Location…..Above European Union Airspace

Altitude 15240 Meters

I've done many crazy things in my life; like moving from cover to cover with only my knife as a weapon while trying to run from a T-90 Russian tank, but never in my entire life have I been needed to be strapped into a B2 Stealth Bomber's bomb rack. Although, granted there's a first for everything, but really they couldn't…um…I don't know …maybe just have strapped me to a weather balloon? I mean seriously! Sometimes I think The Brass just wants to see me squirm.

"Specter 1-1, hope you're having a good time in there" a voice came over my radio.

"Goliath, if I didn't know any better I would say you're enjoying the thought of me being a human bomb."

"Well, I'd never enjoy the prospect of …Yeah you're right, it's a fun thought," She replied with an excited tone. But before I could offer any reply my radio came to life again.

"Cut the chatter you two, and trust me I don't like the idea either Specter 1-1, but it's the best way to get you behind enemy lines without alerting anyone. Now, I assume you would want a run through of your mission correct?"

"Granted, I already know that sir but for the sake of keeping my mind occupied for the moment, why not?" I'm probably gonna get a lashing from the Col. for that.

"Alright smartass; Specter 1-1 you're objective is to infiltrate the Euro's compound. Once inside, you are to acquire the codes for the S.L.A.M.S. nodes held inside the facility. After you have acquired said codes, you'll be extracted out by a deep undercover agent in the area code name is 'Pawn' and your countersign is 'King' understood?"

"Yes sir, you want me to drop, recover, and look for a spook correct?"

"Yes that about sums it up and good luck Major, you'll need it. Command out."

From what seemed like an eternity, I lay in the bomb bay waiting for the doors to open, yet funny thing. When I started to think I could catch some Z's in this position the bay doors opened, and my HUD came into full view in my helmet. What I saw was an unobstructed view of the earth below me; true I was on the dark side of the planet, but still. I could see mountains, plains and valleys. It was all so breath-taking, but I was quickly brought back to reality by Goliath's voice over the radio.

"Specter 1-1 we are 60 seconds away from drop, I repeat 60 seconds." With a new sense of energy, I'd quickly gone over my straps, ensuring they wouldn't give until I let them.

"30 seconds." she counted down…

"20…

15…

10…

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…"

*click*

I could barely hear due to the rushing air passing my helmet. The feeling of falling towards earth at terminal velocity was exhilarating, my body felt cold, yet alive as I plummeted.

Three minutes passed and I was reaching my half point. When I noticed a strange collection of clouds growing. From what I was told by command before I was strapped in, it was to be cloud free during my fall. I guess Mother Nature said otherwise…funny. Yet as I grew near those clouds, they began to show signs of lightning as bright white lights flashing in front of me. As much as I wanted to stray from the course my ERS; which showed on my HUD as neon blue triangles. The path I needed to follow and when to deploy my Chute.

Unwillingly, I kept myself within the triangles which led me through said storm clouds ahead. As I passed through the storm at 7524 meters above sea level I felt the rumble of thunder and saw the fast and jagged lines of lighting pass by.

When I cleared the storm, which took 2 minutes I might add, my ACDs kicked in. Slowing my speed down to a fraction of what it was, allowing me to take in my surroundings. The most shocking thing I saw was what looked like a fucking castle that defied all physics built on the side of a goddamn mountain. As much as I wanted to believe I was on earth, that one sight told me all I needed to know: I wasn't on earth any more.

Looking back to my HUD the altimeter read 304 Meters. Preparing myself for the forest that lay below me, I tightened my hold on the reigns of my chute, slowing my descent even more. But like all forest landings that I oh so happened to be in. My chute was tangled in leaves and branches above.

Not wanting to remain an easy target I grabbed my ceramic TAC knife and cut myself loose. Falling a good ten feet to the ground and landing on my feet then to a roll to soften my landing. Quickly getting in a crouched stance I slowly entered the dense overgrowth and activated my Optic camo allowing me to blend in to my surroundings better.

Quietly grabbing the case that held my M107. I assembled the rifle and synchronized it with my HUD which gave me the reticule, range and, ammo count. Alongside my SCHAR-H and Colt M119 as well. Quickly checking my gear and making sure that the suppressors to the SCHAR and Colt were secure, along with ensuring the drone, flashbangs and sensors I brought with me are all there. 4 flashbangs, 4 sensors, and 2 smoke grenades.

After getting my equipment set, I went to my radio "Specter 1-1 to Goliath come in Goliath…." Nothing… I tried again "Specter 1-1 to Goliath come in Goliath…."

"Shit" was all I could say before I heard a small voice call:

"Hello is anypony there?"

"Any Pony?" I said to myself in a low whisper to insure that whoever or whatever spoke earlier didn't hear me. Then I heard that voice again this time clearly coming to my right passed the bushes I was hiding behind.

"I p-promise I-I won't h-hurt you, so please c-come out." It said in a scared tone.

Looking over the dense flora I hid behind, I saw the sources of the voice. A small creature with small wings and an equine like body. It sort of looked like the mystical creatures from Greek stories.

Standing still like a rock; I watched the small creature walk by. Sticking to AE protocol I followed to observe, staying a good 10 meters away. Then it spoke again, but in a sadder tone almost if it wanted to cry.

"W-why d-didn't I just stay at the orphanage and waited for Dash like she told me to… t-then I wouldn't be here in the Everfree forest, lost." She started to cry as she just sat down.

The sight that stood before me pulled on my heartstrings as my HUD updated the quadruped from a yellow contact diamond to a blue out line of her silhouette. Going against AE Protocol I began to slowly advance to the small creature, but I stopped when her head shot up looking just to the right of herself. She then began to move her ears as if to pinpoint the exact location of said sound.

Yet before she could, three pairs of yellow eyes began to glow in front, left and right of her. What came next was silence and the smell of urine.

Looking around I saw faint glimmers of light coming from around the little creature's body. She had wet herself in fright and not even two seconds had passed, and the yellow eyes began their advance on the quadruped. Allowing me to see what they belonged to, and what I saw again brought my mind back to myth.

"Timberwolves" I said under my breath causing the small creature to look in my direction as I chambered a round in my SCAR-H.

She looked at me with pure fear in her eyes as my Optic camo began to fade revealing what to her must have been something to harm her even more.

Bringing my weapon to bear towards the encroaching wolves, I raised my weapon as I said to the creature; that had just wet herself; in an assertive tone of voice that would have made any drill sergeant proud. "Get behind me now!"

She did, but as she went forward one of the Timberwolves began to run forward attempting to maw her or me down. Yet just as it jumped in the air to attack I pulled the trigger of my SCHAR three times in rapid succession sending the wolf down with three well place 7.62 rounds to its chest causing the wolf to crumble into firewood. The other two just seemed to have become infuriated by the death of what seemed like their alpha. Slowly pacing backward from the approaching hostiles I said above a whisper to the small creature behind me

"Run."

When she did what I asked the Timberwolves acted the way I knew they would, one bolted after her, but failed miserably after I squeezed the trigger three more times, killing said creature with a grouping of bullets towards its head. The second one managed to swipe at me taking my rifle with it.

"All right, you overgrown toothpick, you want to dance? let's dance."

Rolling left as the wooden beast charged straight on I dodged. After recovering from the roll I brought my sidearm to bear. Quickly firing my 8 rounds in the magazine into the beast, but to my dismay the creature shrugged off all 8 rounds. Then charged me before I could reload causing me to holster my weapon and enter into another roll. Skidding to a stop the creature turned again and pounced on me, pinning me down before I could pull my knife.

[center][/center](Scootaloo's POV)

I have no clue who or what that pony was, was it even a pony? I don't know, nor do I care, all I want to do right now is just find Ponyville I knew I should've just stayed where Rainbow Dash told me to but, all I wanted to do was help out seeing how everypony is doing something to help out. Being cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the hurt guards that fought the creatures from the Everfree forest. Now I'm lost, scared, and have also peed myself what would she say to me then huh? Oh Celestia I'm a useless filly just like Diamond Tiara said.

Come on Scootaloo you can do better all you have to do is make it home and…

Right above me, a Timberwolf is keeping me pinned to the ground looking at me with its green eyes, it's licking it maw ready to eat me. Is this really how it ends for me? It's rearing its head and-

*BOOM*

[center][/center](Specter 1-1's POV)

Never in my life have I ever wanted to kiss a tree so badly after being pinned to the ground by a 255 pound haunted piece of timber, an apple of all things falls from the tree hitting the thing on its head, causing the wolf to give me what I also needed at the time, space. Taking my SOG knife I had on the front of my vest I unsheathed it and drove it into the leg of the creature, releasing me completely from its death grip.

Getting up from the floor once more, I turned the knife so I could hold it in a reverse grip. Once it recovered from the apple and the stab from my knife it looked at me with a new and eager sense of death.

It again charged me, but learning from last time. I simply did the same, but when it was close to me I jumped up and landed on the back of the creature. Wanting to end this show fast and preferably alive, I drove my blade into the head of the creature causing it to fall apart as I withdrew said blade. Placing my knife back in its rightful place along my vest I heard a high pitch scream from a presumed adolescent female child. Quickly grabbing my rifle that had landed a few feet away during the fight, I ran towards the noise.

When I got close enough to the source my HUD came alive again showing the previous quadruped and a new wolf holding her down with its two front wooden paws. Not wanting for the creature to hurt the small quadruped I brought up the M107 from it holder.

I zeroed in on its head as I went prone; it being less than 500 meters away an easy kill from a .50 round. Squeezing the trigger of the M107, the hammer struck the pin, hitting the primer cap in the back of the round, igniting the propellant sending the bullet hurtling towards its target at incredible speeds. In less than a second the round hit and disintegrated the creatures wooden head. Causing green goo to escape it neck as I flipped back the switch from fire to safety.

Placing the M107 back in its holder, I got up and began my walk towards the small creature activating my HUD's radar/motion detector in case anything else tries to attack again. Walking up to the creature, I knelt down and deactivated my Optic camo so she could see me. Her eyes were closed as she cried, only to open when I sat down beside her and picked her up like I would have done to a toddler who had just lost their family.

"W-who are y-you?" she asked as she cried in my arms.

Knowing that I've done this before, time and time again back on earth during the war, I simply told the truth for that always yielded the best results in the end.

"I'm human and my name is Alex." true I know I should've told her my callsign, but something tells me AE protocol was just thrown out the window a few minutes ago with the Timberwolves.

"Alex?" she asked with a perplexed face "that's a weird name." Her crying began to falter.

"Well you know my name, how about I learn yours?" I asked as she stopped crying but still hiccupped a bit in her speech

"M-my name is Scootaloo."

"Scootaloo huh? Well Scootaloo, nice to meet you, now let me put you down seeing as how you look like a big girl that doesn't need me to carry her." I said as she jumped out of my arms. Quickly noticing six other contacts on my radar that were closing fast, I grabbed for the first aid kit and produced a Desyrel tablet that I broke in half, not sure how much to give her. I put one of the two broken bits in my canteen and passed it to her.

"Drink up Scootaloo, looks like you could use a drink of water."

She took the Canteen in her hooves sniffing the cap at first but then she began to drink the bottle away. When she was satisfied she passed it back and I tossed the remaining water out.

"That water tasted funny." she said as her eyes began to close.

"I know kid, sorry about that but I need to go I'll see you on the flip." With that she fell asleep next to the heap of dead timber.

I quickly activated my optical camo and climbed a tree not too far from the Scootaloo to make sure the signs I saw were not hostile. What I saw next did not surprise me at all since my fight.