bit more. I’ll take care of this guy.”

“But-”

Garrett slammed his fist on the side with a loud bang.

“I’VE FAILED TO DEFEND MY WIFE, CHILD, HOME, AND EVERY DAMN THING I HELD DEAR!” he shouted, scaring everypony who heard him. “I will not let my friends get hurt today! So shut up and stay out of my fight!”

Luna and Celestia stared at him in shock.

“Please... for me,” Garrett asked in a more gentle tone.

Hesitantly, they both nodded.

Garrett unpolarized his visor. Instead of the defeated, empty soldier that they previously saw, they found a man who was smirking in pride as he knew he had nothing left to lose and everything else to gain.

Inside him, Garrett felt the power and courage to fight a thousand brute chieftans with his own hands. “Thanks.”

A chariot, which was drawn by Turbulence and Downburst, caught up to them.

“Get on!” Turbulence shouted.

Garrett opened the door of the carriage and jumped across.

“Stay low! Tilt and circle around him! Keep giving me a good view!” he ordered.

He aimed his assault rifle at the hybrid, who was tracking them with its head. In steady bursts, Garrett kept on shooting the monster until the very last round. He replaced the magazine and continued firing. Finally, after the last bullet hit the hybrid’s head, the ODST felt a small amount of relief as he saw some of the bone plates finally break off.

“Land on the ground, and charge like you’re going to ram it!” Garrett barked as he pulled out his shotgun and kept his rifle.

“Are you crazy?!” Turbulence shouted.

“Hell yes I am! Take off once you pass it!”

The pegasi did as he ordered, and the chariot dove right into the ground, landing hard. It then turned and faced the hybrid, still at full speed.

Here goes nothing, Garrett told himself before he jumped off, sliding across the ground on his back. He then saw himself getting closer and closer to the hybrid. His body made his senses tuned in so well it was if time was slowing down slightly. When he finally got close, the ODST raised his shotgun and fired at clearest possible target before crashing into one of the legs.

The hybrid fell to the ground and howled in extreme agony. The pegasi guards pulling the chariot gave loud cheers.

“Ooh! Point blank!” shouted Downburst.

“Good thing that part had a piece of armor!” yelled Turbulence.

Garrett stopped himself right after he passed through the hybrd’s legs, turned and aimed his shotgun, and gave volleys of lead until the gun was empty. Next, he climbed up its back, pulled out his knife, and stabbed it on the soft side of its neck, making it howl in pain again.

The hybrid had enough. It bent down, grabbed Garrett with its powerful jaws and thrashed him in the air like a dog’s chew toy.

The ODST yelled in pain as he was unable to do anything but welcome the attack.

Finally, the hybrid let go and flung him to the ground.

“You fool!” it spat as it licked its teeth, tasting Garrett’s blood. “Did you honestly think that your cheap attack was enough to stop me?”

Garrett slowly got to his feet, gripped his side, and felt blood soak his hand. “That? Hell no! I just needed you distracted,” he said as he unpolarized his visor. He then pulled out a detonator and flicked open the cap. The trooper grinned.

"Checkmate." Garrett pressed the button.

The hybrid looked at him in confusion, then its stomach made a violent turn as it heard a beep that originated from somewhere near its head. It raised a paw and ran it across its neck. After discovering its new collar of plastic explosives, it gave a yelp before the explosion cut it off and left a pile of smoke. The aftermath of the explosion blanketed the area with silence and the smell of fumes, or, for Garrett’s nose, victory.

“Heh, I always knew you were lucky,” Garrett said to Philomena’s feather and the ace of spades on his shoulder.

As the effects of the potions were wearing off, Garrett fell to his knees, smiled to himself, and inspected the smoke. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the red, windigo-like figure watching him from afar, staring at him in a way that it looked like it was deciding if it should finish him off, but it quickly vanished before the ODST was able to make any remark.

“At least you’re dead,” Garrett said as he turned to the smoke, which was beginning to clear. “...Are you kidding me?”

The werewolf hybrid was still standing there and still carrying its face of surprise, but the expression was also mixed with pain. Cracks started to appear along its body, and each one was glowing dazzling white. As more cracks formed, it started to limp its way to Garrett, one foot after the other.

Feeling too weak, Garrett stayed where he is, staring at the hybrid.

The hybrid fell to its knees in front of Garrett and went down to his level. “I... hate... you...” it growled.

Garrett brought out a middle finger and smiled. “Right back at you.”

The hybrid became encased with a bright, white light, then detonated into an explosion of energy so powerful it lifted Garrett off of the ground and sent him into a flight. He crashed into the second floor of Carousel Boutique. He then landed on the stairs, hard, and slid off, finally stopping after he hit the first floor.

“...G-Garrett?” Rarity stuttered as she emerged from the cover of a table and took off his helmet with her magic. “Oh my word! What did that monster do to you?!”

“Hell, I don’t know,” he managed to cough out as he tasted a small amount of blood in his mouth. The effects of the potions were completely gone, and he was finally realizing how much he forced himself through. Every single cell in his body screamed about weakness and pain. “Is everyone safe?”

“Everypony’s unharmed,” Rarity replied as she was connecting mannequin poles to make a makeshift stretcher. She then transferred Garrett to it and began wrapping his wounds with her fabrics. Adrenaline and a sense of responsibility filled up the unicorn as she knew there was someone who needed her help. “Now let’s get you to the hospital.”

“I’ve got nothing left...” he coughed as he ripped off his dog tags. “ODSTs always go out with a grand finale, and I guess this is mine-”

Rarity cut him off as she covered his mouth with her hoof. The loss of blood and the recent torture to his body made Garrett slipped off into unconsciousness. The dog tags fell off his hand and hit the ground with loud clinks.

“You’ve been giving so much to us, Garrett,” Rarity said. “Now it’s our turn to give to you.”

Luna flew in through the hole of the shop, desperation and worry feeding ever action. She finally came down the stairs and found Rarity and Garrett.

“I found him!” Luna called out.

The alicorn went to Garrett’s side, offering any form of help she could have given. She found the dog tags on the floor and picked them up.

The front door opened, and Celestia and a group of medics entered.

“We’ll handle it from here,” a medic said.

“Right this way,” the nurse breathed as she led Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie into Garrett’s room. Each of them had mixed emotions churning inside them as the doctor opened the door.

Garrett was the only one in the room. His torso was wrapped in bandages, and he was still unconscious, bearing a tired and slightly defeated face. His armor, which was magically repaired, cleaned, and still bore Philomena’s feather and the ace of spades, lay in a table next to him.

They all were quiet as they knew that he needed as much rest as possible.

“We’ll be giving him another dose of potions and medicines later. If you’re going to stay and watch as we do it, just remember that they can smell a bit... funny sometimes,” the nurse said as she closed the door, leaving the six of them in the room with Garrett.

“He looks so...” Twilight lost her words. “Anyway, let’s get this over with.”

She pulled out a book and opened it to the first chapter.

“I thought I was going to read chapter one!” Rainbow Dash whispered as she desperately tried to hold down her excitement.

“We agreed that you read the part where she actually goes into the temple, remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, just got a bit excited there.”

Twilight cleared her throat and searched for the first line. “When Daring Do heard of the Legend of the Windigoes’ Orb, she immediately began digging through every archive she knew of, searching for every possible clue like how a dog finds its chew toy...”

“I’m sorry, your highness,” the doctor said to Luna, “but there have already been too much visitors who came to see him. The only problem was that he was unconscious the entire time and is in no shape to be waking up soon. He needs a steady supply of healing spells and potions to repair the damage, and he needs to be checked regularly for any problems. The earliest time he may actually regain consciousness is about five days.”

“Please, doctor, I just want to give him something, a gift,” Luna begged gently.

The doctor sighed. “All right, your highness. Please add it to the pile, then.”

Luna sighed in relief as she saw the doctor motion her to follow him down the hallway. As she passed by each door, the moon princess tried to keep herself focused, but her mind kept on straying off to uncomfortable thoughts, such as the possibility of Garrett never finding happiness again. She finally snapped back into reality as the doctor showed her the door.

“Thank you, doctor,” Luna said with a weak smile.

Luna opened the door, and immediately, the smell of potions and medicines filled her nostrils. She entered the room, closed the entrance, and turned. The mere sight of the interior of the room was enough to make her relieved and glad that she knew Garrett was getting as much support as possible.

Half of the entire room was filled with letters of appreciation and gift baskets from various senders, ranging from the Ponyville town folk, the mayor, Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and even a few of the royal guards.

As for Luna, she came to Garrett’s side, showing calm and genuine happiness to a still unconscious man who did not know she was there. She opened her wing and revealed her gift to him, his dog tags, his identity.

Using no magic at all, Luna took the dog tags, placed them on Garrett’s palm, and closed his hand with her own hooves. Despite knowing that he may not be able to hear her, she tried her chances.

“You have protected the innocent and put your life on the line for strangers who thought of you as an evil. For that, thank you, Garrett.”

Still, Garrett was motionless and offered no response. Luna turned her head and began to make her way out of the room, but as she tried removed her hoof from his hand, she felt a small shock travel through her spine.

There was resistance.

She turned and saw Garrett’s hand gripping her hoof gently. His hand began moving and shifting until it had a better hold. Luna guessed it as how a human would have held the hand of another.

Garrett’s eyes fluttered and opened ever so slightly.

“...Please... don’t leave me... I don’t... want to be... alone...” he begged in a faint whisper.

Those simple words made Luna feel the same kind of cold loneliness she felt while on the moon for a thousand years under her Nightmare Moon curse. Never wanting to let anyone else feel as lonely again, she floated over a small stool with her magic, took a seat, and kept her hoof in the trooper’s hand.

“...Thank you...” he managed to whisper before becoming too weak to do anything again.

Luna smiled and stayed quiet as she watched him, satisfied that she was able to get Garrett to know that he was sure to have friends by his side. She stayed with him way beyond the time he fell asleep and until she herself needed to rest.

Part 7: How Far Friendship Goes

Celestia and Luna took turns on who would be in Canterlot and who would be in the hospital to oversee Garrett’s recovery. The healing process was slow, but the two managed to stay by his side and watch every minute, making sure that no harm would come to the already weakened trooper. The doctors said that he would be able to be walking again in five days, but he was able to stand up by the third.

On the fifth day, Celestia and Luna flew to the sky, lowered the moon, and raised the sun as usual. Ever since Garrett discovered that Earth had been found, the pictures of planets being glassed never left Celestia’s mind. Every now and then, she thought of how it would have felt like to see endless pools of melted earth in cities and fields. She imagined just one image of a town, such as Ponyville, being destroyed by plasma with its inhabitants. Her mind instantly rejected it, disgusted, horrified, and determined to prevent it, but the fear of failing was always there. And yet humans are dealing with that on a daily basis... she thought to herself.

“Sister?” Luna asked. “Is something bothering you?”

Celestia sighed. “There are a lot of things in my mind, Luna. I... I just don’t want to talk about it right now.

Luna silently nodded and flew to the direction of Canterlot.

Celestia landed and made her way to the hospital entrance. Right outside the building, a tent was erected to house a few guards and Garrett’s mongoose. Immediately after she entered, Turbulence approached her.

“How is Garrett?” Celestia asked.

“Your highness, he’s been up and running ever since yesterday, and he’s been begging the doctors to let him get some fresh air ever since last night. Since they couldn’t find anything wrong with him anymore, they discharged him this morning. The nearby innkeeper offered him a place to sleep if he needed it.”

“And where is he now?”

“He asked for a ride to the mountain. Said something about needing a lot of time to think. If you want, we can go there.”

Celestia felt her sense of responsibility kick in. She knew that Garrett needed as much help as possible, and the fact that he was alone offered no form of comfort.

“I think it would be good if you tell me which mountain he went to,” she said as she spread her wings, “but please, let me go alone.”

Celestia flew with as much speed her wings could have offered, avoiding and dismissing any guard who became curious. Of all the mountains, Garrett, why here? she wondered as the peak came into her view. How she wished that the bright, sunny day would have offered her any ideas on what to say to him. I wonder where that dragon went ever since Fluttershy scared it away, a thought in her mind whispered.

Celestia pushed the question aside as she landed right outside the cave of where the massive beast used to sleep in. She felt her hoof step on something. On the ground lay Garrett’s picture of him with his family and the small box that contained his wedding ring. She grasped them with magic, brushed off the dirt, and took a look. The picture itself was still in shape. The jewelry inside the container was still shining like a priceless masterpiece. Despite revealing that the ODST’s most treasured items were still in good condition, they still offered no clue to where the trooper was.

“...Garrett?” she called out.

His voice was defeated.“...Why am I here, Celestia? Why am I not on Earth?”

Celestia was silent as she turned and looked at the view of Ponyville, knowing that Garrett had the same view.

“I... I could just walk away from everything right now,” Garrett said. “Leave it all behind and... what will I do then?”

Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “No one will stop you. You’re free to choose your own way.”

Garrett was silent.

“Don’t be afraid, Garrett. The choices you make are all right.”

“But I still have questions, ma’am. As far as I know, they’ll linger on like memories... Was I right to give my life to the UNSC and have them run it for me?”

Another moment of silence.

“Garrett... You’re a soldier who gave his heart to a wonderful woman and child, and you willingly looked at fear straight in the eyes and banished it.”

“That raises another question,” Garrett said. He stood up from his cover in the bushes and came walked into Celestia’s view. He was clad in his full set of combat armor. “Are we all in a fight of good guys versus bad guys? Good to conquer evil? Truth to fight the lies? Are any of us saviors or destroyers? Or is it always black versus white in a chess game?”

Celestia tried to say something, but she found no words to answer.

“It’s already checkmate, ma’am. They found Earth... my home... my family... Now... if it’s all gone, what’s left to fight for?”

With her magic grasping the ring and the picture, Celestia inserted them into Garrett’s pockets. “You still have your friends, Garrett. They’re still something worth fighting for, and we’ll always be there, ready to help you.”

Garrett was silent for a moment.

Celestia went to his side. “Look at me, Garrett.”

Garrett did as he was asked. Celestia used her magic to remove his helmet, leaving nothing in between them. His face was not holding back the feeling of failure. His eyes looked down, avoiding eye contact.

“Do you know who Nightmare Moon is?” Celestia asked.

Garrett slowly nodded. “While I was in the hospital, Twilight’s been reading to me Equestrian history. It was something about Luna’s bitterness and refusing to lower the moon... then a thousand years of exile.”

Celestia continued, “I thought I lost her... she was everything to me. You love Sarah and Claire, and I love my sister just as much. After I banished Nightmare Moon, I became a total wreck. There were some nights where I woke up from horrible dreams, breathless. I was being haunted by the thought that I could have done something to prevent Luna from forcing me to do what I did. The guilt was so strong that I found myself covering my face with a pillow to cry until dawn.” She swallowed. “I thought I lost the feeling of love ever since.

When I was lost, my friends supported me, just like what we are doing to you know. They reminded me that I protected and cared for Equestria, and the citizens cared for me as well. I knew how miserables their lives would have turned into if I didn’t stop Nightmare Moon. Just like you said, the sight of your neighbors smiling again is something worth fighting for.”

With a small bit of magic, Celestia lifted Garrett’s chin so he could not avoid looking at her. “My point is that I too have lost family and many others, yet my friends were there for me. They never left my side and made me remember who I was. They... we’re here for you.”

Celestia picked up the ODST helmet with magic and placed it on his hands. “What kind of an individual are you, Garrett?”

“I... I fight for what I believe is right. I protect those who can’t defend themselves. I make sure that hope still shines among the darkest of times... I am an ODST.

“And is Equestria any different from Earth?”

“...No. There are still people getting hurt and losing hope.”

“What does your duty call for?”

“As a member of the United Nations Space Command...” Garrett lost his words as he got the message.

He looked at his own reflection on the visor. “Yeah... maybe there are still a few things worth living and fighting for, but it’ll be hard without a family...” -he placed his palm on the pocket which had his ring- “...or a home.”

Celestia looked at the view of Ponyville and took a few steps forward. “Don’t let them go, then, but loosen your grip. If you keep holding on, you’ll never see what’s in stock for the future. Don’t stop living on.”

Garrett sighed. “Letting go... one of the hardest things in life... only to be rewarded with freedom... If I were to let go of everything right now... that means-” he placed on his helmet “-hoorah.”

His last words had the same kind of tone that shouted out loud “I’ve got nothing to lose,” making Celestia’s pulse quicken. She quickly turned and found Garrett standing as straight and as stiff as a statue, teetering over the edge.

“Garrett, don’t even think about it,” she ordered.

“So many things have gone wrong already... the Covenant... the war... Earth... my family... I want something to go right. Just once... just...”

Celestia was too late to react and watched in horror as Garrett jumped off with his body stiff. He was pointing straight down like an honor guard statue, head first. It was as if time slowed down as she watched him take the leap.

“GARRETT! NO!”

Faster than a bullet, Celestia spread open her wings and flew down to catch Garrett, but he was falling at an incredible rate. She would have been too late by the time she caught up to him.

Celestia felt her body pump adrenaline as she repeatedly called out Garrett’s name, but he offered no response as the ground was coming closer.

Garrett, on the other hand, allowed the energy to build up as he avoided Celestia and focused his aim on following the valley. He knew he was dealing with death. Ordinarily, he would have panicked like every other individual who saw the threat of the afterlife. Hell, it’s part of my job, he thought to himself. Ever since I joined the corps, I’ve been seeing you on a daily basis... That acceptance drove out the fear of death, and with that, so did the panic.

When there was just a few seconds separating him and hitting the ground, all of that energy forced his mind to say one clear message, disposing every other thought.

He then barely scraped the ground before gliding out of the hanging valley and into the open sky, with nothing else holding him back while a very shocked princess chased after him. At that moment, with death rushing up to greet him, Garrett finally let go the weight on his shoulders.

“Garrett!” Celestia yelled. “I will have a word with you after this!”

“We’ll see about that!” Garrett felt something grab hold of his body and freeze him in place. “Oh come on!”

Celestia caught up to Garrett. “Now, about earlier...”

“You’re not my mother! And I regret nothing!”

After an eternity of convincing Celestia that it was the only way for Garrett to free himself, the hours came by. Repeated wingsuit glides in the company of the princesses, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and a few royal guards finally made the ODST feel less alone.

Afterwards, Garrett gathered the two princesses and six heroines of Equestria and brought them to a hill. On top of it sat his mongoose ATV and a picnic table. The cloudless sky, the view of Ponyville, and the songs of the birds were enough to make it the ideal place for a group of friends to meet.

“Garrett, you were insane back there,” Rainbow Dash cheered. “I mean, fighting monsters and freaks is one thing, but scaring the princess like that was probably the craziest thing you did so far! What was going through your head?!”

“...I was letting go,” Garrett said with a smile. “That second before you see death? That overused moment where your life flashes before your eyes? I didn’t see it, and I wasn’t ready to just end it yet. I still think there are still a few things worth living for.”

He walked to his mongoose, picked up the large, black box which the princesses saw back in Ghastly Gorge, and brought it to the table.

He then placed the box in the center of the table and motioned everypony to take a seat.

“Garrett,” asked Twilight, “what’s this?”

Garrett ignored her and tapped the side of the box. The sides opened wide, and crystal glasses rose from the holes. Everypony was silent and intrigued as he opened the main cover. Once he took it off, a fine, cold mist began escaping from the opening. Afterwards, the ODST pulled out two glass bottles.

“I... was saving this sparkling wine for when we win the war,” he said as he was pulling the corks out with his knife. “Since... they found Earth... well... I’ll take every victory I can get.”

He began pouring everypony a glass, revealing the straw-yellow drink from within.

“I’m still a human, no one died here, other than that werewolf freak, and this world hasn’t been found by the Covenant.” Garrett raised his glass. “Cheers to being alive... I guess.”

“No,” Celestia said as she raised her glass with magic. “Cheers to those who we care for.”

Everyone smiled and nodded in support, including Garrett.

“May we never take them for granted,” added Luna before all of them clinked their glasses and took a sip.

The sweet, fruit-flavored taste of a fine drink massaged Garrett’s taste buds. Flavor was not the only thing that made the first sip special. The fact that he was sharing his treasures with his new friends showed just how much he needed them, which was just as much of they needed him. Trust and friendship were the true essences of it.

“Wow... this is good,” said Rarity. “Much better than the other drinks Fancypants served at his tasting parties.”

Celestia smiled. “I agree.”

“Let’s finish these two bottles, then,” Garrett said with a confident smile. “It’s not everyday something like this gets to happened.”

Everypony cheered in excitement before they started to savor every drop of their drinks.

“Mighty generous of ya, yer highness,” Applejack said with a smile as Celestia showed her to a guest room in Canterlot Castle.

Celestia smiled as well. “When I heard that you were coming for the farmer’s market this year, I thought that it would have been nice to give you a place to stay while it’s going on here in Canterlot afterwards. How was it, anyway?”

“It was nice. Saw a few of mah cousins from Appleloosa. Couldn’t really talk to them much, had to buck the apples back at the farm an’ take care of the stall in the market here, y’know?”

“At least you were able to see them. Well, I hope you enjoy your stay,” Celestia said as she started to walk away.

“Uhh... princess?”

Celestia stopped and turned. “Yes?”

“...Is Garrett okay? Been a week since he shared his wine... thingy with us, an’ we didn’t really hear from him since.”

Celestia gave a slow smile. “He’s been doing well.”

She pointed over the balcony and revealed Garrett, who was in his casual wear and sitting down in the garden with his back against the tree.

“Can ah talk to him?” Applejack asked.

“It would be good if you did.”

The afternoon sun and the songs of the birds made the garden a perfect place to meditate, find a sense of peace and slow down amidst the fast times. When Applejack found Garrett, he was still there by the tree, staring at the descending sun.

“Y’all right, Garrett?” Applejack asked as she came to Garrett’s side.

“Oh... hey, Applejack,” his voice was soft and carried little enthusiasm. “Why are you here?”

“Princess Celestia gave me a room to stay fer the night.”

“What for?”

“Canterlot was hosting this year’s farmer’s market. Ah spent all day an’ night bucking apple trees an’ handling the stall fer two days.”

“Must have been tiring. Reminds me of my time back at boot camp. Woke up at five and drilled until two in the morning for days. On the bright side, I learned how to sleep while marching.”

“Ouch. Mind if ah join you in... whatever you’re doin’?”

Garrett shrugged. “I’m just watching things go along. In fact, you actually came right on time for the sun to go down, something that I usually reserve for when I spend time with... my family.”

Applejack took a seat beside Garrett and also watched the sun go down. It slowly descended out of sight and highlighted the clouds with orange as it went away. It was like watching a torch slowly burn out as its fuel was sucked dry. Finally, the moon came out of its hiding spot among the clouds, and the crickets began their own orchestra of sound.

“Earth may be gone,” Garrett said with a smile, “but that’s at least one thing I know that the Covenant can never destroy, no matter how much they try.”

“Never noticed them sundowns being like that before. Gosh, they’re pretty.” Applejack gave a yawn. “You ain’t so bad, Garrett.”

Garrett was quiet again as he listened to the crickets. His moment was quickly interrupted as he felt something land gently on his shoulder, followed by the undeniable sound of a snore. He turned his head and smiled as he saw Applejack sleeping like a small child, exhausted after a very long day. He picked her up like how he would carry Sarah when she fell asleep and began walking to the earth pony’s room.

“Time for bed, you big baby,” Garrett whispered as he was carrying her.

Applejack gave him a soft kick. “Who you callin’ a baby?” she murmured before dozing off.

The next morning, after breakfast, Garrett began putting on his armor in his ship. Piece after piece, he secured them into place. He looked at his left shoulder pauldron and was amazed that the feather and ace of spades were still intact.

I swear, you two really are luck- he was cut off as he heard something land behind him. Garrett casually placed on his helmet and polarized the visor as he began feeling suspicious.

“Hello, Garrett.”

“Morning, whoever the hell you are,” Garrett said as he pretended to ignore the voice and place his empty magnum pistol in his holster.

“I admit, I’m quite impressed with how much progress you’ve had ever since day one.”

Still ignoring the voice and not looking at the owner, Garrett moved to the automated medical table and opened the side panel, revealing it to be filled with magnum pistol magazines and specialized grenades. A split second afterwards, all of his training kicked in. The ODST grabbed a magazine, spun around, loaded and cocked his gun, and rested his finger gently on the trigger.

“I don’t know what you want with me, but I bet that you just want to cause some trouble.”

The owner of the voice laughed. “Oh, why do I want to give you a hard time? I just want to give you something... special.”

Garrett felt pulse quicken and made his finger press on the trigger ever so slightly more. He used his left hand to retrieve the remaining magazines and specialized grenades from the medical table.

“Oh? And what would that be? The order to shoot you?” Garrett taunted after he finished placing the magazines and grenades into their respective pockets.

“What if I told you that you can still save your wife, daughter, and home?”

Garrett froze for a second and slowly removed his finger from the trigger. “...Keep talking.”

A tea set, accompanied by the two empty bottles of sparkling wine, sat on a table which stood in the center of Celestia’s private study. The sunlight seeped in through the window and lit up the room. The table was in the center, a bookshelf was placed near the wall, a clock hung on the wall, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceilings. Several paintings of ancient and modern-day Equestria hung on the wall, depicting the vast history of the land.

Celestia walked to the window and looked at her view of Canterlot. As she did so, she floated over one of Garrett’s empty bottles and took a smell of the container. It still bore a slight scent of one of the best wines she ever tasted. Satisfied, she returned the piece of glass to the table.

A knock on the door made her attention come alive. “Come in,” she said in her usual, graceful voice.

The door opened, and an ODST stood there.

“Ma’am, permission to check a book. I read an article somewhere, and I just want to compare it with something.”

Celestia smiled and motioned him in. “Go ahead.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Garrett made his way to the bookshelf, picked a book, and set it on the table.

When Celestia saw the book, she could not recall what were its contents, nor did she ever remember putting it in her shelf. Must have been placed there and forgotten long ago, she told herself.

“What are you looking for, anyway?” Celestia asked.

Garrett was quickly flipping through the pages. “Just feeding my-” he stopped at one page and paused, “-my need of info.”

The moment the page landed flat, Garrett felt something make his hands freeze like a statue. Immediately afterwards, a strange feeling of dust began crawling on his skin and up his arms. He felt it climb up his spine and position itself at the back of his head. The ODST tried to scream in panic, but something kept him quiet. It even controlled his breathing to make it sound like he was breathing normally.

The horror kept on moving as Garrett felt the dust-like material pierce the back of his head like a needle, sending a cold sensation through his skull. It began feeding him with the belief of two certain spells. He stopped struggling to move. Rage was naturally building up inside him as he was believing its possibility every step of the way, yet there was also another anger, that was not his, adding to his already growing hate.

Can you hear me, Garrett? a voice in Garrett’s head spoke, the same voice he heard in his ship.

I can’t believe I trusted them...

Oh, the truth hurts a lot, doesn’t it?

After all this time... why?

Don’t you get it? Look back at pretty much everything they asked and wanted you to do. In the end, it was all for their benefit. They just wanted to look better and wanted to see you all sad and lonely, and when you finally break down, they can show off their image of ‘loving rulers’ to its full potential. Now you see what I wanted to give you, freedom and a way home. I have one more question for you. When you’re going to ask them to perform the spell for you, what makes you so sure that they’re just going to do it?

Garrett felt his blood run hot like boiling water.

Let’s have a moment of thought, shall we? Like you said, ever since I crashed into this place, I’ve been threatened, nearly killed, told to become soft, used as a tool, beaten to a pulp, lied to, and became worried sick that my family is dead and my home is destroyed, only to have the information to save them stowed away. And now, I finally have a way out of all of this. What in the hell makes you think I’m just going to ‘ask’ for it?

You do realize that you can’t take them on alone, right?

All help will be appreciated, Mister...

...Discord. The voice gave a chuckle. Well, you heard him, Moony.

With pleasure.

Through Celestia’s eyes, however, the scene was completely different. The moment she saw the ODST flip to the page, he froze, and the alicorn herself felt a strange sense of magic appear out of nowhere.

“...Garrett?”

Celestia started to slowly walk to him, but with every step she took to get closer, the more she felt the dark power grow stronger, and the more she felt her concern grow.

“What are you reading about?” she asked.

As she came to Garrett’s side, where the power was at its strongest, she felt her blood run cold like ice once she read the heading of that one page.

HOW TO PERMANENTLY TRAVEL BACK IN TIME AND HOW TO TELEPORT ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
BY STARCHURN THE MOUSTACHED AND “THE DOCTOR”

But another message has been scribbled below the title.

I told you to keep him on a leash. Oh well, have fun.

Garrett turned to Celestia. “I can’t believe you, Celestia,’ he growled after slamming the book shut. “How long have you had this damn book?!”

Celestia backed off. Despite his visor being polarized, she easily saw a face that wanted answers on the spot. She even noticed her own expression of shock reflect off the glass. “Garrett, take it easy-”

Garrett cut her off by flipping the table and making the glass items fall to the floor, shattering into bits. “DAMN IT! AFTER ALL THIS TIME, YOU NEVER EVEN TOLD ME ABOUT THIS?! I COULD HAVE BEEN ON EARTH!”

Garrett marched after Celestia.

“Do the spell! Now!” he ordered, but there was something different in his voice. It was as if he spoke in the tongue of three individuals.

“Garrett... what happened to you?” Celestia asked as she felt three threats in her presence. “Why are Discord and Nightmare Moon part of your voice-”

“It’s called seeing the truth!” Garrett sprinted and attempted to tackle Celestia, but he was stopped as two guards managed to intercept him in mid-flight.

Celestia saw Commander Downburst jump in between her and Garrett.

“Seize him!” Downburst shouted before he guided Celestia out of the room, and the princess sprinted out without hesitation.

“No!” Garrett shouted as he got to his feet. “Damn you!” He shouted to the two guards.

He quickly attacked the first guard with two fast punches, followed by a kick that made the pony fall with a loud clunk of his armor.

The second guard leaped and tried to wrestle Garrett down to the ground, but the ODST grabbed hold of him in the air by the back of the neck and brought his knee up to the chest plate, forcing the air out of him and knocking him breathless.

“What’s gotten into him, your highness?!” Downburst asked as he and Celestia were racing down the wide corridor which was lit up by the various, large windows. The shining marble walls and floors reflected the princess’s face of pure shock and fear.

Turbulence sprinted to them, breathing heavily and feeling her sense of duty kicking. “Downburst! What’s happening?!”

“Garrett attacked Celestia!” the commander yelled. “He’s taken out two guards and attempted to tackle the princess.”

Turbulence’s jaw fell down to the ground. N-no... he wouldn’t... ever, she thought to herself. “W-why?”

Celestia shook her head. “Something... someone made him-”

“CELESTIA!” Garrett yelled with a three-voiced mouth that could have made a spartan whimper. He stood on the carpet in the middle of the hallway, moving his fingers like how a gunslinger would prepare for a fast draw.

“Your highness, please get to someplace safer,” Turbulence whispered as she and Downburst took positions ahead of Celestia.

“There’s no need for me to beat the crap out of anyone,” Garrett growled. “Just do the damn spell!”

“Garrett!” Celestia called out. “I can’t! It’s impossible! Nopony is capable of doing it!”

“LIAR!” Garrett broke into a sprint, targeting Celestia. “Get the hell out of my way!” he yelled to the commanders.

“Stand down, soldier!” Downburst shouted. “You’ve already-”

Downburst was cut off as Garrett pulled out his M6G magnum, aimed at the two commanders, and fired twice.

Celestia felt sandpaper scrape her raw nerves as she saw the two muzzle flashes and heard the two loud bangs. She saw her two commanders having faces of pure shock, jaws hanging from their heads in disbelief that he shot them without hesitation. The two struggled and staggered to keep on standing, but they eventually fell down to the ground. The sun princess had no time to analyze the situation as she saw Garrett’s pistol change to its new target, her.

“Garrett, please, don’t-”

Garrett cut her off by pulling the trigger, but Celestia, on the other hoof, flapped her wings just in time. She felt a sense of relief as she knew she dodged the attack, that was until she felt something pierce her hind leg and wing.

Luna levitated over a cup of tea to Applejack. “Did you have a good sleep?” she asked.

“Sure did, princess.” Applejack took a sip. “Dunno how ah found myself in bed when ah woke up. Coulda sworn that ah fell asleep someplace else.”

A panic knock on the door made the two ponies snap into attention. A guard entered, panting heavily.

“Your highness!” the guard called out, “Celestia is in danger!”

Applejack and Luna froze. Before anything else could have happened, two loud bangs echoed through the hallways, making cold shocks travelled up their spines. Another loud shot came by, and their blood froze solid like ice, followed by two more.

The moment that final shot was heard, Luna and Applejack broke into action by sprinting down the hallways and to the source.

Celestia crashed down to the carpeted, marble ground and yelped as her wing and hind leg became numb.

“It’s funny, really,” Garrett said. “Ordinarily, you’d be out by the first shot.”

Celestia turned her head, fearing to see two red, bleeding holes pulsing with pain in her body. Instead, she found two small syringes on where the rounds hit. Her shot limbs began losing the sense of feeling, barely being able carry out what she wanted them to do. Instinctively, she pulled them out with magic. Realizing just what Garrett loaded into his gun, the sun princess looked at her two fallen commanders, finding out that they were fast asleep with syringes sticking out of their necks.

Somewhere, deep inside, Garrett’s still in there, Celestia thought to herself. Which means that...

“Garrett, look at yourself!” Celestia shouted as she struggled to get back up, staggering ever now and then. “You’re an ODST! A defender of peace and humanity! A protector of all things right! You know this is wrong! You have to fight it!”

“Look at myself?! Look at yourself!” This time, the two other voices took a considerably larger part of his. Their owners were invading Garrett’s body. He inserted a fresh magazine of ammo into his gun. “You’re talking as if I’m a tool! An instrument to be disposed of when no longer needed!”

Celestia stood silent, shocked as she realized that her words sounded parallel to his.

“Damn it! They were right about you! I can’t believe that I was too blind to see. News flash, princess, I have the liberty to make my own decisions!”

Garrett broke into a sprint and leaped into the air again, focused on tackling Celestia down to the ground. Again, he was encased in a magical, glowing aura. It floated him away from the alicorn, and gently set him down on the ground.

Luna, Applejack, Captain Galea, and thirty guards galloped passed Celestia, blocking the way in between her and Garrett. Some split off and began treating the sun princess.

“Have you gone insane, Garrett?!” Luna shouted.

“Go to hell!”

Garrett felt the strange feeling of dust climb up his legs. It started encasing his body, glowing silver as it did so. Finally, it finished outlining his current battle armor, and it reminded him so much about how Sangheili energy shields glow when damaged. The trooper smiled as he inspected the new addition. Not only did it made him feel more protected, but it also made him feel as powerful as a spartan, or for Equestrian terms, an alicorn hunter.

Thought you would need it. Also, you now have the power to do a few things you want. You still can’t teleport or time travel, though. Enjoy.

Thanks.

“I said it once, and I’ll say it again,” Garrett said as his armor glowed, intimidating everypony. “Give me the princesses, and we can all go home without any violence at all, happily ever after.”

“You’ll have to go through me first,” Captain Galea announced before he prepared his stance. The other guards, now numbering over fifty, did the same. Even Luna joined the blockade, determined to not let any harm come to her sister.

“Fifty two against one?” Garrett half-asked, half-taunted. “That’s not fair.”

He looked up and found ten marble statues of armored pegasi stood right above the large, glass windows. With a snap of his fingers, Garrett made them come to life. They took off from their stands and flew down to his side, ready to fight for him until the end.

Garrett snapped his fingers again, and the armor of the statues started shifting and changing form. The plates were sliding over one another and were molding as they did so. Eventually, they took the shape of a somewhat ponified set of green marine battle dress uniforms, accompanied by large, gold visors which covered the faces like an EVA helmet. As a finishing touch, the ODST had the face plates have wolves scratched in on them.

Having seen enough and wanting to prevent more violence, Applejack broke into a sprint and stopped right in front of the ODST and his pegasi. “This ain’t like ya, Garrett!” she called out.

“Get out of my way, Applejack!” Garrett barked.

“No! Ah ain’t gonna let ya hurt the princesses!”

“Then that marks you as a threat.”

Garrett brought out a small handkerchief from his pocket. He quickly seized Applejack by the neck and forced the cloth on her snout. She tried to fight and resist by kicking and thrashing about, but the anesthetic made her slow down and made her limbs fall. Her eyes slowly rolled back and closed shut, leaving her fast asleep. She was hanging in the trooper’s grasp. Once he knew that the drug did its duty, the ODST seized her by the mane and flung her unconscious body away. She landed on the side of the hall with a thud.

“Garrett...” Luna said, disbelieving what she just saw. “No... You... you have been turned into a... monster!”

“Too bad, Luna. I’m still me.” Garrett kept the handkerchief and switched his attention to his ten pegasi. “Get me a princess.”

The statues nodded. Five of them spread their wings wide and took to the air, and the other half sprinted towards the guards.

However, before any physical contact was made, Luna summoned lightning bolts with her magic and quickly aimed them at the statues. She destroyed two before the other three started evading, but, despite their incredible agility, their attempts were useless.

Luna fired another lightning bolt with magic, but the three pegasi dodged it effortlessly. Not wanting to waste any time, she grabbed hold of two and held them in place. Then, she destroyed them with two bolts. The final one made a direct dive for the princess, only to get hit by another crack of lightning.

The five sprinting on the ground, however, were a different story. They were more agile on the ground and easily dodged the lightning bolts Luna magically shot at them, and they started jumping up in the air and kicking off the walls to avoid getting hit. Using the same tactic she used on the airborne ones, she seized the five of them with magic and fired her lightning bolts at them, demolishing the stone figures. She then threw the rubble away and back at Garrett, who still stood still.

Garrett slowly shook his head in disapproval. He kicked away the head of a statue. “No matter how hard you try, you can never make a good marine with a simple magic spell. These stupid statues are even worse than rookies. You have to train him from the ground up in boot camp.”

He activated his energy shield gauntlet. “Anyhow, it was fun playing around, but I’ve got business to attend to.”

Garrett’s right hand began glowing as a fine, dark dust began crawling on the surface of his battle armor and into his right palm. Eventually, it began to take the form of a black, T-handle baton.

“The tonfa, nightstick,” Garrett said as he was inspecting his weapon, “is the preferred weapons used for law enforcement. Capable of delivering one painful blow, one after the other. I learned how to use weapons like these in the martial arts course during training.”

He gave a chuckle as he remembered the deadly and painful moves he studied in boot camp.

“Combine it with a stun baton-” he flicked it, and it began flowing and sparking with electricity on the sides used for striking and blocking, “- well, let’s not go into the details.”

With a body full of adrenaline, twisted magic, rage, and the desire to bring the pain, Garrett charged forward and sprinted with all the speed his legs could have given him.

“Take up positions, and set your bolts to stun!” Galea shouted.

The guards started forming a wall and aiming their crossbows at Garrett, ready to absorb his head on attack. They began shooting at him stun bolts to slow him down, but his shield easily absorbed and deflected the attacks.

Just a few meters away from the wall of guards, Garrett used his borrowed magic to deploy a portable, single-use, holographic gravity lift. The guards looked at the deploying device in confusion as they continued shooting at him. By the time his shield gauntlet was beginning to fade to orange, the ODST finally took the step on the piece of equipment and launched himself into the air. During his flight he deactivated his shield gauntlet and summoned another electrified tonfa for his other hand.

Luna and the guards, including Galea, looked at the airborne Garrett in awe and were too late to react as he came crashing down on top of the group, starting a brutal engagement of close quarters combat.

Garrett was hitting nearly every guard he saw. The amount of times he felt his batons strike something was quickly racking up. From one, it hit five, then seven, and he believed he was at ten by the time his sense came to. He was encircled by the guards, and Galea and Luna were still standing. Somewhere, a very small part of him felt relieved, yet another part wanted to see them bruised.

Before another thought crossed his head, out of the corner of his eye, Garrett saw another guard attempt to bring him down with a tackle. Instinctively, he punched the guard in an arc with his his nightstick. Right before the guard fell, the ODST pushed him away.

Two more guards tried to bring him down. The first one tried to strike Garrett with his hoof, but the attack was blocked by his baton. The ODST then hooked the pony’s foreleg with his leg and pulled, bringing down the guard. He then finished him off with a strike from the tonfa.

He heard movement behind him. Naturally, Garrett turned and swung in another arc, but he stopped his baton as he saw who it was. He felt a small shock travel through his spine as hesitated when he saw that the pony was Luna, who was also looking at him.

Both of them were speechless as they felt conflicts growing inside them. Garrett saw them as his friends, Celestia, Luna, the guards, the six heroines of Equestria, and the rest. Luna saw the human as her friend as well, but this moment was different. They saw each other as enemies, threats that needed to be stopped one way or another.

It was as if that during those quick seconds, they conveyed a simple question to each other. Where did we go wrong?

Before another moment could have passed, another guard brought up his hind legs and gave a strong kick to Garrett, knocking him back a few steps and snapping him back into attention.

“Captain! We should get the princesses out of here! I’ll hold him off!” the guard shouted. Galea nodded, and he immediately escorted Luna and a limping Celestia out of the fight in the company of ten guards.

“No!” Garrett shouted as he threw away a baton and pulled out his magnum. “Damn you!”

He shot the guard on the neck, and the pony fell as the tranquilizer round quickly took over his body.

“Pin him down!” yelled another guard.

“Bring it, assholes!” Garrett taunted with anger feeding every word. He raised his arms wide to welcome them.

All the remaining guards leaped to the air and attempted to pile up on Garrett and wrestle him down.

The ODST quickly lowered himself to one knee and pressed his palm against the floor. When he did so, a wave of energy detonated and stopped all the guards who were trying to bring him down. They were stuck, frozen like how a set of spartan armor would be in armor lock. Their eyes were still moving, though, glancing at each other in disbelief.

Garrett was not done yet. He pulled out the specialized grenade from his pocket, removed the pin, and dropped it on the ground, letting it roll on the floor. He quickly secured his helmet, making sure it had an air-tight seal.

The grenade went off, releasing a gas into the area. With a snap of his fingers, Garrett let go of the frozen guards and allowed them to inhale the chemicals. Some tried to panic and flee, and some tried to stay standing, but the power of the substance was too strong to fight.

“We can’t go anywhere while he’s still out there, your highness,” Galea said as he opened a nearby door.

After he opened wide, Celestia, who was starting to feel the drugs spread out throughout her body, settled herself down and rested a part of her body on the wall. The tranquilizer rounds made her too weak to even use magic. She familiarized herself with where they were. Stained glass windows showed the villains of Equestria and how they had been defeated. Tapestries hung from the sealings, and a bouquet of flowers decorated every marble pillar.

“Sister... what happened to him?” Luna breathed. “He has magic... and the voices of Discord and... Nightmare Moon...” she gulped “...me.”

“And doesn’t it sound more badass when it’s mixed with mine?” Garrett asked.

Everypony, even Galea and the guards, felt sandpaper scrape their raw nerves again as they turned and found Garrett standing beyond the doorway. His armor still had the strange, energy shield-like glow.

Garrett pressed his palm on the floor, and a large sphere surrounded Luna and made her stay afloat in the air, sealing her off from them.

She tried to beat her way out with her hooves, and she also tried blasting it open with magic, but it kept her trapped inside. Her fear started to build inside her. She knew that Garrett was capable of doing anything he wanted, and there was almost no one stopping him. She continued to frantically beat against the shield.

Garrett turned to the guards. “I don’t have all day to deal with you dirtbags.”

He brought out another specialized grenade, pulled the pin, and allowed a small amount of gas to seep out before throwing it to the group. Almost immediately, many guards fell from the effects. Galea was struggling to stand as he gasped for clean air, only to inhale more of the chemicals.

Garrett broke into a sprint for Galea. He pulled out his pistol and shot the captain twice. The pony’s face was filled with shock as the rounds pierced his neck. The ODST finished off his attack with a push kick, sending the unconscious pony into a short flight. He held nothing back when he gave that blow.

And that asshole deserved every bit of it, he thought to himself.

Friend of yours?

The absolute best.

Do not waste your time and energy on him. Focus on Celestia.

Roger that.

Celestia struggled to stay on her hooves. A small amount of gas reached her nostrils, and her eyes began to droop. She immediately realized just how fast the anesthetic gas worked and began backing off from the chemicals.

The gas continued to spread around her. If she had moved any further, she would have been breathing in even more of the drugs. Amidst everything, she managed to hear the echo of walking boots around her. Finally, she saw a shadowy figure among the mist that made her blood freeze.

Luna felt her adrenaline take over. She started to bang on the bubble even harder, blasting it with incredible amounts of magic with every blow of her hoof.

“Moment of truth, Celestia.” Garrett raised his magnum and started to slowly walk to Celestia. “Who am I? Am I your friend? Your pal? A shoulder to lean on when you’re down? The one alien, the one human you first met that actually earned your trust and friendship?”

Garrett fired three rounds to the ground directly in front of Celestia, making her flinch in shock.

Luna started to hit the shield even harder. “NO! GARRETT! NO!”

“Or am I your pet?” Garrett continued. “A tool? An instrument? A thing to be used to our own advantage and pleasure, only to be disposed of when no longer needed?”

Garrett charged, grabbed Celestia by the throat, and slammed her against the wall. “WHO AM I, CELESTIA?!”

Celestia had no other options. The anesthetics made her too weak to use magic, and she was cornered.

“You’re... you’re our friend, Garrett,” Celestia breathed as Garrett’s grasp on her throat was making it difficult to say anything. “We don’t care if you’re an alien. We always wanted to protect and care for you. That spell you saw... it doesn’t exist.”

“Please...” she begged as she pointed to the feather, his symbol of trust, on his left shoulder pauldron, “...listen to me. It’s a lie. Even I can’t do it. Nopony is capable of doing so. Deep down, somewhere in your heart, you know this is wrong. We’re your friends... not your enemies.”

Garrett growled and tightened his grip.

“...Please...”

Do it.

Do it.

Garrett brought out his knife. He showed her the blade by pointing it to her neck and slowly inching it closer. “You and I have different opinions on what makes a good friend-”

“-NO!” Luna shouted. She raised her hoof to give one more blow to the shield. Combined with enough power to crush Nightmare Moon in a second, she finally destroyed the bubble, making it shatter like glass. She grabbed hold of Garrett with magic and yanked him away from Celestia. She then flew to her sister and turned to face the ODST. The anger inside her was like a rogue bull. She gave one powerful flap of her wings that cleared the room of the gas and forced the trooper against the wall.

“YOU WILL NOT HARM MY SISTER!” Luna yelled with a voice magnified with so much power and magic, it was a wonder the glass windows did not break. To give a warning to Garrett of how much power she had, the alicorn set up an electrical field in front of her sister that spread out wide in intimidation. She began moving forward towards Garrett, anger feeding every hoofstep.

The electrical field was disturbing Garrett’s VISR. Annoyed and pissed off, he removed his helmet and tossed it aside, revealing another horror to Luna and Celestia. All of his features were in the shades of grey, except for his eyes. They were slits that glowed teal like a neon light against the night. Whoever it was that wore the armor, it was not the Archer they used to know.

Garrett cracked his neck and knuckles. “Now this will be interesting,” he said as he summoned a tonfa and activated his shield gauntlet.

He charged first. Luna tried to stun him by shooting him with a lightning bolt on low voltage, but he merely blocked it with his shield. Garrett held nothing back as he swung.

Luna flapped her wings back just in time. The baton was so close she felt the wind in front of her change direction. She forced Garrett away with a push of magic.

Garrett was about to charge again, but he heard more movement behind him. He turned and found the red, windigo-like pony walking up behind him. It was carrying the unconscious Applejack on its back. Instinctively, the ODST disposed his tonfa and unsheathed his knife.

“...A windigo?” Luna said in disbelief. “No... you are different.”

“The hell do you want?” asked Garrett.

The windigo-like pony offered no response. It moved closer to the point where its face and his face were only inches apart. It gave a small motion that was similar to a sniff, and the glow in its eyes grew like the the fires of rage in hell.

The strange spirit’s mane burst into a flame and snarled at Garrett. It then dissolved into a bright, yellow mist that surrounded Applejack, who was left floating in the air.

Applejack finally opened her eyes. Only, her lime-green eyes were replaced. No trace of her old feature was found, only bright, glowing, white light. The strange mist around her began forming translucent armor that floated off of her.

“What the hell?!” Garrett shouted as he prepared his stance.

Applejack, who was still floating above the ground, looked at Garrett. Four translucent pylons emerged from her armor and aimed straight at him. Bright beams of yellow shot out of them and held the trooper up in the air, making him drop his knife.

Garrett screamed like he was being burned alive. In reality, the greyness of his features looked like it was burning off of him, little by little. His energy shield gauntlet sparked with electricity and died, permanently.

Luna and Celestia watched in both horror and amazement as they saw whatever was controlling Applejack attack Garrett with no mercy. As they watched the magic that influenced him “burn” off, they also sensed that it was weakening. When the last bit of grey burned off of him, trooper’s voice returned as his, and he still continued screaming as the four pylons were still in control.

Finally, the pylons let go of him, making him fall to his knees. The armor on Applejack detached from her, and she was dropped down to the ground, staggering as she came to.

“H-huh? W-what... happened?” she mumbled. Her lime-green eyes fluttered as she was trying to overcome her disorientation.

The armor transformed back into the red, windigo-like pony again. It looked at Garrett one more time before teleporting away, and it was gone.

Luna rushed to Garrett and was still confused after what happened. Cautiously, she halted next to him. He looked up to her, his eyes and features back to normal.

“L-luna? W-wha--?” His eyes opened wide. “Oh God...”

A fine bit of dark magic began climbing up his leg.

“Oh no...” Luna breathed. She backed away and instinctively seized Garrett’s knife with magic.

Garrett groaned in pain as grey started to slowly climb up his neck.

“Please... kill me...” he managed to beg. “Make it stop...”

Luna stood there, awestruck and in dread.

Garrett’s eyes were starting to turn back into teal slits again.

“...Please...” he hopelessly breathed as the two other voices were coming back.

He has already suffered too much, she thought to herself. Luna raised Garrett’s knife high with magic.Tears filled her eyes as she knew she was about to give more pain to an already broken person who she knew as her friend, and he knew the same, somewhere, deep within his heart.

“Sorry... Garrett,” she whispered.

With her magic grasping the weapon and making it glow, Luna quickly brought the knife down. She closed her eyes right before she saw the blade enter his neck. Garrett gave a stomach-turning yell of pain that echoed throughout the castle corridors.

The moon princess pulled the knife out of him. Luna dared to take a look at what she did. The knife went deep. A dark fluid reached all the way to the handle, dripping off the tip of the blade, and it gave off a white mist.

The grey that was climbing up the ODST faded away, and his eyes returned to normal. The stab wound itself was glowing white and was also leaking the mist. It quickly closed, and Garrett collapsed with loud clunks of his armor, his breathing erratic.

Luna tossed away Garrett’s knife and came down to his side.

“Sorry...” she echoed her words.

Garrett’s eyes slowly closed shut.

Part 8: Where the Lines Show

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy nervously got out of their carriage as it landed in front of Canterlot Castle. The emergency letters they received offered no explanation, saying that it was prefered for them to talk personally. The entire building looked like it was in lockdown. Guards were patrolling everywhere, making sure that nothing was to slip by unnoticed.

“He did what?!” They yelled in unison to the guard posted on the main door.

“Even I can’t believe it myself,” he said as he opened the door. “I’ll lead you to them. Whatever you do just... be careful. Though the influence, the grey stuff on him, isn’t seen, we still need to be cautious.”

Despite being low in rank, many other royal guards, including officers, stepped aside to allow the escort and the five others to pass through. Not a single murmur was heard. Everything was so quiet it was easy to hear a pin fall. The deeper they got into the castle, the more the guards seemed edgy and serious. It was as if the word “cheer” was a myth.

They finally came to the door, and they stepped into an atrium which was composed of three floors. It was filled with countless numbers guards pointing crossbows, spears, and magic storm clouds at one thing: a stone table in the middle of the room. It had a body, stripped of its armor and weapons and in black pants, boots, and shirt. It was bound to the rock by the ankles and wrists with metal cuffs and chains. Applejack, Luna, Celestia, and a tall mirror were the only things next to it, silent as the night.

“Your highness...” Twilight managed.

“He’s unconscious,” Celestia said. She motioned them to come closer with her hoof.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershly quickly went to Garrett’s side. Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity nervously approached Celestia.

“I need a report,” Celestia ordered.

“Thankfully, nopony was killed,” Galea said with a relieved sigh. He rubbed his bruise with his hoof. “However, every guard who did fight him has either a case of broken bones, bad bruises, the aftereffects of the anesthetics, or a combination of all three. At a time like this, your highness, I think we should send a message to Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadence and call back more forces.”

“I understand your concern, captain, but they need to stay and aid the griffon kingdom. We can’t afford to leave them after that terrible earthquake and tsunami.”

“W-why did he do this?” Fluttershy murmured as she tried to fight the urge to comfort Garrett, knowing that he was still a possible danger. “H-how did he come to this?”

“The feller that attacked th’ princesses ain’t Garrett, sugarcube,” Applejack mumbled. “He was corrupted.”

“The only way I could have stopped him was to... to tap into his soul,” Luna muttered. She switched her attention to Celestia. “Sister... they were there.”

Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face buried in thought.

“Who’s there, princess?” asked Twilight.

“Discord and Nightmare Moon,” replied Celestia. Several guards started murmuring among themselves.

“And they are in his soul,” she added. “Whatever they’re up to, we need to stop them. We can’t afford to waste anymore time.” Her horn started to glow.

“Whatever happens, just make sure that you are ready with the Elements of Harmony,” Luna said as she made her horn glow.

“Your highness, I don’t understand,” Twilight called out. “How do spells and souls work?”

“When I incapacitated Garrett,” Luna said, “I did not, in any way, harm him physically. I enchanted his knife with a spell that would have gone into his spirit. That was where my attack went, weakening the corruption in him.”

“B-but... what was on th’ knife?” Applejack asked, her voice slightly shaky on the topic. “W-was it blood?”

“Yes, there was blood on the knife,” Luna confessed. “But it was only half of what was truly present. The other part is actually the essence of his soul. The white vapor that it emits is also part of the essence, and those were exactly what covered the blade when I pulled it out of him. That small sample was enough for me to know just who was inside him. Soul essence runs alongside an individual’s blood. Conventional methods can not extract, tap, or even detect it. Only those with the power equivalent to alicorns can perform spells involving one’s spirit.”

“What will you see inside his soul?” Twilight asked again.

“The interior of a soul is capable of taking the form of anything, from gardens, to castles, to boats afloat in the middle of the ocean, to airships amidst clouds, and even more.”

She switched her attention to Celestia. “Are we ready?”

Celestia nodded. “Let’s do it.”

The two princesses transformed into small, glowing orbs. They then floated to Garrett and sunk into him. Whatever was going to happen would have been seen by everypony via the mirror, which was already forming images. Knowing that Galea and the guards would willingly handle the problem on their own terms, they could not afford to fail.

The interior of Garrett’s soul took the form of a large room. The floor was carpeted. A massive, comfortable-looking couch was against the wall, and a black, wooden coffee table was in front of it. Beyond it, a massive screen was mounted on the wall.

In the corner was a mini fridge. A mirror hung on the wall, and it was showing Garrett’s physical body in the real world.

“What kind of place is this?” Luna asked.

Her question needed no answer as two laughs emerged from somewhere, making it sound like they were surrounded. The screen turned on, and two figures came into view, a draconequus and a black alicorn with teal slits for eyes.

The draconequs opened his arms in a welcome-to-my-home fashion. “Hello, everypony,” he greeted with a smirk.

The alicorn looked at Luna and smiled. “Oh, Luna, I missed you.”

Luna gritted her teeth. “Nightmare Moon,” she hissed while holding back the urge to destroy the screen with a blast of magic.

“Welcome to where Garrett’s soul has taken form,” the draconequus continued, “otherwise known, in human terms, as a home theatre. This place features a massive screen. I’m still trying to figure out what it does. It comes with a system known as surround sound. Also, trying to figure out how it works. Refreshments are offered in the small contraption called a ‘mini fridge’ in the corner. Heck, there’s even more stuff I still have no clue-”

“Enough!” Celestia snapped. “How did you escape, Discord? How are you still alive, Nightmare Moon? And what is it that you both want to achieve through this?”

Discord and Nightmare Moon exchanged looks and smiles.

“Ladies first,” Discord said as he motioned her with a bow.

Nightmare Moon took a hoofstep forward. “After the Elements of Harmony had been unleashed on us, you-” she shifted her attention to Luna. “-weren’t the only one who had magic restored. As time flew by, I regenerated and grew stronger as well, but I have one problem. I am incomplete. I still need more power.”

“But that still doesn’t answer our question!” Celestia shouted. “How are you back?!”

Discord leaned on Nightmare Moon with his elbow. “And now it’s my turn. It was simple, really. Back when I was having fun in Ponyville, I found it sorta boring to be hogging it all to myself. So, I decided to bring back ol’ Moony over here” -he poked her- “to also get a share of entertainment. Making her was easy. All I needed was a small sample of Luna’s magic, her bitterness, and a teeny-tiny bit of Nightmare Moon’s soul.

“Making her was a tough one, but, hey, Chrysalis was more than willing to lend us a helping hoof. I mean, she can breed almost anything, right? The changelings that crashed Cadence’s wedding were my personal favorite, but those flying serpents and the werewolf hybrid thingy a while back were also perfect examples. So, she agreed to help make a body of an alicorn. It costed us a lot of our powers... and ‘volunteer’ changelings, but we did it. We made Moony come back.

“How did I get the essence, you ask? As Luney was still recovering from the ‘incident’ that happened back in those dusty, old ruins, much of the power she was using to heal herself was leaking out. Still not good enough? Well, Nightmare Night had more than enough opportunities for me to get it. I’ll give you the perfect moment. It was when she decided to play her little prank on the ponies. I admit, despite me enjoying your little show, I was there for another purpose, and there was just the right amount that I needed. After that, we had everything required: soul, magic, and personality. Of course, it took a lot of time to have Mooney’s power regenerate.

“After your little Elements did their thing on me, I was still having power. Once Nightmare Moon had sufficient magic and busted me out, things got a bit... complicated. In the end, we came to a new, simple agreement. Both of us need power, and we both want some payback. Well... she wants payback more. I just want to cause some chaos again... with a dash of payback.”

“Speaking of which...” Nightmare Moon said. She turned to Discord, and she slowly turned herself into a fine, purple mist.

Discord then opened his arms wide, closing his eyes while he was at it. The shadowy mist swirled around him like a whirlpool, sending surges of power everywhere to the point where Celestia and Luna were able to detect it. He absorbed it, and once the last bit came in, silver armor that had Nightmare Moon’s cutie mark slapped on formed around his torso. Lastly, a helmet took shape on his claw, and he slowly placed it on his head. Once he opened his eyes, he revealed that they were teal slits which glowed and gave off a sinister bluish-green essence.

“Much better,” Discord said. “Anyway, time to get back on topic. We and a few other friends were about to... bargain with other nations to fight against you, but then, bam!-” he pointed to Garrett “-he came. Oh, life became so much easier! Both of us had the most fun turning him against you!”

Discord held his hand out. A glass casing that contained a small, glowing orb appeared on his palm.

“It’s interesting, really. His soul seems so powerful, full of opportunity.” He began stroking the glass like it was some sort of pet. “It’s funny how easy it was to make him hate you. I mean, a simple book was all that was needed. If I can do that much with just a few papers..."

A grin etched onto his face. “...This will be interesting. Imagine Equestria under my rule, with him being head of security. He’ll be something like my knife. All I have to do is show him to everypony, and they’ll stay in line.”

“HE IS NOT A WEAPON!” Celestia’s voice boomed with so much volume to the point where being shouted at with a megaphone would have been less painful.

“Oh, what do we have here?” Discord taunted calmly with a crude smile. “Some fiery emotion... I like it. I can’t wait to see your reactions when I change him.”

“But you are wrong, Discord!” Luna snapped. “You can not change his personality with magic! Deep inside, a soul will always stay the same, no matter how much magic is used. He knows us as his friends. You have already failed.”

Discord smirked, shook his head, and carefully disposed of the glass casing. “I know that, my dear Luna, but that doesn’t remove my chance to have a little fun. I’m staying right here, right inside Garrett’s precious soul.”

Celestia growled. “First we have Dissenso, then we have-”

Discord cut her off with a laugh. “Sacrebleu, mademoiselle! Haven’t you figured it out by now? Dissenso? Dissension? Discord? Honestly, princess, I. Am. Disappointed!”

The screen turned off.

Luna nudged Celestia and whispered to her ear, “I think we should leave, bring the Elements of Harmony, and come back-”

Luna was cut off as a popping sound reached their ears. They turned around and found Discord leaning against the mini fridge with a can of soda in one hand. He took a sip of the drink.

“Human soda... pretty good, actually,” he said, nodding in approval.

Luna was the first one to act by grabbing hold of Discord with magic and pinning him against the wall.

“Woah,” Discord calmly said. He made a mockingly defensive posture. “Hold your horses, sister. You just got pop all over my armor.”

“ENOUGH!” Luna yelled as she gave a short jolt of electricity.

Discord gave no sound of pain, but it could be seen in his face that he felt it.

The images on the mirror began showing another scene. Garrett’s body was jerking violently like he was in some sort of spasm. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and several other guards panicked and retorted to pinning him down in an attempt to make him stop.

“W-what just happened?” Luna asked, staring at Garrett’s image in the mirror with shock and confusion.

Discord gave a pained laugh. “Oh, have you forgotten?”

He shifted his attention to Celestia. “Or have you failed to teach your own sister the basics of magic and souls? That will reflect badly on the reputation of your school and of yourself, being a teacher and all, you know.”

The gaze of Discord switched back to Luna. “Anyhoo, the laws of the soul are very simple. If others, such as us right now, were to go into a soul, then we would attach ourselves to the host’s. The ‘guests’ can do anything they want to the host, as long as it’s big. For example, I’ll punch him.”

He raised his fist, made it glow with magic, and gave a straight punch to the air.

Garrett’s image on the mirror jerked again and was gasping for air, breathless as he felt a blow.

After drinking the remaining ounces of soda and giving a disgusting belch, Discord continued. “On the other hand, if a guest soul were to do something big or harmful to another guest’s, it would have to travel through the host and to said receiver. The perfect demonstration was what you did earlier.”

“You forgot another one,” Celestia said. “Magic is limited inside a soul, and the host is the most powerful of souls. Why not just leave and be free of the restraints?”

Discord shrugged. “I’m not leaving. I know your little Elements are waiting out there. I’m staying.”

He opened the mini fridge. “Oh, he has root beer in this thing...”

The two princesses had enough. Luna readied lightning bolts, and Celestia prepared spears. They forced him away from the fridge and down to his knees with their magic.

“This ends now!” Luna yelled!

Discord, however, was still calm. “Oh? Going to kill me? I guess that means that both of you forgot the final, golden rule. A guest soul can only be removed if he willingly leaves, if the host soul forces him out, or if another guest soul kills him, destroying the host in the process.”

He looked at Luna. “Look at you. You’ve got the power. How does it feel like to have so much of it right now? How does it feel like to know that you’ll kill your friend to stop your enemy? In fact, the escape plan is easy.”

Luna gritted her teeth.

“You’ve been hiding in your sister’s shadow. She still calls the shots. Now is the perfect opportunity for you to show just how much power you’re capable of handling. You can kill me and end Garrett’s life. Then, your sister will be amazed by how much you can do. She’ll become scared and agree to be silent about this little ‘incident.’ After that, it’s you who can start giving the orders.”

He switched his full attention to Celestia. “How about you do it instead? You’re no stranger to extreme actions. Remember your Nightmare Moon incident? A thousand years... Wow, Sister of the Century right there.”

Celestia gave a breath that was somewhere between a hiss and a growl.

“You can easily end me and kill Garrett. Then, you can silence Luna by sending her to the moon again, saying that she also became corrupted. Then poof! Happiness everywhere, and you’ll be claimed as a hero by everypony-” he shot a look at Luna and chuckled “-almost everypony.”

He opened his arms wide. “Go ahead! Who will strike first and brand themselves as a cold-blooded killer?!”

Celestia and Luna stood there, pointing their weapons at Discord. He was right there in their grasp. They could stop him at the spur of the moment, end it all in one go. He was unarmed, yet he outgunned them by mere words.

Celestia shot a look at Garrett’s physical body. “...Sorry, Garrett,” she murmured, fighting ever so hard to resist putting on a face of shame and failure.

Luna was silent and was fighting an internal war with herself as she got rid of her lightning bolts.

“I knew it,” Discord smiled. “Sit back and enjoy the show, ‘Inside Garrett’s Mind,’ directed by yours truly.” He gently shoved them to the couch with his magic. With a clench of his fist, he formed chains that wrapped themselves around Celestia and Luna, trapping them. He brought out a six-pack soda from the mini fridge and placed it on the coffee table. He took a seat next to the princesses. With a snap of his fingers, a massive bowl, which was overflowing with popcorn, magically appeared on his lap.

“And don’t try anything funny,” he added as he showed them the glass casing that held the glowing orb. “One wrong move, and this thing shatters.”

The screen turned on.

Garrett opened his eyes. He tried to breathe, but there was something in his throat. Lime-flavored mucus? he thought to himself. That means... He swallowed the enzymes and saw his canopy open.

“Thanks, troop-- ‘captain?’”

“Congratulations, sir. You got promoted while on ice. Command apologizes for the informality. On a side note, we’re getting briefed in the hangar.”

“Got it. I’ll see you there. Just... just give me some time to think.”

“Roger that, captain.” The ODST walked down the hall and away from Garrett.

Garrett stood there, buried in thoughts. Every time he tried to think of an answer, another question popped into his head. Captain... How long have I been here? What’s happening to Equestria now? ...Does it even exist?

He proceeded down the hall, remembering every corner and recognizing each corridor. The Burning Frost was still laid out exactly as he recalled, giving him more doubt and questions. He finally reached his locker and opened it wide, finding his armor sitting within. It still had Philomeena’s feather and an ace of spades attached to the left pauldron. So they did exist... his thoughts murmured.

Garrett felt a hand pat his shoulder. “Nice feather and card.”

He turned. “Johnny...”

“Something wrong?” Johnny asked with a smile.

“I thought... you died.”

Johnny laughed. “Captain, cryo-sleep can give you weird as hell dreams, so I think it would be a good idea if you just put all of those thoughts behind you. Let’s go get the rest of our weapons and get to the hangar.”

“But I’ve experienced a lot of things before... my memory doesn’t seem right anymore.”

Johnny shrugged. “It ain’t easy explaining the crap we get in cryogenics. Hell, I remember forgetting one of my memories and having it replaced with some other kind of experience.”

Garrett was silent as both of them walked down the hall. He recognized many familiar ODSTs, and his thoughts and questions were still ever present. Even the ones he remembered fighting with back in his first engagement were alive.

After settling settling himself with a rocket launcher, grenades, a few packs of plastic explosives, a MA5C assault rifle, and a M6G magnum, Garrett, accompanied by Johnny, reached the main hangar. Numbers of ODSTs and marines filled the area. The soldiers were in the various stages of setting up and chatting with others. Deckhands were checking the vehicles for final preparations.

“Ready for some action again, lieutenant?” Dante asked Garrett.

“That’s ‘captain’ now.”

“Damn, so I’m not the only one.”

“So, you also got promoted?”

“That’s right. Remember our first mission? We charged head-on with a group of Covenant and blew up their firebase.” Dante chuckled. “They never stood a chance. Lucky for us that no one died that day. After that, you got your solo op while we did another run. Long story short, command’s been promoting like no tomorrow.”

“What’s the plan for today?”

“Colonel Stanford gave a simple plan. He’ll be busy commanding other forces in a different location, so both of us are in charge of this op.” Dante held out a tablet. With a tap, it came to life and showed a large red dot on the side. “This is our target.”

With another tap, smaller, yellow dots appeared, and they formed a wall in front of the red dot. “Our orders are to stop whoever’s calling the shots. ODSTs go in and take out their six AA defenses, the yellow dots. At the same time, another group will be doing a special job of hitting another place, but that’s none of our concern. After that, the landing force comes in, then we push to the main objective. ONI said that the planet’s in good shape and that this is the heart of the Covenant presence. Take it out, and the rock’s going to be ours. Also, intel says that the plasma batteries are still offline. It’ll be good if we hit them before they go online so frigates can move in and provide fire support.”

“In short, drop in with pods, blow up AAs, and raise a flag on the main stronghold,” Garrett summarized.

“That’s the problem. They’ve got a lot of fast fliers out there, and our drop pods can’t go in fast enough. The solution? Go in a bit slower but with more firepower by using Pelicans. We’ll be spearheaded by Sabres and Longswords. On the ground, we’ll be assisted by Hornets.”

“Makes sense to me.”

Colonel Stanford’s voice echoed through the speakers. “Troopers, get to your Pelicans and prepare for combat.”

Dante gave Garrett a small nudge. “I’ll see you on the ground.”

He walked away and boarded a Pelican.

Garrett got on the same one. A marine was on the rear-mounted machine gun. In total, there were nine ODSTS, four of which were Dante, Garrett himself, Jenny, and Johnny.

“Nice to see you again, captain,” Jenny said, shaking his hand.

“Opening doors!” yelled a deckhand.

The hangar doors opened wide, filling the area with fresh air. Garrett was able to catch a glimpse and saw that it was the dead of night. The Burning Frost was right above the cloud layer. A small light near the hangar exit blinked to life with red. The deckhand raised his hand and showed his fingers. “Green in five...”

Garrett and all the troopers were feeling the rush of adrenaline take effect.

“...Four...”

The three Pelicans hovered above the floor, accompanied by the escort of twenty Hornets.

“...Three...”

The Longswords and Sabres dove past the view provided by the hangar entrance.

“..Two...”

Here it goes... Garrett thought to himself.

The deckhand closed his hand into a fist, and the light flickered to green. “Go! Go! Go!”

Garrett’s Pelican was the first one out. The moment the entire aircraft was clear out of the hangar, the pilot made it go into a steep dive.

“Not as bad as using drop pods, right, Archer?” Johnny called out with a laugh.

“At least dropping this way comes with guns!” Garrett replied before easing back on his chair. He could hear the Longswords, Sabres, and Hornets firing their main guns against their targets. Missile explosions and booms were echoing passed the sounds of the Pelican’s engines.

“I have visual contact!” yelled the pilot before opening fire with the Pelican’s rotary cannon. “Incoming!”

With the limited view he got from his seat, Garrett saw a purple mass zoom passed the line of sight of the Pelican’s cockpit, but he was unable to make out what it was.

“Approaching cloud layer,” the pilot announced. “Might get a little bumpy.”

The ODSTs held tight as the turbulence rocked the aircraft slightly. They quickly broke through the clouds.

“We have a visual on the target,” the pilot said.

Garrett got up and entered the cockpit. He felt his blood run cold as he realized just what the UNSC was attacking. He barely held back the gasp. N-no... H-how? he asked in thought and disbelief, but there was no escaping the fact that their target was Canterlot.

Right outside the main gate of the town lay the eight anti-air defenses, which, by a stroke of luck, were still offline. Canterlot itself was bearing heavy influences of Covenant presence such as weapon crates in between houses every now and then. Several small structures such as bunkers had been erected. The bridge to the castle was replaced with one that had a plasma line running under it.

Garrett recognized the AA defenses. They were the same ones he recalled seeing on the videos about the operation where Noble Team had to destroy the Spire in Reach. At the same time, he remembered how it was able to mask the presence of the Covenant Supercarrier Long Night of Solace, sending more thirst for vengeance into his system.

Sabres, Longswords, and Hornets were dogfighting with Banshees, dragons, and pegasi guards that were different compared to the ones Garrett grew accustomed to. Missiles, tracer rounds, plasma bolts, and thunder bolts littered the sky.

The closer the Pelican got to the first AA, the faster and harder Garrett’s heart pumped. Why? he asked in thought. What happened to Equestria? Why are they fighting us?

“Woah!” yelled the gunner.

Garrett turned and found a guard attempting to grab the gunner with his hooves. At that moment, he was finally able to take a close look at the differences these ponies had. The armor was purple, his coat was grey, he had cat-like, yellow slits for eyes, a black tail, and bat-like wings.

“Get him off me!” the gunner shouted as he tried to break free of the lunar guard’s grasp.

Dante pulled out his magnum and shot the guard’s head.

Garrett’s jaw was hanging in disbelief as he watched the body fall out. “What the hell was that?! I thought we were fighting Covenant!”

Dante kept his magnum. “When the Covenant found this place, guess which side they chose!”

Lost in an ocean of doubt and questions, Garrett was silent. I trusted them as friends, he thought, and they rewarded me with this? The princesses-

“We’re at the first AA!” the pilot announced.

Dante and two other ODSTS prepared their weapons and jumped off. Garrett managed to hear their boots hit the floor of the structure.

The AA that he was about to destroy was the nearest to the gates to Canterlot. Garrett’s mind snapped back into the situation. Knowing his priorities, he pushed his questions aside. The grunts and jackals on the building began opening fire with deployed plasma cannons. Near the structure, a Phantom was powering up, its engines flickering to life and its systems still disabled.

“LZ is too hot!” the pilot shouted again.

“Destroy the Phantom, and drop us off there!” Garrett ordered.

“Got it, sir!” the pilot snapped before firing two rockets.

The first blew a massive hole on the cockpit, followed by the second which disintegrated whatever was left of it. Then, the Phantom violently tipped forward and crashed into the earth, skidding to a halt some distance away from the AA.

As the Pelican descended to the downed alien ship, its side doors popped open. Several grunts and jackals scrambled to get out of the wreckage and open fire upon the approaching vehicle, only to be put down by machine gun fire. Garrett, Johnny, and Jenny jumped off and engaged the enemy.

Loud booms echoed to their ears. They turned and found the other seven AAs turn into fireworks that lit up the sky. Blue fires acted like different suns, each contributing to brighten the dark sky.

“Captain, why isn’t yours going off?” Dante asked over the comms.

“Believe it or not, they’re putting up resistance,” Garrett replied. “We could use some help.”

Jenny’s voice suddenly shouted in the radio. “There’s a wave of them incoming!”

Garrett turned to see a large group of jackals, grunts, and skirmishers charging from the gates of Canterlot.

“Double time, troopers!” Garrett added.

Acknowledgment lights winked in his VISR, signifying that the other troopers got the message.

Garrett opened fire with his assault rifle, easily bringing many down. Three skirmishers, however, were able to dodge enough bullets to get to the Phantom. He managed to throw one down to the bottom of the fuselage, finishing it off with three bullets to the head.

Something managed to kick him in the back, forcing him to the floor. He turned and found the second kig-yar wielding a spear. It then leaped to the air and thrusted its weapon at him. He brought up his arm-guard to deflect the weapon right on time, the metal polearm scraping against his armor. Garrett then grabbed its face and twisted its neck. He kicked the body away, making it hit the fuselage with a satisfying thud.

After getting back on his feet, Garrett heard a bark behind him. He turned around and found the last skirmisher raising its spear high. Before he could have reacted, a loud bang reached his ears, followed by the top part of the kig-yar’s head exploding into a purple cloud.

“Damn... aimed too high.”

Garrett turned to find the owner of the voice and breathed a sigh of relief to find out that it was Dante standing outside the Phantom in the company of the other twenty ODSTs.

“Someone needed a call for help?” Dante asked before he and the other troopers climbed to the top of the wreckage and took positions.

Garrett replaced his magazine. “Perfect timing.”

“We aim to please.”

“Incoming wave!” yelled one of the troopers.

Dante and the other ODSTS took their positions, aimed their weapons at the gate, and opened fire.

Garrett, however, refused to even touch the trigger when he realized what the next wave was composed of. A small legion of unicorn and earth pony lunar guards were charging at them, growling and yelling battle cries that scared none.

“We’ll handle this,” a pilot of announced.

Right on cue, a Hornet hovered above the Phantom wreckage and opened fire, cutting through the lunar guards like butter.

...Why? a voice in Garrett’s head echoed.

More Covenant forces and lunar guards charged out of the gates. This time, however, the ponies were all unicorns with their crossbows drawn via magic. The ODSTS in the downed Phantom repositioned themselves and reloaded with fresher ammo. Several set up debris for extra cover. The two factions opened fire upon one another.

The soldiers on the side of the UNSC showed no mercy. Garrett, however, only targeted the alien forces because his disbelief still kept his finger off the trigger whenever he aimed at the guards. Bullets, plasma, and bolts of magic littered the air. The heated firefight continued to the point where it looked like it was a stalemate.

“LOOK OUT!” a trooper yelled out loud.

Garrett felt his heart skip a beat. Out from the cover of a mountain, a Scarab crawled into view, its crew scrambling to mounted guns on the sides. He saw Johnny move over to Jenny’s side.

“I’ll need your bomb,” Johnny said.

Jenny passed her pack of explosives to him

“Johnny, what are you doing?!” Garrett asked, suspicion growing in him like a waking fire.

“I’ll get to the AA and fire the gun at the Scarab, then I’ll blow the battery sky high.”

He planted his foot and prepared to jump, but Garrett pulled him back.

“Stay in cover!”

Johnny discarded his assault rifle to lighten his load and pulled out his magnum. “Sir, I’m one of the fastest runners in the battalion.”

“I don’t care!” Garrett barked. “We’ll find another way.”

“Boss, it’s that or get blown to bits by that Scarab. It’s the only way... You know what? Let’s make a deal. If I make it back, you owe me a Sweet Williams cigar. If I don’t, I’ll reserve a seat for you in the bar of the afterlife. Deal?”

Garrett turned, watching the Scarab etch its way even closer. Several Hornets were trying to slow it down with heavy machine gun fire and missiles but to no avail, and a few Sabres and Longswords attempted to strafe it to the ground, also to no use.. “...I think I still have a spare Sweet Williams in my locker, but Jenny and I will go with you, understand?”

Johnny nodded, and Garrett and Jenny inserted fresh ammo into their assault rifles.

“You heard the captain!” Jenny shouted to the other ODSTs. “Give us some covering fire!”

Dante gave the command. “Three! Two! One! Suppressing!”

With adrenaline pumping in every blood vessel in his body, it was as if Garrett felt time slow down. the three of them jumped out of the wreckage and charged towards the AA. The suppressing fire from the other ODSTs managed to silence out every other noise that was in the battlefield. A Hornet decided to offer help as well. It was following Johnny as its pilot was shooting down whatever tried to come close to him. Four more gunships flew into view, and they began distracting the Scarab to keep its attention away.

Living up to his title, Garrett saw Johnny sprint faster than he thought was possible. He and Jenny barely managed to keep him on their sights as they were keeping the Covenant from flanking their bomb carrier, but he looked like he was doing fine by himself by sidestepping and ducking right on time. Despite the incoming threat, the forces at the AA were pointing to another target that was to their side.

Out of the corner of Garrett’s eye, one energy spear-wielding jackal managed to get within striking distance. It thrust its spear forward, but the trooper managed to jump to the side right on time and grab hold of the weapon. He used the momentum to flip it over, finishing off with thrusting the polearm through the torso.

Why aren’t the Covies in the AA shooting at us anymore? Garrett asked himself. A loud explosion from the side made Garrett’s head turn. His eyes managed to out that the aliens on the plasma battery were focusing their attention on shooting another target that was ninety degrees from where the trio of ODSTS were coming from. Black smoke was rising in between what was between him and whatever was getting shot at, but somehow, his VISR managed to highlight six figures. His eyes managed to see six pieces of gold before the view became obstructed again.

Amidst the plasma fire and suppressing gunfire, Garrett managed to hear a loud roar that made him snap back into attention. A berserk brute was charging right at him, bashing other Covenant forces away as it closed the distance.

Garrett, however, kept calm. He pulled the spear out of the jackal, positioned himself like how a foot soldier would when fighting cavalry, and waited for the right time. Right before the brute was about to hit him, he jammed the energy weapon right through it, the end sticking out of the other side, but it was not enough to stop it. It staggered and quickly slowed down, allowing him to jump to the side in time. Finishing it off, he pulled out his assault rifle and shot its head.

The two of ODSTs continued following Johnny as he ran towards the AA. By that time, all the aliens guarding the battery were all dead, and the bomb carrier was a mere dot in the horizon.

“Incoming at two o’clock! Get down!” Jenny snapped.

Garrett and Jenny quickly rolled to cover. He managed to see a dragon swoop down and burn the ground in front of them with a breath of fire, followed by several pegasi.

With the odds leaning towards his favor, Garrett saw Johnny unscathed. His relief was short-lived as a lighting bolt struck the bomb carrier, making him collapse, motionless on the ground.

“Johnny!” Garrett shouted into his radio before he and Jenny broke into all-out sprints.

Garrett saw that Johnny managed to get his head off the ground. He then managed to drag himself through the entrance of the AA and into the main terminal.

Despite being assaulted by four Hornets, the Scarab was able to push its way through, with its attackers still opening fire upon it. The vehicle so close to the AA that it had a clear view of the downed Phantom, Garrett, and Jenny. Its main gun was already blinking to life, charging up to fire.

Johnny pressed on the terminal. The AA gun spun around and aimed at the Scarab. The plasma battery fired, hitting it spot on the center and spreading debris everywhere. It fell right on top of the structure, breaking apart. He then pulled out a set of explosives and tossed them next to the main reactor. After bringing out the detonator, he sat with his back against the wall.

“Jonathan Kestrel! Don’t you dare press that detonator!” Garrett shouted as he and Jenny were only a short distance away from the AA.

The crew members of the Scarab, mainly jackals and lunar guards, began crawling out of the wreckage and into the AA, determined to see some human blood spilled on their accounts. One jackal gave a bark and pointed towards the inside of the structure. They knew there was an injured soldier inside.

Johnny unpolarized his visor. “Whatever it takes to win, sir,” he said over the radio.

One unicorn scrambled down the ramp, came up to Johnny, pinned him to the ground with his hooves, and grabbed hold of an energy spear with magic. He raised it high and brought it down.

Johnny jerked and screamed in pain. With whatever strength he had left, he pressed the detonator. Garrett and Jenny took cover behind a large piece of rubble. The explosion lit up the night sky, bringing sparks to onlookers and nearly dropping debris on top of the two of them.

After the display ended, Garrett stood up and stared at what was left, which was nothing more than a massive, blazing fire.

“Johnny! Damn it! No!” Garrett shouted. He was about to sprint, but Jenny held him back by the left shoulder.

“Don’t go in there!”

Garrett tried to shrug her off, but she still held tightly. “Damn it! Let go of me! I’ll get him out of there!”

Jenny pulled him back and forced him to her level, back to crouching on the ground. She placed her other hand on his right shoulder, and she unpolarized her visor so Garrett had a clear view of her face. “Sir! He’s dead! You saw it yourself!”

She lowered her head. “He’s gone...” she murmured.

Colonel Stanford’s voice came through the radio. “Archer, the landing party’s coming in. Start the push to the target.”

“...Roger that,” Garrett replied. He used his radio to contact all the soldiers on the ground. “Regroup at the gate before making the push.”

Acknowledgement lights winked. Garrett switched his attention to Jenny, who was still silent. He was the one leading the operation. He knew that there was no time for weakness. “We know our priorities...”

She polarized her visor, stood up, and gave a wink of an acknowledgment light.

Dante’s voice said in the radio, “There’s another wave coming out of the gates. Sadly, they’re only low-profile targets.”

“Meet them head-on,” Garrett replied before he and Jenny started charging to the gate.

Grunts and jackals met them, but they easily killed the aliens that stood in their way. Many tried to run once the they cut through half of the group.

“Imp! Imp! Imp!” many of the grunts squealed as they fled on all fours.

“Wraith at two o’clock!” Jenny shouted in the radio.

Garrett reached for the rocket launcher attached to his rucksack, but before he had full grip of the weapon, something smashed into him, sending him to a heap eight meters away. When he landed, he was facing up and managed to see the landing party still in the middle of bringing the marines and vehicles. Pelicans upon Pelicans were descending in the atmosphere.

Feeling a small amount of pain on his ribs, Garrett raised his head to see who hit him. He felt his heart skip a beat when he realized that it was Downburst clad in lunar guard armor. He was staring down at him, his face blazing with rage.

He formed a storm cloud and made it hold out a lightning bolt, aiming it straight at Garrett’s head.

“Downburst... why?”

Downburst snarled in return. He fired the lightning bolt, and it was as if time slowed down when Garrett saw him do his thing on the cloud.

“NO!” Garrett heard a voice shout.

He saw Jenny jump in between him and Downburst, receiving the full force of the bolt with a bang. Her body was blasted back and landed on him.

“Jenny!” Garrett quickly took her helmet off, inspected her face, and shook her. “No...”

Her eyes were slowly closing shut, and a small, dying smile appeared on her face.

“Damn it! Stay with me!”

“...At least I get to see my brother again...” she whispered right before her head hung back.

Downburst shook his head. “Oh well, at least I’ll end up with six.”

Garrett shot him a look. “What the hell is that suppose to mean?”

“You see, all of us officers decided to make a... friendly competition to give us more encouragement to kill you humans. Turbulence got a head start by getting rid of that idiot bomb carrier who dragged himself to an AA.”

Betrayal stabbed Garrett like a blade. “She...” he growled. “She’s the one who shot Johnny?!”

Downburst prepared another lightning bolt for Garrett. “You’ll make the perfect kill to make me first place. Your head counts as five.”

Garrett saw a green mass dash passed him and kick Downburst so hard that he was lifted up into the air, then he crashed to the ground, screaming in pain. The massive figure stomped a boot on top of him and shot his head with a shotgun.

“Wraith!” said the green figure.

Another armored, green soldier picked up Garrett’s rocket launcher and fired upon the enemy tank twice, destroying it beyond recognition.

Garrett felt a massive hand grab him by the rucksack. It forced him back to his feet and shoved his assault rifle onto his hands.

“There’s always time to mourn the dead, but now’s not it, sir,” said a voice. “We still have a battle to win.”

Garrett looked straight at the eyes of the owner, and he finally realized why the six golden pieces he saw earlier looked so familiar. “I know what I need to be doing, spartan.”

He stooped down and recovered Jenny’s dog tags.

JENNIFER H. AVES
FEMALE
CORPORAL
UNSC MARINE CORPS
BLOOD TYPE: O+
SERIAL NUMBER: 5842-13496-JA

The six squad members stood straight, presenting themselves. “Gallardo Team, waiting for orders, captain,” the one in front said.

“I’m Gallardo One.” She began pointing to her other squadmates, introducing them. “Gallardo Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six.”

Garrett looked at Gallardo Three, the one who wielded the shotgun and killed Downburst. “I guess I should thank you for saving my life.”

Three shrugged. “All in a day’s work, captain.”

Gallardo Five, the spartan that had his now empty rocket launcher, offered it back to him.

“Thanks,” Garrett growled before reloading it with fresh rockets.

“I know you’re mad, but don’t vent it out on me,” the spartan added.

“Whatever,” Garrett grumbled. “Let’s just move out.” Jenny... damn it, a voice in his head whispered.

The six spartans nodded. Together, they all regrouped with the other ODSTS and freshly landed marines waiting just beyond the bridge to the gate. Two Scorpion tanks were in position as well.

“...Spartans?” Dante asked. “Does command really want this rock this badly?”

“Yes, trooper. They do,” replied Gallardo Four. He switched his attention to Garrett. “What’s the plan, captain?”

“At least they still know who’s in charge,” Garrett commented. “ODSTs and spartans will crouch down a bit and go into a formation behind the Scorpions. We’ll be using them as mobile cover as we slowly push our way.

Once the gate is gone, charge in. I want the Scorpions to go first. Once you get through, get to the buildings for cover or use the tanks as protection and help push.”

Gallardo Three pointed to Canterlot. “What the hell?”

Everyone turned and found a massive dome covering the city. It flickered purple like an energy shield. A Sabre flew by and fired a barrage of missiles upon it, but the barrier absorbed the damage without a scratch. Another shield formed around the gate.

Garrett opened up his comms. “Colonel Stanford, a shield just popped up. We can’t break through.”

“Got it,” Stanford replied. “Sending in the frigates.”

Right on cue, two flashes of light punched through the cloud layer and quickly crashed into the barrier. The combined fire was just enough to destroy it, shattering the shield like glass. Afterwards, a pair of UNSC frigates materialized through the fogginess and took position right above Canterlot, opening fire on the ground with their point defense guns.

“Archer,” Dante said, “did a scan on that gate earlier. We can’t blow it off with our current explosives, but if one of us scales the wall, he can blow up the generator on top. On the plus side, there’s a blind spot next to the doors.”

“I’ll handle that part,” Garrett said. “I’ve got a cable and a launcher with me.”

“What about the shield?”

“Remember that Saber earlier? It couldn’t punch through that dome, and it wasn’t getting shot at.” Garrett stood up, exposing himself to the soldiers stationed on the gate. He saw them aim their weapons, but they did not fire. “See what I mean? Nothing goes in or out. Just like the MAC blasts earlier, we’ll use the Scorpions’ main guns to fire at the same time. It’s a smaller size, so I’m pretty sure it’s weaker. I want smoke deployed right as the hole is made so I can sneak in through without being noticed. Everyone else, you know your roles.”

Acknowledgement lights winked. The humans got to their positions, with Garrett being on the left corner.

“Mark!” He shouted.

The two Scorpions aimed at the same spot and fired at the same time. Simultaneously, the ODSTs pulled out their smoke grenades and threw them, covering up the freshly made hole.

Utilizing the new cover, Garrett quickly dashed through the opening and went to the blind spot undetected. He aimed his cable high and fired. It flew over the top and hooked on. He climbed up, discovering that the hook was on the rooftop. He brought out his plastic explosive, tossed it through a window, and pressed the detonator.

Garrett heard the humans on the bridge break through the gate. Looking over his shoulder, he found the two Scorpions charging through the open gates, followed by ODSTs and marines. They fought head-on with the lunar guards and the Covenant.

The unicorns tried to shoot them down, but the Scorpions and buildings gave the humans more than enough cover. When some of the two groups of foot soldiers came to close quarters combat, Garrett actually felt sorry for the lunar guards and Covenant. Shotguns and assault rifles fitted with bayonets were up against energy weapons and magical crossbows.

There’s no hope in trying to fight an ODST and a marine with CQC in this situation, a thought in Garrett’s head whispered.

However, squads of pegasi began flying by and strafing into the battle at a small reward of destroying a tank and a handful of humans. Garrett felt a small knot in his gut as he saw them murdering his own soldiers without holding back. Sabres and Longswords moved in and intercepted them.

Garrett heard the Dante’s voice over the radio. “Archer, it’s time to make the push to the target. We’ve got vehicles down here.”

“On my way,” Garrett replied before sliding down the rope.

Outside, before the gates and the raging battle, a group of marines, a few ODSTS, and the six spartans on Warthogs and Mongooses waited.

Gallardo One and Five were on a Warthog and were offering him the passenger side. The other four and Dante were riding mongooses.

Garrett accepted the seat and pulled out his rocket launcher. “Move out!” he barked.

They all floored it and sped through the gate. The vehicles easy navigate through the chaos, mainly by running over anything that was not UNSC.

“Incoming!” yelled Dante. “Twelve o’clock! Up high!”

A massive wave of Banshees and lunar pegasi were flying in, firing plasma and lightning bolts.

The convoy returned fire with their machine guns and rocket launchers, but they were not enough to stop the airborne targets.

“Split up! Regroup at the castle entrance!” Garrett shouted, with a response of acknowledgement lights and half of the convoy turning to a different direction. He locked onto a Banshee and fired, easily destroying the vehicle.

Before he could have targeted a second Banshee, something rammed into the side of the Warthog, forcing his sights off of the aircraft.

“Ghost! Three o’clock!” Gallardo One shouted before ramming the alien vehicle by the side, forcing it away.

Garrett recovered himself and fired a rocket, ridding the convoy of another distraction. “Damn it! only got four left!” he cursed after reloading.

Dante’s group regrouped and followed them.

“Twelve o’ clock! Bridge!” Gallardo Five snapped.

Garrett turned, realizing that they were already at the castle. Two hunters stood in the middle and on guard, growling and preparing their fuel rod guns, but he beat them to it. He fired his two rockets, killing the two behemoths and exposing the plasma lines.

“Two Banshees! Six o’clock! Up high!”

Garrett reloaded and turned, shooting the last rockets at the two Banshees. Amidst the explosions, he saw other massive bolts of blue plasma flying in the air, aiming straight at them on the bridge.

“Incoming Wraith mortars!” Garrett yelled. “Step on it!”

As ordered, everyone accelerated, pedal to the medal. They were just in time to miss the explosions, and they halted right in front of the gate, with no enemy firing upon them.

“Everyone accounted for?” Garrett asked after breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that he escaped death.

“Look!” an ODST shouted. He pointed to the bridge.

Garrett felt a knot form in his gut when he realized that it was Dante on the bridge, his mongoose destroyed and his passenger dead. He crawled his way out of the wreckage and into the open. Behind him, lunar guards were sprinting towards him, spears raised and ready to gut him.

“Dante!” Garrett shouted, breaking into a sprint in an attempt to get him out on time, but the ponies would have beaten him to the trooper.

As a last act, Dante unpolarized his visor, pulled out a plastic explosive, and set it next to the hunters’ fuel rod cannons and exposed plasma lines.

Garrett froze. He felt helpless, seeing his friend prepare for the end and knowing that even if he tried to shoot them down, it would not have been enough. Damn it! Not you too!

One lunar guard came to a halt and raised a spear high with magic.

“Goodbye, Archer,” Dante whispered through the radio, his voice mixed with grim determination. He pressed the detonator, engulfing half of the entire bridge in a mixture of blue, green, and yellow flames.

Garrett fell to his knees, shaking his head.

He felt a spartan’s hand grab him by the rucksack and force him back up. “The mission comes first, captain,” Gallardo Six said.

Garrett nodded. “I need another weapon.”

An ODST reached over to the passenger seat of a Warthog and brought out a spartan laser. He passed it to Garrett.

“What’s the plan now, sir?” Gallardo One asked.

Garrett took a deep breath. Those princesses better have a damn good reason for all of this. “A while back, some guards told me about underground tunnels that are hidden under this castle. I’ll sneak my way through using those. The problem is that it’ll probably be hard to not attract attention.”

The ODSTs and spartans nodded.

“You know what to do,” Garrett added. “Be loud. I’ll be the one who stops... whoever is doing all this.”

The UNSC forces took up position on the gate. They blew the door open and charged in, opening fire upon the lunar guards and Covenant forces inside.

Garrett rappelled down to the side and found plasma lines going into a hole. He climbed in and found himself in the caves beneath the castle. Vast amounts dust gathered on the long-forgotten mining equipment. Crystals on the walls and ceilings reflected the light emitted from the blue, glowing pipelines, dimly brightening up the dark caverns. The muffled sounds of the on-going battle barely made it to the inside.

“Damn... Cadence must have had one hell of a tough time in here,” Garrett murmured. “Never thought that I’d actually have to be using this place.”

He followed the plasma lines as silently as possible, knowing that they would have led him somewhere into Canterlot Castle and into Covenant and lunar guards. However, as he went deeper, he could hear buzzing and ticks, much like an insect’s.

Garrett froze as he heard movement ahead of him. He ducked into cover, his grey combat armor camouflaging with the crystals and rocks.

Two lunar guards came into his view, scanning the area.

The sound of another set of hoofsteps came into Garrett’s ears, and it sounded like the owner was in a hurry. He himself had his VISR highlighting them in red.

A third guard came up to the pair. “The humans have breached the perimeter. They’re held up in the courtyard. The princess has ordered all available guards to move up and fight them.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the three teleported out of Garrett’s sight.

“...Teleportation? Seriously?” Garrett grumbled before continuing on. As he slowly crept through the shadows, the ticking and noises were becoming so loud to the point where he could have barely heard himself think. To add to that, a foul, rotten smell reached his nostrils.

Once he finally came into an opening that was three stories high, Garrett finally realized just why the smell and ticking noises were impossible to miss, and the illumination from the plasma lines on the bottom added to the scenery.

“...Hot damn...” he murmured.

An entire hive of drones was hanging off from a massive stalactite. The insects were still asleep, buzzing and making ticking noises like bees drugged from smoke. The smell was at its strongest point.

Garrett pulled out his spartan laser, aimed at the stone at ceiling, and held the trigger, watching the reticle charge up. With one blast of the energy weapon, the stalactite melted off from the rock. The entire hive crashed into the running plasma lines below, exploding into a blue fire that extinguished the need of a light to see in the dark caves. Drones tried to escape and fly out, only to be fried by the blue death awaiting for them.

“...Needs more garlic,” Garrett commented before securing his helmet, sealing off the burning smell. He felt a cheer inside him that was dancing with joy, knowing that his need for revenge was getting its serving. However, it did not satisfy, and he knew exactly what his instincts demanded and what his conscience refused.

Looking up to where the nest used to be, the rest of the stalactite fell off, revealing a small shimmer of light, a way out.

Garrett pulled out his line launcher and used it to get through the opening, finding himself in one of the lowest points of Canterlot Castle. Using the shadows, the aid of his VISR, and his knowledge to his advantage, he snuck his way through, easily avoiding the detection of lunar guards and Covenant forces, who were all too busy directing their attention to the UNSC forces fighting them in the courtyards. ODSTs easily picked off targets from cover while the spartans and marines were the main forces returning fire.

After what seemed like an eternity of keeping his finger off of his assault rifle trigger and hiding in the dark to wait for a group of enemies to pass by, Garrett finally made it to what he knew as the entrance to the royal chambers, where he knew that someone would be inside.

Two lunar pegasi were posted right passed the secured door, preventing him from entering.

“I need a distraction,” Garrett whispered to his radio.

Almost immediately, an explosion blew through a wall, revealing a Hornet. The pegasi on the doors sprung into action, opening their wings and flying through the hole to fight the aircraft.

With all distractions pushed aside, Garrett pulled out his spartan laser and blasted the door open. He quickly switched it with his assault rifle and charged in, his pulse quickening.

Garrett quickly scanned the room. Several terminals lined the walls, and piles of Covenant supply crates lay scattered all throughout. The room appeared to be empty, with the occasional light of a tracer round, plasma bolt or streak of lightning passing by the windows.

“I was wondering when you would show up,” a voice said, making the hairs on the back of the Garrett’s neck stand. From the shadows of above, a figure flew into his view and landed in front of the throne. Her cobalt mane flowed like it was being blown by a non-existent wind. It sparkled with stars and matched well with her dark jewelry.

“...Luna,” Garrett breathed, his weapon pointing at her and his body as stiff as a statue.

The moon princess tilted her head to the side like a curious dog. “What is the matter with you? Are you too afraid to do what you came here to do?”

Garrett was silent, his hands lost on what to do.

A small smirk etched itself on to Luna’s face. “You are shaking, Garrett. Tell me, why did you become so soft?”

“...That’s because I want answers. First of all... why? I trusted you.”

Luna fired a lightning bolt, blasting the assault rifle out of Garrett’s hands.“You are more stupid than I thought,” she scoffed, “considering that you have infiltrated your way here.”

It was easy to see her gritting her teeth, holding off the temptation to just kill him on the spot. “First of all, you attacked the royal guard without hesitation, threatened my life, and shot and nearly killed my sister. Through my eyes, it was now clear what path you have taken and what choices we needed to pick.”

Garrett felt his guilt nearly make him choke.

“Once the Covenant found Equestria... let me put this in words that I am sure you will understand. When you join a war, just make sure you ally yourselves with the enemy of your own enemy.”

Garrett clenched his fist. “Don’t do this. There’s still a chance to stop this situation from turning into a deeper hellhole. Don’t listen to the Covenant bullcrap.”

His voice was raising. “I told you how violent they are! They only leave a path of scorched earth and death everywhere they go!”

“Are you any different?!” Luna snarled back.

Garrett fell silent, lost. He remembered how he tortured the elite earlier, how his own men shot down Equestrians with no mercy, and how the frigates were destroying Canterlot. “Luna... let me explain-”

“Oh, do not waste your breath and time,” Luna hissed. “I know why you did it. You attacked me and my sister because you just wanted to go home, correct? To force and torture others, including your friends, to have things go your way?!”

“No... it’s not like that... you know the UNSC needs every soldier they can get.”

“When will you understand, Garrett? One human out of billions will never make a difference! You are just one, insignificant man who can easily be replaced!”

Garrett’s sense of betrayal was turning into rage. “I just wanted to protect the things I hold on to!”

“Liar!” Luna spat. “You just want to die an honorable death in a tomb that you were born in, you selfish monster!”

“It’s not like that!”

“Then give me a good explanation that would justify why you nearly killed us!”

No words came out of Garrett’s mouth.

“Tell me!” Luna demanded.

Silence was her answer.

“...This will only end in destruction for both of us,” Garrett finally said.

Luna shook her head. “Your destruction is the will of the hierarchs...”

Her horn glowed, and her entire body was encased in white. Her form began growing, increasing in size slightly. The light around her faded away, revealing her new coat of black, dark violet mane, teal slits, a helmet, and sharpened fangs.

“...and we are their instruments,” Nightmare Moon finished, floating out two curved objects with magic.

That was the last straw for Garrett. His instincts switched from ‘try to negotiate’ to ‘hostile detected.’ Whoever it was that had the moon cutie mark, it was not the Luna he used to know. He placed his hand on his holster, gripping the magnum. “My orders are clear.”

“You’re a fool, human.” Nightmare Moon tossed him one of her curved objects. She activated her hilt, unleashing the blades of plasma.

Garrett caught the hilt and activated the energy sword. “A fool who’s about to have one helluva fun fight!”

Charging at full sprint, Garrett was the first to act. Nightmare Moon fired a lightning bolt, but he deflected the attack on time.

Garrett swung in a small arc, but Nightmare Moon blocked it with a swing of her own, their blades pressing together and giving off small sparks. With the brute force of magic, she overwhelmed him, but he managed to force the floating weapon down and narrowly dodged it. He brought up his elbow and gave a blow to the side of her neck, forcing her back.

That blow gave space in between them. They circled each other, blades raised high.

Nightmare Moon charged and fired a lightning bolt from her horn. Garrett sidestepped and quickly brought his blade back, anticipating her attack. She thrust her blade forward, and he parried it to the side.

Before he could have forced his sword down for the fatal strike, the Nightmare Moon shot another lightning bolt out of her horn, forcing Garrett to move to the side again. They both jumped back at the same time, allowing each other to plan for another attack.

Time and time again, they dueled furiously, dodging and slashing brutally yet precisely. They were like two ends of the swordfighting spectrum, like a samurai against a knight. Whenever one nearly came to the killing strike, the other either parried or dodged on time.

Garrett charged again and thrust his energy sword forward. Nightmare Moon had the same intention, doing the exact same attack. The two sets of blades interlocked into each other in mid-air, preventing any more attacks.

However, Garrett needed no sword to fight. He twisted his wrist, forcing the weapons out of his and her grasps, disarming both of them. Leaping to the air, he sent his fist into the side of her helmet, followed by his other hand. Next, he grabbed her by the head and forced it down as he lifted his knee high, resulting in a loud thump. He continued barraging Nightmare Moon with multiple punches, elbows, knees, and kicks.

After finally having enough, Nightmare Moon found a small opening to fight back. She did so with a jolt of electricity, making Garrett yell in pain. She then blasted him away with magic.

Garrett felt something like an elite gave him an uppercut, flipping him over and making him land on a pile of supply crates, spilling the plasma weapons from within.

After recovering himself, Garrett pulled out two smoke grenades and threw them to his sides, engulfing the room with a thick fog. He quickly blended into the grey, picking up the closest weapon his hands found while he was at it, a plasma pistol.

“Garrett!” Nightmare Moon shouted. “Show yourself!”

Pulling out his spartan laser, Garrett searched for the heat source with his VISR. Nightmare Moon was like a red dot on paper when he found her, her head scanning like a dog looking for its toy. Using his other hand, he overcharged the plasma pistol and fired the EMP. Immediately after the plasma exited the side arm, he grabbed hold of his heavy weapon with both hands, charging it up.

The overcharged bolt hit Nightmare Moon square in the chest, making her flinch. The laser, on the other hand, cut through the smoke like butter landed on the same spot, knocking her back. She yelped in pain, stumbling to regain balance. She began firing lightning bolts at the general direction, destroying parts of the floor.

Garrett easily dodged the attacks, remaining still and quiet as Nightmare Moon raged on. She finally came to her senses and flapped her wings with so much power that the room was cleared of the smoke, exposing the human.

“There you are!” Nightmare Moon spat, electricity coursing around her like an overloaded energy shield.

Garrett fired another overcharge at her, and she fought back with more lightning bolts. He circled around her, charging up his spartan laser. He fired again, yielding the same result, this time with an even louder yelp.

Looking to his right, he found a fuel rod cannon, lying and waiting on the floor. Before any more actions could have been made, Garrett felt another blow that was the equivalent to a fist land on his temple, making him drop his spartan laser. He then felt something like a rope tighten around his throat and lift him up in the air, making him choke.

“I’ve had enough of your toys,” Nightmare Moon hissed, bringing him closer and pressing him against the glass wall. She rubbed a hoof at one of the areas Garrett punched her at. “As barbaric as you are, I have to commend that you make interesting duels.”

There was no hope in trying to use muscle against magic. Garrett was beaten and overwhelmed. He looked straight into the eyes of Nightmare Moon, who was smirking victoriously. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Philomeena’s feather, their supposed symbol of friendship, still on his left shoulder pauldron. The memories of him with Luna were flooding back into his mind. He remembered how he laughed along with her and how she stayed with him when he was down. In there, he knew that deep inside, his friend was beneath all the shadow, armor, and hate. He could not hold it back.

“Before you do it... I just wanted to say... I thought you were my friend...”

Nightmare Moon slowly shook her head in disapproval and disappointment and brought him closer to her. “If we were friends, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

She blasted him with magic, making him smash through the glass wall and go into a free fall.

Garrett felt time slow down around him. The view of Nightmare Moon went out of his sight with each meter he travelled. He angled himself to falling straight down. “Anyone out there! I need a ride! ASAP!” he shouted in the radio.

Right next to him was a lunar pegasus, flying straight down as well to chase a Saber. The two of them looked at each other for a split moment, then a Pelican zoomed passed Garrett and slowly decreased the distance between it and him. The back door opened, revealing a marine extending his hand to catch him

Garrett looked again at where the lunar pegasus was. This time, however, the guard was gone. He looked up and found him flying the opposite direction, to the hole on the glass window up in the high tower of Canterlot Castle.

“Crap...”

Angling himself to be as straight as an arrow to go down, Garrett quickly closed the distance between him and the marine’s hand. When the two of them were mere inches away, the soldier holding on to the vehicle suddenly looked passed him. Shock was easily seen just by looking at his eyes.

“Look out!” he shouted.

Garrett felt something ram into his side, forcing him away. It grabbed hold of him tightly, and he punched and kicked to fight it. He then realized that it was Nightmare Moon, grasping him with magic and her four hooves.

Nightmare Moon sent a powerful jolt of electricity to Garrett, making him scream in agony. Every cell in his body shouted in pain, begging for it to stop. Once it ceased, his body felt weak and numb. She then started to fly back up, returning to the throne room. Several Sabers intercepted and chased after her, firing their main guns. Using her superior flight to her advantage, she easily dodged the tracer rounds and out maneuvered the aircraft all the way to the glass wall that had the gaping hole.

Garrett felt a force that was the equivalent of a bull’s rear legs smash into his chestplate, making him crash to the floor. He groaned in pain, clutching his upper torso.

“If a fall hundreds of meters off the ground won’t kill you, then I will!” Nightmare Moon shouted.

Garrett turned and found her flying up to the ceiling while holding two energy swords with magic, and he easily saw her plan. She was going to turn in an arc and gut the blades right through him.

With the last ounces of strength remaining in him, Garrett clawed his way and dragged himself to the closest weapon he could find. He heard Nightmare Moon yelling as she got closer, bringing his doom along with her.

Gripping the trigger of the weapon, Garrett held it tightly. With only a second left to spare, he quickly rolled over and faced Nightmare Moon, who was a mere five meters away. Immediately after he had a clear shot at her, the spartan laser finally fired, sending the last bolt of the energy weapon straight to her chest. Combined with the weakened effects of repeated overcharges, the pulse literally forced her back.

Garrett heard an ear-splitting cry of agony, followed by a bright light which appeared so fast that his visor was not able to polarized fast enough, forcing him to close his eyes.

When he came to, Garrett was relieved that he was still alive. He tossed away the dead spartan laser. Groaning and unpolarizing his visor, he slowly got to his feet. In front of him lay a body, who was no longer the monster Nightmare Moon. Instead, it was Luna.

Garrett got to his feet and limped his way to her. She was motionless, making him worry. He lowered himself to one knee and gently pressed to fingers on the side of her neck. Relieved, he felt a slow, steady pulse that quickened.

Luna gave a gasp and came to, heaving for air afterwards. Her eyes fluttered open and was looking straight at Garrett. She could not hide her sense of defeat and shame, and she looked too weak to do anything.

Garrett activated his radio. “Command... their leader is down.”

He turned around and found Gallardo Team opening the door and entering the room, securing the area.

“We’re done here, spartans. Pack up, and move out,” Garrett announced, feeling accomplishment restore energy back into him.

Gallardo One came to his side and looked at the fallen Luna. “Not just yet, captain.”

She reached for Garrett’s holster and pulled out his magnum, offering it to him grip first.

Garrett felt his heart skip a beat. He stared at the weapon, then at Luna. “No... look at her!” he protested. “She’s down, weak, and has had enough! It’s over!”

“Captain,” Gallardo One said, “You’ve seen what kind of danger she was. She’ll just recover and become just as powerful as before. If she gets to Earth, a lot of soldiers and people will die. You said it yourself that you’ll stop it right here, right now. If you can’t do it” -she pulled out her knife- “us spartans can do it for you. She’s with the Covenant now. You know what needs to be done.”

“If I kill her, I’ll be putting an entire race to suffering! There are still innocent beings out there that don’t deserve this! This is madness!”

“Madness?” Gallardo Three snarled. “This is war, where the first casualty is innocence. Since the dawn of humankind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything, from justice to simple, psychotic rage. Even now, war... war never changes.”

With a slightly shaking hand, Garrett got the magnum and went to Luna. He slowly raised the weapon, aiming at her head.

Luna was looking at him fearfully, her breathing faster than ever.

Garrett felt all his memories flood back again. His friend was there, yet he knew what side she chose, and he understood where his loyalty lay. After giving an even tighter grip to the weapon, the shaking stopped.

“I’m sorry...” Garrett murmured.

He closed his eyes, polarized his visor, turned his head away, and pulled the trigger, hearing the loudest gunshot he ever heard in his entire life.

When Garrett opened his eyes again, he found himself walking away. He could not bear looking at the body. Instead, he focused his attention to the broken glass wall, where a spartan was setting up the UNSC flag, and a Pelican hovered passed the hole, waiting.

Garrett felt something under his boot. He looked and found Nightmare Moon’s black alicorn feather. After stooping down and picking it up, he added it to Philomeena’s feather and the ace of spades on his left shoulder pauldron. I had my orders... his thought reminded himself. “Let’s get back to the Burning Frost,” he ordered the spartans. “We’re done here.”

As ordered, the seven soldiers got on the aircraft, with Garrett being the last one. He spotted Gallardo Four holding an incendiary grenade.

“What’s that for?” Garrett asked.

Four pulled the pin and primed it. “Cleanup.”

He threw it out of the aircraft, and Garrett felt a knot in his gut when he found out that the grenade landed on Luna’s body to cremate her. He closed his eyes right before the canister detonated.

As the Pelican flew away, it was easy to see the UNSC forces down below cheering and celebrating, knowing that they were victorious. Other troop transports also took to the air, returning to their ship, and the rest who stayed behind were cleaning up the last pockets of resistance. Garrett fell back to a seat and took off his helmet, elbows on knees and forehead on palms. It was only then that everything was coming to him. We waged war on Equestria... we spilled blood on their own home... and I killed my own friend... where the hell have we gone wrong?

Discord finished yet another can of soda, crushed the piece of metal, and threw it to a trash bin like a basketball. He smiled as he discovered that the two princesses stopped struggling against their chains. “One down. One more to go,” he chuckled.

Garrett felt a tap on his shoulder, making him snap back into reality. “Captain, you may want to take a look at this,” Gallardo One said. Her voice was stern.

He placed on his helmet and went to the cockpit, which was already stuffed with the pilot and Gallardo Team. Once Garrett finally got a space for a clear view of where the Burning Frost would have been, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

“My God...”

Instead on being up in the air, the Burning Frost lay on the ground with its portside being supported by a mountain and the lower areas being on the earth. To everyone’s relief, the spacecraft was generally intact, save for a few sections of the hull that were in contact with the land.

Garrett heard the pilot open communications with the bridge. “Burning Frost, what’s your situation?”

Static and silence greeted them.

“UNSC Burning Frost, respond.”

Another empty response.

Gallardo One tapped Garrett on the shoulder. “Captain, the other Pelicans are waiting for orders.”

Garrett activated his radio. “Land on the aft deck, near the airlock that’s closest to the bridge. Be ready for anything. I’m not liking this at all.”

The Pelicans landed on the Burning Frost. The ODSTs and spartans jumped off, weapons loaded.

Garrett took the position to breach the airlock while the others readied themselves to storm in. Before he could have placed an explosive, a spark, much like a welder, began cutting through the doors.

Every soldier slowly watched the small flame make its way to the bottom. When it touched the floor, the doors blew open, and almost immediately, every human felt something wrap around his entire body, constricting them and forcing them to the ground. Several yelled in agony while others fought to resist, but it was useless.

“Well, what do we have here?” came a voice through the opened airlock.

Garrett felt his body become stiff like a statue once he realized that he recognized that tone.

Through the smoke, Celestia, escorted by golden armor-cladded solar guards and sangheili, came into view. Her horn glowed brightly, still casting the spell.

The aliens and solar guards quickly stripped them of their weapons. Once it was done, the humans stopped having the magic constrict them.

“First Luna... et tu, Celestia? Why?” Garrett asked, unpolarizing his visor.

Celestia shot him a look, and just one second of staring at her was enough to let Garrett know that she hated him, despised him. “You crossed the line, Garrett. You betrayed and attacked me and my guards, killed my sister, and harmed my subjects.”

She pointed to Nightmare Moon’s black feather on his left shoulder pauldron. “You’re even wearing her feather as a trophy. It’s my duty to do justice and to protect my ponies from more threats like you.”

An elite announced. “Holy Prophetess of Harmony, what do we do with these humans?”

Garrett’s jaw fell. “‘Prophetess?!’”

The image of Celestia being a friend was burned away in Garrett’s mind. Philomeena’s feather meant nothing to him anymore, and Nightmare Moon’s turned into a symbol of what every member of the Covenant Hierarchy deserves. Members now included Equestrians.

Celestia avoided Garrett. “Do what we did to the crew of this ship. Give them an example to show what happens if they don’t cooperate, just like last time with that aged colonel.”

Garrett felt his blood run cold. “You... you killed Stanford?!”

Still ignoring him, the elite smiled with its mandibles. It forced a human down to the ground and activated its energy sword.

Garrett felt a flashback hit him, remembering Johnny’s supposed sacrifice of taking a sword that was meant for him. “Wait!” He shouted, making everyone turn to him. “Wait...”

He got to his feet. “Before we started fighting, I told my men to remember one thing if they forgot their orders: victory at any cost. That means that we would have let nothing get in our way to winning and destroy whatever... whoever tried to stop us...”

Celestia gritted her teeth, growling.

“In other words,” Garrett continued, “I ordered my men to shoot your guards...

He took a deep breath.

“...And I ordered Luna’s execution. On the ground, these men were under my command... I hold the responsibility of their actions. If you promise not to harm them, you can do whatever you want to me. Be it kill me now or rip my limbs off with your own magic, I’ll accept... just don’t hurt my soldiers.”

Garrett extended his arm, opening his palm. “Do we have an agreement?”

Everyone was silent, staring at him. Celestia slowly made her way to Garrett. She extended her hoof and shook his hand. “It is settled, then,” she said.

Before he knew it, Garrett felt Celestia’s magic wrap around himself and slam him against the hull of the ship with enough power that it sounded like a bang when he collided.

He screamed in agony, pain reaching points where it was a wonder why his bones have not broken yet. The magic wrapped around him loosened up, making him fall down to all fours.

“Captain!” an ODST shouted. She tried to run and help Garrett up, but a pair of solar guards stopped her. She struggled and tried to fight free. “Damn it! I’ll kill all of you alien bast-”

“Stand down, soldier!” Garrett ordered with a pained groan. “That’s a damn order!”

She stopped struggling to get passed the guards, fighting to hold back the urge to help him. Just by looking at body language, Garrett saw that the other soldiers, even the most disciplined spartans, were barely managing to resist the instinct to give him aid.

Celestia picked Garrett up again with magic and smashed him again against the ship’s hull. He screamed, this time a weaker groan.

She pulled him back again and slammed him for the third time on the ship. She released him, letting his back slide against the wall and making him fall to his knees.

Garrett barely moaned, and somehow he saw the ground rush up and meet him before his world faded to black.

When he came to, Garrett found himself being dragged across a dark hallway with purple floors and blue lights from the walls as a source of light. Two elites were holding him by the arms. In front of him were Celestia, Galea, and Turbulence. Muffled cheers from a door ahead reached his ears.

“Holy Prophetess of Harmony he has regained consciousness,” the elite carrying Garrett’s right said.

“Right on time,” the other sangheili commented.

The door opened, and the cheers became crystal clear. Ahead of them was a stadium several stories high. Garrett was being dragged to the stage, where a pair of floating cuffs awaited. The crowd of Covenant aliens and Equestrians roared in excitement as he came into their view.

They fixed his arms to the pair of cuffs floating in the air, just high enough for his feet to touch the ground, and they restraint them as well. One elite ripped off Garrett’s shirt, exposing his upper body.

“Why do that?” Garrett taunted. “What’s the point of eating sushi if all you’ll do is undress it in the end?”

“You have drawn quite a crowd, human. I hope they will enjoy the show,” the sangheili murmured to Garrett’s ear.

“I aim to please,” Garrett spat back.

“We will see,” replied the same elite. The two of them turned and left, chuckling amongst themselves.

Celestia turned to him, facing him with two feet separating their faces. “After everything I did for you... after I had to be forced to cope with what you did in first hour we met, you reward me with this. Is this how you treat everyone you meet? Take advantage of them for your own personal use then throw them away when you’re done? Just like what you did to my sister? I thought you were more than that.”

Garrett glared eye to eye at Celestia, anger in him reaching to a boil. “I had no choice!”

“You always had a choice!”

“I tried, damn it!” Garrett shouted. “ I did everything I could have-”

Celestia cut him off by slapping him in the face with magic. “Your words mean nothing to me anymore! You failed to protect us from threats like your own self! Luna is dead! Canterlot is destroyed and is under human rule! My ponies are suffering because of your so-called ‘fight for survival’!”

She took a deep breath, clearing her thoughts. Celestia grabbed hold of Garrett by the neck with magic. “Whatever connection formed in between you and I has long been forgotten and destroyed. You’re dead to me now, and that’ll never change.”

Celestia let go of him. “Do what is needed,” she ordered Turbulence and Galea.

Galea came up to Garrett’s front, brought up his hind legs, and kicked him square in abdomen.

Garrett felt the blow make him breathless. “That all you got?” he taunted.

Galea trotted away and glanced at Turbulence. “I’ll let you have the pleasure of delivering justice.”

Turbulence nodded. “Thank you, captain.”

She formed a storm cloud and gently rested on top of it, hovering right in front of Garrett. “You know, you still have a way out of this,” she said to him.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Despite your bravery, your agreement to take the punishment of your other soldiers is downright foolish.” Turbulence made the cloud hover higher to allow the crowd to have a view of Garrett.

“What could I say? They’re my friends? Besides, I’m human. We don’t make the most perfect of things,” Garrett commented.

Turbulence leaned over the cloud. “You and I have different opinions on what makes a good friend.”

“Agreed.”

“This is for Downburst and my friends,” she hissed.

Garrett growled and forced a smile. “You can’t kill me.”

“I can at least try.”

Turbulence lifted both of her hooves up high and smashed them upon the cloud, sending two streams of lightning into Garrett’s floating cuffs, channeling into him.

Gritting his teeth, Garrett shook in pain, fighting hard to avoid screaming and giving in. Every inch of his body wailed in agony. The crowd cheered even louder, watching him suffer.

The volt kept on going to the point where Garrett thought that he was becoming cooked by it. Wave after wave of lightning bolts entered his body, with him still desperately fighting to not scream. When it felt like he was about to die, Turbulence finally stopped electrifying him. He hung limp from his restraints, gasping for air.

Garrett weakly raised his head. Turbulence was back on the ground and returning to Celestia’s side. Captain Galea was holding up a strange, massive object with a flat end. He offered it to the princess.

Celestia accepted it by holding it with magic. She then went to Garrett’s front, showing off the flat end that glowed red-orange, and he finally realized what it was for.

They were going to burn a brand onto his own flesh using the iron.

“Is this how justice is done in Equestria?” Garrett asked.

“This is how justice is done in the Covenant,” Celestia said. She pressed it on the left side of his chest, and the crowd cheered even louder.

Garrett tried to fight on, resisting to scream amidst hearing the hiss of his own skin cooking. He shook violently and finally gave into the pain, yelling a howl so powerful it cut through the crowd’s cheer like butter.

The final torture process was a horror on the mirror which nopony could have forgotten. Many cringed and looked away. Even more tried stuffing their hooves into their ears, hoping to prevent the sound from registering to them, but no matter how hard they tried, it was impossible to prevent them from hearing Garrett’s real body also shaking and screaming in agony, his chains clinking against each other with every movement.

Even Captain Galea was recoiling in horror. He crouched down to his knees, covering his ears with his hooves. “Make it stop... Make it stop... Make it stop...” he begged in faint whispers, shaking.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy, the heroes of Equestria, were not capable of doing anything but grip onto one another, drawing back and with tears dripping out of their eyes.

Feeling himself come to, Garrett gasped for breath. He felt a cold, hard floor on his back and heard several whispers around him. Realizing that his suffering ended, he grunted and groaned as he tried to get to a sitting position, his body aching.

“Dear God... he’s still alive,” Garrett heard a voice breath in shock. More murmurs echoed into his ears.

Opening his eyes, Garrett found himself alone and in a cell, with other ODSTs, marines, and the six spartans grouped together in other units. They were all in their armor but stripped of any weapons and gear, staring at him.

Garrett found his armor piled together in a corner, with Philomeena’s and Nightmare Moon’s feathers still there. He felt a sharp pain in his left chest, a wound pulsing. He looked at the damage and nearly cursed. Still, there was no way to hide the fact that Celestia branded him with a phoenix’s feather.

“Captain...” an ODST said. “We’ll make them pay-”

“Spare me the lecture. Why are all of you in armor?” Garrett interrupted, getting to his feet. He directed his look to the spartans. “...Especially you six. You can easily just punch through these bars and cause a storm.”

“We can’t. They cast some sort of spell,” Gallardo Two said. He brought up his fist and smashed the bars, only to have a sudden barrier form and absorb the damage. “Salt to the wound right there. It only activates if we try to break it.”

“Anything you overheard while I was out?”

“Celestia ordered the Burning Frost to be looted of pretty much all of her weapons and vehicles and to load them to this assault carrier. She said something about wanting pony scientists to study our more ‘primitive’ equipment to allow Equestrians to develop their own gear. Other than that, it was mostly talk of your torture and how much of a show you put up.”

“Boss,” a marine said, pointing to Garrett’s scar. “What’s that suppose to be?”

“Insult to injury,” Garrett replied, heaving a sigh. “A... friendly reminder about the sides we take in this war and how there are no exceptions. It’s complicated.”

“We’re willing to listen.”

“All right. This mark is a phoenix’s feather. A while back, these ponies, believe it or not, saw me as a friend. Celestia’s royal pet, a phoenix named Philomeena, also accepted me as a friend, so she gave me a feather, a suppossed symbol of our friendship.”

Garrett forced a laugh. “Now that they’ve chosen the Covenant’s side in this war, this fashion accessory has no more meaning. That was until I met the other princess Nightmare Moon. She finally made me understand how war never changes. Celestia burned it on me, thinking that I would break because it was to remind me of my so-called ‘betrayal’ on them, but they were wrong. It hardened me, made myself remember that they’ve become our enemies, and they should get what they deserve. From this day on, I can say that these-” he pointed to the feathers “-can serve as an icon to do whatever it takes to stop them.”

“If it’s something that makes the Covenant pissed,” the same marine added, “I’ll proudly have that as a tattoo on me.”

“Hell, we should all have it inked on us!” another marine shouted, sparking several cheers and raising of fists.

The motivation kept on growing until a discharge of a plasma rifle made everyone fall silent. A jackal came into view, wielding a plasma rifle on one hand and a bottle filled with a red fluid on another. “Silence, humans!” it hissed.

It then opened the cap of the bottle and drank a few drops of the thick fluid within.

“Says the alien with a bottle of ketchup!” an ODST shouted, making nearly every human who heard laugh out loud.

The jackal looked at the bottle, tilting its head slightly like a curious dog.

“Don’t know what it is?” Garrett asked. “Ketchup is fermented blood that’s gone through a special process. Us humans use that to add a little more flavor to our meat and vegetables. In fact, a recent study showed that your species’s blood could be easily converted and be served as a new condiment. Research is currently being done if Covenant prophet blood can be used as well.”

The jackal’s grip on the bottle loosened, making it fall to the floor with a loud clink. It then began to violently spit out the ketchup on Garrett with its half-full mouth. “You... humans... sicken me!”

Galea, accompanied by a doctor, came into view and smacked the jackal’s head with the butt of his crossbow. “Oh, shut up already!” he shouted. “He’s been lying to you! It’s just ketchup! Tomatoes!”

The jackal stumbled and stood straight again, shaking slightly as the thought still lingered in its head.

Galea opened Garrett’s cell and forced him to his knees with magic, binding his legs and hands to the floor. Still staying cautious, he entered with his crossbow levitating in the air, pointing straight at his head. “Do what’s needed,” he ordered the doctor.

The medical pony floated out a vial filled with a green potion out of her saddle bag. She then uncorked it and tipped it at Garrett’s lips, which were closed shut.

“He’s refusing to take it,” the doctor said.

Galea forced open Garrett’s mouth and used his magic to make the green fluid sprint down his throat, nearly making him gag.

Garrett felt all of the pain burn away in him. Strength returned to his system, making him feel better than ever. “What? Celestia’s having a change of heart and decided to play nice?” he choked.

Galea shook his head. “No, it’s to prepare you for your second round.”

The two left his cell, accompanied by the jackal.

All the soldiers were silent, staring at Garrett.

He, on the other hand, managed to slip his arm through the bars and grabbed hold of the bottle of ketchup. “I think it’s time I need to try my hand at art,” Garrett said, inspecting the amount still left.

Fully armored with the exception of a helmet, Garrett sat in the corner of his cell like a rotting corpse. Ketchup was oozing out of his mouth like blood and dripping onto his armor. He was motionless as a new jackal came into view, wielding a plasma rifle.

Once it saw Garrett’s cell, it jumped back and yelped in shock, its hand shaking slightly.

Garrett was fighting the urge to smile and laugh. Not only did he take pride in looking like a dead body, but he was also proud of the message he wrote on the wall. It was composed of two simple words that looked like they were written in blood: KILL CELESTIA.

The jackal opened the cell door and entered, inspecting the writing on the wall. “The prophetess will never accept him dead...”

Garrett quickly stood up, wrapped his arms around the jackal’s neck, and placed his hand to cover the mouth. The surprise made it drop its weapon. Like a python gripping to its prey, he held on tightly until it gave out its very last breath. It jerked, resisted, and tried to scream in the first few moments, but it gave in a few seconds later.

“Nice,” Gallardo Five said, nodding in approval.

Garrett placed on his helmet and picked up the plasma rifle. He quickly scanned the hall, only to find it empty of any guard. He made his way to the door, and it opened upon his arrival.

He found himself entering a command room that was several stories high like a spire. On the center of the ground floor, there was an elevated platform which contained the controls to the prison wing. A team of grunts and jackals was using the terminals.

Holding the plasma rifle by the hip, he gunned them down, one by one. Many were too late and never saw him coming. Those who did manage to react were not given the chance to even reach for their weapons.

After making it cool down, Garrett went up the ramp and reviewed the details of the ship. He then pressed on the terminal to unlock all the jail cells in the prison wing. On the screens, he saw the humans yanking the guards’ weapons away and killing them. Many were forced to the ground and beaten to death with fists and kicks. On the platform, his ears heard the many yells and battle cries as the soldiers were fighting their way to his location, the only way out. He studied the hologram of the nearby areas, taking full notice of the massive hangar near him.

The doors from the other halls began opening, and UNSC soldiers filled up the other sections, armed with either a stolen energy weapon or their own fists.

“Orders, boss?” an ODST asked over the radio.

“Everyone, I want this perfectly clear: if you find a hostile trying to surrender, try to get some words out of them. We’ll need every bit of info we can get. Gallardo Team, there’s a hangar after the door. Take point, and clear out any hostiles.”

The six spartans nodded and made their way through the door. Not long after, Garrett heard a voice on the radio.

“All clear, captain,” Gallardo One announced. “Also, jackpot this place has all the weapons we need.”

“You heard the spartan,” Garrett said to the others with his radio. “Help yourselves.”

All the soldiers made their way to the hangar and got their weapons. The hangar overwhelmed anyone who entered. Crates upon crates filled with UNSC weapons and gear were stacked along the wall. Sunlight seeped in through the massive bay doors, revealing that the ship was on top of a planet. Five Phantoms were hovering off of the second floor, waiting for a pilot and cargo.

Marines and ODSTs were picking their equipment, and Garrett made do with an assault rifle and several packs of explosives.

“...Guys,” a marine said, standing motionless as he stood on the edge of the bay door, “...it’s Earth.”

Everyone fell silent, and Garrett felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight.

“...We’re right above Vancouver,” the same marine added. “I can see English Bay from here... and my own home.”

Garrett clenched his fist. Despite his limited view, he saw another assault carrier come into view and take position next to the ship. “We need to stop them. Right here. Right now.”

“Sir, we did another sweep of the prison wings,” an ODST announced. He pointed to a group of people behind him. They were shaken, fear keeping them silent. “One hall was filled with civilians.”

Garrett’s order came out instantly. “Get them out of here with the Phantoms, then.”

“Understood, captain,” the ODST replied. He made his way up to one of the Phantoms and made it hover down to the bottom floor. The boarding ramp then extended to the ground.

“All right, get on board!” Garrett announced to the civilians, waving them in.

He watched the humans get on board. Men and women, shaken and murmuring amongst themselves, went up the boarding ramps. Their ages ranged from the youngest adult to the aged senior. Garrett took off his helmet and breathed a sigh. At least I could get them out of here, he thought to himself.

“...Garrett?” A gentle but slightly scared voice said, making Garrett feel stunned.

He turned and found a very familiar woman, shaken but alive and well. Garrett recognized her, and he could never mistake her for another.

Garrett ditched his helmet and sprinted forward to embrace her. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her fear was causing her to shake, making her grip slightly loose. He tightly secured her to him, feeling his sense of loneliness finally go away.

“Garrett...”

“It’s okay, Claire,” Garrett whispered in an attempt to comfort her. “I’m here. No one will hurt you anymore.”

He took a deep breath. “Where’s Sarah?”

“I got her to a transport with my brother. She’s safe.” She gave a tighter embrace. “When they found us... When they started interrogating you... I thought I would’ve lost you... and I was scared that they’d get one of us next...”

“Hey,” Garrett hushed. He reached into his pocket and felt a sense of relief as he knew that his wedding ring was still in there. He brought it out and showed it to Claire. “I’m still alive, and I’m still keeping my promise to you.”

“But--”

“No buts, sweetheart.” Garrett kept his ring. He swiftly pulled out the ace of spades on his shoulder and gave it to her. “Whatever it takes, I swear, you’ll get to someplace better, and I’ll see you again. Soon. Okay?”

Claire nodded.

The two of them let go of each other. Garrett watched her go up the ramp and into the Phantom. The bay door closed, and the engines hummed to life.

The three Phantoms flew out of the hangar and into the open sky. The knot in Garrett’s gut was still there, twisting his insides. “It’s tough letting her go... I haven’t seen her in years...”

An ODST patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, sir,” she reassured him. “She’s safe now.”

“Yeah...”

“Your highness,” an elite’s voice growled through the speakers, “the humans have broken out of their cells and are using the Phantoms to escape. The targets have been identified.”

“Open fire,” Celestia replied.

Garrett felt his blood freeze. The plasma cannons were easy to hear. No one could have done anything as they watched the bolts fly through the sky. They hit the Phantoms, destroying them and leaving no debris left.

Falling to his knees, Garrett placed his hands on his face. “Oh, no... no, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You don’t deserve any of this! I tried to protect you! Damn it! I tried! I... I...”

He shook his head. “Please! No! Claire! Don’t leave me!”

He took a deep breath. “...Please...”

The marines, ODSTs, and spartans stared at the scene, silent. They lowered their heads, each trying to pay respects. It was all quiet minus Garrett sobbing. He may have survived the torture and war so far, but deep inside, he had already been killed. “...I love you so much...”

After what seemed like an eternity of unfathomable amounts of begging, Garrett finally slowed down and blinked a couple of times. He stopped his mourning and started to take deep breaths, much like how a fighter would be before starting a match. He walked over to his helmet, and he slipped it on. “I think it’s time for us to get some payback.”

“Agreed, sir,” a marine said. “I lost my mom and dad on Reach, my brother on Eridanus II... and my sister a few moments ago.”

Garrett stood up. “All of you,” he ordered in growls, “are to separate into teams and are permitted to walk through every hall guns blazing. Attach bayonets if you found some. My orders on prisoners are still clear, but I want Gallardo Team under my command.”

He pointed to massive double doors on the far side of the hangar “You’ve got a special task with me,” he said to the spartans. “Is that clear?”

Acknowledgement lights winked. The marines and ODSTs divided themselves and took the hallways of their choice. Gunfire resonated from each one. War cries were ever present.

“Orders, sir?” Gallardo One asked.

“I’ve went through the map earlier,” Garrett replied. “Passed those doors, we’ll be on the top floor of a massive room that’s about twenty stories high. At the bottom is another hangar bay. I want you to clear out our floor.”

The six spartans nodded and took positions next to the door.

Garrett watched the team burst through the door, engaging in whatever was beyond them. The only things he heard were the sounds of elites screaming and gunfire, followed by the thumps of massive things falling.

“Sir! Hostiles down!” Gallardo One announced.

Garrett made his way through the double doors and checked the area. Just like what he said, it was a massive room that had an enormous elevator that travelled down to another hangar floor. At the bottom, Equestrians and Covenant were in formation, awaiting for Phantoms to pick them up and still unaware of their presence. Gallardo Team was next to a pile of dead elites, checking them for anything useful.

“Well done, spartans,” Garrett commented. “Transfer some heavy weapons to the elevator. Make sure each one of us gets a fair share”.

Garrett brought out a pack of explosives. With a beep, the red light turned on, signifying that it was armed and ready, then he tossed it over the edge. He pressed the detonator right before it would have landed on a Phantom.

The explosion knocked out the alien aircraft, forcing it to crash to the others. The Equestrians and Covenant forces scrambled in confusion and surprise.

“Spartans, how’s all of our gear?” Garrett asked, inspecting the crates stashed at the cargo elevator.

“Enough weapons to feed anyone’s demand, captain,” replied Gallardo Two.

Garrett joined the spartans in the elevator. He pressed the switch and the elevator doors closed. It began descending down the various floors.

“Captain, are you sure about all this?” Gallardo One asked.

“Feet first into hell, spartan,” Garrett replied, picking up a bubble shield projector. “If you don’t want in, I can just stop the elevator right now and let you guys go your separate ways.”

“It’s crazy, sir,” the spartan retorted.

“...But it’s not crazy enough for spartan standards,” Gallardo Two added. The entire team chuckled.

The time for jokes came to an end once the elevator slowed to a halt on the bottom floor.

Garrett and the spartan team stood straight as they hit the hangar floor. The door was still in between them, preventing both the humans and the alien forces from shooting each other. They managed to see the Equestrians and the Covenant forces aiming their weapons at them.

Reaching to the bubble shield projector, Garrett primed it to deploy. The spartans readied their weapons. Sangheili, grunts, jackals, unicorns, and pegasi were growling at them, demanding their blood. The wreckages of the Phantoms were still smoking.

It all happened so quickly. Once Garrett saw the door flinch to open, he threw down the bubble shield projector, surrounding him and the spartans in a protective shield. Each of them then lifted their gatling guns, spun them up, and made the ends of the barrels stick right outside the barrier.

They rained lead on the aliens and ponies. The Equestrians and Covenant tried to fight back, but the bubble shield blocked the damage. The humans, on the other hand, were dropping them faster than flies and with more ease than shooting fish in a barrel with a shotgun. When the protective barrier deactivated, it was still not enough for the UNSC soldiers to get shot at because whoever did try to get up and return fire received a few bullets instead.

The ammo counter on Garrett’s visor finally ticked to zero, right on time as the last target fell. Barrels smoking and ammo belts empty, he and the spartans disposed the gatling guns.

They pulled out their assault rifles and advanced forward, scanning the area. Gallardo Team moved down the sides while Garrett was still checking for movement.

“Sir! Survivors!” Gallardo Two called out next to a downed Phantom.

Garrett and the rest of the team regrouped and aimed their weapons at their newly found prisoners. Two had them against the fuselage of the crashed alien aircraft.

“So, it’s come to this, too, hasn’t it?” Garrett asked, staring at Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. They each stared at him with mixed emotions of fear, anger, and betrayal. Silence broke out between them as they glared at one another.

“They’re not willing to talk, captain,” Gallardo Two said. “They cast a spell or something to keep their mouths shut.”

They’re your friends, damn it. Garrett clenched his fist, his anger and rage still not finding a way out, yet his gut was still fighting on hard.

...Orders are orders, Mister Archer, a voice which was not his stated in his head.

“You know what I told you, spartans.” He turned his back and walked away, towards the main door out of the hangar. He almost tripped over the bodies of Galea and Turbulence.

“Ready!” Gallardo One shouted. “Aim!”

Garrett did not look back. He kept on going on, attention still on the way out.

“Fire!”

Garrett heard six rifles fire at the same time, followed by six bodies hitting the floor.

Despite all of that, he felt nothing anymore.

A small flame sparked to light in front of his foot, bringing him to a halt. Garrett stomped on it, hoping to extinguish it quickly. Instead, the fire spread out and formed around him. He tried to jump out, only to have a strange force push him back in. The more he remained inside, the brighter the ring grew.

“Captain!” Gallardo One shouted.

The spartan team broke into sprints.

By the time they were only a few footsteps away, Garrett’s vision was completely obscured by the bright flames. The fire kept on burning like a hell around him, yet he was not hurt the slightest.

The flames died down, and Garrett found himself in another place that was completely different compared to the hangar. He was still in the assault carrier and in a large hallway, staring at a door which he was sure to have something important beyond. Despite knowing the obvious trap, he opened the door and went in, assault rifle ready.

“...Jackpot,” he murmured, knowing exactly where he was.

The room was large and with a massive holo table on the center, accompanied by several terminals that lined the walls. The bridge of the assault carrier was dim, making the blue lights flickering on the control panels the sources of light. The place looked deserted until Celestia came out of the shadows and into Garrett’s view.

She came to a halt in front of the holo table, the blue holograms lighting her up. The look on her face was enough to make any individual think that she was facing Discord.

Before Garrett was able to even flinch an inch, Celestia grabbed hold of his rifle and magnum with magic. She then floated them to his front and crushed them like a car compactor.

Next, Garrett felt himself get lifted up. He was brought closer to her, in front Celestia and the holo table, and then he felt her power force him down to his knees, making him clench his teeth as he fought the pain. He looked up at her, and she stared at him with her eyes blazing.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said.

“Go ahead,” he spat. “Strike me down.”

“I won’t kill you.”

“Why do that?” Garrett asked back. He unpolarized his visor. “I was leading the operation to attack Canterlot. I ordered my men to shoot your soldiers. I killed Luna.”

The look on Celestia face which spelled out loud that she wanted to destroy him was ever more present.

“I had your lieutenant commander and captain gunned down,” Garrett continued. “I started the prison break... and I ordered the execution of your six helpers. I take full responsibility of all the things that happened to Equestria and on this ship, so why not just end me now and get it all over with? Avenge them.”

Celestia forced his arm up and made him press on the holo table.

Garrett saw the screen create a live feed in front of him. Vancouver lay below them, and a hot stream of plasma shot out of the assault carrier, starting the destruction of the city. His gut turned violently as he watched the buildings collapse and turn into molten glass.

“Dear God...” he breathed.

Celestia lifted him up with magic and threw him aside, making him smash into a wall next to a terminal. Sparks emerged from where he landed. Cables and plasma lines flickered in various locations from the destroyed area.

Garrett felt his body turn numb. His limbs refused to carry out his orders.

Gallardo One’s voice came through his radio. “Captain! We’re getting live feed from your helmet camera. Look at the terminal that you’re right next to... you know what to do.”

“...We know what we signed up for,” Gallardo Two added before communications were cut off.

Garrett raised his head and stared at the control panel to his left. He memorized the symbols from his training, and the ace of spades on his shoulder pauldron made him remember exactly what he could and should do.

Celestia flew to Garrett’s front, looking down upon him. Her face easily reflected the thought of her being victorious.

“Sorry, Sarah,” Garrett whispered, “you’ll have to stay with the cousins for a while.”

His hand found grip on a broken piece of metal from the wall. He quickly stood up and swung the piece of debris, striking Celestia by the side of her head. She gave a surprised yelp and staggered, nearly falling. Tossing away the improvised weapon, Garrett tackled her and slammed her head on the console. His animal instincts were kicking in. Pinning her down by the neck, he mounted position, raised his fists high, and brought down blows that were hard enough to make MMA fighters proud.

“This is for my wife!”

He smashed his fist on her head.

“For my friends!”

Another blow to her face.

“For the humans who died because of your hierarchy!”

The punch landed on her cheek.

“...For my home,” he growled before giving the strongest punch in the set.

Garrett then stood up, tapped the control panel, and gestured the commands. The screen showed the ship ramming into the assault carrier beside it in full engine power, destroying the shields of both of them. The loud crash of metal against metal justified just how hard he made the two hit.

The impact violently rocked the entire ship, knocking Garrett slightly off balance. He took off his helmet and tossed it away, finding no more use for it. He then pressed another set of controls on the terminal, and the screen showed Celestia’s ship opening fire upon the assault carrier with its plasma batteries. Blue flames and explosions erupted on the sides of both of them, travelling through the hulls.

“What are you doing?!” Celestia hissed. “You’re just throwing the lives of you and your soldiers away!”

Garrett grabbed Celestia’s head and made her look at the control room bursting into flames. He wrapped his arm around her neck and tightened, making her struggle to breath.

“What could I say, prophetess?” Garrett asked with grim victory. “I’m just a human. We don’t make the best plans.”

He took a deep breath. “...Never thought it would end like this...”

The flames and explosions reached out, engulfing and wrapping both of them to a fiery end. Amidst all the noise, he managed to hear his final thought, At least it doesn’t hurt this time...

Discord stood up, applauding the ending with a cheer. “Bravo, Mister Archer! Bravo!”

The two chained princesses were locked in each other’s embrace, silent and with their eyes closed in hopes to not see the torture. A thump from near the screen made Luna opened her eyes. She felt a very powerful knot form in her as she saw Garrett with one knee on the ground, his head facing downwards.

For the first time, Luna actually was scared of him. She and Celestia were trapped, Discord corrupted Garrett into hating them, and they were in no position to convince him that it was all fake.

“Hello, Garrett,” Discord greeted, coming to his side.

“Afternoon,” Garrett growled back, still keeping his head down.

“Oh, such anger!” Discord lowered himself to be slightly above Garrett’s head. “You’re just lusting for vengeance right now, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.” Garrett quickly brought his hand up and grabbed hold of Discord’s neck, making him choke. “And I’m starting with you, Picasso.”

He shoved Discord away, making him nearly trip over the coffee table. Garrett finally stood up and slowly etched his way towards him, both fists clench and his breathing heavy like an enraged bull.

“H-hey!” Discord nervously said, getting back up. “I didn’t kill your men! You want revenge on the princesses, and so do I! We’re on the same team!”

Blinded by his anger, Garrett growled like a lion and charged forward. He raised his fist and gave a straight punch to Discord’ face.

When the blow landed, cracks quickly appeared on Discord’s face. They rapidly spread throughout his body. Once they all met, he shattered into pieces like glass. It all happened as fast as how he was lifted off of his feet when he got hit, and the host soul finally had one less guest with him.

Celestia and Luna felt their chains unwrap around them, indicating that Discord was fully out of Garrett’s soul. As much as they would have felt relief, they also felt their fears grow stronger than ever. They turned and found Garrett staring at them with a killer’s set of eyes.

“Garrett, please,” Luna breathed.

Ignoring her, Garrett sprinted to a charge, determined to bring harm to the two princesses, but he was too late. With a flash of light, the princesses vanished and left his soul, leaving him alone.

Celestia and Luna materialized back into the real world. They panted heavily, still shaken by their close call. The scene that awaited them, however, just added to their worries.

There were now twice as many guards in the room, aiming magical crossbows, spears, and storm clouds at Garrett’s body. Several barricades had been set up around the stone table. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and the rest were being protected by a set of guards that were determined to defend them to their last heartbeats.

“Your highness, we’ve seen what he’s done with the mirror,” Captain Galea announced. He approached the princesses and gently guided them to the safety of the improvised defence. “I’m sorry, but we’ve lost him. We can’t afford to take any more risks, with regards to your safety.”

He lowered his head. “He was a good man... If he hadn’t lost his mind... I would have gladly given him a place in our command...”

“Thanks, but no thanks, captain,” Garrett said.

Everypony felt chills travel down their spines.

By instinct, several guards sprung into action and tried to pin Garrett down. Despite the restriction of movement due to his chains, he was still able to fight them off, forcing them away with powerful pushes.

Turbulence abandoned her helmet and flew to Garrett’s side. She gripped his head with her hooves and made him look at her. “Garrett! It’s me! It’s Turbulence!”

Blinded by the lies, rage, and malice, Garrett roared and smashed his forehead into Turbulence, knocking her back. She yelped and fell to the floor, clutching her head with her hooves.

The room fell silent, save for the sound of Garrett still fighting against his chains. Everypony looked at the scene in disbelief, jaws hanging from their heads. Downburst rushed to the commander’s side and gently helped her up. She looked at him, shock ever present on her face.

“Garrett...” Turbulence whimpered.

“Go to hell!” Garrett snarled. “Burn another mark on me for kicks! I dare you!”

A sphere of magic formed around the stone table, followed by a figure which nopony wanted to see. Discord materialized in front of the stone, rubbing the spot where Garrett’s punch landed. “Perhaps our first encounter wasn’t at the best of times,” he said.

Garrett growled, staring at him.

Celestia, Luna, and the guards began hitting the shield with all their power, but to no avail. Even Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and the rest joined in. Pinkie Pie utilized her party cannon at full power, the recoil so strong that it blasted her to the wall. She shook it off and fired again, repeating the process.

“Let’s talk business, shall we?” Discord asked. He snapped his fingers, popping open the metal cuffs. Cautiously, Garrett went to a sitting position. “I’ll give you another chance to join me and take down the princesses... together.”

“What’s in it for me?” Garrett asked. “A few shiny coins?”

“Weapons,” Discord chuckled. He made a mirror appear on his palm. The image showed a wall that had enough weapons to feed an army. To name a few, there were daggers, long swords, sabres, lances, longbows, among others. There was even a set of custom-made armor that looked like it was made of dragon scales which were polished to shine. It was capable of striking fear and intimidation to the the hearts of even the bravest of Equestrians.

“I’ll even toss in a special, custom crossbow, just like the training version the princesses gave you,” Discord added. “Only, I’ll see to it that you can set the bolts to do anything you want. Shred, armor-piercing, freeze, stun, set ablaze... you name it, and it’ll shoot it.”

Discord disposed of the mirror and extended his palm. “What do you say? Deal?”

“Don’t do it, Garrett!” shouted Celestia. Everypony else joined in with her, pleading, begging him to not do it.

Garrett looked at everything around him. It was easy to see that he no longer saw the ponies as his companions, nor did he have any interest in even listening to them anymore. Their begs registered to his ears as grunts’ squeals, meaning nothing to him anymore other than another meaningless noise. He extended his hand and shook Discord’s.

Discord smiled. “Glad to see that-”

Garrett cut him off by jumping off the stone table, tackling Discord by the waist, and shoving him to the wall of the sphere. He brought his arm back and unleashed his fists upon him, pounding him. Blow after blow, they came, with each strike being as powerful as the last.

The Equestrian guards cheered as they watched Garrett punch him, and even Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and the rest breathed sighs of relief, assuming that he still knew the difference between right and wrong despite his poisoned mind.

Before he could have given another blow, Discord stopped Garrett by quickly seizing him by the neck. He choked and tried to fight back, but the combined power of the spirit of chaos and Nightmare Moon proved too powerful.

A small smile etched its way into Discord’s face as he looked at Garrett.

“Rule one of playing my games, Garrett.” He brought out a knife, its blade glowing. “I always win!”

Discord jammed the knife into the area of Garrett’s heart.

Garrett’s jaw fell in disbelief, shock ever present on his face.

“No!” Luna cried, starting another onslaught of attacks in an attempt to break the barrier.

Pulling the knife out, Garrett’s wound glowed white, leaking the same mist of soul essence. Discord brought him to the stone table and laid him out. He conjured the vapor to take the form of the special glass casing that held the orb, the same one he threatened Celestia and Luna with. It gingerly took shape on top of the human’s chest.

The two princesses felt shock travel down their spines. Panic-stricken, everypony felt hopeless as they saw the scene unfold before them, and they were powerless to stop him.

With a smile, Discord raised the knife high and brought it down, breaking the glass casing into pieces and exposing the glowing object within.

“NO!” Celestia cried.

Luna gasped, feeling her body freeze like an ice cube.

Garrett’s unconscious body gave a grunt that was much like how he would have received a punch. After heaving quick breaths, he lessened down to slow and deep ones. The glowing orb then sank back into his chest, along with the remnants of the once intact glass casing.

“Au revoir, everypony!” Discord cheered with a wave before teleporting away.

The sphere that surrounded the stone table shattered like glass.

Everpony that was not a guard wasted no time and scrambled to Garrett’s body.

Rainbow Dash pressed her ear on his chest and heard is steady heartbeat, flooding her with a sense of relief. “He’s still alive!”

“Princess?” Twilight asked. “What did Discord do?”

“The glass casing you saw was his soul,” Celestia said. “If you destroy the barrier around it, his spirit will go into a place that even Luna and I are unsure of. We have only scratched the surface of what truly happens there.”

“We can not teleport to him,” Luna added. “He is all alone, and none can be in control of what happens. There, he will be given a choice.”

“A choice between what?” Twilight asked.

Before her question was even answered, the mirror’s image began to change.

Garrett opened his eyes and gasped for breath. Instead of being in his combat armor, he found himself in the black shirt, pants, and boots combination, his off-duty clothing. Feeling exposed yet somewhat safe, he stood up and began to tune into his senses, scanning the area.

The room which he was in seemed endless, accompanied by a white marble floor. No walls were found at all. A pair of double doors that looked like they were from seven star hotels lay some distance away. Behind Garrett was a single ODST drop pod, prepped and ready for deployment. No sound was heard other than his own breath.

That was until Garrett heard steps behind him. Instinctively, he spun around and threw his fist forward, only to have it deflected by another male human who was accompanied by a female. Both of them were wearing the same, off-duty clothes that he was wearing.

“Woah, easy there,” the male said. “There’s no need to fight anymore.”

Garrett gasped and dropped his fists. “...Dad.”

“Hi, son. It’s been years, hasn’t it?” his father asked with a smile.

“You’ve really been building those muscles,” his mother said. “Most of them came ODST training, am I right?”

Their questions needed no reply. The three of them thought of the same thing and embraced each other tightly, savoring their moment of being together again.

“I missed you,” Garrett said, breaking the silence.

They separated, looking at each other.

“So did we,” his mother replied.

“Am I dead?” Garrett asked.

“Not exactly,” a fourth voice said.

Garrett turned and found an aged unicorn with a long, white beard that nearly reached the floor. His cloak and pointed hat were colored in various shades of blue, decorated with stars and moons. For some reason, he found no hostility in him.

“Who are you?” Garrett asked.

“Starswirl the Bearded.” The unicorn motioned him closer with his hoof. “We have many things to discuss about, you and I. I promise to answer all your questions.”

Garrett looked at his parents. “You know this guy?”

His father shook his head. “No idea. Doesn’t seem like a threat, though. Go ahead and talk to him. We’ll wait.”

Garrett nodded. He walked forward and followed Starswirl, who lead him out of earshot from the two parents. With a glow surrounding his horn, he conjured two chairs and a large wardrobe mirror.

“Don’t worry about privacy,” Starswirl said, taking a seat. “I’ve cast a spell so that only we can hear each other.”

“How the hell am I suppose to know that this isn’t just some sort of mind trick?” Garrett asked, also occupying a seat.

“You just got soul tapped twice, and in here, no lies or darkness can blind you.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“Fine, do you feel any suspicion with me?”

Garrett searched his thoughts. He tried to find every possible reason to find him as a threat, yet none were found. Instead, he began seeing him as someone else, a guide. “...No.”

Starswirl smiled. “Now, we’re getting somewhere.”

“First of all, I want to know the truth. All of it.”

“Are you sure?”

“...Yes.”

Garrett watched the image on the mirror take form, starting from when he was corrupted by Discord.

“An old foe of Celestia and Luna, Discord, corrupted you. He was watching you from the start ever since you crashed landed.”

Garrett felt his gut twist as he watched his own self shooting Celestia and her guards.

“Luna had to subdue you with a soul-tapping spell,” Starswirl continued. “Discord was steps ahead and connected his soul to yours. In turn, the two princesses did the same, only to be captured. From there, they were helpless as they watched you give in to the lies.”

Garrett felt his guilt make his body numb as he watched his own self attacking Celestia. It showed everything, from the book with the lie, to him gunning down Equestrians and Covenant with the gatling gun, all the way to him destroying the assault carrier.

“Dear God... what sick monster have I turned myself into?” Garrett asked himself.

After the last image of him being stabbed by Discord’s soul-tapping spell dissolved, Garrett placed his face on his palms, elbows on his knees. An eerie silence blanketed the two of them. “I hurt them... didn’t I?” he asked.

“I’m afraid so,” Starswirl replied, sighing. “They cast a spell on a mirror to watch you as you... changed.”

Garrett fought ever so hard to prevent the guilt from spilling out of him. His sense of responsibility was literally barking at him, accusing him. It took a while, but he finally managed to calm himself down to a point where he was willing to talk again. “Are they still watching me now?”

“There’s a chance.”

Garrett looked up as if there was someone staring at him from there. “Everyone... if you can hear me... I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Please, forgive me. You don’t deserve what I put you through...”

As everypony watched the Garrett actions and confessions on the mirrors, they sighed in relief, knowing that they had him back at their side. Even Galea looked like he was glad.

After sucking it up, Garrett stood up and proceeded to meet his parents again.

“You all right?” his father asked.

Garrett shook his head. “Didn’t really see the most pleasant of things.”

“You still have a choice, you know,” Starswirl said. He pointed to the drop pod with his hoof. “You can still go back and fix it.”

He motioned the double doors. “...Or you can leave it all behind and go to the afterlife, where you can finally rest.”

“But... I’m just one man...” Garrett muttered. “How the hell am I going to make a difference?”

Starswirl nudged him with his hoof. “That ‘one man’ just blew up two Covenant supercarriers without using a MAC or a nuclear weapon.”

“Wait, he did what?” Garrett’s parents awed in unison.

“I’ll explain to you another time,” Starswirl said to them.

Garrett turned to look at the double doors. “I’m so tired... I’ve caused so much pain... If I can’t protect them from threats physically, I can at least protect them from myself.”

He faced the drop pod. “But... I still have so many things left to do. I screwed up, and I have unfinished business. Discord’s still out there, and I want some payback. That son of a gun deserves more than just an execution.”

Lost between the two choices, Garrett directed his attention to his parents. “What should I do?” he asked.

“Whichever makes you happy, son,” his mother replied.

“It’s okay if you go back,” his father said. “We’re willing to wait.”

“I... I still don’t know what to choose,” Garrett replied.

“All right, then,” his father said. “Ask yourself, what makes you happy?”

Silently, Garrett approached the drop pod. He paused for a long moment, pondering over his choice. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The mirror’s image faded back into a reflection of the room once Garrett’s mind made the choice.

Celestia saw Garrett’s body open his eyes and exhaled, his chest sinking naturally. Relieved, the she turned and also blew out a deep breath.

“Garrett, there are many things that we need to talk about,” she said. “Please, we need you to listen and-”

“Sister!” Luna cut her off.

Celestia spun around and looked at Garrett’s body. He was still staring at the ceiling, motionless, his eyes looking at it as if it was some work of art.

With fear growing in every cell of her body, Luna slowly approached Garrett. She lowered her head and pressed her ear on his chest to hear his heartbeat and breaths. Instead, it was silent.

“No...” Luna gasped. She lifted Garrett’s head with her forelegs and shook him slightly. “Garrett! Please! Not that road!”

She shook him again. “Not that road!”

He was still silent, unmoving. Luna slowly put his head back down and still held onto him, burying her face into him.

Celestia quickly rushed to the stone table and embraced Garrett with her forelegs. “Garrett... Please...” she whispered. “Don’t go...”

“Please...say something...” Luna begged. Tears began to slide down her face, only to get absorbed by the shirt.

Celestia shook him slightly. “Wake up... Wake up...”

Her tears began to fall. She placed her head into his chest, still hearing the silence of his heart. “...Please...”

Garrett’s image appeared on the mirror, looking at a crowd that he was unaware of. “If you’re getting this, I just want to say that... I’m sorry. I’m just one man. What difference can he do out of billions? I really, honestly didn’t want any of you to get hurt,” he said before turning around and, in the company of Starswirl and his parents, opening the double doors.

White light flooded out of the doorway, and the mirror returned into giving reflections.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy slowly came to Garrett’s side. They held onto him with their forelegs and buried their faces into him, embracing him with tears leaking out of their eyes and begging for him to wake up. Despite all of that, the warmth from his body was still fading away.

Celestia reached over and closed Garrett’s eyes with her hoof. “At least... at least you found peace again... and you’re not feeling alone anymore,” she said before the tears took control of her.

All the guards in the room took off their helmets and lowered their heads, silent. Each closed their eyes, quietly bidding him farewell.

“Goodbye, Garrett,” Turbulence said, her eyes watering.

“He... was a good...” Downburst lost his words, shaking his head. He switched his attention to Celestia. “Your highness, what do we do now?”

Celestia heard Garrett’s voice in her head. ‘I’ll only sleep in one of two places...’

“I think I know where he would like to be laid to rest,” she said.

“...This is actually pretty nice,” Garrett said, looking at the view. “Reminds me of Earth.”

The four of them just passed the doors and came into a view from high up a mountain. At the base were beaches with white sand accompanied by various buildings that looked like they were rated with seven stars, all of which were beachfront property. Beautiful, tropical trees were everywhere, with bike paths that welcomed anyone who wanted to get some fresh air. Further away were even taller mountains that provided the best looking places for snowboarding. A perfect blue sky finished it all, cloudless.

Numbers of humans were on the beach enjoying the sun. Gliders flew from above, savoring the view and being free.

“I take it back,” Garrett said again, “pretty nice is an understatement.”

“The afterlife has even more than this, son,” his father said. “The staff here is nice. You know, friendly smiles all day. There are nice caves, rivers for whitewater rafting, excellent reefs for scuba diving, and even more. There’s even a race track that allows you to drive whatever car you want. Name it, and this place’ll probably have it. Above all, there is a special place for us UNSC only.”

Garrett sighed. “I still don’t know if turning around at the last moment was the best of choices.”

His mother placed her hand on his shoulder. “Ask yourself, do you feel happy?”

“Hmm...” Garrett lowered his head. I’m no longer a threat to Celestia, Discord can’t use me anymore... and I’m protecting them from my own self. “...Yeah, I’m quite satisfied.”

Starswirl cleared his throat. “You still have a choice to go back. I’ll be waiting near here if in case you change your mind.”

His horn glowed with an aura, and he teleported away.

Garrett turned to his parents. “...Are my wife and child here?”

His father shook his head. “We haven’t seen them in here. That means that Earth’s still putting up a resistance, or they got a transport out. Either way, they’re still alive.”

Garrett sighed in relief. At least that’s one thing which is still right,

Right on cue, a civilian Warthog drove up the road and parked right next to the trio. The driver, clad in an expensive tuxedo, popped his head out of the window. “Need a ride to the Garrison, troopers?”

They entered the vehicle. The Warthog drove off and followed the road while Garrett stared out of the window, looking at his new home. He spotted various birds that were covered in overwhelmingly beautiful colors. Once they entered the city, he noticed that the people were always in high spirits, happy and cheerful, knowing that there was nothing that could have ruined the day.

“No more Covenant,” Garrett murmured as a smile formed on his face.

The Warthog came to a halt in front of a large, cylindrical building that was five stories high. The glass architecture was sure to capture anyone’s attention. It overlooked the white beach, and as far as Garrett’s eyes saw, only UNSC soldiers, out of their armor, were inside. The sun was just starting to set, painting the sky.

The trio entered the building, and in the middle was a bar that held numerous bottles of drinks, many of which he had never seen or heard of. Tables lined the windows, allowing any group of friends to enjoy a nice view and a good set of cocktails, and the design still looked like it was seven star worthy. Men and women from the UNSC, from legends to army rookies, were smiling at each other, savoring their personal spot in the afterlife.

“Hot damn...” Garrett whispered under his breath.

“Welcome to the Garrison, son,” his mother said. “Let’s go get some drinks. We have a lot to talk about.”

Garrett nodded and approached the main bar on the center.

“I’ll have a margarita,” he told the bartender.

“Sure thing,” he replied.

Garrett felt a small nudge on his side. He turned and found another UNSC soldier sitting on a barstool next to him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before...”

“I just came to this world a few moments ago,” Garrett admitted. “I’m an ODST, you?”

“Spartan.”

Garrett’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Somehow, he was not intimidated or angered by that fact. He actually saw the spartan as another fellow soldier who had a share of the war.

“So, how’d you get here?” the spartan asked.

“Well... I’m pretty sure I didn’t go out with a bang as big as you did.”

The spartan shrugged. “I don’t care. I still want to hear it.”

The bartender appeared again with a margarita in his hand. He passed it to Garrett.

Garrett took a sip. “Hot damn... this is probably the best margarita I’ve ever tasted.”

“The best drinks are really in here, trooper,” the spartan said with a friendly smile.

“What are you planning to get?” the bartender asked the spartan.

“A pint of that vodka and chocolate infusion,” the spartan replied.

“Sure thing,” the bartender said before getting to work.

Garrett nearly choked on his drink. “Are you kidding me?”

The spartan chuckled. “In here, you can have all the fun effects of alcohol except getting drunk, having a hangover, and destroying your health. Plus, we’re already dead, so you don’t have to be scared of dying again.”

Garrett’s parents came and took their seats on the bar stools next to him, armed with cocktails of their own.

“I’ve never sat down like this before...” Garrett said to them. “No Covenant... Just peace... no war at all. Hell, I knew this war nearly all of my life... It feels strange to have it gone... strange, but good.”

“That’s the spirit,” his mother smiled.

“Archer? Is that you?” Garrett heard a familiar voice ask. He turned and found Dante and Johnny.

“It sure is,” he replied with a calm smile.

The two friends smiled and came to his sides, ordering drinks while they were at it.

“So, about how you came here...” the spartan nudged again.

Garrett shook his head a bit. “I don’t know... it’s not as special as the legends in this place.”

“Come on, son,” his father said. “It’s a tradition to let the new guy tell his story to everyone. From the rookies who died first, to the hardcore vets, we’ve listened to them. Now, it’s your turn.”

Looking around, Garrett saw all the soldiers directing their attention to him, eager to listen to his tale. He spotted legendary commanders and officers also wanting to know his story. The building was falling silent as even the ones on the upper floors began leaning over the edges to hear him better. The bartender set up a sensor on the edge of the table to pick up his voice and magnify it with the speaker system.

Garrett stood up, leaned with his back against the table, and took a sip of his margarita. "It all started right after the funeral..."

Part 9: Tracing Footsteps

“...And I still can’t believe that I fell for it,” Garrett ended, finishing the last drops of his second margarita.

The spartan patted Garrett on the shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I would’ve fallen for it, too. I mean, I would have done anything to be fighting for Earth again.”

“I told you that I didn’t go off with a big bang,” Garrett murmured.

“Excuse me?” Dante answered. “You blew up two assault carriers without using a MAC or a nuke, and you managed to piss off two members of royalty to the highest degree. That counts for something.”

Garrett shrugged. “I guess... but those never happened in reality. I know it’s stupid of me to be thankful for the fact that I didn’t really kill any Covenant, but at least I didn’t start a war with another group of aliens.”

“Either way, it’s all in the past now, and you did what you could,” Johnny said.

Garrett out the window, staring at the glowing nighttime cityscape. He returned the glass to the bartender. “I guess I did, but I still feel stupid that I actually sided with Discord. I mean... he sounded like it was all possible.”

“It’s easy to trick those who have no idea about certain topics,” his mother said. “Besides, he drugged you in some fashion.”

“At times like this, son,” his father said, “it’s good to remember who the real enemy is.”

“Even though my fight wasn’t against a Covenant, it still hurt as much when I lost it.”

“There are a few defeats more triumphant than victories.”

“Yeah,” Garrett replied. “At least I’m still protecting them from my own self. Anyway, I’ll get some shut eye.”

“Your room is in the building right next to this one. Just tell them your name, and they’ll do the rest. See you tomorrow, son,” his mother said before everyone returned to their conversations and drinks.

Once outside, Garrett paused for a moment and took a deep breath, sucking in air that felt pure to him. He nearly forgot how it was like to smell something that had no trace of suspicion, fear, war, death, or even the artificial scent that oxygen tanks and filters gave. Turning to his right, he easily found the building which would have been his new home.

The structure itself was enough to turn the heads of even those who had not much appreciation for architecture. The glass building was shaped like a single groove of a strand of DNA. Gentle streams of water lined the sides, mixing incoming and outgoing rays of light in a hypnotic rainbow of colors. Large terraces offered more than enough space for a private pool.

Garrett entered the building and looked around. There were enough decorative lights inside to make ONI buildings look like busted bulbs. Each hotel staff member was a cheerful, smiling individual who was clothed in a simple suit which was made with the finest silk fabrics.

He approached the main receptionist. “Excuse me, I have a room under the name of ‘Garrett Archer.’”

The woman said with a calm smile, “Your room is the penthouse on the top floor. It’s the door to the end and on the right. Just put your hand on the handle, and it’ll do the rest. Also, it’s right next to your parents’ door.”

“Thanks.” Garrett easily kept his composure. His thoughts, however, were overwhelmed like an enthusiast getting a super car. Hot damn! Seriously?!

He entered the glass elevator and quickly climbed the floors. He looked outside, watching everything shrink. The lights of the buildings in the afterlife easily made each structure stand out, as if they were having a visual show against each other.

With a gentle beep that sounded like a piano’s notes, the elevator came to a gentle stop, and the doors slid open. Garrett found his door at the end of the hallway, and when he placed his hand on the knob, it unlocked. The windows had a view of nearly one hundred eighty degrees. Various sources of light ranged from the sides of the tables to the railings on the second floor, combining into a beautiful mixture of art and engineering. A massive screen mounted on a wall provided more than enough quality for a movie.

Garrett climbed up the stairs, entered the walk-in wardrobe, and took his shirt off. He ran two fingers across the left side of his chest as he looked carefully at the mirror.

“...No mark,” he murmured before switching to a set of sleeping clothes.

He proceeded to bed and pulled the blanket over him. The overall feeling of just lying over there made him feel like an equal to royalty

“Damn, is this how Celestia sleeps every night?” Garrett whispered to himself. “I... could get use to this.”

He tapped the console on the small table next to his bed. All the lights around him dimmed down and flicked off. After issuing another set of commands, the windows slid open, allowing the constant, cool breeze of fresh air to enter his room. He closed his eyes and easily fell asleep, succombing to a soft snore. Despite not having his hand on any form of weaponry or not being in any set of armor, Garrett felt relaxed, the weight on his shoulders finally falling off.

Luna made the moon gently move into place as Celestia lowered the sun to disappear. In real time, it was just yesterday that the incident occurred, yet for them, it felt like an eternity. The night was more silent than ever. Even the melody of chirping crickets was absent. It was as if nature itself knew of what happened, and it was giving a moment of silence for respect, despite the fact that the news had not spread beyond the castle doors.

Gently wrapping her forelegs around Celestia, Luna gave a tight embrace. She gently returned the hug.

“I still can not believe that he is gone...” Luna muttered.

“Even the greatest have limits,” Celestia hushed. “But it just gives us a bigger reason to stop them... so nothing like this can ever happen again.”

They parted, with Celestia returning to her bedroom and Luna going downstairs.

With deep thoughts running through her mind, Luna made her way down the hallways of the castle. Once she made it to the gardens, she found a unicorn sitting under a tree, the silhouette showing that he or she was looking up to the sky. Curious, she passed by all the flower bushes and fountains and approached him or her, only to discover that it was Twilight, who was holding a bowl that had several spoons.

“Twilight?” Luna asked. “You are suppose to be sleeping, are you not? Why are you here?”

Twilight turned to face her. “Your highness,” she said with a bow, “I can’t sleep. I... got a lot of things on my mind right now.”

Luna settled down next to her.

“I can’t take him off of my mind...” Twilight murmured.

“Neither can I,” Luna said.

“...I’ll miss him.”

“I will as well.”

“What do we do with him?”

“His ship will serve as his tomb for the time being. He will be properly buried once the UNSC gets a hold of him.”

“What will happen if they find out about it?”

“...I do not know.”

Twilight took a spoon and scooped up a bite from her bowl.

“What is that you are eating?” Luna asked.

Twilight smiled a bit. “There was this one time that Garrett was in a good mood... so he decided to make himself a bowl of strawberries and cream.”

She tipped the pot, showing the sliced fruit mixed with various ingredients. “He thought that nopony was watching him, but I was able to keep a careful eye out. I... tried to recreate what he did, but I’m pretty sure I got it wrong.”

“Would you like to try, your highness?” Twilight asked, offering a spoon.

Slowly, Luna took one with her magic, carefully scooped up a serving, and took a bite. At once, her tastebuds registered an almost perfect balance between fruit and sweetness. “It is wonderful, Twilight,” she said with a smile.

Twilight chuckled and looked up. “I wonder how a strawberry from Earth would taste like...”

Luna focused her attention to the night sky as well, surveying the stars.

“I also wonder which star Earth is closest to,” Twilight added. “Garrett told me a few things about it.”

“Oh?” Luna asked.

Twilight nodded. “Sometime in the past, he told me about the music, the nature, the beauty... and all of that stuff... Those seemed to me enough reason for him to fight for them.”

“Can you tell me a little bit more about what he told you?”

Twilight ate another spoonful. “Well... for one, he told me that humans love building high and touching the clouds. He also said that there are times in the morning when he jogs in the city park, which he said is filled with cherry blossoms...”

In the company of a squad of guards, Celestia found herself walking down the various corridors of Canterlot castle. The daylight seeped in through the windows, lighting up the hall and getting reflected off the marble surfaces. Head-turning tapestries and various banners were hanging in different locations that would have given her a sense of pride, but she found none as the memory of Garrett’s death was still fresh on her mind.

“...Give me a scan of his body,” said a voice through a door, making everypony come to a halt. “I want to know how he came to this.”

“Yes, sir,” came a second voice.

Celestia gave a gasp. The guards looked at each other and gave multiple blinks.

“Your highness,” said one guard, “Garrett’s body is in that room.”

“Sir,” said the second voice again, “I’ve detected the same kind of damage formed by torture via electricity, multiple bruises, and a deep burn on his skin. All I can say about it is that its appearance was no accident. Someone intentionally marked it there while he was restraint.”

With every phrase that the second voice said, Celestia felt a nervous feeling tighten her throat. By the time the word “restraint” was said, her heart was already racing faster than an adrenaline rush. She opened the door with magic and quickly entered the room in the company of her guards, who were equally concerned.

Inside, Celestia and her guards found a human officer in white uniform. He was accompanied by a squad of ODSTs, and a medic was scanning Garrett’s body with a datapad. The two groups were silent, looking at one another, save for the one who was inspecting the dead soldier.

“Colonel Stanford,” the medic continued, “the bruises were formed by an object with the same area-” he shot a look at Celestia “-as a horse’s hoof.”

The ODSTs instantly cocked their guns and raised them. The royal guards stood motionless, knowing that a simple flinch would have spelled their quick end. Colonel Stanford stared straight into the eyes of Celestia, whose jaw was hanging in disbelief.

“Open fire,” Stanford ordered the troopers, not breaking eye contact to even blink.

As told, the ODSTs squeezed their triggers, and the sound of guns echoed throughout the corridors.

“No!” Celestia shouted, waking herself up with a jolt. She found herself drenched in sweat and gasping for air in her own bed. Judging by the light entering her room, she guessed that it was the middle of the night. Shaking, she wrapped her forelegs around a pillow like it was a real individual.

“Just a dream,” she whimpered, her lips quivering and tears streaming down her face. “Just a dream...”

She gave the pillow an even tighter hug. “Garrett...” she cried softly. “I’m so, so sorry...”

That dream made her realize that they had more and more conflicts to face. Not only did they have to deal with the immediate threat of Discord and Nightmare Moon, they also needed to find a way to explain to the UNSC why they had an ODST die right before them.

The fear of having a four-way war between the citizens of Equestria, those corrupted under Discord, the UNSC, and the Covenant offered no form of comfort to Celestia, forcing her to stay up until the time of dawn.

How she wished that there was someone else with her.

A full week went by after Garrett passed away. Everypony, from the guards, to the princesses, to the six from Ponyville, were mourning and disturbed to the point where they were nearly unfit to fulfill their duties. The tough challenge of trying to not get the news out was a long process that was next to impossible. No journalists were permitted to enter the castle, nor was any conversation about the incident allowed to be talked about outside the palace and with members who were not directly involved. More guards were deployed for patrolling duties, but to the relief of those aware of the situation, no citizens seemed to be troubled by the larger presence, assuming that it was just a diplomat visiting for a few days.

On the day of the memorial service, the room that contained the Longsword was filled with guards in formation. Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and the rest accompanied a coffin that was wrapped in a glowing aura of magic, making it float. They were all silent, their solemn expressions betraying their emotions. Some tried to hide it but to no avail. Many held nothing back.

An ODST helmet was resting right outside the casket.

The burial box slowly levitated its way to the interior of the ship and was laid horizontally down on the upper level. They opened the coffin to say their last goodbyes.

Clad in his armor with the exception of the headpiece, Garrett lay inside box. His eyes were still closed, and his face had a blank expression. Somehow, he looked like he was at peace. The sarcophagus had a special enchantment that kept him preserved as fresh as when he would be alive, and he was laid down in such a way that the first thing one would have seen when going up the ramp would have been the ace of spades and phoenix’s feather strapped to his shoulder.

“I already miss him...” Rainbow Dash murmured.

“It ain’t easy letting things go, sugarcube,” Applejack said. She heaved a sigh. “Really wish that he could’ve made it f’er cider season.”

Celestia took a closer look at Garrett’s face. “It’s strange, really...” she said to him, hoping that he could have heard her. “When you first appeared, I thought of you as another threat to Equestria, just like Discord and Chrysalis.”

She closed her eyes. “After everything you did to us and after what we did to you, I never thought that you could have made such bond with us.”

“...Remember how he said that we can keep him in our hearts if we live by his values?” Luna asked, recalling Garrett’s words to his family. “Let... let us look at his soul and see what traits he has kept with him.”

“But... I thought only you can do magic that involves the soul,” Rarity said.

Luna shook her head. “The Elements of Harmony have, in simple terms, the same capabilities of soul-tapping magic like my sister and I.”

Knowing her cue, Celestia made the chest that contained the elements and a mirror teleport before them.

Each pony got their respective piece and formed a circle around the casket. With auras surrounding their horns, the princesses made the glowing orb of Garrett’s soul rise above his chest, resting easily on top of his armor. The sphere bloomed to life and opened into a white, glimmering lotus. Its light was like a gentle heartbeat at peace. The reflections on the mirror dissolved as his memories came into view.

The view rebuilt into a room that had moonlight seeping in through the windows. A small bed lay along the sides, accompanied by reclinable chairs and a table that had a digital alarm clock. Shelves filled with toys and gadgets lined the walls.

“Daddy!” A small child’s voice echoed.

Garrett rushed inside the room, clothed in sleeping wear and with a glass of water in his hand. He quickly switched on the lamp. “Sarah?” He asked. “What’s wrong?”

“I had a bad dream again...” she murmured. “I saw the scary aliens and--”

Garrett cut her off. “Shh,” he hushed. “It’s all right. It’s just a dream. Besides, it’s the holidays. The scary monsters don’t like being creepy during this time.”

He made her take a sip of water, and he allowed her to hold his hand tightly near her chest. He sat down on the chair next to the bed. “It’s just a dream, Sarah. It never happened.”

“But... it’s dark. They might sneak up on me because I can’t see them.”

Garrett switched off the lamp, masking him in shadow. Sarah flinched and whimpered slightly as the light disappeared. “Do you see me?” he asked.

“No...”

“But you know I’m here, right?”

“...Yes..”

Garrett flicked the light on. “See, Sarah? You can’t see me, but you said that I’m here. Why?”

“Because I know that you’re with me in my room.”

He nodded. “Yes, you know I’m here, but it’s not because I’m in your room. It’s because you know that I’m with you-” he pointed at her heart “-in there. No matter what happens, even though I’m not with you physically, remember that I’m always with you. But, if you’re ever in doubt, just look over your shoulder, and, even if it’s dark, you’ll know that I’m there. Okay?”

“...Okay.”

Garrett smiled. “That’s my girl.”

He kissed her on the forehead and turned off the light. “Good night, Sarah.”

“Can you play me that special music like what you always do?” Sarah asked.

“Sure,” Garrett replied. He reached over to the desk, activating a small screen. After gesturing the command, the gentle, calm keys of a piano resonated throughout the room, with each note inviting anyone to have a comfortable slumber.

Garrett carefully stroked her head as she gingerly fell asleep. Once the last note came out, he was sure that Sarah was fast asleep.

“Whatever happens,” he whispered, “I will never let the Covenant bring harm to you or Claire.”

He tried to stand up, only to feel resistance on his hand. He turned and found Sarah grasping it, holding it like a stuffed teddy bear and knowing that she had someone looking after her.

Pausing for a moment, Garrett looked at her long enough to for him to cherish the memory. Slowly, he sat back down, reclined the chair back, and adjusted to a comfortable position. He closed his eyes, falling asleep.

A gentle touch to the side made Garrett wake up again. He found Claire sitting and sleeping on the other reclining chair, her head resting on his shoulder. He reached for the shelf above his head with his free hand and got a blanket. Spreading it out between the two of them, he wrapped his arm around her and shared the warmth.

He looked over his shoulder to look at the time, and it ticked right on to twelve o’clock. “Happy Holidays, everyone,” he whispered before going back to sleep with a small smile on his face.

Garrett was outside and was with the freshly buried caskets of his parents. He was bidding his relatives and friends goodbye, patting them on the shoulder as a last act.

When he finally reached Sarah and Claire, they embraced each other tightly, as if it was the last time they would have been seeing each other. Once they let go, Garrett lowered himself to one knee.

“Sarah,” he said, “daddy will be gone for a while.”

“Where’re you going?” she asked.

“There are people out there that need help, and... I guess you know what’ll be happening next.”

“When are you coming back?”

“I... don’t know.”

She quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, and he returned the embrace. “I’ll miss you,” she said after releasing her grip on him.

“I’ll miss you, too.” Garrett pointed to Sarah’s heart. “Just remember, okay?”

Sarah nodded. “I love you, daddy.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, attempting to make a smile. “I love you, too. Never forget that I’m always proud of you.”

Garrett stood up. He and Claire then gripped each other again, embracing one another.

“Garrett...” she whispered. “I’m scared...”

“Shh...” he hushed, attempting to comfort her. “It’ll be all right.”

“What if we don’t see you again?”

“You will,” he murmured back.

“But-”

“No buts, sweetheart. When I get back and see you two again, it’ll be when this war is over, or at least nearing to an end.” Garrett pulled out a small box. He flicked it open, showing the wedding ring to her. It still kept its shine and eye-catching glitter. “Look, I’ll make you a promise. The first thing we’ll do when we get back is go to the park. There, I’ll have the special strawberries and cream and fruit salads that you love so much.”

“You never told me the recipes,” Claire said, trying to smile.

“It’s the side of my family’s secret. Besides, it’ll make you look forward to me coming back even more, no?”

“Don’t make a promise just for us. If there are still others out there who aren’t with the Covenant, I want you to do whatever you can to protect them, even if they’re not with the UNSC.”

Garrett was silent.

“Okay?” Claire asked.

“...I promise,” Garrett said, giving one more tight hug before letting go. He turned around and found the ODST officer in uniform looking for him. Knowing what he should do, he gave a last farewell to everyone around him, from his friends to his relatives.

He made his way to the soldier and shook his hand.

“You signed up for ODST training. Am I correct?” the officer asked.

“Yes sir,” Garrett said.

Purple shapes and metals began moulding into view. Blue circuits and terminals on the walls were the sources of light in the dark rooms and hallways. Garrett was tied to a chair, beaten and scarred with a fresh cut on his neck. An elite zealot was in the room, finishing a round bruising and barraging, and a prophet was watching from his chair, enjoying himself as he watched two zealots drag an ODST into the room.

“Johnny!” Garrett shouted.

The sangheili pair dropped Johnny in front of Garrett.

The zealot activated his energy sword and pointed it straight at Garrett. “Say goodbye to your friend!” he spat.

“No!” yelled Johnny. “Let him live! K-kill me instead!”

Garrett looked at him in shock. His body froze and his breathing changed. “Johnny... don’t do this...”

“Shut up, Archer,” Johnny said, his voice shaking. “W-we all know that... you’re one of the b-best shots... in our battalion. Y-you need... another day to fight.”

“Don’t throw your life away for me!”

Johnny shook his head slowly. “R-remember... Reach, Garrett. Remember our original home. D-don’t let Reach happen again. The UNSC... needs one of the b-best alive, and y-you’re... one of ‘em.”

The zealot raised his sword high.

“Goodbye... Archer.”

Garrett watched in horror as the sword went through Johnny and stopped inches away from him.

Trees rapidly grew from the ground. The branches and trunks twisted and curved out at angles. They spread out to the point where the leaves nearly blocked out the sky.

Garrett was lying on the ground, his arm bleeding and flowing with red, and the mud was already getting soaked with blood.

Luna lay unconscious beside him, the small scratch from the flying serpent beginning to bleed as well.

Garrett groaned as he got to his knees, clutching his arm. It shook slightly as more and more pain was shooting through like needles. He inspected Luna’s wound.

“Damn... that thing nicked her at a big vein,” he cursed.

Garrett pulled out a small medical kit from his rucksack. He then properly disinfected the wound and applied biofoam, wrapping it all up with a bandage. Clutching his chest, his breathing started to wheeze.

“Anaphylactic shock... or something,” he murmured to himself, reaching for the injection in his pocket.

He brought the needle out and was about to inject it into himself, stopping when he realized that he heard that Luna was having trouble breathing as well. She was also succombing to the starting stages of the reaction to the venom.

Garrett paused for a moment and cursed to himself. His training experience told him to prioritize his mission and go back to Earth, but he had no possible way to repair his ship with the tools he had. At the same time, he still remembered what he swore to his family. “The things I do to keep a promise...” he murmured before injecting Luna with the adrenaline shot.

He then wrote the message on the bandage, saying that she will recover. Hearing the hooves of Celestia and the royal guard quickly approaching, he packed up his gear and limped away as fast as possible, holding his bleeding arm as it leaked a few drops of blood every now and then.

Marble walls reflected sunlight as Garrett and Celestia were outside the princesses’ private library, both of them sticking their heads through the opening in the door.

“Wow, that’s a cute one,” Garrett whispered, grinning stupidly as he was watching Luna snore. Celestia giggled, also trying to prevent waking her up.

“She had a busy night last night, and it would be rude to wake her up,” Celestia said, closing the door with her magic. However, it was probably the loudest sound she ever heard when the mechanism clicked. The sound of Luna giving a quick snort came next, followed by her hooves approaching the door.

“Is somepony there?” she asked.

Garrett and Celestia started to pace away from the library. They were too late, however, and the white, marble doors swung open, revealing an alicorn curious of the situation.

“I have to admit, you were pretty adorable,” Garrett said with a sinister grin.

“W-what?” Luna stuttered in shock.

Garrett chuckled and replied, “You were snoring inside the library.”

Celestia giggled, “Yes, and it was quite of a cute one.”

“S-stop it!” Luna stuttered again, blushing. “I do not snore!”

“You’re blushing, that means you do!” Garrett said with a laugh.

“You have no evidence that I snore!” Luna answered back.

“If you do that spell thing where you look into my mind, I can show you,” Garrett insisted, giving a nod to Celestia.

“Never!” yelled Luna.

The passing guards nearby broke out in laughter, and Garrett and Celestia joined in, savoring the first friendly laugh they ever had with each other and leaving Luna giving an adorable pout.

The real Luna was smiling and giggling herself with a blush of pink running across her cheeks. Everypony else chuckled and laughed out loud along with her.

“I never did break the snoring,” Luna chuckled to herself, resulting in even livelier laughs from the rest.

The next scene expanded into the top of a hill that had a view of Ponyville. Everypony gathered with Garrett around the picnic table as he set up.

“Garrett, what’s this?” asked Twilight.

Ignoring her, Garrett tapped the side of the box. The sides opened wide, and crystal glasses rose from the holes. Everypony was silent and intrigued as he opened the main cover. Once he took it off, a fine, cold mist began escaping from the opening. He reached in and pulled out two glass bottles.

“I... was saving this sparkling wine for when we win the war,” he said as he was pulling the corks out with his knife. “Since... they found Earth... I’ll take every victory I can get.”

He began pouring everypony a glass, revealing the straw-yellow drink from within.

“I’m still a human, no one died here, other than that werewolf freak, and this world hasn’t been found by the Covenant.” Garrett raised his glass. “Cheers to being alive... I guess.”

“No,” Celestia said as she raised her glass with magic. “Cheers to those who we care for.”

Everyone smiled and nodded in support of the new reason to celebrate, including Garrett.

“May we never take them for granted,” added Luna before all of them clinked their glasses and took a sip.

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw a light flicker like a candle from above. Looking up, she discovered that the Element of Magic tiara on her head was emitting a soft yet powerful purple glow that was capable of being seen from any distance in the darkness. She turned to everypony else. Only then did she realise that the others, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy, also had their pieces of jewelry giving off lights like candles.

“Your highness,” Twilight said, “the girls and I want to give something to him before we close it.”

“Go ahead,” Celestia said, motioning her.

“Thank you.” Twilight gave a nod to Fluttershy.

Slowly, Fluttershy approached the coffin. She opened her wing, revealing a small box tucked gently among her feathers. Gently, she placed it right next to Garrett’s helmet and popped it open, revealing a medal. It was a diamond-encrusted shield that was divided into six sections, like a crest, of pink, white, yellow, purple, cyan, and yellow-orange.

After having enough of what was showing on the screen, Garrett sighed and opened the door to the balcony. The midday sun was shining in the cloudless blue sky. He leaned on the edge and watched the surfers enjoying the waves on the beach. Looking to his right, he found his father doing the same on his side of the floor.

“Hey, dad,” Garrett said, “could I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” his father asked.

“...Can we ever be forgiven for what we’ve done?”

He shrugged. “There’s always a chance for forgiveness. Why’d you ask?”

“It’s nothing, really.” Garrett turned around pulled out the remote from his pocket. He then switched off the screen, which was showing the final images of him merrily drinking the sparkling wine with Celestia, Luna, and the rest. “...Just asking...”

Part 10: Healing Wounds

Garrett opened the double doors to the endlessly white room. The ODST drop pod was still there, waiting. He entered in the company of Starswirl and his parents.

“You sure about this, son?” his mother asked.

“I am,” Garrett replied. He took a seat in the drop pod and strapped in. “I’ll miss the steaks here... It’s all vegetarian back there.”

“Well, at least Equestria has alcohol, if I remember correctly,” Starswirl chuckled with a friendly smile. “What made you choose to go back, anyway?”

“I lost my will to fight,” Garrett replied. “Let’s just say that I saw something that made me get it back. It’s just like training, really. Fall down, there’s nothing to do except to get back up and keep going. Besides, my family’s still out there. There’s still a chance for me to see them again, and I’m willing to take that bet.”

“Hmm...” Starswirl rubbed his chin with his hoof. “Note to self, then. Activities with the soul in the physical world can affect the individual in the spiritual world.”

“Got everything you need?” Garrett’s father asked.

“Guns, armor, a body, and a particular need to take down a spirit of chaos and freak of the night,” he replied.

“You’re forgetting one thing,” his father said, pointing to Garrett’s heart. He then pointed at his own. “Just remember, all right?”

Garrett nodded with a small smile, remembering exactly what he told to Sarah. “Got it,” he said before closing the hatch.

“See you again, son,” his father mouthed out to him before he, his mother, and Starswirl gave salutes. “We’re proud of you.”

Returning the gesture, Garrett gave another small nod before starting the drop.

Due to the recent success in eliminating Garrett from the picture, Discord savored the pride and seized the opportunity to kick back and relax, and Nightmare Moon allowed herself to disconnect from him and survey the effects of their last acts in Canterlot Castle.

As the first item on her agenda, Nightmare Moon opened Garrett’s coffin with magic and took a look at his body. He was still motionless, silent.

“Sad to see so much potential gone and wasted,” she said to him.

She caressed his hair like a dog. “You would have made a very fine warrior under my-- our rule. If everything went according to plan, Equestria would understand true power and peace, both Luna and Celestia would be defeated and preferably dead, nopony could stand in the way, and I would have made Discord a fool for entertainment every single day. And you?”

Her face moved closer to his. “You would have been my king, and I would have given you your own personal army to train and everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Garrett’s eyes suddenly opened wide, and he gave a gasp for air, breathing heavily.

Nightmare Moon drew back in shock and disbelief, blinking a couple of times in the process. “So, you’ve decided to come back,” she said, regaining her composure.

Garrett tried to get up, but Nightmare Moon quickly reacted by placing her hoof to cover his mouth, silencing him and forcing him back down. He tried to shove her away with his arms. However, due to the prolonged inactivity of his cells, his body was weak and numb, so his strength was weaker than a foal’s. Helplessness quickly filled him, knowing that he was completely at her mercy.

“Shh,” Nightmare Moon hushed, easily feeling dominant like a predator. She continued holding him down and used her magic to gently unbuckle and remove parts of his armor from the waist up, exposing his top half.

“My my, it is quite an interesting thing to have a view such as this,” she added while admiring the image of the undersuit outlining his lean, sculpted muscles and running another hoof down his chest and abs.

Garrett was feeling his heart pump so hard to the point where he could see his chest rise and fall with every beat.

“Are you familiar with my legend?” Nightmare Moon asked.

Having no other options, Garrett cooperated and nodded in return.

“Celestia and I fought,” Nightmare Moon said, “and she defeated me with the Elements of Harmony.”

Garrett started to feel the same dust-like feel crawl up his arm. He turned and found a form of Nightmare Moon’s magic moving up his undersuit, slithering like a snake.

“Following her way of justice, she then banished me to the moon for an eternity,” Nightmare Moon continued, “but I escaped a thousand years later.”

Garrett felt her magic crawl to his neck and position itself on the back of his head.

“That justice system still has influence today,” Nightmare Moon said with a small smile.

She lowered herself down to the point where she was almost nuzzling him by the ear. “And, knowing Celestia,” she whispered, “it’s exactly what you’ll get.”

Garrett felt the magic pierce his head like a needle again, filling his skull with a cold sensation. Flashbacks of Nightmare Moon’s past flooded into his mind. He saw and felt memories of pain and isolation for a thousand years, anger that grew with each passing decade, and they all corrupted his thoughts down to the core.

He screamed in agony, but her hoof on his mouth kept him shut, yelling a muffled cry for help that would have never come.

To Nightmare Moon’s ears, however, she somehow heard a scream that sounded like he was begging, “Please! Please! Stop!”

Finally, she let him go. Garrett coughed and gasped for air. He tried to land a punch on her, but she stepped back on time, and he fell down to the floor with a loud thump, breathing heavily.

“You better be honest and take responsibility for your actions. Celestia doesn’t like liars.” Nightmare Moon turned around, walked away, and chuckled. “Enjoy your sentence, Garrett, and I look forward to inviting you for tea.”

With a flash of light from her horn, she teleported away.

Turbulence heaved a sigh as she opened the door to the room that contained the Longsword. She silently read the designated numbers on the side of the wing while she thought of solutions to drain out her unpleasant thoughts and memories. Maybe some of Applejack’s cider or something... she thought to herself. I know I still have a barrel of it somewhere.

A sudden thump made her senses snap back to attention. With her training kicking in, she proceeded to the exit and popped her head outside, scanning the area, only to find out that the marble hallway was deserted. She checked the other doors and surrounding areas, yielding the same, quiet result, save for another patrolling guard every now and then.

Her imagination and hopes then turned to the Longsword. The closer she came to it, the more the voice of her doubt echoed in her mind.

He’s gone, her mind said. He’s dead.

By the time she came to, she was already at the boarding ramp. A loud, dry cough easily killed her doubts, followed by heavy gasps. Instantly, Turbulence sprinted up to the second level, and there, standing with his weight against the wall, was Garrett, breathing and alive.

He was busy kicking off the remaining parts of his armor and switching to off-duty clothing, staring at Twilight’s medal while he was at it.

Turbulence refused to believe her eyes. She bit herself just to check the possibility of dreaming, only to feel pain and to see a mark.

“...Garrett?” she awed.

Before he could have turned, Turbulence abandoned her helmet and leaped to the air. A surprised pegasus clad in full royal guard armor had more than enough force to tackle him down to the ground. She wrapped her forelegs around his torso and hugged him with enough power to make him struggle to breath.

“You’re back!” she cheered on and on, tears leaking out of her eyes. She pressed her ear on his chest and heard his beating heart, which was more powerful than ever, and it was so strong that she literally felt it lift her head up as well.

She helped him up, with much of his weight on her, but he sat back down on a foot locker.

“Come on!” Turbulence cheered. “Let’s show everypony!”

With a smile on her face, she leaped away from his side, but the sudden clinks of chains made her skid to a halt and wash away the look on her face. She placed a hoof on a pocket of her armor, and she felt her blood run cold. Her restraints were gone, stolen. Turning around, Turbulence found Garrett holding the hoofcuffs, dangling from his hands, his face void of any emotion.

Slowly and silently, Garrett stood up and secured the four rings to his ankles and wrists, the length of the chains barely allowing him to stand straight.

News was known to everypony within the castle in the span of ten minutes. The moment Celestia heard about it, she immediately dropped everything and found herself sprinting down the hallways at full speed. Her first stop was the Longsword, but she found no one there, other than an empty coffin. Looking everywhere else, from the gardens to the barracks, Garrett was nowhere to be found.

An answer finally came when she passed by a prison cell and found Turbulence outside it. She was facing the steel bars, silent and with her head lowered. Galea was next to her, also being quiet.

“Galea? Turbulence?” Celestia asked, coming to their sides. “Why are you-”

Her heart sank when she realized that Garrett was inside the cell, sitting on the bunk bed and staring at the floor in front of her hooves.

Immediately, she placed her hoof on Turbulence’s shoulder and made her turn, looking at her straight in the eye.

“Why?” she asked, her voice in a mix of stern and worried.

Turbulence was silent.

“Your highness,” Galea said, trying to defend Turbulence, “his guilt is barely making him murmur a word. He takes full responsibility on... everything that happened, including him falling into Discord’s influence to harm you. I’ve seen individuals become as affected as him. He’s becoming more dangerous to himself than we are to him. We can help him by isolating him from anything that he could use to harm himself, keep him under watch-”

“I will not make him feel like a prisoner again,” Celestia snapped, interrupting him. “Let. Him. Out.”

“It’s unlocked,” Turbulence murmured. “We never locked it... and don’t intend to, your highness. He says he’s following the UNSC rule book... and applying the ‘light’ punishment... to ‘save’ us the trouble.”

Celestia paused for a moment, silent. She sighed and shook her head. What are you doing to yourself, Garrett?

“I need to talk to him alone,” she finally said.

The two nodded, and they immediately proceeded out the door.

The moment Celestia opened the door with magic, Garrett immediately stood up and turned around, facing her. Only, he refused to look at her in the eye.

“Garrett?” she asked, stepping inside.

With each hoofstep that Celestia took, Garrett limped back a pace.

“Don’t you remember me?” Celestia asked, attempting to assure him.

The only time she managed to close the distance was when Garrett had his back flat against the wall.

“We’re your friends,” Celestia said, extending a hoof. Garrett tensed up, as if expecting a blow. Once she took notice, she immediately pulled herself away, a knot forming in her gut.

Finding no other words to say, Celestia went out of the cell. Once she passed by the metal bars, she gave another look at Garrett, only to find him still in silence, sliding his back against the wall and falling to a sitting position, bracing himself. He looked like a dog kicked around by its owner too much, defeated and broken. We’ve lost you... a thought in her head said as a tear formed in her eye.

Expecting no answer, Celestia left him, closing the door while she was at it. Outside and in her front, she spotted Downburst sprinting down the hall, skidding to a halt in front of her.

“Your highness, is... is it true?” he asked, panting. “Is Garrett back?”

Celestia closed her eyes, turned around, and walked away.

“Uhh... princess?” Downburst asked.

“Don’t tell Twilight and the rest. In fact, don’t even let the news go beyond this castle. He’s too...” her words faded away.

“Too what, your highness?”

“...Scared.”

With a loaded sack slung on her back, Turbulence bowed before Celestia and Luna. “Princesses, I need to tell you something.”

“Go ahead,” Celestia said as she was reading one of Twilight’s friendship reports.

“Remember how doctors visited Garrett a week ago and said that he needed to rest for five days?”

“Yes,” Celestia replied.

“We never visited him again so he could properly rest, if that is what you are wondering,” Luna said.

“There’s a... problem to that. He was in the same position throughout those five days, which was of him with his back facing us... and he didn’t move at all within that time span.”

Celestia instantly switched her attention from the report to Turbulence, raising an eyebrow while she was at it.

“I found out why,” Turbulence said grimly. She reached into the sack and pulled out a black torso with an ODST shirt. Then, placed it on the ground, revealing that it was stuffed with hay. The pants were also filled and a wooden ball that had a net to serve as fake hair, was more than enough to be a false head. “He’s gone missing.”

Panic-stricken, both Luna and Celestia sprang from their seats. “When did you find out about this?” Luna asked, her tone leaning to the serious side.

“This morning,” Turbulence replied. “I flew out to look for him and found-” she gulped “-nothing.”

Celestia gasped and covered her mouth with her hoof. Luna stood there blinking and with her jaw hanging. Fear filled them like spiders crawling up their legs.

“I went back to his cell and found this.” Turbulence reached into the sack again and pulled out an old book. She then opened it to a page and offered it to the princesses.

Celestia picked up the book with magic and, together with Luna, inspected it. They easily understood it explaining the early history of Equestria and the Elements of Harmony and noticed carefully that it was altered with a pen.

...Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her him permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria ever since.

On the side of the page, a short sentence was scribbled.

For the better.

-Garrett

“What’s our next move, your highness?” Turbulence asked.

No answer came. Celestia remained silent, staring at the book. It was hard to see what was going through her mind because all she was doing was blinking.

“Search his ship,” Luna finally ordered to break the silence, already making her way. “He must have left some clues behind.”

The coffin and gifts inside the Longsword were removed, and all the equipment and gear left were covered with sheets to prevent dust from gathering, as per Garrett’s request prior to him locking himself up.

They began pulling back the sheets from everything, inspecting every detail.

“The armor and gear have not been touched,” Turbulence added, scanning through the small armory. “He left behind his knife, his kit... basically everything he needs to survive in the wild”

Celestia and went up ahead to the second level.

“Perhaps he has left a clue,” Luna said as she followed, going up the ramp. “Maybe a message or--”

“He never left,” Celestia interrupted, staring straight at the strange glass container that nopony ever understood.

Luna tilted her head in curiosity. The moisture forming on the glass obscured the image of whatever was inside. She went to Celestia’s side and felt her blood run cold, her hooves freezing themselves to the floor.

“Is there something wrong?” Turbulence asked, going up the ramp as well. “Did you find any-”

She came to a halt, her jaw hanging as she was looking straight at the tube.

“...Garrett?” Turbulence gasped, staring at him.

Garrett was inside the glass chamber, a thin layer of ice forming around him. He was frozen like a popsicle, unconscious. A message was left on his terminal.

Your work done for you.

-Garrett

The screen next to the cryo-tube showed another message.

TIME UNTIL DEFROST: NOT SPECIFIED

Celestia stared at another screen and tapped on the massive text labeled as “WAKE” with her hoof.

Almost immediately, the cryo-tube hummed to life. A fine mist began to descend above Garrett’s head. The ice on him slowly faded away. His frozen appearance was slowly being replaced with flesh and life. Once it was all gone, the canopy opened. He stirred and lifted his eyelids, staring straight at Celestia. After a quick stumble to get back to his feet, he blinked a couple of times to get his senses back. Rising, he sat back down at the foot of the machine.

“Why?” he finally asked with guilt, the first words he ever said to them since coming back to life.

“You deserve none of the punishment you are giving to yourself,” Celestia said, her words never reaching to him.

With that, Garrett got up and walked out, rubbing the back of his lowered head with his palm.

Night covered the castle like a blanket. Luna hid in the shadows and silently watched the central tree in the gardens. Garrett came into her view, and he took a seat next to the trunk. She revealed herself to him, and he gave her a long look.

“Garrett, I thank you for following my request to meet here,” Luna said. She sat down next to him. He turned and made his back face her. “Why are you like this?”

He did not offer a reply.

Luna sighed. “I know that we have gone through many… unpleasant events in the past, and I—“

She lost her words as she noticed an image on the back of Garrett’s head, and it took the exact same form of her cutie mark, glowing dark violet like the stars of the night.

“How did you get that mark?” Luna asked, reaching over. The moment the tip of her hoof came in contact with the mark, a cold surge of energy traveled up her foreleg and stopped at her head. Nightmare Moon’s memories—her memories flashed before her eyes.

She remembered her pain, anger, and sufferings that rotted in her while she was at the moon. The rage of being a monster to many again and an icon to fanatics came back, and the last image she recalled seeing was of Nightmare Moon pinning Garrett down and giving him a taste of what his supposed punishment was.

By the time she came to, Luna found herself flat on her back and on the ground, and Garrett was gone.

Celestia sighed in the observation room, watching Garrett stare at himself on the mirror. He was in the exact same cell he was in after being captured.

“Sister, I need to tell you something,” Luna said, walking straight inside the room. “Garrett’s mind has been poisoned by Nightmare Moon’s magic. It explains why--”

“Luna!” Celestia shrieked, her jaw hanging from her head. “What happened to you?!”

Luna furrowed her eyebrows. “I do not understand. What are you talking about?”

Celestia made a mirror appear with magic. Luna felt her gut churn as she saw herself. The hoof she used to touch Garrett had a vine-like strand that reached from there to her temple, pulsing and glowing purple like it was alive. “What... what happened to me?”

A guard suddenly appeared on the door. “Your highness!” he shouted. “Discord has been spotted! He’s on his way to Ponyville!”

The look of guilt in Garrett was rapidly replaced with a look of excitement. A fire suddenly sparked to life in his eyes. It quickly turned into a blaze feasting for revenge, the instincts of the tiger feasting to pounce its prey. His lips formed into a smirk. Celestia and Luna suddenly felt the presence of Nightmare Moon’s magic, growing ever more powerful.

“Bring it,” Garrett growled all too clearly.

He proceeded out of his unlocked cell and sprinted down the halls to the Longsword, bashing open each door, his boot echoing throughout the passages.

Both Celestia and Luna looked exchanged looks at the same time and shouted simultaneously, “Garrett!”

They bursted into sprints, charging down the halls in hopes to beat him to his ship, their hearts threatening to burst out of their bodies. Luna, however, had to slow down to a halt. The vine-like strand on her side began to pulse with pain like it was burning. She touched her temple with her hoof and moaned.

Celestia started to slow down, but Luna quickly raised her hoof up to stop her and said, “Do not mind me! Just go!”

She went on, following Garrett. Hoping to slow him down and make him come to his senses, she used her magic to try to grab hold of him, but an invisible force shrugged it off like it was nothing. Having no other choice, Celestia continued sprinting after him, but he was going down the halls with so much speed to the point where it made lifting the sun up without magic sound like an easier job. He escaped her sight in seconds.

Garrett quickly ran up the ramp, already feeling every cell in his body thirsting for action. He came to a halt when he saw Galea, Turbulence, and Downburst waiting for him inside the Longsword.

“Mind getting out of my way?” Garrett asked. “I’m kind of in the mood to shoot the living daylights out of someone.”

“Look,” Galea said, “we understand that you’re part of the branch that allows you to do whatever it takes to win, almost nothing holding you back, and--”

“Just get to the point,” Garrett interrupted.

“We want in, Garrett,” Downburst finally said. “All three of us, simple as that. All of us here in Canterlot are taking too long to act. We need to hit the enemy fast and hard like you with nothing holding us back.”

“Give an order, and we’ll do it,” Turbulence added.

Garrett switched his attention to Galea. “Even you?”

Galea took a deep breath. “Awaiting your orders... sir.”

A small smile formed on Garrett’s face. “Let’s just make sure it’s clear. No matter what I say, you will carry out my orders. Every. Single. One.”

The three nodded.

The sound of hooves from the hallways outside reached Garrett’s ears. “All right, your first orders are to close the door to this storage room and seal it with a spell so that no one can enter. Yes, that means even the princesses.”

They gulped, realising just how extreme Garrett wanted them to be. An aura of magic glowed around Galea’s horn, followed by the undeniable sound of a door locking.

“Done,” Galea said.

“Next,” Garrett continued, “Galea, teleport the three of you to Ponyville, then clear the town out as much as you can by any means necessary. When I get there, I don’t want you to fight if I’m there. You might end up hitting me. Understood?”

“Understood,” the three of them replied before Galea teleported them out of sight.

Garrett strapped on his armor, scanning through each part to make sure that they were still in good condition, which they were. When he placed on his left shoulder pauldron, he paused for a moment to look at his reflection, the phoenix feather and ace of spades grabbing his attention.

Just then, he heard an army of hooves bang on the door to the storage room.

“Garrett! Don’t do this! It’s a trap!” Celestia shouted, trying to blast the door open. “Open the door!”

Garrett paused for a moment and gave another look at himself and the phoenix feather, then at the ace of spades. He lowered his head. “Sorry, ma’am...”

He reached over to the terminal and made it close the ramp of the Longsword, sealing off the noise.

“...It’s personal.”

Moving to the small armory, Garrett reached for his ammo and placed his magnum into its holster. Suddenly, his helmet detected energy readings dramatically rising, followed by the sound of hoofsteps climbing up the ramp.

Instinctively, he yanked his shotgun out of its rack, loaded a few shells, and aimed it straight at the visitor.

“...You!” Garrett murmured to the red windigo-like pony, staring at him.

Instantly, he pulled the trigger, but it refused to move like it was a solid part of the gun. He threw it aside and drew his magnum, yielding the same result. Reaching for his knife, he expected to hear a sound similar to it being removed from a whetstone, but it was as if it was glued to his armor. As a last resort, he stepped forward and threw a punch, but an invisible force held him in place like he was a piece of concrete, leaving him in a state of suspended animation of him midway through him giving the blow.

“Will you stop and listen for once?!” the pony growled, stomping down a hoof before letting Garrett go.

Cooperatively, Garrett lowered his fists.

“You know you can not defeat Discord and Nightmare Moon alone,” the windigo-like pony continued.

“Hey, the least I could do is distract them to give enough time for everyone to escape,” Garrett retorted.

“That is not the point. You need help to take both of them down, and I am willing to assist.”

“Last time you met me, you tried to kill me. Why should I trust you now?”

“Correction: I attempted to purge the impurity in you. Now that you are back to a state where you are in control, I can offer my assistance to you fully. So, do you accept?”

Night descended upon Ponyville in a blanket. Lit up like lightbulbs, the stars shared the sky with the moon in a beautiful mix, giving the sensation that somepony painted them to place. All of the residents awaited right next to a train for evacuation, with three guards overseeing the operation.

“All right, single file lines to each door!” Galea shouted, motioning them with the assistance of Downburst and Turbulence.

The majority of the residents were in shock and confusion. Thoughts of having Discord return to the town for another round of chaos easily became the motive to pack up and leave. One by one, the passenger cars were filled, with each passing second giving the three guards more and more relief.

“Nice to see everypony cooperating,” Galea said to the mayor, who had her head sticking out of the window of the last carriage.

“Almost,” she said, pointing a hoof to a group of six mares standing behind the three guards.

“Miss Sparkle and company, get on board this train. Now,” Galea ordered, pointing a hoof to the door, where Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom were looking at Applejack with worry.

“Sis, we gotta get outta here,” Apple Bloom pleaded.

“Sorry, Apple Bloom,” Applejack replied. “But I ain’t gonna let Discord slip by with his plans again.”

“Exactly,” Twilight said, staring straight into the eyes of Galea.

“Hey, where’s everypony?” an all too familiar voice said. “There’s no more life to this party anymore!”

“Discord!” nearly everypony whimpered. Almost immediately, those still outside the train scrambled to get inside, pushing and shoving each other in, but Twilight and the rest still held firm.

“...I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle,” Galea said, drawing his crossbow with magic. “We were told that our orders are to be carried out by any means necessary.”

Everypony watching had their jaws drop. Fluttershy whimpered and began backing off.

“Get on board,” Galea ordered, already aiming his crossbow.

“You can’t do this!” Rainbow Dash shouted, readying her stance. “You’ve got us ready to help on a silver platter, and you’re just throwing it away!”

With no other options left, Galea quickly lifted them up with magic and floated them into the passenger car. Twilight tried to fight back with her own power, but she was too late to react when the door shut before them, enforced with a glowing aura.

Downburst shifted his attention to Big Macintosh. “Stallion, do not let them through.”

“...Eeyup,” he replied, stepping in between the six mares and the way out.

“Don’t do this, Big Mac!” Applejack growled. “We can defeat Discord an’ stop him from makin’ a mess of our own town! You know that, don’t ya? So, step outta the way an’ let us handle it!”

Memories of Discord ruining the farm and making a fool out of everypony returned to Big Macintosh’s mind. With the rumor of strange monsters on the horizon, he found no comfort in thinking of them as a thing for entertainment.

“Nnope,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Oh, it’s on!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She and Applejack grabbed hold of Big Macintosh with their forelegs and attempted to push him to the side, but he refused to move an inch like a metal pole.

“It’s for your own good,” Turbulence added before signaling the train operator to leave.

The train crawled its way to a start, and it quickly gained speed as it followed the way to the safety of Canterlot, leaving behind a mist of steam and smoke.

“So, party of four, then.”

The three guards spun around, their bodies tensing up.

As the mist dissolved, a figure on two legs slowly melted into view. Discord stepped forward, revealing himself in his pure, draconic form. He was holding a watermelon on one hand, scooping up bites with his nail with the other, completely ignoring the fact that he was eating the tough rind and seeds.

“What’s the matter?” Discord asked jokingly with a mouthful of seeds and watermelon bits. “Scared to fight just one draconequus?”

They held their stance still, low and ready to attack, but it was easy to see they were holding back.

“You know, let’s wind back the clocks a few months ago,” Discord continued, scooping up more pieces of watermelon. “You would have been opening fire and hitting me, but you’ve suddenly stopped. What’s the matter? Lost your melons to fight or something?”

Discord made the watermelon rotate on his palm, revealing that he was carving out a human face on it with his nails.

“Get it?! Melon? Fight?” he laughed.

Everypony was as tense as ever.

“How about a magic trick, hmm?” Discord made a table with a pencil standing on top appear before him, floating in the air with his magic. “Now, I’m going to make this pencil disappear.”

Turbulence and Downburst set up storm clouds with their wings.

“One...” Discord smiled.

Galea set his crossbow sites.

“Two...”

The watermelon began glowing with an aura of magic.

“Three!” Discord smashed the watermelon into the pencil and table, but the moment they came into contact, the entire set up turned into strawberries. His force brought the pile to the floor, blowing bits of red fruit gore everywhere. “Ta-da! It’s gone! Like magic!”

“You make me sick...” Turbulence grumbled.

Discord reached down and picked up a handful of the mush, scooping it straight into his mouth. “Want some--”

“All right! That’s it!” Galea shouted, aiming his crossbow. Pumped full of rage, he fired one bolt, hitting Discord right at the cheek, making him collapse to the ground on his back.

Downburst and Turbulence gasped, looking straight at Galea.

“...Captain?” Turbulence asked.

Galea paid no attention. Walking straight next to Discord’s face, he inspected the damage. Somehow, it looked as if his face was misaligned, and where the bolt hit had a gash, glowing white. He was still breathing, though, eyes fully open and staring straight towards the night sky.

Lowering his crossbow, Galea nudged Discord’s face, feeling an odd sensation of pushing a mask.

“Something’s not right,” Galea murmured.

With a glow of magic around his horn, he lifted up the supposed mask by an inch, and it came off just like one. Discord’s limbs started to fade away like ashes blown by the wind, revealing grey figures as remnants. Tension was rising in everypony with each passing second. Slowly, the dissolving dusts reached all the way to the head, and only then was Galea able to completely remove the false face. It, too, disintegrated, revealing a completely different individual who was clad in armor with the exception of a helmet, breathing and alive.

It was Garrett.

The real Discord was sitting on top of a rooftop, unseen and watching the action in front of him. He was holding a sword with the blade resting on his shoulder, glimmering and glowing with a violet arcane rune in the form of a crescent moon on the center of the hilt. Stars were dotted along the fuller, giving off the same lights. Clad in his Nightmare Moon armor, his teal eyes glared even brighter like a machine that turned on.

“Now that’s quite interesting,” he commented, standing up. “Time for the real host to start.”

Part 11: Making Space

“Why?” Galea asked, staring at Garrett.

He remained silent, blinking at them.

“Garrett?” Downburst asked in a slightly louder tone.

“...You needed the push,” he replied. “It was the only way to get you moving.”

“You lied to us,” Galea growled, pinning his ears back. The look on his eyes told that he was holding back the urge to smack him.

Garrett lowered his head and nodded, accepting the blame. Then, he reached for his rucksack, revealing a small, dark tungsten shield way too small for him, the same size as the ones used by foals to accompany their costumes for Nightmare Night. It had cryptic-looking runes that glowed orange engraved on the center. Placing it on his chest, it secured itself to his armor with a loud click. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Within a second, his colors faded away like a ghost, and he himself was gone.

“That son of a buck,” Galea grumbled.

A popping noise made everypony jump and turn, staring straight at the familiar armored figure with his back leaning against the wall of the train station.

“Bravo,” Discord said, clapping his hands with a mischievous smile. “Well done. I wonder how much it took for you to make a trick as grand as this. I mean, is this really how the princesses want to deal with the loss of our dear old friend? By lying to everypony that he’s still alive? Or even if he was miraculously brought back to life, why bring him out? We all know how dangerous he is. After all, if I did it once, I can do it again, no?”

“Shut up,” Galea growled.

“Isn’t it the most spectacular thing to see the true colors of an individual in desperation?” Discord continued.

“Laugh all you want,” Turbulence said, “but you’ve already failed. You can’t harm anypony in this town.”

“You mean the town is deserted?”

“That’s right,” Downburst said with a proud smirk.

Discord pointed back at the railroad tracks with his sword. “Doesn’t look like it,” he chuckled.

The three guards turned, and they felt their hooves freeze themselves to the floor. The train was back at the station, its passenger cars loaded with ponies full of fear and trying to break their way out.

With a snap of his fingers, Discord made the doors of the passenger cars swing open, releasing a wave of chaotic, panicking ponies. They ran screaming in all directions, trying to find a place to hide. Among the crowd, there were six figures that stepped forward.

A large grin formed on Discord’s face. “Why, Twilight, how nice of you to bring your friends along with you.”

“Stop fooling around, Discord!” Twilight shouted. She lowered her stance to attack, preparing herself. “If you think you can just get rid of us in a snap, you better think twice!”

Discord raised an eyebrow. He snapped his fingers, and a pink cloud appeared over Pinkie Pie. It began raining a brown fluid, soaking her with chocolate milk. Rarity nearly gagged at the sight of her mane being drenched in brown.

“Cotton candy!” Pinkie Pie cried, a grin popping up on her face. She jumped up and latched on to the cloud. It sped off into the distance, bringing her with it.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash shouted before taking off into a flight to chase her down.

Twilight slapped a hoof on her forehead and groaned. “We’ll still stop you!”

Discord made a glass materialize on his palm and another pink cloud appear above his head. He grabbed a handful of cotton candy and shoved it into his mouth, pouring himself a glass of chocolate milk while he was at it. Still leaning on the wall, he laughed. “With what? Fancy laser beams? This isn’t science fiction, my dear Sparkle. Two down, four more to go-”

A fist punched its way through the brick wall and seized Discord by the throat, cutting him off and making him choke. He dropped the glass, shattering it into bits.

The arm jerked back, forcing Discord through the bricks and into a dark room of the train station. The wall itself collapsed. As far as spectators could had told, a shadow was lifting him up by the throat and making him drag the tip of his sword along the floor. An orange glow came from whatever was the center part of it.

Discord raised his eyebrows, as if fighting to hide his surprise. “You’re suppose to be dead. Shouldn’t you be meeting other dead guys?”

“I just went on vacation. Don’t sound so disappointed. You make me cry.”

“Meh, I’ve seen better.”

With a powerful shove, Discord was sent flying through the wall. He skid to a halt in the dirt, groaning and blinking. The ponies around him were no longer panicking and screaming. Instead, they were staring at him with their jaws agape.

Garrett stepped forward. The glowing shield on his chest piece began emitting an orange dust. The material covered him all throughout, floating right off of his armor. Shapes and figures sculpted around his combat equipment, floating and being held in place by almost nothing. Once it was all finished, it looked like he had a second set of armor.

Smooth plates of translucent metals covered him. They were rounded and curved around his body, glowing with orange. A helmet formed around his head, complete with projections that protected parts of his neck.

Finally, a blade folded out of his right gauntlet, and an object which looked like the barrel of a high-caliber sniper rifle appeared on the other, his arms and weapons moving as one. All the new improvements on him still had the same glow, translucent like when Applejack had the unexpected aid of the windigo-like pony.

Twilight and the rest blinked, the speed of the situation taking its time to register to them. Rainbow Dash finally reappeared with Pinkie Pie.

“Garrett!” she cheered before all of them scrambled to him. Some already had tears forming in their eyes.

Before they reached him, Garrett pointed to the pink cloud of cotton candy Discord made in the station. Almost immediately, it burst into flames, as if he himself set fire to the rain. Everypony watching gasped in awe.

The six of them slowed down to a halt and backed off as they sensed the danger. Twilight and Rarity, however, sensed two presences of magic that they were not familiar with, and whatever they were, one was feeding Garrett with power and the other the desire to kill.

The cloud turned into a fireball, and Garrett summoned it to his side, aiming both his cannon and the flames straight at Discord. He smiled in anticipation.

During the span of the entire scene, he, however, did nothing. Instead, Discord looked at a pony witness to his side, far from the danger. “What the heck is with this guy?” he asked, pointing at Garrett with his thumb.

Almost immediately, Garrett released the flames, firing it all in one go.

Discord narrowly dodged it by rolling to the side. He stood back up, only to receive a bolt of energy from Garrett’s cannon that forced him back a few steps.

Before he could had reacted, Discord found Garrett charging right at him, his right arm cocked back with his weapon. He raised his own sword to deflect the attack. Their blades pressed against each other, but Discord overpowered him and pushed him back. Garrett stepped to the side and lifted his cannon, bringing the end of the barrel right under Discord’s jaw. He blasted another bolt of energy.

A sphere of light came out of the barrel and detonated right on Discord’s face. Sparks bursted from the area of contact. He grunted and almost lost his balance.

Wasting no time, Garrett thrust his blade forward, but Discord caught his arm and smashed his helmet with the butt of his sword. The two of them jumped back to give space.

Discord raised his sword and charged forward, Garrett holding his ground. He brought it down, only to have it blocked by the gauntlet.

Garrett raised his other hand, fired five shots at Discord, and pushed him back with a kick.

Clutching his chest, Discord wheezed and breathed heavily, falling down to a knee and using his sword for support. He looked at his own self to find out that he was burned in multiple places and smelled like smoke. He raised his head and found Garrett charging again, blade held back.

He lunged forward and sliced at Discord's chest.

On and on, they fought. Garrett was mostly on the offensive, moving fast and dodging much of the cheapshots Discord gave.

Finally, Discord brought the butt of his sword up and rammed it into the side of Garrett’s translucent helmet. He grunted and fell on all fours. Dazed, he was not able to get back up fast enough. Seizing the back of Garrett’s head, Discord gave a smile. “Knowing you, Garrett, you’d probably have some surprise left in your arsenal.”

Garrett gave a pained chuckle. “Unfortunately for you, yes.”

He brought his fists and showed them right in front of Discord’s face, who had his head tilting curiously. Garrett held his breath in and smiled. Then, he flipped both of his middle fingers, raising each hand in an insulting up-and-down motion. “Go to hell.”

Discord smirked raised his sword high. “Lights out, Garrett.”

A lightning bolt shot through the air and blew the blade right out of his palm. Discord yelped in surprise, closing his fist tight.

“Not today!” Luna shouted.

She and Celestia, in the company of countless numbers of guards, flew in and surrounded them. Garrett and Discord were encircled, storm clouds aimed right at them.

“Get every civilian out of here!” Luna ordered.

At once, every guard with them sprung into action, fanning out in an organized circle. Three, however, still stayed behind, unseen as they hid on a rooftop. They slid off and came to the ground, stealthily making their way closer.

Discord chuckled and switched to holding Garrett in a headlock. “Doesn’t this scene look all too familiar?” he asked Luna and Celestia.

They both growled in anger, knowing that the odds were not in their favor.

“My my, Luna, what happened to your face?” Discord taunted.

“I am perfectly fine!” she shouted back.

Discord chuckled. “Of course you are.”

“Sister, he is even more powerful than ever,” Luna murmured to Celestia’s ear.

“And I sense another presence,” Celestia added in a whisper.

Despite his air being constricted, Garrett shifted his attention to his three squadmates and caught their attention. He used a free hand to clench a fist, extended both his middle and index fingers and lifted his thumb up like he was giving an “okay” signal. Then, he jerked his hand in an upwards motion, as if shooting a pistol.

Luna took notice of Garrett’s actions and quickly switched her attention to the three.

Downburst glanced at Galea, confused. “...Sir?”

“Orders are orders,” he replied as he raised his crossbow.

Spreading their wings out, Downburst and Turbulence made small storm clouds surround their feathers, coursing with electricity. Garrett lowered his head slightly, and he acted like he was unconscious.

“Now!” Galea shouted.

Every cell in Luna’s body wanted to spring into action, but her mind was overwhelmed with what she just heard. She quickly lit up her horn with an aura of magic to protect them, yet she was too late to even cast a spell. The three bolts quickly pierced through the sky and struck Discord right at the head, missing Garrett’s by less than an inch. He fell onto his back.

All eyes were glued to the scene to the point where it was as if the aid was unnoticed. None wanted to take their focus off of the battle before them.

Forcing his cannon to the floor, Garrett made a bubble of energy expand to cover both him and Discord, separating them from any intervention.

Garrett’s blade on his right gauntlet folded back and formed into another cannon. Six cylinders from his new armor floated off and positioned themselves to his sides, three on each. Sculpting into barrels, they all aimed at Discord and opened fire at the same time, releasing bolts of energy with such quick succession it was like automatic fire from a gatling gun.

Everypony stared in awe as the firepower was enough to force Discord to the side of the bubble. Wave after wave of hits came, blasting him and leaving burned marks. Finally, Garrett stopped firing, and the floating barrels faded away.

With his back on the wall and himself dotted with countless black marks, Discord weakly lifted his head and smiled.

We need a new plan of attack, the windigo-like pony’s voice said in Garrett’s head.

I noticed, he replied.

The cannons on his gauntlets folded back and sprouted the blades again. Garrett charged forward and jammed both of them straight into Discord’s chest. The tips of the swords came out of the other side, leading to gasps from the spectators.

“Dead yet?” Garrett asked, only to receive an empty response.

Many onlookers cheered, but their voices were quickly cut off.

Somehow, Discord managed to bring up his hand and punch Garrett away, taking the blades away with him. The smile on his face was wider than ever. He cracked his neck, the holes and damage done to him regenerating.

The voices of cheering were replaced with sounds of gasps and yelps of fear.

“Get him out of there!” Celestia yelled, springing into action and barraging the shield with numerous spells.

Luna and the rest of the guards, including Galea, Turbulence, and Downburst, did the same, sending in attacks like a relentless typhoon, but no matter how much they tried, no scratch appeared on the bubble. Their heartbeats quickened, and they released another assault, desperation ever present with each passing moment.

Discord quickly seized Garrett by the shield on his armor and raised the butt of his sword, smashing him on the side of his head with a powerful blows, but the arcane helmet received most of the damage. The amount of force was strong enough to knock him off of his balance, so he was unable to to fight back. Nonetheless, the ponies cringed as they heard the loud thumps. Some wondered why he was not yet knocked out. Many began to show more obvious signs of fear once cracks started to form on Garrett’s translucent helmet.

A little help would be appreciated here, he said in his mind.

Discord brought the handle of his sword back, and the armor around Garrett suddenly faded away without receiving the blow. “Ahh, much better,” he said, changing his grip to Garrett’s throat.

Garrett’s eyes shot open wide. “That backstabbing--”

The grip on his neck tightened, making him choke.

Your knife! the windigo voice shouted. Use your knife!

Garrett quickly pulled out his knife. It was glowing with orange energy, and he stabbed Discord by the chestpiece, piercing through it like a piece of paper. He gasped in shock, releasing grip.

Taking it another step further, Garrett grabbed the handle of his knife and twisted it. Then, he pulled it in an upwards motion. But, instead of actually damaging Discord even more, the blade suddenly came off like he was hitting air.

A purple cloud seeped out in a ball, caught right at the tip of the knife. Discord yelled in agony, his armor disintegrating and his features fading back to normal. He collapsed to the floor with a groan.

Removing the blade, the mist floating above moulded into the form of Nightmare Moon. She fell to the earth as well, and she, too, was gasping rapidly.

Silence covered the area like a blanket. Every spectator had their jaw hanging, eyes wide open like marbles.

Garrett fell to his knees as he breathed heavily. The soul tapping spell costed him much of his own strength and willpower. Smiling, he looked at the crumpled figures of Discord and Nightmare Moon, who was shaking as she tried to stand back up.

Discord gave a groan. “Come on, Mooney, let’s get out of here. I’m not in the mood for fun anymore.”

It suddenly occurred to him that he could not move his limbs. Looking down, Discord found his body encased with an aura of dark violet. He turned to Nightmare Moon, whose horn was glowing. He glanced to his side and found out that Garrett was also trapped by her power. She lifted up the arcane sword and pointed it straight at his chest.

“...Mooney?” Discord asked, gulping as he felt the tip of the blade.

“I’ve had quite enough of your games,” Nightmare Moon said, pressing the sword ever so slightly more. “All you’ve been doing is nothing but waste precious time and resources.”

“But... I thought we were a team!” Discord protested, fear ever present. “I brought you back!”

“False, you and Chrysalis brought me back, and unlike you, she knows how to plan and execute. I admit, you were a very good asset. But, unfortunately, your usefulness to me has expired. However, before I retire you, I want to give you a helpful tip.”

Using her magic, she forced Discord to strike the exact same stance as the one he made when he was turned to stone for the second time. The sword glowed with an aura of magic. “Pose for the finale.”

With a loud gasp cut off by a choke, the blade sunk into Discord’s chest. The violet runes on the sword glowed ever more brightly, sucking up his power. Slowly, parts of his body turned to stone, starting with his foot. It traveled up his body in a wave, solidifying each part it passed.

Once the stone finally took full control of Discord, Nightmare Moon pulled the blade out of him, the magical runes glowing the brightest they ever did. She released her grip on him, and he fell to the ground, forever posed to scream in horror. The magic on the blade was transferring to her in the form of a wisp of smoke that inched to the tip of her horn.

“I can solidify myself without any help, thank you very much,” Garrett said, standing up and preparing his stance.

“I’m not interested in fighting you, Garrett,” Nightmare Moon said, facing him with a smile. “In fact, I’m actually inviting you for tea.”

Garrett’s throat suddenly tightened. He choked, gripping his neck. The tension was quickly released but replaced with a burning sensation from the back of his head. The mark began to illuminate, slowly changing the skin around into black, spreading outwards. Falling to his knees, he groaned in pain.

Your blade! the windigo’s voice shouted again. Purge the infection!

In desperation, Garrett grabbed hold of his knife and looked at the blade. It glowed brightly, just like when Luna attempted to save him. However, as he tried to point it to himself, another voice, rabid like an animal, was forcing him to dispose the blade.

No! it screamed. Embrace the power! Use it to defeat her!

Somehow, Garrett felt himself slowly returning the blade to its sheath.

Power is the only way! the voice shouted again.

Do not listen to it! the voice of Garrett’s father shouted. It is a weapon from your enemy!

Dad...?

You know what to do!

With whatever energy he had left, Garrett plunged the knife into his chest, screaming loudly as it ignored his armor. He pulled it it back out, and a black ball spewed out of him. It fell to the ground, rolling a short distance away before changing form. The shield on his chest fell off, blinking.

The dark sphere morphed into what appeared to be an ink-black changeling. It violently kicked and jerked on the ground like an insect, screeching and hissing. A small aura of blackness enveloped it. Its eyes were teal, and the wings were a deep shade of violet.

Quickly getting to his feet, Garrett readied his knife, his eyes fixed back on Nightmare Moon. She chuckled. “Oh, well done.”

Garrett gave a low growl, gripping his knife even more.

“Go ahead,” Nightmare Moon invited, floating her sword way off and opening her wings in welcome. “Hit me. Strike me down, and end all of your troubled. But, be sure you make your choice quick, Garrett.”

The shield surrounding them disappeared. “You don’t have much time.”

A loud, piercing cry of agony cut through the air.

Horrified, Celestia looked her side and found Luna crumpled on the ground, screaming and jerking violently. The vine on her side was illuminating brightly as the same blackness was finding its way around her, but even quicker.

Celestia lowered herself and gripped Luna with her forelegs. “Luna! Talk to me! What’s happening?!”

The dark magic quickly reached Luna’s face, making her eyes glow white. Two canines sprouted out from her jaw, and she let out a loud feral snarl that belonged to a mutated monster. She kicked violently, forcing Celestia away. Everypony around her moved back, fearful of being a victim.

“The clock is ticking, Garrett,” Nightmare Moon chuckled.

Gritting his teeth, Garrett tightened his grip on his knife. “Damn you,” he growled.

He dashed to his side, quickly approaching Luna. All eyes were on him, allowing an easy escape for Nightmare Moon. With a flash of her horn to temporarily blind everypony, she turned herself into a cloud of shadow and flew away slowly to watch.

Placing his hands on the sides of her head, Garrett grabbed hold of Luna and made her look straight at him. “Look at me!” he shouted.

Whatever Luna was hiss and snarled, smashing her forelegs into Garrett’s chestplate, which easily absorbed the blows like they were nothing. It was when she resorted to biting him did he let her go and step back.

The glowing aura formed around Garrett’s blade again.

Celestia felt her heart skip a beat.

“Garrett!” she screamed. She tried to reach for him, but she felt a pony wrap forelegs around her and hold her back. Looking down, she found Galea on her. Turbulence and Downburst joined him, taking up positions to stop her.

“I’m sorry, your highness,” Galea said, as if he was in pain, “but it’s for Princess Luna’s own good.”

With all the courage he could had mustered, Garrett grabbed hold of Luna again and forced her to the ground, pinning her down with her knee. She continued snarling and hissing as he raised his knife.

“Ma’am, if you’re in there...” Garrett said. He tightened his grip. “...Just know that I’m sorry.”

Swiftly, he plunged the blade down, stabbing Luna right at the base of her neck. She gave an ear-piercing screech, jerking violently and silencing out every other noise.

“Luna!” Celestia cried, fighting even harder to break free of the three guards’ grasp, but they still wrestled her down.

Garrett yanked the blade out. The blackness around Luna retracted, revealing her true form again. She was still screaming, this time with her own voice. The same dark creature came out, squirming on the ground.

The yelling stopped, and Luna’s head fell to the ground, unconscious.

Looking up, Garrett saw the cloud of Nightmare Moon take form back into her pony form. She flew off into the distance and disappeared from sight.

“Damn it!” he shouted.

Garrett drew his magnum from his holster and shot the two black creatures in the head. Then, he took off to chase Nightmare Moon in full sprint.

Before anypony could follow, the two changeling-like creatures twitched and began kicking. Soon, they were on their hooves again, looking straight at Celestia. The bullets went straight through their heads, leaving clear holes in their wake. Their mouths were hanging open, dripping and hungering for a feast of power. They leaped to the air.

“Get down!” Galea shouted. He let go of Celestia and jumped, catching one of the creatures. Turbulence did the same, seizing the other in mid-flight.

After falling to the ground with loud thuds, the dark monsters wrapped themselves around Turbulence and Galea. They turned themselves into black membranes, engulfing them like costumes. The two of the screamed in pain like they were set on fire. Hoping to help, Downburst scrambled forward, only to get forced back as the two violently kicked him away. Once half of their own selves were covered, they stopped panicking. Their muscles relaxed and they stood up, their eyes glowing teal.

Opening their jaws wide, they revealed their sharpened teeth at Celestia, dripping with saliva.

“C-Captain?” Donwburst gasped. “Turbulence?”

The two of them hissed, making their way towards Celestia. Out of nowhere, red chains of magic sprung out of the ground, wrapping around both Galea and Turbulence.

Before anypony could have reacted and offered help, a loud roar literally shook the ground beneath them.

The lights on Garrett’s arcane shield lit up to life, and out came the red windigo pony. It stood up on its hind legs and landed on the rune, leaving behind a deep dent. Switching its attention to the two dark creatures, it gave a low growl.

The same cannons Garrett used appeared next to it, floating in the air and pointing right at Turbulence and Galea.

“No!” Celestia begged. She attempted to grab hold of it with magic, but the windigo pushed her aside with a blast of power.

“Silence!” the windigo shouted.

Downburst leaped forward in an attempt to bring down the windigo, only to have chains of magic wrap around him, forcing him to the dirt. Celestia also attempted to cast a spell, but she was stopped as the same restraints grabbed hold of her, somehow preventing her from using her power.

The windigo’s full attention switched to the snared Galea and Turbulence. The cannons near its sides charged up, glowing even brighter. Powerful beams shot out, encasing both of them in a massive ball of light.

The light grew and grew, forcing everypony watching to close their eyes shut. When they came to, Downburst and Celestia found themselves free from the chains, and Turbulence, Galea, and the windigo pony were gone, replaced by massive scorch marks on the ground.

“Captain?” Downburst muttered, shaking. “Turbulence...?”

Shaking, he closed his eyes shut, and he let out a loud cry to the sky.

In a dark alleyway, Downburst smashed his hooves on a wooden box, breaking it to pieces. He growled and pounded his hooves on the floor, cursing with each blow. The anger inside was feeding every cell in his body and made him willing to fight Chrysalis himself. On and on, he brought his rage into anything he could reach, including abandoned stalls.

A hand seized his hoof. “Not exactly a healthy way to deal with your problems.”

Downburst turned, finding Garrett hiding in the shadows, his face easily showing that he was tired.

“I run off into the night to chase Nightmare Moon all the way to the edge of some forest, gain back my common sense, and limp my way back to town. The first thing I get from other guards is news of the disappearance of two soldiers and a third losing his sanity.”

“That’s easy for you to say!” Downburst shouted, puffing hot air out of his nostrils. Somehow a small part of him wanted to punch Garrett to let out some of his rage. “I’ve been through a lot with them! And your ‘friend’ just killed--”

“I know the story!" Garrett shouted. "They were infected, and that thing did what it thought was needed!”

“I’ll hunt it down and kill it!” Downburst shouted back. “I will personally walk through Nightmare Moon’s doorstep and make her pay! Heck, maybe I should go and train with the gryphon’s elite legion--”

Downburst was seized by the collar of his armor, cutting him off. “Pull yourself together!” Garrett shouted.

“You talk as if soldiers are always disposable, like nopony will care!” Downburst growled. “What about their families?! How do you expect them to bear the news that their own child is dead?! How do you think it would be for them to celebrate a birthday of somepony in a grave?!”

Garrett clenched his jaw, growling with fire growing in his eyes.

“And what about us?!” Downburst continued. “How do you think we’ll feel like writing letters to their loved ones and friends?! We’re still here and alive, living with the luxuries of a bed and other things like those while they have noth--”

“If you want to blame someone, you can blame it all on me!” Garrett finally shouted. “I was the one leading, and I am responsible for the fate of anyone under my command!”

Those words finally managed to make Downburst silent. Garrett dropped him.

“Your need for vengeance will only hurt you and those around you. Stepping up in the armed forces is a good thing, but revenge should never factor in into your choices. You joined the force to protect, serve, and fight for freedom, survival, and peace. You’re not in your uniform to get even with someone or some faction.”

Downburst was still quiet, the words digging their way into him as he stared at the ground.

“In short,” Garrett continued, taking a deep breath, “don’t turn yourself into me.”

He stood up and pulled out a small datapad. After gesturing the command, he lent it to Downburst. “When you figure it out, let us know. We need you.”

Turning around, Garrett started making his way out of the alleyway. “One more thing, you still have the option to quit my ragtag team. I never asked you to follow me, but hell, you did so anyway.”

Looking up, Downburst gave one last glance at Garrett.

“We’re waiting on you,” Garrett ended, leaving him. “I’ll be in the hospital if you’ll be looking for me.”

Alone and in the dark, Downburst lowered his head, the glow from the datapad lighting up his face. Silently, he tapped on the play button with his hoof.

Garrett’s voice came through the speaker. “This is the UNSC Humbling River--”

“Garrett,” said another voice.

“Dad...?”

“Hi, son.”

“Is there something wrong?”

There was a pained grunt.

“Dad?!” Garrett called out.

“Garrett... your mother and I were assigned to sabotage a Covenant base and steal their intel. Turns out, they had a very fast link. With a few tweaks to mask where the signal is going, we managed to establish a connection and do our job.” Garrett’s father coughed.

“Where’s mom?” Garrett asked, tension in his voice.

“I’m sorry, son.”

“No...” Sounds of sobbing followed. “Damn it! No!”

“They got me, too. I’ve locked myself inside the main reactor of the base. Just know that we’re proud of you. Stay mean and green, and look after your family.”

“Dad! Please!”

“Goodbye, son. We love you so much.”

There was a distinctive beep.

Garrett took a deep breath. “I love you, too.”

The signal was cut off into static, but among the noise, there was the sound of crying and cursing, and it went on and on.

“Damn the Covenant!”

“But why can’t I see her?” Celestia asked, fighting not to bash through the door and meet Luna.

“I’m sorry, your highness,” the doctor said. “But at this state, we need to be monitoring her literally every second, and the room is already crowded as it is with our own staff. We can’t afford to let anypony get in our way.”

Celestia was about to protest, but the doctor raised a hoof. “I’m sorry, princess, but when it comes to the health of everypony, including royalty...”

The doctor gulped, sweat forming on her brows.

“...I outrank you.”

Silence filled the room. Celestia lowered her head and closed her eyes tightly, a shadow forming on her face.

“Please understand, your highness,” the doctor pleaded. “It’s for your sister’s well-being.”

Celestia sighed, her eyes shut with the pain in her heart. “Very well. If it is all right, may I visit Garrett, then? Is he doing well?”

A small smile formed on the doctor’s face. “Surprisingly, the only things he needed were a small amount of our simplest healing potions, and plenty of rest. If you want, you can visit him. He’s in the last room down the hall, and I believe he has just taken his last needed dosage.”

“Thank you, doctor.” She made her way to Garrett’s door and knocked.

“Come in,” Garrett said.

Celestia entered, finding Garrett sitting on a hospital bed, a glass of whiskey complete with stones on one hand and its bottle on a table next to it. In a corner lay his armor in an unorganized pile. The look on his face was hard and in deep thought. Seeing him there, she had no idea what to feel for him. She almost forgot how he was before he died and came back to life, as if she was talking to a complete stranger again.

“Evening, ma’am,” Garrett greeted, taking the first sip of his drink. “I have to admit, this is finest whiskey I have ever tasted in my entire life.”

“It’s because that costs sixty thousand bits a bottle, and only twelve were known to be made.”

Garrett nearly choked, his eyebrows shooting up. “Wow, seriously? I might as well save this for the future.”

A moment of silence passed by in between them.

“I’m... sorry about what happened out there,” Garrett said, lowering his head. “The first time that SOB and I actually manage to do something together, he... just goes. Turbulence was an excellent soldier, good material for a leader.”

He took another sip. “First thing I do after I finish this glass is suit up and get my gear. After that, meet our old friend, Nightmare--”

“No, Garrett,” Celestia interrupted, raising a hoof. Her voice was serious and hard. She no longer saw a broken, shaken man. His battle had somehow cleansed him of his guilt, replaced with only anger fueling the will to fight on, and she knew kind words would not change his mind.

“Ma’am, with all due respect,” Garrett replied flatly, “the sooner I get out of here, the closer I am to Nightmare Moon, and the more I am nearer to stopping her.”

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to us?” Celestia blurted out. “We’re worried sick about you! You keep putting yourself on the line, thinking you’ll be a hero! But what about us?! How do you think we feel about seeing our own friend die in front of us, only to come back and never want to talk to us?! Do you know how it feels to put your own effort into saving someone, only to have him go to danger again and again and again?!”

“I have no choice!” Garrett barked back. “As long as she’s still alive, I won’t let anything get in the way! Nightmare Moon is a danger to us all!”

“Ask yourself, Garrett!” Celestia spat in return, her face red with rage. “Who are you?! And what do you want?!”

“Do you think I can be who I want to be at times of do or die?!” Garrett yelled, standing up. “This is a matter of war!”

“That’s all you ever talk about!” Celestia shouted. “But that war hasn’t found its way here! You’ve always had the chance to change your life for the better, but you never took it!”

“I grew up with the fear of having my own home found and destroyed the next day! At least you still have that luxury!” Garrett answered back.

“Whatever happened to your promise to Sarah to be a man who lives by the traits he teaches her?!” Celestia asked.

“There’s a time and place for everything!” Garrett replied. “And that kind of man is not needed at eras like this!”

Celestia hissed, gritting her teeth. “You know what?! With how you’ve been doing back alive, I sometimes think you’d be better off dead!”

She gasped and placed her hoof on her mouth, her eyes wide open and her blood running cold. She looked at Garrett, who was staring at her, the emotion on his face lost. He was slowly shaking his head as if he was looking at friend who had turned into a traitor. His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched hard.

“Garrett...” Celestia whispered.

With a closed fist, Garrett smashed his glass against the ground, shattering pieces and splattering whiskey. He stormed to the door and passed by Celestia, intentionally bumping his shoulder into her.

“Garrett! Wait!” Celestia said in panic, her heart racing.

She reached for him with her hoof, but the moment she touched him, he violently shrugged it off.

“I didn’t mean--”

“Shut up!” Garrett roared at the top of lungs, smashing a hammerfist at the wall and leaving a massive hole. Celestia jumped back, retreating a few steps. He looked like he was between breaking down or exploding with rage. “Just shut up! Equestria can go to hell, for all I care!”

Right before he was able to gripped the knob, Garrett felt a coating of magic cover him, forcing him to stop.

“Let me go,” he growled.

“Please, Garrett,” Celestia pleaded, “listen to me.”

“Let me go!” He shouted.

Garrett was lifted off of his feet and was levitated to Celestia, growling and with his eyes focused to kill.

“All you’ve been doing is fighting and getting hurt. You’re not the only one receiving pain. Everyone around you is also being affected. Please, put down the gun for once, and take off the armor. Let go of all the hate and the soldier.”

“And turn myself into what?!” Garrett half-yelled.

“I just want you to be...” She closed her eyes as mist formed in them. “...To be human.”

Garrett froze, the word hitting him hard like a hammer. He was finally let go, and he sat on his bed, staring at the floor in silence as his muscles relaxed.

“So many lives have been stained,” Celestia continued. “Galea, Turbulence, Downburst, Luna, you, me... the list goes on. You were hurt and tortured. In whatever place your soul went to... I saw you being at peace. I wanted you to be happy again, to be with your family and stop fighting and getting hurt. Now that you’re back... Luna and I...”

She lowered her head, shaking. “Luna...”

Her words disappeared as tears slid down her face, her willpower shattering.

“Here,” Garrett said in a soft tone, gently bringing her over to him. “Come here.”

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and embraced her, and she did the same.

“I made her a promise... that I wouldn’t let her get harmed again. I wanted her to see the bright sides of life again, and now... look at her. She’s in the hospital right after Nightmare Moon, the sins of her past...”

She began crying. “I’m so sorry....”

Garrett looked down at Celestia, the image of her being a strong ruler to him disappeared. Instead, he saw his own self in her, broken and weeping over dark news. Somehow, he heard his own voice tell him, It’s your turn now.

“Shh,” he hushed, gently stroking her neck and slowly rocking her back and forth. “It’ll be all right. Don’t hold it down.”

On and on, he let Celestia cry herself out, allowing her to bury her nuzzle into him every now and then. She thought of how Garrett used his own hardened hands to hurt and kill other living beings, yet at that moment, they were soft and comforting and reminded her of how having a someone who cared next to her felt like. War changes everyone, she thought.

“Please, Garrett,” Celestia finally begged after getting a hold of herself. “Stop putting your life on the line for us. Let go of the weight on you, and start living again, at least for a while. And if you do find your family again, give them back what they have lost, the father who loves them.”

“All right.”

“Promise?”

Garrett looked down for a moment to think. “I promise.”

They were silent for a moment, Garrett periodically brushing her.

“What I said earlier...” Celestia said, “...I didn’t mean--”

“I understand,” Garrett cut in. “I know, it’s tough losing someone close to you. You try to hold on and remember them, but you eventually realize that they would have wanted you to move on, and you honor their memory when you do. When they come back, or at least when you get the chance to meet them again, you want to stay with them forever and promise to not let anything go wrong anymore, to never relive the pain of separation. Yet, when you see them get hurt... and die, probably, you’ll be more hurt. You know you just broke what you swore to them, and in short, you’d just get even more salt in the wound. Sometimes it’s better to just let go... probably something I should have learned a long time ago.”

Celestia heaved a deep sigh. “I’m over a thousand years old, I have seen both catastrophes and miracles appear, and yet...”

“You still need someone to lean on,” Garrett finished, giving her a tighter hug.

“Thank you,” Celestia said, letting go and standing back up. She wiped away the excess tears. “I better leave you to rest.”

Garrett nodded, and they both gave small smiles to each other.

Celestia then made her way through of the door and closed it behind her. Outside, she found six familiar ponies standing next to the entrance. Their silent faces easily expressed that they heard everything. Out of respect, they bowed before placing their get well gifts in front of the room and leaving.

“You sure about giving him one of your last barrels of cider?” Rainbow Dash whispered.

“Been savin’ that for somethin’ special, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “Today’s special enough for mah standards.”

Luna breathed in, feeling life come back into her. Her eyes fluttered open. With a quick glance around, she found herself in a white hospital bed with sunlight flowing through the windows. Slowly, she got off and stood up, her legs shaking slightly. Putting all four hooves down to the floor, she stumbled and reached out to a table for support.

Her tongue felt dry, and her throat itched. She coughed and found a clear glass of water sitting on top of the table. Grabbing hold of it with magic, Luna lifted it up and drank it all in one go. She let out a deep sigh of relief, and her legs felt stable again.

A nurse opened the door and stepped inside. Her face lit up with glee. “Ah, princess! You’re awake!”

“She’s awake?!” a familiar voice echoed through the doorway. Princess Celestia literally hopped into the room, barely managing her excitement. She wasted no time and went to hugging Luna, threatening to break each her ribs. The nurse walked back, disappearing into the hallway with a smile.

“We were all so worried,” Celestia said, breaking up the hug.

Luna chuckled. “Sister, believe me when I say this, but what Twilight did to me was much more... intense.”

They both giggled, sat on the bed, and embraced each other again.

Outside in the hallway, one man stood past the doorway, staying out of sight, leaning against the wall, and eavesdropping the two princesses. A small, hopeful smile formed on Garrett’s face.

At least she’s all right now, Garrett thought to himself.

Jamming his fists into his pockets, he turned and started walking down the hall, allowing Celestia and Luna to sink into their conversation.

“Garrett...?” Luna called out.

He stopped.

“...Can... can you stay in here with us?”

There was a moment of silence. Garrett lowered his head and thought for a moment. “Sure,” he said with a smile, making sure that he was heard.

Turning around, he walked back, entered the room, and pulled up a chair.

Days had gone by after the night of the attack. The princesses volunteered themselves to stay in Ponyville for some time to help rebuild the damage, both physical and psychological. Several tents were erected around the town to accommodate the guards as part of their royal duty. Garrett kept a low profile and made the best of what was offered to him. Often, none saw him for the span of an entire day, but some managed to catch a glimpse of him walking by.

The moon shined brightly in the night sky. Downburst gave a low groan, grumbling as he folded a manila envelope closed. Candlelight illuminated his tent, much like everyone else’s.

“Downburst?” Luna asked, entering his domain. “I sense that you are not doing well.”

“Just getting tired of dealing with the paparazzi, your highness,” Downburst replied, holding up the envelope. “You know... making sure Garrett won’t be disturbed. You’ll be amazed with how addicted Photo Finish is to following him around. I had to confiscate a lot of photos, and I’m planning to burn them in a fire.”

Luna grabbed hold of the envelope with magic. “Go to sleep. You are tired and need rest. I shall handle the disposal of these photos.”

Downburst bowed. “Thank you, your highness.”

He stripped away his armor, sighing in deep relief as the weights slid off.

“I do not understand why you would need to be extreme and burn these,” Luna said, opening the envelope. “They are just photos, after all.”

“I wouldn’t recommend that, princess,” Downburst warned.

Ignoring it, Luna pulled out the photographs and inspected each one, spreading them all out in the air.

“Oh... my...” Luna drew up a hoof to her mouth.

Each photo was of Garrett. He was holding true to his word to relax. Some photos were of him enjoying a warm and humid hot spring with a towel spread out on top of a rock. Another group showed him enjoying the natural, cool shower of a waterfall, bathing himself, and a third set revealed him going out of a lake after a nice dip and swim. More photos were in the collection, almost each one keeping Luna’s cheeks in a shade red.

“You are right,” Luna finally answered with a gulp, stuffing the photos back into the envelope and hiding it under her wing. “It is better to not show these to the public eye.”

“Agreed, your highness” Downburst mumbled.

“Anyhow,” Luna said, turning around, “after I visit Twilight Sparkle, I shall see to it that I personally--”

She got cut off as she felt her head hit a solid mass outside with a loud “oomph!”

Luna was silent for a moment, puzzled. “I do not recall having a lamp post this close to your tent.”

“Err... that’s not a lamp post, your highness,” Downburst said.

Only then did she realize that whatever she hit was warm. Looking up, she found Garrett without his shirt on and his top half dripping wet, making him glisten in the moonlight. The blush on Luna’s face grew ever more present, and she stared at him, frozen.

“I’ll... I’ll just leave now,” Downburst said, sidestepping his way out of sight.

There was an awkward silence between Luna and Garrett.

“Someone stole my shirt and splashed me with a bucket of water,” Garrett said flatly.

He went to a nearby chest, opened it, and swiftly jammed his hand inside.

“Eep!” another voice squeaked.

Garrett jerked his arm out, holding Photo Finish, who had an ODST shirt dangling from her mouth. Almost as quick as a fast draw, she brought out her camera and snapped a photo.

After rolling his eyes, Garrett yanked the shirt out of her grasp, dropped Photo Finish, and walked away, leaving behind one mare blushing and another giggling like a little filly.

The pub was filled with off-duty guards, each savoring the few chances of freedom amidst their hectic schedule. Playing cards were being placed on tables, patrons were coming and going, and laughs filled the building. However, two officers, a human and a pegasus, sat next to the window in silence.

“I don’t blame you,” Downburst said, returning the datapad to Garrett. “None of us knew what was going to happen, and we each understood what we signed up for. They did their duty to protect her. You know the art of war well, and it is undeniable that there will be losses. I will mourn over them when the storm passes. But today, I’ll do what I can to carry on, and I’m awaiting your next order.”

“Drink, relax, and blow off some steam, soldier,” Garrett replied.

Downburst furrowed his brows. “Sir...?”

“You’ve been through a lot, and I can still see that you have many things going on your mind. Go easy for the moment.”

“If you’re insisting that I take a vacation, then I’m afraid I can’t. I’m still in the royal guard. But, I can agree on the drinking part.”

They both chuckled. A sudden flash made them blink, catching them off guard. Right outside was another photographer, camera aimed straight at Garrett.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m starting to miss the old days in the coast guard,” Garrett grumbled. He took a sip from his drink. “Do a few stocks in the morning, then report for duty. All I had to do was lean out of an aircraft, aim with a sniper rifle, and take out the target’s engines with a single shot. Then, head back to base, shake hands with my CO, and continue the rest of the day like nothing happened. After I get back home, spend some time with my family, do a few more stocks, and then go to bed. Sometimes I prefer being the unsung hero. Work your ass off to save everyone around you and become the silent guardian, you fight day and night without anyone knowing.”

“A knight in the dark and shadows,” Downburst said.

“Bingo.”

“Well, I respect that. I mean, having paparazzi follow you all the way to the hot springs isn’t exactly fun--” Downburst shut his mouth. “I mean... uhh--”

“At least you confiscated those photos from her,” Garrett said, a smile forming on the side of his lip.

“Err... how did you know?”

Garrett chuckled and took a sip. “I have my ways.”

He looked outside right on time to see Celestia fly by, land by the library, and enter.

“You think we should check the windows to see if they’re... you know,” Downburst suggested.

“Hmm... nah.”

“What?”

“I’m too much in a good mood to care. Just earlier I had a good massage. Even though they had no idea how to do their work on humans, they did it well anyway. Seemed like they had some pleasure in trying something new.”

Downburst heard a female voice behind him giggle softly. “Oh, I bet they did.”

He turned around and found a female night guard with her back turned against him. But, with the view he had, he managed to take a glimpse of a photograph lying on top of the table, and she was subtly sharing it with her other mare colleagues, who were obviously enjoying what they were seeing. All he managed to hear from their conversation were words such as “secret connections” and “Photo Finish.”

It occurred to Downburst that the mares were also discretely passing on photos, most of which murmuring words related to secret connections to Photo Finish. Some faked that they were putting a card down. Others ‘accidentally’ dropped a few that miraculously land under the next table.

Downburst faced Garrett again, his body tensing up.

“What’s the matter, soldier?” Garrett asked with a chuckle. “You look like you’re about to piss yourself.”

Downburst gulped. “Just thought I heard something.”

“Don’t mind it. It’s kind of normal if you’ve been to a battle. Your senses are still on alert. Right now, just sit back, detach from the world, and enjoy the drinks.”

“About that--”

“I know they’re sharing photos of me,” Garrett announced out loud. “And frankly, I don’t care. Back in the UNSC, majority of us were supposed to go to cryo-sleep naked, and the canopies were transparent most of the time. The eggheads back in the labs said something about covered skin generally reacting badly to the freezing process. Somehow, I’m not affected by it. Even so, during training, everyone’s suppose to ice themselves without a single stitch of clothing. Most of the time, there’d be an officer waiting for you right as you wake up to time your performance. Work too slowly, and you’ll be completely dependent on his or her mercy. Hell, I’ve heard stories of guys needing to do push ups and laps without wearing anything in the middle of winter.”

That managed to quickly silence whoever heard it. It was as if the pub suddenly froze. Even the bartender stopped, wide-eyed like everypony else. Somehow, the sound of photographs hitting the floor came to Downburst’s ears, and he saw Garrett having a smug smile. A grin formed on his face, threatening to break his head, and in perfect synchronization, both of them broke out in laughter.

“Good one!” Downburst managed to say amongst his laugh.

Garrett raised his pint. “To another victory done right here, right now!”

The two of them clinked glasses and drank merrily as much of the pub was still frozen in time.

Simple conversations filled the library as Luna had tea with Twilight and her friends. Much of the town was already fast asleep. Spike volunteered himself to serve them the drinks and food and wore a pink apron, as per Rarity’s request to make him look “cuter” for the princess.

“Sounds a lot like Garrett’s makin’ the best outta what over here,” Applejack said.

“Indeed,” Luna replied, sipping her tea. “Though, some guards are complaining that the photographers follow him around like wolves hunting prey, taking photos of almost everything he does. I am quite sure they enjoyed following him in the gym.”

They all chuckled, save for Rarity, who was grouchily mumbling inaudible words that ran along the lines of her popularity.

“Thank you for inviting me for tea,” Luna said, standing up. “I must go now, for it is my turn now to watch over Equestria as my sister rests.”

She spread her wings out and took off into the air, opening the top window with magic.

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “Princess Luna left some pictures!”

Luna stopped herself in mid-flight. “Uh oh.”

When she turned, she found all six of them staring at the photos, wide-eyed and their faces blushing with red.

“I-I can explain!” Luna stuttered as she herself became scarlet.

“Uh-huh,” Rainbow Dash replied, nodding with her wings opening.

Spike popped his head through the kitchen door. “Hey, why’s everypony--”

“Spike! Look away!” Twilight screamed, shoving him back inside the kitchen and locking the door with magic.

Luna landed on the floor. “Whatever happens, do not tell my sister.”

“Don’t tell me about what?” Celestia asked, landing on the balcony library and entering. “If it’s something about Garrett, I think we all have the right to know and...”

She looked down and found the photos, and her cheeks became stained with sanguine. “...Oh,” she said.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, with his ear pressed hard against the door, Spike swore he heard low purrs and giggling. He swiftly pulled himself away.

Part 12: Voices of Ghosts

All of Canterlot was drowsily awoken with the start of a new day. Even though a few wounds from recent events were still healing, everyone was in good shape and doing better. However, the bitterness in some guards was still present.

Garrett and Downburst were walking down the halls, both of them satisfied after an early breakfast.

“Slept well?” Downburst asked.

“Good enough,” Garrett said. He looked out to see Philomena with the birds chirping their morning songs. “At least the photographers can’t get in here. Even better, Twilight, her friends, and even the princesses have been acting like they want to hug me more often.”

“I envy you,” Downburst chuckled. “Anything interesting in the newspaper this morning?”

“Nothing much, other than an article about the local magazine and publishing companies coincidentally having all their printers break down. I quote, ‘It’s like someone grabbed a sledgehammer and just smashed everything.’ Any idea who’s responsible?”

Downburst shook his head. “Nah.”

The two of them entered the barracks. Many of the royal guards were in the middle of switching shifts. Those who were to watch the night were preparing for bed while the ones in charge during the day were securing on the last bits of their armor. Casual chatter was all about, filling the rooms and halls.

“On the downside of moving back here,” Garrett continued, “my shirts are still disappearing every now and then. Somehow, by the end of the day, I always find them in my footlocker.”

Many mares who heard giggled. Downburst pointed to them with his hoof and did an I-am-watching-you motion.

The two of them moved on and entered Downburst’s room. The few luxuries it had were additional room, more storage space, and privacy.

Downburst opened the chest next to his bed and pulled out a small can. “You said needed some polish, right?”

He tossed it over to Garrett’s palms.

“Thanks,” Garrett said. He looked to his right and found a piece of rubble sitting on top of Downburst’s desk. It was dirtied with mud and ruined with scratches, and a large dent was smashed upon the center. Worn out hammers and screwdrivers were laid next to it.

“You actually kept it?” Garrett asked, placing the polish on the table and inspecting the ruined shield relic.

“Just thought that we could get some useful clues out of it. So far, I found nothing.”

Shaking his head, Garrett sighed, “You really should just destroy this thing. It’s nothing but--”

“Follow,” a voice whispered, silencing the room.

Garrett shifted his attention to the shield. There was a barely noticeable flicker from the runes. “That... sounded like Galea.”

The light on the shield flickered on, and the runes glowed with orange.

“Come,” it breathed again, this time with Starswirl’s voice.

“This never happened before,” Downburst murmured.

“I have a lot of tools back in the Longsword,” Garrett said. “Let’s open this thing and power it up.”

The two of them laid out their tools on the second level of the ship. There was a plasma saw, a battery pack, cables, and a datapad for recording and scanning. The shield was lying down on the floor. Its lights were glowing as if they were breathing.

Garrett held the plasma saw and slowly etched it along the surface of the relic. He carefully melted his way through the first layer and made a square right around the dent. Downburst lifted the cover and plugged in the cables that were linked to the battery. Almost immediately, the inner workings of the shield blinked to life, sparks flying from within. A small red cube the size of a palm began glowing inside, and it flowed with energy like swirling water.

A beam of light shot out of the cube and landed on Garrett’s screen. It, too, flickered to life. Pixels began dancing across, lines crawled out from the point of contact like insects. Shapes and figures took form. Once all the movement stopped, the result showed a mixture of straights curves, and there was a massive X mark, accompanied by a red path that highlighted the way. Some of the shapes were filled with color while others were plain, hollow outlines.

“It’s some sort of a map,” Downburst said, standing up and approaching the screen.

“How would you know?”

“I’ve seen enough flight patterns and diagrams to know that this-” he pointed to a corner with a hoof “-is Canterlot Castle.”

Garrett leaned closer. “I see your point, and if I’m right, this thing is pointing straight at the Everfree Forest.”

“Specifically,” Downburst added, “the old ruins of the princesses’.”

“Come,” the shield whispered.

Garrett’s eyes widened, and he froze, dropping his plasma saw.

Downburst stared at him. “You all right?” he asked.

“First Galea, then Starswirl, and finally my own dad. Like it or not, I’m going out there.” Garrett gestured the command on his datapad to upload the coordinates to his helmet’s VISR. He walked down the ship and pulled out an ammo box from the armory.

“Please tell me you’re not going there alone,” Downburst said.

“Sadly, I will,” Garrett replied, still staring at the contents of the box.

“And you expect those bullets are enough to help you?” Downburst asked.

“High explosive ammunition,” Garrett said, showing off a few magazines. “This case even comes with shotgun grenades.”

Downburst sighed. He turned and found Garrett already strapping on his armor and grabbing a shotgun. “What will I do when everypony starts asking?”

“Tell them I went out for a trip. If I don’t make it back within one--no, two days, alert them send a few guards to investigate.”

“The princesses will get suspicious about it, no?” Luna asked.

The two of them turned, finding her leaning on the side of the wall. Her eyes were fixed on Garrett, and they easily expressed the thought of her not being impressed with what she was seeing.

“You made a promise to stop putting yourself in danger for us,” she said as she lowered her head, looking away. “Not even a week, and you are already going back to fighting.”

The two soldiers lowered their heads. Downburst and Garrett exchanged looks.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Garrett murmured grimly, knowing all too well that they would refuse to let him go. “But my parents are dead, and whoever this is, he’s using them, Galea, and Turbulence to lure me in. If it wants me, so be it. I just want answers. That thing out there knows me, and I’m going out to discover how and why.”

Luna still kept silent and shook her head, her eyes closed. Garrett dropped his weapons and ammo and approached her. He gently placed his hand on the back of her neck. “Ma’am, please,” he begged deeply. “I don’t know what kind of sick mind would use the dead as tools, but I need to know.”

“If you do not come back...” Luna started.

“I can’t make any promises,” Garrett said.

“Then we will not let you go.”

Garrett placed the ammo box on the ground and held in in place, his grip squeezing tight. “Ma’am, stop acting as if I belong here like I’m part of a family. I am a human in a world full of ponies and other inhabitants. Equestria is not my home, no matter what you try to tell me.”

“Then where do you belong if you don’t have Earth?” Luna asked.

Garrett looked at her. “I don’t know. But if there’s a chance for me to meet other humans out there, I’m taking it, and I’m not letting anyone stop me.”

Their gazes locked for a moment. Luna kept silent. She closed her eyes, and a glowing aura surrounded her horn.

Garrett felt an object float into his grip. He looked down and found an assault rifle encased with Luna’s magic resting gently on his palm. “Thank you.”

In silence, Luna slowly nodded.

Memories of hisses, fangs, and venom flooded back to Garrett’s mind as he stood outside the border of the Everfree. Its trees blotted out the sunlight, and strange clicks and hisses were coming from places unseen. It was as if the forest itself was waiting for him and excitedly welcoming him as a guest.

Armed to the teeth with bullets and explosives, he raised his assault rifle and carefully entered the forest. A shotgun was waiting on his back, loaded and ready to be drawn as well. Ordinarily, he was sure to feel like he was being hunted, but as he made his way through the forest, it was as if everything and anything within a five meter radius fell silent and creeped away. He somehow found himself following a route that was shaped exactly as the way shown on the map.

Garrett eventually found the old ruins that used to hold the Elements. The fog and mist had cleared, and the door was unlocked. When he entered, he found much of the interior clean of rubble and age, as if someone swept the area with a broom, but there were still a few traces of old spider webs and dust every now and then.

“Well, I’m here,” he said out loud as he unpolarized his visor.

He heard no response. With a low grumble, Garrett sat next to a pillar. He stared at the structure which used to hold the Elements of Harmony. Standing on the center, it still lay dormant in its sleep.

“Not bad for architecture,” Garrett murmured.

The sound of clanking and shaking metal suddenly filled his ears. He felt an object moving in his rucksack like there was a small creature inside. After pulling it out, he found the shield relic moving in his hands like it had a pulse.

On the structure in the center of the room, balls of light formed where the Elements used to lay. Beams shot out and met on the floor, right in front of Garrett. It coursed with electricity like a plasma lamp. The shield on his arm shot out of his palms, flew straight into the sphere, and disappeared from sight.

Instinctively, Garrett grabbed hold of his assault rifle and aimed it straight at the ball.

The sphere of electricity imploded upon itself, and a human took its place. It was a male that looked like a ghost with blue wisps. He raised his arm and offered it to Garrett.

“Come,” he said in the voice of his father. “Follow.”

“Let’s stop and think for a moment,” Garrett said. “I was brought to an old ruin by a strange creature that killed two of my teammates and is currently luring me in by using ghosts. What will I get if I join you? And why the hell should I not be expecting to get a knife to my backside?”

“Answers. Why would we want to harm you? If we did, we would have killed you the moment you entered this planet.”

Sensing the logic, Garrett cautiously walked forward and extended his hand. The moment he touched the ghost’s palm, a white light emerged from the point of contact, forcing him to close his eyes shut. Even his visor was not able to polarize and filter the excess quick enough.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dimly lit cave, which was hollowed out and without any stalactites and stalagmites anywhere. In front of him was an earth pony. It wore the exact same armor as a royal guard, from the armor on the flank to the chestpiece. However, it was colored in what Garrett thought of as brushed steel. Instead of a coat, there were only more pieces of metal. The galea and tail were moving with energy like a gravity lift, flowing with electric blue. Instead of a face, there was nothing but a dark piece of what appeared to be a visor.

“Never knew robots existed in this kind of place,” Garrett murmured to himself. He unpolarized his visor again.

The pony lowered itself down to a bow. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” it greeted with a hint of cheer in its female voice. “I hope you enjoyed the world of Equestria. Rest assured that the work done here shall be all yours.”

“What do you mean by ‘all mine?’”

“There are many things that need explanations,” she motioned him to follow her with a hoof.

“Mind giving me your name first?”

“I have none. I am only a steward.”

Gripping his weapon tightly, Garrett slowly followed the robot as she lead him deeper into the cavern. His instincts told him that he was being followed, evident by the soft steps. He spun around and raised his assault rifle to look face to face at the red windigo slowly approaching him.

It completely ignored him and walked forward towards the earth pony. Garrett stepped aside and allowed it to pass him, weapon still set on it.

“You have served your purpose,” the steward said to the pony. “Your services are no longer required.”

The windigo nodded, and it faded away like a spirit. The steward turned around and continued heading deeper down the cave. Garrett kept silent as he followed her. Eventually, they found themselves at the end. Nothing but a wall of solid rock met them.

“Two ponies, a unicorn and a pegasus, were attacked by that thing earlier,” Garrett said. “What happened to them?”

“We did the best we could have to stop the infection,” the steward replied as she looked at the wall, scanning her head back and forth.

“‘We?’ You mean there’s more of you?”

“Yes and no.” The steward tapped on the wall with her hoof. Pulses of energy traveled throughout the surface of the rock. Glowing blue symbols began to form. Light seeped out in a neat line right at the middle of the stone, splitting it in half. It then opened up like a doorway, and inside was a hall that looked much like one from Canterlot Castle but scaled down and had the ceiling dramatically lowered. Dark blue marble was everywhere, and aqua strokes flickered along the sides.

The steward continued bringing him down the halls, passing intersections and other openings. No other ponies were present; it was as if the place was abandoned. Garrett found it easy to hear his boots echo. Finally, they stopped in a room that was a massive sphere, three stories high. In the middle of it all, there was what looked like a box with a large panel on top, and a white crystal was floating above it in an aura.

“I shall prepare everything needed to answer your questions here, but it will take some time,” the steward said. She pressed on the panel with her hoof, and it sparked to life, expanding into an even larger set of controls. A screen floated above and looked as if it was made of pure, flowing energy, and it reminded Garrett of AIs. Symbols and shapes formed on the display, flickering on and off and moving from place to place.

“If it pleases you,” the steward said, “you can look around and explore our work. I will notify you when we are ready. I do not recommend touching the stone work.”

“Stone work?”

The steward tapped on the side of the console. A platform rose next to her, and a ball of light formed. A statue quickly took its place. A frozen ODST in full combat armor was sprinting with an assault rifle ready. It looked exactly like Garrett, save for a lack of a phoenix feather and an ace of spades.

“Impressive detail,” Garrett commented.

The steward tapped on her console again.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This Garrett Archer of the Eighth ODST Battalion. I have crashed and require evac. The coordinates to my ship are in this message. To any UNSC-” static cut in “-please send backup ASAP!”

Garrett was silent for a moment. He gripped his assault rifle even tighter, contemplating whether he should use it or the shotgun instead. “How did you find that?”

“Your answers shall come later.”

Garrett gave a low growl. “Fine.”

He turned around and made his way out.

“Please take note that the cavaliers are still asleep, and they are not yet ready to wake up,” the steward said as Garrett was at the exit.

“Cavaliers?” Garrett asked, turning. “What cavaliers?”

The steward remained silent, still busy with her work.

Garrett murmured inaudible words. Turning around again, he walked through the exit and picked the hallway on his left. The first thing that came to his mind was a museum. Machines wrapped in alloys that looked like they were powered by steam stood everywhere. They ranged from suits of mechanical pony armor all the way to diagrams and scale models of grand airships.

An open doorway caught Garrett’s eye. When he entered, he found an entire floor filled with the same ponies that looked exactly like the steward. This time, however, they all had wings. Yokes were mounted on them, and they had cylinders that extended in front of them, making them look like double-barreled tanks on legs. All of them were still, and none of their lights were on. Farther back were stone statues of humans posing in various positions, and an onlooker would have thought they were actually legitimate living creatures.

“A sleeping army,” Garrett murmured to himself before turning around and continuing on.

Garrett stopped at the sight of an opening that looked more recent. Curious, he made his way out. As he did so, it was as if everything around him was rippling very slightly. It was almost discreet, had he not paid attention. He found himself in yet another massive cavern the size of a stadium, and the distorted effect disappeared. Instead of the organized pillars, the walls were lined with uneven rocks that stacked on top of one another that eventually formed a dome. The floor was made out of various stones like a natural cave.

Garrett lit up a flashlight and found a rectangular entrance in the center, where a ramp lead to it. Far above his head was a massive flat piece like a bridge. He went into the opening and felt the ground turn from stone into metal. Looking around, he found out that the architecture similar to the one of Canterlot Castle was no longer present.

Every step he took was echoed within the halls. Dust had covered everything, yet Garrett somehow felt like he had been in someplace like it before. Eventually, his helmet started detecting a lower change of temperature. Pillars sloping diagonally lined the walls, with one of them having a build up of a white substance surrounding it.

It finally occurred to Garrett that he was holding his breath, and he felt his heart pumping his veins. He exhaled and went to said pillar. As he approached, his boots sunk into the substance like slush. Looking up, he stared straight at the construct and placed his palm on it, feeling a sensation of ice.

He swiped his hand across to wipe away the dust and moisture and peered in. A woman’s frozen face met him.

“Jenny?!” he gasped.

His instincts kicked right in, and he immediately pressed his hand on the side of the cryo-tube, activating a control panel. He punched the defrost procedure. With the restricted view he had, Garrett saw Jenny’s face quickly thaw out and gain color. The canopy opened with a hiss, and she stumbled out, not wearing a stitch of clothing on.

Garrett caught her in his arms. She gagged and coughed violently, breathing heavily and gasping afterwards.

“Easy there, Aves,” Garrett said.

Jenny looked up to see his face. Her eyes narrowed.

“Ar...Archer?” she stuttered.

“In the flesh, Jennifer,” Garrett said. He felt Jenny wrap her arms around him and squeeze him with a hug.

“Damn it, Archer,” Jenny said, smiling with the awkward sense of reunion. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Long story,” Garrett replied, returning the smile. “Short version, I finished my mission on Madrigal’s moon, had a slipspace incident, and crashed here. I’ve been on this rock for months.”

Jenny let him go and looked around, scanning the dark hallway. She went to a rectangular case beside the cryo-tube and wiped the dust off to reveal a locker and her set of ODST armor within. She quickly placed the pieces on.

Garrett offered her his assault rifle and ammo, and she accepted them. “Careful,” he warned, “that thing’s loaded with explosive ammunition.”

“Where are we?” she asked. “How did I... we get here?”

Garrett crossed his arms. “You tell me.”

“We went into deep space with this frigate, which was modified to be a stealth ship for covert ops, and instead of marines, we used ODSTs. Probes picked up Covenant chatter and intel about them having an interest in a certain planet, so we went in unnoticed and found a crashed ship. It was pretty small, really. The only few things we got were a few artifacts, and that’s it. As a bonus, we stole some of their tech. The CO told me to get some rest and--”

Her eyes opened wide. “The artifacts! Where are they?”

“Artifacts?” Garrett asked.

She slipped on her helmet and turned on her comms. “Hawker, you read me? Damn... Granite? Kosh? Anyone?!”

Jenny switched her attention to Garrett. “We need to check on the artifacts--no, scratch that. Only one artifact is our top priority. Everything else can go.”

Garrett drew his shotgun and activated his VISR. “Lead the way.”

Both of them cautiously tread the path, weapons raised and ready. They kept their lights off and relied on their memory of the ship layout and the help of their VISRs. No one else met them, and the only noises they heard were their breaths and footsteps.

After some time, they finally found the door to the bridge. Jenny was the first to come in, followed by Garrett. They scanned the room. Everything in there looked dead. Consoles were off, chairs stood abandoned and knocked down, and no sign of life was there.

Jenny went to a nearby terminal and ran her palm across the screen. It flickered to life, and she started gesturing her commands.

Meanwhile, Garrett continued looking around the bridge as he was buried deep in his thoughts. He looked at Jenny for a while, wondering how she came. Switching his attention to the rest of the command center, his mind moved to the bigger questions such as why he never found out about their presence. “Let me get this straight, you have no idea how you got here?”

“Not a single clue,” Jenny replied. She tapped a recording.

“My name... is Athena,” the recording said. The audio skipped and gave static every now and then.. “I am... I don’t know w-what I am anymore. I served upon the UNSC-- what was the n-name again? UNSC Night Stalker, right. I am... can’t think. The crew? All gone, or at least I think they are. Only the crystal can get me back to shape. But, I don’t know what’ll happen to me afterwards. They offered me so much help, and I always found joy in talking with them. I have seen so much potential here to develop and create. The crystal--”

There was a burst of static and a loud moan, and the recording stopped.

“I think it’s a good idea to see what the cameras have to say.” Jenny tapped the console again.

The screen showed much of the crew busy with their duties. Colonel Stanford was among them and in deep conversation with the commander of the ship. Both of them had their undivided attention at a holotable. An AI was on the display as well, watching them plan.

“We’re holding position, as of the moment,” the commander said, pointing to the ship near the planet. It had just finished orbiting the moon. She pulled up a chart. “Energy levels are getting higher the closer we go, and they’ve been spiking like crazy for the past few days.”

She directed her attention to the AI. “Athena, any sign of development in the area?”

Athena pointed to a sector of the planet, which Garrett recognized as Ponyville. “I’ve been detecting all kinds of life and sparks of energy coming from Area Bravo. I suggest we land on the calmer sides of the planet before actually going there. Some probes and stealth recon drones managed to hone in on a creature with immense energy signals. Believe it or not, we even found structures that may suggest that societies do exist.”

Pulling up a holographic tablet, Athena showed them a picture of a tall creatures standing on two legs. Its limbs looked like they came from various animals from goats, to reptiles, bats, lions, and other animals.

Forming another panel, Athena showed the officers a detailed image of an immense castle hanging off the side of a mountain, surrounded by smaller buildings and houses. Some members of the crew shot looks and murmured among one another.

Stanford nodded. Before he could had given a response, alarms started going off.

“Energy levels just shot off the charts in Bravo!” a crew member shouted. “Seven sources! Six of them appear to be combining together and aiming at the last one!”

The hologram showed a massive dome form on top of Ponyville. It then exploded into a wave of particles that quickly spread out, and the frigate was in no position to dodge.

Screens showed many soldiers and personnel trying to outrun the burst. They were sprinting as fast as they could down the halls, but when the waved passed, they froze and turned to stone before the display died to static.

“Slipspace drive’s going haywire!” a deckhand shouted.

“It’s the artifact!” Athena yelled.

The energy quickly came to the bridge, and everyone had the same reaction, save for Colonel Stanford and the ship commander. The two lowered their heads and closed their eyes.

The recording blacked out as the final moment froze, signifying the end of it.

“If that’s what happened,” Jenny said. “Where is everyone?”

Garrett stood silent, his body frozen as the realization hit him. “Oh God...”

“Why?” Jenny asked.

“Follow me!” he barked before taking off. Instincts kicked in, and he readied his shotgun.

Jenny followed. “Why--”

“I know where they are!” he shouted. “Turn on your VISR, and keep up!”

Garrett powered his way in full sprint. The closer he felt he was to the room full of cavaliers, the more his heart pumped. He jumped off the boarding ramp of the frigate and continued down the halls. Jenny did her best to stay the same speed, but the alien feel kept her uncomfortable and made her slow down every now and then.

They slowed to a halt in front of the sleeping cavaliers.

“What the hell is this place?” Jenny breathed.

Garrett did not respond. He marched towards the human statues at the far end of the room, and he approached the first one standing straight. Jenny followed and stopped beside him. Both of them looked at the frozen Stanford then switched their attentions to the rest of the crew. They ranged from still sprinting for their lives to screaming their final voices.

They were silent out of respect, not knowing whether they could still save their colleagues.

Closing his hand to a fist, Garrett walked out of the room, accompanied with Jenny. He proceeded back up to the circular area with the console. The steward was standing straight like a butler next to it.

“We are ready to answer your questions,” the steward said.

The console’s holograms expanded. In the center, a bearded pony wearing a pointed hat and cloak adorned with stars and moons came into view. He had a small look of hope on him.

“I imagine this being very strange to you,” he said. “Time is short, and it is only a matter of time before he comes back.”

“Before who comes back?” Garrett asked.

A second pony came into the display and went to Starswirl’s side. To Garrett’s eyes, he was unmistakable, despite being out of his armor. With the pride of a war veteran and soldier, Galea stood tall with his chest out.

“Hello, Garrett,” Galea said flatly.

Starswirl shifted his attention to Galea. “I believe you have met these individuals?”

“Yes, sir,” Galea said, nodding. “Not the girl, though. Just the male.”

“And how the hell are you to related?” Garrett asked sharply, pointing at them.

Starswirl closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I shall start from the beginning. Over a thousand years ago, to be exact. Much of our tribes were still divided, hated each other. However, some of us, including ourselves, put aside our differences for the interest of Equestrian development. We were a small group, really, pioneering for the future of Equestria and always welcoming individuals with new ideas...”

Taking a puff of smoke from his pipe, Starswirl scanned the stars of the night. He and his group eased back on their grass, surrounding the campfire. They just finished setting up their tents on the top of a mountain. The company was composed of a unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony.

Telescopes and various charts stood outside Starswirl’s tent. The others had objects varying from simple contraptions of cogs and springs, plates of armor, and even more inventions.

“Interesting star arrangement tonight, eh, chaps?” Starswirl asked. He pulled out a parchment with magic. “I told you making camp atop Smokey Mountain was a good idea.”

“Go ahead and talk about how much you worship of the stars and moon,” the earth pony chuckled. “Empennage and I, the almighty Spanner, will be busy actually making progress and pushing our world forward.”

Empennage, the pegasus, raised her canister. “Cheers to that!” she giggled.

The two of them burst out to laughter.

The unicorn next to Starswirl snorted hot air. “Watch your tongue!” he spat. “Magic is much more complicated than your silly little wind-up toys--”

Starswirl placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Calm down, young apprentice. We each have our own ways to brag about our accomplishments, past, present, and future.”

“But--”

“I think my next magic lesson for you is the power of a sense of humor, Gousset,” Starswirl chuckled.

Gousset sighed. “Fine.”

The sound of rocks crumbling caught everypony’s attention. On the side of a nearby mountain, a bright blue sphere of light formed. The trees and stone around it were being sucked in. Pulses of power flashed and boomed, and the sound of explosions literally rocked the sierra. It imploded upon itself, and everything fell silent.

“What the heck was that?!” Spanner shouted. “Did your little horn-head princess go on her--!”

“Shut it!” Empannage shouted. “Starswirl already said that Princess Platinum can’t be involved.”

She spread her wings and took to the air. “I’ll go in and scout it out.”

“Are you crazy?!” Spanner asked. “You don’t know what you’ll find down there!”

“And what do you suppose we do?” Gousset asked Spanner. “Just sit here and head to bed?”

The blast had made a clear hole down to the center of the mountain. The rocks formed a sphere, and it was so neatly done it looked like someone hollowed it out. In the center of it all was a massive, dark object. It stood on the ground, focusing its weight on the rear half. The other part was composed of two bridge-like structures.

“Still think Princess Platinum is involved with this?” Gousset asked Spanner, receiving a shake of a head in response.

Starswirl was the first to take the step forward. The rest of the company followed behind him. He made his way to a rectangular opening towards the back.

“Looks a lot like something I would build,” Spanner murmured, still gripping his wrench with his teeth.

“Loosen up on that thing,” Gousset said. “You’ll most likely smash the first thing that moves--”

“Shh!” Starswirl snapped. He pointed to the entrance with his hoof to appeared to be a tall cylinder that had a glowing light flickering on top of it. He turned back to his team. “Whatever we see here never exists until we are sure that it is safe and we understand it, clear?”

They all nodded.

“Good.” Starswirl proceeded forward and climbed up to the cylinder. He tapped it with his hoof.

From the flickering light, a slim character took form. It stood on two legs, and a pair of arms accompanied the body.

Hair from the head was covered with a bronze helmet, and a cloak covered the main body. The individual adjusted it so it covered itself again. He or she had what appeared to be a white jewel, floating right above the palms and staring at it with fixed, focussed eyes.

“Hello?” Starswirl asked.

The little character shot him a look, eyes wide open as if it had just been broken from a trance. “Where am I?” it asked in the voice of a female.

“Inside a mountain, madam,” Starswirl replied, tipping his hat out of respect.

“The planet,” she whispered herself. She shot the crystal one last look, and with a snap of her fingers, it disappeared. “Damn it, I knew Bravo was bad news.”

The group gave each other looks, confused.

“Do you have a name?” Starswirl asked.

“Athena. How did I get here?”

“You tell us,” Gousset said. “One second we were enjoying our camp, the next, a huge ball of light came out of nowhere. Then you came.”

“A little more specific, please,” Athena asked.

Gousset leaned towards Starswirl. “We should alert Princess Platinum.”

“Princess who?” Athena asked.

“Horn-head leader,” Spanner blurted.

Athena formed an image in front of her and showed it to the group. The figure was a tall pony that had a horn and wings. Her mane was of various colours and flowed in the air. Her coat was white, and on her flank was the image of the sun. She stood tall with an elegant authority. “This ‘horn-head?’” she asked.

Everyone gasped.

.

“Is that... an alicorn?!” Starswirl awed. “Where did you find that?!”

“I thought they were myths!” Gousset breathed.

“Horn-headed and feather-limbed?!” Spanner grumbled. “What is this world coming to?!”

Athena made the pictures disappear. “So, it’s pretty clear that you have no idea what I’m talking about.”

Her words went unnoticed, as the company was busy shouting remarks and aggressively debating.

“An alicorn!” Empennage shouted. “Looks like Commander Hurricane’ll have some competition! This outta be an interesting fight!”

“A fight?!” Gousset retorted. “She may be what it takes to finally settle our differences!”

“Oh, sure!” Spanner snorted in annoyance. “Fancy horn and big wings for the pegasi and unicorns! But what’ll us earth ponies receive in the end?! More work and unfair share?”

“Enough! All of you!” Starswirl shouted. He cleared his throat loudly, forcing the group back together. “Where did you find the alicorn?” he asked Athena.

“Look exactly east of this place, head straight forward, and stop at the sight of a mountain,” Athena replied. “On the face of said mountain should be a castle-like structure. We found the specimen nearby.”

“That would be our plan for a city, complete with a castle,” Gousset said.

Athena raised her palm. “Wait. Are you telling me that the ‘castle’ hasn’t been constructed yet?”

Starswirl shook his head.

“That means...” Athena’s eyes opened. She pulled out a chart and studied its contents. “Oh, no. Please... don’t tell me.”

“Something gone wrong?” Gousset asked. “You can’t fix the damage?”

“Worse,” Athena replied. “Much, much worse than being stranded here. If I’m correct... I’ve traveled back in time.”

“Can’t you just travel back to the future as easy as pie?” Spanner asked.

“It’s more complex than that,” Starswirl said. He shifted his attention back to Athena. “I shall attempt a simple spell to see how far in the past you’ve gone.”

His horn lit up, and the entire ship itself became surrounded with an aura of magic. It disappeared later on.

“Over a thousand years,” he said in awe.

Athena lowered her head, closing her eyes.

“How did you perform the trick to travel through time anyway?” Starswirl asked.

“And I’m suppose to just tell you information because...?”

“Because, through what I see, you have no choice,” Gousset said flatly. “Either you talk or we can not help you.”

Athena took a deep breath. “We go to a dimension known as Slipstream space. There, we literally dance with the very fabrics of space and time themselves and travel faster than light. We create special drives that allow us to do this. We are known as humans, and we are currently at war with an alien faction known as the Covenant. When we go to Slipspace, we literally punch our way through with brute force. The Covenant, on the other hand, are more precise and faster at traveling.

“However, recently, we discovered an ancient race which are the things our enemy worships. Turns out, they understand Slipstream space so well compared to us to the point where they make the Covenant look like baboons playing with sticks. This ‘third’ faction knows how to accelerate, slow down, and, we hypothesize, lock time while keeping a certain mass in a protective bubble. I have a feeling that they are involved with this ship going back in time.”

Everypony stood silent.

“Fascinating!” Starswirl exclaimed. “And without the use of magic at all!”

“Please explain in a language we can understand, thank you very much,” Spanner said.

Starswirl turned to him. “Many assume that time is a strict progression of cause-to-effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective point, it is more of a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff, and these creatures--”

“Humans,” Athena corrected.

“--These humans found out how to manipulate it.”

“In simple terms,” Athena said, “that sums it all up.”

“What do we suggest we do now?” Gousset asked.

“We build a workshop here, in this cave,” Starswirl said. “Like I said, nopony should know. This is a secret among us only-” he shifted his attention to Athena “-and we will do whatever we can to help you.”

Athena smiled.

“Are you all right?” Spanner asked.

“Y-yeah,” Athena replied, getting back up. She opened her eyes, which were softly blinking red. “Just a headache... and that feeling telling me I’ve forgotten something important.”

Within two days, the group managed to set up a drape over the hole like a tent. From the outside, it looked exactly like the kind of improvised workshop Starswirl and his company would make, a scene which many ponies had gotten used to.

They transferred all of their equipment to the inside of the cave and also set up tents inside. Spanner, with the help of Empennage, managed to grow their needed food by using glass domes which were built nearby outside, thus they were completely self-sufficient.

Starswirl had been particularly closer to Athena compared to the rest of the group. There were some times where he would spend the entire day with her, talking, learning, and drawing concepts.

Athena, however, was very careful with the words she used to make sure that she was sharing safe information, and she never allowed any of them to go beyond where she was, passed the projector in the hangar.

Starswirl, aided by Gousset, was able to create and develop a crystal which can house entities like AI units while Spanner and the rest were busy with building a simple body to hold Athena.

“You sure this will work?” Athena asked, inspecting the body, which looked like a very rough bronze impression of a unicorn.

“Absolutely,” Spanner said. He raised up an AI core with a smile. “This thing you lent us really helped in actually building it.”

He lowered his voice down to a murmur. “Still can’t accept the fact that it’s a horn-head.”

“To be honest,” Gousset added, “It’s not so different converting crystals to store magic.”

Spanner came to the side of the body and opened up a panel. He reached in and pulled out a blue diamond. “Let’s get this over with.”

He approached Athena’s projector and pressed it to the side.

Athena took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her holographic image disappeared, and a wave of energy traveled throughout the projector. The blue crystal turned on like it had a light inside. Spanner quickly placed it back inside the unicorn body.

There was a moment of silence, the glow from the diamond resonating from the inside. Then, the unicorn’s eyes opened, revealing blue irises. On top of the head, a hologram of Athena appeared. She looked down upon her new self and chuckled.

“I like this cute little hologram projector you put on here,” she admired with a smile.

Starswirl chuckled, sticking his chest out with pride. “Anything to suit a fine guest of our land.”

Athena nodded and smiled. The red aura in her eyes glowed ever more brightly. “Anyway, back to work, then. Is there anything you can start me with?”

Waving a hoof, Starswirl motioned her with a smile. “Follow me, madam.”

The synthetic body stepped forward. With a snap of her fingers, Athena made the crystal appear holographically in front of her. “Lead the way,” she said, her attention obviously shifting to the artifact.

“I believe this is a start of a very interesting union as we know it,” Starswirl added. “This land can march on to prosperity, thanks to you. Perhaps you can share with us the reason to why you are so attracted to that crystal of yours--”

“Never!” Athena shouted at the spur of the moment.

Starswirl and the rest jumped back in surprise. They turned and found Athena’s pony holding up an alien-looking cylinder with magic, pointing straight at them. Her entire body danced with red like flames of rage, and the look on her eyes were of a killer’s.

“All I care about is getting back home!” she continued with a shrill cry. A fine red beam of light shot out from the side of the cylinder and aimed right at Starswirl’s forehead. “I don’t care about you or anything else about this rock! This is nothing more than survival of the fittest, and if I have to dispose of you to complete the objective, then I will!”

Spanner dashed forward and swung his wrench against the synthetic robot’s head, stunning her. Empennage twisted, raised her hind legs, and bucked Athena’s jaw. She was literally lifted off of her hooves and sent flying, crashing into the wall. Gousset grabbed hold of her weapon with magic and tossed it away.

Starswirl stood there, shocked and frozen.

Athena lay on the ground, moaning. The sudden hit made all the red in her disappear. Spanner raised his wrench again.

“No! Wait!” Starswirl seized the tool and held them all back with his magic.

“‘Wait?!’” Gousset half-shouted. He tried to fight free of the spell, but his power was far inferior. “She nearly killed you!”

“Whatever did try was not her!” Starswirl retorted, still holding them. He turned to Athena. Her body was severely dented in several locations, sparks erupting every now and then. At first, it looked dead, but all thoughts were pushed aside when it opened its eyes.

Her hologram blinked to life, and her body stood back up weakly. All her features were back to shades of blue.

“Athena?” Starswirl asked.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“What happened to you?”

Athena lowered her head and closed her eyes. “I am an artificial intelligence. I don’t live as long as normal living beings. I die much earlier than others. But first, I become rampant, insane.”

Spanner lowered his guard, listening intently. Everyone else did the same.

“I don’t know why it’s happening to me so early,” Athena continued. “I’m still young for AI standards. All I can guess is that my journey through time might have altered it, and I believe-” she pulled up the crystal hologram “-that this thing is the solution.”

“And what makes you so sure of that?” Gousset asked.

“It... talks to me, listens to me. I talk back, and it understands.” Athena looked like she was about to say more, but she kept silent. Her attention was consumed back into the crystal like a child looking at a toy.

“Athena?” Starswirl called out.

Athena shook her head. “Sorry, lost my focus back there.”

“You’ve been growing too attached to that,” Starswirl added.

“Well, she did say it had the possibility of holding the key to solving her problem,” Empennage said.

“But at what cost?” Gousset asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Athena murmured. She made her body turn around and approach a dense-looking box. It opened wide, a glow resonating from somewhere within. An aura surrounded her horn, and the crystal artifact floated out.

“Wait,” Starswirl said. “How do you know that this is safe?”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Athena replied.

Mathematical symbols formed beyond the crystal and circled around Athena. A small ball formed in front of her, murmuring unknown words, and she talked back to it naturally. They chattered for some time and left the ponies in wonder.

“Latin,” she said to Starswirl and his group calmly. “An old language of ours.”

“Construct,” the sphere said to Athena, “do you accept my offer?”

“Yes,” Athena replied.

A holographic helmet formed in front of her. It had a very basic and round shape with a visor meant to cover her entire face. There were a few details that made it look alien. Athena pulled off her headpiece and slipped on the new one. Her image distorted for a moment, then came back to normal later on.

“Athena?” Starswirl asked. “How are you now?”

Athena turned around, her head completely encased with the alien-looking helmet. “Let’s get to work. I’m all ears and ready to assist.”

Everyone breathed sighs of relief. Somehow, Starswirl thought that if Athena’s body had a moving face, she would be smiling.

With the new member on the team, progress in inventing machines and concepts skyrocketed. Every day, they were either making a new machine or drawing another idea. Athena, however, played on the safe side and mostly referenced her ideas to Leonardo da Vinci, a so-called ‘librarian,’ and a ‘didact,’ though none of them understood.

They managed to move the growing domes to the inside of the cave and create artificial sources of lighting via manipulating and enchanting gemstones. When the windigoes’ wrath of winter came, they all agreed to seal themselves in a protective bubble to block them out, with Athena spearheading the operation.

“Tell us again how it works,” Spanner asked, inspecting the invention. It looked like an orb of pure obsidian with streaks of blue running across. Gousset, Starswirl, and Empennage watched in silence.

“Once I activate this, the entire cave will be in a time-locked bubble,” Athena replied. “Thus, nothing here is capable of decay.”

“How will we know when it is safe to go outside?” Empennage asked.

“We won’t,” Athena replied flatly.

Spanner shot her a look. “But--”

“This is much like what was needed to be done to save the universe from infection,” Athena cut in. “If it weren’t for preservation, every living thing, including this world, would be in a fate worse than death.”

Starswirl stood silent. The look on his eyes was lost in deep thought.

“We have already managed to have a fixed, sufficient sources of water and food,” Athena added.

Empennage switched his attention to Starswirl. “This is insane!”

Lowering his head and closing his eyes, Starswirl sighed. “The windigoes outside will freeze everypony if our tribes do not settle together. It would spell the end of our races, if taken to an extreme.”

Gousset gasped. “You can’t be serious with this!”

Ignoring him, the horn on Athena’s body glowed with an aura of magic. Streaks of light flashed across the walls. The sound of rocks cracking and shuffling reached their ears. Sunlight seeping in was slowly fading away, and with a loud and hollow bang, the final ounces of light coming in died out. Starswirl lowered his head. His regret was ever present.

“So... what do we do now?” Spanner asked.

“We build for a new era,” Athena said, trotting off into the distance.

Finding no other options, Spanner and Empennage followed and disappeared into the workshop.

It was as if time had been lost in the cave. Everypony forgot how long they had been trapped inside, and even with the help of calendars and tools to tell the date, they refused to know. They kept themselves busy by building whatever Athena and Starswirl planned.

“Well?” Spanner asked. “How did we do?”

Athena looked at herself on the mirror. Instead of dented and old bronze plates, her body was composed of smooth pieces like a guard’s armor, and a visor covered the face. The mane and tail parts moved with energy, and this time, she lacked a horn.

“Excellent,” she said. “This platform is improved.”

“Impressive work, if I do say so myself,” a cold voice said.

Everyone except Athena jumped. They turned, finding a ink-black alicorn, tall and with her mane flowing with energy. Her eyes were teal slits, striking fear into their hearts and making them freeze. Her horn glowed, and they were all lifted to the air and shoved against the wall.

“So, this is where the almighty Starswirl hid himself,” she said as she trotted around the workshop. “Fascinating.”

She stopped at the sight of a model of a zeppelin. “Well, what do we have here?”

She levitated the schematics in front of her.

“Interesting...” she said, running a hoof along the lines.

Another object caught her eye.

“A crossbow?” she asked, inspecting the bronze weapon. It had no string, and it looked like a generic tool. Carefully, she floated it up. Lights along the sides lit up with a glow, exactly the same color as her own magic. Her eyes opened in amazement.

“What a prototype,” she commented.

The magic holding them against the wall disappeared, and everypony fell to the floor.

“Why not we put it through a test run?” Nightmare Moon asked, pointing it straight at Empennage.

“No!” Empennage begged. “Please!-”

The crossbow fired, and the bolt pierced Empennage’s heart. She collapsed onto the floor, not moving an inch. Spanner gagged, and Starswirl felt his body freeze solid. Gousset started growling.

“Excellent,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. She pointed it at Spanner. “Perhaps you would like to join her.”

Spanner stood silent. He closed his eyes with a tear sliding down his face. There was thump of a crossbow, and another body fell.

“This world...” Athena grumbled. “This world is unfit. Action is required to force it into order.”

“Starting now!” Gousset barked. He charged forward and tried to slam a hoof onto Nightmare Moon, only to be shot at with the crossbow.

Athena dashed forward with unseen speed. She managed to rear up her hind hooves and buck Nightmare Moon right on the crest of her armor. She gasped and took a step back to get balance again.

However, it was not enough. Athena had an aura of violet wrap around her. She was lifted up to the air and thrown hard against the wall.

Before he knew it, Starswirl found the crossbow fixed on him, and a wicked smile was across Nightmare Moon’s face.

“Thank you for your generous gifts, Starswirl,” she said. “Your contributions to Equestria shall be seen by all, present and future.”

Starswirl closed his eyes and lowered his head.

“That creature is of pure evil,” Gousset said.

“I am afraid so,” Starswirl sighed. “With what I know of, there is nothing we can do now. We are in the afterlife, where we can not come back to life.”

Gousset grumbled. “I could have stopped her... somehow.”

Wisps of blue formed before them and built up on top of one another. Slowly, A translucent image of Athena’s body appeared. “It’s time for action,” she said.

Starswirl felt his jaw fall. “How... how did you get here?”

“Our research of souls and the help of the crystal proved to be very useful,” Athena said. “Still, what do you suggest we do with... her? She left as soon as she killed you, and she closed the cave shut. However, our time-lock still works.”

Silence passed by, with no answer being muttered.

“Say, Athena,” Gousset said, “if you can bring yourself here and back, can you, by any chance, bring a soul back to the living world?”

Athena was silent for a moment, her head lowered. “According to Starswirl’s notes, if we can provide a body, then, theoretically, yes.”

“Can our growing chambers for our food be altered to grow a body?”

“Human technology has made us capable of cloning organisms, even before we crashed here,” Athena said matter-of-factly. “And, I have to be honest, I have been doing things behind your backs. In order to prevent suspicion as to why all of you disappeared, I flash cloned copies and sent them back in time, right to the point where you ‘disappeared.’ How I did so is top secret.”

“Clever girl.” A smile of anticipation formed on Gousset’s face. “Let’s get busy, then.”

Starswirl grabbed him by the shoulder with a hoof. “What are you planning to do?” he asked in a serious tone

“Take down the monster that killed you,” Gousset replied. “And watch over the new land.”

“This is absurd!” Starswirl argued.

“To avoid suspicion, you must come up with a new name,” Athena said. “Also, your memory shall be wiped clean if you transition back to the living world. But, when you go back here, they will all return to you.”

“I understand,” Gousset replied.

“What will your name be, then?” Athena asked. “I calculate that we can re-use names after sometime.”

“Gousset!” Starswirl barked. “This is against the law of life!”

Gousset ignored him. “Call me Galea.”

The two ODSTs stood in silence. Starswirl kept his head low. The brim of his hat covered his eyes.

“That’s it, then?” Garrett asked.

“For over a thousand years,” Galea said, “we’ve been doing this.”

“I watched as Athena’s mind slowly corrupted itself into thinking that humans were the saviors of this world,” Starswirl said. “She continued building and expanding underground. As she was building her army, she kept up with helping Galea and his attempts. I did all I could to stop him from doing this on and on, but he never listened. Nightmare Moon never came back, and I fear that my plans and notes offered her countless amounts of resources for her own use.”

“Nightmare Moon was stopped,” Garrett returned. He looked at Galea. “You could’ve just ended it there. What made you go back?”

A side of the wall slid open. It creaked and shook the ground, revealing another spherical room.

“Dear God...” Jenny awed

The entire room was filled with pods, each one holding a unicorn suspended in a liquid. The cloning tubes lined the side of the wall in a massive circular formation. Three rows, stacked one on top of the other like a library shelf, provided enough copies to last for centuries. One chamber was empty, meaning to Garret that it used to be the womb of the Galea that he knew.

“This land needed protection, even after Nightmare Moon,” Galea said. “There’s still a lot of dark things going on here, and I’m willing to live and die again and again just to see peace remain.”

“After all this time?” Garrett asked.

Galea nodded. “Always.”

Garrett shifted his attention to the steward. “Your name... it’s Athena, isn’t it?”

The steward tilted her head. “I have not heard that in a long time.”

“Why the human worship?” Garrett asked.

“This world is unfit to be ruled on its own because it has too much chaos and disarray. The only way to bring true peace is through an external source of law and order, and the humans are more than capable of doing so.”

“So, you’re telling me that we should eliminate their right of being free?” Garrett growled, clenching a fist.

“If it is to preserve the peace and life, then yes,” the steward replied.

“What makes you so sure that humanity is capable of being in control?” Jenny asked.

“I have been watching.” The steward walked over to the console and tapped a button. A screen formed, and it showed a montage of news reports that ranged from the ODSTs handling missions flawlessly all the way down to the twenty-first century, where the British SAS efficiently shot down targets in the Killing House. The individuals acting as hostages ranged from the prime minister all the way to royalty.

“Humanity has the capability of striking fear into the hearts of many when needed,” the steward commented. “Quick, efficient, and brutal. I have made frequent portal trips in the past, and I have seen the power of destroyers such as Discord and Chrysalis. With what Nightmare Moon has recently been capable of doing, every ounce of strength will be needed to bring her down.”

The steward made another screen appear. It showed a pegasus standing on a room with her hooves restraint to the floor. Her eyes were teal slits, and her coat looked like it had black slowly finding its way to cover her. A sense of misery was shown on her face.

“The poor pegasus has been through so much,” Starswirl commented empathetically. “Nightmare Moon’s power and corruption of her soul has seriously taken a toll upon her. An unforgivable crime, if you ask me.”

Garrett cringed and started feeling a knot form on his throat, and Starswirl easily spotted it.

“Do not worry,” he attempted to say as the screen disappeared. “She is perfectly fine now.”

“The purging of the infection went through successfully,” Athena added.

Jenny looked hard at the steward. “Why didn’t you stop her from causing so much hell?” she suddenly asked Galea.

“She wouldn’t listen,” Galea grumbled back. “And, I have to be honest, with everything that’s been going on... from a soldier’s perspective...”

He lost his words and closed his eyes. “Start the transfer,” he mumbled.

The steward nodded. “Understood.”

“Damn it, Galea!” Garrett growled. “Don’t do this!”

“Coming from the man who killed himself and had a second thought,” Galea shot back.

Jenny shot a look at Garrett. “You what?!”

Garrett smashed his fist against the console. “Don’t you dare bring that into this!” he shouted, completely ignoring his comrade.

“No, Garrett!” Galea snarled. “Tell me! Why is it all right for you to die and come back to life?! Why is it wrong for me to do it?!”

With a loud roar, Garrett smashed the butt of his shotgun on the console. “Shut up!”

“Tell me!” Galea barked with all his might.

Silence was the response. Garrett’s fist tightened, and his growl raised. “I came back because I made a mistake. You’re going back to life because you can. To return to the world of the living to fix a bad choice once is tolerable, but to revive a soul with a clone repeatedly for a period of over a thousand years is unacceptable. You’re turning yourself into a tool.”

Galea shook his head with distaste. “You’re pathetic.”

“The cycle shall continue,” the steward added. “Always has, always will be. He set his purpose and held true. Soon, under a new leadership, Equestria shall learn the true meaning of peace and--”

A loud bang cut off the steward. An explosion destroyed her neck and sent her flying to the wall. Her robotic body clunked to the floor, emitting sparks. The headless pile of scrap refused to move.

Garrett stood there, pointing his shotgun right at where the steward used to be.

“Garrett, what the buck was that for?!” Galea shouted.

“You’re right, Galea,” Garrett murmured. “You’ll always bring yourself back, be born in a new body, and die... over and over again.”

He shifted his gaze to Jenny. “Weapons free, Aves.”

Jenny flicked the safety off of her rifle. The two of them turned and polarized their visors, heading straight into the cloning room.

“What’s next, Garrett?!” Galea shouted rapidly.”What’s next on your agenda?!”

Starswirl lowered his head and smiled slightly. “Thank you, Garrett.”

The pair stopped at the door, and Garrett and Jenny raised their weapons and set their sights at the closest occupied cloning tubes.

“Garrett, what are you doing?!” Galea yelled.

Garrett cocked his shotgun, and the empty shell came flying out, bouncing upon the ground with loud thunks. “Mercy.”

The two of them squeezed their triggers. Gunfire ripped through the air, and muzzle flashes lit up the room.

“Damn you, Garrett! Damn you!” Galea’s roars were quickly drained out as Garrett and Jenny continued letting the explosive rounds fly. Empty ammunition shells, unspeakable horrors, and shards of glass rained about their feet as a unicorn threatened to scream his lungs out.

Author's Notes:

If this chapter sounds a lot like Halo 4, just know that I had this planned out for a long time, even before the game was on shelves. If you're not a fan of me drifting away from the main story line, I apologize. Rest assured that this would be the last time that this happens on this story.

Part 13: Slight Adjustments

How the buck do lunar guards survive these kinds of shifts? Turbulence thought. To her, sunlight had almost been forgotten. She lost track on how long she was in there. Whoever was in charge of keeping her alive did so without ever letting her see him or her. She was fed with more than enough calories to survive, but she was still hungry. Uselessness filled her as her body was too weak to do anything.

Her ears perked up to the sound of an approaching individual reached her, and it slowly got louder and louder.

“H-hello?” she croaked.

The door of her room slid open with a hiss. Very dim light seeped in, and two tall shadows entered. They walked on two legs, and they had a dark, bulky look. One had an ace of spades and phoenix feather strapped to one shoulder.

“Who are you?” Turbulence tried to ask, squinting. She tried to back off more into a corner but to no avail.

One of the creatures stooped down, wrapped two arms around her, and picked her up. She tried to kick and buck herself free, only to be held even tighter.

“It’s all right,” the shadow hushed. “We’ve got you now.”

Turbulence’s eyes opened, realizing who it was.“Garrett-”

Garrett placed his palm on her mouth. “Don’t talk,” he said gently. “Save your strength.”

“Mind explaining to me what kind of aliens we’re actually dealing with, Archer?” Jenny asked irritably, staring intently at Turbulence.

“In a nutshell, ponies from a kid’s fairy tale land,” Garrett explained flatly.

“That’s all I need to know,” Jenny said as if the answer was not new to her. She reached for her rucksack and pulled out a canister of water. Then, she carefully tipped it on Turbulence’s lips.

Turbulence drank a very generous amount of water, quenching her dry throat. “Thank you.”

“She looks half-starved,” Jenny commented. She pulled out a plastic-foil package from her pocket. “Think she can take a protein bar?”

“Anything’s better than the food in here,” Turbulence croaked, trying to laugh but ultimately coughing.

“You’re lucky it’s chocolate.” Jenny tore open the wrapper and offered it to Turbulence. She smiled and grabbed it with her hooves, munching on it as if it was her birthday gift.

Still feeling too frail to get up, Garrett continued holding Turbulence in his arms. He carried her out of her cell in the company of Jenny. She kept silent, and her silver visor made it difficult to tell if she was staring.

When they reached the massive control room again, the terminal in the center still stood aglow with its forerunner crystal also remaining in its floating state.

Turbulence looked up to the height of the ceiling. “Woah,” she breathed.

“I know, it’s overwhelming,” Garrett said, still carrying her across.

“How long has this been in existence?” Turbulence asked. “More importantly, where are we?”

“Don’t know the answer to either of those,” Garrett replied.

Turbulence glanced over her shoulder, finding a room severely damaged and littered with several scorch marks. Small amounts of smoke were still coming out of the wreckage, and she managed to spot an intact glass tube large enough to fit her.

“What happened in there?” Turbulence asked again, craning her neck. She cringed as the smell of burned matter reached her nose, her eyes tearing up slightly. “It smells like death, and the damage looks recent--”

Jenny reached over and forcefully made Turbulence look away. “You don’t want to know.”

They reached the end of a hall which was blocked off by the cave walls. The rocks shuffled aside, opening like a doorway. The damp air flushed out and replaced itself with a sensation of life. The outside light leaked in, and Turbulence cringed. She closed her eyes as it was too bright for her. Garrett saw her reaction and brought his handout to protect her vision, but when he attempted to bring up his palm, she jerked in his grip.

“No, I’ll take care of my sight myself,” Turbulence said.

For both Jenny and Turbulence, they felt as if it was a perception long forgotten. Both stared at the scene, attempting to hide their looks of awe.

Garrett activated his radio. “Downburst, come in. I need a private chariot ride. No one else should be aware of it, and those involved must never tell anyone.”

“You better have a very good explanation for this,” Downburst grumbled in irritation. “I’ve got the princesses breathing down my neck, and the entire guard--”

“I have Turbulence,” Garrett said flatly.

There was a moment of silence.

“I’m on my way,” Downburst finally whispered.

It was almost as if the entire Canterlot Castle was in a state of partying. Nearly every guard available was in the mess hall, cheering and greeting Turbulence. She was still slightly weak, but the introduction of real food again was a welcomed treat.

Despite it almost being the end of the shifts, both day and night guards dropped by give her a warm welcome. They all gathered around her and watched as she chewed endlessly on real flavour.

However, two soldiers sat in the corner, fully armored and watching in silence. One was playing around with her knife by twirling it in her palm. Her focus on it was hard, and her brows were furrowed in deep concentration.

“Something’s obviously on your mind, Aves,” Garrett said.

“Archer, it’s about... them,” Jenny hissed, switching her gaze to the ponies merrily laughing beside their lost comrade.

“It’s about them being aliens, isn’t it?” Garrett asked.

Jenny nodded.

“I know,” Garrett continued. “All the aliens we’ve known of want to kill us. Seeing new ones that don’t feels awkward, to say the least.”

“Where were you, Garrett?” Jenny asked. “Have you been honestly been here all this time?”

Garrett closed his eyes and nodded.

“Then what the hell have you been doing here?”

Garrett took a long gulp from his drink. “When I crash landed in here, I had the same reaction you are having right now. I was confused and panicked. They attempted to bring me down, and I did whatever ODSTs do best.”

Jenny chuckled a bit. “So, what did you do?”

“Blew a massive hole in the place where they kept my Longsword, interrupted class time, beat the crap out of multiple guards, took a princess hostage, used her as leverage, flew out via wingsuit, took another hostage, and lived off of stolen food and fresh river water.” Garrett had a smug smile form on his face. “I could go on, but you’ll have to buy me a drink in the pub.”

“Damn...” Jenny breathed. She took a long sip from her cup. “What the hell was with that cloning chamber in that cave?”

“I’m with you on that one.”

“I talked with the princesses of this castle, and they said they’re willing to offer you a room in here.”

Shaking her head, Jenny sighed. “I’m sorry, Garrett, but I can’t. The crew...”

“I understand,” Garrett said. “I’ll do what I can from my end.”

Jenny sheathed her knife and stood up. “I can’t stay in here.”

“Where are you going?” Garrett asked.

“Back to the frigate. I want to look after Stanford and the rest. Probably explore whatever the hell the cave still has.”

“If that’s the case, let’s grab our gear back in the Longsword and head on out,” Garrett said.

The two of them got up and walked down the mess hall. As they passed by, the guards’ cheers hushed slightly. They ignored eye contact as much as possible while making their way.

“Hey, Garrett,” Turbulence called out.

Garrett looked over his shoulder and found all eyes towards him.

“I never got the chance to formally say thank you,” she said as she gave a small smile.

Garrett nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“About that place you found me in...” Turbulence started.

“Don’t get involved,” Jenny interjected. “The two of us’ll handle that part.”

“And it’s better you don’t know what else is hiding in there,” Garrett added. He reached for the knob and pulled open the door. He disappeared down the halls in the company of Jenny.

“All this secrecy has been making times very difficult, Garrett,” Luna murmured.

“Agreed,” Celestia added. She glanced back at the guards behind them, who were dragging along a chest. “Bringing Turbulence and an old friend of yours almost out of thin air a few days ago is...”

“I get the point, ma’am,” Garrett said. “But, I’m sorry. I can’t afford to say anything about it. I just need you to trust me on this.”

The ODST combat armor and assault rifle did not give any encouragement.

A pair of doors opened, and a group of guards appeared, escorting Twilight and her friends.

Pinkie Pie waved a hoof with a massive grin. “Hi, Garrett!”

Garrett simply nodded and motioned the guards to leave. He then activated his comms and murmured a few words before moving to the chest. Reaching in, he pulled out the Elements of Harmony and distributed them accordingly. Judging by the silence he was giving, it was very obvious that he was in no mood to smile.

“What you’re about to see and do never happened,” Garrett said sternly. “Are we clear?”

All of the ponies nodded, and Garrett proceeded to a pair of doors.

He opened them wide, and Celestia and Luna easily realised where Garrett was taking them. The massive storage room was almost the same size as the one that kept the crashed Longsword. It stood empty and silent, save for the sound of armored boots and hooves.

He shut the door behind him. The locking the mechanisms’ clicks resonated throughout the entire vault. Garrett then proceeded to the middle of the hall and pulled out a tracker from his rucksack. After placing on the ground, he activated his radio.

“We’re ready, Aves,” he said.

“I got your signal,” Jenny said. “You sure this’ll work?”

“If you can find a better alternative, you’re more than welcomed to shoot me in the ass,” Garrett replied.

Jenny chuckled. “It’s nice having you back.”

“Likewise. Send in the first batch.”

“Already did.”

Garrett turned to them and raised his neck. The ponies looked behind them, and all of them felt themselves freeze.

“Oh, no...” Celestia breathed. Luna covered her mouth with her hoof.

“No way,” Rainbow Dash gasped.

The eight of them stared at the sight of a group of solidified humans, statues in motion. The one in front was wearing an officer’s uniform. Slightly aged, he stood straight. He was lowering his head and closing his eyelids as if he was accepting an execution. The rest were in a state of panic, either running or attempting to accomplish a final task.

“Can you help them?” Garrett asked.

Twilight was the first to take the step forward. She approached the frozen officer and ran her hoof across his cap. A look of pity and sorrow reflected off of her face. “I’m not sure,” she said. “But, maybe...”

She looked back at her friends. “Ready, girls?”

“Ready!” they snapped in unison.

Garrett watched in silence and crossed his arms.

Twilight stepped forward and. closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then her horn lit up like a blaze. The Elements of Harmony sparked to life, and a rainbow of magic emerged from each of them. It rose to the air and turned to one of the statues.

The energy levels were so intense, Garrett’s VISR started filling with static. He repeatedly tapped his helmet and shook his head. By the time he regained his vision, Twilight and her friends were already finished.

The human’s body was also covered in an aura. Color slowly came back to him as the grey faded away. When his face was back to normal, there were small wheezes from his throat. Garrett managed to catch him right before he would have hit the ground.

“Are you all right, colonel?” he asked.

Stanford coughed dryly and gasped for air, holding onto Garrett for support. “And I thought cryo-sleep was bad,” he coughed.

He blinked multiple times as his vision was still blurry. He looked up and faced Garrett, who unpolarized his visor.

“Garrett Archer, is it really you?” he asked.

“Yes, it is, sir,” Garrett replied.

“Where were you all this time?”

“I crash landed on this planet, sir, and I’ve been stranded here ever since.”

“Did anything interesting during your stay here, then?” Stanford asked.

“I met a new set of aliens,” Garrett answered. “They’re ruled by two princesses, and for once, they don’t want to kill us in the long run.”

Stanford looked up and glanced at Celestia and Luna. He shifted his gaze back at Garrett. “‘In the long run?’ What does that mean?”

“Initial relationships were rough at first, colonel,” Celestia said.

“‘Rough’ doesn’t even come close to the kind of hell ODSTs bring,” Stanford said. He switched his direction back to Garrett. “Where’s the rest of the crew I was with, lieutenant?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Garrett replied, lowering his head.

Stanford turned around and found the statues. He froze in place, and a wave of guilt rushed over his face. He closed his eyes and sighed. “Who got me out?”

“We did,” Twilight said. She motioned her friends. “We’re capable of getting your crew out of. If you send them here, and we can handle the rest.”

“Thank you for your generosity,” Stanford said, tipping his cap.

“Anything to help, colonel,” Celestia said, attempting to sound positive, but the thought of having to save help hundreds of humans from prisons of stone prevented her.

“I guess we should make space, then,” Stanford said. The two of them back up until the wall, well out of earshot from the princesses.

“How much did we miss trooper?” he asked Garrett in a low murmur.

“Earth’s been found, sir,” Garrett replied grimly.

Stanford’s eyes opened with a fire of rage. He grit his teeth and closed his hand to a fist.

“I haven’t heard of anything other than an order to call back all ships,” Garrett added with a whisper. “I don’t know what’s going on now.”

The two glanced at the ponies, who were busy conducting the spell that covered the entire batch of frozen humans.

“It’s Earth, Archer,” Stanford murmured. “They’re definitely putting up a good fight, even until now if it’s still on.”

“What do you suggest we do now?”

“We’ll have to protect this planet and get our ship repaired, if possible, but the problem is that none of us here know it as well as you. So, we’ll be following your lead.”

Garrett shot him a look. “Sir?”

“We need more leaders, and you’re the best shot we’ve got right now.” Stanford pulled out a datapad from his pocket and placed the sensor near Garrett’s chest. He pressed the screen, and a quick beep came.

“What’s this, colonel?” Garrett asked.

“Just establishing rank,” Stanford replied. “Take a look.”

Garrett pulled out his dog tags and found the digital text altered.

CAPTAIN

“Thank you sir,” Garrett said with a hint of a smile. He glanced at the datapad. “Kind of handy to have that tool around.”

Stanford nodded. “It’s useful if you’ll be doing deep space ops for a long time.”

“Is this sanctioned?”

“Nowadays, would you honestly care?”

The first batch of ODSTs were finally freed. They coughed and gagged, swearing about how uncomfortable they felt. Some were on their knees, blinking wildly and holding their heads.

“Ten-hut!” Stanford barked.

In a snap, they all ceased their actions and stood straight.

“I know that you all have a lot on your mind, but I need you to pay attention to your new captain,” Stanford announced.

“Thank you, sir,” Garrett said. He switched his attention to the humans. “Before any of you make side comments, let me just say that yes, it’s me, the long-lost Garrett Archer. As of now, The rest of your comrades are quite literally stoned, frozen like statues.”

To the surprise of the princesses, they managed to hold their emotions down, but they knew that underneath the polarized visors, eyes were trained on them with distrust.

“As for them-” Garrett motioned Celestia and Luna “-you better show some respect. They call the shots on this planet and are the only hopes of getting the rest of the crew out. I’ll explain everything later, but for now, our priority is to get everyone back to normal. Hoorah?”

“Hoorah!” they all replied.

Garrett activated his radio. “Jenny, bring in all of them and yourself.”

“All of them?” Jenny asked. “That’s quite a lot at once, lieut--”

“That’s ‘captain’ now, thanks to the colonel.”

“Understood.”

The crew stood silent and at attention. When the ponies finished casting their spells, they left the room before the humans regained their senses. As a result, the entire process of getting back to attention went undisturbed. Garrett walked to the front of the crowd, flanked by Jenny and Stanford.

“If I am told correctly,” he started, “the last thing you remember was investigating anomalies in this sector, and a massive surge of energy caused all of you to go MIA. Between that moment and now, several months passed by, and you missed a lot of the action back out there... including me crashing into this rock and the Battle for Earth.”

They still stood at attention. Fists were clenched, and low growls stealthily came and went.

“I don’t know what’s happening now,” Garrett continued. “For all we know, we could be the last humans in existence. Back to present times, it’s quite obvious that we’re on an alien planet. Relationships have been rough at first, but I managed to get it into more stable conditions with the two princesses ruling this place. Be careful with your initial contact with them, and I’m sure as hell that they’re listening to us at this very moment.”

There were a few muffled gasps from the door, followed by the sound of movement that shuffled away.

“I know, it’ll be hard to trust them, being aliens and all,” Garrett said. “But, we just have to make do. Before you know it, we’ll be going back to the safety of our own ship. To play on the safe side, don’t talk to them, hide your reactions, and avoid contact until you’re all comfortable. Any questions?”

“How are these aliens compared to the Covenant, captain?” Stanford asked.

“They’ve done things that amazed me, sir,” Garrett replied, “but they’ve also done things that made me wish for the Covenant again.”

Stanford nodded, silent as everyone else.

“What happened to our AI?” the commander of the Night Stalker asked.

Garrett shook his head. “Athena went rampant. She joined herself with the Forerunner crystal you brought. It gave her the knowledge needed to keep an entire cave in a time-locked space. I had to take her down because she was going to start a war. She kept a terminal with her. Hopefully, all of her data is in there, and I hope that we can shed some light on some of the... disturbing things she showed me.”

The commander lowered her head, the visor of her cap casting a shadow over her eyes.

“Next question,” Garrett called out.

The change needed to accommodate the new humans came in as quick as an hour that passed. When they left the vault for the first time, listening to Garrett’s recommendations, the ODSTs and crewmen avoided as much contact as possible with the ponies, even when they tried to start conversation. Guest rooms were quickly filled, and the lunar guards were generous enough to offer their bunk beds for the night. All the while, the mess hall provided helpful servings of food to assist them in regaining nutrition. But, with the thought of missing the Battle for Earth still afresh, hostility and rage were subtly given to the Equestrians.

The new schedule was only in effect for one night, as all the humans, including Garrett, packed up and marched out at dawn the very next day. None of them argued with their new captain, and all they did was stay quiet and march in formation, following him as he lead them back to the cave.

Listening to Garrett’s requests, no royal guard was to follow them, and it was known to be preferred because the mere fact of them being aliens being peaceful made the other humans uncomfortable and distrusting.

Colonel Stanford sighed as he smoothed his palm over a holo table to remove the dust. He looked up to see the rest of the bridge of the Night Stalker. Other crewmen were in the midst of cleaning up their workstations and turning on necessary systems. Many were saying out loud if their monitors were booting up properly.

“Surprisingly, other than a few simple repairs, the ship will be back up running within the hour,” the commander of the Night Stalker said. “The problem is getting out of this cave.”

“One priority at a time, commander,” Stanford said. He switched on the comms. “Archer, what’s the situation back at that terminal?”

“To our surprise, sir,” Garrett said over the radio, “we can actually fit all of the data into one unit, but we needed to use the kinds meant for delivering AIs. All the information here is intact, but it’s acting like a regular artificial intelligence... like it’s alive. Luckily, we got it secured and have it ready for transport, and someone should be there soon with said core. Last but not least, we found something interesting.”

“And what would that be?” the commander asked.

The metal floor beneath everyone’s feet rumbled and shook. The crewmembers looked at each other in worry, murmuring their concerns. Stanford and the commander looked up beyond the bridge windows. The rocks began shuffling way and folding on top of one another. Some stones fell off and rolled to the floor. A bright crack of light broke through the center of the cave wall, filling the bridge.

The dome continued opening, revealing a mountain view of Equestria and a hole large enough for the stealth frigate to fly out.

“Well, that’s a start,” Stanford said. He inspected the looks on everyone’s faces and chuckled at the sight of gaping mouths.

In the darkness of the night, Luna and Celestia met on the top floor the Observatory Tower of Canterlot Castle. The two of them felt a pressure return, the same feeling when Garrett first appeared in Equestria.

“Sister, I cannot believe I am saying this,” Luna started, making her way to the balcony, “but I feel... threatened by the humans.”

She sighed and ran her hoof along the side of the telescope. “Humanity’s background against aliens and their personal feelings about the issue has been ever present, even with the help of their training to hide emotions. I sense as though a conflict will be evident.”

“I feel the same way,” Celestia said as she came to her side.

A knock on the door made them turn, and in came a guard. He bowed before them. “Your highness, a group of humans have returned and went to the Longsword in storage.”

“Was Garrett among them?” Luna asked.

The guard shook his head. “No, your highness. We are unsure why they were not wearing ODST uniforms--”

A thunderous rumbling cut him off. The three of them turned to find a triangular starfighter flying across the sky. Its fusion engines shined brightly like shooting stars, and it quickly flew through the air and off into the distance.

From the safety of cloud cover, a titanic object hovered out. Its sheer size easily challenged that of Canterlot Castle, and it looked more than ready to give a show of force. Along the side, there was a text lit up with light.

UNSC NIGHT STALKER

“Sweet mother of...” the guard breathed.

Luna and Celestia stood silent, staring at it with their mouths hanging.

The frigate opened a bay door and accommodated the Longsword. The ship continued on its path, heading towards the castle. Many Canterot residents popped their heads out of windows and went out to the streets. Some panicked and ran while others murmured and stood still in fear.

The Night Stalker came to a halt on the city outskirts. Its cargo bay opened, and a Pelican flew out. It landed right next to the gate. A team of ODSTs, well armed, jumped off and accompanied an officer and another trooper in off-duty clothing. The drawbridge to Canterlot opened, and the humans made their way in.

“Are we going to have a diplomatic meeting, sir?” Garrett asked Stanford.

Stanford shook his head. He took a deep breath and sat down on one of the seats of the princesses’ private library. “No, captain. I just need to talk to you.”

“Then why not in the ship, colonel?” Garrett asked again, taking a seat with him.

“I needed to do it in privacy, where the other troopers can’t listen in,” Stanford replied. “They are keeping themselves busy, right?”

Garrett nodded. “Yes, sir. They’re keeping the guards and the princesses off, following your orders.”

“You trust these aliens, don’t you?

“Yes, sir.”

“That explains why you didn’t want to wear any armor. Anyhow, there are still more important things at hand.” Stanford leaned with his elbows on the table. “Earth. We have a way back to it. But, it’s not the availability that amazed me. It’s the distance. Scans show that we’re more or less as far as Reach.”

Garrett froze, staring at the table. “It’s your call, sir,” he said. “You’re the highest in command.”

“That’s the problem.” Stanford and stood up. He made his way to the window to see the view of Canterlot. “You said that these aliens manage to both amaze you and make you wish that you were fighting the Covenant.”

He turned around to face Garrett again. “Those are bold words, Archer. Tell me, what are they capable of?”

“Equestria, as you can see, looks peaceful and orderly. Its people have a wide range of power and abilities.” Garrett stood up and took a book from the shelf. “But, it has its own share of people who want to watch the world burn.”

He placed the book on the table and flipped it to a page. “For example, Discord.”

Stanford approached to the table and looked at the image.

“This joker has no goal at all,” Garrett continued. “He just wants to see everything in a state of chaos. Hell, he managed to convince me to attempt to take down half of the royal guard and murder the princesses.”

Wide eyed, Stanford stared at Garrett.

“Attempted, sir,” Garrett stressed. “It failed, obviously. Right now, He’s not a problem anymore.”

He switched his attention back to the book and flipped to another page. “The real threat is Nightmare Moon. She wants to rule Equestria herself. Her deep hatred for the princesses and her supporters has no limits. She is capable of corrupting individuals and forcing anyone to his or her knees. If Earth still has humans and if she gets there...”

“...We could face another war,” Stanford said, finishing the sentence.

“And I bet it’ll be easy for her to get Insurrectionist support,” Garrett added.

“So, we can’t exactly leave because of her,” Stanford said. “but, we have Earth. It’s our priority above everything else, and after that, we still have this planet to protect.”

Garrett closed the book and returned it to the shelf. “Should we really risk going back to Earth? We don’t know what we’ll find.”

“Our last word from Earth was, according to you, a message to call back every available ship. It’s time for us to join the party.”

“Better late than never,” Garrett sighed.

“So, that means you’re leaving?” Celestia asked.

The two turned to find the princess standing in front of the door. It was obvious that she was deeply worried, despite her efforts to mask it. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, the cold hard truth hitting her.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry,” Garrett said, “but it’s Earth we’re talking about, and we need to know what happened to it.”

Still keeping her eyes closed, Celestia lowered her head. Garrett slowly approached her. “Ma’am, please. Don’t take it personally.”

Celestia opened her eyes, which glowed teal and with a fire of rage. “I’m not letting you leave this easily,” Nightmare Moon hissed.

Before he could have reacted, Garrett felt a needle pierce him by the neck. He gasped as he gripped a syringe and fell to his knees.

“Archer!” Stanford barked. He quickly drew out his magnum, but another syringe, coated in an aura of magic, soared through the air and find his neck. He attempted to fire a shot, but it obviously missed and hit the floor. Vision blurring and hearing muffling, the last thing he recalled seeing was Garrett falling to the floor and a black alicorn smiling.

Garrett groaned and blinked. Darkness wrapped around him, and his hands were tied behind his back. Stalactites hung from the ceilings, making him guess that he was in yet another cave complex. The first sight he saw was of the rough outline of a changeling. Only, it looked like it was darker than black. It had scales like a snake, its eyes were teal slits, and he noticed violet instead instead of the green, insect-like features he saw in illustrations.

It wore its own set of armor and was armed with a piano-black arcane crossbow, decorated with purple engravings and pin strips. The changeling-like creature stared at him and tilted its head. It then hissed at him, spreading and showing off its wings. Garrett found no fear and refused to flinch.

“Nice pets,” a voice said.

Turning, Garrett found Stanford right next to him, who was also unthreatened and restraint.

“Well, they do serve their purpose well,” Nightmare Moon said. She appeared before Garrett, flanked by two more of the creatures. She ran her hoof along the side of one, stroking it like a dog. “I like calling them shadows. I created them myself, and they seem fit for me. Of course, Chrysalis was more than willing to help in the making.”

“Makes sense,” Garrett commented. “After all, you aren’t the real Nightmare Moon. You’re just a copy, and you’ll never be who you think you are. Your ‘shadows’ aren’t as real as you, either, just another product of someone else’s work with changelings. At least you aren’t alone anymore--”

Nightmare Moon slapped him across the face with a hoof. “Shut it.”

“So, why take us?” Stanford asked.

“To give you a warning,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. She turned around and made her way down. Her horn glowed, and Garrett and Stanford were lifted up into the air, floating alongside with her. “Starswirl’s designs in the past have amazed me, and they still find their use today. They have also given me something to do on the moon.”

She continued dragging them along and stopped at a sudden widening of the cave.

“Now, I’m impressed,” Stanford said, retaining his posture. Garrett, however, felt the blood drain from his face.

The entire area was larger than a stadium. Inside, a zeppelin was being prepared. It looked like it was made completely out of metal, including the envelope used to hold the air. External platforms provided enough space for arcane cannon platforms, and there were lines of those mounted on the balloon part of the airships. Stanford wondered how it was suppose to fly. Garrett, however, never bothered to ask because he set his conclusion as a thing of magic.

Right next to the zeppelin lay numerous pods growing more shadows, and the ones already born were putting on armor and arming up.

“As you can see, Garrett, you’re not the only one capable of having airborne units,” Nightmare Moon said. “I still have more of these waiting to be unleashed. In fact, my entire fleet is enough to cover all of the planet. Now, off to business,”

Her horn glowed with magic again, and a bright light covered the three of them, forcing Stanford and Garrett to close their eyes.

When they came to, the two humans found themselves in a familiar passage full of cryo-tubes.

“We’re inside the Night Stalker,” Stanford whispered to Garrett.

Nightmare Moon lifted Stanford up with magic. “Just remember, if I see even one UNSC ship off in the distance, I will send my forces to Celestia and Luna, and if you land, you will be greeted by the sight of a hanging. If you mind your own business, I promise to show mercy and bring no more harm to them.”

She cut Stanford free and forced him into a cryo-tube. After shutting the canopy, she started the freezing process and let Garrett go as well.

Garrett attempted to tackle her, but Nightmare Moon’s magic quickly wrapped around him and forced him down. He struggled and kicked against her power but was obviously too weak.

“Aren’t you suppose to be excited, soldier?” Nightmare Moon asked as she opened another canopy, “I’m giving all of you a reason to go back home and stay there. Don’t be so mad. I’m doing you a favor.”

“Shut up!” Garrett barked, still trying to break free.

“Oh, and one last thing.” Nightmare Moon floated out a data tablet. “I thought this would be quite useful to you.”

She tapped it with her hoof, and the record commenced.

“The is the UNSC Broadcasting Network, the voice of humanity,” began a host. “Damage to New Mombasa is still present, but rapid development for repairs have already been noticed. The strange formation the Covenant uncovered has been quickly deactivated, according to the Navy. Other cities have already begun the cleanup. Many memorials are being held worldwide as a tribute for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect us.

“Fleet Admiral Hood had these words to say during the one he attended near Voi in East Africa, ‘For us, the storm has passed... the war is over. But let us never forget those who journeyed into the howling dark and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure; sacrifice, and unshakable conviction that their fight... our fight, was elsewhere. As we start to rebuild, this hillside will remain barren, a memorial to heroes fallen. They ennobled all of us, and they shall not be forgotten.’

“Some civilians refused to attend the memorials, as they believe that their family members or friends are still alive out there,somewhere. For today’s Salute to the Troops, we bring you another guess. Please introduce yourself.”

“My name is Sarah,” a young voice said, making Garrett hold his breath and stiffen up.

“Hello, Sarah. Who are you dedicating your special message to?”

“My dad. I just want to say that mom and I are still waiting for him, and we want so see him again. We love him so much, and we hope that he goes home soon.”

“You heard her right, listeners. If you are the father listening to this right now, well, let me say that you have people waiting for you back here, soldier. Get home ASAP. Until then, this is the UNSC Broadcasting Network, the voice of humanity.”

The datapad beeped, ending the recording. Nightmare Moon gingerly disposed of it.

“My, your daughter sounds grown up now, doesn’t she?” Nightmare Moon asked.

Garrett growled, gritting his teeth. “Don’t you dare--”

He was cut off as Nightmare Moon gently pressed her hoof on his lips, and she slowly inched her face slowly to his, as if she was to kiss him.

“Shh...” she hushed like a mother. She brushed his hair with another hoof. “It’ll all be over soon. Sleep well, captain.”

With a glow of her horn, Nightmare Moon flung Garrett towards the open cryo-tube with a loud crash. Then, she quickly shut the canopy.

Garrett roared and smashed against the glass with all his rage. He pounded his fists hard, attempting to fight the sleeping agents.

“No!” he croaked with all his strength. “Damn it! No!”

He felt his body quickly numb and turn weak, and the last thing he last saw was Nightmare Moon smiling and changing form to look exactly like him, except fully armored.

Reaching upward, Garrett tried to grab hold of the emergency release, but his hand was caught short by an inch a the ice solidified him.

With the sudden disappearance of the two humans, suspicions quickly rose, and fingers began pointing. Violence was narrowly avoided in some cases. The ODSTs decided to confront the ponies right in front of the drawbridge. Celestia and Luna chose to offer help personally.

“Where the hell are they?!” a trooper barked.

One switched his attention the princesses. “You had something to do with this, didn’t you?!”

“We have not done any intervention!” Luna argued.

Another Pelican landed, and the commander of the Night Stalker jumped off and approached the princesses. The look on her eyes was of pure aggression, and she was not pleased in any way.

“Is it true?” she asked them in a hiss. “I’ve just been told that the colonel and one of our own ‘vanished’ out of thin air right after a gunshot.”

“We don’t know!” Celestia reasoned.

“Bullcrap!” another ODST shouted.

“We speak of the truth!” Luna retorted.

“Enough!” a voice barked.

Everyone turned and found Garrett walking across the drawbridge in his armor. His eyes were hard with authority. “Nightmare Moon issued us a warning. She has a fleet and an army ready to take over. She decided to show mercy and not bring any harm to anyone if every citizen of Canterlot, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale transfer to lands not ruled by the princesses. If UNSC forces intervene, she will kill every single one of you.”

The news silenced everyone. The Equestrians had their eyes widen while the humans looked at each other. No words were dared to be muttered.

“What does Stanford suggest we do?” the commander asked.

Garrett looked down to the ground. “Pack up and leave,” he grumbled.

There was another wave of stillness.

“Run away from a fight?” the commander asked.

“Look, I’m just relaying orders,” Garrett said. “Stanford and I have seen what we’ll be up against and what the demands were.”

“What are we up against if we decide to fight?” the commander asked again.

Garrett shook his head. “Enough ships to cover this entire planet and an army big enough to back it up. We should board the frigate and get a move on. The colonel wants us in cryo-sleep and a skeleton crew to get us to Earth. He’s already gone ahead to ice himself.”

The commander closed her eyes and sighed. “You heard him,” she said to the ODSTs.

“Garrett, you can’t do this!” Celestia snapped. She stepped into the way between him and the Pelican. “You know how dangerous she is! We have what it takes to stop her!”

“This is war, ma’am,” Garrett said grimly. He took off his helmet and looked at her straight in the eye. “It’s not about if you can save a million lives. It’s more like sacrifice a thousand to keep a billion alive. If we kept on bull-rushing everything, humanity would have lost the war when Reach was attacked. We have Earth again, and we know our priorities.”

All the humans and Equestrians within earshot broke into murmurs and chatter.

Garrett leaned forward and lowered himself to a whisper. “According to intel, the planet’s still alive; humanity has survived.”

Celestia kept silent, blinking. However, just by looking at Garrett’s face, she easily saw one thing amidst all the noise.

Fear.

“Garrett, have you forgotten?” Luna asked. “You have been fighting an alien race with all the odds against you, but you relied on your friends beside you to be there until the end. Of course, your opponents are more advanced and brutal, but you still manage to win. All you need now is the courage to finish this.”

“Look, ma’am,” Garrett said, “A man known as Winston Churchill said that courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

The princesses were silenced. The three stared at each other for a moment, lost within their own thoughts. Eventually, Garrett closed his eyes and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I just want you safe,” Garrett finally said. “Please, trust me on this. What’s the nearest piece of land not directly under your rule?”

“The Principality of Monairco,” Luna said, “a close ally of the Griffon kingdom.”

“And where is it?”

“Right along our coastline, but it is extremely small.”

“How small?”

“About two square kilometers,” Celestia added, as if it was the answer expected to change Garrett’s mind.

“Build up some clouds on the water to be used as makeshift homes over there,” Garrett recommended, “and order some unicorns to make some spells that allow non-pegasi to stay on them. Then, get yourselves some assets for protection. Do you have any forces that could help you?”

“Captain Shining Armor,” Luna said, “we sent him and a number of forces to give aid to the gryphon kingdom. He recently wrote a report claiming that they plan of returning, as the griffons told them they can handle the rest.”

“Then tell the captain what’s going on and to hit land on the principality,” Garrett said.

Mists formed on the eyes of Celestia and Luna. Pain formed in their hearts, and their breathing constricted as the reality was hitting them.

Garrett took a deep breath. “I guess... this means goodbye.”

Walking right past them, he boarded the Pelican and gave them one last look. The three of them locked gazes for the last time, then Garrett slipped on his helmet and polarized his visor. “Take us to the ship, pilot,” he ordered.

The doors shut, and the Pelicans took off and entered the stealth frigate. The Night Stalker spun around, heading towards a new course. Once it cleared the atmosphere, a massive ball of energy formed before it. It entered the sphere, and within a moment’s notice, the vessel vanished from sight.

“Gone...” Luna whimpered.

“So, we’re really leaving them, huh?” the commander asked Garrett as both of them hopped off the Pelican.

“We have Earth again,” Garrett said. “We know our priorities.”

“I’ll see to it that we come back, get them out of the hell we just deserted them to.” She shook her head, her gut feeling hollow. “Damn, just saying that hits you hard.”

Garrett nodded.

The commander activated her comms and started making her way to the cryo-chamber. “All right, everyone, let’s hit the ice and head back home,” she said through the announcement systems. “Be in cryo before we get into slipstream.”

The rest of the crew followed, some murmuring amongst themselves in the process.

Leaning back against the Pelican, Garrett waited until he was the last one. The hangar eventually fell empty, deserted like a ghost town.

Fools, Nightmare Moon thought to herself with a chuckle.

She trotted alongside the Pelican, sliding a hoof over the armor. They’ll believe in anything.

With a flash of her horn, she teleported herself out and glanced behind her one more time to see the frigate disappear from sight. Satisfied, she flew over Canterlot and off into the distance.

Part 14: Disputes

With a loud thump, Garrett collapsed upon the floor. He coughed and wheezed, and his muscles were sore after being contracted for so long. A large duffel bag lay in front of him. It was wide open and revealed his set of ODST gear. He quickly buckled on his armor, the memory of a malicious grin itching in the back of his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an officer standing beside him with hands crossed behind his back. The seriousness on his face was unmistakable.

“Sir!” Garrett snapped. He stood straight to salute.

“Cut the formalities and follow me, Archer,” Stanford ordered, already marching down the corridor.

“What happened to the AI we captured?” Garrett asked. He slipped on his helmet and followed. The two of them were going so fast they were practically jogging. Many marines and ODSTs quickly stepped aside and saluted out of respect.

“It’s in a lab in the station we’re currently docked with, near the armory,” Stanford said. “Why’d you ask?”

“I need it, sir.”

“First things first. We need to arm you up.”

Before they knew it, they were already at the armory. It lay empty and quiet as war was not seeking its use. Stanford wasted no time and unlocked all the weapon lockers. Garrett did the same on the other side of the room. When he passed by the window, however, he slid to a halt. At the sight of it, he felt as if everything was no longer a priority. His mind emptied itself of all thoughts as he pressed his palm on the glass.

There it is, a small voice told him.

Earth still stood with all its innocence. Oceans of blue were flowing, and the lights of cities on the dark side were still aglow. Garrett easily recognized the countries, and he quickly spotted the area of his home. To his relief, he still saw buildings and green fields and forests. An odd feeling told him he could see his house somewhere in the horizon.

“Sarah... Claire...” he whispered. The laughter of a small child and the voice of a woman echoed in his ears.

A palm landed on Garrett’s shoulder. “Archer,” Stanford said.

“R-right, sir,” Garrett stuttered, snapping out of the nostalgia. He glanced at the reflection of the phoenix feather and ace of spades on his shoulder pauldron. “We have our priorities.”

Garrett picked up a magnum and an assault rifle, and Stanford pulled out two duffel bags.

“You’ll have to go ahead of all of us and show them that we haven’t abandoned them,” Stanford said to Garrett. “I’ll stay back here and try to rally as many ships as I can. Then, we’ll follow you. Deploy a beacon so we know where to land.”

“You preparing for another war or something?” a man asked.

Behind them stood the master gunnery sergeant in charge of the armory leaning against a table. He had one of his eyebrows raised, and he was gingerly biting on the end of an unlit cigar.

“Well,” Garrett said, “let’s just say we’ll be trying to prevent one.”

The sergeant snorted and unlocked the storage containers holding explosives. “Help yourselves.”

“You’re too kind,” Garrett commented.

The sergeant shrugged. “I’m a generous man.”

By the time the packing was done, Garrett had two duffel bags filled with various ammunitions and explosives.

“I’ll unlock a Longsword in the hangar while you go and get the core,” Stanford said. “You are permitted to retrieved it by any means necessary, and I’ll see to it that any charges against you will be lifted.”

Garrett nodded and shouldered his equipment, holding the assault rifle with one hand.

“Good luck out there,” the sergeant said as he watched the two march out and split ways.

The door to the lab was unguarded, and Garrett pushed it open with ease. Once inside, he noted that everything was silent, save for the sound of beeps from the screens. An AI core waited in the center on a table, plugged in to multiple cables. It continued glowing like a beating heart. Several marines and officers, including the commander of the station, lined the walls with their backs, keeping their distances from the construct like a pack of wolves. Some had weapons drawn and aimed at it.

“What’s going on in here?” Garrett asked.

“Don’t move,” the commander hissed.

“With all due respect,” Garrett said, approaching the AI core, “I need that thing.”

“Get in line, trooper, right after ONI,” a marine commented as Garrett was halfway there.

Just as he said it, the core unleashed a burst of energy. The screens all throughout the room and a nearby holo table flickered with static. Then, on all the displays, a pair of hard, enraged eyes stared at the humans.

Alarms started flickering red, and warning beeps went off.

“Warning,” the automated systems said, “airlocks for this room have been unlocked.”

“Get back!” another officer shouted.

Garrett turned and held up a palm. “I got this.”

He continued on, and the closer he approached, the more he heard a noise sounding like a distinctive growl. He reached forward and attempted to grab a cable, but before he could have touched it, a loud bark came, and another burst of energy blinked from the core.

“Listen,” Garrett started, “I know you’re pissed, but you need to put it aside. Your world is in danger, you know how to wake up your cavaliers, and I’m your only ticket back.”

“I will never forgive you,” Galea growled.

The officers and marines looked at each other in awe.

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness,” Garrett said. “Just for your help.”

Galea was quiet for a moment, his silent errienes climbing up upon the bystanders. “If I accept, will your officers promise not to bring me to this ‘ONI’ and allow us to return to Equestria without intervention?”

Garrett turned to the commander of the station, who nodded without hesitation.

“Sure,” he said to Galea.

All at once, the alarms and screens went back to normal.

“Airlocks sealed,” the system announced.

The marines and officers sighed in relief.

“Get me out of here,” Galea sighed.

Garrett unplugged the rest of the AI core, grabbed it by the handle, and made his way out. The marines and officer stepped aside as he passed by.

Once he was outside the lab, Garrett casually walked down the halls. He looked around and noticed a number of UNSC personnel hurriedly sprinting their way. Ignoring them, he made his way to an elevator door, where two marines were waiting for a ride as well.

A third marine darted into view and narrowly brushed passed Garrett. He came to a stop next to the elevator.

“Just got news from Colonel Stanford,” he said to the two marines waiting. “He wants us back on board the Angel of Music. We’re being redeployed.”

The pair soldiers stared at him. “Redeployed?” one of them asked. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” the third marine replied. “Come on, we gotta go.”

The trio of marines took off and turned at the closest corner.

Smiling slightly, Garrett felt wave of relief and optimism wash over him. The elevator door opened, and he boarded the lift and set it to the hangar level.

“Can you hear me?” Galea asked Garrett through his comms.

“Loud and clear,” Garrett replied.

“I got something interesting,” Galea said. “Pulled it straight out of the security sensors.”

On the corner of his VISR, Garrett saw an audio file open.

“You seeing this?” a voice asked. “Who the hell is this ‘Archer’ guy? Never saw him on this station before.”

“Look,” another said, “you can either question why the colonel wanted a Longsword prepped or you can just shut up and listen to orders.”

“But this Longsword’s using the prototype slipspace drive.”

“Your point?”

There was a sigh. “Fine.”

“And you discovered how to do that by...?” Garrett asked.

“Going through Athena’s terminal over and over again allows you to pick up a few skills along the way,” Galea responded with a proud chuckle.

“Right,” Garrett said. “We have our ride, and as long as you don’t start hacking our systems, I’m perfectly fine with that.”

The hangar was empty and still. Towards the end, a Longsword was standing silent with its bay door open. Garrett boarded it and connected the AI core to the main controls. The screens turned on, and Galea galloped onto the display. He looked around to familiarize himself.

“Any idea as to how we’ll go back to Equestria undetected?” Garrett asked.

“Think you can fly this thing properly after an in-atmosphere slipspace exit?”

“If we can manage not to be millions of kilometers off-target after exiting, then yes,” Garrett replied. “Can you pull it off?”

Celestia’s proposal of cloud shelters for Equestrian refugees quickly received approval from many. The structures occupied a large amount space in Monairco’s harbour, and it had taken several long days to get them completed. Gryffons and other pegasi were more than willing to offer help to speed up the building process. From an outside point of view, it looked as if the principality had expansion plans. Shining Armor’s fleet was already docked, and majority of the guards were busy unloading and securing the area. Locals tried to cope with the circumstances as the rumor of war was quickly spreading.

“You asked to see me, Prince Griffaldi?” Shining Armor asked as he entered a room. It reminded him of an observatory tower with a map of Equestria on a table in the center. A terrace paved way for the one of the bests views of all the principality.

“Yes, captain, I have,” the prince of Monairco, a griffon, said. He leaned forward and smoothed out the map. “I am sure you’re aware of the situation.”

“It’s inevitable,” Shining Armor murmured in a low tone.

“And everyone’s getting involved,” Griffaldi said. He looked out to see yet another group of ships entering Monairco Harbour. Airships and various water-based ships from the Crystal Empire, Griffon Kingdom, and United Principalities of Equestria were approaching fast, armed with weapons ranging from arcane cannons and ballistas to crystals of energy.

“The involvement of the griffons and the UPE, I can understand,” the prince started. “It’s part of our alliances to help each other in times of need and war. The Crystal Empire, however, interests me.”

“When I informed my wife of the situation,” Shining Armor said, “she packed up at the spur of the moment and went here. The crystal ponies overheard the news, and many officers agreed to go and aid Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

“That brings us to our next issue,” Griffaldi said. “Who managed to convince the princesses to flee Canterlot?”

“I’ve heard reports and met with some guards,” Shining Armor started, scraping his hoof nervously. “They all talked about a ‘visitor’ who’s not from Equestria. I never got much information because aiding the griffon kingdom made issues with communication, and I was not able to talk with the guards more because you called me up here.”

“Garrett Archer,” Griffaldi said, “He is an alien from a race that called the ‘humans.’ Supposedly, he is capable of crippling an entire army without letting them know what hit them. He has made a certain connection with the princesses, your sister, and her friends.”

Shining Armor’s ears perked up.

“Many guards claim that he is a brilliant soldier,” Griffaldi continued, “knew the art of war ever since birth. Sure, things were a bit rough at first, but relationships improved later on. They even said that he has a soft side, and he comforted Princess Celestia when she was heartbroken.”

“So, I guess we could establish that some form of relation between races went well,” Shining Armor commented in an attempt to stay positive. “That sound pretty promising.”

“But, there was this one period where he was put to the test,” Griffaldi said. A hint of rage and determination washed over his face. “Twice, to be exact. One in reality, and another In a dream-like state where his race was put to war against Equestria.”

He leaned closer against the table, his face stern. “Captain, in the physical world, he attempted to attack Princess Celestia and held her at knifepoint. He shot multiple guards and knocked out your sister’s friend, Applejack.”

Shining Armor stood still, blinking.

“In the dream,” Griffaldi continued in a low tone, “he killed Princess Luna, massacred an entire army of guards, and had Twilight and her friends executed by his command. To top it all, he made the ultimate sacrifice and brought down Princess Celestia with him. He was ordered to do all of the above, and he carried them out and lead his soldiers on, no questions asked.”

It fell so quiet the waves from the harbour sounded loud. Griffaldi continued holding his hard look. Shining Armor realized he was holding his breath. “Twily...” he gasped.

He fell back to a chair. Sweat ran down his neck, and he pressed the tip of his hooves on his temples. The thought of such threat so close to home and family etched its way into his head. “No...”

“Even worse,” Griffaldi continued, “he was the one who told your princesses of the threat, and do you know what he did when he found a way back home?”

Shining Armor looked up, staring at the Griffaldi’s cold eyes.

“He deserted them,” Griffaldi said, “packed up and went back to his home beyond the stars.”

“He left them?!” Shining Armor half-barked with rage. He smashed his hooves at the table. “Why now?!”

Griffaldi remained composed. “Word is spreading that he will return.”

He reached for his side and pulled out a long, shimmering sword. “And I plan to have a special meeting with him, teach him a lesson about betrayal. Are you with me?”

There was a moment of silence. Gritting his teeth, Shining Armor looked down upon the map and noted the X marks signifying Nightmare Moon’s fleet. A glow surrounded his crossbow, and it was lifted up to the air.

“He’ll come back” Shining Armor growled. He narrowed his eyes on his arcane weapon, inspecting it. “And when he does, we’ll have a chat.”

In one of the cloud shelters, Celestia and Luna met in their makeshift bedroom. Their hearts still felt hollow, and the night was busy with the sounds of distant hooves and ships moving. The moon shined brightly in the sky, peaceful among the stars.

Despite them being silent, they communicated their intentions clearly. They closed their eyes, horns aglow. Two auras of magic reached out and met. Then, the pair of powers shot upward towards the sky. Gold and violet revolved around each other like stars. Finally, high up in the air, they clashed and expanded into a massive dome, which slowly fell around Monairco like a blanket. Slowly, it touched the ground and sank deep into the waters of the harbour.

"Monairco is now safer under this shield,” Luna said, heaving a deep breath.

“No,” Celestia murmured. She floated her diadem in front of her. “Not yet.”

“Are you sure about this?” Luna asked

“One of us needs to maintain this shield,” Celestia said, “and both of us know that none of us are capable of the additional responsibility.”

Luna sighed. “You are right.”

She took off her diadem and held it in front of her with her own power. Together, both of their crowns floated side by side. Immediately, a sphere of magic surrounded them, and a pillar of light shot upwards. It flew until it touched the protective shield. The dome around Monairco thickened and shined with an even brighter sheen.

A knock on the door prevented any more conversation.

“Come in,” Luna said.

Turbulence appeared, carrying a small pack in her mouth. She placed it on the ground and bowed. “Your highness, some time ago, Garrett gave this to a guard when he went to Ponyville. He never asked for it back.”

She nudged it forward with her hoof. “We thought it could be of some use to you.”

“Thank you, commander,” Luna said.

Turbulence nodded and closed the door.

A violet glow enveloped the package. It was gently lifted up and brought towards Luna. She lifted the cover and pulled out a small black communication device engraved with the words UNSC.

“Garrett,” Celestia murmured with a shallow breath.

Luna dropped the package, and multiple photographs spilled out. All of them were of the photo shoot organized in an attempt to put Garrett in a better light. His poses varied from holding his weapons to fight to carrying an injured guard on his shoulders, and in many of them, he was masking his face. But, for the ones that did show, he displayed sorrow and loneliness.

“He left us,” Luna breathed. Her eyes shut tight as a tear slid down, and her breathing quivered. “Why?”

Quickly rushing to to her side, Celestia gingerly wrapped her forelegs around her, who did the same. They were silent for a moment, with the exception of a few sniffs from Luna every so often.

Celestia saw the memories of Garrett rush back into her mind. She remembered how his violent instincts and broken heart were the result of the horrors of the war he faced. A thought made her think of how it must have felt like to wake up every morning in the hopes that one’s home was not yet attacked by the enemy.

Even though everything looked peaceful, war on the doorstep was a constant reminder. Now, she felt as though she were in his position, this time the Covenant replaced by Nightmare Moon’s army.

In that moment, Celestia felt her responsibilities rise up more than ever. She thought of how if her sister was this affected, everyone else was having it just as bad. Images of ponies feeling abandoned, lost, and scared made her know that she needed to be a stronger leader, especially in their current conflict.

She looked onwards towards the harbour where the waves were top one another. Pictures of Nightmare Moon’s ships firing their cannons and unleashing armies flashed before her eyes, and the thought of fighting to death for Equestria and her people sparked in her mind.

“She will still come,” Celestia finally said, “and we must be ready.”

Luna took a deep breath and opened her eyes, and there was a look of absolute fearlessness on them. Right then and there, she appeared as though she had adapted to the mindset of a soldier. She let go of Celestia and took a deep breath. “Get some rest, sister, for I shall look after everypony tonight as usual and make sure they feel safe.”

“Perhaps not tonight,” Celestia suggested, “Princess Cadence is already doing her best to reassure everypony.”

Luna shook her head and opened the door. “We must do it personally to show that they still have us to look up to for hope.”

“Goodnight, Luna,” Celestia said.

Luna silently nodded, went out, and started closing the door with magic.

“I love you so much,” Celestia added.

Stopping for a moment, Luna gave her another look. “I love you, too, sister.”

She shut the door and went on, the words lingering in her head.

With a loud gasp, Celestia pushed herself up from the bed and set her horn aglow. Her instincts were already kicking in and ready to blast anything that moved. Midnight filled her bedroom, and she scanned her place with the light of her magic, only to find nothing. Monairco was still quiet and very much safe.

“Please pick this up,” a voice said.

Facing the table next to her bed, Celestia looked at the small communication device. It lay there blinking and lighting up the room slightly

“I know you’re listening to this,” the voice said again.

Celestia carefully slid out of bed, lifted the small box up with magic, and brought it close to her. “Hello?” she asked.

A thought dawned upon her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “...Garrett?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Garrett replied. “I’m right outside the dome and would greatly appreciate it if you let me in.”

A jolt of delight washed through Celestia. A wide smile on sprouted on her lips, and small tears of joy formed in her eye. However, as she was about to cast the spell to lower the shield, a realization hit her. She remembered how many of Equestria’s evil manipulated ponies by putting on faces of familiar figures, and she could never forget what happened to Princess Cadence. The horror of Nightmare Moon turning herself into Garrett and simply walking into Monairco quickly overwrote all of her thoughts.

The smile disappeared from her face. “I’m sorry, Garrett,” Celestia said as she walked to a window to see the harbour, “but I won’t let you in.”

“What?!” Garrett breathed. “Ma’am! I brought help with me!”

“Listen to me,” Celestia began. “I’ve known Garrett long enough to be aware that he will obey orders until the end, including leaving behind a planet. We’re alone now, and our enemies will be right on our doorstep soon.”

“But I’m back!” Garrett argued. “The Garrett Archer that abandoned you was Nightmare Moon in disguise!”

Celestia stopped for a moment. A flashback of a changeling queen’s grin of triumph over her defeat appeared before her. She looked back at the two diadems holding up the shield and felt a small voice in her speak to her exactly like a soldier. “All right, what if the Garrett that delivered the order to retreat was an imposter? What if the man I’m talking to right now is another fake? Is the goal to sneak into the city and assassinate the leaders?”

“Ma’am... this isn’t like you.” Desperation was ever present in Garrett’s voice. “You said it yourself that you know me. You know you can put your lives on my hands.”

“I’m sorry, Garrett, but unless you prove to us again that we can put our lives under you care, I’m afraid I can’t let you enter Monairco.” Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. “Look, if being close to an ODST has taught me one thing, it’s to always prepare for the worse and do whatever it takes to lessen the bloodshed. This is war, and we have lives to protect.”

“But I’m telling the truth!” Garrett fired. “I didn’t abandon you!”

Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Enough is enough.”

“Please,” Garrett begged, “take one more risk for once. Lower the shield, just to let you know that it’s me.”

“It’s a risk I’m not willing to take. No more chances.” Celestia took a deep breath, a knot twisting in her. “Goodbye... whoever you are.”

She floated the device in front of her and pressed her hoof on the switch.

“No!” Garrett shouted. “Wait--”

Celestia turned off the device and placed it aside. She opened the window to let the wind blow in. The fresh air washed her mind like water, clearing her thoughts. Closing her eyes tight, she felt a drop slide down her cheek.

“If you’re really out there,” she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Damn it!” Garrett shouted.

He looked up to see the dome over Monairco standing tall. He closed a fist, tempted to smash it open with all his strength. A small part of him regretted not bringing his rifle or a set of explosives.

“Garrett,” a voice said. “At last, we see each other plain.”

Garrett spun around and gripped his knife and the pistol by his waist. He lowered himself and activated his VISR to scan through the dark branches. The night in front of him shuffled with movement. From the shadows, an armor clad pony moved forward. A crossbow holstered was on his back, and his plates shined with gold and violet.

“Nice to see a friendly.” Garrett let go of his weapons and stood straight. “Ready to take down Nightmare Moon?”

“Can’t exactly say the same on my end,” Shining Armor said. “I’ve heard almost nothing about you, save for a very few details.”

“I trust that those ‘details’ include me meaning no harm,” Garrett said as he took off his helmet.

“Not exactly,” another voice said.

To the left of Shining Armor, an armored griffon moved forward. His suit of grey was wrapped with thin gold stripes.

Three squads of guards appeared behind Shining Armor and Griffaldi. One was made of familiar pegasi and unicorns from Equestria, another was composed of armored crystal ponies, and a third was of griffons who were obviously from Monairco.

“Garrett Archer,” Shining Armor started. He drew his crossbow with magic. “On your knees.”

Betrayal hit Garrett hard like a hammer, and he felt his hopes smash like shattered glass. He attempted to slip on his helmet, but Shining Armor grabbed hold of it with his magic and blasted it out of his grasp.

The guards surrounded Garrett, each holding a weapon high. Sensing no escape, he obeyed their wishes, went on his knees, and placed his hands behind his head.

“Give me a chance to explain,” Garrett said.

“We’ve heard enough from the guards of Canterlot,” Griffaldi said, positioning himself in front Garrett.

“And you make us sick,” Shining Armor spat.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing,” Garrett said.

“I’m sorry, soldier,” Griffaldi said, “but here, we don’t negotiate with deserters.”

“I’m not a deserter!” Garrett shouted.

Shaking his head, Griffaldi said, “Past sins cast long shadows, and the the evidence of you fully capable of executing the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and massacring hundreds of guards when ordered to are not helping your case at all.”

Garrett was silent, and the look of guilt on his face was seen by everyone. Griffaldi shot a glance at Shining Armor, who nodded.

Griffaldi raised his sword. “We griffons have a saying, ‘if he breaks your wing, you break his.’ I’m sure you humans have a something like this.”

“An eye for an eye,” Garrett murmured.

“Indeed, soldier.” Griffaldi aimed the tip of his sword for Garrett’s forehead.

“But, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind,” Garrett said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “A wing for a wing makes everyone flightless.”

“You’re still guilty,” Griffaldi said.

“In war, the first casualty is always innocence,” Garrett murmured.

Griffaldi paused for a moment, and Shining Armor glanced at him.

Seizing the moment, Garrett quickly stepped forward and drew his knife. He scraped his blade along the side of the sword. He then disarmed Griffaldi, stepped to his side, and grabbed hold of him by the neck with a chokehold.

Griffaldi jerked and kicked, and Garrett tightened his grip and aimed the edge of his knife against his neck.

Shining Armor stood still in shock. The griffons drew their swords, and arcane crossbows floated high.

“Shoot him!” Griffaldi choked.

“Don’t think about it!” Garrett barked as he displayed his knife. He slowly edged his way towards the ponies and gryphons. Several backed off. “The moment he says ‘shoot’ again, this thing’s going in!”

Several guards, including Shining Armor, began lowering their weapons.

“He’s bluffing!” Griffaldi coughed. “Take the shot!”

Garrett growled and tightened his grip.

“You might get hit!” Shining Armor shouted.

“That is an order!” Griffaldi yelled.

Garrett saw the crossbows float up again, trained on his head. “Damn it!” he cursed.

He shoved Griffaldi towards the crowd. Gryffons and pegasi flew out of the way, and Shining Armor jumped to his side, his crossbow at the ready.

Adrenaline flowed into Garrett, and his heart was beating hard. He sheathed his knife, sped off to the trees behind him, quickly picked up his helmet, and slid it on. Then, he activated the VISR and sprinted over the forest floor as fast as his feet could have carried him. Branches, vines, and roots were reaching out as if they were trying to stop him. Shoving his way, he ignored most of them and paid more attention to rocks he needed to jump over.

When he finally stopped, Garrett found himself standing directly in front of Monairco’s dome. He reached for his rucksack and pulled out the beacon. Then, he crouched down and started the recording.

“This is Captain Garrett Archer. To any UNSC that can hear this, do not, I repeat, do not land forces on the city. Set up a defensive perimeter beyond its limits. Locals are mix of hostiles and--”

“There he is!” Shining Armor barked.

“Bring him down!” Griffaldi shouted.

Garrett felt two pairs of talons seize his arms and shove him against Monairco’s shield. Electricity coursed through his body like an electric fence. He screamed in pain and jerked violently. The gryphons let him go, and he fell to the ground, groaning.

Right in front of him was the beacon. He reached for it and pressed the button on the side.

Griffaldi kicked the beacon out of his grasp and forced him to his feet. “Get up,” he said.

Looking around, Garrett found the guards form a ring around him and Griffaldi, who was already moving around like a tiger.

The two of them circled each other, but Garrett occasionally shot a look at a guard to make sure that none would stab him in the back. He paid careful attention to Shining Armor, who looked as if he wanted to use his hooves to pound him to the ground.

The first to charge forward was Griffaldi. He trailed the tip of his sword along the ground and swung in an arc.

Garrett drew his knife and stepped forward. His blade scraped along the side of the sword, and the distance he covered forced Griffaldi back.

Griffaldi charged again and sliced downwards. Garrett blocked it and sidestepped, creating distance between the two of them again.

“You’re holding back,” Griffaldi taunted. “Why? Is my head not worth the effort?”

“You’re not my real enemy,” Garrett said. “Nightmare Moon is the only target I want, and I will make sure she dies before I do.”

Taking to the air, Griffaldi dove and tackled Garrett to the ground. He kneeled on top of his chest piece and raised his blade.

Before he managed to bring the sword to his gut, Garrett rolled to his side and forced him to the earth. He leaned on his neck with his forearm guard to choke him yet again.

Griffaldi, however, managed to crunch up and set his rear legs. He kicked hard and forced Garrett away. When air rushed back through his throat, he coughed dryly and grasped his neck.

After regaining himself, he used his sword for support and stood back up. He attacked again and continued swinging his blade. Garrett kept up his defense, mainly by blocking and stepping out of the way on time. On and on he held up strong against every attack and showed no sign of breaking.

Finally, out of sheer rage and desperation, Griffaldi flew forward and smashed his sword against Garrett’s knife with pure brute force.

He began flapping his wings, and slowly, Garrett’s boots scraped along the ground.

Eventually, Garrett found himself right in front of Monairco’s shield again, and he was still fighting off Griffaldi’s strength. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the bright glow reflect off of his arm, getting brighter and brighter as he was still inching closer.

“Scared, human?” Griffaldi laughed with a sinister smile. “Don’t worry, your helmet would make the perfect table piece after the end of this.”

Garrett’s strength started fading, and one of his arms let go of his knife.

The sword jerked closer towards his head, and Griffaldi smiled even wider as he saw his own reflection on the visor. He flapped his wings even harder, pushing Garrett back more. However, briefly, he saw him reach for his side. He looked down to see a small weapon with a nickel-plate finish pointing straight at him.

A loud bang cracked through the air, a sword clanked to the ground, and Griffaldi fell. He cried in shock and gripped his wing, which had a clean hole through the feathers and a few drops of blood seep out.

All the guards barked viciously at the sight of the fallen prince.

“Arrest him!” Griffaldi managed to scream. “Take him down!”

Garrett rolled to his side and ducked, narrowly missing a trio of arcane bolts that whooshed past his head. He jumped to the cover of trees and activated his VISR.

Targets highlighted in red appeared in his view. Garrett saw that all of them were still scrambling among themselves. Gryffons were rushing to Griffaldi while ponies were retreating to their own cover of trees.

“Don’t mind me!” Griffaldi barked. “Arrest the human!”

Half of the gryffons split off and charged straight at their target. Garrett sprinted out of his cover, meeting them head on.

One guard brought up a spear. Garrett seized it by the pole and pulled it towards him. The gryffon refused to let go and was dragged along with his weapon.

Garrett lifted his foot and kicked the gryffon by the side of his head, and the guard fell, clutching his temple in pain.

More gryffons jumped forward and tried to seize Garrett. He swung his spear and smashed one guard by the head, breaking the polearm in the process. He then brought up his pistol and slammed the grip on the cheek of another.

A third threw a fist at his head, but Garrett managed to block the attack and bring up his knee to the guard’s forehead.

Griffaldi lay in both horror and awe as he watched Garrett take down each of his guards like they were a waste of time. He struck blow after blow with the speed of a snake. Within a matter of seconds, all the gryffons were on the ground, curled up in pain and groaning.

“What are you doing?!” the prince barked at the ponies. He focussed at Shining Armor. “Take him down, captain!”

At once, several crossbows raised to the air. Garrett quickly aimed his magnum and shot each of them down. When he spotted no more, he inserted a fresh magazine and carefully fired multiple rounds at the trees near the ponies, forcing them to hide.

There was silence hovering about them. Garrett was cautiously scanning the area with his weapon. Out of nowhere, a bolt landed on his magnum and blew it out of his grasp.

Garrett grunted and grasped his wrist.

Shining Armor stepped forward with his crossbow floating high. His eyes were focussed hard on Garrett.

The Griffaldi’s sword on the ground started to rattle with a glow. It shot off the ground and levitated next to Shining Armor, who shouldered his crossbow. “Get the prince out of here,” he said. “I’ll handle Garrett.”

“I can never get a break, can’t I?” Garrett asked.

“At the end of the day,” Shining Armor said, “only one of us will walk out of this.”

“Before you say another word, captain,” Garrett started, “before you attack and arrest me again, listen to me. There is something I must do.”

He pointed to Monairco. “This city will become a massive graveyard. There is none but me who can intercede. Just let me go. Three days are all I need.”

He took a deep breath. “Then I’ll return, I pledge my word. Then I’ll return--”

“You must think me mad!” Shining Armor barked. “I’m hunting you to protect them! Men of gore can never change, a man such as you.”

“Believe of me what you will!” Garrett shouted.

“Men like you can never change,” Shining Armor repeated as he shook his head in disgust. He dashed ahead and swung his sword. Garrett sidestepped, lunged at him, and landed a fist at his temple.

Shining Armor retreated slightly as he absorbed the blow.

“There is a duty that I’m sworn to do!” Garrett growled. “You know nothing of my life. All I did was fight to live.”

“My duty’s to Equestria,” Shining Armor returned. “You have no rights. Come with me, back-stabbing traitor!”

“You know nothing of my world,” Garrett said. “You would sooner make me dead, but not before I see this justice done.”

Shining Armor shook his head in disgust again. “Garrett Archer’s nothing now!”

He launched himself to the air and aimed his sword.

Garrett moved forward and grabbed him in mid-flight. He then twisted sharply and threw Shining Armor face first to the ground.

Shining Armor grunted in pain, and Garrett pinned him down hard with his knee.

“I am warning you, captain!” Garrett shouted. “There is nothing I won’t dare. If I have to kill you here, I’ll do what must be done!”

Shining Armor quickly jerked himself free and kicked with his hind legs, but Garrett stepped to his side and sped away on time, dashing past the trees and branches. However, he was not able to reach far, as his route quickly sloped down towards a small pond with half of it having a wall of rock encircling it.

“There is no place for you to hide,” Shining Armor gnarled, sending a chill down Garrett’s spine.

Garrett spun around and found Shining Armor standing in front of him. One side told him to fight and bring him down once and for all. Another ordered him to hold back as the real enemy was coming prepared with an army. He felt like a cornered animal, desperate and hopeless.

Wasting no time, Shining Armor charged forward and swung the sword across.

Garrett ducked at the right moment to see it fly past above him. He moved forward and smashed his elbow on Shining Armor’s head.

Sensing the close fight, Shining Armor threw a hoof to punch.

Garrett easily blocked it, stepped to the right, and cocked his arm back to send a massive right hook.

The power was so strong it forced Shining Armor to grunt and spin around to regain his balance. However, this gave him the opportunity to raise his hind legs.

With no time to react, Garrett only managed to mutter a low swear before feeling the force of a battering ram smash into his chest piece, sending him to a tumble down the hill. He was quickly gaining speed, going faster with each second. The pond absorbed his fall, and he quickly got back to his feet. The water reached his waist. Tired and weakened, he stood there gasping for breath and resting his weight on his knees.

In front of the pond and out of the water, Shining Armor stood with his horn aglow, and he looked more than ready for another round.

The water around Garrett started to flow away from him like waves following the moon. It then gathered in a triplet above Shining Armor like a trident.

Garrett brought up his arms in an attempt to protect himself, but he knew it was futile.

Shining Armor fired a blast of water, hitting Garrett like a right hook. He grunted, staggered, and managed to steel himself in time for the second surge, which slammed to his left side.

The final blast of water hit Garrett square in his chest. He was sent flying and slammed against the stone wall with a loud, cringing thud of his armor. His back slid down the rock, and he fell to a sitting position.

Shining Armor saw Garrett stay still. The only movement he noticed was the exhausted breathing that made him rise and fall, and he appeared as though his defeat made him lose the will to fight.

After letting the water flow back into the pond, Shining Armor stepped in. He slowly waded forward in anticipation. Eventually, he was a few feet away from Garrett, who was still motionless on the ground and staring at him. With the sword high up, he aimed the tip for his head, and he saw the reflection of the blade on the visor.

Right before the sword would have fallen, Garrett managed to muster his last ounces of strength to push forward and stand up. He seized Shining Armor’s head and ripped off his violet helmet.

Having no time to react, Shining Armor felt an elbow land on his temple that knocked him off balance. His magical grasp on the sword let go. He then had a pair of hands grab the back of his head and force him down. A knee violently rammed into the bridge between his eyes. Pained and dazed, he tried to fight back with a punch of his hoof.

The blow was easily absorbed by the armor. With his instincts kicking in fast, Shining Armor attempted to fight on with more hooves. Garrett wrapped his arms around his head and neck and forced him to the stone wall. Then, he scraped his horn along the rock like a nail on a chalkboard.

Shining Armor yelled a piercing cry. Unable to conjure a spell, he jerked and bucked in his restraints like a wild animal trying to draw away. He then prompted to prying open Garrett’s hands with his own hooves.

When he took notice of this, Garrett let go of his hold and grabbed Shining Armor by the back of his head and by the collar of his armor. Then, he plunged him into the water and held him down like a death grip.

Still, Shining Armor fought on by trying to hit Garrett with his hooves. He attempted to find a grip somewhere to claw himself up, but his strength was outmatched. The hunger for air was making his senses fail. He could feel his heart pump the blood in and out of his head, hard like a drum. Desperate, he started to unbuckle his chest piece.

Sensing the motion, Garrett lifted Shining Armor out of the water, who fought and gasped for every breath.

Not a moment later, Garrett smashed his elbow against Shining Armor’s temple yet again. Then, he forced him back to the water for a second time.

Starving for oxygen, Shining Armor’s body began slowing down. He still attempted to strip himself of his chest piece. His sight darkened to a blur, and his hearing started muffling away. The hooves he was using to fight and unbuckle himself slowed and fell.

It was at this moment did Garrett finally reach under Shining Armor and bring him up.

Shining Armor coughed and breathed heavily. His head hung limp from Garrett’s grasp. This time, he made no attempt to fight. His loose armor shook and swayed back and forth.

Garrett carried him out of the pond and made him lie down on the ground face down to help drain out the fluids. He went back to the pond and lifted the sword out of the water.

For a moment, Shining Armor remained motionless, save for his deep breathing. He felt his strength return with each moment. Then, he realized that there was only silence around him. Groaning, he rolled over on the ground. Right when he was about to get up, he felt a hand grab his neck like a snake and force him to the ground. He gagged and saw a silver-blue visor unpolarize, revealing a cold, hard set of eyes. The edge of a sword rested gently on his throat.

“Tell me who you are and what you want from me,” Garrett growled.

“My name is Shining Armor,” Shining Armor spat. “Prince of the Crystal Empire and captain of the royal guard.”

The fingers around his throat tightened.

“And your reason for attacking me?” Garrett asked.

“You’re a threat,” Shining Armor croaked, “and I’m just trying to protect those around me.”

“You’re not the only one,” Garrett grumbled.

“I know your story!” Shining Armor barked. “You were put to the test in a dream, and in there, you killed the princesses and my sister!”

“Sister?” Garrett asked. He looked down at Shining Armor’s chestplate and froze.

“If you go near the princesses or Twilight again, I will hunt you down!” Shining Armor coughed.

The hand wrapped around Shining Armor’s neck let go, and Garrett stood back up, the sword hanging from his grip. He turned around and took a few steps forward with his head down in deep thought.

Shining Armor backed off towards a tree and leaned against it for support. He slowly stood back up and looked at Garrett. With his horn aglow, he pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at him. He squinted and set his sights for the head.

The bolt soared through the air like an arrow, but Garrett spun around and blocked it with the sword.

Before he knew it, Shining Armor found his crossbow cut in half and Garrett poised in front of him, the sword low and cocked back for a thrust. With nothing left, he closed his eyes and felt a jerk force him to the tree.

It fell quiet again for a moment. Shining Armor waited for the shock to set in, for the agony to start. Instead, he realized that he was not in pain. He gasped and opened his eyes. Looking down, he found the sword sticking out like a pole and a pair of hands firmly holding its grip. It was diagonally aimed, jammed through layers of armor, and jutted back out to the tree. It barely scraped his coat. Pinned, he was unable to move.

Shining Armor raised his eyes and stared at Garrett’s.

“What are you waiting for?” Shining Armor asked.

Garrett shook his head and backed off. “Enough is enough. You’re not my enemy, and I’m not yours. I hate war and all this useless fighting.”

“Says the man who’s from one of the most elite groups of your military,” Shining Armor said.

“I’m fighting because I just want to protect my home and those around me. I have to go to war because I’ll lose everything I hold dear. Isn’t that why you’re in the guard?”

Shining Armor lowered his head.

“I was in the coast guard before becoming an ODST,” Garrett started. “Most of my job used to be shooting a target’s engines to stop them for an arrest. At the end of the day, no one got hurt. That’s why I loved it. I got to protect without needing to kill for majority of the time. When the Human-Covenant conflict intensified, I was moved to serve a different role. War is a brutal, futile, and useless thing. There is never a winner, only losers where one loses less than the other.”

He took a deep breath and let go of the sword. “It’s strange, really. As a whole, us humans have reached the ability to conquer space and countless distances from our home. We managed to colonize other worlds and achieve so many breakthroughs in science, technology, medicine, and other feats. And yet, in the end, the one thing we can’t reach is an agreement between one another. What more with aliens?”

Shining Armor continued staring at the ground.

Garrett turned around, switched on his comms, and started making his way.

“About time you made contact,” Galea said. “Have you been successful in rallying allies?”

“We’re fighting this war alone,” Garrett said. Before the branches obscured his view, he shot one more look at Shining Armor, who still hung weak. Behind him, the light of dawn was cracking in the distance.

Garrett turned around and walked on.

“What do you mean?” Galea asked, shocked.

“They refused our offer of help,” Garrett huffed. “Hell, some guards even tried to kill me. No more playing hero. We’re doing this on our own terms. Prepare the ships and the cavaliers. We fight the moment Nightmare Moon makes a move.”

“All ships reporting in, colonel,” an ensign reported. “Some are way off target, including us, so it’ll take some time before we regroup.”

Colonel Stanford nodded and stood silently as he stared on the holo table. Flanking him were the various commanders and officers of the ships that came along with him. The crew of the bridge were busy with their own work, mainly by interacting with their screens and talking to each other in low tones.

Far in the distance, a planet was in plain sight. Its moon revolved around it peacefully, and to some extent, Stanford and the officers felt relieved at the sight of green lands and blue waters. How they yearned for Earth and the other colonies were the same.

The AI of the UNSC Burning Frost appeared on the holo-table. He saluted to Stanford.

“Sir,” he said, “the first wave of intel and data from recon drones has arrived, and we have Captain Archer’s signal. However, the message he embedded into it is filled with too much interference for us to understand. There are a lot of things going on down there that are causing the disruptions.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Stanford said as he shook his head.

The AI pulled up the display of a large city. In its harbour, it had two massive and fluffy-looking structures and countless ships. Airships were also around the region as well and were patrolling a perimeter.

Far off to the side, zeppelins were on the move.

“Sensors indicate that there is a lot of biological life within this city,” the AI started. He pointed to a structure that looked like a fortress ready for war. It stood tall and proud next to the other buildings nearby, and it had a clear view of everything around it. “There’s a high level of activity of armored locals in that area. Presumably, someone of importance is in there, and I assume it’s their leader.”

The AI then pointed towards the approaching zeppelins. “That fleet is slowly making its way, and I calculate that if they keep up with their current pace, they will reach the region before we would, even if we get a move on right now.”

The officers around Stanford watched him intently. For a while, he was silent as his eyes shifted back and forth from the figures on the table. Finally, he leaned forward and pointed to the entrance of the fortress. “If that’s the case, a few squads of ODSTs should drop there and secure a landing zone. The remaining troopers would deploy in various parts of the city and clear out hostiles. Once the situation is stable, we bring in the marines, tanks, and other heavy machinery...”

Author's Notes:

Apologies for this, but the next chapter will take a while. I have a lot of work that I need to do.

Part 15: Moving Pawns

Galea trotted along the sides of the holo table and inspected the map of Equestria and the miniscule figures moving about on it. Garrett silently watched his small, ghostly appearance. He felt awkward as he looked around. The room he was in looked like the captain’s cabin of a sail ship made with alien technology. A pair of cavaliers flanked the doors leading out, the cannons on their yolks pointed straight.

“You all right?” Galea asked.

“Feels a bit strange to be in a ship not designed by humans or Covenant,” Garrett replied.

“You’ll get used to it,” Galea said.

“Whatever,” Garrett said. “Let’s get on with the briefing.”

Nodding, Galea pulled up a city into display. “Nightmare Moon fortified Canterlot with her army of shadows and fleet of airships.”

Three hundred red zeppelins appeared around the city in formation, securing a perimeter around it.

“She made Canterlot Castle her new home and implemented the changes to suit her needs,” Galea continued.

A large spire grew out of Canterlot Castle. It easily made everything around it look miniscule. Ribbons of violet light were flowing out from the top, reaching out like claws.

“Her tower is right on top of the vault for the Elements of Harmony,” Galea said. “A huge flow of energy is coming from said vault. If I were correct, she’s using the elements to power her operation.”

“And the point of her spire?” Garrett asked.

“If scans and intel are correct,” Galea said, “it’s a power source that somehow helps her shadows multiply better.”

“How much firepower is needed to take this thing down?” Garrett asked again.

“Actually, you only need me,” Galea said. He pointed to the base of the spire. “If you manually get me there, I can alter the energy output to become one massive burst and stop Nightmare Moon’s army and zeppelins.”

“‘Manually?’” Garrett asked.

“Transfer me to the core you put me in,” Galea said. “Then, get me to proximity of a few city blocks, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“What’ll happen to you?”

“I’ll get myself into the flow of magic, destroy her work, and go back to being dead.” Galea smiled weakly. “This time, it’ll be permanent. But, before I do that, I’ll see to it that I provide as much help as possible on-site.”

Garrett lowered his head in silence.

“Nightmare Moon’s fleet has broken off.” Galea motioned the display, and almost all the zeppelins set course to one location. “If we don’t act now, Monairco will be a graveyard within a day.”

“And I’ll be dead within an hour if it’s just the two of us and one ship,” Garrett grumbled irritably. “Not to mention you teleported me into this room. Hell, I don’t even know how this thing looks like from the outside.”

Galea tapped his hoof on the holo table, and the map disappeared. In its place, a large galleon that lacked masts took form. It was armored with countless alloy plates. Gun ports lined the sides, and on the deck, a massive turret stood on the bow. It reminded Garrett of mass drivers, except it looked as if it was made from a world powered by steam.

“That gun can fire three times consecutively,” Galea said, pointing to the bow. “Smaller targets can be taken out by autocannons.”

From the gunports, turrets extended out and rotated in place, showing off their wide field of view.

“They can also be used for ship-to-ship combat,” Galea added. “Though these are ships smaller than Nightmare Moon’s, they are faster, more protected, and just as powerful, according to Athena’s notes. But if you ask me, we’re the ones with stronger vessels.”

“How many of these have we got for a fleet?” Garrett asked.

“We’re greatly outnumbered,” Galea grumbled. He lowered his head. “Ten to one.”

“Thirty, then.” Garrett sighed. He looked at the hundreds of ‘friendly’ ships amassing at Monairco. Most of them were airships, but there was a small number of watercraft. “Even with Equestrian forces, we’re still outnumbered,” he sighed.

Galea then shifted the view again to see more ships coming in from the seas and skies. “Minotaur, zebra, and other fleets are arriving as well, but they’ll be too late to help fight of the initial forces of Nightmare Moon. Your UNSC friends better come in with good numbers.”

Garrett shook his head. “I saw our fleet back on Earth. The best number we could hope for is a handful. Have you gotten a scan of Nightmare Moon’s ships?”

“Yes,” Galea said. “Including maneuverability, firepower, rate of fire, and speed of projectiles. Why’d you ask?”

There was silence for a moment. Garrett kept his attention on the holo table and brushed aside all the displays. Then, he pulled up two airships. One was Nightmare Moon’s zeppelin, and the other was a cavalier galleon.

“Practice,” Garrett said.

Nightmare Moon’s zeppelin opened fire, and large arcane bolts soared through the air.

Garrett began typing on the console. The cavalier airship veered violently to the side and dodged the attack. It then flew above Nightmare Moon’s zeppelin in a circle and fired upon it with its gunports.

Explosions and fire blanketed the top of the zeppelin, but they were quickly brushed aside.

The zeppelin continued opening fire. The first volley missed narrowly. However, the second wave of arcane bolts hit the cavalier airship by the side.

When it unleashed the third barrage, Garrett quickly made his airship spin around and rise. The sudden shift gave the main gun a clear shot.

It was until then did Galea realize that Garrett was focussing all his firepower to the top of the zeppelin, evident by the shredded armor to the particular area.

The main gun of the cavalier ship fired, and three flashes of light pierced the zeppelin. More explosions erupted, this time from within. But, Nightmare Moon’s ship was still flying.

The cavalier airship closed the distance, and the gunports opened fire upon the gaping hole. Within a few moments, the zeppelin was gone.

“Impressive,” Galea said. “Where’d you learn that?”

“Why so curious all of the sudden?” Garrett asked.

Galea shrugged. “Well, you know my life. Makes sense that I should know about you, considering that I’m giving you everything I’ve depended on.”

“Well, you already know my sob story,” Garrett huffed. “Almost the same as everyone’s in the UNSC. One way or another, each of us has lost at least one thing that made us sign up.”

“I’m not interested in your angst,” Galea grumbled. “You told us that you went through ‘extra courses.’ So, tell me, what did you do that made you stay for so long in training?”

“I’m a lone wolf, meaning I’m suppose to handle everything myself,” Garrett started. “Ships, first-aid, repairs. Name it, and I should more or less be expected to be competent at it. Luckily, the UNSC offers a lot of military courses. The reason why my first mission was with other ODSTs was because I was supposed to be ‘evaluated’ by the officers and the other troopers.”

“Makes sense,” Galea commented.

“I started by taking physics and chemistry, since Covenant tech uses plasma quite a lot,” Garrett continued. “I thought it would benefit me later on. The physics part helped out a lot in the coast guard, especially because I was a designated marksman. After stepping up in the UNSC and becoming an ODST, I learned about being a medic. It’s not easy being injured out in the field. To help me out with solving problems, I went through engineering and sapper school as well.”

“That’s a mouthful for just one man,” Galea said. “How’d you pay the bills? And how the buck did they let you do all that?”

“You’ll be amazed with how much you can make with smart investments,” Garrett said. “As for the second question because the demand for soldiers, especially ODSTs who can compete with Spartans, is so high, some officers are willing to push instructors and students out of their comfort zones and standard procedure.”

“So, that means everything after high school is military life,” Galea said.

“Actually, I was placed in a few university-level classes in high school,” Garrett added.

“Hot damn.”

Garrett nodded, smiling a bit at his accomplishments.

“Ever thought of joining the Spartans, whoever they are?” Galea asked.

“Hell, I don’t even know how you get into the program,” Garrett scoffed.

“Either way,” Galea said, “the fleet and all cavaliers are now under your command. You call the shots, I relay them, and they’ll carry them out.”

Blue dots appeared on the display. Legions of cavaliers and twenty airships were projected in formation.

“Just one last thing,” Galea added. He motioned the display and looked behind Garrett. “A gift from myself to you.”

Garrett turned to find an open chest, and from within it, a shield relic floated out.

“Open the gate!” a guard shouted. “Make way for the prince!”

The gates to Monairco creaked open. Orders were being barked from behind the walls, and chatter was erupting from the buildings. In silence, however, the three squads of armored Equestrians limped their way back inside. Their heads hung low in shame and failure, and their bruises still pulsed with pain. Shining Armor was still letting his armor hang loose, and Griffaldi made his damaged wing droop from his side.

The pathway was clear as guards ensured that the civilians did not get in the way. As the group moved in, gasps were the only audible sounds.

“He’s injured!” an onlooker shouted.

“What happened?!” another barked.

The citizens could only stare at their injured prince as the guards held them off.

Within a few moments, doctors were on the scene with stretchers, but Griffaldi waved them off. “No,” he said to them. “I must be with these guards. Bring your medical equipment here.”

The doctors stared at him, and it took them a second before springing to action.

The group moved on to the nearby barracks. They eased back as they waited, and some were so drained that they were fine sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall. Griffaldi made himself comfortable on a chair. With a loud groan, Shining Armor sat on top of a wooden crate next to him. He sighed in relief as he felt the weight on his legs disappear. Looking up, he spotted Cadance dashing towards him, and the look on her face was unmistakable. The crystal guards with her did not bother holding back their shock and worry.

Cadance wrapped her forelegs around Shining Armor and hugged him tight. He did the same, and for a moment, they were in complete silence.

She gingerly took off his helmet and smoothed her hooves over the bruise on the side of his head. Looking down, she gasped at the sight of the hole on his armor.

“I’m okay,” Shining Armor said.

“What happened to you?” Cadance asked as she brushed at his face.

“We drove away what we thought of a danger,” Griffaldi told her. “None of us were killed, and we’re successful. That’s what matters.”

Shining Armor looked up again to see two more princesses standing in front of him, both of which sporting the most majestic armor his eyes laid upon.

Celestia’s golden armor made her look like she was capable inspiring anypony to follow her to whatever end, a symbol of hope, resilience, and courage. Luna, however, was as a silver-blue unsung guardian and watchful protector. She was dark, mysterious, and determined with a strong aura of bravery to match. They both had their own swords holstered on their backs.

The two of them approached Shining Armor and set themselves down next to him.

“Who-- or what is capable of defeating three squads, the prince of Monairco, and the captain of the royal guard without taking a life?” Luna asked.

Shaking his head, Shining Armor took a deep breath. “I... I--”

“Shining Armor,” Celestia interrupted. She pointed at his collar with her hoof. “What is that wedged in your armor?”

Her horn glowed, and Shining Armor saw a piece of laminated paper float in front of her. He managed to see that it was a photo of Garrett together with two other humans. Both of them had long hair that reached farther than their shoulders. One was the smallest of the trio while the other looked to be of the same age as Garrett. The three of them were smiling as if they had the perfect life.

“Oh no...” Celestia breathed.

Luna blinked.

“Greetings, everypony,” a cold voice said.

Everyone froze at the sound. Citizens shook in fear, children cowered to the protection of their parents, and guards shifted uneasily.

“I have a message for members of royalty,” the cold voice continued. “I have come to the conclusion that even if you are out of Canterlot’s ring of authority, you and your connections are still a thorn that needs to be removed. Leave this land. Flee out of here and into the far neighboring nations such as the Griffin Kingdoms. Do not come back, and I promise to bring no harm to your citizens. If you stay, I will use force and bring you down.

“To the citizens of these monarchs, I have an offer for you. Kick out your leaders, and you shall be spared. Make sure that they never return, and I will reward you handsomely. You have until the dawn of tomorrow to make your move.”

Silence followed, no one daring to make a sound.

Griffaldi looked at Shining Armor, Cadance, Luna, and Celestia. All of them shared their expressions of concern and fear, and they refused to murmur a word.

Then, Griffaldi looked at the citizens of Monareco and the refugees. They were all staring at him, and simultaneously, they shook their heads. The guards around them also shared their disagreement, many of which were securing their armor and checking their weapons.

In one swift movement, both citizens and guards lowered themselves and bowed before the princes and the princesses.

Griffaldi stood up from his chair and smiled with pride.

“Set up defences, and get these civilians to the cloud shelters,” Griffaldi said. He shrugged of the unicorn doctor to his side and wrapped a potion-soaked bandage around his wing. Then, he shifted his attention to the princesses and the guards. “We have a war to fight.”

The next day, Monairco stood silent in anticipation. Every available guard was in a defensive position. Watchtowers and walls were filled with weapons and armored soldiers. Improvised cover and barricades were quickly erected all throughout the principality. Trenches were dug wherever possible. All the ships of the various factions surrounded the princedom in a secured perimeter. Griffaldi, Luna, Celestia, and Shining Armor stood on top of the gate which overlooked the castle’s entrance, and they each wore their own suit of armor.

In the distance, twenty of Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins were approaching. They were lined in formation and kept their distance.

A streak of black lightning cracked through the sky. It shot clear through Monareco’s dome, which broke like glass. The light narrowly missed the Equestrian airships and landed in front of the castle. Within a second, Nightmare Moon appeared on the impact point, and she had her sword floating right next to her. She looked to the top of the gate with a look of anticipation.

Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor growled at the sight.

“Surround her!” Griffaldi barked.

Soldiers from the Crystal Empire and Griffon Kingdoms formed a large ring around Nightmare Moon. Solar and Lunar guards were also taking part by aiming from afar. Celestia and Luna flew down and entered the circle. Shining Armor escorted Griffaldi and brought him in as well.

Everyone aimed their weapons at Nightmare Moon, but she showed no sign of intimidation. Instead, she kept a smile. She took slow steps forward and held her sword high. “Well, no use standing around. Let’s just get this over with--”

Nightmare Moon stopped as she hit a shield that appeared before her. It glowed blue and floated in the air. Looking up, she saw a chariot hovering above her, and it was being pulled by two pegasi she had never seen before. Their exotic armor showed that they were affiliated with none of them, and their yokes had a pair of barrels that stuck out. Visors covered their faces, leaving one to wonder what was underneath.

The chariot descended, and the Equestrians on the ground gave way.

An armored ODST hopped off the carriage. Holstered in his back was an assault rifle, and his chest piece had a small shield attached to it. Strapped to his left shoulder pauldron was an ace of spades and a red phoenix feather.

“Cavaliers, regroup with the rest,” the ODST ordered.

The chariot took off and disappeared in the sky.

Celestia broke herself out of the ring of Equestrians. “Garrett,” she started, “please, give me the chance to-”

She stopped as she noticed a ripple before her eyes. Reaching forward, she touched it with her hoof and felt like she was pressing a dense piece of armor.

The rippling hardened into a large blue dome that surrounded Nightmare Moon and Garrett. It was inches thick and looked as if it could withstand several kilograms worth of explosives.

The shield relic on Garrett’s chest illuminated with strange markings. The air around him waved like water. Blue shapes formed and solidified on top of his ODST gear. The plates slid and folded upon one another.

By the time it was done, he appeared to be wearing two sets of armor in different layers. One was his ODST equipment, and the other on top was a holographic set that made him look like a gothic knight. His rucksack, however, was left bare.

Long daggers appeared on each of his palms, and they had blades that challenged the lengths of kukris. Garrett flipped them around in his grip with ease, showing off his new pair of tools.

Nightmare Moon did nothing but smile the entire time. She kept her longsword resting gently on her shoulder. “You aren’t the only one who has toys at the disposal.”

The crescent moon on her chest piece flickered. A wavering violet light glimmered around Nightmare Moon like a candle. It slowly steadied itself into a more solid state. Translucent purple armor appeared to be floating off of her and gave her the look of a war horse.

Taking a few steps forward, Nightmare Moon chuckled and taunted Garrett with her sword. She raised a hoof and motioned him to come.

“Garrett!” Celestia shouted. “This is suicide!”

Garrett shot a look at her and unpolarized his visor. In silence, he stared at her eye to eye.

“Put the shield away,” Celestia said. “We’ll defeat her together.”

Nightmare Moon laughed. “Don’t you get it? He’s had enough of all of you!”

Celestia glanced hard at Nightmare Moon and looked back at Garrett. She finally realized that Garrett’s eyes were filled with rage, and he was gritting his teeth and grasping his daggers with a very tight grip.

“This is my fight,” Garrett gnarled in a harsh low tone, “not yours.”

“And what are you trying to prove?” Nightmare Moon taunted. “That you’re suppose to be Equestria’s savior?”

Garrett polarized his visor and turned to face Nightmare Moon. Taking a few steps forward, he twirled the daggers in his palms for another flaunt. “Hell, I’m just an ODST; this is all part of my job.”

“You’re recklessly throwing away your life,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Explains a lot about your ‘specialization’ and why so many of you are dead.”

“No,” Garrett said, shaking his head. “We just don’t fear death.”

Nightmare Moon smiled in anticipation. She brought her sword back and lowered her stance. Dashing forward, she kept herself near the earth. Then, she stomped her hooves firmly on the ground and thrust her sword.

Garrett used one of his daggers to deflect the blade away. Immediately, he lunged forward and extended his other arm.

With a quick sidestep, Nightmare Moon easily dodged the attack.

Moving forward, Garrett slashed diagonally and nicked Nightmare Moon’s arcane armor. Before he was able to bring down his other dagger, he was stopped as a sword hilt blocked the attack.

Nightmare Moon shoved Garrett away and attacked him yet again. She used the length of her blade to bring an onslaught of thrusts and slices.

Garrett used both of his daggers to effectively survive each attack, but due to the overwhelming power, he was incapable of stopping a direct strike, thus he had to cope with parrying and deflection. Even if he extended with all of his reach, he knew he would be unable to touch Nightmare Moon.

Before he was able to make a move, Garrett felt a force wrap around the collar of his arcane armor.

With a smile, Nightmare Moon threw him to the wall of the sphere with her magic.

Garrett hit the shield with a loud thud and was pressed hard against it.

Then, Nightmare Moon pulled him back with her magic and slammed him yet again. All the spectators, particularly Celestia and Luna, watched in horror as she she repeated it for a second time.

With a wide smile, Nightmare Moon pulled Garrett towards her. Then, she turned around, raised her hind legs, and sent him flying towards the wall for a third round. In this instance, the thud was so loud many closed their eyes and cringed.

Garrett slid down the wall and fell. Landing on his knees, he blinked multiple times and struggled to get up, disoriented. Eventually, he was able to hear various voices yelling at him through the sphere.

“Garrett!”

“Get up!”

“Come on!”

“Look out!”

After shaking his head to regain focus, Garrett looked up to see Nightmare Moon charging at him with her sword raised high. Without any time to react, he stood up and held his left dagger high.

Garrett let out a small groan of pain as he felt the brute force of Nightmare Moon’s power transfer to him. He was then pinned to the wall of the sphere again, but he saw his target within thrusting distance.

Nightmare Moon instinctively stepped to her left to dodge Garrett’s right dagger.

Aware of this, Garrett flicked his wrist and threw the dagger to the air. He caught it in a reverse grip and drove the blade again.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. She leaned her head forward, narrowly dodging the attack.

The tip of the dagger struck the sphere so hard it lodged itself in.

Nightmare Moon looked around and realized that Garrett had his left arm still blocking her sword and his right pinning her to the wall of the shield, and their heads were only a foot apart. Winding back, he then started delivering headbutts that made her collide with the sphere.

After countless blows, Nightmare Moon managed to pull herself away, freeing Garrett in the process. Both of their translucent helmets had subtle cracks.

They circled each other for a moment, weapons high. Nightmare Moon shook her head and puffed out hot air. Garrett kept silent and moved about like a predator stalking prey.

“You know what’s strange?” Nightmare Moon asked the spectators. “I did keep my promise to stay away.”

“Liar!” Garrett barked.

Nightmare Moon chuckled. “It’s true. All of my fleets kept their distances, but what really made me strike was-” she pointed a hoof at Garrett “-him.”

The crystal ponies and griffons shot Garrett with suspicious looks.

“When I detected the approach of his ship,” Nightmare Moon said, “I was forced to do this.”

“Shut up!” Garrett barked.

“Every single life that will be lost today is all because of you.”

“Shut up!”

With another dark snicker, Nightmare Moon continued. “In reality, I was protecting Equestria from threats like him.”

Shifting her attention to the spectators, Nightmare Moon continued, “In the past, he was put to a test in a dream where he was in full control of his actions, and do you know what he did? He waged a war upon Equestria, unleashing the might of the human race. Your beloved Princess Luna was executed by his own iron fist.

“And what did he do to Princess Celestia? Why, Garrett killed himself by setting up a ship to explode, bringing her down with him.”

The crystal ponies and griffons shouted violent remarks at Garrett.

Nightmare Moon shot Garrett with another look. “What was that the Spartan told you? Ahh, yes. You were told that when your ancestors discovered the killing power of rock and bone, your race has spilled blood over everything, from justice to simple, psychotic rage.”

Nightmare Moon tsked and shook her head. “Sad to say that your ‘hero’ is a mere war monger,” she said to Celestia and Luna.

Garrett snarled at her. He charged and thrust both of his daggers, but Nightmare Moon parried and stepped out of the way, keeping her distance.

“You see?” she taunted. She then looked at all the eyes staring at her. “Why would he respond immediately like that?”

She glanced back at Garrett. “It’s because I’m right and he doesn’t want to admit it. So, tell me, who is the real villain here?”

“Would you like me to be brutally honest?” Garrett asked. “I don’t care about what you do to me or what you say about me. Hell, you can put all of Equestria against me. I survived it once, and I can survive it again.”

Garrett walked forward, readying his daggers. Nightmare Moon grit her teeth and raised her sword. The Equestrian spectators leaned closer towards the shield.

“In the end,” Garrett finally said, “I just want you dead.”

The two charged at each other yet again. This time, it appeared that the only thing Nightmare Moon’s cheap tricks did upon Garrett was piss him off even more, evident with the faster and harder strikes of his daggers and his more complex and agile footwork.

The brutal clash continued on, and the strengths of the two were more obvious than ever. Nightmare Moon dominated with reach and power, but Garrett pounced upon her with flexibility and speed.

On and on, Garrett and Nightmare Moon fought each other without holding back. When they parted again, the damage they dealt to one another finally became clear. Scratches, gashes, dents, and nicks were on their arcane armors. The sphere that surrounded them also earned its own share of breakage.

After the brief moment of rest, Garrett sprinted forward again. Nightmare Moon thought the same, and she met him head-on.

Garrett flicked his right dagger to a reverse grip and aimed for the head.

Nightmare Moon brought her sword back, ready for a thrust.

Two loud clunks resonated in perfect synchronization. Everything became so still it was as if time had frozen. The spectators watched with awe at the sight. Garrett’s dagger was stuck on his target’s helmet, while the tip of Nightmare Moon’s sword finally cracked through his armor and was penetrating the arcane shield relic on the chest.

The artifact on Garrett’s chest fractured, and his arcane daggers and armor disappeared. The tip of the sword pressing upon it tore it away from his chest, and it fell upon the ground. The blade then harmlessly slipped over the ODST combat gear, stabbing at nothing.

Garrett still kept on the same pose, his emotionless visor holding the look of a determined killer.

Cracks started reaching across on Nightmare Moon’s arcane helmet like breaking ice. Her magical armor started fading away like a dying candle, but she was still looking at Garrett with an unflinching stare.

Then, her helmet and the rest of her majestic enchanted armor shattered like glass. Her head was thus left bare, and Garrett’s clenched fist was hovering right next to it.

The shield that surrounded Garrett and Nightmare Moon finally vanished. Still, no one dared to move.

Nightmare Moon and Garrett finally showed signs of life. They were both staggering, fighting hard to stay up.

Garrett fell to his knees and collapsed upon the ground. Nightmare Moon struggled, but she kept herself up. She smiled and lowered her sword.

“Well, Garrett,” she started, “you have fought honourably.”

She took a few steps forward to face Griffaldi, Luna, and Celestia, who were now positioned in front of the Monairco Castle with their guards. “Now, back to business--”

“Hey!” Garrett barked. There was a loud click. “I’m not done with you yet.”

Turning, Nightmare Moon found Garrett back on his feet with an assault rifle trained on her. She backed off slightly and glanced at the Equestrians behind her aiming their weapons at her. She then shifted her eyes back towards Garrett and chuckled.

“You think that gives you power over me?” she taunted.

In a swift strike, she used her magic to grab the griffon prince behind her. There was an uproar of shock, but before someone could have attacked her, she gently floated the edge of her sword near her hostage’s neck.

Then, with Griffaldi right in front of her, Nightmare Moon smiled yet again. She then backed off towards the wall, ensuring that none would attack her from behind. The griffons and ponies gave way as she passed by, fearful that she might bring harm to her captive. However, they kept their weapons high in an attempt to intimidate her.

“Lower your weapons,” Nightmare Moon ordered calmly. She pressed the edge of the blade against Griffalid’s throat. “You don’t want him to get hurt, don’t you?”

Reluctantly, the ponies and griffons complied. They sheathed their weapons and stared at Nightmare Moon with low growls and hisses.

There was, however, one individual who kept his weapon at the ready.

“You have no power here,” Nightmare Moon said to Garrett.

Garrett kept silent, his finger resting on the trigger.

Again, the Equestrians made way so that there was a ring around the two of them once more.

Nightmare Moon tilted her head and stared irritably at Garrett. “You have five seconds to--”

“You don’t get it, do you?!” Griffaldi spat. “He only sees two targets and one shot!”

All heads were now shifting on Garrett. Some griffons began reaching for their swords again.

Being the closest one to Garrett, Shining Armor managed to see him hold his trigger even tighter and hear him mutter very low words. “Tempting...”

In a split second, Shining Armor drew his crossbow with magic and aimed it at Garrett’s head. “Put the gun down,” he ordered.

Garrett shot him a hard look through his visor. He then turned and aimed his assault rifle at him. “You just made a serious mistake.”

Nightmare Moon let out a loud chuckle.

Celestia stepped into the ring and into Shining Armor’s sight. The look on her face was of fear and uneasiness. “Shining Armor--”

“Put the gun down!” Shining Armor barked.

Looking around, Garrett realized that the crystal ponies and griffons were targeting him with their own weapons as well. He shifted the sights of his assault rifle between Shining Armor and Nightmare Moon.

Finally, he lowered his head and muttered a low swear. He reached for the butt of his rifle and pulled out the magazine. Then, he dropped it on the ground.

“There, no ammo,” he said.

He slowly started lowering his gun with both hands still on it.

Nightmare Moon smiled. “Excellent, now--”

There was a loud bang that cracked through the air as Garrett fired the one bullet still in his rifle. Everyone flinched as the round soared through the air and landed on the castle wall, meters away from Nightmare Moon’s head.

Each pony and griffon stared at the bullet hole in confusion. Nightmare Moon furrowed her brow. “You missed,” she said, turning to Garrett. “You completely missed me--”

She stopped she realized that Garrett was sprinting towards her. There was no time to react as the butt of an assault rifle rammed into her face. The mere sight of the action made many cringe.

Garrett shoved Griffaldi clear out of harm’s way before pinning Nightmare Moon to the wall. He cocked back his fist for a blow.

With quick thinking, Nightmare Moon blasted Garrett away with her magic before he was able to bring any more harm. He landed on his feet, his boots scraping the ground.

In a swift movement, Garrett raised his assault rifle yet again and reached for his pocket, but he seized himself as saw the magazine he dropped float right in front of him with a dark aura.

“Well, that was fun,” Nightmare Moon said. She gingerly hovered the magazine back into Garrett’s palms. “But, I have more work to do.”

She directed her attention towards the ponies and griffons and bowed. “Enjoy your time with your so-called ‘hero.’”

Her horn glowed with violet. A purple wave of colour surrounded her like a wind in a tornado. When it cleared, she was gone.

Garrett stood there motionless, still holding his magazine in his hand and his assault rifle on the other. He lowered his head and made a low growl. “Get a chariot over here,” he said to his comms.

Then, he proceeded to walk away, and the Equestrians gave him space without question, offering him a clear route. Many decided to grip the handles of their weapons as a precaution. As Garrett was making his way, Shining Armor followed him.

“Hey,” he said sternly.

Garrett ignored him and continued on.

“Garrett,” Shining Armor repeated, “I’m talking to you.”

Still, he paid no attention to him.

Frustrated, Shining Armor reached forward with his hoof to force Garrett to turn around. “Hey!--”

The moment he touched him, Garrett launched himself to the air, spun around, and brought his elbow down upon Shining Armor, who fell to the ground with a grunt. Then, he kicked him over, raised his boot, and stomped it on his chest piece. There was a loud crunching sound as footwear collided with armor.

Garrett stooped down and threw away Shining Armor’s arcane crossbow.

Shining Armor let out a groan and struggled to breath. He tried to lift Garrett’s boot away from his chest but to no avail.

Garrett then inserted the magazine into his assault rifle and aimed at Shining Armor’s head. “I could have ended all of this if it weren’t for you.”

The griffons and ponies shouted with rage. Out of the corner of his eye, Garrett spotted them readying their weapons. He even saw Celestia approaching him.

“Try anything funny,” he said to them, “and the round goes in.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Shining Armor croaked.

Garrett cocked his rifle and pressed his rifle muzzle under Shining Armor’s chin. “Try me--”

A loud blast snapped through the air, and the ground next to Garrett erupted like it was shot with a large bullet.

Everyone flinched except for Garrett, who looked up to the air.

An armored pegasus was flying up above, wearing the same exotic metal armor and weapons as the ones that brought Garrett. He landed next to him, and despite the faceless visor, he looked at him with a strong sense of intimidation.

“That’s enough, Garrett,” the cavalier said in a familiar voice. With his hoof, He grabbed Garrett by the assault rifle and shoved him away.

Garrett stayed silent. He lowered his rifle and clenched a fist.

“Clear your head,” the cavalier ordered him. He motioned the ponies and griffons around them. “They’re not the real threats.”

“You have no idea what he just costed us!” Garrett barked as he pointed accusingly at Shining Armor, who was getting back on to his hooves.

“Yes, I do know,” the cavalier said, a hint of rage present in his tone. “And because of that...”

The cavalier raised his hind hooves and bucked.

Shining Armor hit the ground hard again, clutching his head. To his favor, his helmet absorbed the impact, evident by the small deformation.

“There,” the cavalier said. “Now, let’s get going. Nightmare Moon’s fleet is on the move again. Her shadows will be coming in like locusts.”

Two pegasi stepped forward. One was a mare while the other was a stallion. “C-Captain Galea?” the female asked. “What happened to you?”

The cavalier looked at them. “Turbulence, Downburst, stay out of this.”

“We want to help, sir,” Downburst said.

Galea shook his head. “That’s a negative, commander, not after what I’ve heard.”

He directed his attention back to Garrett and motioned a cavalier-drawn chariot that just landed. “Let’s go.”

“Captain,” Turbulence started, “we agreed to go with Garrett to whatever end.”

Downburst nodded. “That’s right, sir. The only way you can get rid of us is to--”

Galea spun around, smashed a hoof on the ground, and opened his wings aggressively. “Stay out of this!” he snapped.

The two commanders drew back. Garrett proceeded to the chariot, only to have Celestia step in the way again.

“Garrett,” she started, “please, give me a chance to explain.”

Garrett shook his head. “I sent you a damn warning, and you brushed me aside.”

He shot one more hard look at Shining Armor and Prince Griffaldi.

“Garrett,” Celestia pleaded, “you need to understand--”

“I don’t need an explanation,” Garrett interrupted harshly. He unpolarized his visor and looked at Celestia. “I understand what you did because I would’ve done the same thing.”

The way Garrett looked at her showed a sense of newfound respect accompanied by merciless determination. He got on the chariot, put away his rifle, and made himself comfortable.

“Can you ever forgive me?” Celestia asked.

Garrett polarised his visor and lowered his head, staying silent as he did so. The chariot took off, and Galea took to the sky with it. They gained altitude and flew clear away from the Monairco perimeter. A fleet of twenty cavalier ships appeared in the distance and quickly gained up to them.

The twenty airships from Nightmare Moon’s fleet were approaching fast, and they had a course heading straight towards the cavaliers.

The cavaliers started by firing their main guns. Massive arcane bolts flashed through the sky like lightning and crashed into the zeppelins.

Nightmare Moon’s ships returned fire, but Garrett’s fleet broke off in time to dodge them. Again, they used their main guns and unleashed another wave of projectiles in perfect synchronization.

Already in flames, the zeppelins broke off and widened the space between one another. Before they were able to react, another set of arcane bolts rammed into them, this time from above. From the cover of the high clouds clouds, the last ten cavalier galleons emerged, pointing straight down upon the zeppelins.

In one swift motion, all the cavalier galleons opened fire upon Nightmare Moon’s ships with everything they had. There were so many projectiles soaring through the air it was like a blizzard of high energy bolts. Without any possible attempt of retaliation, the zeppelins erupted into massive fireballs.

Many griffons and ponies erupted into cheers as they saw the spectacle. Griffaldi himself was fighting hard to hide his impressed look. But the enthusiasm was short lived as one guard pointed to the distance, past Monairco’s harbor. “Look!” he barked.

Another group of twenty zeppelins were approaching. It was escorted by what appeared to be a thin black mist.

“That’s a horrible idea for camouflaging a fleet,” one guard remarked.

Another guard on a tower pulled out a pair of binoculars and viewed the zeppelins. “That’s not camouflage,” he said grimly.

As the fleet approached, it became clear that what was around the zeppelins was moving erratically like a swarm of insects. Nightmare Moon’s shadows were flying next to the airships. Most were doing it on their own, but some were riding chariots.

Instinctively, the Equestrian ships lined up into formation.

“Our ships aren’t enough to hold off those shadows,” Celestia said.

“Prepare for battle!” Griffaldi barked.

In the blink of an eye, every guard scrambled into action. Many set up a defensive perimeter around Monairco Castle, and the rest spread themselves out throughout the rest of the principality.

Amidst it all, Luna, who was far from the rest, stood silent as she stared at the cavalier fleet. She had flown out in an attempt to catch up to Garrett when he took off in his chariot but stopped and landed again once she saw the galleons break cover. Looking to her side, she found one of her own guards next to her.

“Rally the rest of lunar guards and my airships,” she ordered.

“Where are we going, your highness?” the lunar guard asked.

Luna switched her eyes back to the cavalier ships. The fleet had changed course, this time heading towards Monairco’s harbour. It was easy to see that they intended to engage with the shadows and the other zeppelins.

“We are following Garrett’s lead,” Luna said.

Part 16: Knights in Dark Armor

The zeppelins and the shadows were but a short distance away from Monairco. The airships slowed, allowing the swarms of creatures to move ahead. They then moved to a formation where ten would be in a row in front while the rest would follow behind.

The Equestrian ships opened fire upon the swarm. Projectiles ranging from arcane bolts, to fire balls, and to beams of energy shot through the sky and exploded in the air. Still, the shadows pursued on. Many managed to find a place to land in Monairco.

In response, Garrett’s fleet gained altitude and attacked the shadows from above using their autocannons. Cavalier pegasi emerged from the airships and did the same as well. They kept their distance and took turns in shooting down their targets.

Battle cries ran throughout the city as the Equestrian guards engaged in battle. The shadows landed around the castle in a massive ring as if they were cutting it off from the rest of the city.

On top of the estate’s gate, Griffaldi, Celestia, and Shining Armor stood ready. The guards that were with them prepared themselves as well. They all looked towards the sea, staring at what they were to face.

Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins were escorting a large swarm of shadows. The sheer number of them expressed that it was clear they would use overwhelming force to destroy the castle.

The swarm charged forward ahead of the zeppelins. Chariots and shadows flew forward, all poised for a hard landing.

“You are soldiers of Equestria!” Shining Armor said to the guards. “This is your home! Whatever comes your way, you will stand your ground!”

The Equestrians fired upon the shadows and managed to prevent them from making an immediate landing, but it was apparent that the defense would break easily. It was not long before some guards were already fighting their foes in their barricades. As the battle raged on, streaks of light rained down upon the sky and shot straight through ten of the zeppelins. The airships exploded into fireballs that hurled themselves into the sea.

From high up above, twenty five triangular objects burst through the clouds and were aiming straight towards the zeppelins. They fired missiles that soared through the air and collided with the airships, engulfing them in a blanket of flame.

The objects then changed their direction and headed towards Monairco. They opened fire on the shadows with their chain guns. They ripped their way through the swarm and narrowly dodged the Equestrian airships. The sound of a deafening roar came from each of them as they passed by, and their rear ends glowed like suns.

Then, what appeared to be eight large rocks began breaking through the clouds. They were going at high speeds, red-hot as the friction was heating them up, and they were heading straight for Monairco Castle.

“What are those?!” Griffaldi asked.

“It’s the UNSC!” Celestia shouted triumphantly.

Every solar guard who heard her erupted into loud cheers. Many felt a sense of motivation and fought on even harder as the Longswords continued engaging the shadows.

The drop pods landed hard in front of the castle gates. Their doors quickly ejected off, and in each one, an armored human dressed in dark battle armor jumped straight out.

“Squad, engage!” one of them, a woman, barked.

The eight ODSTs found cover in front of the castle gates and picked their targets. They opened fire with their assault and battle rifles, easily pushing back many shadows.

Overwhelmed with relief, Celestia flew down to meet the ODSTs.

“Princess Celestia!” Shining Armor barked.

Celestia ignored him and landed next to the woman. “Trooper, I can’t thank you enough--”

The ODST held up a hand to cut her off. “With all due respect,” she snarled harshly, “you either keep your head down now or have it blown off!”

Shocked, Celestia drew back and took cover in the barricades next to the woman.

Shining Armor and Griffaldi, escorted by guards, caught up to them and went for the cover as well. They looked at the ODSTs with distrust and suspicion.

Another ODST approached the woman. “Jenny,” he said, “we’ve got a problem.”

He pointed to the pathway that lead Monairco Castle to the city. “Big group of hostiles coming in. What’s our plan of action, sarge?”

Jenny looked to find a stampede of eighty shadows charging straight towards them. They had spears, swords, and crossbows raised with their magic.

“Get out the heavy weapons,” she said to the trooper, who nodded and scrambled to a drop pod.

Then, Jenny activated her comms. “Squad, this is Aves! Regroup on me. We’re taking down that stampede.”

Within a moment’s notice, the rest of the squad fell back and formed a defensive line. The ODST that went to the drop pod returned bearing a large, triple-barreled gatling gun. He found an open field of view and spun up his weapon.

The rest of the troopers aimed their guns straight at the approaching shadows.

“Open fire!” Jenny barked.

The sound of gunfire filled the air and drowned out all other noise. Bullets ripped through the swarm swiftly, and bodies quickly fell like dominoes. Spent shell casings fell to the ground with loud tinks. When the last shadow fell, the ODSTs stopped firing. The Equestrians stared in awe at the sight of the troopers standing on top of a blanket of empty cartridges.

“Good job, troopers!” Jenny said. “Let’s make sure they stay out!”

The ODSTs with assault weapons moved forward, and those that stayed behind picked off targets from affair with their battle rifles.

More squads landed on various parts of Monairco. The sound of battle cries and gunfire echoed towards the castle, and it sounded obvious that the ODSTs were overpowering the shadows in close quarters.

Another group of pods landed in front of the castle. Each trooper of the squad was equipped with what many Equestrians assumed as strange-looking rucksacks. They faced a nearby building and lowered their stance. Then, high-energy flames discharged from the sides of their packs. The ODSTs were sent flying to the air. They gracefully landed on a rooftop and fired upon unaware shadows on the streets below. In a short moment, they moved on and jumped towards another structure across the street.

“Bullfrogs sure are a beauty to watch work, eh?” one ODST asked Shining Armor, who had his jaw hanging.

In return, he nodded back in awe, and the ODST could not help but chuckle.

Jenny activated her comms. “Burning Frost, the landing zone is secured.”

“Where are all of them coming from?” Griffaldi asked Celestia.

A cloak of darkness covered Monairco like a blanket. Every Equestrian looked up and froze to see another group of objects breaking through the clouds. They varied in sizes. Some were as large as a castle, while others made the entire principality look miniscule.

“Son of a...” Shining Armor remarked.

The ships faced the last five zeppelins of Nightmare Moon.

The zeppelins, however, opened fire and struck the UNSC ships. Fire wrapped around them like a blanket, but the damaged was shrugged off like nothing as the flames died out like candles.

With one synchronized strike, the UNSC ships launched MAC rounds that cracked through the air and ripped apart the airships.

The zeppelins then exploded into fireballs that fell to the waters below, stirring waves.

In quick succession, the UNSC fleet let loose a barrage of missiles and autocannon fire that shredded the airborne shadows and chariots, clearing much of the sky. Pelicans emerged from hangar bays and descended upon Monairco with their noses pointed down. Within moments, they had themselves landed in front of the castle.

Garrett leaned on the holo table and watched the figures on the display move about. The Pelicans that had landed were quickly being emptied. Marines and ODSTs were spreading out everywhere, and Warthogs were being detached from drop ship tails.

Changing his view, Garrett inspected the UNSC fleet. He counted six frigates, two destroyers, one carrier, and one Phoenix-class colony ship. A small smile formed on his face as he felt more hope return to him. “Not bad,” he commented. “Can’t believe the Burning Frost made it this far.”

Galea hopped into the display. There was a frantic yet composed look on his face. “Garrett, Nightmare Moon just changed the power output from her spire. The only way we can safely destroy it and her influence now is by manually placing me into the core.”

“‘Safely?’” Garrett asked.

Galea changed the view of the holo table to Canterlot. Nightmare Moon’s tower was glowing even brighter.

“There’s too much interference for me to do a proximity detonation.” Galea took a deep breath. “If we carry on with our current plan, the resulting explosion would send a wave of energy that would solidify every living being into stone in a radius of...”

He lost his words as he shook his head.

“In a radius of what?!” Garrett barked.

“I don’t know!” Galea shouted.

Looking back at Canterlot, Garrett clenched his fist and huffed. The Majority of her zeppelin fleet was falling back and heading towards the city. Shadows were dug in and looking ready for a stand. “We should wait for the rest of the fleet to regroup and take her down with an organized attack.”

“No!” Galea protested. “We’ve caught her by surprise. All of her ships just started heading back. If we wait, Nightmare Moon would be ready by the time we get something done. It’s now or never.”

Garrett lowered his head and grumbled. “Let’s move out. Use everything we’ve got into monitoring Canterlot and Nightmare Moon. I want every bit of information we can grab. If we encounter hostile resistance along the way, blow them up to bits.”

The human and Equestrian forces pushed back the shadows with ease.

However, the UNSC was unable to bring more ground troops. All of their ODSTs were still being deployed via drop pods, and Pelicans that brought the first groups of marines and Warthogs were forced to be grounded due to the overwhelming amount of shadows in the air. This also prevented more from coming in.

After the initial landing, the ODSTs defending Monairco Castle calmed down slightly as they could see the shadows get pushed back despite their limited forces. Some Warthogs stayed behind to act as additional defense.

Celestia approached Jenny, who was still scanning for targets with her rifle.

“Sorry about earlier,” Jenny started.

Celestia waved a hoof. “That’s all right, trooper.”

She looked up to see the UNSC Longswords and ships engaging the shadows in the air. To the preference of the humans, Griffaldi and the other Equestrian officers had ordered all pegasi and griffons to land to assist the ground troops, thus the skies were less occupied.

“Any word on when you can safely land more forces?” Celestia asked.

Jenny looked to her side to see a gunner on a Warthog firing upon a group of shadows flying above. “Nothing yet, but I’m pretty sure we’re making progress.”

The sound of beeps resonated throughout the air. Jenny activated her comms while Celestia pulled out the radio with her magic.

“Longswords,” a voice said, “disengage and get out of the airspace above the city.”

“Identify yourself!” a pilot barked.

“Do what he says,” Colonel Stanford’s voice said.

“Affirmative,” another pilot replied.

Many looked to see Garrett’s fleet of galleons and cavalier pegasi form themselves into a large wave that was positioned right on top of Monairco Harbour. All them then moved like a solid wall sweeping over Monairco

Autocannon fire from the galleons and projectiles from the pegasi decimated through the airborne shadows, who attempted to fight back in return.

A large number of cavalier forces suffered damages, but the shadows stood no chance against the firepower. Within moments, the airspace was clear.

Cheers erupted from Monairco. Many felt a sense of joy as they could see more Pelicans emerge from the UNSC ships.

“Let’s finally clear up this place, shall we?” Jenny asked Celestia with a smile.

The next group of UNSC forces from the Pelicans was composed of marines, ODSTs, and Warthogs, and they went straight into action. The humans already on the ground shouted a few cheers at the new company.

However, one man, escorted by ODSTs, made his way towards Celestia. He was aged and wore an officer’s uniform. Jenny saluted to him as he approached.

“At ease, Aves,” Stanford said. He saluted Celestia. “Good to see you again, ma’am.”

Celestia smiled. “Colonel, you have no idea how grateful we are to have you here.”

“How about we save the gratitude and head straight into getting back what’s yours?” Stanford suggested.

Several guards nearby cheered and clapped.

But as quick as the enthusiasm came, one ODST next to Stanford looked to his side and pointed up. “Look!” he barked.

Silenced hushed them all once again. They stared in stillness as they watched Garrett’s fleet keep its course going out. The cavalier pegasi boarded the galleons, which picked up speed shortly after.

Dark violet airships decorated with silver broke off from the Equestrian fleet. They all moved together in the direction as Garrett’s ships. Lunar guards also broke from whatever they were doing and flew the same way.

On one airship, Luna, doned in her armor, stood on top of the bow. She had her sword gently holstered to her side. Looking to Monairco, she gave one last glance at them before turning her head back to the direction of Canterlot.

“They’re leaving?!” one soldier barked.

“Luna!” Celestia cried. Within a heartbeat, she spread her wings out. But before she was able to take off, Jenny grabbed her with a hand and held her down.

“No!” Stanfard barked. “Let them go. We need you here.”

Celestia looked back at Luna’s fleet, which was quickly picking up speed. She then set her eyes upon Monairco, where gunfire and battle cries were still ringing out. More Pelicans had started landing in front of them, and already, marines and ODSTs were spreading out from the landing zone.

“You’re right, colonel,” Celestia said.

Stanford nodded. “Bring back some of your force to protect this LZ. We’ll handle clearing out the city.”

He looked towards Monairco Harbour. In the distance, countless ships were approaching. “Those friendlies?” he asked Griffaldi.

“I am assuming zebras, minotaurs, and other nearby allies,” Griffaldi replied. “They recently sent word of their arrival with more forces.”

With a smile, Stanford chuckled. “Well, this day’s getting better and better.”

He waved the humans to follow him, and he proceeded he down the pathway. “Let’s get to work, everyone.”

Griffaldi leaned towards a griffon soldier next to him. “Warn the incoming fleets of our ‘guests,’ and tell them not to take the danger lightly.”

The griffon nodded and took off, heading towards the approaching ships.

A series of loud bangs filled the air. Griffaldi looked to see a squad of ODSTs bearing high-caliber sniper rifles picking off targets from a guard tower. He could see the rounds cut through the air and pierce through shadows and walls like a hot knife and butter.

Then, Griffaldi shifted his attention towards another griffon. “Tell the officers that the humans must be watched at all times and that we must conserve and be careful about our weaponry in case the time comes.”

With the aid of additional UNSC, zebra, minotaur, and other forces and the lack of shadows in the air, the battle for Monairco went by with gaining momentum. Marines and ODSTs, together with various Equestrian soldiers, plowed through the streets and overwhelmed Nightmare Moon’s forces with ease. Though there were damages done, many were thankful for the arrival of their new allies.

The UNSC had deployed an Elephant outside the principality to serve as a temporary command center, and the security surrounding it was enough to challenge a fortress.

In the darkness of the night, Shining Armor and Griffaldi stood on the second floor of one of the large common rooms in Monairco Castle, which was turned into makeshift accommodations for some of the new arrivals. They watched the sea of soldiers go on with their business. Humans and Equestrians were busy moving gear, chatting, and earning some rest while others were in the midst of treating minor injuries.

“Their ships are covered with the damage of previous battles,” Griffaldi started. He looked out the window see the UNSC and Equestrian fleets maintaining a defensive position around Monairco. “And their men are already full of the scars of war. I can see it without needing a second glance.”

“They won’t be pleased when they find out we tried to kill him,” Shining Armor murmured.

“I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Griffaldi replied.

“But you aimed your sword at his head.”

“Only to scare him. I was going to graze his helmet. He’s more valuable alive.”

“And what will we do if they find out?” Shining Armor asked.

“We’ll figure out a way,” Griffaldi assured.

“This is Captain Garrett Archer,” a voice said.

Shining Armor and Griffaldi froze and felt cold shivers crawl down them.

“To any UNSC that can hear this,” Garrett’s voice continued, “do not, I repeat, do not land forces on the city. Set up a defensive perimeter beyond its limits. Locals are a mix of hostiles and--”

“There he is!” Shining Armor heard his voice barked.

“Bring him down!” Griffaldi’s shouted.

There was a scream of agony, followed by a moan that was quickly silenced.

Turning around, Shining Armor and Griffaldi looked to find nothing; the second floor was still dim. On the doorway to their right, a group of five ODSTs emerged. One of them was holding a small beacon, and the rest were cracking their knuckles.

To her surprise, Celestia found herself walking down Monairco Castle’s courtyard in an almost peaceful state of mind. She was accompanied by Turbulence, Downburst, Stanford, and the commanding officers of the UNSC ships that came.

“We’ll be ready to make a push in a few moments,” Stanford reported.

“That’s good to hear,” Celestia said with a nod. “Keep us updated on the situation as much as you can.”

Stanford nodded. “Understood, ma’am.”

A solar guard rushed towards the group. He bowed quickly with a frantic look on his face. “Your highness,” he said to Celestia, “we have a problem.”

A symphony of roars and crashes erupted from a nearby building, cutting off further conversation.

Instinctively, all the UNSC officers drew out their magnums.

“Let’s move,” Stanford said to the group.

They all rushed towards the main entrance. As they made their way, the shouts became clearer and more violent. There was the sound of guns being cocked and objects hitting the floor.

Stanford took point with Celestia directly behind him. He kicked open the door to find tables knocked over to serve as cover and gear scattered on the ground.

The UNSC were on one side of the room. ODSTs were surrounding a unicorn and a griffon, viciously beating them with their fists. Marines had their rifles pointed in a defensive position towards the other side of the room.

On the opposing end, there were Equestrians ranging from minotaurs, to zebras, to griffons, and to ponies. They also had their own weapons pointing to the UNSC. The crystal guards were at the very front snarling with aggression, almost as if they were fighting Nightmare Moon herself.

The two factions were barking and shouting at each other threats. One minotaur let out a roar and charged forwards holding a large two-handed warhammer.

As the minotaur raised his weapon, Stanford shot a round that sent the warhammer flying out of grasp. The loud bang quickly silenced everyone and made the ODSTs stop their beating. The officers accompanying Celestia fanned out and aimed their pistols towards both groups.

“What the hell is going on in here?!” Stanford barked.

“Stop this at once!” Celestia ordered. She spread her wings out and stood in the way between the Equestrians and the UNSC. “Please,” she begged in a softer tone, “we’ve had enough violence already.”

The two factions slowly and reluctantly lowered their weapons. The ODSTs surrounding Griffaldi and Shining Armor backed up, allowing them more breathing space. One trooper stepped forward.

“You better have a damn good explanation for this, Sergeant Aves!” Stanford snarled at her.

Jenny nodded and raised a hand-held beacon. “I do, sir.”

She tossed it to Stanford’s palms. “Listen for yourselves to hear.”

Stanford narrowed his eyes at the device. He pressed the button on the side to hear a message loud enough for everyone to hear.

Celestia blinked in disbelief at what she was listening to. As she heard Garrett make a final effort to send the warning, she looked at Shining Armor and Griffaldi, who were curled up on the floor in pain.

“Seems like the next group of aliens we’re suppose to help just want to kill us as well, colonel,” one ODST remarked. “No different than last time.”

There was a moment of tense silence as Stanford looked like he was holding back with all his willpower. Some Equestrians started to reach down for their weapons again.

“Pack up, everyone” Stanford bitterly ordered. “We’re moving out.”

Immediately, the UNSC personnel started picking up storage containers and leaving. The Equestrians were more than happy to help them leave as quick as possible. As the entire scene unfolded, Shining Armor slowly pushed himself back up, groaning. As he was on his knees, an ODST marched by and smashed his boot on his face, bringing him to the floor again.

“No mercy next time you screw up, got it?” the ODST growled at him in a low tone before continuing on.

Dazed, Shining Armor blinked and shook his head. He looked around and found the last remnants of the UNSC already at the door. Celestia was looking at him, a look of betrayal on her face. She closed her eyes, sighed, and left.

Crystal guards came to help Shining Armor get up. By the time he was back on his hooves, he found himself facing Turbulence and Downburst, both of them with the same look as Celestia’s.

“I...” Shining Armor started.

“Come on,” Turbulence said to Downburst. “Let’s go.

Without waiting for a response, Turbulence made her way out the door. Downburst looked back at Shining Armor.

“We trusted you, sir,” Downburst said, “trusted you to help set things right.”

He, too, turned his back and exited through the door.

“Don’t worry, your highness,” a crystal guard assured Shining Armor, “we’ll see this through.”

Following the events of the recent confrontation, it became apparent that humans were not trusted. UNSC and Equestrian forces purposely kept their distances between one another as much as possible. The only individuals who were obviously putting effort into keeping the two factions together were Celestia and her solar guards.

The UNSC’s plan to move forward had to be delayed due to the sudden need to shift gears and enforce security around the Elephant they established outside Monairco.

In the war room of Monairco Castle, Shining Armor found his head clouded with so many thoughts it was next to impossible for him to think. Every sound made rustled his nerves. He looked around him and to his sides to find unicorns, pegasi, earth and crystal ponies, minotaurs, griffons, and zebras discussing over a large map of Equestria.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Shining Armor said. “I need some fresh air.”

Griffaldi nodded. “Take as much as you require.”

Shining Armor made his way through the door and closed it behind him. He walked down one of the many hallways of Monairco Castle. His head immediately felt better with the change of scenery. Looking outside, he saw the UNSC ships in a tight formation. Aircraft were flying in and out, and Longswords were securing the surrounding airspace.

“You can’t just turn your back on the guard like that,” a muffled voice said, causing Shining Armor to stop. He looked to a door to his side and pressed his ear against it.

“Look, Downburst,” Turbulence said, “Captain Shining Armor just tried to kill Garrett. What’s happening now? A certain someone is out there getting up close and personal with Nightmare Moon while we’re here arguing with one another and barely keeping ourselves together. I’d rather join the former.”

“But--”

“Besides, we’re not turning our backs on the guard. Princess Luna’s out there. It’s part of our job to look after her, and... well, guess where she’s heading.”

“But that’s what the lunar guards are for!” Downburst protested.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a sigh.

“I guess there’s no stopping you,” Downburst admitted.

“Goodbye, Downburst,” Turbulence said.

“Goodbye, Turbulence. Tell the guards going with you I said good luck.”

Shining Armor burst through the door. He saw that Turbulence was in the process of spreading her wings, and Downburst was keeping his head down. The moment the two of them realized the interference, they immediately shifted their gazes to him.

“Turbulence,” Shining Armor started, “you know we can’t afford something like this at these times. I know what I did was not the best option, but I bet you two thought the same thing when you first saw Garrett.”

The two commanders kept silent, and their gazes fell to the floor as they nodded together.

“We’ve all made mistakes,” Shining Armor continued, “but we need to put our problems aside and face the real problem that’s happening here and now.”

“But in our instance,” Turbulence returned with a hiss, “we fought each other as an act of self-defense. We gave him a chance, and he proved to us that he was worth trusting. He offered you help on a silver platter, and you started shooting him. At least Garrett was smart enough to keep you alive.”

The guilt in Shining Armor silenced his words. He slowly pulled himself away and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath, and silently moved to the window. Staring outside, he waited and observed the skies above. After a few moments, he saw a group of pegasi and chariot-mounted unicorns take off and head straight out of Monairco’s airspace.

“Your highness,” a voice said.

Snapping back to his senses, Shining Armor turned and found a crystal guard saluting him.

“Prince Griffaldi would like to see you back in the war room,” the guard reported. “The UNSC is up to something.”

In the Elephant outside Monairco, Celestia found herself with Colonel Stanford and other human officers surrounding a holo table of Equestria. She looked around the mobile base and found it relatively cramp. Many were monitoring terminals while others were inspecting their equipment.

Shifting her eyes towards the window, Celestia easily saw the security around the temporary settlement act as strict as martial law.

One marine approached Stanford. “Sir, recon drones and probes just finished their scans.”

Stanford nodded. “Show us.”

The marine plugged in a data crystal to the holotable.

The figures on the display changed into Canterlot. A large spire stood emerged from the castle, and a dark aura stretched out from it like pieces of fabric. Countless zeppelins were forming a crescent-like formation around the city.

A fleet of cavalier galleons was approaching Canterlot, quickly being followed by Luna’s ships.

“Archer’s going to get himself killed,” an officer remarked. “There are hundreds of those zeppelins and only a handful of them.”

“It’s a trap!” another officer barked.

“Garrett... Luna...” Celestia breathed.

“Someone get me a link to Captain Archer!” Stanford ordered.

“We can’t sir,” a woman on a terminal replied. “Something’s jamming our signal.”

Celestia gritted her teeth. A part of her wanted to bring up a hoof and crush the holographic spire on Canterlot. “Nightmare Moon,” she hissed. “She’s leading him right to her.”

“So, it’s a rescue mission, then,” a commander commented.

“Let’s get as many of our assets as we can to Canterlot,” Stanford said, who received nods in agreement. “Tell the Elephant to pack up, and get as much as we can back to the ships. We’re moving out. Now. Someone get a message to the Destroyer Abrams to take point.”

Almost instantly, everyone started packing away equipment. Those in terminals stopped what they were doing and reverted to relaying the message. Stanford proceeded down the Elephant with Celestia following him.

“Colonel,” Celestia started, “what about the defence of Monairco?”

“Two frigates will stay behind,” Stanford said. He opened the Elephant door and stepped off.

A Hornet lay waiting outside. The pilot saluted Stanford, who acknowledged the response.

“We’ll handle Nightmare Moon and your sister,” Stanford continued. He boarded the side of the Hornet and took a jumpseat. “You can take care of diplomatic relations and the prevention of a second war.”

“A second war?” Celestia asked.

In silence, Stanford glanced at Monairco and lowered his head. At that moment, Celestia felt a wave of anxiety wash over as the realization dawned upon her.

“Good luck,” Stanford said to Celestia.

He waved the pilot, and the Hornet took off.

In the cabin of a cavalier galleon, Garrett sat on a chair quietly, leaning with his elbow on a table. He was resting his head on his palm and holding his wedding ring and Philomeena’s feather with his other hand. A small datapad lay in front of him. As he reached for it, Galea slid it out of his reach.

“You’re making yourself a wreck, Garrett,” Galea commented.

“Shut up,” Garrett replied. “Play audio log fourty-five.”

“And what if I don’t play it?” Galea asked.

“I turned my back on my friends, got hunted down like an animal, and made the opportunity to end all this slip by. The last thing you can take away from me right now is the reminder of why this is all suppose to be worth it.”

Finding no other option, Galea scrolled down the datapad and selected Garrett’s desired file.

“Do you remember our first time being in each other’s company, Garrett?” a female voice asked.

“Under the rubble of a university building,” Garrett’s voice in the recording replied.

The woman chuckled. “Okay, how we officially spent time with each other.”

“In the hospital?”

“That’s right.”

“You wouldn’t leave me alone after that,” Garrett commented.

“You saved my life, even if you didn’t know who I was.”

“I was just trying to help.”

As the audio file played, Galea trotted away and went back towards the terminals. He silently worked and listened at the same time.

“You’re meant for great things, Garrett,” the woman said.

“You sound a lot like my parents,” Garrett remarked.

“Only because it’s true.”

Garrett chuckled.

“Can’t wait to see you back home,” the woman said. “Good luck out there.”

“Until next time,” Garrett said. “Goodbye, Claire. I love you. Tell Sarah I said happy birthday when she’s back from school.”

“I will. I love you too, Garrett.”

When the recording ended, Galea looked back at Garrett, who sat silent. He reached forward and opened yet another file

Turning back towards terminal, Galea looked at his reflection on the screen. A cold, hard, and emotionless visor stared back at him. Memories of bloodshed and death flashed back to him. Years of rage and fighting scarred him so deep he realized he had forgotten how it was like to feel loved. He felt nothing anymore as he continued listening to Garrett hold on to whatever he had left.

What have you turned yourself into, Galea? he asked himself.

“Canterlot is in sight, your highness,” a lunar guard reported.

Luna nodded. She trotted up to the bow of her airship to get a better view.

Garrett’s cavalier ships had positioned themselves into a formation that surrounded Canterlot like a dome. They were barely staying clear of anti-aircraft fire from Canterlot, and they were using their main guns to force Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins to keep their distance. The spire still stood tall. Its ribbons of violet still stretched and expanded out. This time, electricity flowed in them like lightning.

In front of Canterlot’s main gate, there stood battalions of cavalier pegasi in formation. They were far enough to stay out of the range of Nightmare Moon’s forces. Among the crowd, a human stood with them.

“Tell my fleet to hold formation,” Luna said. “I will go down to meet Garrett.”

The guard nodded. “Understood, your highness.”

Luna spread her wings and dove off the bow. She glided her way to Garrett, who stood on a chariot behind all the cavaliers as if he was inspecting them. There was an AI core clipped to his back.

Landing gently on her hooves behind Garrett, Luna straightened herself and approached him. “Garrett, I--”

She stopped herself as she felt a force push her back. Reaching forward with her hoof, Luna felt like she was touching glass.

The cavalier galleons projected beams of light towards one another. As the rays met, they expanded into a solid, translucent sheet. Eventually, they formed a large blue dome around Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins fired multiple bolts upon the sphere, but the energy shield held strong like an impenetrable piece of armor.

Luna looked back at Garrett, who stood facing her.

“This’ll protect you if it all goes wrong,” Garrett said, unpolarizing his visor and stepping down the chariot.

“Don’t do this,” Luna warned.

Garrett shook his head and lowered himself to a knee. He looked up at Luna. “I’ll go. You stay where it’s safe.”

“No!” Luna protested. “You can not just-- we are ending this together!”

“Not this time. It’s too late for that now. Besides, I won’t let you in either way.”

“I am not letting you get hurt over the mistakes I made in the past!”

Again, Garrett shook his head. “I’m just a soldier. This is my job. Hell, I’m replaceable, right? I’m pretty sure you’re not.”

Luna pressed her hoof flat against the shield. She then looked at Garrett, who bore an expression of acceptance. “Garrett... please. If you will go, let me just say that--”

Garrett quickly pushed his hand through the shield and gently placed his fingers on Luna’s mouth, silencing her.

“Save it for tonight with a bottle of champagne and fireworks,” he said.

As Garrett stood up and polarized his visor. Luna had to admit to herself that she had to admire him for his determination.

“Wait!” Luna shouted. Her horn glowed, and from her pocket, a laminated picture floated out and landed on Garrett’s palm. “This belongs to you.”

Garrett looked down at his family photo. He made a small smile as he could imagine his wife and daughter living a safe life once more.

“Thanks,” he said before putting it in his pocket.

Quietly, Luna nodded.

Garrett turned around, hopped on the chariot, and drew his assault rifle.

The bridge of the Burning Frost was bustling like an ant colony. Stanford and other officers stood beside a holo table. Figures of soldiers and vehicles in the display were marching towards Canterlot. The UNSC fleet and ground troops were but a short distance away. Many crewmembers were busy contacting and coordinating with the different forces, and the air was filled with chatter and serious conversation. Beyond, the windows revealed the defense of the auto turrets holding off Nightmare Moon’s shadows.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” an officer remarked, causing everyone to turn.

Celestia entered, followed by Shining Armor, Prince Griffaldi, and other high ranking Equestrian officers.

Many of the human personnel stopped and straightened up. A number of members from the two factions gave each other hard looks. The tension was so high it made the air feel tense like a bomb waiting to go off.

“We are not here to settle a score or cause anymore conflict,” Griffaldi declared.

“You damn better,” a human officer grumbled.

A minotaur general gritted his teeth, and a crystal officer huffed hot air.

The ship AI appeared on the holo table and cleared his throat. “Pardon me for the interruption,” he said. “We have detected more forces coming in.”

He motioned the display, and figures of Equestrian armies and airships marched their way towards the UNSC and moved alongside them.

“You seeing this, sir?” Jenny asked over the comms.

“Crystal,” Stanford replied. “They’ll be working with you for the meantime. Spread the word that no one is to harm them, clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Jenny replied.

Celestia looked to the holo table and noticed the fleet right in front of Canterlot’s dome. “What is going on there?”

The AI of the Burning Frost walked over and enlarged the view. “Looks like those airships and pegasi are trying waiting for something,” he said. “Probably us, if you ask me.”

“Those are Luna’s forces,” Celestia commented as she inspected the gear.

“What interests me is how some are out of uniform.” The AI pulled up a photo of a mare solar guard in mid-flight and approaching the front of the dome where Luna stood. She was being followed by other pegasi and chariots. “As you can see, they’re wearing golden armor compared to everyone else.”

“Turbulence,” Shining Armor murmured. He lowered his head as he felt his throat tighten up with the feeling of responsibility.

“That shield is another interesting thing,” the AI added. “Those ships are powering the shield. Destroying them would split this thing open.”

“Whose forces are those inside the dome and waiting right in front of the city?” a human officer asked.

The AI enhanced the image of Luna, who stood across someone with the dome in between them. “Captain Archer.”

On the holotable, Garrett and the cavaliers took to the air and charged towards Canterlot. The shadows within the city opened fire, hoping to hold off the assault. Luna and her fleet spread off and engaged Nightmare Moon’s forces to the side.

To the benefit of Nightmare Moon’s forces, they managed to split the cavalier forces in half, with the first portion managing to land within Canterot and the other being forced to stay outside the city perimeter.

“Unless Captain Archer can pull something off,” AI said, “he will be overwhelmed in there.”

“We need to act now,” Celestia said. She directed her attention towards Stanford and the officers. “Fire your ship weapons at the cavalier ships to destroy the shield.”

“We don’t know the scale of the damage our MAC rounds will deliver,” an officer remarked.

“This is our home,” Celestia said sharply. “We are willing to take responsibility for whatever happens, and all of our forces are already here. It’s now or never.”

She directed her attention to Stanford, who stood silent as he watched the holo table. “Colonel,” she said.

The AI of the Burning Frost cleared her throat. “All ships are in position.”

“When the shield is down, tell the destroyers to take point and everyone else to follow,” Stanford ordered. “And get a Pelican ready to bring our guests to the ground.”

“Message sent,” the AI reported.

Stanford nodded. “Open fire.”

Turbulence turned to find streaks of light flash through the sky like lightning. They struck three cavalier ships and destroyed them in an instant. Immediately, the shield around Canterlot dissolved, and the airships that were not affected went straight to engaging hostiles.

Seizing the opportunity, Turbulence flew towards a large group of cavaliers taking cover in one of Canterlot’s many squares.

“Hey!” she barked at them. “I have an idea! Follow me!”

The cavaliers tilted their heads, as if they were thinking and confused. They then looked to each other. Though silent, their body language was moving in such away that it was obvious that they were talking and debating in a telepathic manner.

Finally, a cavalier up front gave a nod.

“Acknowledged,” the other cavaliers replied.

The cavaliers turned towards Turbulence and spoke altogether. “We have reached a consensus.”

At once, other cavaliers separated from Garrett regrouped to Turbulence and saluted before her.

“You are a follower of the Archer. You are the one who will carry out the mission. Lead, and we shall follow,” they all said in unison.

“We need air support! Now!” Jenny yelled through her comms.

“Understood,” a voice replied, “Longswords coming in. Keep your heads down.”

Jenny ducked back to cover and looked back at the forces behind her. The UNSC and Equestrian forces had pushed their way towards the front gates of Canterlot, but despite the shadows’ distraction of Garrett’s cavaliers, they were still able to hold them off to that point.

Ponies, minotaurs, griffons, marines, and ODSTs dashed towards the cover next to Jenny. Many kept their heads down to avoid getting hit.

Longswords roared through the skies overhead. They maintained formation and fired a controlled burst of rounds that shredded the front line of defence of the shadows. After swooping by, the squadron broke off.

Right as the starships separated, armored grey pegasi emerged from the cover of Canterlot’s buildings. They flew high towards the sky and regrouped into a large formation that resembled a spearhead. In one swift stroke, they pierced through the shadows’ line of defense and broke straight into the castle’s perimeter.

“What are all of you doing?!” Jenny barked at the soldiers staring at the cavalier charge. “Move up!”

Adrenaline pumped through every vein as Garrett sprinted down Canterlot Castle’s pathway. Cavaliers covered him from the sides and the rooftops. Shadows appeared out of cover and tried to shoot him, but he quickly took them down with a quick burst from his assault rifle. He and his forces quickly pushed through the opposition and made their way to the entrance to the vault that lead to the heart of Nightmare Moon’s spire. Looking up, the entire structure made him feel small.

Pressing himself against the wall, Garrett looked back to ensure that his cavaliers were right behind him.

“Hold position here,” he ordered them. “Keep them off of me, but I want a squad to come with me as well.”

The cavaliers nodded and spread out, but twelve of them stayed behind, ready for whatever order.

Garrett pulled out the AI core and looked at it. “Ready to finish this?”

“Let’s do it,” Galea replied with a blink.

Nodding, Garrett put away the core and inched towards the door. He placed an explosive on the lock and stepped back. Then, he pulled out the detonator and looked at the cavaliers, who waited in silent anticipation. He activated the detonator, and the door blew open with a billowing cloud of smoke.

The cavaliers charged in immediately, and Garrett joined them and put himself in the middle of the group. Once they pushed their way through the smoke, they managed to get a clear view of Nightmare Moon’s changes to the hall that housed the Elements of Harmony. Along the walls, all the stained glass windows were broken open to let room for pathways and ramps. Some holes, however, were left open to let in more light and air.

On the floor, objects such as crates and tables had been flipped over, and other forms of barricades were deployed. Shadows littered the place with their weapons pointing straight at Garrett and his group, and they were obviously prepared for the arrival.

“Cavaliers, engage!” Garrett barked.

Several cavaliers took off and assaulted from above. Garrett and the rest instinctively sprinted to the nearest form of cover and engaged head-on.

One shadow popped its head out and hovered out a crossbow. Garrett quickly shot its head with a quick burst. To his left, he saw another charge directly at him with a spear. He stepped to his side and smashed the butt of his assault rifle to the creature’s head. Once down on the floor, he finished it off with a bullet to the forehead.

Shadows were falling quickly, and Garrett’s group was pushing so fast that one would only be allotted a few seconds before needing to move forward to catch up. As the team moved on, the number of shadows waiting for them steadily rose. Eventually, some cavaliers started being overwhelmed by the quantity they were up against.

Moments passed, and soon, Garrett and his group had the core of the spire in sight. They charged on, with the cavaliers on the ground keeping a closed formation that surrounded their leader. The path before them opened up, shadows only occupying the sidelines.

Garrett, still in the middle of the group, pushed on and quickly took down targets with short bursts. All around him, he could see his cavaliers fall one by one. When the one in front of him received a crossbow bolt to the head, he quickened his pace to a near-sprint. Finally, he reached a point where he found no more shadows in front of him.

With his heart pumping like a drum, Garrett ran with as much speed his legs could give him. He could hear the last remaining cavaliers, which were the ones in flight, flapping their wings hard and struggling to keep up with him.

The distance to Nightmare Moon’s spire was closing fast. Garrett could see the beam that shot up through the center, and it somehow reminded him of Covenant energy projectors glassing planets.

When he was mere seconds away from the spire’s core, he started to reach for the AI, but out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a shadow charging towards him.

Instinctively, Garrett stepped to the side to avoid the shadow’s tackle. He smashed his assault rifle against it, bringing it to the grown. Then, he pointed the barrel to its head.

Before he was able to fire, another shadow leaped to the air and locked its jaws around Garrett’s right forearm guard. It pulled his arm to the side, pointing his rifle away.

The other shadow did the same and grasped Garrett’s left forearm guard. The two pulled and spread him open.

Garrett struggled to find strength against them. As he was about to raise his boot for a kick, he heard a set of hooves land in front of him.. Looking forwards, he saw an alicorn standing on the sill of a broken stained glass window, and her coat was as black as ink. Her horn glowed, and she pointed it straight at him.

In a last ditch effort, Garrett tried to jerk his head to the side, but he was too slow as Nightmare Moon’s lightning bolt shot through the air and struck his helmet.

Garrett’s head whipped back as his helmet flew clean off his head. He fell to the ground holding the right side of his face. The searing pain forced him to close his eyes shut, and he could hear the two shadows screeching in agony as the last few cavaliers arrived to kill them. Then, he caught the sound of a pony taking off followed by a sword clashing with metal.

Finally, everything became silent, save for the ensuing battle outside.

“That was the last of the cavaliers you brought in here,” a voice said. “Did you honestly think that such a pathetic little group would have been capable of destroying my spire?”

Garrett struggled to open his eyelids. His vision was severely distorted, with one eye showing blurry figures while the other still functioning well. He looked to his right to see Nightmare Moon meters away cleaning her sword. Around him were the bodies of the two shadows and his cavaliers.

Looking to his left, he spotted his assault rifle within reach. Instinctively, he began reaching for it.

As his palm was a few inches away from the rifle’s grip, an armored hoof slammed on Garrett’s wrist, causing him to grunt. He was then flipped over to face up again and to look straight at Nightmare Moon, who had her sword raised high.

“I don’t think so,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. She used her other hoof to pin his shoulders down. Then, she plunged her blade into Garrett’s left arm, just before the elbow.

Garrett cried in pain as the sword pierced right through. He struggled to fight free, but Nightmare Moon proved too much.

Electricity coursed through the blade and travelled all throughout Garrett’s body. He shook uncontrollably as he let out a loud howl of agony that silenced out all the noise from outside.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of torture, Nightmare Moon pulled her sword out with magic. She still held Garrett down as he lowered himself to moans and deep breaths, looking as if he had screamed his lungs out. Gingerly, she hovered her sword down and made the blood-dipped tip brush against the ace of spades and Philomeena’s feather on Garrett’s pauldron.

“Guess your luck finally ran out,” Nightmare Moon cooed.

Garrett offered no response. His eyes were shut, and he was letting out groans of agonizing pain that took him over. Curled up on the ground, his damaged arm was shaking violently.

Nightmare Moon lowered down and set herself on top of him. She could not help but feel dominant as a smile stretched across her face.

“So, this is it, then,” she said in an almost disappointed tone. Her left hoof brushed Garrett’s hair like a pet. “The great Garrett Archer has finally fallen.”

With the speed of a quickdraw, Garrett drew his knife with his right arm and plunged it through the exposed underside of Nightmare Moon’s armor.

Nightmare Moon yelped and flinched. She pulled the knife out of her with magic, inspecting the the contrast of alloy and blood. After tossing it away, she looked back at Garrett.

“You...little...” she hissed.

Raising her sword high, Nightmare Moon pointed it straight at Garrett’s throat.

“Pity,” she said, “we would have had so much fun together.”

Before she was able to bring down her sword, another lightning bolt shot through the air and blew the blade out of her magical grasp. Then, Nightmare Moon felt the force of a battering ram slam into her side. She was lifted off of Garrett and forced away. Looking down, she found mare pegasus wrapped in golden armor pushing her away.

The pegasus let go of her and flapped her wings back. She then landed on the ground and stood in between Nightmare Moon and Garrett.

“Commander Turbulence, is it?” Nightmare Moon asked.

Turbulence readied her stance and spread out her wings. The air around her feathers moved like a vortex coursing with electricity.

“Enough of all this silly heroics,” Nightmare Moon said. She hovered her sword next to her and aimed it for Turbulence.

The sword flew through the air, but Turbulence shot a lightning bolt at it again, deflecting it away.

Turbulence took off and shot two lightning bolts at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon, however, easily blocked the bolts with her magic. She flapped her wings and charged straight at Turbulence. She caught her with her hooves, veered to the side, and slammed her right against a wall.

With a loud cry of pain, Turbulence felt her armor dent because of the sheer force. She fell to the ground and kicked Nightmare Moon away. Then, she struggled to her hooves and attempted to fly, but she felt a force pull her to the ground again.

With a tight grip of magic, Nightmare Moon held Turbulence to the stone floor and tore off her royal guard armor. She focused her power on to the crossbow of a dead shadow and levitated it near her, aiming it straight at an exposed body.

Finally, Nightmare Moon fired one bolt, and Turbulence flinched and fell to the ground.

Nightmare Moon chuckled, but two loud bangs cut her off, followed by a pair of bullets that entered her body. She let out a pained cry and struggled to stay up. Looking to her side, she saw to clean holes in her armor. Then, she spotted Garrett off in the distance.

Garrett stood panting heavily and holding his assault rifle by the waist with his right arm. It was as if his left side was splashed with red, and drops of blood trailed down his arm and dripped to the ground, the entire limb hanging limp. However, the look on his ash-blown face was of a determined man’s, ignoring all his injuries like pain did not exist.

Nightmare Moon was too late to react as Garrett fired a burst from his assault rifle. Three rounds entered her and easily pierced through her armor like paper. Her head flew back as the bullets did their damage. Finally, with her mouth open in shock, she collapsed upon the ground, motionless.

Garrett dropped his rifle to the ground and pulled out the AI core. He held it in his palm, looking at its resident blinking like a little light. Step by step, he moved forward and dragged himself towards the center of Nightmare Moon’s spire.

Every cell in his body screamed off giving up. He felt his legs slowly stop responding to his commands. Falling to a knee, he looked up and saw that he was still meters away from the core of the spire. In one last attempt, he stood up and pulled back his arm, and with all the strength he could summon, he swung and let go.

The core flew through the air spinning. It closed the distance fast, but as it lost its momentum, it hit the ground and slid, missing the spire by an arm’s length.

The sound of metal hitting and scraping the stone floor sent a chill down Garrett’s entire body. He went down to a knee with a horror-struck face. Then, he fell to his side, facing up towards the ceiling. He sensed his comms come online.

“Garrett, please,” Galea begged desperately, “You’re almost there.”

Garrett sighed and closed his eyes. “Bring this place to hell.”

A moment of silence swept by.

“Understood,” Galea replied. “Countdown is two-minutes starting--”

“Wait,” Garrett said. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a photograph. A small drop of peace filled him as he saw himself smile with his family. Then, he reached for his pocket again and revealed a string of beads that had the craftsmanship of a small child.. He could see the letters on the small objects form the word “DADDY.” Then, he took out a small box and flipped it open. His wedding ring made of sapphires and diamonds still shined with an innocent sparkle.

“This is Captain Garrett Archer,” Garrett said in his comms. “You have two minutes to evacuate Canterlot before detonation. Archer out.”

Garrett then shifted his attention back to his relics. “Activate it,” he said.

“Understood,” Galea replied. “Two minutes to activation.”

Heaving a deep breath, Garrett nodded silently.

“I’m sorry, Garrett,” Galea said in a low tone, “for everything.”

“Apology accepted,” Garrett said with a weak smile. He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position. “You know... I finally understand why you keep coming back. There’s always something worth fighting for, no matter how much you’ve accomplished.”

“Yeah,” Galea replied.

Garrett eased back. “But now... it’ll be nice to have some rest. Be sure to tell Starswirl to find a way to open up the Garrison to ponies. I’d be looking forward for some drinks together, no?”

“First round’s on me.”

As Garrett tightened his grip on his mementos, he somehow felt he was close to Earth once more.

“Everyone, pull back!” a voice shouted through the comms.

Countless humans and Equestrians were retreating, fleeing through the streets. Up above, Hornets and chariots were giving suppressing fire to give those on the ground a window of opportunity to move. Up above, starfighters and other flying soldiers were disengaging. The various ships and airships were turning around as well.

Amidst all the chaos, Celestia found herself approaching a Pelican with Jenny.

“You heard what he said!” Jenny said. She motioned Celestia to hop on the Pelican as she shoved a griffon up the boarding ramp. “Get on!”

“No!” Celestia argued. “We can’t leave anyone behind!”

“Look, I know you’re sister’s out there somewhere, and I am aware that you want to see Garrett home again, but we can’t afford to be delaying!”

“But--”

Jenny waved her arm pointed to their surroundings. “Look around you! I’m sure someone would have picked them up by now.”

All around them, there were Pelicans, Warthogs, Scorpions, chariots, and other transports picking up humans and Equestrians. The cavaliers, however, held their ground and continued holding off the shadows.

Celestia nodded uneasily. “You’re right.”

She hopped on the Pelican, and Jenny got on board and waved the pilot. “Get us out of here!” she ordered.

The pilot nodded, and the Pelican took off, maintaining an uncomfortably low altitude.

Jenny stood on the edge of the ramp as she inspected the ensuing chaos below. Celestia joined her and did the same. Within moments, they were out of Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon’s spire started to glow with an aura of yellow. There was a beam of light that was growing from the center. The ribbons of violet light flowing from the top retreated back into the structure.

“Is your squad out of the city yet, Bruce?” Jenny asked through her comms.

“Not yet, Jenny,” a voice replied.

“You’re still spearheading?!”

“Yes, sergeant. But you have to see this. My helmet camera’s catching it all.”

Reluctantly, Jenny pulled out a datapad and held it in front of her. She gestured a few commands, and the display showed a live stream of an ODST’s helmet camera, which was multiple blocks away from Canterlot Castle.

The shadows were breaking off from the fighting and beginning to flee. They scrambled like panicked insects, running away from Nightmare Moon’s spire. The humans and lunar guards still stuck in the area busied themselves with shooting whatever they found to be the easiest hostile target.

“What the hell’s going on there?” Jenny asked.

“I don’t know,” the soldier replied. The video showed him shifting his view to other humans and lunar guards beside him. “Get to cover!”

Then, as if with one deep breath, Nightmare Moon’s spire released a wave of yellow like an explosion. The energy spread out like a wildfire, engulfing Canterlot building by building.

Back in the video stream, the squad was facing a group of shadows fleeing towards them. As the wave washed over each of Nightmare Moon’s minions, they instantly turned to turned into ash that swept away with the wind. The cavaliers began to fall, and their airships dropped like flies.

The wave pushed on, and once it reached the squad, it harmlessly passed them like they were nothing. The ODSTs and lunar guards looked at each other in confusion, but they turned their heads once again to Canterlot Castle.

Jenny and Celestia did the same, facing Canterlot. They watched wave of energy make shadows dissolve into dust and leave everyone else unharmed. It finally stopped and disappeared as it engulfed Nightmare Moon’s farthest airships. The last of her zeppelins crashed to the ground harmlessly away from any human or Equestrian.

There was a moment of silence. After a few seconds of murmurs in the comms and among everyone, Jenny and Celestia smiled in perfect synchronization.

“He did it!” Celestia shouted.

Cheers erupted throughout Canterlot and the comms. Many were raising fists and hooves high into the air as the euphoria of victory spread. In the Pelican, several were shaking hands and fist bumping.

“Good job, everyone!” Stanford cheered through the comms. “Let’s wrap this up and--”

A large boom silenced all the spirit in a flash. Everyone turned their attention to Nightmare Moon’s spire.

The top of the structure was in flames. A series of explosions was trailing down the center spine. The upper half of the spire broke off and tilted violently towards the side like a crashing tree. Finally, it fell off from its foundation and tumbled down the side of the mountain Canterlot Castle stood upon.

“Oh no...” Jenny breathed.

Celestia covered her mouth with her hoof.

The dust and ash had settled in Canterlot when everyone managed to get together again. Colonel Stanford and Celestia were in front of a number of humans and Equestrians, leading them down the castle drawbridge. Several had their weapons raised in precaution.

“Captain Archer,” Stanford said through the comms, “do you copy?”

Static replied. Celestia felt her nerves run cold as she continued walking down the castle’s drawbridge.

“Garrett Archer,” Stanford repeated, “can you hear me?”

Another empty response came as the group tread past the castle gates.

As Celestia frantically looked around, she felt her hoof land on a hard, spherical object. She looked down and found an ODST helmet lying on its side. Lifting it up, she found a large portion of the right jaw guard blasted off, and the visor had cracks that stretched across.

A marine placed a datapad near the broken helmet. “It’s Captain Archer’s,” he said grimly.

Celestia closed her eyes and pressed her head against the helmet’s forehead. Stanford lowered his head.

“Data’s still intact, sir,” the marine said. “I can get the last moments of his helmet cam.”

“Show us,” Stanford said.

The marine gestured his commands, and a video formed. Celestia and the other Equestrians crowded up to see. ODSTs and other marines managed to synchronize their helmets and see the data on their HUDs.

The video showed Garrett charging to the center of the spire with his cavaliers. They pushed forward without any hesitation. Shadows were falling around them. When Nightmare Moon intervened, the helmet flew back and landed on its side with a clear view.

It captured everything, from Nightmare Moon finally plunging her sword through Garrett to the ODST’s last attempt at ending the war.

As Garrett lay on the ground losing consciousness, Turbulence slowly got back to her hooves. Bleeding severely, she dragged herself to the center of the spire. Each stepped looked as if it took all of her strength to do. She picked up the AI core from the ground and looked at it

“Turbulence!” Galea exclaimed. “You can finish what Garrett has started. Put me in the core of the spire, and end this once and for all!”

Silently, Turbulence nodded. Her legs shook as she slowly trotted her way forward. The last few meters took an agonizingly long time to conquer. Finally, she inserted the Galea into the center of the spire.

As the AI core dissolved in the stream of energy, a unicorn appeared beside Turbulence and placed a hoof on her shoulder with a smile.

“Thank you,” Galea said.

Galea faded into dust and was sucked towards the core of the spire, and in an instant, the energy that was rushing up changed into a dazzling yellow.

Then, Turbulence dragged herself towards Garrett. Struggling to keep her head up, she made herself comfortable next to him and turned towards the core of the spire.

“Best seats in the house, right, Garrett?” Turbulence asked weakly as she watched the core pulse like a yellow heart. She turned to her side. “Garrett?”

No response came. Turbulence sighed and lay herself down to the ground, facing Garrett. There was a sense of satisfaction on her face as her eyelids closed.

The core of Nightmare Moon’s spire collapsed upon itself like an avalanche before exploding with a wave of energy that blew Garrett’s helmet back and ended the video in static.

“That’s all, colonel,” the marine said, gesturing on his datapad.

Stanford nodded.

“Found something, sir!” Jenny snapped. She pointed to the ground and indicated a set of tracks. “Fresh hoofprints.”

She suddenly tapped the side of her helmet with one hand and checked her wrist-mounted interface. “Got a lock on the captain’s signal as well.”

“Go take point,” Stanford ordered.

Jenny drew out a magnum and nodded. “Affirmative.”

She dashed forward, and everyone else followed suit.

As Celestia kept up the pace, she noticed the hoofprints on the ground grew more in number. Every step she took made more and more thoughts fill her. An ounce of hope returned to everyone as they realized that much of the castle was still intact.

The group soon found themselves in front of the vault that held the Elements of Harmony. Bodies of cavaliers lay scattered everywhere. Lunar guards were posted outside the building. They saluted Princess Celestia and opened the ruined doors, allowing everyone in.

Inside, debris lay everywhere, and it appeared that there was no one else inside.

“Luna!” Celestia called out.

Through the silence, there was the sound of sniffing in the distance.

Jenny continued leading the group, but Celestia was sprinting forward and slowly beating her.

Celestia spread her wings and took off. She flew over the rubble and crossbows, and after a few seconds of flight, she found a dark alicorn sobbing next to two bodies. Beside her was a solar guard holding the body of a pony with his hooves. Commander Downburst left his head hanging low, and his eyes were shut as he held Turbulence.

With a heavy heart, Celestia gently landed on the ground and took a seat next to Luna, who instantly wrapped her forehooves around her.

Tears welled up her eyes as Celestia hugged Luna and embraced her with her wings.

Footsteps shuffled nearby. Colonel Stanford appeared, his head down. An ODST walked slowly and took a knee beside Garrett. Jenny slid off her helmet and looked at him grimly. “Get a medic and some stretchers in here,” she said through her comms.

Reluctantly, she reached forward and grabbed hold of Garrett’s dog tags.

Before she managed to rip them off, she looked down and saw a picture and a small box on Garrett’s palm. Jenny carefully lifted the lid and found a beautiful wedding ring made with sapphires and diamonds, and the note written on it was as clear as ever.

Looking down to the side, Jenny found a small string of beads lying on the ground next to Garrett. She picked it up and easily saw the words line up despite all the dust and dirt.

“You’re not just a soldier, Garrett,” Luna said through her tears. “You’re not just some replaceable number. You’re...”

Her words disappeared as the sobs took over once more.

In silence, Jenny felt her fingers trace the outline of more markings in the beads. She flipped it over and smeared away the grime, finding another group of letters line up.

Fireworks went off in the night sky as Canterlot celebrated with an enthusiastic vigor. Cheers, laughs, and loud music were abundant in the air. Though the damage to the city was great, it was not enough to spoil the spirit.

However, away from it all, Luna stood alone in a balcony of Canterlot Castle. Next to her, a bottle of champagne and a number of glasses were placed on top of a table. She had invited Celestia, Downburst, and a few other officers to come, but due to complications, they had to turn down the offer.

Luna uncorked the champagne with her magic and poured herself a serving. She floated the glass under her nose to smell the aroma. The fruity scent easily eased her mind. Tipping it on her lip, her tongue savored the sweet flavor of fine Equestrian craftsponyship.

With a satisfied sigh, she gently lowered the glass back to the table.

“You look like you need some company,” a voice said.

Turning around, Luna found a human officer standing in the doorway.

“Ah, colonel,” Luna said. “It is a pleasure to see you at this hour.”

She poured champagne into another glass and offered it to Stanford, who gave small smile.

He walked forward and accepted the offer. Then, he and Luna clinked their glasses and took a sip.

“I never got the chance to thank you for everything, colonel,” Luna said.

Stanford shrugged. “Just part of our job, ma’am.”

Luna took another sip of her drink. “In my years of life, I have seen and experienced many things. But I would like to know your perspective, colonel. How do you feel when you see your friend get harmed and even killed in order to achieve a victory?”

Leaning against the railing, Stanford lowered his head, the visor of his hat hiding his eyes. He sighed deeply. “Ma’am, I’m an old man who’s seen way too much war in his lifetime. Even if you win a battle, you find yourself asking if the spoils are worth the sacrifices.”

The two of them looked down at the celebration on the streets and gardens. “At least we have achieved a much needed peace,” Luna commented. “Perhaps it is something we can propose a toast for.”

Stanford nodded again with a regretful sigh. “I’m afraid to say that because of what has already happened, this is only the calm before the next storm hits.”

He motioned the party down below. “You can already see it stirring.”

With a careful eye, Luna noted that despite the cheerful atmosphere, there was a division between the human and the Equestrians. There were a few, however, that tried to mix the two groups, most notably the solar and lunar guards with the UNSC.

Amidst it all, Luna felt as if she was staring at a risky science experiment with countless possible and unpredictable outcomes, an unknown with a result no one can forecast.

Stanford raised his glass. “To the peace and quiet we have now.”

Luna floated her glass up as well. “And for the hope of true peace in the future.”

The two clinked their glasses and took a sip.

Galea floated his empty pint back to the table. “I’ll have another, please,” he said.

A human bartender nodded, took the glass, and walked off to refill the drink.

Ever since Starswirl managed to allow Equestrians into the Garrison, more and more faces were entering the building, and the mood was up and about with excitement, laughter, and chatter.

Despite the atmosphere filled with newly made friendships, Galea had been sitting alone near the bartender for what seemed like forever to him. The sound of steps came to his ears. He heard the individual walk across and take a seat next to him.

“Nice meeting you here, Turbulence,” Galea said.

With a small smile, Turbulence nodded. “Yes, sir.”

She waved at another bartender and pointed towards a martini in the menu.

“How’d you do out there?” Galea asked.

“Nightmare Moon’s stopped, all the shadows are gone, and Canterlot’s back in the right hooves,” Turbulence replied. Her martini arrived, and she took a sip.

“Even with you here,” Galea said, “I still feel like there’s something wrong.”

“How?” Turbulence asked.

“Let’s just say I was made a promise,” Galea huffed irritably, “and it still hasn’t been carried out yet. Hay, it’s on the borderline of being broken, if you ask me.”

The bartender arrived holding a full pint. He placed it in front of Galea. “You waiting for someone or something?”

“Yup.” Galea floated the pint towards his mouth and took a gulp. “And the son of a buck never came,” he said with dead cheer.

“He will eventually,” the bartender said before walking away to serve another pony asking for a drink.

Boots shuffled behind the two guards.

“Excuse me,” a voice said, “are you Captain Galea?”

Galea nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Mind if I have a seat?”

Galea motioned the chair next to him. “Go ahead.”

A man in a black ODST shirt took the seat and faced Galea. “So,” he started, “I’ve overheard on what you two managed to do with an ODST known as Garrett Archer.”

“We sure did,” Galea with a proud smirk.

The man motioned a woman to come, and she, too, wore a black ODST shirt.

“We’d like to know more about what Garrett’s been doing out there,” the man said.

Both he and the woman waved at a bartender and ordered two glasses of scotch that made the bartender comment, “Wow, you know the good stuff.”

“You seem to share Garrett’s taste of exquisite flavors,” Turbulence said.

“Runs in the family,” the woman said with a smile.

Galea’s eyebrows shot up, and he nearly choked on his drink. Turbulence felt as though she was in the presence of royalty.

The man took a sip of his whiskey. “So, what’s our son been up to? And what did he do this time?”

Epilogue

Silence filled the gymnasium. The headmaster straightened his papers on the lectern as he stood on the podium. In front of him was the entire school, a mix of day and boarding students, staff, and parents. Cameras had been set up, viewing him with a clear picture. He looked to his side to see the latest graduating batch of the seniors, their faces full of excitement as they fidgeted around impatiently.

“Welcome, everyone,” he said, “I would like to say that this time of the year is always the hardest for us members of the staff, as we have grown rather connected with these girls. Everyday, they amaze me with their enthusiasm and unbreakable spirit, and I always go home with a wonderful tale to tell my wife because of them.”

He had to wipe away a tear from his face as he smiled broadly. Several students and staff nodded and shared the same feelings. “I have to admit,” he continued, “I will miss them, and I wish them luck as they move on. To the parents of these magnificent girls, thank you for coming.”

He motioned the cameras. “And I would like to welcome those who are viewing this graduation ceremony through the video stream. Before we introduce the graduating batch of twenty-five-fifty-three, I would like to award the students of the succeeding batches who have shown exceptional effort and talent throughout the year.”

Then, the headmaster motioned the table full of awards next to him. “Our first award is the Edison Award, given to the student who has achieved exceptional accomplishments in the fields of science. This year, the award goes to Anna Tavish.”

Everyone applauded as a student walked across the stage. She shook hands with the headmaster and smiled for the school photographer and the cameras.

The names and awards went on and on. Several students walked across the stage, each accepting whatever she worked hard to earn since the first day of school. After some time, the headmaster finally reached the final name.