December, 24 2025. Time 0900 hours
Location: Iraq
Operation Redemption
Spec Ops, Sgt. Grey "Eagle Eye" Hawk
Weapons: M110 SASS, Colt 1911, M4 Carbine
I was laying down in the brush, looking down the scope of my M110 SASS. I had been waiting there for about 6 hours waiting for my target, Commander Zahn Gravis, to come out of the European Army Command center. It was 9 AM now, and Zahn should be coming out of the command center any minute now. I have only shot before they figure were I am. I will have to make a break for it once I pull the trigger.
The morning sun was peaking just above the horizon just behind me, this gives me about and extra minute before they realize were my shot comes from.
Zahn came out of the command center with two guards on either side of him. A slight south-west wind picked up. Adjusting for the wind I took aim for center mass. I could feel the sweat dripping down my face as I was lining up my shot. I took a deep breath and held it as I pulled the trigger. Time seemed to slow down, I could see the bullet curve with the wind just as I had predicted. I was nervous as the bullet seemed to start to curve a little too much. But the bullet curved back and pierced the Commanders heart, Dead Center. I watched the commander fall forward, and the guards looking around wildly for me.
I crawled backwards slowly, making sure they did not see me moving out of the brush I was in. I swapped my M110 SASS out for my M4 Carbine, as I pushed myself up and began my escape into a small forest nearby. There I would meet up with the rest of my team at the rally point. If all went well then we should have all completed our objectives.
As I was escaping through the outskirts of the town, I stuck to the shadows and alley ways. I silently ran for about 3 minutes before I could see the edge of the forest. Thinking I was in the clear I made a mad dash through the streets to get to the forest. But as luck would have it, a patrol had just turned the corner behind me. They saw me and started yelling and shooting at me. I ducked behind a building and returned fire. I was able to take out 4 of the 5 soldiers, the last one turned tail and ran away. Cursing my luck I made hast for the safety of the forest. I got about 200 feet in before I could hear what sounded like 30 men coming after me.
"I can't lead them to the rally point." I thought to myself. So began running in a random direction hoping to lead them as far away from the rally point as possible. Unfortunately for me in my haste I stepped right over a steep cliff. I began falling towards sharp, jagged rocks. But I saw a pool of water about 20 feet away from the rocks, so I angled my body so I would land in the water. I was able to make contact with the water, and save my life. Unfortunately I had banged my head in the process.
I saw some tall grass next to a tree near the water. I dragged myself over to the grass, and I dug myself in as deep as I could. I could only hope that I was well enough hidden to avoid detection. I forced myself to stay conscious for about 20 minutes to make sure that they didn't find me. They didn't, in fact I never heard a sound at all, besides the birds chirping. So I allowed myself to pass out.
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"RAINBOW DASH! RUN!" Is what I woke up too. I sat up with a start, I thought I was hearing things but when I heard another scream, this one a lot louder. I looked to were the sound was coming from. I crawled my way to a position to where I could see what the commotion was about. What I saw made me do a reality check. I saw 6 Technicolor ponies and what looked like a Manticore, just like the ones I read about in fairy tales when I was younger. But I also saw the ponies screaming in terror, obviously being threatened to be the next meal of the Manticore. Without thinking at all I pulled out my M110 SASS and took aim. I drowned out all other sounds around me, not knowing were the heart of a Manticore would be I took aim for the head. I took a deep breath and held it as I slowly pulled the trigger.
Twilight POV…
"Girls, I think this might be the end of us." I said. And to think that we were only here to check out a rumor about a rare magical gemstone. "It's been a pleasure being your friends." I said as I pulled them into a final hug. We were all crying, even Rainbow Dash.
The Manticore was about 2 feet away from us about to kill us. But it never came. I opened my eyes to see why we weren't dead yet. Only to see at that exact moment the Manticore's head jerk to the side, then it fell to the ground… dead.
"Girls, look." I said in a shaky voice. I saw them all open their eyes and look at the Manticore, they were all shocked and confused to what just happened. I was the first one to walk over to the body, to try and find out what had just happened. All I saw was a hole about the size of the base of my horn, in the side of the Manticore. I saw something in there, it looked like a piece of metal. I used my magic to pull it out to examine it. It looked like it had flattened when it went in the Manticore's skull, so I couldn't tell what it used to be.
"Itchy neck! Itchy neck!" Pinkie said.
"What does itchy neck, mean Pinkie?" I asked.
"It means that somepony is looking at us. And they are over there!" Pinkie said pointing her hoof over to left, pointing just above the ledge of the crater we were in.
We all looked over to where Pinkie was pointing only to see something get up and run.
"Oh no you don't!" said Rainbow Dash as she went after the creature.
"Dash! Don't, it could be dangerous!" I yelled at Rainbow Dash, but it was too late she was already chasing the creature. "Girls, we need to follow her." I said. They all nodded and we went after Dash.
Gray's POV…
"It means that somepony is looking at us. And they are over there!" Is what I heard the pink pony say as she pointed at me.
"What? How? No one has ever been able to find me that quickly." I thought to myself. I watched as all of the ponies looked to where I was. "Well time to high tail it out of here." I thought to myself. As I got up and ran to, what I hoped would be the rally point.
I heard a, "Oh no you don't!" from behind me I turned my head to see a cyan pony… Flying after me!? I was literally screaming, "WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCKKKK KK!" in my head. But I stepped it into high gear and ran as fast as I could. Using my training I dodged and weaved my way around the trees, made several sharp turns, doubling back, and crawling through several bushes in hope of losing her. To my amazement I did not.
"I GOT YOU NOW!" Is what I heard from behind me, just before my body went into close quarter's combat mode.
Just as the pony was about to sock me in the head I ducked and grabbed it by the hind legs and slammed it to the ground. I was about to punch the pony but it rolled to the side dodging my punch, only to kick me in the side of the head with her hind legs. I doubled back for a second regaining my senses before I grabbed the pony by the neck and put it into a head lock. The pony tried to escape, even using its wings to try and fly out of my head lock. But I had the pony in a tight headlock. Only then did I realize it was a mare, when I noticed how her body was built. When I was realizing this, my grip slightly loosened and she noticed this and used that moment to escape. When she did she flew up and dive bombed me. I put my hands up to grab ahold of here and stop her. I did but I slid back a few feet. The tension in my arms was unbearable. I never met someone who could be this close of a match to my skills.
I heard a scream of pain and I realized the tension in here legs was too much for her body to handle, I knew this when I heard a loud *SNAP* and I saw here front left leg go limp. But this hadn't deterred her. It looked to me like it made here even more determined to beat me. She went for my leg, and she bit it. She had officially pissed me off now. I grabbed my combat knife from its sleeve on my vest and brought it out swinging. I yelled at her, "COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT LITTLE PONY?"
This seemed to tick her off even more. She flew back and then turned around and came at me, It looked like she was trying to head butt me. So I tried to head butt her right back. Using my helmet on my head I ran towards her as she ran towards me. When we met head on I felt very little. But I could see from the impact it knocked her out cold. "So can't take a head butt back eh?" I said triumphantly.
My body went back to normal mode. I walked over to a nearby tree, snapped two branches off, and cut a large vine off the tree. I walked over to the cyan pony and placed the two sticks on either side of her leg, and tied them together to make a crude splint to keep the leg from getting hurt any more. I sheathed my knife and went and sat down against the tree and waited for the pony to wake up. I waited about 10 minutes before I heard the same voice from before yelling, "RAINBOW DASH! WHERE ARE YOU?" So her name is Rainbow Dash? How… appropriate. I didn't feel like yelling back to I brought out my Colt 1911 and shot 3 rounds into the air hoping it would grab their attention. To my surprise it did. I saw 5 ponies come out from the forest one was white, one was purple, one was orange, one was pink, and one was yellow. They looked at Rainbow Dash then at me, the orange one and yellow one looked very angry at me. But I shrugged it off and said, "Your friend here is a stubborn one. She came at me like I killed her family or something. So I fought back. And now she's passed out from head butting me." I said in such a calm voice it was creepy.
"How DARE YOU!" said the yellow pony. Her eyes narrowed and began staring at me with intensity. "How DARE YOU hurt my friend! You should know better than to go around hurting others, MISTER! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOUR SELF?" She quietly yelled at me. "I have two things to say to you. One do you think staring at me is going to help change what happened? And Two didn't your mother ever teach you it's not polite to stare."
Twilight POV…
I can't believe what I just saw and heard. Fluttershy's Stare didn't work, and this creature just reversed the situation back to Fluttershy. "OHHHH BUUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNN!" Pinkie said.
Gray's POV…
I nodded in approval to what the pink pony has just said. This yellow pony just got what she tried to do to me, back to her but with interest. "Anything else you have to say little yellow pony?" I asked but only got silence in return. "I guess not."
"Ok that's it." The orange pony said with a southern accent. "You can't treat m'ah friends like d'at." She said as she pulled a lasso out and tied me up with it.
"Really, a lasso? Is that all you got?" I said as I let my body go loose and the lasso came right off. "I know a few tricks or two about lassos and one thing you never do is." I said as I picked up the lasso and though it over the orange pony and hog tied her, "Let the thing you're trying to hog tie, hog tie you."
"HAHAHAHA He got you good applejack!" The pink pony said.
"Pinkie Pie not now y'all got that?" The pony named apple jack said.
"Now if you are all done trying to attack me, I suggest tending to the pony you call Rainbow Dash. She most likely broke here front left leg, and might have a concussion. I made a make shift splint to keep her leg from getting hurt anymore but she will require medical attention." I said and all the ponies there snapped out of the shock they were in and they pulled their attention back to their friend.
"Now if you will kindly show me to where the nearest hospital is I can take her there." I said as I picked up Rainbow dash.
The purple one was the first one to speak up, "Ummm… Follow me…" the purple pony said.
We began to walk in that I figured was north considering the position of the sun.
Well did you like the first chapter? Please review and leave a comment.
-Jack Out