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Tales of Greenhorn-117: The Insurrection and The Covenant

by Mudslinger077

Chapters

2542 ARL

COLONY BUCEPHALA

2542 ARL (After the Return of Luna)

It was a bad-bucking time for all of us.

We thought at first seeing covenant forces retreat deeper into the city, we were victorious; then I remembered that my old instructor told me that nothing should ever be easy in war.  He was right.

While we were successfully in the ground battle, the odds of winning the space-skirmish above was against us.  When we looked to the cloud-covered heavens, we only saw…covenant ships, glassing streets. Then we were reported that we had lost this planet and we were to retreat.

I ordered my team to gallop back to our phoenix dropship.  One of them, Greenhorn-065, however disobeyed and went back into the streets.  I kept calling out her name but she said she intended to make the covenant bastards pay.  Little did she know that a covenant Banshees swooped down from above and fire of a round of green plasma mortar on her postion.  

065's body and armor was blasted in a green mist;  if she had put up her shields she would have been saved.  Knowing another was gone for good, I pulled up her name on my Armor’s HUD and listed her as MIA along with many other ponies that I called my brothers and sisters.  There was saying among our unit – we never die.  But I try not to think about that too much.

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We kept running away from covenant, giving them one of our colonies for them to burn and render uninhabitable, but before they slaughtered millions.

I remembered days where the covenant wasn't here…where…it was just an insurrection. And some feuding politicians.

But it was a world filled with magic….or whatever was left of it.

I carry some of that magic with me, though; my MUSTANG-MK 5 is powered by it.  I was made to defend harmony and avenge spilled blood. I trot with ponies I call true friends. These are the things I clutch on to, as I'm forced to let go of pieces of myself thought my life.

But I will never die.  Equestria needed the greenhorns.  The greenhorns needed Team Indigo.  And Team Indigo needed Master Chief Petty Officer Greenhorn-117.

This is the tale about that one little pony’s military life, her suffering, and her tests.

I was that little pony once.  Before that I was an assistant in the ponyville library....not a stunning beginning...but it was interesting what happened to me from there.  Hard to believe I was the same old filly I once was.

THE STORY SO FAR/CHAPTER 1

"Metaphase"

THE STORY SO FAR:

The year is 2530 ARL (After the Return of Princess Luna*). The Planet Equestria still exists, ponies are the prominent race, Celestia and Luna remain as rulers controlling the sun and moon, but overpopulation has forced many of their subjects and other creatures to colonize other worlds. Faster-than-light travel is now a reality, and a new unified systems, the UNSOCE or United Nations Space Command of Equestria (Consisting of various native races) and PONI (Parliament Of Naval Intelligence), has put its full weight behind the colonization effort; millions of the native equestrians now live on habitable planets in other solar systems. A keystone of ponykind’s colonization efforts is the planet Bronze Harvest, an interstellar ‘hub-world’ that grow plenty of food, and builds many ships for civilians and warships for the UNSCOE’s armed forces and civilian workers.

Eventually, a faction was formed in an outer colony against the rule of Princess Celestia, believing they had no need for Alicorn rulers (AKA the royal family) and that non-pony races were a disgrace to the Milky Way. Overtime, more outer colonies proudly fell into the defector’s group, turning what started as a political party into a rivaling army. Dubbed as the insurrections, they have been responsible for thousands of attacks on military and civilians loyal to Celestia, Luna, and the UNSCOE.  To make matters worse, this led to more breaking away.  The Minotaur and Dog races sold themselves as independent pirates and gangsters. Most of the tribes of Cows and Buffalo, the primary labor force, felt oppressed and found planets of their own to independently inhabit, leaving the UNSCOE-Insurrectionist conflict. So far, only the Pony, Griffons, Dragons, Changelings, Donkeys, and Zebra races stay loyal.

In the middle of a devastating insurrectionist-plot on the UNSCOE Colony of New Manebassa that killed half its inhabitants, and enslaving the rest, a member of PONI launches a project to stop the chaos (by any means necessary) by finding the Elements of Hope**, a title bestowed upon ponies representing traits of Magic, Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, and Kindness. But after of passing of her ancestor, Twilight Sparkle, and her friends, the elements have been sealed away permanently for they beckoned no new bearers.  This mare refuses to believe the elements and magic are dormant due to the incredible progress in technology and vows that among the fillies and colts of Equestria, a new bearer can be found – if not ‘trained’.

*(Season 1 episode 2 of MLP) After Luna’s 1000-year imprisonment in the moon, she returns as nightmare moon. After her redemption, a new era led by two princesses rather one is officially created

**Renamed by order of the council of UNSCOE; this is because the new name is broader in subject and elements rather grant ponies the ability to do actions that can bring harmony (For example; they can weaken enemies and turn them into stone) yet are peaceful themselves. Because they were used in times of crisis, many thought that calling them the Elements of Hope would be better. Controversy has been sparked over this name change. Today nopony really cares much about the name change, yet some harbor hate or pride in it. A neutral stand in this argument is using the term ‘The Elements’.

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I scanned the silver bookshelves of the treehouse-library frantically. My sister would kill me soon if I couldn't find that book. But after trying my best to look for it, I just gave up and headed to the elevator up to entrance level.

The Ponyville library used to be just one level imbedded into a tree when it was first built, having the inside style of an ideal classic community library. Slowly, renovations changed it forever. There were the elevator and underground levels housing tons of books and those holographic data pads that hurt my eyes.  What was once a small wooden door now has become two glass doors leading into a very fancy style lobby, holding leather chairs, a help desk, a fireplace, and stature of the library's most famous caretakers, Twilight Sparkle with her dragon assistant, in the center, and at least a dozen computers.

I look back at the pictures of what this library once was. It was so simpler than what we have today. The mare (Sparkle) that took care of it just slept on a bed right beside the window. Not much electricity in those times, so magic or physical power was the primary tool. It saddens me just thinking about it; there is not much use for magic or myths these days.  Why machines and science had to kill the fun, I will never know.

By the way, I run this library with my sister. Well, she runs it and I'm running around doing chores. She's the only family I've got left after my brother joined the military and my parents died in an air-wagon accident.  We all share the same coat and hair color, and we share two bedrooms on the lowest level of library.

When I walk up to her standing at the front desk, I can't tell which mood she is in. She appears somewhat angrier with her reading glasses. I then realize she was in the middle of playing a game on her computer, due to the fact the library is closed to today.

"Density, Did you get lost in your own home again?" She snapped, still starring at her screen. The only difference between me and my sis is that she is older than me and has a raisin as her cutie mark, for making such awesome raisin bread. Her name is Raysin.

"No…I…I…just can't find the book on the waiting list." I try my best not to complain or act innocently. I may be a filly but that doesn't mean I'm a girly girl. Unlike my sister who was one.

Raysin turns her chair to face me "I told you it's on-"

I shout out loud, stomping my hoof. "I looked in there five times! I'm telling you, there is no book called The Illusive-"

"Elusive, not illusive.  Why do you and Raggs call it illusive?" My sister interrupts. I hear small sisterly giggle in her voice, yet it's a fake one. Oh, and Raggs is her coltfriend – A fashion designer.

Yes, she is truly a disappointment to a family of eggheads-LOL. Those thoughts were of my sister, no my own. I could read others minds, and the ability itself which was a 'curse' from old unicorn grandfather; he used that difficult mind-reading magic trick so much that now it's a gene in the family. I could now deceive all the kind white lies and seek out the truth. And worst of all, I had no control of when it happened. So far I'm the only living family member who has it.

"Whaaaat? It was under E this entire time?" I asked dumbfounded. Now I felt so stupid, if I didn't feel that already.

I'm about to turn around and stomp back into the elevator when Raysin makes an alternative to my daily chores. "Actually, I'll take care of it. I have another job for you, Lil'des'"

Lil'Des'. I hate that nickname; my darn grandpa called me that on Family Appreciation Day at school. Since then, I was the laughingstock for the rest of school year and victim to bullies or fights. It's the only thing that is worse than "blank flank"; but that title is gone once you get your cutie mark on your flank (Mine is a paintbrush for creativity).  But Lil'Des? Why did my parents have to name me after my aunt's last name so they could call me that? At least my sister uses that when we speak in private

"You feel comfortable going outside all by yourself doing something for me?" my sis asks.

I nod eagerly, hunger for fresh air.

"I just need you to pick up a bucket of Apples for me. I'm making pie this afternoon…." What Raysin was saying drifted off in my head, which was trying to absorb what she had just said.

"APPLE PIIIIIIIIIE?!" I shirked so loudly that Raysin's computer screen cracks and the lens her reading glasses fragment. THAT was my favorite dish. I then jump to Raysin's legs hugging them tightly "Thankyouthankyouthnkyou-"

"Alright, Alight, Alight!" Raysin grips my back with her hoof, slightly irritated…but APPLE PIE!?!? YES!

"This is a library yah know? Keep quiet and have fun." She informs me.

I'm still happy "Also, can we see if my big-brother-best-buddy-for-eternity is on Skipe?" 'Skipe' was the video-chat system that we used between family members. It was rumored to have been invented by a small dragoon who could deliver messages though his fiery breath. But others say that the dragoon's owner was the real inventor of 'Skipe' and created it from an anagram of 'Spike'.

Raysin nods "No promises, Des' but I can see if Cogento is online tonight."

My telepathy picks up the words in her mind If he's not MIA in his own base.

Cogneto, my brother who used to be a talented musician, joined the UNSCOE marines a year ago. Over Skipe, he told us that on the first day he was in there, he got lost three times in his own base. three times! It was so funny.

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PONYVILLE OUTSKITS/ SWEET APPLE ACRES

The gale tugs my hair as I race across Ponyville's streets, now paved and holding more lamplights and few 'air-wagons'.  I pass by the original founder of Ponyville of 'The Granny Smith', who's image and memory is now encased in a bronze idol surrounding the garden, with her ashes underneath. She sounded by various trotters at ground level, and air-wagons holding passengers carried by ponies*)

*in simpler terms its ponies pulling on wagons that carry pony passengers. Pegasus ponies as drivers an fly these vehicles

It was nice meting you, too…

Lilda, please I'm very busy….

HARE CREAM IS THE BEST….

Will you be available at 3:00?

Dude, I lost my copy…

New Manebassa isn't as safe as Sigma Clopodia….

"Ahhh…" I moan silently "I've got to get out of here!" My wings flap and then I'm off racing past crowds until I am finally out of the town of ponyville. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place to stay.

But I hate it here; it's because I can't control my mind-reading powers and they do their worst here; everypony has something on their mind. In fact I fainted the first time I was taken outside. Now I've kind of embrace it yet it drives me out of the city.  I wiz pass ponies and metal buildings alike. Few of the old buildings of 20 BLR remain here and there.

Even though the name of the Village would make one think that it held only one race, various others, such as changelings, griffons, donkeys, and zebras have entered and made homes Ponyville over the past 2000 years. The buildings have been renovated from top to bottom; it looked like town now without any wooden houses. For example, the Boutique now has two levels and Raggs, the who is also the manager, works with three AI assistants. (I still don't know what an AI is… I thought they were literally called "AL" like in 'Albert')

I speed up on my scooter, while my wings beat to make it go, acting like both the motor and accelerator. Because I am now finally out in the country, I don't have worry about getting told for going too fast. The lick of sweat that enters my mouth comes, as I past trees and bushes that have been there, old as Equestria. One day I might build a cottage here – it's nice and quiet away from everyone else. Where I could be truly who I am: Destiny the pegasus. Plus no pony was out here, so I had the freedom of not listening to anyone's speeches.

My happy thoughts were broken by the sound of hooves violently striking the ground and coming closer.  As I'm speeding, I see two lines of ponies (I couldn't tell if they were mares or stallions; they were all bald) in black shirts with bald – no, shaved…no, bald – trotted in the opposite direction beside me. They seemed to be chanting a song…but none like the ones Raysin sang to me.  The first in line of the horses would say a line and then the others behind him would repeat it.

"Hellprancer, Hellprancer, Where have you been?

Hellprancer, Hellprancer, Where have you been?!

Be first into hell and back again!

Be first into hell and back again!

If die please bury me deep!

If die please bury me deep!

Place my gun down by my feet!

Place my gun down by my feet!"

That was all I could hear in the amount of time I passed them. They didn't even seem to care I was there. But I remember Raysin and Cogneto talking about him joining Hellprancers, once.  If this is what Hellprancer look like, I assumed that shirt must really be bullet-proof, water-proof, and meanie-proof. Yet Cogneto doesn't want to have his head shaved again (What's the difference between shaved and bald?)

I wave good bye as they pass. But none of them smile. It was because of what they were thinking; they were too busy with their jogging. One to three, one two three, one - a filly - one two three, one two three…

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SWEET APPLE ACRES MARKET

Sweet Apple Acres hasn't changed one a lot form those old photos from the 'Encyclopedia to the History of Ponyville Collector's Edition'. The apple field still covered the countryside, the barn was still made out of wood painted red and white, and fence was…oddly a crooked fence that needed some fixing from two months ago.

If there was any change, it was the huge market that was built beside the barn, using the same wooden style on the outside.  It houses all sorts of goods that could be smelled from miles. And it was never vacant. Right as park my shooter beside the door I look out to the organized parking lot.  But the numbers of wagons in the parking lot tell me it is a very today isn't busy.

Inside the wooden and classy secrecy, ponies gathered to collect supplies. Some stayed for the cider bar. Others wished to get away from the technical world and see some of the old Equestria style, despite the market being built last year.  The only thing that kept them for truly going back in time was the flat screen television that hung in a central pillar in the middle of allies of food.

I hopped inside, just so happy! "This best day ever, This the best day ever! This the best day ever!" This afternoon it would me, Raysin, Apple pie, brother Cognate over skipe, and BEST OF ALL: APPLE PIE!

A Hoof clutches my back, and very weak southern accent of strong pony says "Whoa, whoa…hey, yer Raysin's kid! And that sis of dat soldier-boy, Cogneto!"

I spun sharply at the sound of the manger of the market. The stallion had side burns and a beard yet no moustache. A strong breath of cider breath in between his half-yellow teeth. However, he doesn't take the kind of cider my older sis says are 'intoxicating'. That's why he is still so smart while he carries a bottle of cider with him all day long!

"Mister Minnie-Apple-Loss!" I cheered. Or 'Mal' as he preferred, oddly he didn't care that his name sounded like girl or that sometime he acted like one. But when Mal was speaking to grown-ups, he was one serious stallion.

"That's me scooter-mare!" Mal appalled. The redneck stallion was like something of a colt's clown; and he always gave his customers nicknames. "You said it yer best day ever?"

I nod, explaining it all to him. "Well, Let's see if we can pass that level of best to bester. Try some of my latest, top secret, cider. It so secret that even PONI would have my flank cut up and fed to dragons," he joked.   Almost immediately, he wedges the mug he was carrying right into my mouth. Gushing glorious liquid too grand to describe came into my throat. It is sooooooo good that I almost pass out.

"Eeeyup! I store the whole lot of them in the back. Wait till they hit the market!" Mal chuckled swinging his mug. Cider spills on the floor.

I twirl the ponytail in my mane with my hoof "In the back? Why are they-"

"They're prototypes! But I need to make sure they aren't too strong. Otherwise that could upset balance of combat between competitors in my favor!"  That didn't make sense to me

I couldn't understand why he would give one to me if he had just started swinging and shouting it around the market.  Maybe he was a little drunk. "But It tastes just right." I respond

I then hear Mal's regretful thoughts: No dear…it ain't….I need to make it better or I'll regret it when I'm old...like I do about so many things

"Maybe…but if the Celestia and Luna wanted things to be perfect at first without any sort of negative feedback, then we wouldn't have a court and police officers." Mal whispers in my ear. "Say, maybe I'll give yer family a yearly discount if you can get them all here!"

I snapped back "Sure, okay! But first can you spare me a basket of apples? My sis says that she'll pay you tomorrow." If I had to get something I could always say that my sis would be around tomorrow to pay the grown-ups.  One time I used it so much my sis had to end up paying 100 credits at a toy store.

"Deal!" Mal swung the hoof with his Mug, spilling cider everywhere "Now let's find a big basket for-"

Then the market TV phased out loudly enmiting static. Then, lettering appeared in red font and voice repeating, "WE INTERUPT THIS PORGRAM TO BRING AN ALERT TO ALL OF YOU."  The screen flicker out to static after twenty seconds. The few customers who had seen the words on the TV screen resumed their grocery shopping.

"Aw hell….Cider Sam! What in the hay is wrong mah TV?" Mal yelled. The Assistant manager, Cider Sam is a mule…and by reading his thoughts, he's little depressed. Sometimes the community made fun of him and called him horrible names to him because of his buck teeth and crossed eyes. But I think he's nice; he looks almost like Mal since both have beards. And he is a super smart TV mechanic.

Sam scratches the back of his head "Golly, I don't know, Mister Apple-Loss. I was fixin' it just five minutes ago and it worked fine." I then hear the worry in Sam's head that he could have done something wrong and he was also worried about putting his job at risk. Ah...hope I didn't upset boss…I couldn't find another job in years!

And I forgot to mention this; I can never mention my mind reading power to anyone. Anyone. So far, only my family and the doctor we always go to know of it.

Mal frowns at his friend "Look, I'll pay you extra if you can-"

The screen flicker back to life, yet the blinding static now reveals something that will be the beginning of something that haunts me for the rest of my life. Others gather around shocked at the scene; from what I could read from their minds it was a razed city with helmeted UNSOCE marines taken prisoner by Ponies in red and black uniforms. A flag of a red printed skull was on a piece of debris. Meanwhile, a red-eyed mare trotted up to camera

*"Greeting fellow ponies oppressed by the UNCSEO…" The black mare, with red eyes and fiery hair welcomed her audience, with an evil grin.

"It UNSCOE ma'am" brought up by a solider in a red-black coat. I always thought it was spelled 'oo-n-sc-coe' literally.

The mare continued "Yeah whatever…I'm going to make this message clear and brief to all of you. Join us…the United Rebel Front and we'll give you freedom."*

Celestia-Damned innies – that why I left their colonies; propaganda speeches and low pay. Cider Sam thinks. I'm right beside him and I never heard of him say anything like this to me. He always told me he was from Golden Harvest and he just wanted to come 'back home' to Equestria. But if he did tell us he was from an innie colony, he could get in trouble.

*"But…" the black mare continues " If we think you oppose us in any way…" And nodded her head to the red-black soldiers.

The soldiers in red and black take out their pistols with their right fore-hooves.  Then they rip off the helmets of the marines, tossing them into the air, revealing their faces to their audience.

I gasped silently, seeing the revealed face of one of the marines, covered in blood and dirt "….Cogneto...". My brother was one of those marines. Captured, on his knees, scared….

BLAM!

…and shot….

blood and guts splashed everywhere on the screen. The gunshot echoes in my heart and everyone's mind is silent.

..or you shall end up like these poor souls…I bid you good day, for now" the black mare grinned evilly"*

The demonstration was fished transforming into a black background the red words scrolling on the screen:

'NEW MANEBASSA IS OURS.YOU ARE, ALL OF YOU, CORRUPTED. COWERING IN THE DIRT, THINKING WHAT, I WONDER? THAT YOU MIGHT ESCAPE THE COMING FIRE? No. YOU WORLDS SHALL FALL BEOFRE THE MIGHT THE TURE PONY LIBERATORS. AN NOT EVEN CELESTIA OR LUNA WILL BE ENOUGH TO SAVE YOU. AND WE? WE ARE YOUR LEADERING FUTURE!'

"Sam m'boy…you better turn of the TV, now. The crowd has seen enough those cocky bastards' business." Mal whispered. Without another word, Cider Sam trotted off to door marked 'Employee's only'. I always wanted to go there but now wasn't the time.

The thoughts of customers started to slide into my head.

Oh Princess Celestia save us….

No…no…Hell no!

Oh, Celestia my daughter is on that colony…

WHAT WILL DO WHAT WILL DO?

Dude, you're saying the broadcasting this all over the internet?

How the hell did they get this our network?

…And my wife called saying she saw the same thing from home….

Without noting Mal, I trotted away from the crowd and flew out of the store. Then I leapt onto my shooter and flapped my wings as fast as could to the next. Driving to quietist place I could think off.

I need to get away from everyone. Too much thinking, too much pressure…too much blood everywhere on TV…..

For that black mare ordered the death of my own brother. I witnessed the gory scene with my own eyes…and now I lost him forever.

As I drove along the country side, I couldn't hold my tears or cries back.

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At Sky Mirror lake started at my own reflection.

I recalled that before my brother left I heard him says I love you so much.  Now his love was gone with his body. All because of…..those…those innies! What was an innie anyway? At school, a colt next to me whose name I forgot talked about an 'ensuwercsion'  for his international article of the week….but we couldn't understand it.

Despite the peaceful environment around me I just felt so angry. I flew up into the clouds a and stopped when I surrounded by several grey clouds. Interested, I buck one with my leg and it sends lighting out. I fling myself away before I'm electrocuted.

Then I recall my sis warning me never to go near dark thunder clouds while I'm flying.  Now I see why; but I'm too angry to bother heed to her warning now

Pretty soon, I get in the habit of taking out my anger by punching and bucking the surrounding dark clouds with all four of my hooves. Every crash of lighting is almost like a satisfying scream of a monster. I wanted to kill all those monsters.

I then do a roundhouse kick at another dark cloud.  Only to have no lighting crack out, but Instead a curtain of rain descended from it. The raindrops started to form a puddle on the ground, but no thunder or lightning. That's when I came out of my rage, checked to make sure nopony saw an angry pegasus filly kicking dangerous rainclouds.

The pouring rain reminded me of my own tears for my brother. And here I was taking my anger out on things that didn't deserve my rage. And that why I couldn't do anything to those meanies; I had too much of a heart.

"No!" I shout, kicked the raincloud away. I continued punching more clouds. I refuse to be so heartwarming and kind! I'll show those innies that I'm tough and strong enough to kick their flanks! "No, No, NO! N-GAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

That's when I go way too far; I punch a thundercloud right behind me. And I then I'm electrocuted. It stings though my body, and then I start to feel very hot inside. Even as I close my eyes pain still comes. I smell my coat and hair burning and every internal organ vibrating.

After being suspended by the crooked wave of lightning I feel myself falling. Then I slam into ground so hard, I barely heard a pop. I curl up into a ball and try to not to sob. I can't feel either of my wings. Steam comes of my charred body.

But I am thankful that my breathing shows I'm alive.

As I'm slipping out I hear Raysin and Mal call out my name repeatedly. Right before I go completely unconscious, I feel my sister hooves wraping around me, crying loudly.  I try to probe her mind though to see if she knows what happened to Cogneto.

Instead, all I get is blankness. Just silence.

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Later that day at the doctors, I learned that now my uncontrollable ability to read minds was damaged due to lighting. My wings took a worse hit yet they would recover – they were just sprained. I was lucky to be alive, said the doctor.  I waited for the lecture or the punishment but none of that came.

Although one would see it as peace and know that they could fly after a couple of months, I feared that now I have been changed forever.

When we got home, I stared in mirror for a long five minutes.  I wasn't the cheerful pegasus filly looking for book in huge library as in the morning.

There was no Apple Pie. No skipe. No Cognate anymore. Just some milk and then I'm sleeping with Raysin in her bed. I was surprised that even she didn't scold me for kicking thunder clouds. Instead of saying anything or crying she remained silent. I couldn't sleep; that black mare kept coming back into my head laughing at me.

And image of Cogneto's exhausted face beside hers exploded into millions of pieces in front of me.

I woke up to make sure that his blood didn't come on my coat.

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A week later on a Sunday….

I've been quieter lately and so has my sister. We're trying to get back into society as much as we can but it just feels so hard. At least now there is privacy when Raysin thinks of something. Ponies come by and say they are sorry for us….and sorries can't bring back the dead. But I just shut my mouth try not to cry out and yell at them; it wasn't going to change a thing

As I place the book she requested on the front, Raysin garbs her saddle bags. I noticed she had some lip gloss on. "Raggs invited me for a presentation, Destiny. I'm leaving you in charge."

"Sis, the library is closed on Sundays." I protest. Moaning

Even without her my mind-reading powers I know she actually going out on a date with her boyfriend.

All Raysin says is "Yeah, well yet we accept returns and donations any day of the week. I just want you to be here to keep an eye on things. Understand, Lil'Des?"

I nod.   Because I'm frowning, she asks me if I want some apple pie tonight.

I just say no. After saying goodbye, she left. I'm not used to being mute to thoughts, even personal ones.

However, without my mind reading powers it might be easier to make friends. But its the weekend now and I'm still a Lone Timberwolf in school unfortunately.

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Pretty soon it's just me looking though the book and holopads in the library lobby. I skim through the books until I stumble upon one about a royal wedding with the picture of pink alicorn with A captain of the royal guard.  And the entire book cover was in pink adding to its girly-ness. This is the last book I would read.

Bored to death, I opened the flap just to somewhat satisfy myself with the plot.  

Conegto's signature along with some words written in cursive is first things I see.  It's almost like Congneto is talking to me from the grave, bring more depression and loneness to me yet I read on.

Dear Destiny,

I know it's hard for you to make friends with your power (It's not a curse; stop calling it that). And I know things have been complicated over these last few days with me at my new post. And I'm sorry I couldn't come home on your birthday.  But as gift to you, I want you to have this book. When I was your age, it was my among my favorite adventures of the last bearers of the elements .In my dreams I could only imagine what heroes they are. Yet they also inspired many heroes today, like firefighters, social workers, and us marines.  The cover may be girly but that's for you to decide if it is.

I know this hard for you to realize but I can die tomorrow.  So if I am missing or you are worried about me I'm going to have to ask you to keep going. Sometimes you can't see your future. But others can. It's pretty much like a book – you write with whatever elements you have and then you keep going. And the Author lets the readers determine what he did was right or wrong.

Your old stallion,

Cogneto

I open the flap to the first page beginng to read the words. If Cogneto read this book then so should I; it was the least I could to honor him.

But If I came across the word 'tea-party' then I was going to close it right away.

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Strolling across the streets, Lieutenant Corncob Keyes shifted uncomfortably in his disguise composing of civilian clothing. He was the sole soldier chosen for this mission because he could keep a devious secret and somehow remain loyal to his superiors.  But that the damn scientist he was with 'Escorting' was beginning to get on his nerves

"Just relax and act like we are tourists here, Lieutenant. We've been out for at least an hour and you didn't even take any photos with that camera I bought for you." The scientist, Dr. Halsey Sparkle, icily reminded him. She wore a sunhat and carried a saddle bag on her back.

"You bought me a camera, ma'am?" Keyes realized that he forgotten that a camera was dangling from his neck all this time.  Then held it up took a quick picture of  Sparkle.

"And you didn't even take a meal at sugar cube corner." The doctor added

Keyes narrowed his olive eyes "I need to watch my calorie count otherwise my superior-"

"You should be ashamed….sir" Halsey replied coldly. "You are not acting like a civilian therefore you are disobeying your superiors."

"How many officers are ready to gut your throat when you do something wrong?"

"How many lives will be at stake if I don't find out if subject 117 is fit for duty? She already lost her ability of telepathy. All I want to do is just to check on her."

"That's it?" Keyes wondered. "Just her?"

"Well. I was planning on going to the spa…if it weren't for the blockhead next to me."

That made Keyes silent. Halsey could see they were coming close to library yet felt like she wanted to continue to twist the by-the-book-soldier.  Keyes was going to fail at being civilian big time without a smile.

"Can you at least pretend that we're here to pick up…oh I don't know, a book for our little girl from the library." Halsey rolled her blue eyes

Keyes grunted "I don't pretend or have a girl, ma'am."

"And could you at least avoid calling me 'ma'am'? How many colts call their special someponies 'ma'am'? Gosh, you are horrible at this!" Halsey replied, giving up.  

Lieutenant Keyes had a brown mane in a crew cut fashion and a dark grey coat with a cutie mark of two keys facing in opposite directions on a ring.  Sparkle's mane and tail were purple and both ended in buns. Her mark appeared to be a ten pronged magenta star enclosing a heptagon, with both being surrounded by twenty different polygons too small for keys to get a look at. (If he came any closer….it would look like he was analyzing at her flank). While Keyes was an earth pony, Halsey was a unicorn.

Keyes whispered in partial amazement "Do you even realize where you are?" pointing his hoof to the treehouse. From outside looked as if they hadn't changed one bit, apart from the metal frames and deck. The 2500 year old lantern was still there on the one-month old scrubbed deck.

Sparkle nodded her head. "Yes, I'm at my great-great-great-great grandmother's library." She said nothing more as she walked up the stairs. There wasn't really much to say about the building; even with all the new addition she preferred a quiet lab over something like this.

Keyes stayed where he was.  "I'm afraid I'm going to ask you to come with me." Sparkle informed just as she touched the glass door.

Keyes raised a hoof to protest "With all due-"

"When I said 'we' were going on this mission, lieutenant, I said WE. I am clear?"

Not giving him time to answer, Sparkle clutched Keyes by the shirt collar and started to drag the stallion into the Library. (Yes…she is that strong.)

As Keyes tried to stand straighter, Sparkle caught him blushing in embarrassment. She opened the door and entered the marble library.

Finding subject 117, a yellow pegasus filly with a brown mane, deep in book.

CHAPTER 2

"Sunspot"

LORE: A Changeling is a creature that has blue eyes, black skin, a twisted horn, and holed wings in its original insect-like form. Can shapeshift into any form it desires. Responsible for invasion on Canterlot in 2 ARL.

------

The six ponies collided into each other as they ran up the stairs to castle upper deck finding themselves in front of changeling army. Their wings and legs were holed and their horns were crooked.

"Looks like we're gonna have to do this the hard way!" Rainbow Dash shouted and charged at the first changeling in her sight.

Instantly, the changeling morphed itself into a copy of Dash.  Dash paused in her run, surprised that now she was facing an exact copy of herself. This gave the copy and chance to strike out at Dash, Sending her skidding back to her friends. Dash raised her head weakly to get a glimpse at her foe "How did..?"

Pretty soon, the other changeling took on their alternate forms forms, becoming copies of the six only with angered eyes and the smirks yearning for a skirmish.

"They're changelings, remember?" Twilight alerted quickly to Rainbow Dash.

"They're changelings, remember?" Repeated five Twilight-copy Changelings, grinning evilly.

"Don't let them distract you; we have to get to the Elements of Harmony; they are our only hope!" Twilight Sparkle order to her team of six.

Then chaos broke lose; Coats were bruised, teeth punched out, and several changeling who were knocked out returned into their insect-like forms, unconscious.

Fluttershy was paralyzed by all the fighting. Then she filched when she saw three other Fluttershy-copies converging towards her. In hasty attempt to fool them, she threw on an angered face and started swing punches randomly.

Luckily, The three disguised changelings walked right by Fluttershy. After they left, Fluttershy sped off in one direction only to be surrounded by four copies of growling Rainbow Dashes.

However, one of them was proven to be the real Rainbow Dash after she punched other three copies.

Applejack was having trouble. She thought that within the chaos that Twilight was right behind when all this time it was changeling, now pouncing on her.  It got worse as more changelings followed.

The real Twilight pinned down a copy of herself, using her magic to put the changeling into unconsciousness.

Twilight spun around and found Applejack copies piling upon the real Applejack.  Twilight transformed her magic into bolts of magenta energy locking onto each of the Applejack copies.

Soon there was only one Applejack left and Twilight levitated it in front of her, charging up a magical blast

"Real me! Real me!" Applejack panicked. When Twilight set her down she mouthed out a thank you.  

Pinkie was just smiling at the shape sifting changeling in front of her.

"Hehehe, do me, do me!" Pinkie bounced.

The changeling rolled its eyes, but it transformed into a copy of pinkie, mimicking her smile.

"Nah, I've seen better." Pinkie judged.  Then she snatched Twilight and held the unicorn like gun at the changelings...

-------

"Excuse me?"

I Jump at the sound of the new live voice; the only ones that I have been hearing were the ones of Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and my narrating of a 2500 year old adventure. In short, the story was of a royal wedding, family issues, and an invasion of shape-shifting bugs. I could never completely describe Cogneto's taste in literature, except that there weren't any boring tea-parties.

But back to reality. Two ponies stand before me at the front desk.  One was blue unicorn with saddle, a purple mane tied back in buns, and a pretty pink sunhat filled with flowers. Her ice blue eyes reminded me of crystal statues. The other was a grey stallion with green eyes and brown crew cut.

"You look nice." I say.  They both thank me at the same time.

"I'm Destiny! What are you doing here? The library is closed." I inform them.  Anypony who anypony here knew the Library was closed on Sundays.

The mare with sun hat answered "We're just tourists passing through and I thought I wanted to get a glimpse of the Ponyville Library. It's quite beautiful. Isn't it, Corncob?"

The stallion beside the mare blushed and straightened up. "Yes, dear...it kinda reminds me of...uh, home." If had my mind reading powers back, I could clearly tell what he was thinking. Because I couldn't, I could only assume he was nervous or that he was trying to hide something.

I smile. Sorta. "Thank you miss and mister..."

"Sparkle. Halsey Sparkle. And this is my coltfriend, Corncob. We're on our anniversary." She mentioned. Corncob turned away and trotted around at the treehouse library's interior. I bet he was embarrassed.

"Oh, my gosh! You're related to Twilight Sparkle!?" I yelped happily pointing to the statue of the pony and her assistant. I was just reading about one of her adventures and now I meet the mare who is her great-great-great-great-great grandchild? This was the next best day ever!

Halsey Sparkle nodded, giving a little smile. A little one. "That's right dear. But I'm afraid that my family didn't have an interest in keeping this place much longer. So they gave it to yours."

"You're not jealous are you?" I asked, showing my big adorable eyes. They are irresistibly cute - and quite the thing you need when your persuasion skills fail.

"Not all." Halsey stated "But before we leave, I would like to give you something. If you are lucky."

I widened my eyes. OH BOY, GIFTS! "What is it? What is it?" I bounce on the desk

Using a fore hoof, Halsey pulled out a coin.  It was in a reflective yellow color with its rim party shaved.

"A GOLD COIN! I AM THE RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD!" I shout at the top of my lungs. All the windows in the library fragment.

Halsey shakes her head "No, not exactly," (Me thinking: What? A fake?)  ", But this is what money looked like two-thousand years ago when Equestria was the only planet that everyone and everypony settled on."

"It looked like bunch of fake gold coins? Then I'm not interested." I object. A little rudely. A little. I didn't mean it though.

"No? But this is an artifact from ancient times. You could sell it and get a mountain of credits." Halsey replied.

"But then I need my sister's help with that; her credit card is with her. But she isn't here at the moment so she'll have to take a message. And I can never remember messages with all the ruckus that goes on in my head." I reply

"What kind of ruckus?" Halsey asked. Uh-oh. I couldn't let out my telepathy secret, even if it was gone.

"I'm...being an assistant manager," I lie quickly "...Of this library."

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

Halsey could see subject-117 was quick to excite and sadden.  Than again she was only a filly; what would you expect?  And oddly she wasn't into money or shiny things that much. And to think that somepony like her could have survived lightning bolt was preposterous. But Halsey still had to test the subject's other abilities since her mind-reading was gone. PONI reported that it was damaged to the point where it was nothing.

"It must be hard work for such a young filly." The doctor replied.

"I can do it." 117 huffed.

"With your sister of course. Do you have any other family?" Halsey wondered, even though she knew everyone who was related to filly, including schoolmates and neighbors.

"My sister, Raysin, is with her boyfriend. I never saw my mom or dad. My brother, Cogneto..." I start to tear up. "...he's gone. He was in army."

He was in the marines Halsey corrected.

"How about if you and I play a game with this coin.  If you win, you decide what you want." Halsey thought of quickly, as to not upset the little filly.

"Anything?" subject 117 grinned, changing her mood

Oh Goddess, what did I get myself into? Halsey worried.  Subject 117's was due for recruitment in at midnight.  And now the doctor couldn't believe she was taking requests from an adorable little test subject. She hopped that Keyeswould somehow help him out of this. But the Stallion was now busy looking though books. But Halsey had to test her, no matter what.

"Deal. Name your game Mrs.Sparkle!" 117 accepted the challenge

Halsey pulled out a pen from her dress pocket. Then she marked one side of the coin with a blue "X".  "Now, I will flip it. If it lands on the X, You win." Halsey explained

"I always win!" Subject 117 chanted. Over Confidence, but not a bragger. Eager and enthusiastic The doctor analyzed.

"Let the games begin then."

Halsey flipped the coin in the air. On its way down, Subject 117 caught it in her hoof. Her smile on her lemon-colored face was priceless

"X marks the spot!" She shouted.

Halsey then she realized that she should stop playing. Subject 117 may love her now, but in the end she would come back to haunt her as one of 303 fillies and colts who would become part of the GREEHORN-II project.

"It appears I have to go now, Destiny." Halsey hastily concluded, glancing to Keyes. Keyes nodded in and trotted beside her to the door.

"But don't get I gift?" Destiny asked.

"Is it alright if I came back with gift?" Halsey replied.  She had ventured too far with this and now she wanted to retreat to her freezing lab back on Sigma Clopodia.

"But we made a deal that if I win I get to choose what I want," Destiny protested "And now I know what I what!"

Damn me...What's in for me next? Halsey couldn't take much more of this filly.

Destiny leapt on to the desk yelling "Mister Corncob! No smoking!"

Halsey could see Keyes had put his great-great-grandfather's pipe in his mouth. But Keyes never smoked; he only chewed on its end to assist his thinking.

Yet Keyes just smiled at the seemingly-harmless filly "Excuse me my dear but-"

"I am Destiny and will not allow anyone to smoke in MY LIBRARY!" Destiny reached out from under the desk clutching the brightest and reddest fire extinguisher in her hooves.

------

"Good bye Ms. Sparkle and Mr. Corncob! Thanks for the hat!" Destiny waved, wearing Halsey's sun hat. It was what she had decided on wearing after she had won the coin toss, despite being a little ill-fitting.

Halsey had to admit while the filly was adorable and enlightening, she was the one who would hold her position no matter what. Just one of the characters she needed need for an Element. She may fit loyalty or laughter best...if she is a destined bearer

"Why did you need me again?" Keyes sneered. His clothing was now breached in white. Destiny had fired the wave of powder with his eyes open. Now they were bloodshot in pain, with his brown mane and grey coat in white.  Halsey and Destiny laughed, saying he looked like an ghost pony.

"I just wanted to show you how real PONI scientists do their tests." The doctor stated as they neared the pegasus wagon station. "It's the least I could do for a close colleague." Keyes swore she saw Halsey smirking.

"And what did you test?" Keyes said, placing his pipe back into his mouth. He took it out a spat into the ground, with some powder still stuck in there.

"Her reflexes, perception, alertness, personality, and luck, lieutenant." Halsey explained

Keyes gave dumbfounded look to the doctor's reasoning. "Luck? You're kidding right?"

While Haley waved for a Pegasus to bring a taxi wagon to come by and pick them up, she hissed to Keyes "If soldiers have discipline and guns, heroes have luck."

"What does her luck make you so interested in revoking the Elements of Harmony?" Keyes knew about the doctor's classified plan.

Halsey pulled Keyes close to her, signaling Keyes to keep extra quiet "The Elements only arise when there is conflict that could change Equestria forever. Since then, they remain with their bearers, until his or her life ends. Tradition states they are to be locked up where they were last used. In this case, they are hidden at Canterlot Castle until new bearer arise."

"So how does making an army of soldiers consisting of fillies and colts have to do with -"

Halsey gently put hoof on Keyes snout, silencing him.

"The Elements are always bestowed on those who have unique and amazing personalities that sometimes are contradicting each other.  By bringing ponies with those different personalities together, then The Elements may awaken again. And if they don't, at least we have an army to ensure another New Manebassa doesn't happen." Halsey didn't want to call them 'Elements of Harmony'; that name was judged inaccurate to her and many others.

It took Keyes few moments to understand what the striking and devoted doctor was saying. "Well, you'll get Loyalty and Honesty out of a good soldier.  But Laughter, Generosity, Kindness, and - if by Celestia's grace if you need it - Magic?  Odds are slim to nothing with soldiers, Doctor. Besides, will I see them in action?"

Instead of auguring further, Doctor Halsey Sparkle gave small smile "Oh you just won't see them in action...you'll start to believe in them even after they are dead."

Keyes cocked an eyebrow "Despite such an enlightening evening...I don't want to run into more of this."

"You'll be steering away from the worst of it, Corncob." Halsey replied, looking staring at Equestrian's setting sun.  She knew that this system was the only one where Celestia and Luna controlled the sun and moon. Every other system worked by itself.

In the end, Halsey briefly wonder if what she was doing was the exact same thing the insurrectionist and the suns of other systems were doing; defiance against Celestia's power.

Halsey pushed her thoughts away as she tried to focus on what to tell Princess Celestia when she reached Canterlot.  Princess Celestia loathed Halsey for not standing up to Twilight Sparkle's obsession with pleasing her, or continuing the sparkle family's tradition of studying friendship.  Yet both seemed to hold both a grudge and a respect for each other.  In fact, Halsey needed to talk to Celestia about the project's funding.

After that she would have to take a shuttle to Sigma Clopodia. That's where it would all begin

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

MIDNIGHT

PLANET: SIGMA CLOPODIA

CLASSIFIED MILITARY COMPLEX

"Celestia doesn't approve of your plans doctor; but she understands the risks we must take if this will stop the insurrection and somehow rekindle the elements." Lyra, an AI represented as a holographic representation of a mini cyan mare sitting on holo-projector, informed.

Carrying her lab coat on her back, Halsey Sparkle paced around the amphitheater stage under a calming night time sky filled the sky with Turvus, Sigma Clopodia's ringed moon, constellations named after famous figures, and a swirl of stars.  But Halsey felt even more uneasy.

The complex included barracks, a thousand acres full of woods, Halsey's underground lab, and several buildings that all could see. Somewhere, she knew there was a motor pool, vehicle depot and full sized airpad. She just couldn't find them because this entire place could have been mistaken for a fenced and unsaturated town in the mountains.

"Doctor, Princess Celestia wonders if there are alternatives." Lyra wondered

Halsey asked her self this hundreds of times. "There are none.  The dragons will only make things worse like in Everfree Forest Wars.  Changelings are too genetically weak to use as frontline fighters. Griffons and Zebras are just recovering from that drop in their economies. And every other species won't join our cause or assimilate with us. We're on our own."

Lyra interrupted. "She meant why use foals."

Felling mortified, Halsey held her anger. "Their minds are more adaptable to augmentation and indoctrination.  We can alter their bodies to become super soldiers stronger and faster than normal marines."

Lyra sat awkwardly, thinking "Still, we can't do this to adults?"

Halsey knew the public would ask the same question if they found out. "Last time you asked me this, my answer has remained unchanged; We're only scientists, not gods. Even Celestia can't make a perfect soldier who also has the sociality of a civilian. Sometimes, it's one or the other."

Lyra pondered for a moment. "Very well Doctor, yet do you have any idea what we should tell the subjects?"

Halsey had her answer ready. "I can't lie to them, Lyra; they have to know we kidnapped them.  Ponykind and the UNSCOE will be saved, even if some have to suffer for it." Halsey stated, throwing on her lab coat. If there was anything she could confess to Celestia after this insurrection was crushed, it was that she told the truth. Or at least most of it

"Affirmative, but I strongly recommend you take my advice; they are only children today who will only be soldiers tomorrow and probably dead in a month. It won't matter if you lied to them." The holographic AI, Lyra icily replied before shutting her holographic form off.

"Your advice is noted." Halsey brushed her purple main before seeing the first of Phoenix dropship land - they were a little older than foals; how hard could this be?

One by one, several Phoenix-class Drop ships landed into the ring in front of her platform.  The doctor knew that in a total of five hours PONI had already captured all 303 candidates. Drill instructors were forcing the candidates, fillies and colts, out like cattle. They all were confused, tired, as if it were in a dream.  Those who did try to escape back into the Phoenix Dropships were zapped back into place by stun sticks in the sergeants' mouths.

I take it back - this isn't going to be easy Halsey was starting to sweat.  These kids weren't adults. They wouldn't understand what she was saying, or what would be done to them in the months to come. They all wouldn't make it.

Halsey then spotted a familiar pegasus wearing an eye-catching sunhat in the crowd.  But unlike the other fillies, her face seemed relaxed, patient, and ready.

That was enough for Halsey to get the strength to start.

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

I've visited Cogneto's military base on War Horse Day.  So when I woke inside a phoenix-class dropship with a bunch of stallions shutting us up, I was only a little surprised.  I didn't want to be scared - I had to be different. I had to be tough and brave if I wanted to somehow make those innies pay.

Before I went to sleep back home, all I remembered before the lights went out was Raysin kissing me goodnight.  When she closed the door I threw on my sunhat. It was quite the best day ever.

Then I had to pee at 22:00 (I had a digital clock on my bedside table).

Right as I came back into my bedroom, two ponies - a mare and a stallion placing a filly on my bed.

I gasped. That filly looked exactly like me.

The stallion heard me and held up something that looked like a pen to his mouth.  From it, A tiny dart pierced into my hoof, making it all num.  Pretty soon my body felt all sleepy and could feel myself falling into somepony's hooves.

"Welcome to the Greenhorn-II program."  The mare on the stage addressed to us all. She used her unicorn magic to project her voice as if spoken though a microphone.

Halsey - It was her! The mare that visited me that morning and gave the sunhat! What was she doing here now? What was I doing here now?

"You have been call upon from across the galaxy to serve." Halsey continued. Her voice was gentle and her expression was neutral, maybe even little regretful.

Some of the other kids quieted down on the stage. I'm now really glad I lost my mind reading powers.  Otherwise, I would have a huge headache.

"You will be the proctors of Equestria and all her colonies. There will be great deal of hardship on the road ahead." Halsey Sparkle paused, trembling slightly.

Stage fright! I must help her! I start a soft clap with hooves being first in row. Everypony just stares at me seeing I'm the only one clapping. But Halsey catches it, yet she gives sadden smile to the crowd.

"You cannot return to your families. But you will all be a success in the end." Halsey choked again, but this time I couldn't help her.

Everyone went silent gapping their mouths wide open. Beside me, a colt started to tear up.  But somehow, that filly that I saw was a clone of me was the reason why they wouldn't allow us to return.  We probably were being replaced.  Maybe Raysin might like the clone better than me.

But were we going to become heroes of the galaxy? Like Cogneto? Like Twilight Sparkle and her friends?

Halsey Sparkle resumed her speech "This place will become your home. I, your trainers, and fellow trainees will become your family.  The instructors shall guide you to your barracks.  It's going to be long day for you tomorrow. Good luck."

That's when the stallions with those shock sticks start pushing us back into the dropship and yelling at us.

Even as they do so, I do my best to take off my sunhat and place it on the floor. I would try to tell Halsey that I'm giving it back to her but she is already off the stage and speaking with an instructor.

I just felt that if I was going to leave Ponyville, Raysin, Minnie-Apple-Los, I might as well leave everything.

The hat was just resting under the nighttime sky of galaxy in middle of an empty amphitheater for endless hours before somepony found it again.

CHAPTER 3

"CASTLE Complex"

"WAKE UP, TRANIEE!" A voice roared over my ear.

Soft…pillow…mmm….nice and cozy. "...five more minutes, Raysin….Its Sunday," I mummer before returning to my slumber. I keep nuzzling the pillow and giving a soft snore…..

ZAAAP! For second time I feel my flesh being fried by electricity. My stomach felt as if it had been burned from the inside.

I flew straight up out of the top bunk, colliding with the ceiling. I drift down on to floor, looking wildly for the source of the shock.

"ON YOUR HOOVES, RECRUIT!" The same voice shouted.

My eye slowly adjusted to dark room I was snoozing in moments ago. Stallions, donning berets and camouflaged-coated  coats, starting yelling or shocking everypony off their bunks and crashing into the floor. I quickly identified them as the same ponies that brought us to Halsey Sparkle when she gave that speech.

The olive-sage stallion that woke me up was larger than the others, and was very hard to describe in the darkness.  Except that words, 'Soldier to the core' would fit him nicely. And if that wasn't enough to describe him, he was starting to poke me with his electrifying stick. He was levitating it with his sharp unicorn horn, unlike the other who were pegasi or earth ponies, holding their sticks in their mouths or forehooves.

"Ow! I got zapped by lighting last week–Ouch!" First he aimed for my chest, and then he aimed for my head.  The latter hurt so much.  Did Cogneto ever go thought this?

"STAND ON YOUR FOURS, BOOT!" My drills sergeant shouted.

Oh, there was no way how to talk to a pegasus like me so I squeaked angrily, "What did I ever do you, Poophead? - OWWWW!" Now I felt like the tip of my forehoof was singed from a stove when the unicorn swug the stick.

Not wanting to be electrocuted again, my white hooves help my sleepy body mount myself onto the floor. I shiver uncontrollably from a total of three shocks, only ready to do what the stallion tells me.

"I AM CHIEF PETTY OFFIECR CRANKLIN MENDEZ. THESE STALLIONS ARE YOUR INSTUCTORS, AND YOU WILL DO AS THEY SAY!" I wasn't sure if he was using his magic to alter his voice like Halsey did, or that he actually was yelling the top of his lungs. Cranklin Mendez? what kind of name was that?

To make things short, I was guided into a washroom.  My chilly bath only lasted two minutes.  After that, I was kicked out back into the bunks. Mendez magically flung a white tank top at my face. It had two holes in the back for my wings. When I threw it on, I could see stitched on the collar was my name and a number.

DESTINY 1-1-7

"Move it one-seventeen. OUTSIDE!" Cranklin Mendez roars, making me flap my wings quickly. I wanted to get away from those strangers as soon as possible.

When I do get outside, my eyes widen with surprise. Other sleep-deprived kids in similar tanks troops huddling around.  The sun has not risen yet, and ironically we have. The entire military complex was holding air pads, vehicles, marines, and buildings in different sizes, was as far as the eye could see.

"Trainees, Get into rows of sixteen!"

I find Mendez and his following drill instructors coming out, their flanks to the barracks.  Stupid Poopheads, I say to myself. With some frantic scrambling, and thankfully no shocks, we assemble our sleeves in row of fifteen. I put myself as far from Mendez as possible. Then it got worse.

In his booming voice, he ordered "All of you do one-hundred push-ups. Any assist using magic or wings, will result in a warning of running around the entire complex, and then doing three hundred push-ups upon returning. Same consequence for quitting - GO! One, Two, Three..."

My wings snap to my back and soon we're a wave of ponies moving up and down, exhausted and sweating. One orange unicorn started to use his magic to help himself up on this thirty-first push up. An instructor, with the stun stick his mouth, wacked the poor's colts horn, cause the unicorn to yelp in pain. If I gave up or used my wings, I knew I would get the shock stick or more exercise.

My head felt dizzy and my mouth was dryer despite all the sweat that leaked down my coat and into my lips.

"...Ninety eight, Ninety nine, One hundred!" Cranklin Mendez roared. He inhaled deeply while I collapsed into the dirt panting. My tongue licked the sweat off my lips and then tasted the dirt and grass.  What a poophead he was..."

The five-second-long-break time was over when Chief Mendez breathed out again. "Jumping Jacks up to one-hundred, trainees! Same rules, No assists! Ready - Go!"

I my lungs became so weak to where I couldn't breathe or even think straight. All I could do was keep doing what to the chief told me. I didn't know what this had to do with other than getting fit. But no pain, no grain...I mean gain

Only what was I gaining for what purpose?

Jumping jacks were followed by sit-ups, crouches, and 100 of various other stretches that we had never done in gym class. I felt as if he wanted to keep squeezing all the energy out of all of us. Then what would he do with us?

"REST!" Mendez boomed.  The volume of his voice was amped up so much when he said that, that his horn was steaming and he was taking some slow breaths.

"One of you!" He pointed the floating stick at one of the instructors "...get them some water."

When I tumbled onto the grass, I never felt like getting back up.

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

Chief Petty Officer Cranklin Mendez could see as soon as the container of water bottles was rolled out to the trainees, all of them ran to get their hooves on it.  The chief petty officer knew the water was slightly salty and somewhat cold.  But he hoped they would not bitch about it for the time being.

Mendez could see one lone recruit face down in the dirt and limp as dead.  The camo-coated unicorn wacked the pegasus filly's rump with his shock stick, making her leap into a dizzying stating position.

"You're called upon to serve for a reason, One-seventeen!" Mendez roared at the lemon-yellow pegasus.

One seventeen breifly trembled and then dashed to the water container past all the drinking fillies and colts. And fshe ound it empty.

"What?! W-w-why didn't anyone save any for me?" One-Seventeen, Destiny, sniveled.

"Because you let them trainee! You didn't take the chance when you had one." Mendez growled, and then turned to all the other fillies and colts. "Remember this; You only get one life and sometimes only one chance. Make them both count!"

Silenced by Mendez's harsh reply, Destiny couldn't do much of anything else as everypony just drank the water away, and it wasn't even noon. And it wasn't even fair. So she just relaxed her cramping body and head amongst the container. She tried to lick her tears.

Mendez roared "Break time is over! To the classroom! NO SLACKING!"

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

I thought my first day of "class" was nice.  

After marching up some number of steps into a classroom (And being threatened with more exercises if we refused to go into the classroom.) we enter into a room of a dull grey building.  In there, on each desk was a plate of two stale-looking biscuits and juice boxes.

Our teacher, who was an Artificial Intelligence, was projected as a pony; she kept walking bipedal, which was considered very awkward to all of us. Her name was Lyra; her cutie mark was a harp and her coat color was cyan. While she talked, various other holograms provided visuals on what she was saying

Lyra was chanting about an ancient group of warriors called 'the Greenhorns'.

"Their motto was 'Nos nunquam mori' or 'We never die'." Lyra added. "They were trained at young age, and gained the strength like no other adult creature of any sort. They always won." She stressed the 'always' part.

The ancient greenhorns little like us, I think. But they wouldn't stand up to even Cogneto's assualt rife with thier spears.  Lyra carried on, almost distracted by what she was presenting as much as we were

"The greenhorns could take down anyone, even in vast numbers.  One time, a Griffon legion of one million was going to reign down on a scouting party of twenty pegasi Greenhorns. It was quite a midair bloodbath. And it's also unpopular for the amount of slaughter that was done. Some call it as 'The day Clouds rained blood'. But if it weren't for those twenty, Ponykind wouldn't have been where it is now. The Griffon Empire wished to eradicate all of them..."

I was sitting in the front row, so got the most of hologram of the Griffon Army charging at the Greenhorn platoon. All the greenhorns were pegasi warriors in golden armor, even though Lyra said that other races of ponies were also in the greenhorn military.

And all twenty of them moved faster, broke more bones, and dealt more slashes than the griffons.  I gasp in excitement as a greenhorn comes up from behind the half-hawk-half-lion and twists his neck.  The crack of his death makes me jump.

When I felt like eating during the lecture and the battle video, I all I find is my desk empty and a filly chewing on soimthing to my left. She was munching down what I realize is my meal. Now I lost two to chances to eat.

Just when I felt like walking over there to punch her, Lyra concluded, "That is all for today." She closed the holo-vids and we all moaned.  "But now it's time for the playground. Tomorrow we will look at some Timber Wolves."

All the students cheered and run out but me. A week of losing my mind-reading powers and I haven't made any friends.

I started pouting to the door way. Only to find Mendez towering above me, levitating a stick beside him to "Yes...time for the playground..." he grinned. I gulped down my dry throat.

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

The 'playground' was in the forest that we marched two miles to.  Standing above the trees on concrete pillar was a rusty iron bell.  From its top to the forest floor, there were baskets and pulley systems large enough to fit three ponies into.

"Get into rows of threes! Row one will be team one and so on and so forth!" Mendez commanded.  We scrambled into ordered lines instantly.

"The objective here trainees," Mendez began loudly; drawing a map of forest in the dirt with his shock stick "Is to get all your team to bell via the baskets. Each member of your team has to ring the bell before coming back here.  The winners receive a prize." That was probably unusual for an officer to say. But so was drilling fillies and colts before sunrise.

"What kind of prizes?" I ask innocently, remembering that I had won a sunhat from Halsey's coin toss. The chief gives me a very annoyed look before he cracks into a smile.

"Your team wins you dinner, one-seventeen! Brownies, turkey, carrots, corn on the cob, cider 'n' sugar, and apple pie for everyone who wins."  Mendez probably wanted to torture me more, causing my stomach grumble; did he know I liked apple pie that much?  The other trainees patted their body ready for more food.

Hunger games, I think to myself. The lucky shall eat while the unlucky starve and keep going.  And that book made me hungrier when I read the first parts.

"But," Mendez added sharply, finishing the map "...the last ones to ring the bell go without food for rest of day.  Some shall win, some shall lose." We all went silent.  And this was my last chance to get food, or else I'll never make it through tomorrow.

I looked at the ponies in my row who had become my team. There was a magenta unicorn taller than me. Her mane was messy and in sea-foam green highlights.  Her tank top's collar read BLADES 2-0-4. My other partner was an albino earth pony; she looked just like a red-eyed ghost. A shy ghost, to be precise. Her name was LIPIZZANER 0-3-9.

"Uh...hi?"  Lipizzaner squeaked, shyly glacing between me and Blades.  Blades and I walked to her.  I then could see that Blades was an inch taller than me even without the horn. Her mane was tired back in pony tail, much like mine.

"G'day mates. I'm Blades, from Bronze Harvest." Blades patted Lipizzaner on the back, startling the albino."Lovely weather 'ere on Clopodia, ain't it?"

"You're kidding right? All you care is the weather?" I groan, still hungry. My voice is so dry I sound like a zombie.  Unlike, Blades who sounds like a strong sailor or farm pony. Maybe she was either one of those.

"Destiny 117? That's a nice name 'n' tag."   Blades kindly takes her forehoof and holds it out for me to shake. When I do I notice her sky blues matches the Equestrian sky back home. Her cutie mark is a set of twin blades cross in the form of an 'X' on a shield.

Lipizzaner's red eyes stare at me. Her cutie mark was a musical note of a base clef.  She utters nervously "I'm Lipizzaner..." She looked like she wanted to say more yet she was frightened to continue. I knew we would probably have to carry her along the way if she was going to get even shyer.

Blades wraps her fore hooves around both of us, tightly, giving us a serious look. "Alright mates, we're in this mess together; the chief says we gotta get to those lifts to get to the bell."

"Oh Yeah? So what's so special about the 'lifts?'" I asked. 'Lifts' was probably another word for those baskets, just Blades's way of saying it.

Blades then pointes to what Mendez drew on the map. "It looks like some lifts are closer to the bell than others, mate."

"Can...we teleport to it? Like other unicorns do?" Lipizzaner wonders.  I was thinking the same thing, yet that would have meant that all teams with unicorns in them would win. Mendez would have taken care of that problem already.

"Sorry; it's too much for fillies to teleport and can only teleport if I know where I am going." Blades explained.

-----------

"GO!" Mendez shouted.

Our hooves beat the ground like thunder, as team of ponies spread of in different direction to get to a basket.  The one we were headed was in front of a creaking bridge, surprisingly over a roaring river. Despite the nice scenery, none of my team complemented it.

Another team consisting of three earth ponies also tried to get onto the bridge.  They were attempting to shove us off.

One rammed into Blade's side as an attempt to push her off. As payback, Blades captured the brown-spotted colt in glowing aurora of neon green Magic. Then she magically tossed him into the river, muttering, "Wanker."

Lippizaner wasn't doing so well.  She tried to race to the basket only to have one of two remaining colts pin her down, while the latter raced to the basket and started pulling himself up.  Lippizaner kept trying to wrestle with an aqua colt until they both fell off the bridge.  The river started to carry the crying albino pony away.

"Destiny, you stop that block in basket! I'll save Lipizzaner!"  Blades ordered jumping into the river, swimming after Rose.  

I started to use my wings to fly to the basket which was half way up to the bell. The wind dragged my mane and my hair behind me. Before, I never was allowed to fly this fast.

When I landed on the basket's edge, I readied to attack the verdant colt raising it.  But he was prepared; instantly, he threw an irregular shaped object at my face. My mouth must have been open because the impact hit as set of teeth and I can feel one come of its place.

Then the verdant colt kicks me in the stomach and off the lift. As I fall, I can see him just a hoof away from the bell.

Blades and Lipizzaner, who are both wet, catch me in their hooves.

----

As a team, we crossed the line...as the last team. The colt that had pushed me ended up being in third place.  I had a tooth chipped off and was stuck with a bleeding mouth. Lipizzaner and Blades were drenched, leading trail of water behind themselves.

Everypony else patted their stomachs ready to eat. I knew for sure I had lost a third chance to shove something down my throat.

I see the sun setting in the distance. I know Celestia and Luna control the sun and the moon in the Equestria system (Which is geocentric), but other systems planet revolves manually around the sun, and their moons revolve around their planet.

But I don't know how a setting sun reminded me of a lesson from first grade.

Mendez is writing on a levitating clipboard. I can only guess it's going to be our humiliating timing.  I swear I just saw him grin deviously at my team.

"Well mates...we tried. And we all rang the bell." Blades sighed.  I could she was trying to cheer us up, so I didn't bother to rant about how I wasn't going to go without food for the rest of the day.

Lipizzaner just kept kicking her hoof gently at the ground. "The bell had a nice ring..." I didn't want to yell in fustration out that was the only thing she was commenting.

I decide to push the thought away, when Mendez was finished writing annoucing, "To the mess hall trainees - Time to chow down! Except for Zero-Sixty-Five's team!" he referred to the verdant colt that threw a rock at my mouth, chipping my tooth out.  His tank top collar read VECTOR 0-6-5

"What the hay? I was first!" Vector shouted. I realized his team wasn't with him.

Mendez shoved himself into Vector's face, scaring the colt.

"Right, you were first and you rang the bell.  The objective was to get all of your team to ring the bell and finish together!" Mendez barked, spiting saliva all over Vector's snout.

"Where is the rest of Vector's team?" I whisper to Blades. I notice they weren't here getting yelled alongside the green earth pony.

"Still in the river for all we know." she answers. Seconds later, two colts shiver their way to finish line, shooting dirty looks at Vector.

"Now also remember this, recruits; you don't win unless your team wins!" Mendez shouts to all of us. Yet, he was glaring at me, Blades, and Lipizanner.  

"Well done to the team of one-seventeen; they were the only group to stay together." He announces.  Mendez then led us to a larger sage-green tent. The aura of scrumptious scents snaked to our snouts.  

And from that day, I felt like a truly had father; a grouchy, angry, yelling, stallion who was named Cranklin Mendez. Go figure.  As our group trots to the mess hall, Lipizzaner tugs my wing.  "Excuse me but...Can we be friends?"

"Hay yeah, mate! But only if I can call you L.Z.!" Blades's hoof grips Lipizzaner by the neck and she starts brushing Lipizzaner's pale mane vigorously. Lipizzaner giggled lightly.

The word 'friend' was alien no more as I gave both of them a hug. "Sure; friends." I whisper.

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

Oh boy...I felt like a voracious pig finally satisfied.  I hadn't even bothered to clean off the brownie or ice cream stains around my mouth. This wasn't the kind of meal expected at a military base, but maybe we were special in way.

The "mess hall tent" resembled an indoor actration at a carnival. All kinds of sweet smells water your mouth to the point you drank that water. First, I took two slices of apple pie followed by chocolate syrup on my vanilla ice-cream.  Then I, Lipizzaner, and Blades tried to hog as much cider as we could.  Unfortunately, Chief Mendez caught us and sent us to sit in table in the corner with whatever we collected

"By the princess's grace...I've never felt better in my life, mate." Blades replied after gulped down her cider.  The chefs had put sugar inside of it, causing it to be irresistibly and deliciously addicting...Much like Mal's back at home. Her coat is just as messy as my mouth.

"Which Princess?" I ask.

"I dunno. Does it matter? They're all the same to me." Blades shrugged. I never thought of them as the same; Celestia was a bright as the sun and Luna's indigo mane resembled stars.

Lipizzaner is the only one of us who is clean of any stains, nibbling on some Turkey. The weird thing was she wasn't into sweats as much as we were. "The food is good." She quickly stated, and then resumed her eating.

When I take a final bite of my apple pie, I feel all my teeth go into it.  By Mendez's request, Halsey Sparkle was able to fix my chip-tooth-problem via mixing various colored chemicals into a magical potion.  It tasted like that coughing medicine Raysin gave me, but the tooth magically grew back in an instant.  

It wasn't only pleasure to see my tooth back, but also to witness something magical in years of saturated science. Halsey said that medicine was an old Zebra brew created by an equally old hermit.

Blades passed a slice of her apple pie to the center of the table.  She hadn't even bothered to use the fork to eat, or even take a crumb of it.  "Any of you want it?"

"Not interested. I'm on a diet." Lipizzaner quickly answered.  Her red eyes looked almost made her statement eerie to us, but her gentle and shy nature presented some kindness

I myself had to say no. "I couldn't eat another bite." Then I give loud five-second burp.  All three of us laugh to the point we choke on our food.

When I regain control of my chuckling I add afterwards "But I know who might like a slice."

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

I lost track of how much time I was in the mess hall – night came over the complex.  I found Vector-065 in the barracks, strangely alone with most of light turned off, painting corner in black. The earth pony colt was lying flat on grumbling stomach in his top bunk.  I bet he was mad at me; He threw the rock that chipped my tooth out, he rang the bell, and he crossed the finish line first. All that and he still lost.

"Uh...Vector? I bought you something." I say shyly. At recognizing my voice, he peers over his bunk, giving me his bloodshot eyes.  He must have been crying.

I then hold out the plate of slice of apple pie, hoping that he would take it.  "It was all I can sneak out. You can share it with your friends if you want." By 'friends' I referred to the other earth ponies that had lost today who were on his team.

Vector sneers at me, "Get lost.  I don't need your pity."

I still try offer the meal to him but he gets so angry he blindly flings his pillow at me.  I also see Vector's friend, an aqua earth pony that tackled Lipizzaner into the river, huddled in corner, also crying.  I am met with the same results.

Frustrated that they turned down a good deed, I stomp out of the barracks into the night sky.  

I recognize the outside area as the field which we started our morning excises.  Maybe, in some hours later before the sun rises, it will be alive with us stretching every muscle we can.  Only at this hour under a star-lit sky, sits a young earth colt in grass.

Clutching the plate in my mouth, I edge towards him.

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

The colt that Blades called "wanker", whose brown mane didn't go all the way down his back, whose coat was in in a spotted-splotched dirt color, was known as MUDD SLINGER 0-7-7, had laid his back on the feild and gazed at the sight of the stars.

Slinger would stare at it forever despite being in the prickly grass field still smelling of sweat. Today he wasn't mad he didn't eat – he was mad at his team for purposely failing. Strangely, he didn't feel hungry one bit.

The interruption of rustling in the grass bought Slinger to his fours, alert and ready for whoever it was. Mendez, another drill instructor, that whining Vector...

It turned out to be filly carrying a plate of apple pie. She set the plat down in front of him and smiled

"Hi. My name is Destiny. But you can call me one-one-seven for short." The filly introduced herself, pointing to the number 117 on her tank top collar. She was lemon-yellow and her mane and paintbrush cuie mark were in Carmel-brown.  Slinger blinked his dark purple eyes before seeing that she was real and that he actually was in fact hungry.

"Mudd Slinger Oh-double-seven" Slinger immediately gave out.  His eyes have adjusted look enough to the darkness to scrutinize the apple pie clearly. Then his stomach grumbled loudly.

Destiny pushed it forward with her snout. "It's for you."

Slinger had to restrain himself from quickly stanching the pie and goggling down it in one bite.  Destiny stayed right beside him, enjoying the view of the stars.

"You ever wonder what's up there?" Slinger asked, after half-way finishing the pie.

"Like what? Aliens?" Destiny replied.

"Not just aliens...other planets, other worlds, maybe even...universes."

"I guess. When you look up, you feel so small."

"We are small." Slinger stated.

"Yeah...Do you think we'll see any aliens? Maybe become friends with them?" Destiny asked.

Mudd Slinger was silent for moment. "I hope so. Don't you?"

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

In the following months, I, Blades, Lipizzaner, and Mudd Slinger, endured all what Mendez threw at us. Some days we ate, other days we didn't. In the classroom we learned History from the Lyra A.I., Math from a Bon Bon A.I., and Science from an AI Classified as "Derpy".  Soon I and Vector learned to respect each other; everypony did. Any rivals or hate from day one was replaced by brother and sisterhood after two years of daily drills.

Eventually, we got "paintguns" and participated in training scenarios sometimes against robots, sometimes against marines who were trusted with the program's secrecy, and sometimes even ourselves. Mendez was starting to be impressed with us, yet he always had another challenge under his leg waiting for us. Thankfully, the aging unicorn stopped using stock sticks on us.

CHAPTER 4

"Indigo Team"

TWO YEARS LATER

SIGMA CLOPODIA, CRASSIFIED TRAINING GROUND (GHASLTY GULCH)

Cranklin Mendez, whom we've started to address as 'The Chief', started stalking our stats and putting us into teams for future deployments on insurrectionists.  Some of us were hungrier to impress Mendez, hoping we would be shipped to frontlines straight away.  In reality, that dream was father than we  thought it would be; It was hard to impress The Chief.  In a few weeks, the month-long augmentations would come.

But before augmentation and after morning drills and shock sticks, there were the endless training scenarios to mimic real battles.  Examples included capture the flag between two snow-capped mountains, a mock civilian outpost with training dummies, and crossing acres of grassland filled with landmines over the course of a day.  

Mendez and Doctor Sparkle probably wanted to tell us that innies were extreme to that extent. Although how a bunch of would overtaxed famers and anarchists acquire that many landmines?

Anyway, I can remember only a few of these training senarios.

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

Indigo team; A six pony squad consisting of me, Snapshot-102, Lipizanner-039, Turning Fork-075, Mudd Slinger-077, and Blades-204.  

Two earth ponies, 077 and 039.

Two pegasi, me and 102.  

204 and 075 were the unicorns of our squad.

Turning Fork was an orphaned unicorn mare from Manehattan 2, while Snapshot was a thieving young pegsus stallion from an insurrectionist outpost at Trotton 9.

Dispite all our differences, we all had one thing in common - as per military regulations, our manes were completely shaved, leaving our heads bald.  I found that sort of depressing. Sort of.  Our ears seemed to grow in size because of the shaving of our heads but we had permission to grow our hair back after some amount of days.

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

Ghastly Gulch could be best described as a huge bowl in a continent of Sigma Clopodia that was devoid of anything but a few rock formations and stones white as snow.  This area-shaped canyon - Although, huge stone basin seemed to be a better description - was close to the north pole of the planet, so the sub-zero winds drove any life far away and no sunlight has ever touched it since last spring.

Mendez briefed us on the objective, which was to get to the Phoenix-dropship, somewhere in the huge-basin-canyon-land (I can't make up my mind what to call it).  Each member of my team had been dropped off in separate locations.  Once our hooves hit the ground, we only had about a few hours to regroup and make it to the dropship and get out. Otherwise we would fail Mendez's test.

Basically it was like a bunch of field mice trying to navigate their way through one end of the field to another.  I couldn't use my wings to get a bird's eye view of the canyon; AA guns with stun pellets were set up around the canyon's ridge to ensure that.  Still, I could cover long distances with my wings anyday. Sure beats trotting like an earth pony.

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

It didn't take me long to find Blades and Lipizzaner; they were hiding a small nook waiting for somepony.  Pretty soon, Mudd Slinger was found wandering in shadows, cautious of any traps that Mendez set up as a surprise in this canyon.  

Snapshot was doing the opposite, flying around in the moonlight as me and the other ponies I found.  It turned out that he and Turning Fork found the Phoenix. But it was damaged and was undergoing slow auto repair by nanites.

"I don't buy your story." I respond to Snapshot. Lipizzaner and Blades were taken aback but Mudd acted calm, perhaps also not believing it.

"What?" Snapshot wondered, surprised.

"Mendez didn't say anything about a crashed Phoenix. Also, nanties? Do those even exist?"

"Well Des', if you think about it, we don't exist. We're in a program created by the Parliament Of Naval Intelligence." Blades stated.  I had to then admit that was a good point.   While the UNSCOE was the light side of ponykind, PONI was the behinds-the-scene, a cold hard truth under the big picture that never existed to the public eye.

"And when does Mendez tell us everything at the beginning?" the magenta unicorn added.

"Snapshot did you come across any hostiles on way?" Mudd Slinger inquired.

"Ah, nope." Snapshot answered still hovering and rubbing his shaved head. "But we did find a huge stash of weapons in the phoenix."

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

When we got there, it wasn't just weapons in the idle phoenix resting against the canyon wall.  It was all kinds of real combat equipment; grenade launchers, a shoulder-mounted Griffon Laser, and lots of rifles.

Even on the outside, the scuttling and humming of the nanites was heard clearly from the concealed compartments of the phoenix.

Turning Fork came out from loading bay, lending different ranged and melee weapons out of all of us. I was handed a single-shot Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) and a combat knife.  From all of our exercises, including this, we all had to fire standing on our backhooves like the rest of military. Since they were unicorns, Blades and Turning Fork had chosen to magically levitate theirs, while remaing to walk on thier fours.

"What's the plan, Destiny-117?" Turning Fork asked.

No one had chosen a leader. So why me? I was no different, or so I thought "We just wait here until the phoenix is fully repaired." I settled.

"That's it?" Mudd Slinger asked, picking up a rock out of boredom. "This is just too easy..."

Then, a low vibration started to shake some tiny pebbles.  The ground beneath our feet followed.  Off in the distance I could see a thick cloud of dust headed in our direction.

"Buck my big mouth for speaking too soon..."  Mudd groaned.

Looking into my scope I saw bunnies.

Not cute cuddly bunnies back home in the plains of Equestria, but very ravenous, fanged, mouth-foaming, earless bunnies with eyes blacker than midnight. I only thought there were bunnies because of how they skipped toward us and how their tiny noses were shaped

Mendez does have ways to ruin all of our childhood memories.

"Stampede! Lock and load, everypony!" I screamed and jerked the trigger.

*Kracow*, went the DMR. It had a little more recoil than the ones I trained with.  Though my scope, I see one bunny down from a fain white contrail, ten thousand more to go.

Chief Cranklin Mendez was either insane or creative, yeat he knew how to test us.

Lipizzaner, at first, wasn't willing to believe there was a stampede, just a trick of wind.  However, when the albino earth pony could see the carnivorous bunnies from seven meters away, that's when she shrieked in fear and ducked into the phoenix's loading bay. I couldn't really blame her for being the most scared out of the group.

Later Lipizanner came out,  with an activated flashlight attachment under her rifle's barrel. A thousand black eyes belong to tiny pale rabbits now reached the phoenix dropship and started to appear at all of our hooves hooves.  The muzzle flash from each of our weapons further lit the moonlight-illuminated, bowl-shaped canyon.

Both Blades and Turning Fork each telekinetically wielded two machine guns at once.  The voracious bunnies fell to ground in heaps in front of them, painted maroon.  I and Snapshot took to the sky, with me firing off bunnies that tried to get behind any of my squadmates' backs while Snapshot was enjoying raining a shower of golden bullets from his auto-firing assault rifle.

From were I was flying, a set of three ugly bunnies charged for Lipizzaner.  Acting on instinct, Lipizzaner fired her rifle at them in bursts, trembling slightly while attempting to hold her courage.  Two went down, but the third leapt up to her face.

Before its teeth could sink into Lipizzaner's snout, it was shot dead in midair by Slinger's rifle.

"I got you, L.Z.!" Mudd Slinger called out, spraying bullets on more killer bunnies. Then he proceeded to stomp on another one with his leg. A Second later, the muddy stallion swung the butt of his rifle at bunny hurdling towards his face.

However, Mudd Slinger didn't see a killer bunny crawl from under his legs, up his tail and onto the back of his neck. If Slinger noticed it, he wouldn't react in time to the bunny opening up its sharp jaws.  As for me, I was worried that if I fired, I could put a bullet into Mudd's neck. And I if didn't take the chance he was dead anyway.

Fortunently, Lipizzaner wasted no time and shot the sneaky little bastard off Mudd's neck.  The bunny's bleeding corpse went flying off into the distance.  Mudd placed a hoof where he the bullet grazed his neck, which left a fresh pink scar.

"Thanks," Mudd mouthed, seeing the corpse of the bunny hit the stone floor of the canyon.  He seemed more relived than irritated from Lipizanner's shot.  In response Lipizzaner shyly squealed, blushing.  For days, she never stopped saying that she was sorry thats she almost killed Mudd.  Mudd didn't care much for the risks, since he was still alive.

In a matter of minutes, we put the entire wave of voracious bunnies to 'sleep'. Mendez probably went a little too crazy in this exercise.  It was easy for us to shoot a dummies or a fellow trainee (with a paint gun).  But this was different -the test wasn't a matter of skill, but a matter of how brave one was to certain horrors.

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

Just as we finished regaining our breath, another force was arriving in the distance, stampeding in similar fashion.  Clouds of dust concealed its form.

"What now, more of those mini-mongrels?" Turning Fork asked reloading four of her levitating weapons. The other ponies followed in unison as the ground shook.

Lipizzaner gulped. "Honestly, I don't think I could stand another wave of...those things."

"I know I can." Mudd Slinger replied, taking out a rocket launcher from the loading bay.

I zoomed with my DMR's scope to get better look at the enemy, still concealed by dust and night

"Be ready everyone. I confirm its is one unit, but it's big..." The creature then leapt into the air, giving me a chance to clearly see it.

Its body resembled a massive lion but it had the pointed tail of scorpion.  When it was in midair, it's bat wings blocked out the moon light, casting us breifly in shadow. And the growl it gave me brought back tales of a horrifying carnivore native to Equestria's the Everfree Forest.

"WATCH OUT, MANTICORE!" I shriek loud enough to piece everyone's eardrums.   But my voice is instead blocked out by the Manticore's howl as it sails through the air . But everypony is altered and starts firing.

WHAM!

The beast cashes onto ground, forming cracks. As our formation broke from the force the impact, I am knocked off my hoofs, catching a glimpse of the massive animal crawl toward me.  This maticore was one-and-a-half-stories tall.

However, I was not going to let the Manticore's yellow eyes, teeth, and whiskers become the last things saw.  I began flapping my wings backwards as it jerks it paws to grip me. Before it can swipe me into its jaws, I zip into the air.  There, I repeatedly fire my DMR at the Manticore's face - particularly it eyes.  Then again, my shots didn't do anything other than make it look mad.

"Well, buck me..." I murmur at the manticore's holed face below.

"G'day you big Bloke!" I saw Blades was distracting the Manticore, while levitating and charging up a Griffon Laser. I waited to see the manticore get burned from the griffon lasor.

Fzzzzzzzzzzzzz-shplam!

Or maybe not.

The blinding crimson laser prickled a bleeding hole into the Manticore's shoulder.  But all it did in the end was making the weakened beast give up trying to catch me and go for Blades.

"Somepony check on those nano-machine repairs!" I ordered.  Maybe we could fly out of this canyon instead of fighthing out of it. Turning Fork started to back into the Phoenix, but Lipizzaner rushed into cockpit before Fork could.

Focusing my attention back onto the Manticore, it did a roundhouse spin, swinging its tail wildly. While Blades was venting heat from the Griffon Laser, the Manticore's scorpion tail gashed though her fatigues and flesh.

"BLADES, NO!" I shout.

Blades coughed out the words "Bloody...moggie...." as she tumbled onto the ground.  Her magenta coat was paling fast in the moonlight.

The manticore was going to strike at her again. This time with a clawed paw at her small head.

Fluttering my wings until they were all but blur, I ram into the Manticore's backside before it could do any more harm to Blades. Blinded with rage I try to twist the beast neck.  Obviously that didn't work, but I got a grip anyway.

The Manticore challenged me, trying to shake me off. Stabbing my combat knife into his backside I persistently held on, swaying back and forth as in a rodeo.

Mudd Slinger raised his rocket launcher to find a spot to hit the Manticore but he couldn't, since I would get caught in the blast. He gave up and tossed the heavy weapon away, going into a charge and rammed his head into the belly of Manticore.  

Then Mudd Slinger bought up his back hooves and kept bucking it the stomach.  The crack of rips could be heard under the beast's howls of agony.

At the same time, Turning Fork approached the beast's behind and magically implanted a stone on its scorpion tail, preventing the Manticore from using it or running off.

As the beast hollowed in pain, Snapshot followed it up with an armor-piercing sniper rifle shot to the Manticore's cranium.  The Manticore's wailing was broken off in a blink.

Slowly, the mighty beast collapsed belly first into the floor of the canyon of Ghastly Gulch.  I tear out my bloodied knife out of the beast and clean it on my fatigue's sleeve.

My caramel eyes look off into the unmoving picture of the distance, hopping the cheif hadn't planned on launching another surprise attack.  Thankfully, only silence was left of Mendez's tests

---

Since the combat was now declared over, I sung my rifle over my back and resume walking on my four hooves.

I rush over to Blades who was still alive, using her own magic keep her alive.  If she was any other kind of pony, like a pegasus or an earth pony, she would be dead. "Nothin' can kill me, mate."

"Get some rest, Greenhorn." I chuckle.

While nursing Blades's wounds, Lipizzaner told me that the nano-machines have reported that they have completed 97% of repairing the phoenix.

"Is there a screen that reports how much is completed?" I asked looking around the cramped cockpit. The dropship window was huge enough so a pilot could see every corner of the battle around him.

"No, they can actually talk! B129 and CD24 remind me a lot of Blades and you." Lipizzaner chimed, amazed and happy. I took the assumption that she made new friends. But I had other questions.

"Lipizzaner, why did you run back into the dropship as the rest of us fought those bunnies?"

The albino then states she needed a flashlight, which was unture beacuse the moonlight was good enough. Then Lipizzaner shared that the sight of those bunnies reminded her that she wasn't back at home petting her own cute bunny, Gabriel. The albino had tried to push aside those personal thoughts; being her first real life-death scenario deviously set up by Mendez.

It was goo enough for me that she had promised to try harder to be brave.  When I was done speaking with her I pointed a hoof to Turning Fork and Snapshot

"Which one of you can fly a phoenix?"

"I can." "I can" the unicorn mare and the pegasus stallion say at once. They both glare at each other after they answer me.

Seeing as that everypony else was settled I then ask, "Hey, where's Mudd Slinger?"

Snapshot replies, "The last time I saw him was under the Manticore, bucking its nuts."

"More likely he was kicking it in the midsection or where the ribcage is." Turing Fork bickered, starting an argument between Snapshot.

Outside of the phoenix, I call out for Mudd Slinger.

"Mudd? Mudd? Zero-seven-seven?"

Not to my surpise, I find him under the Manticore's reeking corpse. His forehoof is the only part of his body that isn't underneath it.

"Get this dead...thing...off of me!" Mudd Slinger moaned, muffled.

I could not resist chuckling, following up with laughing out loud.  My laughter echoes throughout the moonlit, cold, Ghastly Gulch.

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

SAME TIME

EQUESTRIA, PONYVILLE

HEART'S WARMING EVE

The Treehrouse library's lobby was occupied by a few ponies singing the songs of the joyous winter holiday.  It snowed outside while Luna's moon disposed of the need for street lights and torches.  A fire place crackled in below the chimney, dancing in back and forth over its wood.  All the ponies from Destiny's family huddle around it, humming carols.

The only ones missing from last year's gathering were Cogneto and Destiny.

"So, you are being deployed tomorrow?" Raysin asked November Flare, a third-cousin to her.

"Yes; there is much sleep needed. I will have to arrive at first light." November replied, studying the detail of the fire, like how it moved, how the embers that flicker off it, and it's base eating the blackening wood.

November Flare wasn't like other stallions; he spent his time with technology and artistic detail. You could say he was both left and right brained. Or in other words a 'feather brain', scince he too was pegasus. November amazed everypony from piloting Broadswords to Phoenixes.  

His eyes were as red-orange as warm flare keeping the cold away, and his coat came in a lemon-yellow that ran in Destiny's family. His mane was charcoal black and he had unique tri-pronged tail. The only similarities he shared with Raysin were his pegasus wings and the hobby of experimenting within his spare time.

"I take it that you're getting a promotion soon? You know, for what you did at New Manebassa?" Raysin wondered.

Just recently, the UNSCOE had tried to take back New Manebassa.  However, the insurrectionist fleets were more than ready. Just when the UNSCOE feet were about to be defeated, out of the black of space came a Phoenix Dropship with a nuke, piloted by November Flare.

The rest of the story ended with huge explosion, a weakened UNSCOE fleet, along with plenty of funerals. But thanks to efforts of November Flare, the UNSCOE could repair that damage that done to their ships, rather than replace them.

After a long uncomforting pause, November Flare sighed sadly, turning his head to Raysin for the first time. "New Manebassa; I was proud to save the fleet, but I was also upset that for two years  we have never been successful in taking it back."

Raysin warped a hoof around him as the other family members continued chanting carols. "What's really bothering you is Cogneto, huh?"  

Because they both served in the military, they were extremely close. The two pegasi crossed paths at least five times up till now.

November turned his head back to the fire, replying "...And Destiny.  The cute filly had to die at an age so young. She didn't get much of chance to make friends after she lost her mind-reading powers in that tragic accident."  

Last year, Raysin had found Destiny (unknown to her, the flash clone destiny not the actual Destiny) dead in morning after slowly falling victim to some sickness still unidentified.  Nevertheless, Raysin could only say that her sister was at peace now and with her brother.

Raysin moved her hoof over his own hoof to warm it.  "It was tough on all of us, but we have to move on. And from now on, November, we'll always be there for one another."

November knew better, that Raysin was just trying to make him feel better. But he couldn't dare say We weren't there for Congento and Destiny on that day. Nopony was there for my mother.  Nopony is ever there...

"It's lonely here now?" He asked, changing the subject.

"No, Raggs comes and visits me everyday."

"Raggs? You mean the Zebra at Carousel Boutique?"

Raysin nudged November's shoulder, partly irritated. "Don't tell me that just because he's different means I should never love him."

November shrugged, giving relaxing smile. "I don't have a problem with it, even if everyone else in family has one. I think he's a nice guy. Anyway..."

The stallion pegasus started to get up, revealing his cutie mark of purple feather and five deep-blue starts near it. "I better get some sleep; like I said, my shore leave ends when Princess Celestia raises the sun."

He tightened his twin saddle bags around his back and started for the door.  He didn't want to say goodbye to the other relatives, for it would delay him and they would plead him to stay.

"Before you go...can take these? They were Destiny's favorites...as well as her brother's" Raysin pleaded, balancing a tower of several books on her back.

November observed all those books. Then he looked at Raysin's pleading face. "I'm going need three more saddle bags to carry those; Maybe five."

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

Once outside in peaceful scene snow-caped town of modernized Ponyville, November Flare discreetly pulled out a data pad from one of his bags and began typing the worlds with his snout.

Doctor Sparkle,

I'm ready to leave. I still hate that you covered up what you are doing in a curel way...but as long as the real ones are alive, I'll agree working for you.

Don't make me regret this any further.  I serve ponykind only.

N.F.

CHAPTER 5

"Assent"

UNSCOE HEADQUARTERS,

CANTERLOT CASTLE, CANTERLOT CITY,

PLANET EQUESTRIA

HEARTS WARMING EVE

Thank you, November Flare, for lending your aviator services and military experience to P.O.N.I. In return, you will be most welcomed to GREENHORN-II program as long as you keep it secret to the public. It is a P.O.N.I. program, after all.

You aren't going to be the only pony who may be questioned in the end.  It isn't just the instructors at CASTLE complex. It will be also the ponies who were trusted with the program's secrecy; the guards, our technicians, and even the griffons and ponies who built the complex.

Remember; when the game is over, the queen and her pawns go into the same box.

We'll meet at the orbital shuttle station later. I've got some funds to clear up.

H.S.

-------

After responding to November Flare, Halsey Sparkle presented her pass card to the royal guard.  

This level of the Canterlot castle was dark, cold, dimly lit in a turquoise hue, and barren of any decoration. Halsey had dressed herself in her signature lab coat and carried a black leather saddlebag on her back.  She had been here several times before.

The royal guard's golden armor was still in the same fashion as it had looked 2000 years ago, yet a red visor shielding the eyes and a bullet-proof grey under layer was added to suit. A suppressed pistol was strapped to his back thigh.

The guard used the scanner on the side of his helmet to verify Halsey's card. She knew he was only guard on this level, yet he was not one to mess with. Ever since the Elements went dark, the royal guard had to be trained to overcome dangers even beyond what the Elements of Harmony/Hope could eliminate. Celestia wasn't too keen on the decision to suddenly turn her bodyguards into soldiers but due to the rising innie threat, she did it anyway.

"All clear, Ma'am. You may proceed to the conference room." The guard replied in his concrete voice

Without a thank you, Halsey proceeded through the door into more hallways.  It felt like maze down here, with each room housing a different inside. Cameras pinned to wall never strayed away from eyeing her as she hoofed to the meeting room, unafraid.

Halsey Sparkle never forgot that the light and glory of Modern Equestria and Ponykind was dimmed in PONI's dark halls.

---

Without saying word though her expedition within hallways, she made it to the meeting room.

Past the enormouse, creaking door was a round table housing all the leaders who were still loyal to UNSCOE. Now what had once been ten proud races seated in a circle had now became six different figures eying Halsey warily.  The little lighting in the room didn't touch all of them, so their forms were concealed perfectly within the shadows, unless they leaned in from their seats.  

The head of the group leaned in from the dark and revealed herself.

"You're late, Doctor Halsey Sparkle."

Halsey didn't even bother to reply with words. She gave low bow to the voice she knew well.

The voice then gestured her white hoof, which was decorated with a golden and sparkling shoe, to a chair. Halsey personally refused to take the seat in front of her.

Celestia, Princess of the Sun, was the one who spoke from other end of the table.  Celestia's multicolored mane was waving as if there was a soft breeze in the room. Being a powerful alicorn, she stood larger than the other ponies, having massive pegasi wings, a strong earth pony body, and a sharp unicorn horn.  3500 years of ruling and after she had imprisoned Nightmare Moon couldn't wrinkle her white sparkling coat, remove the authority her crown presented, or weaken the voice of strong ruler.

A strong ruler who had changed so much inside yet still held the mantle of being Ruler of Equestria.  "I still don't like you training child soldiers, Doctor."

"Do you like you planets being overrun by the insurrectionists any better?" Halsey sharply questioned. "And the Greenhorns will start fighting on the frontlines when they come of age."

Halsey grasped that fact that she should have toned down a bit when talking to a princess yet she was too stubborn to be pushed by any other pony, even Celestia.

"You are already making them come of age from all the chemicals augmentations. This further makes me question your tactics." uttered Princess Luna, who stepped from behind her sister out from the darkness.

Luna was indigo-coated sister of Celestia, the Princess of the Moon. She was also known infamously as the terrifying Nightmare Moon before she was coaxed out of her brief madness. However, she was known famously for being more active with the Ponyville's community on personal level.

Luna added "I thought you only wanted to find the Elements of Harmony. Need I remind you that reenkinling the elements and training child soldiers are two different things doctor..."

"Hope; Elements of Hope." Doctor Halsey Sparkle corrected.  What difference did a name-change have for the elements? They were just a set of magically powerful golden pieces that beckoned users.  And they were used in times of conflict as the solde option for a solution.

"Harmony," Luna argued

"Hope," Halsey grunted

"Harmony, Doctor Sparkle, Har-"

"Hope" Hasley burlted out.

"HARMONY" Luna combated in her 'Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Luna, Doctor Sparkle!" Celestia boomed "The subject of the name change for the Elements is not the subject for this meeting. Sister, please take a seat."

Luna obediently took the seat next to Celestia, with an expression of dislike directed at Halsey.

Halsey knew that both Celestia and Luna loathed her for not being as dedicated to learning 'The Magic of Friendship' as Twilight Sparkle was. Halsey explained, "Our program has created flash clones to take their place. To the public eye, nothing will have changed. And all I just need is more funding"

"Doctor, change nothing you think? You are reaching your ethical limit's brink!"; said Eldora, the Zebra Mistress.

Eldora always spoke in terms of A-A-B-B rhyme. Her headdresses and garments came in exotic, cultural, and flourishing features from the Equestrian lands and colonies belonging to the Zebra.  Halsey knew Zebras were famed for their experiments in studying 'magic', even though it could be just be as much called science or medicine.

"Sparkle, in case you are hoping this will persuade us to support your position, you are mistaken.  Flash clones die only some years or months after they are alive!" Griffon Lord 'Leo' Leonidas added twirling an end of his thick, brown, feathery, moustache.

The Lord's species, Griffons, were a cross between an eagle and a lion with the body and claws of the former fused to the legs and the tail of the latter.  A fitting combo for a majority of the Everfree Forest War veterans, Halsey thought.  In addition to that, Griffons were the UNSCOE main source for non-pony engineers and warriors.

Around the table, that everyone nodded with Eldora's and Leonidas's claims. Halsey Sparkle had to keep clam, thinking of some way to show them that her position was justified.

"We all have to make sacrifices." Halsey bought up, though she doubted it would do anything."These children will be fighting for next generation's future. They will fight to end this war sooner with all your funds."

"All I want is more funding for our species colonial projects. I never cared about what the heck happened to the lot of you," Growled the Dragon Ambassador, Thorn, from the planet 'Cinder', within the Dragon star system of the Milky Way. He was speaking though a hologram since his actual form was much bigger that the room itself and he had no ships to travel there.

A set of three nasty scars ran across Thorn's face, over-lapping his glass eye. Thorn growled deeply "If you put your credits into us rather than your namby-pamby little ponies, this innie-problem of yours could be over already."

Everyone else knew better than to give the dragons more money or to let them out of the Dragon DMZ. The winged, fire-breathing, reptile, juggernauts were loosely attached to the UNCSOE, only barrowing funds, attending meetings, and participating in trade, while raiding any hostile intruders that had flown their ships into their sector.  

--------

LORE:

In 2017 ARL, dragons were held responsible for trying to conquering the other Equestrian races - and then losing to Twilight Sparkle and her group in their final hour of victory. It was also the last time her band of six used the Elements of Harmony before they passed away.

After that, the dragons were forced to demilitarize and their society had weakened.  The UNSCOE found a fitting place for them; a set of similar planets around a red giant sun (Cinder was one of them).  Those planets were barren of any other life and hot as Tartarus. Yet it had one thing that explorers would seek and dragoons would eat; Gems. So they would at least the the beasts wouldn't go hungry or have no company other than themselves.

But dragons gained an eternally shameful name for scorching more than half of the mystical and mysterious Everfree Forest, which had triggered the war in the first place.  Hence, that's why Cranklin Mendez's great-great-great-grandfather, General Mendoza, officially called it 'The Everfree Forest Wars'

But the war showed that the dragon's size, fiery breath, ambition, and ruthlessness was no match for the better - that 'better' was alliance from different equine species.

---------

Winning the Everfree Forest Wars wasn't enough for the revenge-hungry griffons, especially Lord Leonidas.  They wanted to have all dragoons dead, seeing them as pointless thugs with too much power.

"More money? Listen you backstabbing-winged-deewb! You take all you horde from the insurrection and UNSCOE trade routes, so you have more than enough!" The Griffon Lord Leonidas replied, leaning over the table.  Halsey remembered that 'Deewb' was common griffon term used to insult others, unless they themselves were griffons.

Thorn's hologram gave a deep, low chuckle while crossing his scaled arms, leaning in closer into the table. Because he was portrayed as a blue hologram, Halsey found it hard to belive Thron was actually bigger in real life "What a shame; us dragons are free to generously finish the job...if the price is right. Other than that, we'll be around to collect all the spoils of your war."

The Eldora slammed her striped leg onto the table. "Enough! Your rivalry has nothing to with this meeting. So have silence and take your seating's!"  Slowly, both the Leonidas and Thorn backed off and returned their attention to Halsey.

When all was quite again, the donkey representative, commonly addressed as Colonel Ackerson, questioned, "What I want to know is to why a minor PONI mare with a 'PHD-in-everything-I-don't-know' would ask the council to meet here and come disagree with her ongoing heartless plan and refuse further funding it."

Halsey Sparkle narrowed her eyes at him, A.K.A. her most hated rival.  "My plan? It's to save all of us, Colonel Lames Ackerson. And I'm going to need even your funding."

But Lames Ackerson wasn't going to take any plea any day. That's what sometimes earned him medals in the UNCSOE navy; Ruthlessness and stubbornness upon the Insurrectionists and his own troops.  

"Doctor Halsey Sparkle, you know it's obviously unethical to kidnap fillies and colts all just for revenge of one planet and the safety of the colonies." Ackerson shot out, like a dictator full of hot air.  "What if your project goes out of control and then you kidnap more children? Or if the augmentations you requested from the Zebras' labs backfire? What if they discover that you hid secrets from them-"

"I told them the truth" Halsey stated. Ackerson was about to speak out again, until Celestia held up her hoof, signaling for him to be silent.

"How much of the truth did you tell?" The Princess of the Sun demanded.

Halsey didn't lower her gaze, trying to avoid portraying any fear.

"Most of it, your highness" She couldn't risk saying 'All of it,' incase Celestia found something that seemed like a lie by her judgment.

"That right there is a damn lie!" Ackerson shouted. Halsey turned red, gritting her teeth.

Ackerson turned to Celestia, "Princess Celestia, will you really believe this insane pony? You should deprive her of her position, banish her somewhere, and then lock her rump up!"

Celestia held up a hoof to silence him again "For you information, Colonel Asskerson, I trust her because great minds think alike. You, for one, are a disgrace to you own spices, more that Doctor Sparkle will ever be to ours.  Remember that top-secret black operation you were on? The one were used up the many to save such unnecessary intelligence?

Halsey couldn';t resist smirking when the Donkey Colonel retreated back into his seat, now with his face reddening. He was embarrassed that Celestia had called him by his real surname and bringing up a set of bad memories.

You poor little ass the doctor chimed to herself

Then Celestia turned to Halsey, preserving same hard look she gave the Donkey Colonel. "What did you tell the children? And how are they being tested?"

With her snout, Halsey fished for a memory card in her saddle bag that had the CASTLE Complex's entire set of camera recordings. Hopefully, she wouldn't run into any concern until she had to show their arduous and brutal training they started upon recruitment.

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

"See that! See that!" Ackerson leapt out of his seat and pointed at the hologram in front of all of them.  They were only about ten minutes into the presentation, where The greenhorn canidates were psuhed out of dropships by drill sergants to hear Halsey's speech.

Yet Ackerson was the only pointing it out.  "That's was you call justice, Doctor Sparkle? I call it being a war criminal! A war criminal!"

"Colonel Ackerson...Shut. The hell. Up." Leonidas ordered, groaning.  

Eldora added "Oh mules' master, you are not making this three-hour-long meeting end any faster!"

Ackerson was only breifly silenced, only to start up again, pointing to the part where Chief Cranklin Mendez was forcing them to do jumping jacks to one-hundred.  "Leaders of the Zebras and the Griffins...are both of you are supporting this?"

"If it doesn't mean giving one bit of my credits to the dragons just to see insurrectionist blood spill...then yes." Leonidas replied. "My children have to fly five hundred laps anyway just to pass an adulthood test."

"The same goes for me. Our future has a chance to change at least I see." Eldora added, shrugging. "But I doubt these warrior-ponies could return to being the colts and fillies they used to be."

Halsey Sparkle interrupted "For your information, Zebra Mistress...they actually are still their old normal selves." Even teh doctor herself expected the greenhorns to evolve into cold-hearted killers - instead they seemed to become one big family.

The only represenative to not give out his opinion was Thorn, for he had already cut his hologram transmission from Cinder - like all dragons, he was unimpressed at how ponies tried to act as tough a dragon did.   But no one cared that what the dragon representative did, as long as it wasn't another war.

------

Halsey had paused the recording of 'playground race' at day one, because the Zebra Mistress, the Griffon Lord, and the jackass colonel were arguing too loudly.  

Princess Celestia couldn't take it anymore and with her magic turned their three sets teeth into zippers, finally sealing them up.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzp!

As Eldora, Leo, and Ackerson reddened in embarrassment of their immaturity, only Halsey and the princesses at opposite ends were left to talk. Or so it seemed....

"I think Halsey is doing the right thing."

All the heads in the room tuned to a dark corner of the table where no light touched. There sat Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings.  After their failed attack on Canterlot, it took decades for changelings to fix their infamous reputation.  Chrysalis's acid green pupils illuminated the darkness of her corner. However, her wicked ebon body consisting of insect wings, a crooked horn, and holed hooves, was obscured in the darkness, not wanting to reveal itself to the light.

Chrysalis oozed out her aged voice while the tip of her fangs outlined her mouth saying, "Everything is changing, like uncontrollable newborn Changeling. Everything.We are no longer in times of peace or progression. Everyone who was at this table when the UNSCOE was formed has built an army and conquered planets.  And they all have the ability to crush any foe by staying united.  But we have not done anything together to stop this insurrection and division is in our unity. We are too weak and too separated to stand together.  If there was anything I learned from the invasion on Canterlot, it's that if you do something and keep to it united, success embraces you in the end."

"But you didn't succeed.  You never conquered Canterlot as you thought you would on that day. You literally had an army and you failed" Halsey Sparkle pointed out.

Chrysalis's acid eyes stared at Halsey. "I didn't learn from my failures, Doctor. I learned from your ancestor's success that what I was doing was a suicide mission. And I want to add to this discussion that, this insurrection of extremist ponyfolk will be our undoing if it is not stopped - they call themselves 'The United Rebel Front'...they think they even more united than the United Nations Space Command Of Equestria. They have spies, they have bombs, they have warships...how soon is it until they have our seats in this meeting room?"

"Anything else, Chrysalis?" Celestia asked, in a partly-hostile voice.

"Nothing else, Princess of the Light...other that Halsey has my vote to join her cause. Even if few must be in harm's way to save the many." finished Chrysalis, partly hostile in return.

Luna asked, "Does everyone else agree with a vote to continue funding for Doctor Sparkle's project?"

Still having their mouths literally zipped, Leonidas and Eldora nodded.  As predicted, Ackerson shook his head, angered.  Yet Princess Celestia pondered her choice.

Although the votes were leaning towards her side, Halsey had to win Celestia's dominating choice otherwise she would lose more funding and support for the project within the future. And they couldn't turn back and dump the program with three-hundred-and-three ponies that have now been drilled for months. The greenhorns must get what they need.

No...my Greenhorns...must get what they need

"Princess...can we make a deal?" Halsey Sparkle Requested.

Celestia gave sly smile in response.  It had been long time since the Princess gave such an expression; usually she was in a grim mood these days of science and machines.

"What are your terms, Doctor? I want the ponies to not only undo the insurrection but also be as much of their normal selves as possible when it's over. And I want to bring back the Elements of Harmony." The Princess of the Sun said.

Halsey took a deep breath, eyes locked on Celestia "If you get all members of the UNSCOE to lend all they can into the Greenhorn-II program and keep funding, it I will make sure as many candidates as possible will have something to live for when it is all over, after the insurrection is undone. But I cannot guarantee that this project will rekindle the elements."

Now that Halsey thought about it, the elements probably would never be bestowed on random six out of three-hundred-and-three ponies.

*POOF!*

Instantaneously as Halsey finished, Celestia materialized a scroll out of thin air in front of Halsey's snout so no one at the table else could see it.

"This is what I want you to be punished with if aren't able to do as you say. Sivereness of your failure will also depend on how many ponies pass augmentation." The Princess of the Sun demanded

Halsey opened the scroll with her own magenta magic, reading the text to herself, trembling. When she looked up Celestia's smile faded, now replaced with the returning coldness.

"Let's also raise the stakes, my little scientist," The Princess of the Sun added serntly "If you do end up finding which ponies hold the Elements of Harmony, or Hope, as you call them, I'll keep supporting your trainees, workers, and you for as long as they live, providing housing and jobs after our galactic problems are solved..."

Halsey glanced at Celestica eyes wide and then back at the contract "But your majesty, this contract doesn't have a fair..."

"We all have to make sacrifices, Halsey."Celestia smirked, interupting "And Asskerson is right; you'll either be a war criminal if you fail, or hero if you actually are able to save a good amount of your trainees form being brutalized or dead when this is over. But now you are just one more little scientist. You are dismissed from this hearing."

Halsey levitated the scroll into her saddle bag and trotted back into the dark hallways. She didn't want to bid farewell to the faces of representatives trying to study her next move.

Halsey Sparkle needed a place to think...and maybe some time to decide if signing the contract was worth it.

'my little scientist'...how dare she call me that!  Halsey thought she was anything but little. Anything, she was working on was but little.


---

After Halsey left, Ackerson (with his mouth still literally zipped) peeked under his desk and texted to his own Artificial Intelligence in his datapad.

< Halsey's project is planned to carry on. Augmentations materials are going to be shipped in.  You know what to do, Discord > Ackerson typed into the data pad. He got a response in a few moments.

The AI, whom took the form based off of the spirit of chaos, responded < With pleasure, sir; the project will not succeed and Halsey will definitely be put into custody even before the war is over. >

< Do not fail me; we only have one chance at this. >

< I have one chance - and if I fail, you still have many; I'm just a rampant AI nearing death. Lolololololololol.... > the Discord AI responded.

Lames Ackerson couldn't understand the last part. But his ''Discord AI' was starting to get crazier these days...

---

Meanwhile, Chrysalis's fangs gleamed in hope.  She was reading all about the GREENHORN-II program on her data pad; Griffons had become engineers of CASTLE complex as well as arranging the training scenarios, The Zebra shipped medical supplies and even took the role as doctors and scientists at the complex.

A united summit was starting to form - it was just the full dedication of dragoons, changelings, and donkeys were missing.

But both Asskerson and Thorn were jealous that only ponies could become bearers of the Elements of Harmoney.  And they also envied the ponies' progressive history.

Chrysalis felt she had to convince Halsey to allow her changelings aboard, too.  The queen just had to find a way.


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

After some time and 1 week of augmentations and still going

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

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER CRANKLIN MENDEZ'S OFFICE

CASTLE complex

PLANET SIGMA CLOPODIA

"With all due respect ma'am...What the hay were you thinking back then, Sparkle?!"   Chief Mendez roared shifting his eyes between Halsey and Celestia's contract. After some time Sparkle had just given it to the cheif to look at; she didn't anticipate Mendez to become so enraged.

A thick trail of dark grey smoke came from a Sweet Apple Cigar hanging under Mendez's newly grown moustache. Halsey had to wipe away the aroma of smoke from the cigar tip in order to avoid collapsing from lack of oxygen.  All the time, Mendez's colorless office smelled like Sweet Apple Cigars from dawn till dusk.

In his booming drill sergeant voice, Cranklin Mendez read Celestial's scroll aloud:

"In exchange for continuous support and blah, blah, blah, for the GREEHORN-II program no matter what and blah, blah, blah, If Doctor Halsey T. Sparkle is unsuccessful in retaining as much of the greenhorns candidates individuality and sociality to our standards, she will be sentenced to life-in-confinement with PONI prison facility on-

"Luna's Moon." Halsey exhaled dryly.

Luna's Moon was Equestria's primary satellite other than the sun and was named after Princess Luna, yet in reminder of the punished she went though there was a the gulag for the worst criminals PONI had set up on the dark side of the moon.

"Doctor, you are insane in your head just as sane as you look." Mendez lectured, attempting to talk Halsey out of signing the contract. "You absolutely are no good to anypony if they find you as a dead unicorn in prison."

Halsey Sparkle took a deep breath of whatever clean air there was in the room while trying to hold a stern face. She knew that Corncob Keyes would be depressed for the rest of his life if she was jailed. The Greenhorns would be demoralized, for they lost her - the only possible motherly figure at the complex - and they were beyond returning to their original families now.

"Chief, there is no going back now. We have kidnapped them, drilled them, and now they are currently being augmented. Then in a couple months, I am planning to put them into MUSTANG mark-4 armor.  We have come too far to go back."

Mendez seemed to be taken aback by what Halsey said, to the extent the sweet apple cigar fell out of his mouth. "The griffons are already working on their armor? This early, ma'am?"

Halsey nodded "By the time its complete, the Greenhorns will be able to use effectively without-"

Lyra's mini hologram popped up on a projector on Mendez's desk. She was also emitting a high pitched beeping sound, like a siren.  The cyan artificial intelligence's face looked pretty grave.  She seemed to trembling, while still in her  bipedal stance.

"Report Lyra," Mendez demanded, picking up his fallen cigar with his mouth and then spitting it in the trash.

Lyra couldn't speak at first but the beans spilled out anyway "Sir...Augmentations have been sabotaged. Several Candidates are reported dead or disabl-"

"What?! By who?! How many trainees are still alive?!" Halsey shrieked in the snout of the AI's Avatar.  She knew not every trainee was going to pass or survive the augmentations...but if the program had been sabotaged, then there was going to more blood on Halsey's hooves than expected.

Lyra trembled then uttered silently "...one hundred and forty nine out of three hundred and three random ponies are completely functional, except for some minor side effects."

Mendez then shouted at the top of his lungs "What the hell? Who could breach this facility's network, and start killing MY TRAINIEES?!"  At the last two words, the room vibrated and a window shattered next to Halsey.

She saw for first time the battle-hardened, forest-camouflage-coated unicorn go into a meltdown; they were, after all, his kids too.

"Discord..." Halsey whispered, realizing that Lames Asskerson was still trying to bring her project down.  She remembered the donkey colonel had Artificial intelligence of his own; it was based off of Discord, a spirit of disharmony with the body consisting of parts from too many creatures for anypony to remember.  

"Huh?" Mendez wondered.

"...Dammit!" the doctor cursed under her breath. She stormed out of Mendez's office, galloping to the augmentation labs.

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

LORE:

The real Discord (who was redeemed for his wickedness in 3 ARL and 'fell' during the Everfree Forest Wars) could unleash a chaos that was far greater than Equestria had ever seen - Until the invention of the HAVOC nuke.

CHAPTER 6

“Augmentation”

SIGMA CLOPODIA

CASTLE Complex

OUTSIDE OF AUGMENTATION LABS

“Well, open it! They ain’t gonna be living much longer if we dilly-dally out here, Doc!” Cranklin Mendez hollered to Halsey. Behind Mendez and Halsey, were at least twenty prepared technicians and twenty medics.  They were all infront of the sealed entrance to a wide, one-story laboratory where the ponies had been augmented and stored in cryo pods until further chemicals arrived.

Lames Ackerson’s AI, Discord, had infiltrated past their CASTLE complex’s firewalls and into the lab’s network. Halsey had yet to see what that AI did to the candidates while they slept frozen in ice. However, she had trouble punching in her password on the touch-screen keyboard.

PASSWORD INCORRECT: Please Re-enter the digital screen on the door flashed.

After failing for the third time, Halsey Sparkle wacked the screen with her hoof violently, gritting her white teeth.  She was so frustrated, that until now Mendez assumed that he was the angriest pony involved in the GREENHORN-II program.

“Stupid Discord-AI has changed the password, Celestiadammit!” Halsey swore, and then she lowered her head in defeat. None dared to make a move to comfort her, while she blinked back tears.

“Hey, doc?” Mendez asked “What about that back-up access we installed last week?”

“What back up?”

“The one where you yell it into the camera’s microphone to gain access?”

Doctor Halsey’s eyes widened, either in shock or hope. She found a video camera pointing down at the entrance.  Halsey dreaded doing the back up access though the audio that the camera could catch– such as specific pony’s voice saying specific things in a specific tone.

Halsey knew she would have to say her backup password out loud to the camera in order to gain access into the augmentation labs.  It was a lot more of a ‘pass-sentence’ than a password…an embarrassing sentence.

“Okay, but Chief…I’m asking you to not humiliate me as I enter it in.” Halsey requested.

Mendez seemed confused. “What do you mean? This program is bending ethics, you’re going to jail, and half our trainees are dying, so what’s there to laugh about? Enter it in, doc!” Mendez ordered.

Halsey pointed her hoof to medics and technicians behind Mendez “But…with all these ponies around? It’s top-secret.”

“Enter it. We don’t have time for puny-PONI-privacy!” Mendez argued. The twenty medics and technicians started to get more curious at why Halsey was reluctant to speak out a back-up audio password

“But can’t we blast a hole into one of the lab’s wall? Doesn’t that sound….reasonable…for an emergency?” Halsey suggested, desperately wanting to not use the audio access into the facility.

“The armory and motor pools are on the other side of this complex, ma’am!” replied a medic from behind Mendez.

Halsey pleaded to Mendez “But Chief-”

“JUST SAY THE PASSOWRD TO THE CAMERA!” Mendez roared, in his magically enhanced drill sergeant voice.  Halsey knew that when he did speak like that, you had to do what the drill officer said.

So Halsey Sparkle turned around and started into camera and the embarrassing song that was her back up password for the audio access flowed out of her mouth as she closed her eyes:

“Sunshine, Sunshine,

ladybugs awake,

Clap your hooves

and do a little shake”

With loud hiss and cloud of dust sweeping into the air, the doors to the lab opened wide, displaying a darkened room filled with rows of cryo pods holding test subjects altered by the Zebra’s chemicals.

Halsey Sparkle turned to Mendez and other ponies, expecting snickering from them, and then out loud chuckling.

Instead all she got was their jaws open wide.

“What? What’s wrong?” Halsey wondered.  In her backup password she had to sing to the camera was the nursery rhyme that was passed down from Twilight’s foal sitter who sang it to her every day.

Mendez was the first to speak among the sliced group. “Uh…how come you don’t sing that much, ma’am? It sounded…”

“Nice? Well…I didn’t think I was going to make a living though singing. So I went into science.” Halsey stated, beginning to move into the labs. She kept a straight face while trying to find the light switch. This wasn’t the time to be flattered.

“No – what I meant to say was that it’s really out of your character, ma’am. I’m just saying.” Mendez answered, before returning back to seriousness. The technicians and medics followed him inside.

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

CRYO ROW 16: DESIGNATED FOR ALL MEMEBERS OF:

Crimson Team, Cobalt Team, Indigo Team, Verdant Team  

SPECIFIED SUBJECT: GREENHORN DESTINY-117

CLANG!

“Ow, buck……” I yawned.

Cryo sleep makes your mind literally rest; you don’t even have dreams.  And when you are slowly ‘defrosted’ your body suddenly snaps back into action.

Anyways, I whacked my head in front of tight cryo-pod that I was shoehorned into for week. While I was in comatose, augmentations were done by nanites.  My mouth was dryer and then ever…and filled with mucus.  My white-tipped legs and wings felt like they were pushing into my ribs

The cold air inside had fogged up the glass inside this pod which I had been shoehorned into.

I could not see what was outside, but I could hear something.

“Destiny-117? Are you alright?” replied a half muffled voice, rapping on my cryo pod.

“Mudd? Blades? Team Indigo?” the muffled voice repeated.

A second voice spoke, coming from a speaker inside my cryo pod. “All Trainees this is Lyra. If you are able to do so, push up manual release….”

Manual…release…..my mind felt slow and so did moving my head. It felt heavier as I swayed it back and forth, up and down, searching for a button or a lever – any sign of “manual release”

There was handle right above my head. Thinking this was it, I used a weary hoof to push it up. It’s bitter to the touch so much, I beggar to shiver.

----

Hsssssss…..WOSH! The cryo pod’s cover swiftly swings outward, as foggy cold air seeps out of the tight pod.

I’m flung out onto the floor. The freezing temperature catches up to my yellow coat, only to be impeded at my growing mane and my tail. My eyes ached intensely as well as my stomach and wings.

I began to spit out mucus – although it looked more like I was gagging it out. I tried my best to get up, yet my body and wings almost wanted to be welcome to resting on the flat surface of the floor.

A dark blue hoof picks me up by the chin and cleans the mucus off my mouth with a levitating napkin.  Looking into the unicorn’s icy eyes, I see its Halsey Sparkle, who gives a smile of relief at me. I try to return it.

“By Celestia’s grace…I’m glad he didn’t kill you Destiny.” Halsey whispered.

“Killed…who?” I groaned.

“An AI known as Discord; He’s in our data base and…” Halsey hastily answered but then stops, unsure of else to say.

I started to hear Halsey’s voice again yet strangely her mouth didn’t move. He did….things….to half your friends while they were in mid augmentation….How am I going to explain that?

Me? Ugh…I can understand a little of what Halsey had said but I’m too tired to process or respond to any of it quickly.  Yet this was troubling; on a field trip to Canterlot we visited Discord’s memorial, we learned he was the Spirit of Disharmony who altered the world he controlled in to his amusement; which was synonymous with the words ‘chaos for everypony else’.

But what could an artificial intelligence named after him do?

Hsssssss…..WOSH!

Hsssssss…..WOSH!

On my left two cryo pods open up.   My mind begins to slowly get up to speed up, so I see that it’s Blades and Lipizzaner.

Blades came out of the cryo pod closest to me, also coughing out mucus.  The magenta unicorn decided to grow out her mane after it was shaved.  It was kept in ponytail, similar in the same fashion she had when we first met as fillies on day one.

“I’m….he-ere, Des…” Blades coughed. Her sky blue eyes were bloodshot.

After spitting out mucus of her own, Lipizzaner has her side on the floor, quivering.  Her albino eyes are redder that ever, and she curled up into ball to warm herself from the coldness of cryo pod.  In addition to that, Lipizzaner also seemed to clutching a spot on white coat, where her lung would be located.

The poor albino earth pony mouthed the words ‘Here’. Other than that, I knew she would pull though.

Hsssssss…..WOSH!

Hsssssss…..WOSH!

Hsssssss…..WOSH!

Around the cryo bay being filled with pony technicians and pony medics, more cryo pods opened up with my fellow trainees collapsing on the floor, spewing out mucus and struggling to wonder what had happened.  

But some pods didn’t open up manually by the ponies inside - they just stayed closed.  Two technicians started to open up a sealed cryo pod across form mine.

Hsssssss…..

When they finally get the hatch off, Snapshot topples out.

What shocks me is that one of Snapshot’s wings was oversized – in fact it was large enough to cover his entire body, where ice crystals (a terrible side-effect of cryo sleep) formed.  

Unlike me, Blades, and Lipizzaner, who ‘passed’ augmentation, Snapshot ended up being ‘a failure’; he couldn’t fight or fly with a wing like that, due to his body not being able to take in the various chemicals. And the cryo crystals would blister his skin, causing a long-term, ever-throbbing pain.

After stretching my stiff wings, I moved closer to him to comfort the poor Pegasus stallion. At least he was still alive.

In the corner of my eye, a medic was trying to do CPR on a rose-colored mare.  I assumed she was dead; the manual release level wasn’t pulled down in the open pod, the mare was limp as a ragdoll, and her eyes were open just like one.

-

With my help, Halsey was going to open the pod next to mine.  If I recalled correctly, Mudd Slinger was residing there. The fact that he hadn’t open his pod already bothered me.

“Ma’am you alight?” I ask taking hold of one edge of the pod’s hatch as Halsey griped the other. Her eyes were with and her other was sealed shut “Doctor, are you okay?” I repeated.

Halsey responded “Huh? Yes, Destiny. I’m alright; let’s just help Mudd. I’m sure he’ll be…”

As we pull the pod outward, Halsey can’t finish her sentence with the word ‘fine’.

Hsssssss…..

Out of cold mist of cryo pod, Mudd Slinger flopped face down onto to the floor, revealing infection after infection on the backside of his coat. His eyes were wide open and leaking out of his mouth was a puddle of mucus.

Me and Halsey edged closer and saw that infections were injected into the scar on the back of his neck.  The sickly veins traveled from the scar down to the back of hooves, his tail, and into his head.

In fact, the sight of looking at Mud’s condition this made my stomach really uneasy.

“Halsey…I think I need a….” It came too late and I had to hold in my vomit.  Halsey nodded, giving me permission. Instantly, I threw up behind Mud’s pod.  It took about minute to recover myself and glance at Mud’s horrid corpse once again.

It was this moment Mudd Slinger-077 was presumed dead.  And Somepony wanted him dead; nanites never incorrectly operated with zebra chemicals. Neither did they insert poisonous injections on their own accord. This was part the Discord AI’s doing.

Halsey Sparkle’s mouth trembled, and started to tear up. I’m sorry…I’m sorry….why….

I could hear Halsey sparkle speaking very clearly …yet why was that so? Her tearing face and trembling mouth showed she was lost for speaking articulately.  

We placed Mudd Slinger against his cryo pod, ignoring the fact his infection could be contagious.

I didn’t mean to do this to you Mudd…mommy’s here…mommy’s is sorry... Halsey’s voice continued to cross my mind.

Mom? Halsey Sparkle was mom? And Mudd was her son? I closed my mouth shut before I could spit out these questions, trying to think how this was all possible; not only how Mudd Slinger and Halsey Sparkle could be related but how come I was hearing Halsey’s thoughts?

I didn’t want you to know…I didn’t want you here, Halsey stated as she closed Mud’s eyes.

Eventually I stop hearing Halsey’s metal lament. Yet, then the truth stuck me; I could somehow read minds again. Could it have come back from the augmentations we went through?  

Oh no….Now everything would come back – being a lone timber wolf and deceiving all the nice white lies everypony told me…

I was lost in thought and Everypony was too busy to help Halsey’s grief. Being the Greenhorn-II’s project head, it wasn’t out of the ordinary that she really would be crying in front the trainee who came out in the worst condition.

At thunder of hooves stomping the floor on a bad day, Chief Cranklin Mendez storms into the room.  The chief looked as if he was expecting the mess to be big as this. And he seemed a little relived when I, few workers, and surviving trainees salute him. I noticed that he had grown a nicely combed moustache.

As always, Mendez starts his voice raised high “Doc, the Discord AI is still loose - Lyra is trying to track it down in the network it, but Team Quartz and Team Sage are one-hundred percent K.I…” He voice comes to halt, seeing Halsey looming over Mud’s corpse, similar to a grim reaper that reaped the life of the sole being he loved.

Mendez starts to back away only to have Halsey release her gaze from Mud’s corpse him still, sniffing.  

Then I hear Mendez’s voice yet his mouth stays shut. So I assume again I’m hearing his thoughts: Half my kids are gone….and a lot more will join them soon if we carry on with this… Mendez’s thoughts also come  and go.

If there was one thing about my telepathy - or ‘curse’ - coming back, I realized they didn’t seem to be irritating as much as they used to be.  For example, I’m not hearing everypony think at once either; yet I shouldn’t get my hopes up that it will stay that way.

“I’ll…attend the other cryo bays ma’am…” Mendez replied.

Before he could trot off, Halsey begged, “Please….find that AI. And capture it, if you can. We can’t let it return to Ackerson.” It must pay for killing Mudd…

“Understood.” Mendez nodded.

Right when the words escaped his mouth, a light, sinister chuckle was coming from the speakers in ceiling of the cryo chambers everywhere. It wasn’t Lyra’s; the voice belonged to a male.

<hehehehe….ahahahahahAHAHAHHAHA!>

“Discord! Show yourself!” Halsey shouted.  I assumed the blue unicorn and the ‘Discord AI’ had quite an adversarial past.

Upon alert, Mendez levitated his personal magnum out.  Ironically, there was no exact location to shoot at – the featureless AI was running though wires in walls.  It could be anywhere.

We heard the AI’s voice that echo across the cryo bay. His speech was shifting between speedy and slow, as if he were a madmare.

<hahaha….awwww, you poor little ponies. You miss the old discord? The one who caused chaos and chocolate rain only to have some fun? Not the, all-caring-about-friendship-and-redeemed-as-too-never do-chaos-again-then-gave-his-life-in-The-Everfree-Wars…But Yes my middle name is Discord as in ‘The Discord AI’….and you are?>

“Why you…er…buck you!” I yell, enraged clothing my hoof at him. “You think its fun to kill off my friends!? Why did you do it? Where’s Lyra?”

All the bitterness from the cryo pod had been washed away, replaced by a raging fire. I haven’t been this furious in long time since Cogneto died.

<Tsk, tsk…That’s one harsh way to introduce yourself …Destiny-117, is it? Such a wonderful name, might I add...so is Lyra, but she fell into my trap of firewalls. It will take her while to break them, though…>

“You know my name, you trapped my teacher….What else, Discord?” I scoffed to the speakers in the ceiling and the walls.  I so wanted to rip them out and cease hearing this mad creation.

<I know everything about you. I hacked the files in the base…I left only the necessary ones alive made only necessary ones to die...> the faceless intelligence snarled. <I thought 077 counted as one of the ‘necessary’ ones.>

“You’re not based off of Discord; you’re based off of somepony’s twisted mind! YOU KILLED HALF MY TRAINIEES!” Mendez roared in his Drill-sergeant-voice. “And I’d like to know who-”

<…Yes, Chief Petty Officer C. Mendez, I do have differences from him. One of them is that I truly do make ponies feel better. I bring peace to those who were going to be living the rest of their lives hurt by augmentations…think of what a pity that would have been. Plus, I make my master, Ackerson so happy by doing this.>

“Ackerson!?” I and every trainee, medic, technician and Mendez echoed in shock. Halsey shuttered much like a leader in total defeat. Colonel Ackerson was part of UNSCOE council; for whatever reason of sending this AI here, I wanted to buck the Donkey Colonel in the snout after he told it.

<Yes, which brings to my second point…Discord could have chosen to live infinitely.  Only he did-d-d-d-d-not-d-d-d-d-d-Did you know an A.I.’s mind becomes rampant after seven years? Let’s do the math: What’s seven years to live minus eight years of chaos with Colonel Lames Ackerson?>

“One year in pony hell?” Halsey wondered, livid.  

Discord’s last response came in fashion where it sounded like he was malfunctioning.

<No, it means that after that I have to give one-one-one-one-one year too rampancy….I also start to become d-d-d-d-depressed or desperaaaaaaaaate. So I have ful-ful-fulfilled m-m-my last promise to Colonel Lames Ackerson. Oops my t-time is gone and so is your proof to the P-princess….hahahaha->

*Fzzzz - BLAM!*

We all duck at audio of a cross between a gunshot and lightning strike. As we did, the lights flickered out.  In the darkness I start to hear fragments of somepony’s thoughts, most likely Blades:

….Shit, shit, shit…Breath, Breath, 302! Don’t die…no...Damn Hooligans…

“Damn Hooligans!” Blades angrily repeated the last phrase out loud, bucking a metal wall.  At the power of her hoof, it made a huge dent.

Me? I couldn’t believe that those many that died or became disabled was due today was due to two ‘hooligans’; A rampant Discord AI, who died taking the lives of trainees and our revenge to the grave. And by the order of our own leaders who got away clean.

Worst. Day. Ever.

Up to date.

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

“Thanks for getting the power back on, Cranklin….” Halsey replied, starting to pull herself together.

Halsey whispered to Mendez “…and tell Lyra to cancel sending us more chemicals from the Zebras; I can’t risk more disabilities or another sabotage; augmentations are now fully over. Celestia can have my horn for my failures….”

Lyra’s words rang in Halsey’s head: …they are only children today who will only be soldiers tomorrow and dead in a month. It won't matter if you lied to them...

Mendez whispered, “Who was 077’s father?”, gesturing to Mudd Slinger.

Halsey stared down, truly defeated by her rival, laughing stars away at her.  Lames had now haunted her with her son’s death for the rest of her life “Ponyfeathers….how am I going to explain this to Corncob?”

“Corncob? You mean Lieutenant Keyes?”  Mendez specified. Halsey then shushed Mendez, in case there was any eavesdropping in this mess of ponies

Few seconds later, a yellow pegasus had hoofed up to Halsey and Mendez. “Yes, one-seventeen?” Mendez sighed.

“Chief, Doctor…” Destiny-117 saluted, almost posing as a super-mare in colt’s comic.

Halsey seemed to be taken slight back; Destiny was…perfect, almost causing her to alter her mood for a moment.  There were almost no disabilities or loss of individuality in Destiny-117. Hopefully, she regained her telepathy powers along with enhanced wings and hooves.   Halsey Sparkle persistently requested the nano-machines to try and heal her telepathy.  Now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Destiny-117 spoke “This is a PONI program; this doesn’t exist. So why the worry?”

“Celestia knows it exists! How will I explain that I messed up?” Halsey panicked, put here hooves on her head “I’m doomed! This project is doomed! Everything is Doom-”

Before Halsey could go further into her breakdown state, Mendez interrupted “Be a thesaurus, Dr. Sparkle! It wouldn’t hurt to try sending a report of what truly happened; and Princess Celestia stills need you for this war with the insurrection; besides...We’ll get Lames Askersud back for this.”

“Ackerson, Chief.” Destiny Corrected

“Asskerson is his real name, Destiny.” Halsey stated. No one adult had called Destiny by her first name in long time.

But The Chief just shot a frown that showed he didn’t give a care about the mule’s name, as he put a lit Sweet Apple Cigar in his mouth.

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

The funeral was on the following day.  Coincidentally, it started to rain.  The funeral consisted of a speech by Mendez, a ‘three-volley salute’ on our twos, and some tears before returning to training.

We buried the dead trainees in the field where we started doing our stretches in the morning of day one. Being right next to the barracks, we would always remember them in our sleep. Blades-204, Lipizanner-390, and I were part of the lucky half of the three-hundred and three who had to dig the holes from them.

Some of those who didn’t pass who “died” had died in their sleep; they never woke up. And if they did, even fewer only had seconds to breathe their last breath.

And some of us had come out just slightly stronger, smarter, and swifter.  That was only what a week of enhancing could do; if was month we may as well be powerful as the Alicorns or Unicorns in the Royal Family.  But Halsey ordered no more augmentation – just training.

There were those who suffered from disabilities from doses Zebra’s chemicals.  Like I mentioned before, Snapshot-102 had an oversized wing.  Exe Posuer-303 and Turning Fork-075 had to be strapped to wheel chairs.  Vector-056 strangely got gender swapped; that was the only thing that could be considered positive (in view). Waterbelle-009 had cryo crystals forming in her lungs, blocking oxygen.  And Typo-283’s bones became brittle; luckily he was sent out of program to live with parents who worked for PONI.

Three whole fire teams, Quartz, Sage, and Grey, were sealed back into their pods, with medics and technicians looking over them and promising they would bring them back, if they could.

-----

As for Mudd Slinger-077, Halsey protested to having him buried with the others. She wanted to fix him…and somehow bring him back – I learned this though my mind reading powers. I knew it was actually she was his mother; she just didn’t know that I knew.

I could have told her it was a dishonor to him, as both a soldier and son. He woke up and trained with me in these barracks. And every single night we gazed up at the stars, wondering what could be up there. And right before he was in state of comatose in his pod, he died next to me and several other ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’

But I couldn’t let Halsey….or anypony else…anypony, know that I could read minds. So let Mud’s body go, keeping my secret.

Before we did let Halsey Sparkle have Slinger’s body, Lipizzaner-039 nuzzled Mud’s neck, right where she unintentionally delivered his scar at Ghastly Gulch, and then she wept all the way back to the barracks.

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

Four Days later….

----

It was hard to believe Halsey would get any more support after what had happened. But funds did come, and more support to the GREENHORN-II program was being offered.

Thanks to Lyra hacking into Asskerson’s datapad, Celestia found out about his plot to over throw the Greenhorn program, his stinginess to any UNSCOE legion that didn’t have any donkeys in it, and five megabytes of pornographic images. As a result, the donkey colonel was to be detained briefly and secretly by PONI.

The Princess still was disappointed to hear of 154 dead and disabled trainees, but she decided to give Halsey Sparkle a second chance.  Halsey Sparkle didn’t understand why she was being cut some slack but she was briefly overjoyed chances of going to Luna’s Moon went down.

---------

CASTLE complex

UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS

DOCTOR HALSEY’S T. SPARKLE’S LAB

“I….I don’t know what to say….” Halsey Sparkle began behind her front desk, speaking to Queen Chrysalis. Halsey wasn’t dressed perfectly for guests; her purple hair was completely out of place and she had stains all over her lab coat.

“Doctor….” Queen Chrysalis hissed, displaying her ebon body as she wrapped a holed hoof around Halsey, sending chills down the doctor’s spine. Chrysalis’s insect wings twitched and the shadow of her horn descended on Halsey.  She looked more terrifying in the light that in darkness.

“I’ve the seen contribution of the Griffons and the Zebras to Greenhorn project, and I wish to join in; my changelings will infiltrate the insurrectionist colonies and find some targets for your….cadets…to deal with. Also, I’m throwing in the offer of supplies and resources from our colonies that may help the disabled ones.”

Halsey asked “Why are you helping me?”

Chrysalis then was silent for few moments, looking around the lab. It was so cold that frost was beginning to appear in the corners. Test tubes, microscopes, needles, jars, and artifacts were thrown around the place as if it was stuck by a twister. The only thing that seemed in order was a unicorn guard at the entrance, armed with shotgun.

“We must all play our part as a united species to fight the very thing that will undo this unification of Equestrians we have built after the Everfree Forest Wars….I’m old, Sparkle. The young ambitious fire is all put out of me. I have very little left to give, in the form of little kindness. And that goes a long way as seen with Fluttershy.”

“I hated Fluttershy. Everypony else had their opinions about the others, yet they all loved Fluttershy.” Halsey grumbled.

“Anyway I must be off…” Chrysalis clopped out of the lab “I bid you good night…”

“Night? It’s nighttime out there!?” Halsey gasped glancing at digital clock. “I just came here at six in morning! I was supposed to be done in half an hour!”

“Check your clock and calendar next time dear; you’ve been here for quite longer than that…” Chrysalis snickered before being escorted out of the chambers by a guard.

After checking her calendar and watch, Halsey found out she had been down here for a day straight and all she did in her time down here was sedulously work on cure for Mudd Slinger.  Mendez didn’t see her much so he probably didn’t care about her absence.

Halsey gripped her coffee mug on her desk. She yearned for some warming vanilla favor to ease her tired soul….

But nothing came into her mouth. Halsey peeked in the mug and found it empty except for a faint brown ring on the inside.

“Lyra, where’s my coffee?” The doctor asked the AI, almost in a panicked state. She always had coffee ready when she felt an experiment was going wrong.

Lyra popped up on her desk’s AI projector. “Doctor, you last drank forty-eight hours ago and forgot to fill it back up, since then.” Halsey had a bad habit of forgetting to drink the coffee over the course of hours.

“Maybe…Maybe, I just need….to go for a walk around the Complex.” Halsey settled.

---------

While gaining a few salutes, Halsey started to stroll through CASTLE Complex, taking in the military world outside her labs.  She found Chrysalis was just departing on shuttle, only to instead join Halseyon a walk.

“Why do you want come? On my walk, I mean.” Halsey asked.  The question could have also been interpreted as ‘why are you with me in this?’

Chrysalis stated, strolling at Halsey’s side “My dear doctor…I hate to say this but you remind me of myself when I was young. Taking risks for our people. Not that it’s wrong right now…”

“Right now? You mean like me taking risks is a sign that I will be held responsible later?” Halsey worried.

The wise old changeling queen was silently thinking.  They passed by two marines clad in UNSCOE forest-green plating. One of them saluted to Halsey, other stammered in front of Chrysalis.

“History repeats itself, Halsey.” Chrysalis said “But there is always time that we have to undo our mistakes.  Just don’t expect that you’ll get that chance.”

Halsey nodded, knowing that she was pretty close to life in prison on Luna’s moon. “I see…”

Chrysalis halted in her tracks. “Who are those ponies in field reading books? Is literacy also necessary to the coming of a soldier?”

Halsey saw who was in the field. Actually it was November Flare sitting right beside Destiny, in a fort of several books.  It was afternoon, so Halsey assumed training was over for the day.

“Oh…that’s a phoenix dropship pilot. He’s just reading with a trainee.” Halsey explained.

Halsey Sparkle remembered telling November Flare that he should see his cousin after the augmentation incident.  November Flare became more dubious of Halsey’s actions as a result, yet was pleased that he was reunited with Destiny.  November fully interacted with the trainees, bringing news of what was happening in the Milky Way and supplies for the base.  Despite being cousins far apart in age and positions, November Flare was planned to become the designated pilot, medic, scientist, and even weapon crafter of Indigo team.  

Halsey wished she could walk up to both Destiny and November and peer into their books.    

But the distant memories of her own family gatherings sprang up in her head as she considered joining the two yellow pegasi.  She wasn’t a good daughter, being smarter and more stubborn than her parents….and she blamed herself for being an even worse mother.  She had let Mudd enter the program because he found out and volunteered.  

Halsey promised Corncob that Mudd would be alright, and it was what Mudd wanted; to be a soldier.  Now in either anger or regret, Corncob couldn’t look at Halsey in the eye after she told him what had happened to their son.  While conversing, over his ‘Skipe’ account, he disconnected to grieve on his own.

I’ll bring you back….I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DIE….not allow you to die again….then we’ll all be a happy family again….no more secrets… Halsey swore, before starting tear up.  It’s my fault…I don’t have a shoulder to cry on, or a normal life, or even a boy calling me mum at home….all I have is my greenhorns and co-workers…But it’s not the same…I shouldn’t have chosen this. I’m sorry….that’s all I will ever be…

“Doctor? Is everything, alright?” Queen Chrysalis asked.

Halsey Sparkle couldn’t hide it anymore “Chrysalis….There something I have to tell you…”

As they kept walking, Halsey then revealed of her relationship to Mudd and Corncob Keyes and how Mudd died from Ackerson’s AI sabotaging his augmentations.

“Ah,” Chrysalis grinned “So that was why Ackerson has been absent from duty for a while.”

“That’s not going to bring Mudd back.” Halsey protested “You weren’t there when he died.”

Feeling sorry for Halsey, Chrysalis wrapped her ebon hoof around Halsey’s ear and whispered, “Maybe that’s why Celestia gave you a second chance. Don’t misuse it; what you do if Mudd was still alive?”

Halsey frowned, “I don’t pretend or have a boy anymore.”

“No you don’t,” Chrysalis replied “But who looks up to you as mother still?” -  She pointed to Mendez addressing a greenhorn-II squad – “These soldiers are your children; they don’t have their parents anymore. But can you promise me that you would care for them just as you would care for Mudd Sparkle.”

Halsey knew that there was only one answer that she would choose. “Yes, Queen Chrysalis. Its promise I will keep.”  The doctor then requested to Chrysalis to mention Mudd only by his alias, Mudd Slinger, from now on.

CHAPTER 7

“Rookie”

November Flare was always there for me, just like old times.  And now I was thrilled that he decided to become part of my squad, Indigo Team.  Because both of our coats had almost the same hue of yellow, we had to lie to others, excluding our superiors and a few close friends, that we were just friends, not family; other ponies would probably be jealous that they were still separated from their kin.

November said that he was contacted into the GREENHORN-II program because of how he saved the fleet in an attempt at retaking New Manebassa. I asked if Raysin knew that he or I was here. I’m glad to find out she wasn’t because if she did, she would freak out and then start ripping her hair out and crying for me….whatever…

Ponies at the complex, trainees, instructors, and guards, would  come to read all my favorite books November bought me, such as The Twenty Old Epics, Colony of Embers, Pony Jack and the Thunder Thief, and an entire set of Daring Doo’s Exploits.  It was my fellow trainees’ only link to outside of complex, without being within a designated location for training (like Ghastly Gulch).  

Even the cranky and stern Mendez didn’t mind November Flare bringing books, but only after he found a copy of All Silent on the Forest Front. Ironically, November wasn’t too fond of that book.

One day, we heard that Lyra had to shut down due to rampancy occurring at the end of her ‘life-span’, like the Discord A.I.  I tried my best to remember that lesson she taught us about the Greenhorns on day one, yet I try so hard, only a little of it comes to mind

I don’t want to talk about my mind reading powers. So far, keeping the secret is easy, but the power it holds is out of my control at times. I didn’t even tell November Flare that it returned. I wanted him to see me as a normal Junior Chief Petty Officer (JCPO).

Oh, I forgot to add that all greenhorns are now promoted to the rank of JCPO, one rank before Mendez. I thought that was interesting.

-----

WEEKS LATER

ABOARD THE FRIGATE The Justice

I can be considered a really young adult, even though I’m smarter and stronger than one.  I’m fit to wield a gun, infiltrate an outpost, or decipher intel like a spec-ops stallion.

Mendez had picked the surviving members of Team Indigo to get involved in a PONI Operation against the insurrectionists on New Manebassa. After years, I and November knew we were going to start avenging Cogneto and New Manebassa’s population today.

As November Flare was on the bridge speaking with officers, Blades and Lipizzaner decided explore the ship, while I kept to myself in the gym.  There was nopony around to have their minds read…it was nice and quiet.  Just like the country side of Ponyville.

Yet even will all the treadmills, the barbells, and various other machines around, it was hard to keep testing my strength. Bored, I just sat on a bench, pulling a dumbbell up and down.  To make a challenge for myself, I picked one that weighed a lot (I didn’t bother to look at the number), but even then, it didn’t feel like it was a challenge enough.

There was a huge observation window in the gym showing me the star shining in space.  I always wondered why Mudd Slinger would ask me what was out there. It was just us; no alien life forms were encountered on any colonized world. It always seemed as if was just the Equestrian species living in the Milky Way.  It was too strange…surely there was something out there we haven’t found yet.  But to the UNSCOE, everypony and everyone was settling on the final frontier, acting as if this was the dead end and resting point.  

Ironically, there are actually no dead ends in space; only endless directions.

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

SOME YEARS AGO

STARGAZING WITH MUDD SLINGER IN THE FIELDS OF CASTLE COMPLEX

“Mudd? Why is your cutie mark a flower?”

“It’s because….wait, you don’t think it’s a girly thing do you, Destiny?”

“No…I think it looks cute…”

“Oh…okay…”

“I see you blushing, Mudd!”

“No, I’m not”

“Yes, you are!”

“No, I’m not!”

“Admit it, you like me saying your cute! Ooooh, you like me.”

“Destiny, please stop...”

“Buy me a ring…then ask me that again.”

“STOP IT!!!”

“Hey, calm down. I was just joking with you.”

“Right…sorry, Destiny….I’m still tense after that simulation with those auto turrets and flamethrowers. Mendez always knows how to drill the word ‘danger’ into our heads. I love you as friend…but, not a coltfriend…”

“It’s okay. Anyways, what does your cutie mark mean?  And why white flower?”

“First off, I earned after my mom told me a secret…”

“A bad secret?”

“No….It’s just that….I can’t tell you. The secret, I mean…any of it.  My mom said so.”

“What was your mom like?”

“…”

“Mudd?”

“My Mommy was beautiful, but….she had no friends except for this stallion that came by every two weeks…and she seemed too busy for me until I did something that got her attention. And then I got my cutie mark.”

“…Oh….Do you miss your mom? I never saw mine; she died in an air wagon accident”

“….I….I don’t know if I miss her; sometimes…I feel that she’s here….but I don’t feel that she….would treat me like your mom would. I still love her….but I don’t know if I miss her”

“What was here name?”

“….that was part of the secret, Destiny.  That’s what white flowers mean; secrets and relationships. And That’s what my cutie mark means.”

“Well that answer my question… but before I go, can I have some of your energy bars?”

“Actually, I saved two for you.”

“See, you do like me, Muddie!”

“Heh…Shut up and eat, Destiny…”

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

“Alight guys…here we are.” announced a male voice from entrance of the gym.  Form his tone it seemed as if he was on the morning after a shore leave.

Coming out of my fillyhood memories, I twist around and witness three ponies, one a pegasus and two earth ponies.

Their names had been tattooed on their on their necks in jet black ink.  The two earth ponies were known as “Shank” and “Flake”. The dark purple pegasus, who seemed to be the leader of the group, had his name, “Strikeout”, underneath another tattoo of a flaming pony skull.

Judging by the other tattoos on their muscular bodies, one could easily identify them as Orbital Drop Shock Steeds, or Hellprancers, out of uniform.

As they assumed themselves to the barbells and weights, they didn’t bother to notice me, which I was glad for; most Hellprancers/ODSSs had gung-ho personalities and were stereotypically displayed as reckless. I know that they probably aren’t all like that, but it’s not worth finding out what kind these were.

“Hey…where’s the other dumbbell that weighs one-eighty?” One of them asked in a droopy voice. I still don’t turn my head around, pretending not to pay attention. I realize then I was probably holding what he was looking for; my dumbbell had the number ‘180’ on it.

“Ask her, Shank.” Another one replied, likely pointing at me. Sweat begins to trickle down, for I didn’t know how they would react to mare like me…

“C’mon, Flakes…Me? You should. You have that thing with mares.” Shank replied

“Dude, look at her. I’ll bet you ten credits she’s probably a civie.” Flakes stated, thinking Military mares are so hard to flirt with; they think it’s an assignment their going to fail at.

“Nuh-uh, Flakes…I’ll talk to her.” A third voice replied.

“Be my guest, Strikeout.” Flakes replied.

Now I start to hear one of their thoughts, most likely from the one they called Strikeout’s: ….Well, she's new…

Instantly I get off of the bench and place the barbell on it.  I can see an exit directly in front of me. If I could just walk out without detection…

“Well, hello there…” Strikeout casually greets.

Bucking Heck; I should have left the gym sooner. I really didn't want to make friends now and answer queations about myself.  Without looking at them, I simply reply “Hi…” as begin to trot to the exit on my fours.

“Where yah going?” one of them asks, most likely Flakes. I turn my head, finding that his cutie mark is of corn flakes.  Shank’s cutie mark was of some barbell, and Strikeout’s was a baseball.

Dat Cutie Mark… I hear Flakes’ thoughts and now I feel more…’offended’ that he is starting at my thigh were my mark of a paintbrush is.

Being a pegasus, Strikeout zipped past me to block the main entrance. He extended his wings so I couldn’t get around him. His purple snout leaned into my face, for he seemed to have never seen mare so young or pretty in years.

“Well, well, well….Yah new here, rookie?” Strikeout wondered.

I transform my face in a stern look, much to his dissatisfaction. I lied, “No….I‘ve been on this ship for a few days. I now have to report to my officer-”

Strikeout scoffed, having no intention of letting pass me for whatever reason. “Officers? Hah! You're just being a coward, Rookie! If you can't even hold a conversion, you probably can't even defend a position!"

I began to hear more thoughts from him as his forces me back into the gym: She looks too short to be a sergant but too strong to be a recuirt...only what kind of pony is this?

“That’s Chief Petty Officer to you.” I snapped at Strikeout, giving out my rank. “Now I must get going.”

“Right now, you little cute pony?” Snarled Flake, who was then slapped in the face by Shank.

“Flake, quit the firlting...I want to see how gutsy this rookie is...." ordered Shank.

I twist my head and coming up behind me are the two earth ponies.  The three soldiers began to circle me like sharks in the sea.  Than again...I could probably just spar with them. Beacuse of my augmenations, I judged the fight was even

Grining and my extending my legs, I said "Game on, boys. Three on one....don't let my looks fool you."

The three ponies still circled around me.  Strikeout ignored what I said but an train of thoughts  came from Flakes head. I wished I had mind-reading filters.

Dang…those are some sparkly white hooves....Her eye color reminds me of cookies....So…does have a colt friend? And ex-coltfriend, preferably?

"Hey, do you have a coltfriend?" Flakes finally  asked, only to shirk from a Shank's annoyed glare

If Flakes decided to come too close, then I would give them a piece of my mind.  So I said "Oh, I lost my coltfriend long ago...but in his will, he told me to kick the next pony's flank who asked that-"

I hadn't realized Strikeout started to move behind me silently, trying to get the uper hand. My augmented ears picked it up and upon my training instincts I bring my back legs up and buck Strikeout in the face.

*WHAM!*

Strikeout tumbles toward the bench at force of my enhanced legs.  After that, he falls over the bench in pain.  Strikeout’s hooves were covering his face, as he cried “Agh! What just happned?”

“OhmygoshIamsosorry….” I squealed.  Shank and Flakes were were launghing thier head offs, either at the stunt I pulled off or at my squealing. I bet the squaling made me look like a little girl...

Yet Strikeout recovers more quickly than I anticipated. The buck that I game him in his face causes his blood to start oozing out of his nostrils. But he seemd to giving out a wicked grin.

“Hahah...Good insticts, Rookie. Now pin in her boys!” Strikeout roared.

Before I can respond, Shank implants his hoof on my tail and Flakes leaps onto my back, locking my wings with his tattooed hooves. I was stationery and flightless. Then I realized that this wasn't going to be a smiple fray anymore; the Hellprancers were gonna make it a bloodbath.

Strikeout grips the 180-pound barbell with his hoof and, like a javelin, hurls it at me.

I bob my head to the left as it whooshes past my hair and Flakes, who is still on my back locking my wings. It slams into Shank’s right eye.

“OOWWWWW! Friendly fire, Boss!” Shank roared – although his eye seemed in to be in fine condition.  Stirkeout just laughs.

Now it was my turn.  Shaking my body and my wings faster than a dancing pegasus, I fling Flakes off and send him flying across the room. He crashed right below some heavy weights hanging on the ceiling. Upon impacting them, weights toppled down upon Flakes.

Within milliseconds later, I bucked Shank in the chest, freeing my tail from his hoof.  I heard a faint *pop* that bought the earth pony to his knees, coughing loudly.

But Strikeout was ready. Once his minions were down, he shoved me to the floor and kept me pinned. Some of the blood on his snout dripped down onto mine.  

Strikeout growled “Heh...outta breath yet, rookie?"

*WHAM!*

Quicker than a flash, I send him a quick punch in the face.  Since I was stronger than a normal soldier, the punch was able to roll him off of me.

“No, you old-timer. Are you?” I hissed, my adrenaline pumping quickly.

"A real Hellprancer never runs out of breath - but you're not one." Strikeout starts to get back up

"No...I'm probably better than one." I sneered.

In response, Strikeout wiped some more blood on his messed up face. Now it was just one on one.  He charged for me.

First he thrusts a hoof at me, laughing “Well, you got-”.  I successfully sidestep.

Then he swings his other hoof wildly “-something-” I duck at the last second.

“-that I don't!” Strikeout finishes as he tries to bring down both hooves on me.

I block, and then lock, his hooves with my own.  Before he can do anything else, I rammed a hoof into the side of his head.  I never felt better for myslef.

That resulted in him crashing onto the floor with a final grunt.  I waited eagarly for him to get back up again. After a few seconds, I feared I did more than just knock him cold, because Strikeouts eyes were closed and he didn’t move.

I looked to where Flakes was, in the piles of weights that collapsed upon him, breaking his skeleton. One white bone was even sticking out of his coat.

“Uh-oh…”I murmur. This was the price I paid for throwing my strength onto ponies who didn’t know it. And it was my fault I didn’t know it beforehand. I couldn't belive I was this reckless

Still alive, Shank was clutching his cracked ribs as he crawled over to Strikeouts body.  Shank inched down on, and placed a free forehoof behind Strikeout’s head and mane. Went Shank pulled his hoof back, it was covered in blood.

Shank glanced at me in fear and anger. “SonofaCerberus…what are you?”  But I could not tell him I was a Greenhorn. They still ‘didn’t exist’

As if timed to save my flank from more trouble, Chief Cranklin Mendez strode into the room, smoking another foul-smelling sweet apple cigar.

“Corporal,” The chief hissed at Shank “She’s one of the ‘PONI specials’ on the roster.”

“A PONI special? Like…some supersoldier, sir?” The Shank questioned, fearful.

“That’s right; with classified enhancements. I have two more on board and you shouldn’t mess with them.” Mendez warned the ODSS.

“Sir…” I address and saluted.

“I’ll speak with you later, one-seventeen,” Mendez replied, and then turned back to Skank. “Security doesn’t know that this happened, so I’m leaving it to the janitors to clean up your friend’s corpses. You, corporal, will go to medical bay and do not speak of any of this. Or you’ll wish you could die.”

Upon hearing the words ‘corpses’ I and Shank filched.  Scared for his life, Shank limped to the heath room past Mendez. Now it was the Chief’s his turn to get cross at me.

“Sir,” I replied, attempting to keep a straight face.

“You did a fine job defending yourself, One-seventeen.  I hope you know better what it means to waste troops.” Mendez growled, his first sentence being sarcastic.

I was familiar with ‘troops’ referring to people who stood with me, not against like these Hellprancers. “I…don’t understand sir.”

“One seventeen, these soldiers were attacking you. They are the nastiest Hellprancers I’ve seen.” Mendez’s hoof points towards Strikeout’s body and then to Flakes’.  “However, they were Hellprancers all the same; in fact they were going to be aiding with you on this operation. Now we’ll have to do it with three less ponies.”

Mendez then thought Way to go…hero…

I felt guilty for two ODSSs that I killed and that I left one too injured to fight. It was my fault the operation was probably going to be more of a challenge.

Showing some shame on my face, I replied. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“I hope you are,” Mendez growled, leaning into my snout. “While this was a disaster, this was also necessary exercise. You had to compare your strength and reflexes to that of normal soldiers.  Now that you’re headed onto innie territory, I expect you will use that strength only when the time comes.”

“…yes sir.” I replied.

“Clean yourself up, one-seventeen. And check the debriefing for this operation before reporting to hanger B-1. Dismissed,”

--

After Mendez starts walking out the out the gym, I‘m left to clop down to the hallway bathroom, washing away Strikeout’s blood on my snout.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was quite beautiful, resembling a lot like my sister. But Rasyin wouldn’t be proud of me if she saw me. She’d hate me for killing ponies and being trained to hold a gun….if didn’t already hate myself….why was I doing this? Am I bad pony? Should I have thought better?

“Hush now….” I whispered to myself holding my head in hooves. “Shh….”  I kept trying to tell myself I wasn’t a bad pony and that those Hellprancers wanted to fight….but it’s just doesn’t work

So all I could do was sniff my tears away…

-------

LORE:

After this incident…well, this is many months later, when part of GREENHORN-II program was revealed and declassified. Shank told other Hellprancers/ODSSs about what happened to Strikeout and Flakes.  The hellprancers thought that I was reckless, sensitive, and inimical. In response, the Greenhorns thought that the hellprancers that I had fought were juvenile, hot-headed, and perverted.

That’s how this entire rivalry between the Greenhorns and ODSSs began. Anyway back to the present.

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

I arrived at the hangar B-1 right on time, seeing Junior Chief Petty Officer Blades-204 relaxing in a ‘warthog’ while reading one of those ‘Magic for Eggheads’ books, yet I couldn’t discern of what subcategory it was. In my time at the Ponyville Library, there were a hundred volumes of ‘Magic for Eggheads’.  Blades hid it into compartment as she saw me coming towards her.

Unlike chariots that are pulled by ponies, the “warthog” Blades was relaxing in was a machine that ran automatically on an electric motor, with pedals for stopping, reversing, and going. It had green armor plating, and open seats without doors, roofs, or seatbelts. There are only two front seats and a flatbed in the back.  And mounted on the flatbed was a tri-barreled chain gun.

Next to warthog Blades sat in were two ‘Tortoise’ tanks, because they had armor hard as one, and they were equally sluggish.  A ‘tortoise’s’ body was connected to  four covered trends, and it had its main cannon built where it made it look like it was coming from its rear.  Under the long barrel of the canon was sealed canopy for the driver.

Hanging above both vehicles were rows of Phoenix Dropships.  The interior only has cramped cockpit and a loading bay for troopers to sit and wait.  These dropships could carry vehicles and soldier into the heat of any battle. November Flare was known for perfecting the role of a Phoenix pilot

I leap into the warthog’s passenger seat right next to Blades.  She asks me “You holding up alright? Chief said that you wanted to be alone for a while….”

“I’m fine.” I hastily grunted. If Blades didn’t know about what happened in the gym, then I decided to keep it that way. If she did, I wasn’t going to speak of it.

“Alright, Des; kept it to yourself. But do take a gander at this…” Blades hopped out of the warthog. Her horn gave off a sea-foam colored glow. She sealed her eyes, deep in concentration.

Slowly that green glow enveloped around her unicorn body, slowly turning into a transparent, sparkling mold around her.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…Pew!

After five long seconds, she released her magic in the form of an electrical shockwave, shattering the glowing mold around her. The shockwave cause the nearby tortoise-tank to rattle, and caused my warthog to vibrate violently.

“Whoa! How did you do that?” I gasp in awe, clutching the warthog until it’s stopped vibrating.

“It’s a level one armor lock – level three can release an electric magnetic pulse in a radius of eight meters.” Blades replied.  I guess that she was reading the subcategory of ‘offensive powers’ in the ‘For Eggheads’ Book.

I thought about telling Blades about my mind reading powers…but I didn’t want Blades to have friend who knew every secret she didn’t want to give out.  

Well…yeah, Blades did have a friend with mind reading powers (me)….she just didn’t know.

------

After I observed Blades practicing the stunt for a few more times, we both found Chief Mendez and three other ponies with him. Two of them were November Flare and Lipizzaner-039.

The third seemed to be a stranger to us, and tall as an alicorn with a very slim body. He was a unicorn in an unblemished silver coat with horn longer than Blades’s or Mendez’s.  His bent eyebrows arched over his golden irises, which were now looking right at me and Blades.  His mane came in grey-blue with silver streaks.  His cutie mark was a lightning bolt with tips that shined.

Without another word, I and Blades got in line with others, facing Mendez and the marvelous silver newcomer of the group. The newcomer was extremely skinny and tall; almost too skeletal when compared to Mendez’s buff and strong body. The newcomer’s grin hinted slyness and deviousness, while Mendez showed seriousness through his frown.

My power/curse picks up the newcomer’s stream of thoughts: It appears the rest of the crazy doc’s pet project has arrived.

Personally I never thought Halsey Sparkle as crazy – just desperate.  Yeah…she let her son go into a foal-soldier project but she didn’t kill Mudd Slinger. And she didn’t mean to kill the rest of us.

“Greenhorn Team Indigo,” Mendez announces loudly.  Upon hearing that, we all snap into salutes.

“I bet you are all wondering why you are here. And why you are taking a fieldtrip to New Manebassa. You’re all here because you are deemed the best of the best of the UNSCOE. You are to be deployed there scince you must succeed where the many have failed.  This will be the most lethal strike that we shall buck the innies with. Silverblitz will debrief you on the operation.”

As Mendez glared at Silverblitz, I hear from his thoughts DO NOT take your time Silverblitz...

So ‘Silverblitz’ was the silver unicorn next to the chief.  His voice sounded pretty…nerdy? It was hard to describe. It was neither friendly nor hostile, but more cross between relaxed and thrilled.

“Ahem…” Silverblitz began, towering over us by full a head “I, for one, hijacked back a Phoenix Dropship the innies used for trading.  The cargo is for the insurrectionist Colonel Blub Watts. The Colonel is on New Manebassa, spending a vacation somewhere on the planet.”

We saw that lowered on crane behind us was the phoenix dropship Silverblitz spoke of.  It was painted in red graffiti and skulls and insurrectionist slogans. Once on the floor, two work ponies in the hanger started to hook a massive cargo crate to the back of the phoenix, partly blocking the loading bay.

Silverblitz continued, sticking his head up “This operation is simple by standards of mine, so listen up! The number one thing you should know is that we are going to be led by me, and for the most part only me...”

“Seriously?” Blades moaned.

Behind Silverblitz, Mendez thought: Get to the bottom damn line!

“…We’ll find Watts’s location via two info brokers on New Manebassa. Then we capture Watts, and leave the insurrection without a great leader for a while.” Silverblitz explained further.

This was found to be a slight disappointment among us all; we would be removing vital figure but the planet would still be under Insurrectionists control.

“What would removing the colonel do?” November Flare wondered, in a scene of curiosity. “I know he’s a high rank but he’s just one stallion. Not meaning to argue, sir.”

Silverblitz snootily responded “For you information, Lieutenant November Flare, Colonel Watts is the best officer of the insurrection. He’s also running as candidate for co-minister of their military forces.  Watts is a devil to the UNSCOE, as he is a saint for innies – we remove him, then the odds turn in our favor.”

“Couldn’t they just replace Watts?” I asked.

Silverblitz shrugged “They won’t…the officer and politicians would complete for months on taking Watt’s position once he’s gone. However, the innies won’t find another leader like him in a while."

“So are just going to capture somepony without hurting anypony else?” Lipizzaner asked. It sickened the rest of the greenhorns to find out that the albino earth pony even had a heart for ponies of the insurrection, or ‘overtaxed colonists’ as she entitled them.  We couldn’t tease Lipizzaner much about it, since she could cry easily and because she was a friend from the start.

Silverblitz shook his head “Nope….Although, we're doing this disguised  as a casual armed escort for a cargo,  I can guarantee that direct action is necessary on every single op I run.”

Lipizzaner frowned;  she was always up for peace talks.

“With all due respect, how come you are in change? We’re team of chaps who can read each other minds, trust each other when death is near, but you…you’re somepony new.” Blades questioned.

I bit my lip when Blade’s said ‘read each other’s mind’, because (in a literal sense) I was the only one who could.

“Well, why you aren’t you in charge, Greenhorn-204” Silverblitz snorted, saying Blades’s number. “What can you – all of you - do that I can’t?” Lend me your weak reasons, you fools!, He taunted in his head.

“Take down a Manticore and a wave of killer bunnies.” I proclaimed.

“Deliver a havoc nuke to an enemy ship and beat you in cards.” November Flare added

“Dual-wield LMGs without a slip.” Blades stated

“Assist in taking down the Manticore…with motivational support from far away.” Lipizzaner squeaked, anxious.

Silverblitz paused as if taken aback, and then he laughed.  “Oh please, I took down two ursas majors with only my horn’s magic! And can you do this?”

Silverblitz’s body went invisible. There were some shimmers in the air before they faded out, leaving no trace of him.  Invisibility…I had to admit that was a handy spell.

Silverlight reappeared behind us, with a grin of gleaming white teeth

He asked “And which one of you ever became a PONI recon operative? None!”  A member of PONI’s reconnaissance? That explained why he was in charge. Only he wasn’t done explaining.

*Poof*

Sliverblitz teleported fireworks behind him, magically setting their fuses alight. We braced ourselves for an indoor fireworks show inside the small hanger.

“Crikey! Fireworks inside?! He’s mad!” Blades hissed in my ear.

“So bow down, and bow low...before the loathed and lovely legend, Silverblitz!” He chanted.

Upon saying his name, the fireworks went off in dazzling display of explosion, as he brought up his hooves, swinging in glory. Steaming pieces and smoke rained down, causing my team and Mendez to cough and try to swipe them away.

“He puts a lot of value in his introductions...” November Flare whispered to Lipizzaner.

When Silverblitz’s firework show ended, he asked “Any question, you soldiers under my supreme command?” he asked, continuously grinning.

“I have one, Operative Silverblitz…” Chief Mendez whispered quietly, then he turned to his drill-sergeant voice “….can you and your team JUST START THE DAMNED OPERTION!?”

So we all entered the phoenix dropship, sitting in the loading bay, except for November. He would pilot the dropship to New Manebassa, so he got the cockpit. Before the phoenix’s troop bay closed, I took some contents out of cargo crate to see what we would be delivering to the Colonel. It turned out to be cookies and lots of Sweet Apple Cigars.

-----

Once I the Phoenix was in space, I nudged Blades’s shoulder and brought Silverblitz and Lipizzaner together.  I whispered “This is what Watts ordered on his vacation.” And I hold out a pack of Sweet Apple Cigars and some cookies.

“Pipes and a biscuit, eh Destiny? Must be special vacation Watts is having there.” Blades magically lights the tip of my cigar and then lights her own.  But Blades lowers her brows as she thinks I wish I had such a vacation..

November came out of the cockpit to grab some cookies. He didn’t like to see me smoking.  When he left without saying a word I felt a little – only a little – shameful of what I was doing; He was trying to keep me safe now that he was a part of my team and I was committing myself to an unhealthy hobby. Despite smelling bad, the cigars were addicting. I threw mine away before taking a cookie.

“Is it sunny at New Manebassa?” Lipizzaner questioned Silverblitz. She had taken a cookie since she turned down a cigar.

A jolting thought from Lipizzaner crosses my mind: I wish I could tell everypony I was raised there before my family moved to Sigma Clopoida….but I don’t want to tell anypony that. Maybe not now…

Sliverblitz answered “Yeah; but the water hasn’t been fine since the innies took over; they set up a tyranny, listen to propaganda all day, and just sit there a do nothing. What a waste of a habitable world.”

“Does taking over New Manebassa count as doing nothing?” I start up.  Blades’s face signaled me to calm down in front of this egotistical officer.

Relaxed, Silverlight smoked a bit of his levitating cigar before replying. “Innies do nothing unless they’ve got something to motivate them in the first place. How much do you know about Colonel Watts?”

“No; other than he’s the target.” I shrugged. I never realized that you had to know so much about a targeted pony before you captured him.

November replied over from cockpit, “Watts is no ordinary target, one-one-seven; he’s a perpetrator to the UNSCOE.”

I didn’t care whether I was called by name or number; but now being a Junior Chief Petty Officer, November figured he might as well treat me like one.  I’m thankful he stopped calling me Lil’ Des’

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

LORE: United Rebel Front Colonel Blub Watts was formerly a UNSCOE Army Major.  After two divorces and assaulting a Griffon who was a news reporter, his reputation was hammed greatly.  Watts became the first officer to publicly defect to innies, swearing war against Celestia and the UNSCOE, in hopes of the return of a good reputation.  After the Siege of New Manebassa, Every inner colony had tightened up their defenses and security, because the only reason why the Innies would come out of hiding and attack in long time of silence was because of Watts; because of a traitor.

MORE LORE:

Watts’s cutie mark is lightbulb. Ironically, he’s not bright – He was a light bulb replacer.

CHAPTER 8

“Welcoming”

STABLEGRAD (Formerly known as Celestia City)

NEW MANEBASSA

Being designated as a ‘guard’ of the cargo, I was handed a suppressed Designated Marksman Rifle and wore a dark green UNSCOE marine helmet. I was meant to look like I fought a marine and won it.  To back up my story, November Flare etched scratches into the weapon and dented the helmet after he painted part of it red.

Blades and Lipizzaner were also similarly disguised as guards, taking a rifle and some parts of marine armor.  November was obviously going to say he was the pilot of the Phoenix Dropship. And Silverblitz said he would be ‘the negotiator’ or ‘tradespony’. He was just saying in a fancy way that he was still in charge.

Since I decided tp sleep out the entire trip, I got my first glimpse of New Manebassa in the flesh when the Phoenix Dropship’s loading bay opened.

The yellow sun of New Manebassa blinded me briefly as I trotted alongside my team.  Wide cobblestone streets in a bustling city were split in half by fresh palm trees.  Building after building was unique in architecture and color. And all the shops were open with ponies pouring in and out.  We landed on some kind of public air pad at street level, overlooking a beach on one side

The picture of this vocational colony was ruined, however; red Insurrectionist flags and banners were draped on anything three stories high.  Stallions (unicorns and earths specifically), with their coats dyed in coal black and their manes in red, marched side by side.  Pegasi took to the sky, scanning for suspicious activity on the ground.  Megaphones on roofs blurted out propaganda of ‘the great pony race’ and ‘their rightful rebellion’ and ‘their loving leaders’….blah, blah, blah…basically, innie buffalo-feathers.

I couldn’t believe my eyes “It almost like no invasion happened here…” I breathed out loud.  The innies were good at covering up their darkest actions...

Lipizzaner hovered next to me, wrapping her rifle around her neck so she could walk on her fours. “Um…I’m sorry, Destiny….but we have to stay focused…” the earth pony whispered softly.  

I hear Lipizzaner think to herself, …oh, I hope Destiny can just put her brother behind her for today…I’ll never know what she feels…

I simply replied “Yeah…I’ll be careful, L.Z.”

This was jolly great place for a vacation; Papa always said we’d come here for one… Blades sighed to herself in her mind.

I knew that crimson-haired mare with the skull cutie mark was responsible for ordering the death of brother on this planet, but I just had to let go of hoping to bump into her. The chances were one in a million.

Meanwhile we waited patiently as Silverblitz was consulting with doc manager.

“Honestly, why do you have to see my identification now?” Silverblitz asked.

“You think I wanna lose mah job? I have to check any identification or yah’ all can’t be here.” The male unicorn stated as he levitated a clipboard. “All I just need to see is yer ID card or yah passport. Yah do have either with yah, right?”

Silverblitz scratch his head “No, but how about I pay three times the docking fee, instead?”

This made the manger furious. “Are yah trying tah bribe me, Cap’n? What’s hooked up to dat ship? Who is the cargo for anyway? It’s a mighty big box….”

Silverblitz remained clam “The cargo is merely specific items for a bar; and I bought some defectors along,” He pointed to Blades, Lipizzaner, November Flare, and I. Silverblitz continued “There were ten of them, but only those ponies made it out. We were lucky to get hired on the Innie outpost Trotton 9.”

“Innie?” the manger neighed as if insulted.  I sweated that our cover was going to be blown.

“That’s what they kept saying in the prisons:‘the innies are evil, the innies are bad!’ It was hard to get all that ranting out. Many apologies, fellow rebel.” Silverblitz replied, calmly, as to pretend it was a minor oversight.

The manager starred at the rest of us then returned his eyes to Silverblitz. “What about their Identification?”

“My crew lost their previous identification cards. They were told to do this job, first – then they could have citizenship. Think of it as a trial of trust.” The Silverblitz reasoned.

The manger cocked an eyebrow trying to see if Silverblitz was just spewing out nonsense.

“Okay, I don’t care much for ‘em defectors, but you are going to be held responsible for ‘em.  Still, can’t let one of you leave dis ‘ere pad without seeing yer ID.”

Silverblitz silently sighed to himself, “I didn’t think it would come to this but….In the future I will remember this moment and I will bring that ID to me.”

“Huh?”

Silverblitz then told the manger he would have took look in the phoenix dropship for his card.  Well….that was what he told him.  And us.

Without another word, he marched into the dropship.

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

ZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

Just then, in a flash of lighting, another Silverblitz stood next to the original one.  The only difference was that the second one had an eye patch.  They were alone in dropship troop bay.

“Greetings, present Silverblitz! I’m future Silverblitz!” The eye-patched clone introduced himself

Silver hoofbumped his ‘future’ self.  “Hello there, future Silverblitz. Did you bring that ID as you promised years earlier – or in other words, now?”

“Yes, I did. But I didn’t forge it – November Flare will take the credit for that. Here you go, present Silverblitz.” The eye patched pony handed him the ID.  Silverblitz took a good long look at it, seeing that it could fool anypony.

“Thank you future Silverblitz; by the way what’s with the eye, patch?” present Silverblitz asked.

Future Silverblitz explained, “Speaking of it, I also came to remind you that whatever you do, don’t -”

ZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

In another flash of lightening, future Silverblitz was gone.

“Hah! Star Swirl’s time traveling spell always helps me and future-me, anytime!” Silverblitz chanted as he tossed the ID in the air.

--------

After presenting Silverblitz’s identification, Team Indigo’s next step was flagging down a taxi chariot.

“How come it took you that long to find the identity card? It looks more suspicious since you didn’t have it on you the first time.” I tell him.

“Exactly – so let’s be brief here...” Silverblitz replied, trying to avoid my question.   He looked up from time to time at the innie pegsai patrols.   “…Those eyes in the sky will mark anything as suspicious - anything.  And they do take direct action from time to time”

I was about to get back onto the subject of his ID but instead his consciousness flows into my head Yeah, 117 is right….I should have just used that time travel spell sooner...I’ll note my future-self that do he doesn’t forget.  

“Uh, sir?” Lipizzaner tapped Silverblitz’s shoulder “How come your broker couldn’t give you Watts’s location before we started this mission?  That might have been faster than, uh, having to come here first…”

“I’m sorry, are you questioning how this operation is planned, Greenhorn-039?” Silverblitz asked giving dumbfounded look.

Lipizzaner stammered, backing beside me “Oh no, no sir….I, uh...”

“Good,” Silverblitz huffed “That means you know better than to go to Luna’s Moon. And to answer your question, I cannot risk communication over our networks being intercepted.  Meeting in person is less risky.”

“What do you mean ‘go to Luna’s Moon’?” I asked.

Silverblitz’s response was that it was classified information.  My mind-reading doesn’t work on him on this time, so I couldn’t get any of that info squeezed out.

“Silverblitz, are there different kinds of PONI types?” November Flare breaks in.

Silverblitz nods, saying “Why yes, pilot, and each has their own section; you have the trollers, the spooks, the geeks, the cold-hearted, the left-brained, the office-desk ponies, the interrogators, the recon teams, the assassins, the test subjects, and the main ring of ministers. We’re a lot bigger than the UNSCOE and the public think we are.”

“It’s just that you keep all those facts under a file named ‘top secret’ too.” I added playfully.

My thoughts exactly, November Flare comments.

Silverblitz smirked, “Yeah…pretty much the desk ponies throw everything under ‘top secret’.”

In midst of our conversing, Blades shouted that she had successfully ‘called a cab over’.

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

There wasn’t much to say more about New Manebassa when you’re in a crowed taxi chariot.  Other than that it’s filled with gibberish-speaking preachers owning nothing but rags and marching bands repeated playing their nation anthem, The Parasprite Polka, at every corner.

What made my shoulders jump was when a red-and-black innie pegasus patroller zipped down from the sky and tackled a pony on the sidewalk, with the pegasus patroller starting to interrogate the pony loudly. Before the poor pony could answer, the pegasus soldier started to maul him, again and again.  Surrounding ponies started to trot away, not wanting to look at the distressing scene.

I was tempted to slide out of the taxi chariot and confront that brutal soldier, but November Flare tugged my arm, signaling me to look away.  I was supposed to think that the soldier was doing the right thing and the poor pony was a lawbreaker or criminal; I prayed that I wouldn’t have to keep acting this way.

Blades and Silverblitz were having an even more interesting discussion. Each one tried to compare their magical talents to one another, to see who the better unicorn was.  Both had impressive telekinesis and quick teleportation, but Silverblitz had cloaking and ‘mind-persuasion’ spells, while Blades could regenerate wounds and ‘armor-lock’ herself.  But deep inside their heads, Silverblitz was concerned that the Greenhorn-II would quickly surpass him in skills, and Blades was worried that she couldn’t come close to the PONI officer’s potential in magic.  Honestly, I can see them dating right now; they have plenty of things in common.

Finally, we reached ‘Beatlejuice Bar’ an old dinner imbedded in the line of shops along the city streets.  Beatlejuice Bar was made of mostly brink on the outside.

…They still haven’t made any renovations since my last visit… Silverblitz observed as we got out of the taxi chariot. Once it sped off, Silverblitz talked us through the plan gain.

“Now remember; you four are my newly acquired trading crew. I’m supposed to be an old friend of one of the servants in there. So just play along and let me do the talking.”

Me, Lipizzaner, and Blades threw on our helmets and slung our rifles around our necks, while November Flare was told to trot at Silverblitz’s side.

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

To get past the bouncer, Silverblitz said he was here for a friend; the bouncer let him pass in the main dining hall, noting him to be careful and at least have his manners

The style of the bar seem to have woolens walls and floor lighting bright and prominent, but there didn’t seem to anything else special about it; just an average restaurant on the sidewalk.

Our group brushed past a few tables, gaining a few second looks.  I noticed that only military-uniformed ponies and suited figures drinking, smoking, eating and having good time. We almost looked like pirates compared to them, with our ‘looted’ UNSCOE gear.

I began hearing thoughts of others as we pass by their tables:

Would you look at that! Bounty hunters in our bar!

Those ponies have UNSCOE gear…They must be back from the front!

Meh…another trading party…

Why all the guard are females escorting males?

I was going to tell Silverblitz that we were attracting a lot of attention, only to be shushed immediately.

We finally reached the populated order stand, filled with various ponies preparing meals one on side. I look closer and see that these ponies were in poor condition.  Some of them looked tired and weary, as the elite-class ponies behind the stand kept throwing out orders, as if they owned the working ponies as property.

Silverblitz told us to wait off to the side and then he cut into the one of the order lines.  

I couldn’t stay being quiet any longer “Who are we here to see? And why here?”  In my books, secret agents always met in dark places an alleyways – why in lively dinner?

“While you feel asleep in the dropship, Silverblitz said something about his ‘friend’ working here; claiming it was the last place security would look for her.” November whispered back.

----

Silverblitz waited in line before finally standing in front of his info broker, who had alternated between the jobs of a cook and a cashier at the restaurant. Silverblitz stared at the broker right in her green eyes, for he already noticed her straight raspberry mane, her freckles, and her hourglass cutie mark.

“Bad hair day, huh?” Silverblitz greeted, noticing that his young info broker’s mane was usually poufy and standing up when she was happy and turned straight down when she was saddened. It was some sort of weird magic that was genetic in certain earth ponies.

The red earth pony looked up and gave sad smile.  “Yeah…the boss took his anger out on me. He threw out that cake I made for him. Then he slapped me.”

“Does it get worse?” Silverblitz asked

“No, but in a few minutes my shift will be over. So…If you need anything I’ll have it ready.” The broker sighed.  “But just to let you know, Operative Pan Cake…isn’t here with me at the moment…”

Silverblitz hissed into her ear “We’re doing the final phase of the operation in few days. But I need the statics on wherever Watt’s is hiding…”

Shaking her head, the broker whispered, “Meet me in the basement upstairs, okie-dookie-smookie? We’ll talk there.”

“You mean the attic, right?” Silverblitz corrected as his broker left.

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

BEATTLEJUICE BAR'S BASEMENT UPSATIRS

After Silverblitz was finished speaking with broker at the stand we were led to ‘an upstairs basement’ (actually an attic) that held unevenly stacked boxes of frozen food.  Once we were up there we all took cover from a huge shotgun blast….

*BLAM* Chug-click!

….of streamers and confetti launched at high speeds.

Once we pulled out of cover, we could see a young red earth pony, holding a rusty shotgun and standing on a tea table set up for all six of us.

“Hi! I’m High Hopes! Did I surprise you?” The broker greeted.  

I was surprised; before her raspberry hair was straight down and she looked somewhat depressed at the counter; now she was fervent as red as her coat was, smiling from ear to ear with teeth whiter than pearls. Her hair was…like dark cotton candy sticking out of her flank and tail – it somehow wildly reminded me of a tree.

“High Hopes? This is your broker?” I turned to Silverblitz, very uncertain.

I was very skeptical that anypony would be happy under an innie-control government or taking job as a broker. Silverblitz merely said that he could trust her – with info and cooking.

Setting aside our guns and armor, we sat down for High Hopes’ ‘tea party’, munching on hay-sprinkled kebabs and chugging down some milkshake in cider jugs.  Well, I accidently mistook some hot sauce for a bottled drink.  When I had drunk enough to realize it, Lipizzaner and Blades had to throw the contents of their milkshakes into my burning mouth. Still, smoke bellowed out of my ears and nostrils with my mane erupted into fire.

“Whoopies-daisy! I forgot to put the label on that hot sauce!” High Hopes giggled, while Silverblitz levitated the hot sauce over and poured it on his kebab, having no side effects.  

Form High Hope’s behavior and her high pitched voice, I could see she was close to coming of age. This is great! A real life tea party with Blitzy’s friends! she thought.

“Do you have any apple pie by any chance?” I queried. High Hopes shook her head, saying that all the apples and flours were used up this morning.

November Flare finished his drink, saying “I do appreciate your hospitality High Hopes, but aren’t you supposed to have given us the data?”

“What data?” High Hopes asked.

“The information; Where Colonel Bulb Watts is hiding.” November specified.

“Oh…It’s not on me.” High Hopes stated, blissfully.  

We all stopped eating and shouted “It’s not?!”

“Nope,” High Hopes admitted “But it….on its way….”

“Are you bloody seriously, mate?!” Blades shouted, starting to walk away from the table. “We’ve got a high value target to capture and all you can think about is having a damn tea party!?”

High Hope laughed “Oh come on Bladey-wadey! Let’s just have some fun while we wait! You’re just too serious…”

“And you know what else? You’re too daft to be a broker. No, beyond daft - an idiot!” Blades hissed without thinking twice about what she had said.  The rest of us were speechless.

Now High Hopes shivered “But…I…I thought y-y-you would be happy….I only wanted t-to…do something while we wait.”

*Pop* FZZZZzzzzzzzz……

Then all of sudden, High Hope’s poufy hair deflated, turning back into its straight form, creating the sound of a popped balloon. How this was possible I wasn’t sure, but we could see it clearly with our eyes.

Now Blades seemed guilty, see thing instant change in High Hope’s mood. She uttered “Hey mate…I’m sorry. I just lost my senses. It’s a soldier thing you know….”

High Hopes continued to sniffle as I shot Blades an upset look. “Nice going…mate” I mocked.  This was the first time I was angry at Blades; usually she was never like this.

“Oi!” Blades argued “You once said wanted to bring down Watts more that I did. After all, your brother died on this world.”

That started me up “Cogneto….Cogneto would have…Ponyfeathers! We’re the same age and all I see is one us more with a shorter temper than the other.”

“And every second we’ve been ‘ere, you have been dishonoring your kin! We should be killing these innies instead of hiding from them!”  Blades shot back.  Ooh, that got me so mad; I tried to blink back tears.

“I can’t believe I have a poophead like you for a friend!” I yelled as I shoved Blades, who then falls into a pile of boxes, spilling out fish.

Blades then yells, “I worked my flank off at farm!  While you were some rotten egghead in a Library!” And then were both at swing of hooves at each other.

November Flare watched the two of us argue it out, unsure what to say, except “Hey, uh, girls…girls?” Oh man what should I say?  

Silverblitz kept rooting in his mind ….Cat fight, Cat fight…  

High Hopes frowned and sniffled thinking that this was all her fault.

So it was very unexpected when Lipizzaner came up between and pushed us away from each other.  “Girls! Is this any way to behave at a guest’s place?” Lipizzaner questioned.

“She started it!” I blurted out, sounding like angered filly.

“We’re on a mission in enemy territory; not on an olly-jolly vacation!” Blades spat.

Lipizzaner continued to listen to both of our sides of the argument, and then she separated us from High Hopes and the others.  November Flare wanted to help, but Lipizzaner told him to take care of High Hopes.

--

Somehow I’ve never seen Lipizzaner like this; she was always hiding and shy, scared of everypony around her.  Maybe it was because of our friendship, and she cared a lot about us

Once we were in a far corner of the attic, Lipizzaner said “I know we have important things to do and we are too busy for High Hope’s party; but if we wrap this mission around our heads, then how are we going to do this? Destiny, would your brother love you seeing this angry at a teammate?”

That was tough thing to refute with; Cogento liked it when I got angry – he called it part of ‘adrenaline’.  After I punched a bully at school, he blamed himself for telling me that and specified that I should use that adrenaline for ‘better things’ – like staying up or exercising.

“Lipizzaner, my brother loved seeing me angry…” I admitted “…but at a teammate…no…I guess…” I growled at the last two words.  Lipizzaner then turned to Blades.

“And Blades, you were promised a vacation here; why can’t you treat it like one?” Lipizzaner spoke in a softer tone.

Blades tried to look away, but Lipizzaner’s red eyes kept locking her in the conversation. She said, “Mate…It’s not the same; I was going to come here when I was young,  my parents promised me every night until the news fed me the Innie invasion on this place.”

“But Blades, just because it’s a different way of being on New Manebassa does not mean that it can’t work in a same way by little bit.” Lipizzaner stated, then turning to me.

“And as for you, Destiny, you don’t always know what under a pony’s surface, despite being our squad leader. Please be there for your soldiers when they cause trouble….uh, ma’am” Lipizzaner shyly said, noting I was still the leader of Team Indigo in their hearts (Dispute the boasting from ‘PONI-Recon-Operative’ Silverblitz).  

If only Lipizzaner should have known I had telepathy, that could I actually could see what was under a pony’s surface, she would think differently….what if I decided to just tell them right here and right now? Would everything be easier or harder in the long run?

“Destiny?” Lipizzaner wondered.

I stopped spacing out and just said “I’m fine…and I’m sorry”.  Then I pulled her and Blades into a hug.

I decided I wasn’t going to tell anypony I had mind reading powers; we just solved one problem; why bring up another?

“Uh, guys…Was I too assertive? I’m sorry if I was.” Lipizzaner squeaked shyly.  That made us laugh and we embrace her even more.

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

“What’s….what’s a time lord?” High Hope asked with her raspberry hair and her mood still down.

November flare had studied the Hourglass cutie mark on High Hope’s flank and asked the red earth pony if she knew about the best-selling Baltimare Sci-fi franchise ‘Doctor Whooves’ or the concept of time lords.

“Well…” November Flare began thinking of how to explain the concept. “Basically it’s a pony who...travels through time in a vehicle called the ‘Tradis’. He is has been around for thousands of years but he reincarnates himself as new pony after he dies, the latest one to be known was Time Turner, who was alive around until 3 ARL…”

“Why are you telling me this? I’m bored…and very confused…” High Hopes murmured

“Oh, uh….” November scratched the back of his neck, feeling slightly hurt “It’s just that you just have the same hourglass cutie mark as him…”

Fzzzzzzzzzzzzz *PHEW*

All of sudden, High Hopes’ face beamed.  Her mane exploded back into its poufy state upon the sound of confetti going off.

She happy rambled “No kidding, I hate pears too! Oh wait, maybe I do know him! You wait here, Novy Flare!” she strenuously ran to one of many boxes and started to dig out knickknacks and other items, looking for something.

“But I…never said anything about pears…” November Flare silently added. High Hoes didn’t respond, humming happily as she kept searching.

“Well that’s High Hopes for yah; the kid’s mood is wilder than a hurricane.” Silverblitz said, smoking on a Sweet Apple Cigar.

November seemed surprised “She’s still a kid? And she is your info broker? That’s not good occupation unless it’s something to put on a resume for a government job.”

Silverblitz replied “She’s not even close to being a full adult like us two; but she said she would do anything just to help me when we bumped into each other….”

Before November could ask how the two met, High Hopes rushed back clutching a scrapbook in her hooves.

She flipped though the book until she came to an old picture of a rock-farming earth ponies.  “See! This was my family when ponies only lived in Equestria!” High Hopes shouted.

November scanned the ponies, but found none of their cutie Marks matching High Hopes’.

High Hopes and November kept scanning though the book, finding many generations of earth ponies but no sign of High Hopes’ branch.

“High Hopes, do you remember anything? Do you have a family?” November asked.

“Nope!” High Hopes replied, as if it didn’t matter to her “Somehow I just can’t remember anything – like how I was born or who I am…meh…I just don’t know much, Novy.”

“Never mind about it then, Could I look around for a moment…I want to see if I can just craft something.” November asked, for crafting was his way of making use of his intelligent mind.

“Oh, you just make yourself feel at home! I’ll look for something” High Hopes leapt over a set off boxes to find a workbench.

Silverblitz then had to answer a call on his concealed wristed communicator, which was beeping loudly.  As he answered, it he whispered in a hushed tone.

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

After some hugs and apologies, Lipizzaner was making us go and say sorry to High Hopes.

Only when we got back to the tea table, Silverblitz and November Flare started to pack up their gear, taking our rifles with them. I asked what was going on.

Silverblitz hastily said “Operative Pan Cake has found Watts’s location – but he has no extraction; me and Flare will are going to give him.”

“So what about us three?” I asked.

November Flare then put his hoof on my shoulder a little worried “Look….I hate to do this after what you were kidnapped…but we’re going be taking the Pheonix….so it looks like you’ll have to stay here for at least the night.”

“At least the night?” Lipizzaner wondered.

November explained “Operative Pan Cake is on the other side of the planet – don’t expect us to come back soon.”

“What if you don’t come back? Why can’t we go with?” I asked, a little too quickly.

In his head November said I wished it wouldn’t come to this…I already lost you once and I was close to losing you for good.

“It’s just a simple pick-up. What could go wrong with me in charge?” Silverblitz asked.

“A search and recuse party!?!” High Hopes crashed though some boxes of tuna, making us all jump “CanIcomeCanIcomeCanIcomeCanIcomeCanIcomeCanIcome…”

Silverblitz calmly put a hoof over her mouth, a little irritated. “No, Hopes. The more ponies that are with us, the more we put at risk. It will be only us two stallions…but in the meantime-”

“I COULD HOLD AN ALL-MARE SLUMBER PARTY! WAIT RIGHT HERE!” High Hopes wailed and zipped off somewhere in the attic.

“Holy Dooley! She is filled with more surprises than all the grain on Bronze Harvest!” Blades exclaimed.

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

Few hours after November and Silverblitz left, there wasn’t much else to document. Other than all the ‘fun’ we had. Oh, and we also apologized to High Hopes, but she seemed to have forgotten everything.

We found an old slumber party guide to make this evening enjoyable. First we did truth or dare…which then led into an embarrassing dress up...with glittery dresses and hoof polishes.  Blades and I were humiliated while Lipizzaner and High Hopes enjoyed it.

Listening to High Hope’s favorite band ‘Zap-apple-jam’ on her radio, us four had a campfire inside the attic, using cleaned metal rods to stick our marshmallows on.  High Hopes put cashews with her marshmallows. Then she added gravy, pickles, mushrooms, some kebabs.

“Luck save the Princesses… you gonna eat all that?” Blades exclaimed.

“No – I’ll eat it and digest it!” High Hopes smiled then stuffing all that food into her mouth in one gulp.

After playing a board game we all decided to hit the hay, or rather the straw.  High Hopes pulled out three mattresses, claiming she keeps them around when she was locked in.

“Why three?” I asked.

“You can’t write ‘locked in’ without three syllables! I was locked in at least three times by the boss, until I leanred my lesson.” sang High Hopes setting up the straw mattresses.  'Locked in' actually had two syllables

Me and Blades were going to decide on draw spoons on who should share a straw mattress, but before we can start, High Hopes hugs me from behind happy saying “Can we share a mattress please, Desy-wesy!!?”

So after brushing my teeth and hiding the rest of our equipment, me and High Hopes collapse onto the bed, pulling a blanket over us. Lipizzaner and Blades feel fast asleep quickly, but before I could -

“Long day, huh, pal?” High Hopes chimed in my ear.

Gritting my teeth and wanting some sleep right away, I grumble “Yes…A very happy time; you sure know how to make friends…”  I shift uncomfortably on the straw bed; I missed my old hay bed back in ponyville library.

“Actually….I can’t…” High Hopes mumbled.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Well…you know how I change quickly between moods and my hair goes up or down? It happens to be so that ponies think I’m sensitive when they seem me do that…and there aren’t many mares my age that are nice to me…”

“What do they do? Can’t be that hard to fit in.” I ask placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“It’s not about fitting in! They…throw paper balls at me…wreck my tea parties…one time they wanted to turn my gunny into a scrap metal.”

“Your ‘Gunny’?” I wonder.  The answer to my question was High Hope’s confetti shotgun.

“You see…just by pulling the trigger on gunny and then pumping him makes me feel better; he never runs out of confetti, streamers, or joy…but I think he’s getting too old.” High Hopes rubbed the rusty parts of her shotgun resting by the mattress.

“Don’t you have a family?” I asked.  It was hard to ask but I wanted to know as much as I could about High Hopes.

High Hopes started to tear up and her hair was returning back into its lowly, straight state. “N-no….all I just remember is me working in factory…before I was sold here…”

“You’re…a slave?” I asked horrified.

High Hopes nods “Basically all I can do is try to be as happy as I can be…b-but…I don’t know if I have a family out there. I just…try to make things up; you know….that I’m related to Pinkie pie…b-but…”

“It’s okay, Hopes…” I say.

High hope’s thoughts trail into my head No….it’s not…I’ll be here, like always…while Silverblitz and you will go on adventures…it’s not fair…why can’t anything be fair?

I immediately whisper “Hopes…how come you never left? With Silverblitz I mean. You said you two worked together…”

“Uh-huh…but Blitzy always kept me here because I was a valuable asset…I don’t want to make him mad because I owe him…much…but that’s a long story…”

“Hopes…what if I took you on an adventure with me? You could come to my Greenhorn complex.” I offered. Silverblitz could get mad at me all he wanted but I wasn't going to let the innies do any more harm to this little pony.

“You….you…really meant it?” the red pony wondered.

Fzzzzzzzzzzzzz *PHEW*

When I gave a confident nod, her hair when back up.  She had smiled so wide, it was almost impossible to not smile back.

“WellgoodnightDestiny” was all I heard from High Hopes before she slammed her head on the mattress, instantly asleep.

As for me, I was having trouble falling asleep, since I was always trained to stay awake and partially because of the straw mattress.  I understood Blades’ previous concerns; we were in enemy territory where we could die without a fight…This was no joke….we were separated from November and Silverblitz… I still remembered Mendez’s words: “This will be the most lethal strike that we shall buck the innies with.”…we were in just as much danger if my team was found out.

I’m suddenly coaxed out of my worries as High Hopes nuzzles my wing, her tiny nose tickling against my feathers. As she snores cutely, I bring her closer, because Raysin did the same with me when I was young.

CHAPTER 9

“Specialists”

STABLEGRAD, NEW MANEBASSA

UPSTAIRS BASEMENT attic OF BEATTLE JUICE BAR

To put things short, I, Lipizzaner-039, Blades-204, and High Hopes woke up in the restaurant’s attic, still finding no sign of Silverblitz and November Flare – for three days since they left to collect somepony named ‘Pan Cake’.  It was hard to put off my worries about November Flare.

Not wanting to risk getting spotted outside in New Manebassa’s streets, all us greenhorns could do was sit in the attic and wait for them, while High Hopes would leave for her shift in Beattlejuice Bar downstairs and then come back up when the day was ending, where we would play games and tell stories.

With the restaurant being closed today, High Hopes was fixing breakfast for the four of us.  Bored out of my wings, I decided to explain to her the classified info of the Greenhorn program to High Hopes. Most ponies would be horrified to learn of the program or they would have been skeptical to believe in such things.  High Hopes wasn’t like most ponies, so I wanted to see her reaction.

High Hopes laughed as she flipped the last of four omelets in a pan over a mini campfire stove. “This Doctor Sparkle must be more loco than me on forty-grams of coco, Destiny…I mean, really? Kidnapped when you were a filly? Apple pie as a reward for a race? Your new last name being Dash-One-One-Seven? And killer bunnies? Man, the galaxy has gotten crazier by the minute…”

“No, High Hopes….it’s all true, even the part where my friends died in augmentation…” I informed.  

Using the pan, High Hopes catapulted the omelet onto Blades’ floating plate. Lipizzaner started to set up the plates and knives, sprinkling salt and pepper on the omelet.

Okay, stop calling Destiny loco; maybe Shirley? Or how about ‘Boss’? Or Dash-one-one-seven? High Hopes thought.  

I’ll admit, I guess I did like the sound of being called boss.

High hopes then said “You sure are loco, too… but I believe don’t believe in all of that augmenting-thingy-part, because last night when we tried hoof wrestling each other I won every time.”

I then replied “Last night, I was going easy on you; I can’t exhort my full strength. Otherwise, any pony near me…tends to get hurt.”

I remembered Strikeout’s ODSSs I had fought three days ago; if it weren’t for two of their deaths, I could have recklessly broken High Hopes’ foreleg.  It was a trade of three lives for one but it seemed worth it.

“Which gets hurt more around you? The badies or the goodies?” High Hopes asked, as we walked to the table.

“The-”

“Or the neutrals who reside in such grey area of morality, their ways must not be questioned?” High Hopes interrupted.  My response was that I didn’t want to talk about it.  

Even when we started to eat, High Hopes kept asking questions like why Lipizzaner was an albino earth pony, and why Blades kept her aqua-green mane in a ponytail.

We all just bear with High Hope’s questions because she is so young.

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

Once we were done with breakfast, we heard hoof steps coming up the stairs.  At first I thought it was November Flare and Silverblitz, only to remember that we were still in Insurrectionist territory. There was a chance it could be a patroller.

I then silently directed Blades and Lipizzaner to find cover behind boxes.  Having no weapons, I stanched crowbar and ducked behind a barrel with salmon inside

Lipizzaner then whispered “Where’s High Hopes?”

As the hoof steps came closer, I my eyes darted around the room.  High Hopes had once again mysteriously disappeared. But I could hear her thoughts briefly, as if she was behind me Yay! Let’s begin operation…after I find my things..

“How does she do that?” Blades wondered.

“Stay sharp, guys....” I ordered.

Three ponies entered the attic: an Insurrectionist earth pony soldier, with Silverblitz and November Flare in tow.  They all seemed surprisingly clam, as if expecting us to be here.

“Destiny? Destiny we’re back!” November Flare called out.  I still held my ground, not trusting the presence of an insurrectionist nearby.  But I’m sure this wasn’t a betrayal; It wasn’t like November Flare to turn his back on me.

“Silverblitz…you sure High Hopes is here, today?”  Asked the Innie soldier.

“Of course, Pan Cake…so were the other three….only I don’t understand why they aren’t here, now…”  Silverblitz wondered.

So this was Operative Pan Cake, still in his disguise I assumed.  I signaled for Lipizzaner and Blades to stay put, as I crawled out of cover, holding the crowbar in my mouth.

“Destiny, there you are!” November Flare cried out.

“Why do you have a crowbar in your mouth?” Silverblitz asked.

Dropping the crowbar in my mouth, I replied “I was little cautious of your friend here….” I waved my hoof at the innie soldier.

Silver cocked an eyebrow “Pan Cake? Don’t worry, junior chief petty officer…he’s just in disguise.”

In response, Pan Cake’s body glowed green and then it melted away to a twisted black body with insect wings, blue bug-like eyes, and a tiny horn.  In his true form, he flashed a smile at me with his fangs.

“So...Pan Cake is a changeling?” I asked.  I remember changelings as the invaders of Canterlot in 2ARL in that book I had loved when I was a filly.  Despite how much I despised their old actions, Mendez had dictated me to hold my personal feelings back if a ‘bad guy’ was going end up helping me.

Silverblitz explained, “Despite being run only by ponies, The Parliament of Naval Intel needed some better infiltrators. While not suited best for direct combat, changelings are perfect for going into innie territory, unless duty call’s me first.”

Pan Cake frowned. “Not even among the best of my kind uses our gifts so recklessly…” the changeling sighed.

November then cuts in “Where are the other girls?”

Blades and Lipizzaner came out slowly, relived to see their friends.  Lipizzaner waved shyly at Pan Cake, a little scared of Changeling’s frightening appearance.

“G’day mates.” Blades greeted.

November replied “Sure is one, Blades!  Not only we found Colonel Watts’s location; I was able to make something that could revolutionize medicine in the UNSCOE.”

When all November Flare got was silence – from our boredom of news about medicine -- he then said “Or….could it be considered a vital edge for us in this mission.” Then he shuffled though his pack to find it.

In his smiling mouth, November Flare presented to us some sort of a leather hexagonal pack with a red heart and the initials ‘M.M.M.’ on it.  We were still bored.

“The silence indicates we are not amused by your invention. Must I express this through rolling my eyes and saying ‘whatever’ rudely?” Silverblitz moaned, sarcastic

Geez…no pony has is interested in medicine these days… November thinks to himself. I kind of felt guilty because when I was younger, I always was interested in whatever he was tinkering, inventing, planning, or presenting.

So I force myself to clear my throat ask “Uh, what is it November?” From the official medical icon of a red heart on the pack, I assumed it was some kind of heath kit.

Finding that somepony was interested, November proudly (but not boastfully) expounded, “I call it a ‘Magical Mystery Medkit’; it instantly rejuvenates a wounded pony back into his or her healthiest state. All you just need to do is step on it.”

“That sounds somewhat interesting and helpful for frontlines assaults,” I noted. “Should we…do a demonstration?”

November shook his head “I wouldn’t recommend it, Destiny, I was only able to make three of these.  If my predictions are correct, Magical Mystery Medkits will completely disappear upon use, even If you aren’t that wounded. I advise caution on where you stepping, even if you have a paper cut.”

I smiled. “November, where do you make all these magical things? You always seemed to craft anything from everything…”

November simply said “I just make do with anything I’ve got. In this case, I used up some of the first aid kits and a few gems I bought along.”  From reading his thoughts again, I can see that he was happy not because of his work but because somepony still found his hobby interesting.

“I bet those two are family, are they not?” Pan Cake whispered, referring to me and November.  Blades and Lipizzaner nodded and explained to the changeling.

“Hey, as anypony seen High Hopes?” Silverblitz asked.

*BLAM* Chug-click!

We all duck behind cover…. And more confetti and steamers fly out toward us.  We saw High Hopes emerging from the darkness, holding her shotgun in her forehooves with a creepy skull mask dangling on a thread along her neck.

“Gunny and my skull mask just wanted to say hi! And we’re ready to join the operation! Whoo!” High Hopes squeaked, giving out her brightest freckled smile. She fire off another confetti round in happiness.

Silverblitz seemed confused. “Uh….High Hopes, I actually I need you to stay here; you are valuable asset by holding this attic for me as a safehouse and organizing necessary intelligence.”

Instead of descending into her depressed state, High Hopes shook her head. “No way, Blitzy I’m going with you! And Destiny is gonna make sure I get to go to Sigma Clopodia and meet Doctor Loco Sparkle!”

Silverblitz turned his head to me narrowing his eyebrows. Destiny, what did you do with my asset? He thought angrily.  This was the first time I saw the stallion in a negative mood.

I simply give a nervous smile before saying “What? It’s not fair that she has to live under innie control just for special operations.  She’s only a kid, Silverblitz. She can’t be herself under innie control…”

That didn’t sway Silverblitz. He replied, “And somehow you managed to keep your morals in the Greenhorn program! You don’t make the calls on my assets, 117.  That’s my job.”

High Hopes was still retaining her positive outlook when she hoofed to Silverblitz saying “I was ready if you were going to deny taking me with you.  Because if you don’t…”

Silverblitz scoffed “Then what? You’ll tell the innies you let into your attic five ponies from the UNSCOE? They’d execute you first.”

High hopes shook her head, still smiling. “Nope! I’ll post the adorable feelings you have for Luna on your Skipe page!”  She then pulled out a file, with large letters ‘top-top-secret’ stamped on the front.

“Wait….what?” I wondered aloud.  Princess Luna and Silverblitz?  This had to be joke.

High hopes then thinks They are going think this is joke.  Unless I show them part where Silverblitz and Luna are licking each other’s snouts…aww, it’s so cute when I think about it…wish I had a coltfriend…

Whoa…that was…unexpected…to float into my mind (I wished when this power came back that it had filters). Me, Blades, Lipizzaner and November flare just were paralyzed as Silverblitz panicked and Pan Cake grinned.

“WHAT?! How did you get that file? And you’re saying you have my account password?” Silverblitz yelled

High Hopes giggled “Oh, my audience doesn’t call me ‘The Shipmaster’ without a reason…I’ve got more files of this romance from your PONI colleagues. Also I’m an info broker…but I never was entirely your info broker. This is my proof.”  She waved the file in her hooves and nodded to Pan Cake.

Panicking, Silverblitz turned to the changeling. “You gave her those pictures and my password!?”

Pan Cake nodded gleefully saying, “It was good practice for a PONI operative…and High Hopes also has a full recording of you and Luna wooing each other.”

Desperate to save visuals of his secret relationship, Silverblitz used his magic to try to snatch the file away from High Hopes’s hooves.  

However, the little red pony was ready, for she raised her shotgun. *BLAM* Chug-click! When she fired it, a real-live shotgun round came out and struck Silverblitz’s horn releasing his magical grip.

Expecting confetti, bro? High Hopes taunted, giving out a harmless chuckle “I didn’t install a bottomless clip and multiple firing modes into gunny for nothing!”

“Shotguns don’t have clips; they have shells.” November Flare refuted.

“Here’s what I say to that: Shotguns shells and school bells make great sounds…but a bottomless clip, fired from the hip, holds my ground.” High Hopes sang.

Touché I, November Flare, Blades, and Lipizzaner thought at the same time.

Then, the High Hopes then gave a wide grin Silverblitz. “I’m just that good, Blitzly.  So you are going to take little me on your mission? Or do you want everypony, including Princess Celestia, to see you and Luna smooching?  The most merciful thing Celestia can do is imprison you in the place she banishes you…”

Seeing had he was defeated by his own resource, Silverblitz slowly turned white-hot, his face twisting and scrunching up. Then his mane erupted into fire as he screamed, “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”

I later I would come to know both Silverblitz and High Hopes always held surprises for us.

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

NEW MANEBASA OCEAN

PHOENIX DROPSHIP

So that was how little red riding hood, or ‘the Shipmaster’, was on board our phoenix which was still carrying the cargo crate on its behind, headed to Watt’s fortress.  

As November Flare continued to glide the dropship smoothly over the sun setting sea, Silverblitz stood amongst us all, clad in a blue bullet-proof Recon vest.  The vest had huge white letting saying “P.O.N.I.” on the chest and the underlayer selves connected to two wrist guards.  Silverblitz donned the diamond-shaped helmet, his eyes displaying seriousness behind the thin green visor. Right where his horn stuck out were the letters ‘S.B.’

Silverblitz cleared his throat “Alright team…this is for the history books…we are going to-”

“- be led by you?” Blades cheekily asked, knowing that Silverblitz was going to say it.

All Silverblitz did was shrug his shoulders, still ready to horse around. “Pretty much…but we’re going into Bulb Watt’s vacation home. Let Pan Cake show you a visual of his fortress.”

Pan Cake got out of his seat and concentrated on bending the visible spectrum of magic with his crooked changeling horn.  Then he projected a three-dimensional hologram of the Fortress. Silverblitz went into detail to explaining the layout of the fort:

“It’s a floating island project.  The flat mainland, which is big as four neighborhoods combined, is sealed around a thick and towering wall.  Scaling above the walls is a tower, located in the center of the mainland – Watts is enjoying his leisure time on the top most level.  There is an airpad that extends from the small mainland by a bridge.  The phoenix will land here, and then at least team beta will attract attention away from team alpha.”

Silverblitz continued without taking a breath or becoming short of it the he started to describe the rest of his plan; half of us would somehow go underwater and infiltrate through some opening then we would make our way to Watts.  Meanwhile, team beta would be handing over the cargo and possibly securing a vehicle for a quick evacuation to the back to the phoenix, which was going to be readied by Pan Cake.

“Me as the pilot?” Pan Cake wondered. “Blitz, I can drive a warthog, but a phoenix? It’s been years since even I ran a simulation!”

“Too bad, Pan Cake – I need featherbrain, his head, and those Magical Mystery Medkits he made. You nearly got caught previous time, so the guards may be looking for a changeling.” Silverblitz said.  “High Hopes, Lipizzaner; can I trust you in charge of handling the cargo?”

Both ponies nodded eagerly.  Silverblitz told them “You’ll be presenting the cargo crate full of cigars and cookies.  Watts probably wants to get his hooves on these desperately now that the deliver for them is three days late…..”

An idea flowed into my head “Hey, Silverblitz? I’ve thought of something that allows us to be taken into Watts’ tower more easily…”

Silverblitz replied “Alight. Shoot.”

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

NEW MANEBASSA OCEAN

COLONEL BLUB WATTS’ FORTRESS

When the fortress came into sight, Pan Cake (disguised as an insurrectionist pilot) swerved the Phoenix towards the air pad, where other air vehicles were stationed.

The fortress matched the exact picture that Pan Cake had projected to the team; the air pad extending out of a walled mainland, with a tall tower topped with the red insurrectionist flag in the center.  It looked like an industrialized version of an evil castle. He prayed to Chrysalis that he wouldn’t have to come back here again.

“Air pad control to Phoenix dropship, please state your ID and purpose here.” A voice over the intercom said.  It had a low and gruff growl…something that didn’t belong to a pony…

Having rehearsed what he should say, Pan Cake replied “Phoenix to air pad, this is Dropship Vector-359 and we’re here to give a late delivery to the Colonel - Apologies.”

“Air pad control to Phoenix dropship, you are clear to land on the airpad. Dock in lot 4 and wait for a supervisor to come by before exiting your vehicle, over.”

High Hopes and Lipizzaner quickly got on their anti-UNSCOE marine armor, just to look like soldiers. They practiced putting on serious faces and tried to stand straight as possible on their fours. High hopes persisted in taking her shotgun and wearing her skull mask.

As for me, Blades, Silverblitz and November Flare…we went along with my idea; the four of us hiding in the Cargo crate.  If Watts wanted his Cargo of cigars and to be delivered to him personally, it would probably end up in his quarters. If it didn’t, we would still be inside the base.  

The only down side to my plan was that it was cramped and lightless inside the cargo crate.

“I can't breathe!" November cried

"Ow, my pony tail! Who pulled it!?!” Blades whined

"Move your flank out of the way, Destiny!" Silverblitz hollered

"Me? What about you and your amour show off!? Why do you need it?" I blurted out in the dark.  

“That’s classified.” Silverblitz huffed. If only you knew about the helmet camera that records all my missions.  Apparently, those recordings aren’t for all eyes. And this suit carries all the things a recon operative needs.

“Oh,” I uttered, understanding what Silverblitz’s reasons were.  

“What?” Silverblitz wondered

“I mean…Oh, come on! It’s classified? That’s the best reason for you to come up with?” I replied back, trying to cover it up.  Then I realized that maybe I didn’t need to cover it up.

“Hey, Destiny? Where is my tactical visor?” November wondered pushing aside some cookies and cigars

“lock it down, lads!” Blades hissed “The Phoenix has landed!”

We all are silent all silent right there and then.  After few seconds, the crate suddenly jerks forward and was tossed on a steel surface.

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

Lipizzaner and High Hopes stepped forward with cargo as a nervous Pan Cake consulted with dock manager. Lipizzaner was glad that Pan Cake was still able to retain his form as a pilot, despite being filled with anxiety about the mission.

The airpad was surrounded on all sides with water expect for a bridge that stretched into Watt’s fortress on one side.  On the other side, were a beautiful sunset and the endless ripples in the ocean of New Manebassa.

If one could see that wide smile behind High Hope’s skull mask, they would know she wished it could stay like that forever.

“Hey, Lipizzaner? Did you know I can stare at the sun infinitely?” High Hopes stated.

“Won’t your eyes get hurt and you’ll go blind?” Lipizzaner asked.

“Nope.”  High Hopes replied.

Turning around, Lipizzaner gasped at the scope of the fortress’s walls and the tower within; however not much artistic detail was present.  She snapped into a serious face as she saw a group of dog mercenaries strolling in her direction.

Don’t be scared…don’t be scared… she told herself.

The mercenaries that came up to her and High Hopes were all dogs in their earthy and stone colors. They seemed to have week legs but strong torso’s and arms.  They all had makeshift helmets and had red flags attached to their vests.  Their fully-automatic assault rifles had the safety off.

“Errr…little ponies! I see you have Cargo for master!” The first one greeted his head and paws hovering over Lipizzaner.

“Y-yes. Yes sir! This is for Colonel Blub Watts.” Lipizzaner stated.

“Hmm…you are late, white pony. Very, very late! Why? You make master angry!” The dog growled.

“Why should that matter, Mr. Mercenary? Now that the cargo is here Watts can have all the cigars and cookies, he can much on for an eternity!” High Hopes replied, patting the cargo box.  She looked rather silly to the dog mercs having her skull mask and rusty shotgun by her side.

“Little skull pony says cargo in box. We make sure that its only cargo!” The dog hissed and shoved High Hopes and Lipizzaner out of the way.

The dog pulled out some sort of device that looked like a cross between a laser gun and a video camera, saying “We no want bombs…or spies…or pranks! Master hates pranks!” The dog said.

Lipizzaner sweated, knowing that if that that device, which was likely a scanner, picked up their friends, the mission was going to be busted quickly without getting past Watt’s walls.

High Hopes quickly interjected random a saying, hoping it would buy time. “Hey, Mister! Can you ‘Frog-blast’ a vent core!?”

“Huh?” the Dog wondered.

“What are you doing?” Lipizzaner whispered. What the hay did ‘frog-blasting’ meant?

“I’m doing something, at least!” High Hopes refuted silently before turning back to the dog. “The cake is a prank. Your life is life. Your mama-”

“Huh? Little skull pony is speaking no sense! No cake in box, only cargo!” The dog snarled, ready to scan the box again.

Lipizzaner’s heart stop and the dog’s scanned the cargo from top to bottom. And again, and again…But no signs of detection.

The dog turned to his mercenary comrades “Grrr…this cargo is no prank. Cargo has no spy or bomb! Or no cake! Take it to master Watts, now!”

Two dogs mercs got on either side of the crate and lifted it up, marching across the bridge into the fortress.

Lipizzaner was relived but she wondered how her team was able to avoid detection in the crate. Then she remembered she had other things to do as part of the mission – they had to secure a vehicle for quick departure. She would let Destiny’s team handle things on their end.

“Uh, excuse me mister…” Lipizzaner asked the diamond dog with the scanner.

“Dog - Call me dog, little pony!” The dog replied.

“Okay…but I was wondering if…uh…” Lipizzaner wasn’t quite sure how to say she wanted to get inside of the base.

Luckily High Hopes came along “Oh, we’re just wondering if we could get a tour of the colonel’s grand fortress, while our amigo pilot rests here…unless you aren’t a handsome or smart enough dog…” High Hopes said, batting her eyelashes.

The dog was apparently dumb enough to be swayed easily by the sweet talk. “Yes…yes…little skull pony and little white pony shall come! I, smartly-handsome dog, shall give tour!  But pilot pony must come too! No stay alone on air pad!”

---

The dog started to lead High Hopes, Lipizzaner, and Pan Cake into the fortress.  Apparently the area between the surrounding wall and the central tower was barren of any buildings; just some vehicles and hundreds of thousands dogs marching about.

Lipizzaner could see the cargo crate with Destiny’s team inside heading into the tower.  However the mercenary dog that was leading them was taking them in a separate direction, towards the inside of the wall.

“How are we going to dust off now?” High Hopes wondered.  If nopony was at their phoenix, immediate extraction was impossible.

Pan Cake replied.  “On my recon, I found out that Watts has a private hanger. There he keeps an emergency aircraft.  It’s not only fast – it’s devastating.”

“Excuse me…but how are you good at collecting all this information?” Lipizzaner asked.

Still in his pony pilot disguise, Pan Cake’s eyes flashed green. “I’m a changeling, remember? How great infiltrators were they in 2 ARL?”

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INSIDE WATT’S TOWER

BOTTOMMOST LEVEL

When I woke up still inside of the Cargo Crate, I asked what the hay just happen.  

Turing on his suits flashlight, Silverblitz told me he was able to cast a spell that temporarily ceased our pulses.  I could also see Blades and November also starting to wake up.

“It takes a lot of energy; PONI operatives do it to shut up anypony that could give away their position, without killing them.  In rare cases where the operative himself has to drop dead, these A-grade recon suits-” Silverblitz patted his armor “-cast the same spell on him.”

“Like in case somepony is scanning for infiltrators?” I asked.

“That’s right…now, how do we know if it’s safe to open this hatch? And where did they toss this box?” Silverblitz grunted.

“Leave that to me,” November shuffled a popped up from the stash of cookies and cigars his ionic, modified, but unusual-looking ‘tactical visor’.

-

LORE:

The tactical visor was a prototype UNSCOE helmet’s microphone, earpiece, and left-eye visor taken out and then reconnected. November had modified it to have different vision-modes, like X-ray, Night Vision, and thermal. It also includes a motion tracker, which Silverblitz’s recon helmet lacks

-

Switching his visor mode between thermal and x-ray mode November reported “We’re in some kind of a warehouse…and there are at least five guards here…two at an elevator. They all are dog mercenaries.”

“Dog mercenaries? Why not ponies?” Blades wondered.

“Dogs aren’t bright but they are stronger that ponies. That’s what the colonel was looking for when he was choosing his guard.” Silverblitz replied, popping open the box’s top hatch.

All four of us crawled out and were met with an eerie silence. Crates upon creates were stacked on top of each other in the formation of a dark maze.

Silverblitz pushed a nearby weapons crate forward. I took a sniper rifle, Blades decided to levitate a fully-automatic assault rifle, November was handed a 3-round-burst battle rifle.  Silverblitz already had his suppressed pistol out.

“Remember…stay quiet and let me do the shooting.” Silverblitz warned.

“Because of the suppressor on your gun?” I pointed out.

“That and because I’m in charge.” Silverblitz winked behind his lime-green visor.

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

Instead of shooting, we spent most of the time in the warehouse watching Silverblitz magically cloak himself invisible and backstab three out of five patrolling dog guards.  It looked too easy.  To help cover up our tracks, Blades used her own magic to levitate the Dog’s corpses into an empty crate.

“There…now all that leaves is the guards at the elevator…” Blades stated.  All four of us clawed our way to an intersection, with one way leading up to an elevator doors and the two dogs guarding it.

SIiverblitz tossed me and November clean combat knifes. “I want to see you have a try at it, chief petty officer. And you too, featherbrain.”

“Sure thing,” November replied.

“Hay yeah…” I replied eagerly.

Silverblitz used his magic to cloak both of me and November and our weapons.  However, when you’re invisible, it’s hard to know where you are standing.  I almost tripped and wasn’t sure at first which way I holding the knife in my mouth.

Invisible, we crept around a corner in front the guards.  To attract their attention and move them away from the elevator, November knocked down a pile of boxes nearby.  Seeing mess was made, one of the dogs barked an order to his comrade go over and to clean up the mess.

Just as the dog was going to pick up the crate, November Flare shoved the dog down by one knee, and then stabbed him in the throat, instantly.

The other dog was frightened, now that his friend seemed to have died out of thin air and he fired his assault rifle at November’s position, barking loudly. Still invisible, November dodged the bullets a he last second. The lone dog began to proceed cautiously forward.

Holding a knife in my mouth, I crept behind the dog. Then my knife plunged into its neck, and got stuck there.  Worse of all it didn’t kill the diamond dog; it just set him off screaming and firing his assault rife in random directions.  

Now in fear, I flew up to the warehouse ceiling but a bullet went into my blackleg.  I yelped in pain, but the dog’s hollowing was louder.

Fortunately, Blades teleported behind the dog and used her augmented strength to snap its neck.

Silverblitz uncloaked me and November Flare, sternly saying “Everypony to the elevator! Some dog mercs upstairs were bound to have heard those gunshots.”

As all four of us stripped the guards of ammo, we dashed (I limped) into the elevator. Silverblitz thinks Note to self; never give Destiny a chance to assassinate

I would’ve dwelt over how I could have taken down the dog in a better fashion but now I had to keep my mind straight. The primary objective was capturing Watts.

As November wrapped a bandage around my leg wound, Silverblitz pressed the button for top level and away we went.

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

WATT’S FORTRESS, CENTRAL TOWER, TOP LEVEL

Watts had one level all to himself. It was huge enough to build a house inside of and was surrounded by mega-large windows.  The level itself was so high, that the only horizon line of the ocean and the sunset could be seen, and the walls of his fortress below were cropped out of the window view.

The interior of the room held many tall statues, exotic artworks, a small bar in the corner, a sealed up jacuzzi imbedded within the floor, and a king sized hay bed where Bulb Watts snored heavily.

We all saw that the level was full of luxurious attractions. But Colonel Bulb Watts himself was an old earth pony stallion who was snoring heavy with an unshaved mouth and a cutie mark of light bulb.  He even slept with his innie beret on.

“Any idea on how we should…take him in without waking him up?” Blades wondered.

All of sudden, Watts stirred and began uttering “Huh…Night Roamer…not now…five minutes please…”  We all stopped dead in our tracks and held our breath until Watts continued snoring.

Silverblitz grinned as he began casting the pulse-ceasing spell “Stand back, ponies. It’s time to put Watts into a real sleep…”

After the spell was cast, Watts stopped snoring.  November checked his pulse to make sure it was truly gone…well, for now.   Then we began to ask ourselves how we were going to carry him with us unnoticed.

As for me, I breathed a long breath and wiped sweat away from my forehead. We were all seeing that this operation against the innies was going well; four UNSCOE PONIES made it into Watts’s quarters and were ready to kidnap him.

Right then, alarms rang on the walls and sirens painted the room in red. Over the loud speakers a gruff voice shouted. “ALERT! GUARDS FOUND DEAD IN BASEMENT!  NERBY UNITS, PROTECT MASTER! OTHER UNITS FIND THOSE LITTLE PONIES!”

….I HATE IT when I speak too soon.

“Damn! We’re in tight pickle now!” Blades screamed, floating her assault rifle.

Meanwhile, Watts had begun to stir within on his bed until he was standing up right. It took him a few moments to realize what was happening. In his aging colonel voice he stuttered, “Huh? What? Fellow rebels, are we under attack? Wait…Are you rebels?”

Uh...oh…wrong spell… Silverblitz realized. He covered up the part of his chest plate that read ‘PONI’. He tried to back away from the colonel without looking worried.

“Uh…yeah….” I said, trying to come up with false story “We just came to try to evacuate you silently; there are ponies loose in this place trying to kill you. We’re…uh…”

“Special forces; for your safety, you ought to come with us, colonel.” Blades finished. He’s quite a simpleton for a colonel… she thought.

Watts looked dumbfounded, but he jumped out of bed “How did these sneaky ponies you speak of get past my guard dogs? And where is Night Roamer? She would be with you special forces if you came to evacuate me.”

“Who?” November Flare asked.

“Uh…Guys.” Silverblitz whispered, gesturing to the elevator doors.  Beside them, the vertical line of buttons lit up as the elevator itself was coming up.

Beside me, November glanced at the motion tracker his tactical visor. “I’m reading over ten Dog mercenaries in elevator coming up.”

Behind both of us, Colonel Bulb Watts inquired, “Well than what’s to worry about my guards coming up here? Their just checking that I’m safe, which I am…right?”

When we didn’t answer the Colonel questioned “You ponies are special forces, right?’

Before anyone could give him an explanation, I took out my sniper rifle and swung it lightly at Watt’s head.  The stallion’s beret went flying and landed on one of many statues, while the colonel himself went down.

I checked to make sure he was just knocked out cold – thank Celestia that there was only a broken nose and his pulse was still going. However everypony did see it was a risky move to silence to him, though they didn’t say it aloud.

What was she thinking? Her augmentations could’ve killed him.  Aw well; at least they didn’t… November Flare thought.

To halt the dogs in the elevator coming up, Blades magically forced the elevator doors open.  Then, Silverblitz took one of his knives and threw in at the elevator cable, swiftly cutting it and causing the elevator to plummet downwards. After few moments, a loud crash at the bottom of the dark shaft signaled that it was safe.

“Next time, I want to be the next to have a go with one of your blades.” Blades said.

Silverblitz nodded, “Deal…Somepony contact High Hopes’ team…”

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

ELSEWHERE, WATTS FORTRESS

After Pan Cake was able to dispose of their dog escort, his had to stops at sealed exits to either hack the lock or kill guards.

Lipizzaner was a little shocked, but she never hesitated to shoot for her safety. As for high hopes….she was happy covering the enemies in gum and confetti.

As Pan Cake was working on the last lock to Watt’s private hanger, his wrist communicator broke his concentration. Frustrated, he answered it.

“Yes, Blitz?” the changeling moaned.

“Pan! We need evac now!”

“I noticed - the alarms went off outside. How are you holding up?”

“Watts is…taken care of, but the enemy knows where we are now. And…the elevator’s busted. Where’s that evac? Where is Hopes and that other greenhorn?”

Pan Cake rolled his eyes. “I had to tag along with them; we’re safe and sound as long as dogs keep coming to you position.  Just keep holding it; I’m breaking into Watt’s hanger.”

Make it fast, Changeling! Waiting for failure isn’t….OH HORSEAPPLES, INCOMING!

Pan Cake could hear the sound of several pieces of glass shattering and the sound of several huge explosions.  “Blitz? What the heck just happened? Blitz?”

Silverblitz coughed on the other end “Apparently…the dog guards outside are aiming rocket launchers at our level of the tower.  It looks like they want to try to coax us out.”

Hovering next to Pan Cake, Lipizzaner seemed worried listing intently to every word.  Pan Cake then simply replied “Don’t worry….just hold your position, out.”

“Yeah….don’t worry about the rockets…or the tower possibly collapsing” Silverblitz sarcastically breathed before another explosion ended their communication.

“Are my friends, alright?” Lipizzaner wondered.

“They won’t be if I can’t get this lock to open!” Pan Cake hissed fiercely. Then just gave up. “Dammit! You would need a specific pass card to get through this door.”

“Like this one?” High Hopes chirped, waved in front of Pan Cake’s eyes a pass card.

Pan Cake was surprised “How did you get this…”

Behind her skull mask, the young High Hopes beamed “Being a really young info broker, I do a lot of things that other ponies don’t think I do…”

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

TOWER TOP LEVEL

*Krapow!* Went my sniper rifle from the top level, from the shatter observation window.  Beside me, November acted as my spotter, with targets being highlighted on his visor. Luckily for us the dogs weren’t as great with long-range accuracy as they were with brute strength.

The piercing sniper round that I had fired landed a headshot on a dog with a rocket.  When I reloaded my heart briefly stopped, seeing how far down it was from the top level of the tower to the base.

“Two down, eighteen to go!” November reported, pointing to the other rocket-wielding guards briefly.  I reloaded my sniper rifle and kept raining down death upon then. Thanks to augmentations even my accuracy was unparalleled. After a while, the 3-burst sound of November’s battle rifle also joins the choir of my sniper-fire and rocket exploding around us.

--

The dogs saw that they couldn’t keep sending out troops with rocket launchers to get snipped by me and November.  Even if it weren’t for us, they could, they were risking bringing down the tower with their rockets, thus killing Watts in the process.  And even if Watts was possibly dead, bringing down the tower would kill most of the dogs around it. So they started to retreated back into the fortress walls, trying to formulate another plan.

As I reloaded, November Flare contacted Pan Cakes via a microphone close to his tactical visor “Team beta…the guards have retreated back into the walls.  However, they may be closer to you position now more than ever.”

“Noted – we’re in the private hanger and have secured transport. It’s going to take some time to start the Vulture up but my team will get on it. Over.”Pan Cake responded

“November what’s a Vulture?” I asked.  Being a pilot, November knew every single thing in the UNSCOE fleet that could fly off the ground.

“Oh, it’s a prototype six-pony gunship...” November began but Blades called us over

“Oi, mates! Something is coming up from the lift shaft.”  Blades noted, hearing a faint clanging coming from within the closed elevator shaft.

“I’m pretty sure we already took care of that, Blades.” Silverblitz snorted.  But he still hefted his suppressed pistol at the elevator doors. Blades levitated her assault rifle, and November and I did the same with our guns.

Without a warning the doors went flying from a sudden explosion within the shaft. Silverblitz teleported out of the way, as Blades magically halted the incoming doors.

Striding slowly out of the smoking elevator shaft was a black earth pony with a crimson and blonde mane, red eyes.  And trailing behind her were other dog guards…and all of them were pissed off.

The black pony had an entirely robotic left leg.  Wrapped around her other hoof was device with a barrel and small cans around it marked with ‘FOR M7057 FLAMETHROWERS ONLY’ labels. Her red skull cutie mark was oddly familiar…

“You….” I hissed at the black pony “It’s you! You're...that pony…” I was speechless, for this pony was the same mare who ordered the death of my brother twelve years ago on this world.

“My name is Lieutenant Night Roamer…veteran rebel, earner of over 200 medals…and currently, Heroine of New Manebassa.” The black pony introduced herself.

November Flare growled “So you were the one who broadcasted the invasion over our network and ordered-”

“My big-brother-best-buddy-for-eternity’s death!” I screamed. Then I realized what I just referred to Cogneto by his old nickname, because now everypony felt like laughing at me, except for November who felt sorry.

Silverblitz seemed confused Wait…what are a we talking about now?

Blades tried to hold in her laughter Big-brother-who-now?

Felling embarrassed, I turn my attention away from my friends and then back to Night Roamer, who chuckled darkly “Well, little pony…if its revenge you searched, then its revenge you shall get.”

Night Roamer gave a sharp whistle, sending more guard dogs, all armed with assault rifles, to come crawling up the shaft.  With her robotic hand, she pulled out a magnum from behind.

“Weapons Free!” Silverblitz chanted.

CHAPTER 10

“Departure”

NEW MANEBASSA OCEAN

WATT’S FORTRESS

SECRET ON HANGAR BOTTOMMOST LEVEL

“Seriously? I have to fly this vehicle, too?” Pan Cake, groaned within the tight inside of the Vulture gunship.  There were six seats with a different panel for different function at each seat.  The inside of gunship was basically one rectangular cylinder with little room to maneuver around.

“Why not?” High Hopes snorted, still wearing her skull mask. “We drew Straws. And you picked the shortest one”

The changeling moaned, shoving himself into the pilot’s seat “The last thing I’ll ever be good at is flying! I hope you ponies will eventually realize that.”

“Uh…Pan Cake…” Lipizzaner Shyly uttered.

“What?!” The changeling groaned, throwing up his holed forelegs.

Lipizzaner tapped on the cockpit window “There are dogs outside….a lot dogs. Um…not that you didn’t see them…I’m...just...worried.”

Pan Cake leaned out of his seat, finding some enraged dogs starting to race towards their Vulture Gunship. They started crawling on to the hull, trying to bash through the hull with their grey large fists.

“Oh crap! High Hopes, why didn’t you seal the hangar doors behind us?!” Pan Cake screamed.

“I thought you only told me to seal those doors, not the hanger doors”  High Hopes pointed to the main hatch on the roof of the gunship and the emergency hatches on the sides and ceiling, cover with duck tape.

Wasting no time as the dogs howled and kept bashing the dropship, Pan Cake sat back down and started to activate the dropship, pulling down various levers and punching random bottoms “I just hope I don’t have to do anymore flying today!”

The Vulture started hover off the floor and its back engine’s began to rotate and light up.

“I don’t think you will!”  Lipizzaner screeched, her white hoof pointing outside the cockpit window to a dog mercenary loading a rocket launcher

“So, Pan cake…is that a yes or a no? On the flying I mean.” High hopes asked, noticing the rocket dog outside.

Pan Cake reacted quickly and pulled a lever, not knowing what it would do.  It made the Vulture jerk upward, fast as a bullet.  It broke through the Hagar ceiling, clearing off any dogs still clutching on to it.  

CRASH!

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

After breaking it way through multiple levels of the fortress, their Vulture emerged between the fortress walls and the tower, airborne and outside.

“Whew…that was two-times-too close, even for me.” High hopes breathed.

“So are they.” Lipizzaner taped the radar on the control panel.  It picked up three fast-moving red blips coming towards then.

Pan Cake leaned further into the cockpit window as saw that two broadswords fighters piloted by dog mercs and the Phoenix dropship that was used for the mission.  Pretty soon they begun unleash  barrage of bullets.

“I'm with you on that,” Pan Cake mumbled, as he swerved the Vulture away from its pursuers, getting ready for a huge air battle

High Hopes found a pair of shades out of nowhere and placed them on her face “Looks we got ourselves in a…Dogfight…”

“Yay?” Lipizzaner Questioned.

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

WATTS FORTRESS, TOWER’s TOPMOST LEVEL

“Weapons free!” Silverblitz chanted, giving the order to fire.  As soon as we pulled our rifles up, Silverblitz magically yanked Night Roamer's Magnum out of her robot forehoof.  

The black mare then sprayed a jet of fire out of her hoof-strapped flamethrower.

Simultaneously, Blades threw up an overshield around each our coats, causing it to act like a glowing set of magical armor.  To follow it up, Silverblitz used his magic to produce a whirlwind, spinning some of the dogs back into the air before they fell on the hard floor.

Night Roamer was about to be launched into the air as well, but she locked her robotic foreleg into the floor.

We took this moment to run for cover.  I glided to behind one of the many statues in the room, while across from me November and Blades couched behind Watt’s bed. The captured and concussion-suffering colonel was also residing behind the bed too.

Instead of finding cover, Silverblitz had taken this time to turn invisible.

“It’s been five years after my mission on Hoof Kong, and all you managed to do was get me a better arm, Silverblitz!” Roamer taunted to the thin air where the PONI stallion hid.

Silverblitz reappeared out of nowhere, two knifes ready to be brought down on Night Roamer.

However, Roamer’s reflexes were quicker, as she brought up her robot foreleg in defense.  Silverblitz still gripped his knifes as they pierced through the metal.  However, Night Roamer shrugged The PONI stallion, along with his weapons, off, before she used her flamethrower to puff out clouds of fire.

After teleporting away before he was burned where he was standing, Silverblitz magically drew out his sliced pistol, firing off three rounds at Night Roamer’s head.  As Night Roamer used her robot foreleg to take all three shots, Silverblitz vanished once again.  

That’s when Night Roamer ordered to the dog mercenaries, “Get the hay up you dogs and root out the rest of those ponies. And one of you, call up the minotaur!”

“Oi, did she just say ‘minotaur’?” Blades asked me.

“Yeah I think she did, but one problem at a time, Blades!” I reminded her of the dogs.  If we had to fight a minotaur later, then so be it.

I popped out of my cover and pulled the trigger on my sniper rifle with Night Roamer in my scope’s central reticule.  But almost faster than light, the black pony did a quick roll out of the way, causing the bullet to imbed itself into a wall.  I ducked behind cover as more dog mercenaries began firing their assault rifles at the base of the statue where I hid.

Across from my position, Blades and November tried to hold them back by popping in and out of cover, with Blades using her magic to deflect the bullets away from her.  Silverblitz was still invisible, but he kept backstabbing, with two dogs falling every nine seconds.  But for every two dogs dead, two more crawled up the elevator shaft.  And during all this, all Night Roamer did was evade every single shot that was a hair away from killing her.

Damn…she’s like some bloody acrobat! Blades roared in her head.

On the other hoof, with my enhanced reflexes and dexterity, I made my sniper rifle perfect for close-quarters-combat. But I realized I was running out of ammo…a little too quick to realize it.

A dog lobbed a grenade at the statue I was taking cover behind.  I zipped away as it exploded, sending a million pieces of stone showering down on me.  Then another dog was able to put a few bullets into my wings, causing me to grunt in pain and loose grip of my sniper rifle.  

Blades safely teleported me to her position behind the bed.  November fired a 3-round-burst to the head of dog with another active grenade in his claws.  After three seconds, the grenade detonated and ignited most of the dogs in the room on fire (seeing that it was a firebomb grenade). This caused other grenades the dogs had belted to their vest to detonate and send their limbs flying. Night Roamer spiraled into a wall, and then lay still without a stir.

“Smashing Work, Lieutenant.” Blades admired, patting November on the back.

“I just did that?” November Flare wondered aloud.

“Don’t ask, mate.” The magenta unicorn replied “Course yah did! That’s why you’re on the team!”

For a second, there was a sudden silence; no dogs came up the elevator, no gunshots, or whizz of bullets.  It was an unusual kind of quite.  I didn’t anticipate it lasting long, though.

Silverblitz reappeared and placed a forehoof on the side of his helmet to contact Pan Cake. “Pan Cake…our situation is green.  No more targets coming up.  How are things on your end?”

“Pan Cake here; we kinda got caught in a…a dogfight…but ETA is damn quick.  Stand by for pickup.”

Although the fiery pain of bullets in my wings and my leg hurt intensely, I edged out of cover and snatched an assault rifle off the floor.  Then I hoofed towards Night Roamer’s still body, ready to fire a bolt though her head.  

All of sudden, Night Roamer leaped back up and knocked the automatic weapon out of my hooves. With similar speed, she started to throw punches at me. It seemed she had more cybernetics than her slightly-damaged robot arm.

However, the zebra chemicals kick in with full force as I blocked and punched.

Silverblitz, Blades, and November Flare pointed their weapons at Night Roamer as she and I battled, but they were hesitant to shoot, fearing they would hit me.

“Should we help Destiny?” Blades asked.

“I think you’ve got bigger problems!” A booming voice rang from the elevator shaft.

Instantly a muscular grey-blue Minotaur mercenary back flipped out of the elevator shaft and pulled out a large tri-barreled machine gun – the one usually mounted as a heavy weapons turret – from behind.  He had a bandoleer of gold bullets around his torso and twin rockets launchers on his back.  His yellow eyes were dwarfed by his massive horns and pink-grey nose. On his shoulder, was a scaled down version of an insurrectionist flag.

“You didn’t say anything about an insurrectionist minotaur mercenary!” Blades cried to Silverblitz

“I didn’t know myself that Watts hired one…” Silverblitz whispered

Beginning to stomp slowly towards them, the minotaur roared “I’m one lean, mean assertive machine! And the difference between a soldier and a machine is that one dies, while the other makes bullets fly!” Then he began to rev up his machine gun turret and widen his grin.

“Permission to take cover now, sir.” November Flare whispered to Silverblitz.

“Granted.” The PONI stallion hastily replied, magically disappearing.  At the same time, Blades Teleported behind a statue and November zipped to the bed next to Watts, barely evading the shower of bullets.

---

“C’mon you little pony!” Night Roamer hissed “Jealous of my implants?”

“Nah!” I replied dodging a strike and bringing down on of my own. “I’m just sorry you didn’t get an early start like I did.”

“Too bad your brother can’t see you like this.” Night Roamer taunted, as she blocked.

Unfortunately I took the bait, lunging towards Night Roamer “Once I buck you till your bratty flank is dead, he’ll see.”

Then Night Roamer laughed evilly, before she dogged my move, and then dragged to the floor by my wings. Before I could get up, she hefted her flamethrower at my snout

“Move, and you’ll end up tell him yourself” she threatened.

Now pinned to the floor with the barrel of hoof-strapped-flamethrower at my snout, I could see the huge minotaur merc keeping Blades and November behind the bed and statues.  The minotaur seemed to only care about pinning them there while Roamer took care of me.  Silverblitz was lucky enough to vanish, though.

Then a huge green-plated aircraft filled the corners of the shattered observation window’s view.  It had forward canons near the cockpit and four fins at the back. It looked like it didn’t need wings by hovering.  It took the minotaur merc twelve seconds to stop firing and fully notice it.

“Insurrectionist forces!” Pan Cake’s voice boom from a microphone inside the Vulture “Release our comrades and Watts, or we will take them from you by force.”

Still pinning me with her Night Roamers yelled, “Buffalofeathers! You think I’ll give up Watts this easy just because you’re in an aircraft?”

“No…it’s because you don’t have safe way out and you know it; this Vulture can bring down this tower on you before you can even consider an escape route. We’re offering you chance to live.”

“Wait, We are?” High Hopes asked over the mircophone.

Not really – I mean yes, yes! We are! Just give us Watts and you can walk away. Pan cake concluded

The minotaur merc looked for Night Roamer for an order.  I was actually expecting former to engaged the Vulture but he does seem smart enough to at least know that was not a good idea.

Night Roamer grumbled looking between me and the Vulture gunship outside.  I detected in her head if she was wondering if her life was worth her glory.  

However, the back earth pony hid away those thoughts as she hissed to the vulture, “My number one rule: Never Surrender.”

The next this she did was burn me with her flamethrower.  Which reminds me: You know the rule stop-drop-and-roll you’re taught in grade school?  Well, I already stopped moving and I was on the floor but at least a quick-instinctive-roll spared me from getting all on fire.

Instead, only the tips of my wings and my tail were on fire, the flames starting to chew away to the bones of my wing and begun to feel my tail shrink.  I sweated and panicked, unsure of what to do. The combined pain of my feathers and tail on fire, the bullet in my leg, and the shots my wings took was a little overwhelming. All I could do was pant, sweat, and breathe harder.

Slowly proceeding to finish me off as I danced in pain, Night Roamer laughed, “Hah! You’re a Filly on Fire!”

From behind Watt’s bed, November Flare saw me in my fiery pain and took the risk of flying to me.

The minotaur saw the November flying over his head so he started to rev up his machine gun. This caused him to turn his back on Blades, who decided to unload a full magazine into the minotaur’s bare back.  

After the shower of bullets, the minotaur was struggling to stand on his furry hooves. Blades wasted no time in levitating a fresh clip into her assault rifle and use one more magazine to force the minotaur down onto the floor.

Night Roamer was ready to engulf the oncoming November Flare in flames.  However, Silverblitz deactivated his invisibility and bought down two knifes on Roamer’s robotic foreleg. This time he jabbed them in deep and used them to tear off the cybernetic leg.  

This calls for desperate measures – Spec-ops style, as my broker would say. Silverblitz thought inside his helmet.

Sparks and computer chips from the robot leg rained down on the floor as Night Roamer cried in agony.

“Nothing personal, innie.” Silverblitz sneered.  The black earth pony silently redirected her anger from me to Silverblitz, engaging him with one foreleg her flame thrower.

November Flare landed beside me, with his tactical visor flashing from orange to red – a sign that a pony in front of him was dying or suffering. But his eyes showed the determination never to lose me again.

“Destiny – hold still! I’m going to apply the M-M-M to you.” November assured.  I tried to hold still as possible, feeling the fire on my wings eat away almost all my feathers and begin to lick the hair on my head/

When November slapped the heart-marked pack onto on my coat a brilliant white flash blinded me.  Frist I felt the pain of the bullets in my wings and backleg fad away.  Next, the fire on wings died out and I could feel my feathers and flesh growing back.  Once the flash was over, I felt completely rejuvenated – somehow, the bullets vanished, too.

November embraced me tightly cheering to himself It Worked! Oh thank Celestia and Luna a thousand times, It worked!

“You’re alive” November Flare cheered aloud.

“All thanks to your work, featherbrain.” I cheered back to my cousin.

November’s expression grew serious after that.  “C’mon – we have Watts and transportation – we’re leaving now.”

“Leaving? But what about Night Roamer?” I complained. “That brat deserves death for what she did to Cogneto.”

Rather than point me out that I was wrong or overemotional, November decided to quote a story that shook my heart. “Destiny, remember what Star Swirl once said your favorite novel? Aren’t there those who deserve death live? And those that die who actually deserve life?  No one can change what happened Destiny; we have to move on.”

I couldn’t believe that November had tried to use a quote from one of my favorite stories against me.

“It’s not fair!” I cried “I watched Cogneto die while Night Roamer just gladly terrorized me! I’ve been waiting years for this moment!”

“Destiny,” November pleaded “Remember who you were trained to become; a killer like Night Roamer? Or a defender, like Cogneto?”

Quietly turning my head to the black unicorn, I could see Night Roamer now was having trouble fighting Silverblitz with one hoof.

You royal-pony-scum may have Watts, but I will never surrender!  she thought.

Then I realized that Roamer wasn’t going to let go of her code soon.  I also realized she wasn’t using her flamethrower; either it had to be reloaded or she was too busy hoof-fighting Blitz at close range to use it.

“Hey Silverblitz! Cast that…’dead-spell’ on her!” I called out.  November was shocked at what I had said, thinking I still wanted to kill Night Roamer.

Still parrying from Night Roamer’s hoof swings, Silverblitz replied “I don’t know a spell for de- wait, you mean that cease-pulse spell, right?”

“Eeyup.” I nodded.

Silverblitz then put Night Roamer in a head lock.  As the black pony struggled, Silverblitz’s pointed horn passed the spell into Night Roamer’s body.  In a few moments, the black pony collapsed snout first onto the floor.  For the moment the fight was over.

I still begrudged Roamer for getting chance to live while deserving not to. But November was right about me needing to let go;  I couldn’t let myself become her.  

Sowe went back to our objective – I carried the unconscious Watts on my back.  Then November Flare and I flew to the upper hatch of the Vulture outside the observation window.

Silverblitz had self-levitated himself aboard, but only after he looted Night Roamer’s hoof-mounted flamethrower.

Yes…Yes…YESSSSS! I FINALLY HAZ IT! Silverblitz thought gleefully as he held the flamethrower in his mouth.

As for Blades, she saw the bleeding minotaur mercenary clawing back onto his knees, with two rockets launchers resting on his shoulders.  They were aimed right at the Vulture and Blades herself.

“How…will yah…like….these apples…ponayh!” the minotaur grunted, firing all the homing rockets out of their launchers.

In mater of a few seconds, Blades concentrated on her armor-lock spell.  First a glowing sea-foam mold enveloped around her.  Then, when the rockets were right in front of her she released the energy of the shield in the form of the shockwave.  That sent the rockets spinning off into the walls – causing to the foundations of the room to wobble briefly before returning still.

It also gave a change for Pan Cake to direct the Vulture’s forward canons on the Minotaur, who uttered, “Oh shi…”

Pretty soon, The Vulture blasted the minotaur into nothing but jelly. (I had to barf….)

“Blades, Move it!” Pan cake screamed in the Vulture’s microphone.  Upon his command, Blades galloped and took a leap of faith out the shattered window.

Unfortunately the Vulture had positioned a little too far away for a jump, and the magenta unicorn began to descend.

Silverblitz saw it coming and caught Blades with his magic, then safely levitated the unicorn onto the roof of the Vulture.

November Flare then took over the controls while Pan Cake detonated explosives under that airpad that he had set during his reconnaissance. The changeling thanked chrysalis in his head that wouldn’t have to stay at that base any longer.

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HOURS LATER, ABOARD The Justice

Silverblitz and I held our breath as Mendez read out reports and went through the gathered in footage from Silverblitz’s helmet, from the reviewing the plan of the operation in the phoenix dropship to evacuating on the Vulture.  His expression was that same as always when looking though anything; strict and fully concentrated.

He had a recently-lit Sweet Apple Cigar,  with the cloud of smoke making the room feel grayer than ever, and the suffocation in the air forcing us to tolerate standing here on our fours more.

“Well, then…” Mendez said, breaking the silence “…The main mission was a success; Watts is now in captivity and PONI has begun interrogations....”

Me and Silverblitz breathed out in relief thinking that this was going to over quite soon.

“But…” The chief interrupted “Capturing an insurrection colonel and a traitor to the UNSCOE wasn’t the only objective.  The secondary objective was to test the capabilities of a Greenhorn.”

I remained silent. Blitz complained in his head Then why did I to come in here first place!? Why doesn’t all of PONI tell me everything?  The only reason why he had to come here in the first place was because he was Indigo Team’s leader

Mendez then uttered “The scenario with those ODSSs, the socialization with others, even letting go of past issues with you One-seventeen….In those circumstances we – some of the UNCOE, PONI and  I- saw what a greenhorn was capable of in the world outside of CASTLE complex. However we also see that the expected strength and cold-bloodedness are largely lacked, compensated for socialization and comradery.”

“How so?” I wondered.

“There was going to more augmentations; they would have erased most if not all of your personality and made you fiercely loyal to the UNSCOE, and given you the chance to overcome any situation.  Halsey ordered after the Discord’s AI sabotage for those to be canceled.”

“So I’m told sir.” I uttered.  Maybe Halsey wasn’t cruel enough to take away our personalities; we already lost our moms and normal foalhoods.  Or maybe after losing Mudd Slinger she couldn’t stomach having another pony die from augmentations.

The chief gave a hesitant face for the first time, saying “…Although you greenhorns…could have been better, I’m afraid that we didn’t train you well enough. I saw you nearly get burned and shot, one-seventeen.”

Before I could ask, Silverblitz stated “What’s wrong with that? Form what I saw from Destiny-117, Lipizanner-039, and Baldes-204, they’re the best of the best.”

Seeming old already in the few days we haven’t seen each other Mendez groaned “But they are still ponies.  The greenhorns were meant to be better than anything – the strongest, the swiftest and the bravest of our warriors…”

I could hear Mendez drilling to himself in his head, …you failed…they’re just kids with augmentations and guns…

“Sir!” I sharply stated upon hearing Mendez’s thoughts “You saw us capture Watts and you saw me take down those ODSSs.  You didn’t even come close to failing us. And we didn’t fail because we had help from fellow soldiers. And this was a real word operation.  I’m proud to have you as my instructor who trained me for this.”  My voice wasn’t comforting.  Rather I was yelling and inappropriately loud.

Cranklin Mendez was tough and a war-horse-kind of unicorn. But he was still a pony all the same. He beated us up with shocks sticks…but he was getting old; I wanted him to be proud of us.

When the chief’s dark iris met my eyes and he said, “Well said…dismissed, one-seventeen.”  Then turned to Silverblitz, “I have some things to discuss with you…”

“Like how I dominated Night Roamer? Or led the team? Or heroically saved Blades” Silverblitz huffed

“No…THIS!” Mendez rumbled in his drill-sergeant-voice.  He was giving wicked smile as he did so.

As he did so, Mendez slammed a file with large letters ‘top-top-secret’ stamped on the front onto his desk.  Then he levitated a picture out of the folder, of two ponies romantically enjoying the sunset on Equestria from a castle balcony.  One of them was Silverblitz the other was….

Silverblitz’s jaw dropped so low it hit the floor “OH, LUNA’s Twinkling Mane! High Hopes said she wouldn’t show those pictures!”

Mendez found some newfound humor, snorting, “She didn't say she would show them to public…but now since she wants to be a part of the Greenhorn-II program, she needed to give me proof she was up to task of being an info broker.  She also wants to become the mess hall mare at CASTLE Complex.”

“I didn’t think you accepted in Hopes so easily; she not really the military type.” I stated

Mendez then frowned – that actually made me smile in my heart, because that was the good old chief Mendez I’ve known “I didn’t plan on it, but when somepony keeps spamming your skipe inbox with emails for recruitment even five seconds I had to take that raspberry-mane maniac and her property on board.”

“So…can I have my pictures back?” Silverblitz pleaded “It not fair that my personal items should be involved in this…”

Mendez then levitated all the pictures back into the folder and then tossed it towards Silverblitz.  He caught it kept it floating close beside him.

“Now dismissed….” Mendez began and then paused for a moment “What the hay? Do you hear that?”

After a while I heard music….coming from within the halls.

Silverblitz shook his head stating “Oh boy…High Hopes sure go confused when I told if it was possible she could start a party on this ship; I thought she meant hunting parties in her question.”

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

Mendez stomped through the hallways to the Hangar where the Vulture was parked.  In the moments of our’s debriefing, High hopes had turned it into a full blown party.

Celestia-bucking-dammit, Mendez thinks. Parties were the last thing he loved, aside from insubordination to the UNSCOE.

To start, a performance stage had been laid out, but when examined closely it was actually the Vulture’s hulls torn open and laid out. A few of crew ponies around the ship snatched some daisy sandwiches and hay juice off newly set up tables.  Balloons, streamers, and treats of all kinds of colors decorated the old militarized hangar. I didn’t know how this was pulled off but is easier to accept reality than to question it.

On the stage made from the Vulture’s hull, Lipizzaner and High Hopes sang in a joyful chant:

"Don't be spoiled, don't start a fight.

Always be careful, here at night.

While bed you in a cozily lie.

When the Greenhorns-IIs arrive!

Steal you away without a trail

Any day, they’ll never fail

they'll steal from you, all you gots….

just like they did with Colonel Watts!"

The song carried on a few more lines, but I could come to see that Lipizzaner was getting over her shyness in front of crowds of ponies.  She was singing even better than High Hopes causing, more of the audience to pin their eyes on the albino.  I felt really happy for her.

“Take ‘eh gander at ‘em prancing ponies, lieutenant !” Blades stated to November.

“Yeah, quite a show.”  he added, munching on a daisy sandwich.

“Meh…I’ve seen better…” Pan Cake judged.

Silverblitz teleported to where Pan Cake and the rest of the team were, joining the conversation.

Mendez grumbled, “…one-seventeen, you and your team be ready for your next assignment in oh-three-hundred hours.” And he stormed out of the hangar thinking to himself, High Hopes just had to turn that anti-son-of-a-Cerberus gunship into a stage…Celestia dammit

As for me, I enjoyed blithe experience of party as long as it lasted.  When it was over, Silverblitz gave up the leader of Indigo Team to me, respectfully, saying that he and Pan Cake had other operations to deal with that were separate from ours. Before he did go, Blades thanked Silverblitz for ‘saving her rump earlier’.

However, High Hopes was able to get her hooves on some of Silverblitz’s pictures. She began showing us Silverblitz and Luna, spending time on a pre-invasion New Manebassa.  I honestly say they made a perfect match; they were tall, slim, and always were doing something fun.

I could tell Blades was jealous because her snout flushed red in anger because she had forgotten Silverblitz already was in love with some other mare.  November Flare was wondering how Hopes managed to acquire those photos. Lipizzaner giggled, thinking of how upset Silverblitz would be if he found out about these pictures.  As for me…looking at these kinds of pictures make you wonder if you should get a special somepony.

However, my duty as a Greenhorn-II comes first.  And I enjoyed it.

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

SIGMA CLOPODIOA

CASTLE COMPLEX

Shunning away in the moonlight of Turvus while residing in Halsey’s underground freezing lab, two figures got onto the ‘Skipe-chat system’ and called up Lieutenant Corncob Keyes.

*Hey Halsey…*  Keyes waved on a computer screen, it edges outline in frost.

“Hay is for horses…I for one, am a lady, Corncob.” Halsey, the first figure, teased. She was so used to cold down here she wasn't shivering.

*Heh…sorry that I didn’t return you calls. I…couldn’t forgive you at first. But I should, because we shared a kid. And you are striking for a mare.* Keyes winked.

“Actually it’s me that should be forgiving.” Halsey uttered. “Half the greenhorns…it was…”

* Its okay dear; you're just a pony. That’s all anyone needs to love you.* Keyes comforted.

Halsey smiled “Thanks Corncob…I also I wanted to show you this.” Halsey waved for the figure to come out of the darkness and closer to the screen.

When the figure did so, Keyes gasped and started to tear up *Is that…?*

“Dad…” The second figure replied. “It’s me, Mudd Sparkle….”

Only he looked quite different; he was older, he was clad in Hellprancer armor, there was some peach fuzz around his snout and nostrils.  His eyes were in a purple so deep – even deeper than his mom’s - they reminded Keyes of a Twilight Sparkle’s eyes.  The scar on the back side of Mudd’s neck and his cutie mark remained, however.

*It’s okay to call yourself Mudd Sparkle in front of us, son.* Keyes assured.

“I do not bear the Sparkle Family emblem on my cutie mark; I’m not even a unicorn.” Mudd uttered.

*Well…you always had Twilight’s eyes.* Keyes refuted.

“And no matter what kind of pony you are or what you cutie mark is, Twilight’s blood will always be a part of you.” Halsey nudged her son’s shoulder playfully.

Mudd started down at floor. “Yeah…well…I…I wish I was fighting alongside my brothers”

*You’ll get your chance…* Keyes assured *You make a fine candidate for a hellprancer squad leader.*

Mudd thought to himself If I was any better I would be a greenhorn..

CHAPTER 11

“Metaphase II”

THREE MONTHS LATER

SIGMA CLOPODIA

CASTLE COMPLEX

The year is 2542 ARL.  I’m eighteen years old and I've been a greenhorn for twelve of those years.  To celebrate, Mendez hosted a game of capture the flag with paint guns in the 'playground' forest.   It reminded me of the game night during my cute-ceañera of earning my cutie mark.

It’s been three months since Silverblitz and Pan Cake left.  High Hopes stayed with us at the complex, becoming the main chef and ‘morale supporter’ for us.  Mendez was upset that I not only revealed the information of the Greenhorn-II project to her, but that I also bough home an ecstatic, romantic, young pony unfit for a top-secret military program.

Despite being such a valuable asset, High Hopes often interrupted our training sessions and drank a lot of Doctor Sparkle’s coffee.  And I mean A LOT.  The doctor wanted to kick her out, only to feel implied to let her stay when High Hopes’ raspberry hair plunged its depressed state.  Later that day, the doctor wished to experiment on the strange behavior of High Hope’s mane.

In the meantime my team dealt with two more insurrectionist targets: one of them was a VIP that my team was to assassinate and another was the location of a weapons cache that my team successfully secured. High Hopes also supplied similar information to other teams, causing the insurrections to back down their threats.  

And yesterday it was announced that November Flare’s Magical Mystery Medkits have now become the primary combat medical kit across many UNSCOE branches.

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

All Greenhorns-IIs were called to amphitheater on the other side of the complex for an urgent matter.  Phoenixes were set up as transportation.  Being a pegasus pony, I decided to take myself to the air.  

From above, I went in front of the other Phoenix dropships, wanting to go ahead and feel the freedom of being isolated from others and their thoughts. I also caught my first bird’s eye view of CASTLE complex, which was larger than I had thought.  After a forty-minute flight with the phoenixes, I landed with them outside of the amphitheater.

I saw that the amphitheater was a walled arena in the shape of a semi-circle, near a backdrop of an electric fence, grass and mountains. Like other arenas it had an open ceiling.  Judging from the size of the arena floor, I believed that it could hold up to fifteen phoenixes.

After some time, I recognized it as the same place where it was announced I was ‘called upon to serve’.  I was filly back then, so I couldn't capture all the details, other than that it was nighttime, Halsey was standing in front of us on a stage, and the phoenix dropships were landing in front of her, carrying a bunch of confused fillies and colts who would become my brothers and sisters.

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

As I hoof up to an entrance, I see November Flare and High Hopes arguing with a unicorn guard - a royal guard by the look of his ancient-style golden armor plating and red visor - at another entrance.  Meanwhile, other Phoenix dropships began departing in the opposite direction in a hasty fashion.

“I’m already clueless with no information!” High Hopes whined to guard. “That’s not my job.”

“High Hopes! Please, settle down.” November Flare insisted I’m not planning to get kicked out of this program because of your curiosity!

The white unicorn guard shrugged at High Hopes “I’m sorry ma’am, but orders strictly state that only Greenhorns and certain ponies are allowed in here. Chief Mendez’s orders state you’re not allowed to have your phoenix parked here within the next five minutes.”

My cousin started to tug High hopes by her forehoof, but she resisted. “C’mon High Hopes’; If Mendez says only greenhorn tare aloud then only greenhorns are allow.  He’s basically your boss, too.” November Flare said.

“What’s going in there!? I KNOW YOU ARE UP TO SOMETHING IN THERE!” High Hopes demanded, breaking free of November’s grip and eyeing the guard in the eye.

Act your age please! The guard thought.

“If possible, You’ll know what’s in the amphitheater after their business in there is done, ma’am. Please, leave.” The guard demanded.

“Not afterwards! Now or Beforehand!” High Hopes’ eyes protruded out of their sockets and met centimeters away from the marine’s eyes, and then retreated back into their normal position.

“Afterwards!” The marine replied thinking, Isn't now or beforehand the same thing?

“Beforehand”

“Afterwards”

“Beforehand”

“Afterwards”

“Beforeward” High Hopes stated.

“Afterhand!” the angered guard shot back.

“Afterwards!”

“Beforehand!”

“Afterwards,” High Hopes hissed

“BEFOREHAND! And that’s final before I call the entire security force of this complex!” The marine shouted with a now dry mouth, not realizing what he said. I really should just report her….

“Okiee dookie somkie!” High Hopes chimed and was about to zip into though the entrance only to have her poofy tail gripped by November Flare’s teeth. Hey…this does taste like raspberry... November realized.

“Maybe it’s a better idea that we stay out of this for now; it’s not worth being questioned by Mendez or getting kicked out of this program.”  November refuted, dragging the little pissed off red sulking pony by her tail, back to his dropship.  This time she didn't resist.  The guard was relieved to see them leaving.

Before they took off in their dropship I promised I would see if I could get some answers.  High Hopes was skeptical that I would so do.  However I bring up the fact that what’s in a PONI program, stays in a PONI program – So as long I gave them information and long as they didn't tell anyone outside the program, nothing could go wrong.

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

When I came out some number of corridors, the amphitheater seats were half full.  I had forgotten that half of us perished in the augmentations.  Now here I was, back were my greenhorn life began.  I was about to search for Blades and Lipizzaner yet I was forced by a royal guard to take a random seat when the announcement began.

Within the area floor, On the stage below us were Doctor Halsey Sparkle, Chief Cranklin Mendez, and the UNSCOE council members Mistress Eldora, Lord Leo, Queen Chrysalis, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia. Each of their faces looked grave; shielding what I supposed was a concern.  They also appeared to feel awkward among us.

And thought this long presentation, I kept picking up a random thought here and there from a fellow greenhorn.  However, I noticed that the father away I was from anypony, or the less attention I headed at them, my telepathy would be quitter.

At last Princess Celestia broke the silence and spoke in a booming royal canterlot voice in soft and gentle tone as if spoken through a microphone.  “Greenhorns…I’m proud of your service in the military.  The insurrectionists have been pushed back to their outer colonies where they belong.  Without you, more systems would have fallen under their tyranny.”

Those were the first words a Princess has ever said to me – even if they weren't directly aimed at me.  In the place of applause of our service being recognized, we all just gave tiny smiles.  Celestia smiled back but a tear swim to the tip of her snout. …is all they have left are their smiles and each other?  What have I let Sparkle do to you?

Princess Luna spoke up beside her sister “However, your work does not end here, Greenhorns; rather your real fight is just beginning.”

We still didn't say a word, bracing ourselves to what was going to come spoken.

Mendez stepped forward returning a serious face.  “Greenhorns…as you know, the colony Bronze Harvest dropped out of contact a few months ago.  The public was told that it was merely a satellite blackout done by innies and mercenaries….”

Princess Celestia continued where Mendez left off, “…However we are here to tell you the truth; at Bronze Harvest, we discovered Equestrians are not alone in the galaxy.”

Someponies gasped.  Now things got interesting; If he was here, Mudd Slinger would grin from ear to ear, reminding me of the day he asked ‘you ever wonder what is up there?’ in the field.  Yet this new discovery was not celebrated with happiness.

Chrysalis's oozing voice returned me to reality.  “These ‘aliens ’ caused the satellite blackout and attacked Bronze Harvest.  From the account of a lone surviving ship, these aliens have technology superior to ours in weaponry, defenses, and space travel.  They were reported to be strategically intelligent and hostile, terminating anypony and anyone else in their path.  When the UNCOE forces there were weakened, they glassed the surface of Bronze Harvest into ashes….now, it has become a barren hot world.”

After hearing this, I saw Blades and Lipizzaner on the other side of the amphitheater. Blades was tearing up, as shining water started to build up in eyes, and her legs and body trembled violently due shock, hate, or fear for her home Planet. And her family….

Lipizzaner was cradling Blades’s hoof and tried to stay strong for her.  From the day when I was put up with the two, I saw their roles reversed now; Blades needing help and Lipizzaner was the one giving it.

Griffon Lord Leo added, “These newcomers from the stars call themselves the Covenant – and Doctor Sparkle has their message.”

He nodded to Halsey Sparkle who pulled out a tape recorder from her lab coat and pressed a button.  An Alien message didn't come over the speakers but rather a song from the band Zap-Apple-Jam.

*E-ques-tria Girls! We’re pony fabulous! Fast, Fine fierce! We trot till we drop! Cutie marks-*

Pausing the tape, Halsey’s snout flushed red in embarrassment as the council and Mendez eyed her angrily. “I-I’m sorry...I...Just need to fast forward it.” I later heard the doctor curse at herself in her head.

She did fast forward it.  Out came this eerie chant whistling like a spine-shivering wind from a Windigo.

*Side by side, we march as one,

All Equestrians must die,

He will rise if we strike together,

So forth shall the rest of the Crystallions.*

Once the recording ended, no one spoke or moved for a full ten seconds.  It was the first time for me a non-Equestrian had spoken, right here in the CASTLE complex amphitheater.  And that non-Equestria was leading...a covenant against us.

Queen Chrysalis stated, “We believe that these ‘crytallions’ are crystal ponies from the myths of hidden cities in the frozen north of Equestria.  Though these myths were proven false, scans of the covenant technology PONI agents have acquired…show evidence they may existed.  All their technology is powered by plasma that comes from rare crystals that are grown in the north.  The rest of their technology we are still studying.  We have nothing on their culture other than that message.  We do not even know who the ‘he from the grave’ they are referring to is.”

I guessed correctly that the crytallions were probably the crystal ponies.  But the ‘he’ in the speech seemed to interest me more.  Ponykind didn't know any specific figures among the stories crystal ponies.

Somepony in the crowd raised her forehoof for question. “Yes, Vector-zero-sixty-five?” Mendez said.

“Where did you get this translation?”  She asked.  I kept forgetting Vector was gender swapped during chemical augmentations (A lucky fate for somepony who chucked a rock at my mouth).  The first years were embarrassing for her, but he she adapted well, becoming a tomboy.

Eldora shook her head “This is no speech made to fit our tongue. As Bronze harvest fell, this is speech is what the alien covenant sung.”  That meant this was no translation; they knew how to speak our language. Another form of superiority.

Princess Celestia spoke “What’s worse is that even though PONI has only acquired little of this ‘covenant’s’ technology and every second we try to study it, they are already on the move to other colonies, burning its surface.  I fear they won’t stop until they reach Equestria.”

Lord Leonidas announced, “Meanwhile, Admiral Flag pole’s protocol for all ships in the UNSCOE navy and army is being approved by the council.  Lady of Admirals Robin Hood has ordered it into the law as direct security measure.  Primary function of this protocol is to make sure Equestria and the surrounding colonies’ locations are not compromised.”

A stallion beside me, Headhunter-174, raised his hoof for a question. “If this is really urgent matter, where are the dragons and donkeys representatives?” Where's the real meat? he wondered.

Eldora noted “Ambassador Thorn and his beasts have broken off from our unity. He believes that challenging the Covenant is a dragon’s duty.  But in the pursuit of glory, his losing battles to come will be gory.  His species were demilitarized…and as we speak, the planet Cinder is being fried.”

Headhunter looked puzzled so I ‘translated’ Eldora’s rhyme to him.

Good riddance of Thorn….. Lord Leo thought,

The griffon lord added, “Donkey Colonel Lames Ackerson was killed during the battle of Bronze Harvest.  As a result all, donkey colonies have announced a breakaway and independence.  Ironically, they, the cow, and the buffalo are on the border of the outer colonies – the Covenant isn’t showing the anymore mercy that they did at Bronze Harvest.”

Chrysalis followed up another fact. “My spies have informed me the covenant is also exterminating dog mercenaries and the insurrectionists.  But they seemed to be welcoming the minotaur race.”

A low murmur of worry went across the Greenhorns; the minotaurs were the one of strongest among the equines.  Yet what I learned at New Manebassa, they weren't the brightest – maybe the Covenant needed some bipedal bulls that were too brain-dead to understand how to question orders.

Halsey Sparkle announced, “Your new mission, Greenhorns, is to push this Covenant back long enough so we can find out more about them and prevent more genocide across the Milky Way.  The program will have to become known to public; leave that to me.”

Princess Luna shook her head “PONI wouldn't allow such a thing, doctor.  You want to tell the public how you trained fillies and colts for war? ”

Halsey’s eyes narrowed “For you information your majesty, this war with the Covenant is also going to go to the public eventually.  Besides, no pony has to know about where the greenhorn’s came from. Nothing can go wrong.”

Heard that once in my life, right before things did go wrong Luna rolled her eyes.

Deep in Halsey’s head, I could sense the worry she had for us – Insurrectionist was easy as grade school homework; all Greenhorn teams came back in one piece.  Fighting the Covenant was a level combat we never anticipated running into.

Princess Celestia gave out the final statement. “Chief Petty Officer Cranklin Mendez will be removed the program – he is to train special operatives in other PONI programs. Do you have any last words to your trainees, Officer?”  She then gave a low nod to Mendez, who seemed to have aged so fast from the time he introduced me with a shock stick.  Here I saw him not smoking a Sweet Apple cigar or yelling out orders for 100 push ups, but unusually quiet.  As if under his camo coat and black beret he wanted to stay.

Mendez nodded, walking toward us.  He came off the platform and stood right in front of all us.  He was silent for a was long time

“Greenhorns…” He stated “…when I was assigned to this program, I loathed the thought of training young ponies.  I told Halsey Sparkle this wasn’t going to work…and it turns out, I didn’t make you cold-hearted elite soldiers.  I made you something else.  I made all you….reflect the Elements of Hope-”

“Harmony.” Princess Luna whispered

Shut up….your majesty. Mendez scowled in his head, then carried on.  “As you all probably know, this program was meant to find the bearers of the Elements, which have been dormant for a thousand years.  But when I look at you I see the generosity you present in sacrificing your fillyhoods, the your loyalty to the UNSCOE, your kindness presented by watching a comrade’s back, the laughter that keeps each of your souls alive and together, the honesty of putting all that you can into a mission, and the …magic, I guess….which in front of my eyes, that has bonded many strangers close as brothers and sisters.  It’s been a hell of ride with you trainees.”

After the speech I couldn’t resist tearing up, proudly.  Then I had the impulse to salute.  Meanwhile, other ponies copied my move.  Even the council saluted Mendez, who gave a long relaxed look.

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

“One-seventeen, I would like to have a word with you.” Mendez requested.

While the rest my fellow brothers and sisters exited out of the amphitheater along with the Council, I approached the chief. He started down at me with admiration.

“Before I go, Boot, I have to give you something.” He pulled that ‘something’ from a hidden compartment within the platform on the arena floor. A cardboard box.

At first I hadn't realized ‘Boot’ was my old nickname that I was titled with when Mendez woke me up. It seemed strange; Mendez wasn't the one for giving me gifts wrapped in color paper and ribbons, so I could understand why this ‘something’ came in a cardboard box.

“Open it.” Mendez grunted.  Usually anything he said was an order. Yet the look on his face told me it wasn’t one. This isn't a training exercise, one seventeen – it’s a request.

When I did open it, I realize it is Halsey’s sunhat I left behind the first day I was here.

“Halsey found it and wanted to give it back to you during training. I think you deserved it at the right time.” Mendez explained

All of sudden, my memories as filly, memories that I forgot shoot back into head as I decide to wear it.  I feel the rim of the hat fit perfectly around my head.  Then I look at myself in a mirror also in the box.

I explain how I look to Mendez while I pick up a mirror within the box and pace around, thinking deeply.  “Wow….just….wow.  So much is coming back to me.  I almost feel so…different.”

Mendez doesn't say anything so I continue on my blabbering. I abruptly stop when my ears pick up a tiny electrical crackle nearing my wings.  My telepathy also picks up the Chief’s thoughts.

This is for calling me poophead twelve years ago.

I swing around and whack the shock stick away with my right fore-hoof. When it lands on the amphitheater floor into two pieces, I get into a bipedal combat pose.  I hadn't felt the sting of shock stick since I was a filly and I planned to keep it that way. But I understood it was a joke; proof Mendez would miss having ‘fun’ with us.

The chief gives the slighted hint of smile before we both walk to an exit. Before he opens the door for me, he whispers.   “Dismissed, one seventeen. It hasn't been an honor but a hell of time. Keep kicking flank.” Mendez stated I walk through the corridors alone.

The last thought I hear him say before he closed the door is, If I was her father I couldn't have been prouder  And that was the last I saw or heard of Chief Petty Officer Cranklin Mendez.

When I got back to barracks that afternoon I could only tell November Flare and High Hopes, much to their disappointment, that there was a good reason whatever was spoken in the amphitheater would stay a secret for now.  High Hopes starting throwing a fit at me until she realized I was wearing a pretty sunhat and asked if my colt-friend got it for me.

Honestly if did have one, she was ready to go bonkers and start drawing pictures of me and him.

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

SPACE AROUND BRONZE HAVEST

COVENANT OCCUIPIED SECTOR

ABOARD THE BRIDGE OF THE CRUISER Philomena’s Ashes

On the bridge of the ship commanded by the one-winged griffon Captain Skyscraper, my team of four greenhorns looked out to the covenant spaceship, hovering above Harvest.  This was the first time I had seen Bronze Harvest in the flesh and not out of library book.  It was burnt brown world – not a spec greenery or drop of water or a trace of its glorious colony was left on it.  Orbiting the planet was the wreckage of various UNCOE ships…and some frozen and dead Equestrians in space.  There was also a covenant ship orbiting the planet.

Due to the covenant ship being unlike anything I had ever seen before, it was challenging to describe; its curving and flat body was sleek, slim, and came in various mixes of violet, purple and blue.  Extending smoothly from the body was what resembled an oversized snakehead. The aft seemed to be a smaller version of the central body, attached similarly like a spider’s abdomen.

“Well, the navy here put up a good fight.” Vector rudely snorted.

“Of course they did.”  Lipizzaner squeaked. “Bronze Harvest fed and supplied thousands of colonies.” From reading her thoughts, I noticed that Lipizzaner was trying to make Blades feel somewhat better.

Blades grumbled “We arrived just at the end of the party.”

Although I do wish to hear it, Blades kept thinking about Bronze Harvest This was my home…My dirt that I was so eager to leave for….I should have been here…I never thought I miss that dirt so much…my dirt.

As team leader I place hoof on Blade’s shoulder, saying. “Blades…I’m sorry.” The unicorn looked back at me with a miserable face.  Then she slowly turned back to looking out the observation window of her burned home.

Captain Gustavo Skyscraper matched up behind us, his claws scraping up the bridge floor.  We rotated 180 degrees and give our salutes to griffon.  On His left side was a featherless snitched up bump, the former location of his wing.

“At ease, Junior Chief Officer ponies. The Ashes will disable the covenant cruiser’s communications.  In the meantime we will engage it…”   Skyscraper uttered.

“With all due respect sir, their ship is many more powerful than this ship.  Engaging it solo is not a recommended tactic.”  Vector informed, possibly making the captain sound like he was being stupid.  

Ignoring her remark, Skyscraper then said “I only explained half the plan, Greenhorn-065.  The other half involves you ponies on board that cruiser.  Accounts from the space battle here notified me of force-fielded entrances on the ships.  I want you to not only load a HAVOC nuclear warhead anywhere onto that ship, but I want you get as much data as you can from the inside if you can. When things go south, set the nuke and pull out.  This is just to show the covenant we aren't backing down.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Sir, yes, Sir!” we all responded.

“Excellent. Report to the hangar for your MUSTANG-4 armor, and check the reports of the covenant spices on your way down.” Skyscraper notified.

Finally I get to blow these lousy bastards to hell!  Blades hissed deviously to herself.  Once she was done with this, I hoped she would be at peace.   I could never know what Blades felt; I lost a brother, she lost her entire home and family.

Even though Blades was beyond my comfort, I knew she wasn't beyond my command.  Hopefully.

----

The MUSTANG Mark-4 exosuit (as labeled on the box) was designed by Griffon Works and produced by Macintosh Armory Corporation.  As the name stated, it was exclusive to ponies, and each set was developed uniquely for a greenhorn. The first downside of the armor we came across was that it required almost three technicians to put on and take off.  Since the invention of the Faster-than-Light-Engine by two world-famous inventing brothers from the Unicorn Range, HaleBopp and Eyedrop, or  the creation of artificial gravity by the same duo, I doubt anything could be considered as revolutionary as the MUSTANG armor.

Once we reached the Hanger, I was told to wear a midnight black under-layer, covering everywhere on my body but my head.   Then, thick olive-green plating that weighed over 2000 tons was fused to the creases in the under-layer, shielding the underlayer everywhere.  The parts exposing my underlayer were my joints, my neck, and a ring around my back and abdomen.  I hadn't expected the bulky armor would fit so firmly to my lemon-yellow hide.

The helmets reminded me almost of futuristic form of a medieval mare’s headgear, having an see-through orange visor as single tool of sight.  There seemed to be no social value or independence for anypony who donned it, other than exposed holes for the ears.  Labeled on the side for mine was the numbers 117.

“Now be careful.” The Armory Sergeant advised after the four of us got all armored up.  “The last non-greenhorn to test this armor did not listen to the advice she was given regarding the armor; so the poor Mother-of-a-Seapony ended up breaking every bone in his body, except one rib.”

The helmet’s inside was cramming my skull.  Breathing felt almost impossible for a brief time and my mane had to be wrapped up into fixed bun, just like everypony else.  A Heads-Up-Display on my visor presented all the info a soldier need in a real time battle – a grenade counter in the upper left, a motion tracker on the bottom left, weapons and ammo along the right side,  and a ‘heath bar’ in the upper right corner. Floating about the empty center of my screen were the numbers, 039, 204, and 065, hovering over each of my corresponding teammates.

The sergeant carried on explaining. “First off, you are free to alter any of the applications in your helmets.  You may be cable of using acquired Covenant technology so we left the suit compatible with using various tech. Plus, we want to make sure that your MUSTANG-4 is the way you prefer it.  The suit is powered by magic, so your thoughts direct it to do things.”

Upon being told this, the first thing I changed on was putting the health bar in top center of my HUD – using only my thoughts. As I did so, I could hear a very low shimmer of magic.  Then I tested the movement of the MUSTANG armor, flexing my wings sticking my fore hoof out with my thoughts.  It was pretty fast.

“These suits can also be used as generators to amplify or power machinery; however doing so results in draining power from the suit – use it wisely if you are still using it.  Now I'm going to test your reaction time with the suit. Keep your eyes focused forward.” The Armory sergeant continued.

Then he held out a datapad with a red light on it.  He began waving above his crew-cut mane.

“Indigo Team leader, look up here” he promoted me to the datapad. I jerk my head up so fast I couldn't tell what really happened.  The data pad winked a green light at me.  Then he told me to look down and I gave same result.

“I recommend calibrating your MUSTANG armor’s sensitivity to your reaction time. Your armor seems to be moving too fast for you.” The sergeant informed.

While he tested the rest of my team, I silently re-calibrated the suit.  However it was beginning to feel less like a suit and more like it was a part of my body and mind.

*“Indigo Team,”* Skyscraper noted over the communication speakers after all the reflex testing was done *”We have alerted the covenant of our presence in the process of jamming their communications. Get ready to board that covenant ship.”*

The armory sergeant bought up the fact that he wasn’t finished testing our armor but Skyscraper commanded that he set us up for EVA and find us a phoenix dropship.

In the meantime I scrolled through some reports of the Covenant at Bronze Harvest trying to study each of their species, their tactics and other assumptions.  After a few moments of reading, Vector splashed a bottle of ink at my visor for humor.

The reason why I didn’t react was because I had already read his mind; he was throwing a bottle of special ink that faded quickly.  In truth that was what exactly happened – the pouring ink eventually dispersed into the air within seconds.

“I’m not even impressed, zero-sixty-five.  Go be a nice pretty little girl and help that sergeant find a dropship.” I replied not taking my eyes off the reports.  Vector stormed off, scowling at me under her breath.

CHAPTER 12

“Ashes”

THE SKRIMISH IN BRONZE HARVEST SPACE

Vector-056 readied the Phoenix dropship to fly out of the opened hanger of Philomena’s Ashes, but he kept it grounded for the moment.  Directly Across from our hangar was the Covenant ship’s plasma canons, where blue charged-up plasma began melting away the hull of the Ashes.  The two ships were locked in a parallel position traveling opposite directions, like as in classic navy battles.


Captain Skyscraper kept sending longsword bomber squads out to weaken the Covenant ship’s water force field.  The Ashes’s side canons also assisted, but they were running low on ammo.  Skyscraper ordered my team to be ready on his mark.

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

In the holding bay of the phoenix dropship, I checked the safety on Designated Marksmare Rifle (DMR).  Basically, It was the newer variant of the Marksman variant with a larger clip size and it could be magnetically hooked onto specific sections on my olive MUSTANG armor.

“Get ready for EVA.  Check your weapons, armor and that nuke.  We don’t want to buck this up.” I ordered to Blades and Lipizzaner, who both took assault rifles.  The HAVOC nuke was strapped to Blades’ side by her request.  I didn’t need my telepathy to know she would be the one wanting to activate it.

“Uh, mate?  What doses EVA stand for again?” Blades wondered.  However, nothing in the helmet's open communicators was spoken privately, so Vector heard the question and laughed out loud.

“It means ‘Spacewalk’ in Laymare’s terms, hick.” she sneered. Blades was ready to give Vector a piece of her mind, but ordered them ‘to lock it down’.  It’s kind of hard being leader when your friends are being made fun of and you want to be at their side.

One day I’ll get that damned cur back. Blades growled to herself.  She was even angrier that she was on New Manebassa.

Lipizzaner came up to me and commented “This…is just like one of Mendez’s excises; three fillies could do this mission alone. Piece of Cake.”

Or Apple Pie, I thought deliciously as I rubbed the black under-layer covering my stomach with an armored hoof.

*Captain skyscraper here! The shield on the covenant ship is down - Go now, Indigo!* The captain squawked in our helmet communications.

Upon hearing that command Vector trusted the phoenix forward.  Our bird’s engines pushed us forward out of the hangar and into the lines of fire.

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

“Remember – just like we planned!” I advised to Lipizzaner and Blades as the phoenix rocket violently.  We wouldn't have made it halfway across the space in between the Ashes and the Covenant ship thanks to the missiles of the Ashes being used as decoys for the covenant ship’s turrets.

After we readied and checked our equipment, I told Vector to make a sharp U-turn back to the the Ashes.  As he made the Phoenix do so, I opened the troop bay into space.

Me, Lipizzaner, Blades, and all sound shot out of the phoenix’s loading bay and into the crossfire of two ships among a star-filled background.  To our left was the burning planet of Bronze Harvest.

Bolts of plasma and rounds from the Ashe’s canons crossed a few feet above our ears, but that wasn't the problem. In front of us was the Covenant ship’s hull – and we were moving a dangerous close speed to it.   Any faster and we would share a fate no different than fruit flies splattered on a window.

I reached out in the gravity-free and mute void of space and tug Lipizzaner and Blades close.  I open up my wings and attempt to fly in the opposite direction or at least use them to slow our speed down.  However there is no air – no friction –in space; it was pretty pointless.

Right then, the tips of my wings began to glow in a soft blue, like pulsars, and began leaving  a tail of magical energy.  Stilling holding my comrades close, we began to slow down further and further. When we were fifteen meters from the purple hull of the covenant cruiser, we were at a safe speed.

“What was that?” I wondered aloud.  Then in the corner of Holographic HUD, a small text came on screen:

“Destiny, What was 'what'?” Blades asked over the communication.

<Lore: MUSTANG MARK-4 underlayers that are specifically designed for GREENHORN-II pegasi have small Thruster Systems in the tips of their wings, microscopically planted into the suit by nanites. These powerful systems grant the user the following abilities and more: Flying faster, better braking, the ability to hover easily, and elimination of the need to flap wings.  The power source of magic is shared within the MUSTANG Mark-4 armor. Controls for these systems can be access by the user’s thoughts.>

Well that was convenient – maybe I might get more as I test more armor systems out.  I simply told Blades that my HUD just popped up a new feature that I would I tell them about later.

I and my team landed on the hull of the covenant ship.  Or so we thought

“Is it me or is it watery?” Lipizzaner wondered as her sealed forehoof rubbed across  some invisible layer on the hull.

“The shield is back up – damn.” I cursed, bucking the watery surface with my back hooves. So close and only stopped right when we were near it!

As I said that, a round from one of the Ashes canons flew across space and impacted the watery surface of the shield.  The water layer shined brightly and then flickered out.  I reached out and came into contact with the actual hull of the covenant carrier this time.

“The shield is down!” I noticed.  Either it was pure luck or Celestia’s grace that round hit the hull.  We activated our magnetic clamps on our armored hooves and stuck to the hull easily.

“Time to start digging through it then.” Blades joked. ‘digger’ was term for soldier in her area of residence on Bronze Harvest.

Blades floated out a shoulder-mounted Griffon Laser and aimed it at the hull.  After five seconds of charging it up, a crimson beam burned though the ship.  Being in a soundless vacuum, no noise came from the Griffon Laser.  Blades used all of its energy to burn to though the hull of the ship.  After its last traces of energy were used up to successfully melt a hole into the dark interior of the ship, Blades magically tossed it away.

“Destiny, you first.” Blades said.

Readying my DMR, I disabled my magnetic clamps and used my wing’s thruster systems to guide me though the hole and into the alien vessel.

I WAS GOING INSIDE AN ALIEN SHIP! And I couldn't resist giving a filly-like squeal at the thought of it. This whole mission reminded me of 'Mareathon: Infinity'.

Into the belly of the beast we go… Lipizzaner thought, half afraid.

-----------

<Lore: The flashlight attach to your helmet runs on a rechargeable battery.  It last only for a min->

I set aside that pop-up on HUD which simultaneously came up as I activated the helmet flashed light, illuminating the dark hallways of the covenant ship, piece by piece.  We were in a J-shaped corridor, with the hallway shaped in a trapezoidal frame, slithering around a corner.  The floor was textured in the fashion of what wildly resembled dragon scales.  The walls were in a darker color compared to the floor and complexly smooth and organic to the eye.

This ship surprisingly had artificial gravity without any sound of rotating pieces of machinery.  Doctor Halsey Sparkle would be very impressed.

Once Blades and Lipizzaner dropped in, I advised them to check weapons and the nuke.  Meanwhile I was trying to hail Captain Skyscraper that we made it, but all I got was static – the ship was probably interfering with my communications.

“All clear, mate.” Blades notified, and then growled “If only we were this ready when Bronze Harvest was attacked.”

“Better late than never; but any sooner and the rest of covenant fleet would here. We only want to fight one ship.” Lipizzaner brought up, but it doesn't make Blades feel better.

Behind her orange visor the magenta unicorn thought, The Covenant fleet is elsewhere, then – with million more souls dying as we speak

“Back to the mission at hand, greenhorns.” I reminded sternly.  As a response, Blades levitated out her assault rifle and checked the HAVOC nuke one last time.

We moved out in Y-formation, covering our blind spots.  I lead my team down the hallway and into an intersection leading to three sealed doors on our left, right, and in front of us.  When we reached the center, Lipizzaner experimented with some holographic ‘buttons’ on the wall, yelping when seeing that the holograms were solid.  The door behind us sealed and the lights running parallel along the walls flickered on.

“I think that means the room is now pressurized.” I stated.  It must have entered a lockdown state when we made a hole with the griffon laser.

“Any direction we should take?”   Blades asked pointing her assault rifle at each of the doors.  I took a deep breath and pondered for moment.

“Go to each door and check you motion tracker – be careful not to open it.”  I went for the front door, blades and Lipizzaner went for either on my side.

Moving closer to the door already increased my fear.  Even being soldier, the fear of death is in everypony.  I checked my motion tracker hoping that it was clean of enemy contacts.

“Nothing here.” Lipizzaner reported a one door.

“Ditto – I duno where the bastards are.” Blades notified at another sealed door.

I was about to say the same until a red blip emerged at the top of my motion taker (where I was facing) and started to slowly move towards my position.

“There’s something behind here!”  I warned, calling my squad over.  Lipizzaner and Blades aimed their assault rifles at the door.

The door slid apart, revealing the first covenant I met.  According my helmet’s ‘Lore pop-up’ this alien being was classified as a ‘jackal’.

He (I think) was very thin and about as tall as a full grown pony.  He was bipedal and his legs were fashioned like bird’s, even having claws.  His skin was brown, rigid, and rough with long and thin crimson feathers growing from his elbows and the top of his head.  He had orange oval eyes on the sides of his bird-like head. His armor only covered his chest and legs.

A first he jumped back a meter, startled at the sight of ponies on board. The he gave out a bird-like screech and mumble a few lines of an alien tongue, pulling out his weapon.

Blades drilled five rounds into the head of the jackal. His brain matter and violet blood splashed on the floor.  “Four legs good, Two legs dead” Blades whispered in her helmet.

Lipizzaner crept forward and examined the Jackal’s C-shaped weapon.  Its plating was a mix of purple and orange with green tips on the ends.  The weapon was too small to be considered an assault weapon – it was likely the equivalent of a sidearm.

“Best to bring it back for Halsey Sparkle - she would want to have a look at it.” I informed, with Lipizzaner tossing the weapon to me.

With caution, we continued down the hall and passed the jackal.  I had Blades take point for now. Meanwhile a line of new covenant foes at around hidden corner in a T-shaped section – the annoying lore pop-up said that they were ‘grunts’.  

They were pretty short – a foot less than the Jackal.  Their greyish-purple arms, tails, and legs seemed to be tiny compared to their cone -shaped feet and hands.  They were ugly – ripples ruining their grey skin.  Their beady red eyes were all that could be seen of their faces, which were covered by some sort of breathing mask connected to a triangular cone attached to the back of their armor.  Our helmet scans showed they were breathing high pockets of methane.

Interested if the report were correct about their cowardice, I ordered my team not fire.  The link of grunts looked up and jumped in domino fashion.  Some in the front started to panic and flee.  Other pulled out their weapons and tried to fire at us, while we hid behind a corner.  One in the back weakly hurled a glowing blue flare that ended up hitting his comrade’s fuel tank.

“GAHAIAIHAI!GETIOFFGETOFF”  the struck grunt whimpered, running towards us.  The flare stuck to his stick and glowed brighter and brighter.

Blades was about to cast an overshield spell, but the Grunt came too close and exploded right in front of us.  All three of us crashed into the wall, while the grunts that survived the explosion fled back into hallways.

“Indigo, sound off!” I growled, angered.  We should have had our guard up sooner.

Both my friends were alright but the nuke’s control panel was melted away by the explosion caused by…a  plasma grenade.

“Can we activate it magically?” I asked Blades.  To me magic made anything possible.

“Negative, lad; there’s an anti-magic fail-safe nuke’s have so that they aren't activated by any unicorn.  Even if we could I might risk blowing it up too soon, and we'd all die.” Blades noted.  "Talk about quite a fail safe on a nuke."

“Looks like that grunt is going bring reinforcements.” Lipizzaner shuddered, referring to the grunt. this is bad…real bad... we'll have to use our armor to power the nuke.  Meaning Somepony will have to stay behind.

“We’ll find another way. Move out Indigo.” I ordered.  The grunt was nowhere in sight but our motion tracker still detected him as a red blob.

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

Eventually we traced the grunt around more hallways and to a dead end filled with glowing holographic murals (or possibly control panels) and were able to kill him.  

However, a new enemy had stridden in behind my team and was ready for battle.  It was jackal crouching behind a circular and transparent aqua shield, flowing with energy.  He sounded pissed off.

"What the 'ell is he saying?" Blades asked.

“Don't know, don't care - He’s mine.” I hissed.  Instantly both the jackal and I fire our weapons.

However, my bullets be deflected easily off his alien’s aqua shield, sending water-like shimmer thought it’s surface.  Through a small slit in the side of his shield, the Jackal had fired off a mist of pink needles from his one-handed weapon, with the needles homing slowly at my visor.

My team was in were in a dead end with little room to evade or maneuver.

At that moment Lipizzaner pushed me out of the way as the needles drilled deep into her MUSTANG armor.  She just gave a whimper as she tumbled on top of me.

Witnessing what happened to our albino squad mate, Blades hollered “NO! DIE, YOU BLOODY BLOKES! DIE!” She sounded like a screeching female ghoul out of horror story.  Then Blades fired on full auto, with the assault rifle shaking vigorously in her green-sea-foam glow. However the jackal’s shield absorbed all the bullets.  Yet it was beginning to weaken as it colors went from aqua to red.

“Motherbucker!” Blades cursed, ripping out her empty clip.

Before the jackal could return fire on Blades, I used my wing’s thrusters to zip out from under Lipizzaner’s body (My armor listed her vitals were bad).  I knocked myself into the jackal’s energy shield, dispersing it, and in the process pinned him to the wall, by his neck.

As the Jackal screeched out alien threats, I smashed my fore hoof though the Jackal’s skull, painting the wall and the front of my armor purple.

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

Silence followed for few moments, before Blades called me over.

“She won’t make it, Destiny.” Blades uttered.  At this moment it felt as if we were reliving the horrible day of augmentations again.

I turned around after staring at the mess of the Jackal that murdered my friend.  Lipizzaner was posited face up, protruding needles sticking out of several places in her armor including her visor. A waterfall of blood began to paint hideous patterns on her MUSTANG armor from where each crystal round was imbedded.

I looked down at the jackal’s V-shaped weapon.  A dozen razor sharp crystals with hues switching from violet to blue grew out of the top of the weapon.  I strapped it to my side, knowing for sure that the Covenant did have ‘crystallion’ technology.

Dammit! Why the ‘ell did you do that? Blades wept to herself.  I would have said the same thing.  Instead I hear Lipizzaner’s last thoughts.

Send me out…with a bang... I heard nothing more from Lipizzaner as Blades used Painkillers to put her into slumber.

Hearing these words I knew what had to be done.  “Blades – can we hook her armor to the nuke?”

Blades checked a few compartments in Lipizzaner’s armor until she found a plug and a cord hooked to the armor.  Knowing what had to be done, she interested the cord onto one end of the nuke, automatically powering it.  After that, we  started at Lipizzaner’s corpse.

“Arrivederci, my friend.” Blades wept, her unicorn magic lifting section of her armor plates up and ripping off Lipizzaner’s bloody dogs tags off.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

Not taking her eyes off Lipizzaner, Blades solemnly said starting at the the dog tags she levitated. “It was the last thing known thing Discord said to Fluttershy.  It means ‘Until we meet again’.” If only that was true…

Blades dropped the tags into my hoof without saying another word.  Deep in her head I saw another thing she lost recently; a friend.

---

And as for you, Destiny, you don’t always know what under a pony’s surface, despite being our squad leader. Please be there for your soldiers…

---

Remembering Lipizzaner’s words I hugged Blades from behind. I wanted to let the magenta unicorn know that she still had a friend.

“Destiny…I…I…” Blades sated. “I can’t be angry anymore.  I lost my mum, my pa…now one of my best friends… ”

“I know how you feel; let’s go.”  I said, releasing the hug. “Don’t let another ponies’ death drive you mad, 204. This is just the beginning.”

Blades couldn't respond but her thought spoke for her.  …Aye, aye, mate…

We were reluctant to leave Lipizzaner’s body. It was like a 1 and 3 without a 2.  It didn’t work. We were BBFs from beginning of day one, laughing, training, fighting, enduring….in that time we grew up so much. Lipizzaner wasn't shy anymore; she was becoming so social.  Now all of her body and armor, other than her dog tags was to be in the blast radius of a nuke.

“Blades, teleport us back to the Ashes here before more covenant show up.”  I triple-checked all the equipment we gathered and took a final glace at Lipizzaner’s armored corpse and the nuke.  Our business was concluded on this covenant vessel.

“Aye, Aye.” Blades replied in a broken voice.

“I’ll miss you L.Z.”  I whisper back, before me and Blades disperse into a green flash

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

The covenant was unlike any other enemy we have encountered.  Since Lipizzaner’s death, Greenhorn-IIs were frantically deployed to out colonies only to find them totally ‘glassed’ like Bronze Harvest, or fighting for the few lives left there. As predicted, we made into public media back in the inner colonies and Equestria, as faceless, enhanced, adult ponies in thick-plated, MUSTANG Armor charging into battle with alien monsters of all sorts.  Like she said before, Halsey Sparkle explained everything but the left out the truth of us being trained from our fillyhoods.

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

A month later…

SIGMA CLOPODIA

CASTLE COMPLEX

THE ARMORY

“….Back on Philomena’s Ashes, the UNSCOE won an amazing victory after Blades detonated the nuke aboard covenant vessel across from the Ashes.  It would have something worth smiling about if Lipizzaner was here.  As per Admiral Flag Pole’s protocol, Lipizzaner-039 has been listed as MIA because….‘we never die’… if only that was true…”

I was explaining to November and High Hopes about how we lost lipizzaner.  I had clear memory of the mission, since my mind-reading powers were at their lowest state today.

When I was done,  I sat on my flank and wrote about everything writing in journal Lipizzaners blooded dog tags wrapped around my neck. November Flare was making a giant pile of origami birds (taking break from analyzing several pieces of covenant technology). High Hopes was on a laptop with her mane displaying her saddened state, reading about setback after setback in the UNSCOE news; her heart begged for a scandal to be undercover or an affair between rival politicians to be revealed.

Blades was also nearby, experimenting with a few covenant weapons on hole-filled wall. She was only interested in the alien weapons because she wanted to kill them with the same guns that killed her folks.  The unicorn had taken interest in the using the  plasma grenades (or 'stickies'), the needler (the crystal-loaded device that killed Lipizzaner), and the ‘plasma rifles’.

November tried to distract himself with the ten-hundredth origami bird he made but his mind was troubled.

“All these deaths…reminded me of March Flare.”  November shivered, dropping the origami bird.  March Flare was November’s mom.  She was suffering from lung cancer when November was only a colt and died after he graduated from his elementary school; November was devastated feeling that he couldn't do anything to stop it.  However, she kept strong for him as long as she lived.

I had to stay strong for Indigo.  I wasn't as tall as Blades or as smart as November but….Mendez  put in charge for reason.  I still have to find that reason, other than being promoted the Master Chief Petty Officer to all Greenhorns.  It had to be about myself as Destiny the pegasus.

“November…because of your magical mystery medkits, we are heal soldiers and civilians alike as quickly as we can.”  I refute “You’re not worthless.  And you are doing March Flare proud.”

November seemed to relax for only few seconds. Then he turned back to working on the covenant technology, spread about his workbench in pieces.

“I cannot make anything useful out of what the covenant uses, Destiny…” November moaned “Their crystal technology… we are just beginning to study it in its plasma state and its solid state. The only new deceive I could make was…” He reached into the huge pile of origami birds and pulled out - “…a lava lamp.”

I peek over November’s shoulder, seeing High Hopes still saddened at her laptop.  “I bet somepony really wants a new toy.” I notified pointing my foreleg at High Hopes.

Thinking what I was thinking, November silently trotted over to High Hopes and placed the glowing-green lava lamp next to her.  When she tore her eyes away from the laptop’s screen and saw November Flare’s gift, she tightly hugged the stallion and started to cry.

I took this moment go amount the two and peek at High Hopes laptop.  She was news network, reading that The covenant had attacked and glassed the colonies New Manebassa, Pegasi Delta, and Gallipolis today.  They were really were giving us hell.

I trotted over to Blades still firing plasma round from a H-shaped weapon at the wall.  “Blades, how are you holding up?”

Blades didn't answer at first.  Then she growled “So mad I could burst…”

“We’re all in our darkest hour with the covenant-”

Blades interrupted “I'm mad at Vector, not the covenant; the dumb-arse got fired up on Bucephala in a daft fashion.”

Vector-056 had died earlier this week; she changed heroically into battle only to not notice the plasma mortar headed straight for him. I said, “That was Vector’s fault; don't let that go your head soldier.”

Blades sighed “Lipizzaner, Vector…. Were the best of the best but we're only ponies; and we're losing.  It’s a pretty grim month for….all of us, mate.  Could we win this fight?”

That was question where you heart said yes and your mind said no.  But all the greenhorns needed somepony to look up to.

“I don’t know…” I honestly answer “All I know is that ponies have been through tough times before – we can do it again.”

And if we can’t win this? Blades thought looking away.  She looked at rack, filled with the UNSCOE’s weapons on one end and whatever weapons recovered from covenant’s advanced inventory

“We can't lose any...because I'm crazy enough to believe we can win this war.”

Feeling a little better, Blades eyed my journal that I left beside November’s workbench.  “Mind if I have gander?”

I wasted no time in presenting the journal to her, showing that it was mess of words and sketches.  “Are you like some kind of Journo?”

I shrugged, “It’s just something I use to keep track of my memories.”

“c-c-can…I see? I pinkie promise not to tell…”

I spun around and found High Hopes behind me, clutching the lava lamp.  November was also beside her, still saddened.

“I guess there is no harm in showing it to all of you…” I shrugged, then I chimed softly to High hopes. “...as long as you pinkie promise.”

Fzzz…*PHEW!*

“CROSS MY HEART, EAT A PIE, POUR SOME GARLIC ON MY FRENCH FRIES!” High Hopes screamed at the top of her lungs, her hair becoming all poufy again to my happiness.  Blades and November laughed.

I started to read the first part of my journal, saying:

“Well, it all started when I scanned the silver bookshelves of the treehouse-library frantically. My sister would kill me soon if I couldn't find that book. But after trying my best to look….”

Just then, Halsey’s voice came over the loudspeakers *“Master Chief Petty Officer Destiny, we received distress signal from friendly forces the colony Nieghtherland. Covenant forces are inbound to the colony.  Organize some Greenhorns to be deployed to Nieghtherland ASAP.”*

Celestia dammit…

“Okiee dookie smokie, Doctor Loco coco sparkle!” High Hopes cheered into the intercom.  The she sped off to the lockers.

Blades magically levitated two covenant needlers off a rack, loading the crystal ammo into them. “Well…let’s have a go at it!”

November Flare went over to his locker and pulled out three M.M.M’s, a modified battle rifle with an underbarrel cartridge filled of used syringes, and his tactical visor covering his left eye.  “Same for me; about time I got back out and flew a phoenix; I've been studying covenant tech for a month now and I'm getting nowhere.” November huffed.

I was about to gallop outside to gather my other brother and sister greenhorns, only to have High hopes zip in front of me, wearing that creepy skull mask and dangling her shotgun around her neck.

“Can I come?” the little red pony pleaded.  “I’ll be good; I pinkie promise.  Gunny and Skully will be safe…and well fed.”

“No.” I firmly notified “It’s too dangerous.”

“Please?” High hopes begged wrapping her hooves around my bare fore-legs. “I don’t want to stay here all day; there is no info to collect and trade.  I wanna fight again.”

“No.” I rolled my eyes

“PLEASE?!” High Hopes wailed, showing off her adorable green eyes. “PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE…”

“Alright Alright…” I gave up, her pleading echoing my ears. “But you have to listen to whatever I say. Do I make -”

“Crystal Clear, boss!” High Hopes chanted and sped out through the armory doors.

Blades trotted up beside me in her MUSTANG MK-5 armor, whispering “I don't mean to call High Hopes a dill, but this is a serious matter she doesn't see as serious.”

I shook my head. “Still at least she makes our job fun.”

Later I got my own MUSTANG MK-5 armor on.  Tested on Equestria in the San Palomino Deserts, the MK 5 could be assembled onto a pony by herself and customized into variety of fashions, unlike the MUSTANG MK-4 armor.  Its armor plating was as light as flying feathers and generated a fully body-energy-shield that was as strong as dragon scales (Yeah…that was reference to a book).  I painted the armor plating maroon-red, the color of equestrian blood, and drew my paintbrush cutie mark on the thigh pieces.  Instead of choosing from one of the new helmets, such as the MK-5 variant Blades donned, I had November modify my MK-4 helmet to be compatible with my MK-5 armor systems.

Somehow when I look at the helmet I can see myself in visor perfectly.  So when the covenant met me on Neightherland, they would know who Destiny the Pegasus was.

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

Now, every Greenhorns gallops into battle alongside the other races of the UNSCOE, our armor design colors, and cutie marks speaking out who we are as individuals.  But even as powerful as we were, the UNSCOE couldn’t beat the covenant entirely; you could win a ground fight and still lose the planet to a space battle.

And during all these loses I kept wondering….who was the ‘He’ the covenant were looking for?

CHAPTER 13

“BipBapBam”

FEW HOURS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF NEIGHTHERLAND

OBITAL DEFENSE PLATORM:

ANGEL STATION

OVER THE COLONY Neightherland

Lady of Admirals, Robin Hood, waved her wrinkled rust color hoof to a ship outside the space station’s observation deck.  

“I know what you are thinking, son….” Hood stated “…that’s was pride and jewel of the UNSCOE fleets before the Silver Spoon. Now that the Spoon was blown up, its place is reclaimed”

Beside her, stood an earth pony with a brown mane and a grey coat. His mark was two keys facing in opposite directions attach to a ring. His name tag read: Commander Corncob Keyes. He moved up from lieutenant a few months ago.

“Yeah… By my stars….” Corncob gaped.

Outside the deck’s glass window, was huge warship entering its finishing touches. While a crane held the vessel in place, sparks and lights pinpointed repairers.  A few years ago, this ship was to be scrapped.  Instead, it was now being repurposed to fight the impending threats of the Covenant. They called it The Wrap of Winter, named in honor of a traditional holiday originating from Ponyville.

Hood broke the silence, “All Those ‘Honey-comb’-class warships, except this one, were put out of order when I was just a filly, son. You'd never think you would see another one in your lifetime.”

“Yeah…” Keyes repeated still staring outside.

“Stop saying ‘yeah’ like a civilian, Commander Keyes.” Lady Robin Hood sharply ordered.

“Sorry, sir – I mean ma’am!” Keyes quickly corrected himself.

Robin Hood was very old, like other admirals.  Her coat was rust colored and her blonde mane and tail had almost turned all grey.  When she spoke, you would think she was filled with the fire of an energetic mare.  It was also a notable feature that she was a unicorn.

As Lady of Admirals, wearing a fresh white military dress with golden rims and a cap, Robin Hood was only below the UNSCOE council.  Other than those rulers, she had complete power over all of the UNSCOE Military, pony and non-pony.

Corncob Keyes was interested in what her cutie mark was but he resisted doing that. So he turned his attention back to the Wrap of Winter outside.  “She….is fine piece of work….kind of reminds me of a tall wedding cake on its side – with hexagonal layers staking atop of one another. It doesn't look long however.  And it looks pretty old-fashioned compared to our other ships…ma’am.”

Robin Hood chuckled. “At first, I thought you were referring to Halsey when you said she.  That unicorn is sure one striking mare. You are one lucky pony to have found such a ‘piece of work’. Two, if you include the Winter.”

Robin knew of Keyes and Halsey deep history together.

“Oh,” Keyes sated giving a fake smile, but in his heart he longed to be with Halsey again, who was trapped in some Complex in some underground PONI lab somewhere on Sigma Clopodia.  The most memorable time they had spent together physically was when they met Subject-117 at Ponyville’s Library.

And sometimes Halsey Sparkle would never stop rambling about their only child.  A child that only a few knew they had.

Keyes looked beyond Angel Station’s observation window and past the Winter of Wrap into the stars.  Some years after his boy’s augmentations were sabotaged Halsey Sparkle bought their kid back to life….but he wasn’t the same.  Now, that kid was part of an elite Hellprancer squad, fighting either the insurrection or the Covenant somewhere….

Robin Hood’s voice bought him back to looking at the Winter of Wrap. “There’s enough space for a full ship’s crew, and it will carry all the prototype weapons one could ever need in this war and other wars to come.”

“It’s a pleasure to serve aboard the Winter aboard as her executive.” Corncob Keyes saluted proudly. “Who’s the commanding officer?”

“Captain Gel Rio, but he is currently in a hospital after breaking leg while bucking a tree on vacation for some reason I don’t give a care about. So….” Lady Robin then pulled from her military dress’s pocket a tiny captain’s badge.  She then held out her hoof for Keyes to take it.

“That’s you for today, Captain Corncob Keyes; now let’s take a tour of the ship….”

“M’Lady! Lady Robin hood!”  Cried a unicorn major, who teleported onto the observation deck.  While he panted, he hastily gave Lady Robin Hood a salute.

“Speak, Major Minor Problems.” The Lady stated, reading new pony’s name tag aloud.  Keyes grinned softly at hearing the name; it almost sounded like the phrase ‘a major/minor problem’.

Once the major stopped panting he gave out his report. “Ma’am….Deep space scouts report of a massive Covenant fleet….and they are en route to Neigtherland in a few hours.”

“Is that going to be enough time to stop them from glassing the planet just like they did with Bronze Harvest?” Keyes wondered

Robin’s nice grandmother expression became hard cold stone as her face darted to Keyes. She then slapped the pin forcefully onto Keyes’s fur coat. “Ouch” Keyes whined

“Listen here, part-time-captain Keyes; Gel Rio isn't here, which mean he won't mess things up like he did at Bucephala, so you're in change! Get that tour of the Winter over with and don't end up being the latest plasma-fried-patty on my platter. Do I make myself clear, Keyes?”

Keyes shuttered “Y-Yes Ma’am.”  Then he made a mad dash to find an entrance into to the Winter.

Robin turned to Major Minor Problems “Send a message to CASTLE Complex on Sigma Clopodia – I hear there is some Greenhorns-II, Orbital Drop Shock Steeds, and special operatives we can use right now.”

Major Problems then cried out “Yes ma’am – But by the time they get here, it will be in the middle of a losing battle!”

“Don’t give me excuses! Give me those Soldiers!” Snapped Robin Hood. “NOW!”

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

FEW HOURS LATER

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE OF Neightherland

“Drive to survive, Lugnut!” Shouted Zebra Sergeant Gravy J.J. to the unicorn in the driver’s seat of the warthog.  The Moon-sun was riding shotgun, while carrying a sniper rifle. While he did so, a griffon known as Darius stood up on the warthog’s turret-mounted flatbed, firing the chaingun in bursts.

“Those ghosts are still on our tail!” Panicked Darius. He referred to three T-shaped, hovering, small vehicles, being piloted by grunts. Lugnut was swinging the warthog back and forth, trying to steer clear of the ghost’s plasma rounds.

Lugnut grumbled “‘….the Rally Point at New Appleoosa is safe…’ you said.  ‘We we’ll take a break from the fighting there’ you said; Next thing you know, we find it crawling with covenant!”

“Shut the buck up and drive! That’s an order, private!”  Gravy hissed.  The zebra stood up on his seat and turned around, aiming his sniper rifle at their pursuers.

Kraap-pow! Kraap-pow!

Gravy’s first sniper rifle round bounced of the Ghost’s hull, but his second one struck the grunt in the head.  His ghost started to flip and collided with the ghost beside him, knocking out the pilot.

“Ghost is roasted!” The Gravy cheered.  On the flat bed turret, Daruis made the last ghost explode into pieces by driving several rounds into its hull.

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

Lungut drove the warthog all over the country side.  The fields of grass were reduced to tiny patches amongst the dirt.  Plasma-radiated caters were a common sight in the hills.  The orange sky was mixed black with smoke from all corners of the countryside; it was hard to tell if it should be dawn, dusk, or even midnight.

“Lugnut – drive us to Friendship-Fire-Base 01; we have to tell them that we’re losing ground in Colt d’Azure.” Gravy commanded.

“What are they going do about it?” squawked Darius to superior, munching on a Meal-At-the-Ready bar.

“Send in an airstrike or ODSSs drop…I don't know what support Lady Hood promised – she just said it would be sent….”

Lugnut abruptly stopped the warthog in front of Friendship-Fire-Base-01; it had transformed into a smoking hill of rods and burnt metal.

“…Here…” Gravy finished, seeing the destruction.   He told Lugnut to drive around the area to find a radio, an M.M.M., anything.  Darius kept the chain-gun turret ready.

They only drove for five seconds around the hill, before a bolt of green plasma soared out of the smoke and whacked the warthog’s rear, causing it to spin in midair.  Being unicorn, Lugnut forced the warthog to land on it four tires.

When Gravy’s dizziness ended, he could see two covenant units emerging out from the smoke and stomping down the hill.  

They were known as Covenant Hunters.  They were the tallest and the strongest of covenant units.  Their grey-blue body armor was rounded with sharp edged here and there.  Their glowing orange fresh (Actually composed of a colony of orange worms) was visible at all their joints.  While the other covenant looked like soldiers, hunter resembled war-machines; they hefted a huge shield with their left arm and had giant plasma canon for a right hand, with no visible face except two green circles as eyes on the ‘head-piece’ armor.  Then emitted low deep rumbles.

“Let them have it, Darius!” Gravy roared.  When no turret fire came, Gravy swerved his head around and witnessed a featherless and partly skeletal corpse that was Darius on the flatbed, along with a stump of the stand where the chain gun was attached to.  

Lugnut also saw what happened to his griffon friend, but Gravy shouted at him “Boy, Get us out of here!”

Lugnut was about make a sharp U-turn.  However one of the hunters charged up its plasma cannon and fire off a green plasma projectile.

The projectile struck the warthog and it exploded.  Gravy had managed to bail out and the explosion threw him a couple of meters away.  However, Lugnut was caught in the blast and stumbled out of his wreckage, bleeding and burned.  The two hunters began to stomp towards Lugnut.

Gravy called out to the unicorn, but Lugnut was probably deafened from the explosion; he kept limping away, the Hunter only a hoof behind him.  

Gravy got hold of his sniper rifle lying beside him.  He fired the rounds at the Hunter’s armor only to witness that the meant-to-be-armor-piercing-rounds bounce off the thick armor plating.  However, Gravy was able to get one shot into a weak spot at the exposed orange neck of one of the hunter’s, causing it to drop dead.

The other hunter bought his foot on Lugnut’s head.  Gravy looked away from the scene, hearing the sound of blood and guts being squeezed out and bones being smashed.

Once The Hunter finished executing Lugnut, it found its finding its twin dead and seeing Gravy in the distance.  The hunter let out a thunderous rumble and fired a round at Gravy’s position.

Gravy rolled out of the way of the oncoming green blast. The he galloped at the hunter, ready to take the massive alien on, even though the Zebra was dwarfed in size, his weapon was out of ammo, and knew he was all alone.

The Hunter charged up its canon, with Gravy readying to brace its impact.

However, shower of rockets landed on the Hunter before Gravy got too close to it. The hunter was now a pile of dead orange worms and shards of armor.

Gravy looked above and saw that the rockets had come from a phoenix dropship that was hovering above him.

*“Hello Sergeant, how’s your day?”* The pilot of the dropship asked.

“Mighty fine son, now that you saved my striped flank.”  Gravy took off his cap  and wiped some sweat off his brow with a muddy hoof. “I, however, had been told the Good Lady Robin Hood was sending us some support.”

*“…And we’re it, Sargent.  Sorry for the delay; the space battle above us is getting worse.  We must make haste to Colt’d Azure. Come with if you'd like.”*

Gravy was puzzled; all the civilians in Colt d’Azure were either dead or evacuated and it was filled with covenant and the UNCSOE in on-and-off street firefighting; so why head back there?  Gravy settled that they he would be debrief on it later.

The Phoenix lowered to the ground and Gravy J.J. slung his sniper rifle on his back and trotted up to the Phoenix.

The loading bay for him opened revealing three ponies.  

One who was a magenta greenhorn unicorn wore a blocky MUSTANG-Mk 5 helmet and sea-foam colored armor, with crossed swords overlapping a shield painted on her thigh armor piece.

The other was a yellow greenhorn pegasus with maroon MK 5 armor and the pony-shaped MUSTANG-Mk 4 and had a paint brush paint on her armor.  

The third pony was the most unique from the group; she had wild raspberry hair ending at the front of her snout to the base of her neck, was smaller than the other members, masked her face with skull mask, and had an hourglass cutie mark.

“Welcome to Greenhorn Team Indigo; looks like you’ll be the only one joining us on this mission.”  The Maroon-armored Pegasus greeted.  Gravy could see her young eyes behind her orange visor – she was probably around twenty. That was a surprise – Gravy thought that greenhorns were a lot older.

“In exchange for coming with you on this mission, could you explain what in hell we are doing in covenant-hell-hole that I just escaped, ma’am?” Gravy said as he got onto the dropship

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HOEVERING OVER COLT D’ AZURE

I explained to the Zebra sergeant that Lady Robin Hood had ordered my team to secure a crystallion artifact in the Museum of Colt d’ Azure. Despite telling us that the museum was in a heavily-covenant-occupied region of the city, the Zebra said he was willing to help us.

“I didn't graduate from sniping school or get a master’s diploma in ‘bucking’ for nothin’; you got yourself an A-grade Zebra, Ma’am.” The Zebra sergeant winked.  Blades and High Hopes took off their headgear and introduced themselves.  November leaned out from his cockpit seat and introduced himself.

*BOOOOM!*

Then, the ship rocked violently forcing me and High Hopes out of our seats.  “November! Report!”

“Covenant Banshees, they are trying to stop us from getting further into the city! I’ll try to land this dropship in a safe location. Hang on, ponies!” November called out as we began a dangerous decent.

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

THE NEARBY BEACH

COLT D’AZURE

Knock-knock-knock

“DESTINY! WAKE UP!  THERE IS NO RESPAWN AND YOU’RE STILL ALIVE – STILL ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!! WAKE UUUUUUUUP!”

High Hopes wouldn't stop wrapping on my visor so didn't get to pass out in peace.  Once I got on my fours I did some regular morning stretches – it sure felt like morning with the dropship alarm going off;  I buck it with my hind legs to silence it.  The Phoenix was in one piece but its engines were damaged too badly.  Gravy was nowhere in sight.

“Looks like we’re to going continue on hoof, Indigo Team.” I announced.

“Wait.” November spoke, looking surprised “We’re going…on hoof? As in…walking? Though a sector filled with hostiles?  I can fix this ship…”

“Of course.” I firmly stated. “But unless you want to meet a covenant scouting party that could be coming right now to make sure everypony on this dropship is dead, it’s best that we move on.  Our allies are going lose this place to the Covenant soon…”

This sector of the city, the planet, or both? November wondered.

“..so let’s make the most of it, Indigo Team”  My marksmare rifle was still functional but the scope was cracked.

“Yeah, Go Indigo! O-rah! O-rah! O-MMMMP!” High Hopes cheered, only to have her mouth magically zipped by Blades at the third ‘o-rah’.

“Hush now, mate. ‘em aliens are probably already looking for us.”  Blades informed. She open a magical compartment on the side pulled out a chain-gun and two covenant needlers. “They already greeted us into the city. So I say we give them a greeting from a Bronze Harvester.”

Though she was grinning with the anticipation to make use of the weapon, I said, “No, Blades – we’re only using the quieter weapons only. No chain guns or shotguns…”

High hopes thought Are you serious? Even Gunny hates you!.  

Blades gave me a disapproving look though her orange visor. Should I bring up the fact it’s my birthday? Nah…I won’t be a brat

“…but keep them just in case.” I informed.  They both squeed.

November made sure his rifle was ready and his MMMedpacks were with him.  Once they were I opened the hatch of the phoenix’s loading bay.

We were on a locale beach of Colt d’Azure that was devoid of any movement marked on my motion tracker; lucky for us, some buildings in the city were nearby.  It would provide good cover into the city.

I ordered November to take point in air, while Hopes, Blades, and I galloped behind some rumble.  November scanned the building in the air with visor, looking for hostiles on his eyepiece’s motion tracker.

Fzoooow!

A thin beam of blue plasma whizzed right near November’s left ear coming from a rooftop.  At the same time from below, my own augmented ears caught the sound of a jackal grumbling angrily from one of the buildings above.  A red dot flashed on my motion tracker and then disappeared.

“Yikes!” November wailed and zipped down to join us in cover behind the rumble.

“Sniper… It’s a jackal camping on the rooftop of the building – can’t believe I didn’t see him.” November breathed.

“That reminds me - Does this count as camping?” High Hopes asked, referring to the four of us behind a pile of rubble

“I can’t see the hooligan!” Blades called out, levitating her chain gun at the building.  The jackal fired again.  

Fzoooow!

“Crikey!”

The Blades ducked at the last minute, while tiny bits of the rubble flew off.  “He’s too high on that to give me a clear shot at that freaky-flank mask that we call his face.”

“Did you just call me a stallion on drugs?” High Hopes asked, angrily bumping her skull mask at the armored nuzzle of Blade’s helmet

“Settle down you two.  I’ll do this for Lipizzaner.” I informed, flying into the air.

From there I could see the Jackal hefting what looked like a purple sword with its tip facing forward, flowing with energy.  

[img] http://www.halopedia.org/images/4/4d/Halo3_Jackal.jpg[/img]

The Jackal sniper fired only two shots at me, with one of them grazing my MUSTANG armor’s over shield (causing it to glow brightly in yellow). Then he paused in firing, as he took one claw off his sniper rifle and squawked in frustration.

This was a usual sight – most Covenant weapons could overheat easily, causing them to remain dysfunctional for a short period of time.

Still in midair, I looked into the cracked scope of my rifle and shot a single round right between the jackal’s orange eyes.  The alien’s body and weapon toppled off the building and fell onto the sand.

“Indigo – proceed into the buildings.” I said into the helmet radio, pointing my armored hoof at the buildings. I flew down to pick up the jackal’s weapon.

*Scanning….done; Covenant Beam Rifle is now compatible with MUSTANG-Mk 5 armor of Greenhorn 117. *  

This text was on my HUD, right under a half-way filled shield bar.

A few moments later the shield recharged fully and I trotted over to join my friends, happy I got new sniper rifle. Or ‘beam rifle’, whose computerized scope was now linked to my suit.

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

Silverblitz and Pan Cake were just sneaking through alleyway – invisible and both clad in PONI recon armor – until they saw some UNSCOE marines running through a street. They were being led by a male greenhorn unicorn in blue armor.

“Hey!” Silverblitz called out to the squad, deactivating his invisibility spell on him and Pan Cake.  “Where is the fighting at?”

The squad didn’t respond, galloping eagerly away.  The male greenhorn answered “Here’s a hint, derpflank: Incoming.”

“What?” Pan Cake wondered.

Once the marines had left Pan and Cake and Silverblitz hoofed into the street. As they did so, a covenant wraith appeared around a corner, unleashing a comet-shaped motor at their position.  Silverblitz saw tank as a bunch of round and smooth pieces fashion together pretty neatly in some big' ol  blob with a big' ol back and two little 'wings' at the front

Wooooooooshhh

“Mother of Chrysalis-” Pan Cake exclaimed in surprise just before the mortar came into contact with him.  Silverblitz managed to teleport himself back into the dark alleyway as Pan Cake was engulfed in bright blue explosion.  

BOOOM!!!

A black crater was all that remained.

“Son-of-a-Cerberus.” Silverblitz hissed, casting his invisibility spell again.  The wraith tank hovered slowly and silently down the street, its driver on the assumption that the two equestrians were killed in the blast.

After the Wraith past his alley way, Silverblitz deactivated his invisibility spell and leapt out into the road alleyway and hitched onto the back of the wraith.  

On the back of the wraith, was tiny spinning rotor. Still unnoticed, Silverblitz chucked a fragmentation grenade into the rotor, seeing in roll further into the wraith.

Then he back flipped off the wraith tank and in three seconds the wraith detonated in a blue explosion, its pieces flying into buildings and rolling about on the road.

Proud of himself Silverblitz huffed “Heh…not even a Greenhorn or an Orbital Drop Shock Steed could make it twenty percent cooler, eh Pan Cake….Pan?”

Silverblitz realized he was the only one left in the alleyway.  On the sidewalk, he saw Pan Cake’s severed foreleg.  Next to it was the changeling’s crooked horn.

Silverblitz took one long look at the crater where his old partner once was.  Seeing as there nothing collect after Pan Cake’s demise, he galloped off into the distance, looking for the marine squad and the greenhorn.

Eventually, Silverblitz found them, resting in nearby plaza. “Yo! Greenhorn! Got a name?”

The greenhorn unicorn grunted “Charter-259…my squad here…we’re done defending this city…there nothing left…what a waste of my men.”

Silverblitz shook his helmeted head, with Charter and his marine squad in his lime-green visor “No, Charter – there is something I need…and it’s in the museum.”

“Are you nuts?” one of the marines, a pegasus, revolted “You’re gonna be cut down – that’s where a bunch of covenant forces are stationed. No way you can make me go there – even if I’m sent to Luna’s moon!”

Silverblitz stated “What the covenant wants so dearly on this planet is an artifact in that museum…As A PONI officer on this vital mission I say let’s get  it. Now.”

Charter stood in front of Silverblitz – he was very buff compared to Silverblitzy. “Who says you’re in charge?” The greenhorn sneered.

Silverblitz grinned “I’m not only taking charge cause I can; I’m asking for a return in favor and some help. My buddy is dead and I took out that wraith tank that you were galloping away from. Quid pro quo.”

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

The elite covenant warrior was a bipedal creature.  Four jaws or sharp teeth and two reptilian eyes its muscular arms and legs were coated under a layer of scales and armor plates of all sorts of triangles and curves.  He gave a low growl that could be as translated, ‘any closer, and your friend dies’.

He meant me.

A few minutes ago when we were scouting the road filled with dead soldiers, dead civilians, and some Pony and Covenant weapons, a shimmer in the air was headed towards us.  At first I thought it was some plasma radiation in the area or a trick of our eyes.  Instead, it was an elite covenant warrior, cloaked from our eyesight and our motion trackers.

He appeared in front of Blades, using his sword to slice her chain gun in half and knocking her down.  Before the rest of us could return fire, the elite disappeared again – but he reappeared and caught me from behind.

Now, the elite was holding me around the neck and bringing a dual-bladed energy sword pretty close to my visor.

“Take him guys…” I croaked to my team, who were hesitant to shoot.  

I wasn't scared that elite was attempting to choke me, or that he could just plunge his blade into my eye; I just wanted to see what my team would do – As a team leader, you can't always be leading your team;  you need to see how they function without you…

I-DEE-AA!  High Hopes though, then she turned to Blades and November ginning with brilliance.

“Blades…cook him. Novy, get ready to color that alien pleased as punch.” High Hopes directed.  Blades gave dumbfounded look, having no weapons

November flare whispered to Blades “You know the plasma pistol’s secondary ability to shoot an overcharged burst that will overload shields completely?  Think you can do a spell similar to that?”

Blades nodded. Her horn gave a low hum and glowed in a bright, blinding green light.  The elite growled a warning at Blades, his four jaws stretching out and showing his throat.

High Hopes pumped her shotgun and shouted "Yo, Squid-face!", prompting the elite to look away from Blades.

Blades let off the blast of magic from her horn, causing to her fall back on her flank.  The bolt of green magic hit the elite in the face, also deteriorating his shields.

November fired a three-round burst from his ‘medic-edition’ battle rifle (or whatever names I could come up with it) at the elite’s head.  Three syringes struck the elite in his eye, one of his nostril and somewhere in his mouth past his four jaws.

“Nice job delivering that king hit.” Blades complemented to November Flare.

The elite collapsed, dropping me and his cyan energy sword (which deactivated automatically). As November helped me up to my hooves, we overheard a strange hum in the distance.  

Five covenant dropships, resembling like underwater mammals plated in armor, were flying towards us.

“Ai,yai,yai...Is there any place the Covenant isn’t?” High Hopes questioned sarcastically.

“Find cover!”  I yelped, picking up my DMR and the Beam rifle.

“What cover?”  Blades asked, magically pulling out her twin needlers.  

She was right – only dead bodies and scattered pieces of vehicles were in the street.  I galloped to locked door of building and tried to buck in open – even with MUSTANG Mk 5 armor and chemical augmentations, all I could do was dent the door.  November tried to bash open a window with the butt of his syringe rifle but he couldn't even crack it.

The dropships were moving in closer. They surrounded us and dropped down various troops and vehicles.  Grunts, Jackals, Elites, Hunters all snarled, barked, and rumbled at us. About ten ghosts were at the edge the infantry perimeter. We stood on our back legs, pointing our guns widely at the surrounding forces.

On my motion tracker, a bundle of tiny yellow dot (consisting of my team) was in thick perimeter of several red dots.

I’d rather be a tree than go through this… November groaned to himself.    However, the covenant forces were waiting for us to make to make the first move – they believed they could win and wanted to soak some fear in us a little longer.

“Indigo – what do we have?” I wondered.

November said that he had two magical mystery medkits, his syringe-battle-rifle, two fragmentation grenades, and his tactical eye-piece.  Blades stated that she had her energy-shielded Mustang Mk-5 armor, two needlers, a plasma grenade, and some magical spells.  I had my DMR, a beam rifle, my own energy-shielded armor.  High Hopes had shotgun full of surprises and her skull mask.

“How did we go from fighting a Manticore and Hydras to this?”  Blades whispered.

“You guys fought hydras?” High hopes asked, sounding excited.

Blades answered “Yup, back on Sigma Clopodia – Foggy bottom backwash. Two of ‘em.  And we were your age, Hopes, and we didn't have this armor or any guns. Mendez only gave us two sticks and rock he named 'Opal'.”

“Those four-headed amphibian freaks made the Manticore in ghastly gorge look like a pussy cat.” I stated, bringing back old memories of when Snapshot-102, Lipizanner-039, Turning Fork-075, and Mudd Slinger-077 were part of our team.

“I’m sure the covenant make both of those nightmares feel like tea parties.” November shivered, bring back the fact they were surrounded.

“Too right mate….” Blades hissed.

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!”

A shrilling ye-haw was heard, causing the covenant to look toward an oncoming warthog, mounted with a six-barreled rocket turret which was manned by an earth pony ODSS in a muddy coat.  The warthog bowled into the perimeter of the covenant infantry, sending bodies flying.

“That’s one way to save ammo….Now let ’em have it, pony!” yelled the driver, who was Sergeant Gravy JJ. I was thankful to see the Zebra sergeant in one piece and up for a flank-whopping.  

“Yes sir!” The Earth pony ODSS replied and rocket sailed out from the tubes and inflamed a pair of Hunters.  The massive beasts rumbled loaded and returned fire in green rods at the fast-moving warthog.

“MARK!” I shouted – we tossed our grenades at the distracted covenant and dashed in different directions as explosions engulfed and shrapnel struck the unlucky aliens.

High Hopes pulled radio from out of nowhere and played a fire-fight fitting theme from the band zap-apple-jam.

Youtube Video

I took to the sky and focused my fire on an elite warrior– it took an entire clip of my DMR to lower the elite’s shield before I finished him off with a headshot from the beam rifle. I repeated this process with other elites, till I ran out of DMR ammo.

November Flare shot down another elite and then flew to a rooftop, seeing some advancing jackals with their gauntlet shields.  His syringes made the dead jackals look like disregarded test animals.

High Hopes got a plasma burn on part of her skull mask, but she was still alive and kicking, evading a swing from a hunter’s foot from stomping on her, only to roll under the hunter and shoot at an exposed an exposed orange area at his back.

A Jackal began to fire his plasma pistol repeatedly at the dancing and trigger-happy High Hopes.  After doing a twirl, High Hopes held her shotgun out with one fore-hoof and blasted confetti into the Jackal’s eyes.

Blades preformed her armor lock spell on charging ghost, causing it to flip from the shockwave and eject the grunt piloting it.  With my shield partially drained I swooped down and flipped the Ghost back up.  Then I drove it front of covenant units tore them into little piece of flesh with the ghost plasma cannons.

“Oi! Who told you to lob into my ride, Destiny!?” Blades called out after me.

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

With the corrected timing, High Hopes summer-saluted backwards onto the passenger seat Johnson’s rocket-launcher mounted warthog. Once seated, she blasted a needler out of an elite’s claws.

“Next time get a plasma rifle, split-jaw!  It has hot action!” High Hopes taunted the elite.  Then a grunt tossed a plasma grenade that successfully stuck to the rocket turret on the flatbed.

“Grenade – Everypony bail out!” The ODSSs shouted. He, Gravy and High Hopes leapt off as their unmanned Warthog splattered an elite and blew up in front of a hunter.  Some nearby grunts and Jackals began to break into a hasty retreat.

“That’s right – run you foxtroters!” Gravy shouted.

Blades teleported beside the ODSS and levitated a needler into his forehooves.  “Welcome to the fight, mate!”  

Despite ODSSs and greenhorns having a hard time working together after what I did to Strikeout’s squad a long time ago, this ODSS accepted Blades offer and took the weapon from her.

High Hopes trotted up beside the ODSSS the corners of a wide smile stretched beyond her skull mask “And welcome to the party! Now you have lots and lots of friends!”  

Meanwhile, Gravy picked up an energy sword with his mouth and engaged two elites in an energy sword battle, proving to be more than a match for them.

“Help me, help you!” November called out, crouching behind a railing. He used up all his syringes and had only two grenades left.  

I was also in tough spot, with my Ghost badly damaged from a hunter’s plasma cannon and my shields dangerously low.

A Jackal sniper from the street below started firing at November’s position on the rooftop.  I used the last of the ghost’s power for running over that jackal.  Then the vehicle stopped hovering and was grounded permanently.

In exchange, November used his wings to bat two fragmentation grenades down into the street below at pair of hunters. One blew up into pieces of armor and orange worms while his twin was knocked away.

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

The covenant force that once surrounded us was reduced to a bunch of carcasses and few stragglers, which we dealt with little effort.

“Now this…beats hitting books in library.” I breathed out, letting my now depleted energy shield recharge.

“This party calls for a victory.” High Hopes panted before collapsing.

“Yeah…” the ODSS sighed.  The familiarity in his voice caught my full attention.  He wore the black ODSS variant of the equestrian marine armor, concealing his face behind a full helmet.  However, his visible legs were colored in different types of brown.  And that three-pronged tail looked undoubted from somepony I knew.  At last, I realized who it when I glanced at the scar on the back of his neck

“Mudd?” I wondered aloud.  Here was friend of mine, unbelievably back from the dead and grown up...somehow. Here stood Mudd Slinger fighting beside me again.  It was unbelievable.

Mudd Slinger took off his helmet as showed his face, alive, well, focused, and needing a shave.  Blades and I gasped, lost for words.

Destiny-117. You haven’t changed one bit. Mudd thought.

Mudd saluted us sharply, identifying himself as ‘Hellprancer Master Sergeant Mudd Slinger of the 105st legion’.

“Slinger, my mate! What in name of Luna are you doing here!?” Blades squealed coming over to Mudd and rubbing his mane vigorously.  Mudd forced her hoof away, giving her an irritated look.

“Robin Hood deployed me in because she thought you needed help getting something; The Crystal Heart at the Colt D’Azure museum.”

“The Crystal Heart? I thought that was just a piece of old-pony art.” High Hopes blurted out.

Mudd shook his head “According to recent examinations of data on covenant society done by my…” my mum… "a superior I answer to alone, the Crystal Heart is an artifact that Covenant have been searching since their foundation.  No pony knows what it will do, but Robin Hood orders that we have to find out that out first.”

“C’mon lets break a leg. To the museum!” Gravy huffed putting his sergeant cap and wrapping his sniper rifle around himself.  As he trotted, ge started to chant the Hellprancer marching song confidently with us walking behind him.

“One Early morning in Zero five - Join me you ponies! -The ground will rumble there will lightning in the sky! Don't you worry, don't come undone-”

“Gravy J.J…..you’re supposed to look at legs, not break them!” High hopes chuckled, causing an awkward silence among the group.

“Let’s….just go. Quietly.”  I settled.

*You’re gonna need a lot more firepower, Indigo.* The voice of none other than Silverblitz chimed into our radios.  Pretty soon, a tortoise tank was strolling behind us..

Once mighty tank halted in front of us, Silverblitz popped open the hatch and hoofed over to me. Then he looked at the covenant corpses scattered about.

“Well it looks like I missed a fight…”  (High Hopes shouted ‘well, duh!’) “…how are you doing Master Chief Petty Officer?  I like the armor color; it goes with your profession; spilling blood.”  Silverblitz commented.

“Silverblitz? I’m…fine; it’s just another day of the week for me. I take it you are here for….” However I could already guess what the PONI stallion was here for anyway

“The same thing: The Crystal Heart in the city museum – Bad news is Pan Cake is dead, and a Greenhorn’s Squad didn’t answer me. However I found cool turtle tank, lying around!”  Silverblitz explained.

“Tortoise Tank.  Oh, where are my manners? G’day, mate!” Blades greeted giving Silverblitz a hoof bump.

After tossing Gravy an M.M.M. to cover an intense bleeding on his leg, November questioned “You lost Pan Cake? And a Greenhorn wouldn’t answer to you?”

I told Silverblitz I would make sure this greenhorn, Charter, knew his place.  But I needed to be taken to him.

“Deal – as long as I get to drive the tank.” Silverblitz settled.

Then Silverblitz turned his helmeted face towards Mudd and Gravy, saying “I know featherbrain, Little-red riding hood, you lemon-head, and aussie-twilight-sparkle…so who is stripes and who is spotted?”

Gravy hoofed over to Silverblitz. “I’m Sergeant Junior Gravy-the-zebra-that-blows-alien’s-asses-to-the-moon-Junior-Jay. Pleasure to see you again, Mr.Blitz.” the Zebra happily introduced himself.

Ah… the lone Zebra from the failed Greenhorn-I project thought Silverblitz.  This I found interesting, and I would have to ask Silverblitz and Gravy J.J. later about it.

Mudd said, “I’m Mudd Slinger”.

“I’m better.”  Silverblitz joked “Where’s your squad? Hellprancers never drop alone.”

“I drop alone. Always did.”  Mudd hissed.

“Alright then lone timber wolf – You’re with us.” Silverblitz replied.  “Let’s get in the tank and go find some forces.  Then we’ll go see the Crystal Heart exhibition.”

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

Silverblitz drove the tank, with High Hopes sitting on the barrel, while November, Gravy, and Blades, sat on the treed covers.  Mudd drove behind the tank, in chariot carrying me.

The streets were pretty quiet.  Overall, no pony said a word as we strolled along the street. We kept our eyes peeled for snipers and covenant patrollers.  But my eyes kept drifting back to Mudd Slinger. I was so tempted to speak to him that I directed him to pull over.  I told Blades to inform the others I wanted to debrief Slinger privately.

“Mudd…where have you been?” I asked while sitting in the chariot. I had taken off my helmet so I could speak to him one-on-one and face-to-face.

Slinger had his flank and his tail to me, answering “First dead, then reborn as a grown up.  Finally, I ended up in this war.  End of story.”

Surely there was more to it, so I persisted in him telling the whole story.  After taking off his own helmet , he said:

“Fine…After the Discord AI killed me…Doctor Halsey brought me back alive with secret resources given to her from Chrysalis.  I wasn't strong enough to be a greenhorn but I was still in good shape, so I enlisted in the Orbital Drop Shock Steeds with fake background provided by PONI.  I even had my own squad….Gallapolis III was my first drop with them…and the last time I saw their faces.”

“Gallapolis III? No UNSCOE force survived that battle.” I bought up.

“No – but I did.  After the Covenant destroyed my squad and cut off communications, I spent weeks in the sewer networks of Gallapolis III, fighting covenant and other haunting abominations.  When I came out alive…I asked to fight alone. From now on.”

“Why Mudd? You always fought alongside us.”

“Why?….Galapollis showed me that I only survived one devastation just to see more of the UNSCOE-covenant war unfold on other planets.  The old days, days where I donned the number 077, are gone.”

I jumped out of the chariot and confronted Mudd, jabbing my muzzle into his face angrily. “That’s not true – I fight on because there has to be a way we can win. I know it! We can bring back the old days.”

“Where is Lipizzaner then? Where are those who can’t fight on?  Dead – do you hear me?  Friendship isn’t magic.  It’s only a painful reminder of the lives we are losing to this war and the end of an era of Harmony we had long ago.  Friendship is dead, and so be will those you call friends!”

“Who are you?” I asked darkly, not wanting to believe this was Mudd. “Do you know who you are, Mudd Sparkle?”

Mudd’s forehoof stuck me in the neck, telling me to shut up. “So my mom was right…You are a mind reader.  You know my name.  And…you know my mom.”

“Mudd…” I began to tear up, Mudd pushing his forehoof further into my throat. The fact that Mudd was doing it hurt me more, that pain he was causing.  Old Friends should never have to do this.

Mudd growled “Halsey Sparkle couldn’t choose between me and you – but she was closer to choosing you because she needed somepony that had something other ponies didn’t have.  When I died, she later made you the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Greenhorns.”

“Celestia-dammit Mudd, my mind-reading doesn’t matter….I was your friend….what happened to the Mudd I knew?” My voice began to crack more.

“Me and Greenhorn-077 are two different ponies, one-one-seven; one died long ago, and the one before you is a heartless lone wolf ready to die from plasma fire like one more soldier on the battlefield.”  

I couldn't take it anymore and shoved Mudd away, sobbing “I…l loved you like the brother I had lost…  The same cutie mark of a white flower is there; the same voice; the same brow muddy coat, the same mane….but where is the pony that…that….?”

I wasn't sure how to the characterize Mudd in his early years.  Probably as the first colt blushed from a comment of mine? A hero who had my back? A stargazer?

“Put it out of your mind, Greenhorn-117. Whether I’m dead or not to you, I don’t care – Let’s get that damned artifact and move before the Covenant start glassing this rock into Tartarsus.” Mudd Slinger growled and threw his helmet back on.  I did the same.

Getting back into the chariot I sniffled and murmured so quietly myself “I would rather be there than see what happened to the only friend that came back to me.”

Cancellation notes and planned stuff

I'm sorry to cancel this story, but I want to move on to making new stories.  This is my first fanfiction that have submitted and left incomplete but I'm proud of the adventure it was.

Here is what I had planted for that These are the outlines....later I will post texts for future sections that i have written but never got to submit, some of them for the sequels.

Book 1 (This one)

- After fighting Elites Zealots to get to Crystal Heart,  Team Indigo leaves via a covenant dropship.  Then they receive  message from The insurrectionist assassin Night Roamer, who is calling for a cease-fire

-  they visit equestria and are rewarded with the elements of harmony.  Cadence minor is created from the crystal heart.

- Doing so activated a secret distress beacon in the Heart, calling all covenant fleets to Equestria's location

“Cadence Minor, Sit Rep!” Keyes yelled as he gripping his chair.

“Sir!” The Alicorn AI responded “The enemy count has been doubled!”

Keyes's heart stopped when he could see out in space, more covenant cruisers coming out of slipspace, charging up their glassing beams over Equestria.

“May Celestia shoot-our-unlucky-flanks-to-moon-and-back”

- Using the elements to disable the invading covenants ships and enable evacuation ships to take different routes to sigma clopodia, Team harmony defends equestria until they are forced by Captain Gel Rio and Commander Keyes to evacuate donto the winter of wrap

- The Winter of Wrap jumps to random location that was Stored in Cadence Minor's data banks.  While being pursued by covenant, they end up in the unexplored HorseHead nebula.  And they Also find Halo.


Book 2

•         Captain Gel Rio goes against C Minor controlling the Winter's emergency landing on the ring and assigns Keyes to accelerate manually into Halo's surface. Destiny and Cadence get separated from the main team until they regroup at a Crystallion structure.  Despite their differences, both the super soldier and cadence work together as a team

- The other UNSCOE races  are also aboard the Winter – Changeling squad infiltrates , Griffon Hellprancers and  mechanics, zebra medics.  Sgt Gravy J.J. also makes an unexpected return after the events at Neigtherland.

"Hard enough coming back the first time!" - Gravy

• Stranded on an alien world, Indigo team fights with the covenant and tries to unlock the mysteries of halo.  the story follows parallel to the halo 1  story.

• In attempt to investigate the disappearance of Block Stacker’s squad as they tried to gain control of a “weapons cache” Team Indigo is told to pull out upon discovering the Flood (a parasite was contained by the crystal ponies/forerunners until now) – they also meet A Monitor-sprite named 343 Guilty Spark, who identifies Team Indigo as reclaimers and starts chanting about how Halo is a weapon used against the Flood.

• When the team reaches the control center to activate Halo, they learn about the flood-crystallion war and the halo installations were used to kill EVERYTHING to end the war, not just the flood. When they decide not to activate the ring, Spark turns on them, trying to use brute force to show the serious of the issue at hoof.  

• While inside the control terminal, Indigo Team finds out that Equestria is possibly a shield word used against Halo's power. Cadence points out that Celestia is probably the librarian, A Crystallion Queen who somehow saved some life from the halo firing. However, she disclaims after reading in Halsey’s notes on data extracted from the crystal heart, stating that the librarian was crystal alicorn queen that died years ago.

• Against captain Gel Rio’s orders to preserve the ring (Which results in fight with Mudd Slinger and at least two soldiers ‘gummed down’ by High hopes), Team indigo launches an assault to use a Covenant's Ship's engines to destroy halo ring, while the Winter of Wrap escapes.

• Once the ring is destroyed, Guilty Spark (in revenge) teleports the Team on 'gas mine' at a nearby planet. It is now a quarantine zone holding victims of the flood infestation. They end up fighting the Gravemind, the root intelligence of the Flood, and use the elements of harmony obliterate the hostility flood army (by turn them all into stone, which later they crumble into pieces of such).

• Just when It seem their troubles are over, A patrolling covenant cruiser that survived the destruction of halo takes as team indigo as prisoners.

• Epilogue: Halsey is on sigma clopodia, receiving a transmission from Keyes. He reveals to her that he has returned and that Gel Rio was harshly revoked of his position as captain for leaving the bearers Elements behind; Keyes is unsure if they are still alive.  Robin Hood hands Winter of Warp over to Keyes.  Meanwhile, Celestia tells Halseys she did what the Princess wanted; ‘to find and awaken the elements’.  However Celestia notes that the surviving forces of Equestria's Military (including a few Greenhorns) is awaiting to confront the covenant when they find Sigma Clopodia, without the elements to protect them.

Book 3: The Crystal king (a week later)

• Celestia witness the covenant invasion on Sigma Clopodia. (All UNSCOE forces have come to stand by ponykind) Meanwhile the Winter bring Halsey Sparkle aboard as a lead scientist. In the midst of the battle, The Winter gets caught in the slipspace portal activated by a  covie cruiser (While still in a city), racing to Equestria – (A.K.A. Requiem). Once the slipspace 'explosion' is over, both the cruiser and the  Winter receive  a message from Cadence Minor on the Ring

• ------

• A Week before, Destiny-117 and her team were prisoners abroad a covenant cruiser. Destiny is taken to the covenant prophets who want her to activated a crystal pony portal they brought aboard the ship.  Much to the covenant's surprise, Destiny activates the portal - with Cadence, who infiltrated into the Ship's network, taking a video of it and transmitting it to several other  covenant networks .  Still holding onto the their beliefs, the Prophets order their new Minotaur bodyguards to kill off Destiny.  However the 'elite' warriors of the covenant (or shanghelli race as they are called in their tongue) come to Destiny's defense.  This causes a civil a war to start within the covenant, on all fronts, including Sigma Clopodia where Elites declare their new alliance to ponykind.

•   After evading a civil skirmish on the covenant Ship by going through the portal Destiny activated, Team indigo ends up on the burnt surface of requiem/Equestria (inside the ancient royal castle of the sisters)…with an insurrectionist scouting party (led by night roamer) looking for a being known as “Sombra of the crystal ponies” .  Night roamer and Destiny lead their troops to his supposed location at un-glassed north of Equestria.

-   Cadence is starting to become rampant and unstable, being the first ‘organic AI’ and exposure to halo’s data center. It would only be a certain amount of time before that rampancy forced her into death, much like the Discord AI and the Lyra AI.

• This uneasy Indigo-Innie-alliance has to fight though Covenant forces looking for the Sombra too.  When released, Didact Sombra plans to once again enslave the pony race now that he realizes that Celestia has retreated away from Equestria and the Librarian is nowhere to be found. His army is known as the shadow knights, powered by glowing crystals in their chests.  

• Destiny finishes off Night roamer as the latter is impaled by a shadow Knight, successfully avenging Cogneto. After that indigo teams escape through a portal  strangely and conveniently set up for them (by a the ghost of crystal pony known as Bornstealler)

• The Winter and Covenant ship come crashing into Equestria’s scorched world.

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

• After sombra’s “late awakening”, Indigo Team, with the help of Spark and the crew of the winter of wrap, attempt to hold back the forces on requiem (The covenant and the Shadow Knights). However they Sombra’s warship escapes requiem/Equestria, headed to sigma clopodia (princess Celestia is located there). At the same time he stanches cadence from Mudd and places her into a device the Composer, which becomes a painful process for Cadence.

• In the caves of Las Pegasus, The team and 343 guilty Spark find the librarian’s and bornstealler's ghosts (Taking on the forms of Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry) and they find out that Sombra “composed” most of crystal ponies into the shadow knights, with their now heartless souls trapped in crystals.   They were originally meant to fight the flood infestation, until the elements of harmony were created.

o The librarian also reveals Didact Sombra’s plan to send Equestria is sent into the sun just after he left. (Destiny calls it the final Fall of Equestria) 343 stays behind to slow the planet's descent into the sun, while the Winter chases the Didact.

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• Didact Sombra's warship arrives in the battle of Sigma clopodia, with all the races of the UNCOE and Covenant locked in an epic stalemate.  Some of the covenant surrender themselves to didact and becomes part of his lifeless shadow knights.

•   Team indigo jumps ship off the Winter on November’s pheonix and, with the help of Winter, breaches into the hull of the Warship, having to fight though many sections to get to the 'composing Chamber'.

•  right when the team is nearly defeated my Sombra, An organic Cadence Minor saves them.  Destiny activates a nuke in the Composing Chamber of the warship, Killing Didact Sombra and eradicating his Shadow Army.  This forces the covenant to surrender once and for all, seeing their god had been bested by their enemies and their beliefs shattered

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In the Epilogue, Destiny narrates the ending of her recorded military career:

“I’m not the best raconteur but…ponies fought dragons in the everfree forest wars….then they fought each other when the insurrectionist conflict arose in the colonies….and then the covenant and their ‘gods’….and now….”

> Mudd Sparkle was promoted to the captain of the Winter of Wrap.

> Cadence Minor is coronated as a princess – She and Mudd are enggaged

> Silverblitz and High hopes start their own company (Indigo studios - which resembles Bungie Studios)

>November Flare becomes a veterinarian

>Blades lives the life of a farmer, just like on Bronze Harvest

>Keyes and Halsey have retired

>A foothill memorial is held by Lady Robin Hood

>Destiny takes an antidote to have mind-reading powers removed and moves on after war to become a wonderbolt trainer, often quoting Mendez during sessions. She was told strictly to keep her service as Greenhorn a secret.  She now goes under the alias, ‘Foresighter’

>Eventually Celestia welcomes the covenant races into the Equestria council

>Lifestyle reverts back to a more classic style

>CASTLE military complex becomes a village

"….We have come to a place far from Equestria / Time long passed since we have seen the sun rise / A place where peace can finally come / A place where we can rest and laugh and sing and love in Harmony once more."

Thanks to the many efforts of team Indigo

And because of them, we can rebuild

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Book 2 was more halo-ish than book 3.  In fact it even felt that these would be great stories for a videogame but not  fanfiction.  But, meh,  it would have been hell just trying to write all this, let alone make my own concept art for it.  I figured I do better in short and simple stories about MLP than epic crossovers that tie in.  Like I said before I will be posting pieces of text that I had worked on for this fiction so please stay tuned and keep watching this fiction.

Yeah I threw all this into the trash - but who said I had to do it? Also, I'm gonna reuse Mudd Slinger, Blades, Silverblitz, November, and many others in future stories.

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Last few things I want to share:

"Aaah! Zombies…swap…floating blue ball…halo is evil….HALP!" – High Hopes or November

"This is a Warthog. It is only to be used for spattering, transporting, and on occasion with permission, as a pretend futuristic truck with a machine gun on the flatbed. It is not a trampoline, so stop your jumping right now, missy!" - unknown

"I'm... hanging out... with the... Greenhorns!" – Galaxy Glimmer, a cut OC that was set to appear in Book two and Three

"Alicorn party!" – High Hopes’s discovery of Galaxy Glimmer as an alicorn in disguise

"What about "Super-Ultra-Extremely-Bucked?" Silverblitz

“I still say you're crazy, but hey, I've done lots of crazy things” - Destiny

"No offense, but it's not a real story unless  its a threesome shippin- er…I mean three-way-war.” – High Hopes, talking about a flood-vs-UNCSOE-vs-Covenant

"He can be a real sweetheart once you get to know him." – Candace, talking about Mudd

(Most of those quotes are from MLP episodes)

Book 2 subplots for some characters

o High Hopes is trying to make postcards (One says 'Wish you were here…jackass')

o Blades and Silverblitz hold ‘magic duels’

o November is reunited with a disguised alicorn princess Galaxy Glimmer

o Mudd and Cadence minor investigate things (such as Covenant history and information about Halo)

Planned Texts 1

This is a scene that is similar to the halo 4 level midnight, right where the master chief and the didact face off on the light brigde.  However the composing beam has not been activated yet. I also want to add in this that I was very unhappy with Cortana's fate in Halo 4....

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“Come reclaimers. Have your resolution….”

All of us turned to the deep, echoing  voice behind us. Sombra was there with sinister grin.

Right when we raised our weapons to fire at him……

(This is the part where blast comes and nearly kill everyone)

……my visor took most of the hit yet I felt the energy burn right though it.

That blast…I didn’t need to look at my armor to know that it was charred and still burning.  My shield system was gone for good as the red warning lights continued to flash.  Thought my cracked visor, I saw Sombra stalking forward, charging up his horn again.

The rest of us lay twitching on the light bridge.  I use all my strength to get up on one knee, and then the other. Weakly, I pull out a covenant energy sword.

“Come Pegasus…have your battle.” Sombra hissed, levitating out a metal crystallion sword of his own.

“I’m ready, bastard! How about you?”

In rage I charged at him, the energy sword giving off a faint mist. He blocked my first strike and my following strike.  He kept blocking whatever I threw at him.  But I could see an expression of irritation on his face; I was pushing him away from my helpless friends.  I wasn’t going to let him place another hoof on them.

My anger kept fuelling me to do more attacks, to the point I was able to land some hits on Sombra.  Slashing at his coat and hacking away his armor, it was an endless process. Sombra backed further away when I scarred his face.

“Grr…You impress me reclaimer…” Sombra stated, not bothering to wipe away the blood oozing out of the glowing scar I gave him.

I go in for final lunge, but Sombra teleports himself behind me.  Not realizing it instantly, he reached for my head with one clawed hoof, covering my visor.  Then with the other hoof, he impaled his sword right through my chest.

I didn’t even gasp have time to gasp for air.  The sword started to burn my skin and melt part of my armor.  Sweat and tears rolled down my paling face.  

Sombra’s claws still blinded my vision until he threw me onto the surface of the light bridge.  I was so weakened…I couldn’t move or see things clearly.  All that occupied my mind was an intense pain within me and a lot of blood – my blood - leaking onto the light bridge’s transparent surface.

“Ponykind was never meant to claim the mantle for them; still you fail once more…” Sombra turned me over and stomped his hoof on my helmets visor, creating a cracked hole in the center and putting me into a half-conscious state.

He then strode casually over to my friends, who were still unconscious, ready to bring a painful end to them as well

I thought it was all over then. We failed the princesses….everypony….Halsey, Mendez, Keyes, Celestia, everyone on Sigma Clopodia…we even failed the Librarian.

This…is never the end…Reclaimer…this is a new metaphase…in book known as history…  the librarian’s voice hissed into my head as her pony avatar flickered on my screen.

I wanted to respond…but I too weak to even think.

Right before I pass out completely, I feel a hoof, both warm and cold to the touch placed on my head.

And first I thought I was truly dead.  Then a long white flash hits me in my eyes, and if feel the pain receding as my consciousness returns. I try to take a breath of air but it doesn’t come.  So I tore off my damaged helmet, gasping for real air.

That when I see Cadence, who emerged out of nowhere;  She looked exactly the same as before, but now…she wasn’t transparent or small; she was a living and breathing pony, standing as tall as Celestia.

“There’s my girl.” Cadence winked, helping me up.  I was too tired to ask how she had come back. But I glad she did

Didact spun around and saw both of us. “You!  So the Composer can enable the beings of digital realm to become organics…but that was thought to be impossible.”

The now-organic Cadence stepped in front of me, her large white eyes with new ocean blue irises staring hard into the didact’s.

“In that case, Sombra, you won’t mind I returned the same favor you made to the crystal ponies.” She shot back.

“Your compassion for ponykind and its allies is misplaced! They are not to be the reclaimers of the mantle!” Sombra roared, charging up his horn again.

Cadence gave a keep low chuckle and charged up her own horn. “I’m not doing this for your mantle….”

Cadence used the energy from the light bridge and twisted it into several crystal belts that begun to wrap Sombra’s snout, hooves, horn, and tail.  He was struggling with all his might, but nothing could break the crystal belts.

“Hurry, Destiny! The composer is nearly activated!” Cadence urged gesturing to the composing pillar, now glowing intensely under the force field.  Past the force field, I could see Sigma Clopodia; my only home left. I wasn't going to let another home fall.

We rushed past Sobrma and Cadence begun healing everypony.  In less than thirty seconds, everypony was back on their feet.

“Argh…what the bloody hay just happen?” Blades wondered. Meanwhile, Mudd woke in Cadence’s arms and entered a deep but silent embrace.

“Wooo…I am getting too young for this…hey, who’s the new princess?” High Hopes asked, gesturing to Cadence.

“There no time to waste guys!” I hollered, waving my arms frantically “The composer’s power about to strike Sigma Clopodia!”

“Can’t hear you! My ear is bleeding…ow…ow…ow…” Silverblitz whined.  His ear was in fact really bleeding.  November hastily wrapped a bandage around it.

“High Hopes! Do you still have them?” Mudd asked.

“The Elements of Harmony? Sure!”  High Hopes stated then her eyes caught sight of the didact wresting with the crystal belts “Hey what’s King Sombrero-”

“Solomon, High Hopes” Mudd stated.

“No…Sombra you two…” Cadence informed

“GUYS! WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” I wailed, swinging my arms.

High Hopes dug into her hair and started to pull out the golden-wrist bands one by one. “I kept these souvenirs in my hair while we were captured by the covenant, just in case.”

Ignoring the fact that a few tiny hairs clinging to the elements, we wrapped them onto our wrists.  All six of us ponies and one alicorn faced the composing beam, aimed in the blackness of space above at Sigma Clopodia.  

But What if we were too late to stop it? What if only some were saved? What-

“Destiny! NOW!” Cadence screamed.

The composer stared to glow more and more….and so did our elements.

VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The composing pillar glowed to its brightest extent intensely before the deadly red orange beam was launched at Sigma Clopodia.

And trailing right behind it at a faster speed was our pure white beam of harmony.

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(they succeeded in repelling the composing beam away from Sigma Clopodia)

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DIDACTS SHIP

All of our team collapsed on the ground, knowing we had done our duty once the composing pillar ran out of energy and stopped glowing.  Cadence brushed my mane, feeling proud for all of us.

At the same time Sombra broke his horn and snout free of two of Cadence’s crystal belts “I’m not done yet reclaimers!” he shouted.

That got us all alerted.  Only this time Blades and Silverblitz were ready, using their magic to throw up a barrier around the seven us.  To reinforce the shield from Sombra's blast November activated his regeneration-field device.  

A laser erupted from Sombra’s horn only to deflect in all sorts of directions when coming into contact with our shield.

After signaling me to take the nuke and fly to the other side of the light bridge November yelled from behind the shield “There is no failure in friendship, Sombra!”

“I ask why, incompetent!” Sombra hissed sarcastically

As flew around the bridge, unnoticed, my friend gave him the true answers:

“When you have friends, you don’t lose anything.” November replied.

“You’ll always be cared for.” Cadence added.

“Honor is never is short supply” Mudd proclaimed.

“They accept us for who we are” High Hopes retorted

“They understand your fears and weaknesses…” Blades hissed

“And Somepony will watch your back...like you should have right now.” Silverblitz reminded.

Sombra spun around and saw Destiny on the other side of the light bridge with the nuke in her hooves, primed.  Sombra was silenced and powerless again as Cadence wrapped a crystal belt around his snout and horn.

Destiny trotted forward saying “The crystal ponies were meant to die with their advancements, and let their artifacts be reclaimed.  It’s because they had no friends. Not when the flood came, not when the halo fired, and not when they became your machine army. But the truth is that the mantle of responsibility belongs to every species, not one alone.”

Sombra’s telepathy entered Destiny’s mind Fool! Look at yourself! Because crystal ponies once held the mantle, you are no better than me! I am stronger, faster, and fear nothing! I am immortal! And you will one day die, as a weakling…

“Don’t you know the GREENHORN-II mantra, Sombra? We. Never. Die.” I uttered back. “We just become memories…”

I then tossed the primed nuke over the light bridge, and it descended into the vortex of swirling energy.    Sombra let out a muffled scream and snarls, trying to break free of his chains to the light bridge. Deep down, I didn’t need my mind reading power to tell that he wasn’t to ready face the same thing which he dealt to others: death.

Cadence teleported I to right beside her position, while across the bridge a trapped crystallion didiact hollowed in fear. I was standing with Silverblitz, High Hopes, November Flare, Mudd Sparkle, and Blades, smiling in victory.

“So…We’re not…teleporting away to the Winter?” I asked.

“No, but I have a better idea. Ever ridden out of an explosion?” Cadence asked, using the light bridge energy to create and impregnable sphere around my team.

Before I could ask what the hell she was thinking, an ear-piercing boom rocked everypony’s body around Cadence’s sphere.

The next thing we knew was that we were shot into space.

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