Chapter One: The Dire Situation,
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sat comfortably on their thrones. An entourage of Council ponies stood before them, droning on about some minor royal matters. Suddenly, the two princesses horns faintly started to glow and vibrate. Luna's eyes shot wide open and she leaped to her feet like she'd been kicked in the flank. The council ponies jumped backwards in fright at the lunar princess's sudden movement.
"Calm yourself sister." said Celestia, in a reassuring voice as she rose gracefully.
"Mares and Gentlecolts please exit the throne room post haste." her soft voice calming the council ponies as they left the room. As the giant doors shut behind them the sisters looked at each other with great concern.
" How many moons have passed since the oracle last called to us both?" Luna whispered, her voice slightly quivering.
Celestia walked to her sisters side and smiled softly.
"All will be well Luna. Shall we proceed?"
The pair touched their horns together and a brilliant light flashed before them. The throne room floor glowed bluish gold, as it opened up into what appeared a bottomless pit. Sword Dancer, one of the guard ponies, stood in silences as his jaw hit the floor. The revelation of the secret entrance, seemingly below their hooves, chilled him to the core. He had been the leader of the throne room guard for three years and was completely unaware of the passage.
Together the princesses proceeded down the stairs, which seemed to appear out of thin air as they stepped. Slowly they disappeared into the awaiting darkness as the floor closed itself behind them.
Sword Dancer looked across the throne room to his compatriot, completely dumb struck.
"D-did you see that?" he asked still in shock at what he had just witnessed.
"Nope! And neither did you." his fellow guard replied smoothly, as if nothing had happened.
The princesses reached the room below, its golden walls illuminated by the soft white light from Celestia's horn. The room was small and unadorned with the usual castle trappings. In the center stood a stone pedestal holding up what appeared to be a crystal ball. The gentle glow of the orb seemed to pulse outward dissipating before it could reach the walls.
The sisters took their places around the orb and reared up placing their hooves on the top of the pedestal. The crystal orb flashed to life, lighting the room. A female voice filled the air but did not echo in the rooms confines.
Once again as once before
Will come the roaring drums of war
Three brave champions will come to call
With out these men your banner shall fall
The orb flashed again and filled with a smokey haze. As the smoke slowly cleared, the face of StarSwirl the Bearded came into view. Celestia gasped at the sight of her long lost friend and mentor.
"Greetings Celestia and Luna." he said grinning widely. "What a pair of fine mares you've both become.
"Ss-StarSwirl!" studdered Luna in shock.
" How is this possible?" asked Celestia, as tears appeared at the corners of her eyes.
"A long time ago the oracle presented me with a warning so I left a small portion of my magic behind. I figured I needed to be here when the time was right to explain the situation in more detail. This cursed oracle is notorious for providing as little information as possible." scowled StarSwirl, as he seemingly rapped on the orb from the inside with his hoof.
"This threat and these men the oracle speaks of, what are they.?" asked Luna, finally finding her voice.
"I could not say with any certainty what threat you now face dear Luna. All I know is that you have a fair amount of time to prepare. I do however fully understand the three champions of which the oracle speaks.." "They are not of this realm, nor are they of ponykind."
"What are they, if not ponies?" asked Celestia.
"Our world was once inhabited by a multitude of races. The strongest but also most ambitious were the humans. The oracles sensed the humans were growing far to dangerous. It foretold that they would become a threat to the peace loving races of the land. So it drew in the magic from the pony races and banished the humans to the realm of earth. In so doing it nearly destroyed itself. This split the remaining magic between the ponies, creating the current magical abilities of the pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns. The only ones unaffected by the oracle were the hidden rulers of the pony nations, the Alicorns. The oracle did however retain some magic. It shall use this magic to bring forth three humans to the land of Equestria once again."
StarSwirl lowered his head.
"Regrettably, doing so will drain the last of its magic, essentially causing it to die."
Blue flames burned in Luna's eyes.
"The oracle intents to bring back into our realm, these creatures itself found so dangerous?" She fumed. "How do we know THEY will not turn their blades against us?"
"Calm yourself Luna" replied StarSwirl with a fatherly smile. "While it is true that humans have in them the potential for great evil, they also have talents, strengths and knowledge from their understanding and control of that evil. They were a very brave and selfless race at one time, willing to do anything to aid somepony in need. The three men the oracle speaks of must possess the virtues it deems necessary to stand by your side."
"And just what are these virtues?" asked Luna, still visibly upset.
"They are Loyalty, Duty, Courage, Honor, Integrity and most importantly Love." replied StarSwirl calmly, stroking his long beard.
Celestia leaned closer to the glowing orb.
"The humans have been away from our realm for such a long time. How can you expect them to adapt physically and mentally to a long forgotten environment, and once their task is complete, without the oracle how well we send them back?"
"The oracle will change them to adjust to our realm as they had been long ago." "They will be able to live as herbivores, receiving adequate nutrition from our diet. The food you serve will taste of the food they consumed on earth. Their minds will be freed to see and understand the races of the lands as they are. They would even be able to start families and sire foals if they so choose."
Luna's snout turned up in disgust.
"Why would anypony desire a life with a human? Let alone to bare ones foal."
StarSwirl smiled softly.
"Don't be so quick to judge which you do not understand my young princess. They will come and serve with honor and courage. But, for their sacrifice they shall never be allowed to return home. Their families and loved ones will believe them dead, or they may be erased from existence in their realm entirely. This is why they must be welcomed graciously into our world. They must see the reason to fight and possibly die for a land that is not their own. This is a curse they must face... For our failure."
"When will the oracle summon them here, and how will we find them?" asked Celestia.
"Your three champions shall arrive in Equestria soon, but I can not say exactly where. They will seek you both without an understanding of the reason why. You must welcome them with open wings and open minds, for they are Equestria's salvation. Be strong and have faith in these men and all will end as it is meant to. Their loyalty and compassion may surprise even you dear Luna."
"I find that most unlikely." replied Luna bluntly.
With that, the image of StarSwirl faded away. The oracle started to glow brighter and brighter. Celestia and Luna could feel the level of magic it was releasing.
"Behold the Knights Trinity have arrived." said the female voice loudly as the light grew to a near blinding intensity and then went dark in an instant. With that the oracle turned from translucent crystal to solid stone.
The princesses stood staring into each others eyes through the dim light of Celestia's horn. A thousand unanswered questions running through their minds.
Celestia walked to her sisters side, placing a hoof on her back she spoke.
"Let us go dear sister. We must prepare for our guest."
"You may welcome these humans as you see fit Tia, but I shall reserve my judgment for when they have proven where their loyalty stands."
Together they walked up the magic stairs leading back to the throne room.
Sword Dancer watched as the floor opened back up and the princesses emerged from the darkness.
"Your Highness's is everything alright." he asked, cautiously walking across the reformed floor.
"A situation has arisen Sword Dancer, you will be briefed soon enough."
"Very well princess." he replied with a bow returning to his post.
Later that morning Celestia and Luna stood before the leaders of the Royal Guard. The ponies chatted amongst themselves speculating as to why they had all been summoned.
"I bet we're preparing for more drills." said Flash Sentry.
Sword Dancer stood by the wall and listened to the guesses and theories of the other commanders. He knew from what he had witnessed earlier that things were far worse then anypony could imagine. When the princesses emerged from the secret chamber even Celestia had a concerned look on her face.
Celestia stood and cleared her throat bringing the small group to instant silence.
"Sword Dancer please step forward."
He gulped hard before bringing himself to the front of the group.
"I am placing you in charge of the Canterlot Guard as Prince Shining Armor will now be busy in the Crystal Empire." said Celestia with a warm smile "Your dedication and service has earned you the trust of the guards, the commanders, and me as well."
"Thank you your highness." replied Sword Dancer with a bow. "I won't let you down."
The other commanders clopped their hooves against the ground showing their support for the Princess's decision.
"Now to more grim business." stated Celestia, quickly changing the mood in the room.
"I have summoned Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight to the castle. Equestria is in grave danger and all the Royal Guard must be on alert. You all must watch for anything out of the ordinary. The smallest details must not be overlooked. However we are expect three unusual guest. These three are humans, they are key to Equestria's survival in these trying times and will be treated with respect. If you should find these three humans you must notify me immediately. Now go and be ever vigilant. More information will be provided as details come to light.
The commanders all saluted and started to leave. Sword Dancer's mind raced though all the new duties, and responsibilities as he walked through the large door. He was so lost in thought he nearly walked straight into Princess Luna.
"Please forgive me your highness."
"No apology is required. You have just been placed in a position of great importance I'm sure there is a great deal on your mind. Congratulations on your promotion."
"Thank you your highness. I am truly honored you and your sister have such faith in me."
"In regards to my sister I must speak with you privately if you have a moment." replied Luna gesturing to a nearby open door.
Together they walked inside as Luna checked the hallway to ensure nopony else was around before closing the door.
"Sword Dancer as head of the Royal Guard your duty is to Equestria. My sister blinding trusts the idea these humans will be peaceful, and sympathetic to our cause. I however I have my doubts. When the humans are found watch them closely and be prepared for any possibly betrayal."
"Yes your highness, if you feel it necessary I will see to it that they are under constant guard."
....
Meanwhile on earth, somewhere in Iraq, two Bradley Fighting Vehicles rolled down a dark and deserted stretch of road. The tracks shaking the ground as they went. In the lead vehicle Sgt. Dustin Gerber and SSgt. Anthony Arvodo stood up in the turret enjoying the cool night air. Sgt. Adrian Samson sat with his squad in the back, as the hum of the tracks lulled him in and out of sleep. The trio had been together in the Army for several year. Together they had survived two deployments to Iraq and where only a month away from completing a third. Their skill and trust in one another had been tested on countless occasion yet they always managed to come out alive.
"So Anthony, thirty days and a wake up before we go home. Have any big plans for when you get back?" asked Dustin.
"Go back and finish my engineering degree. Hell, maybe I'll go to Officer Candidate School and become a Lieutenant. What about you?" he replied
"I just wanna get home and see the wife and kids."
"Provided you don't get back to find an empty house." came Adrian's voice over the intercom.
"Seriously dude?"
"The odds aren't in your favor. She told you the divorce papers would be waiting for you when you got home. Statistics say the chance of a successful marriage while deployed, especially for an infantry soldier, are only eleven percent. That's why I avoid dating in general." replied Adrian with a chuckle.
"That's easy to say when I'm half way around the world. I think it'll be a little harder to say if I'm standing in front of her. Maybe if I wasn't deployed every other year, and spending half the time in between working in the field, things would be different."
"I doubt it, she's probably with her boyfriend right now." said Private Nelson the driver.
"Can it Nelson! Your not high enough rank to have an opinion." shouted Dustin.
"Sorry Sarge."
"You know there's a good chance he's right though." remarked Adrian. "If you want, I can make him disappear when we get home."
"So you want me to go to jail. You know if anything happened to him or her I'd be the first one they'd come after."
"Look at the bright side you wouldn't have to worry about getting deployed again. I bet you would even find a long lasting relationship in prison." added Anthony with a grin.
Laughter broke out from the group at the thought. They never heard the explosion that erupted from the ground below them. The shrapnel sliced into the belly of their vehicle. The molten metal forced its way into the fuel tank and ignited it, sending a wall of flames through the Bradley's interior. Dustin and Anthony felt the sudden heat on their legs as they were launched out of the turret from the blast. Their fuel soaked uniform pants burning into their skin as they landed hard against the ground.
Adrian was blasted forward against the ramp as the vehicle rolled to a stop. He reached for the troop hatch release in the smoke and darkness. His hands burned more as he found the lever and pulled. The handle moved about an inch and stuck in place. He pulled and jerked with all his might as the pain in his body intensified. His vision narrowed as his lungs began to fill with smoke.
Anthony looked around dazed and confused as to what had just happened, the ringing in his head would not subside. As he surveyed the carnage, he realized no one else was climbing out of the wreckage of the damaged war machine. He turned on his side as searing pain shot up from his legs.
There in front of him lay Dustin, his own legs horribly burned. Pieces of his charred uniform still clung to his body as if permanently embedded there. Ignoring the pain Anthony crawled to his side. Dustin coughed and gagged as he suddenly sat straight up. Anthony mustered his strength as he rose to his still shaking feet. He grabbed Dustin's arm and pulled him back towards the burning vehicle.
"We have to get them out of there!" Anthony yelled, unsure if Dustin could even hear him.
Dustin looked at him questioningly. He could see Anthony's lips moving, but the dull hum drowned out his voice. Anthony started signaling towards the back of the vehicle and it clicked. "The guys are still in the back." Dustin grabbed Anthony's arm and used it to pull himself upright, despite his body screaming at him to stop moving. Together they reached the troop hatch. They saw the handle jerk several times but it seemed to stop at the same position. Two pair of burnt hands grabbed the lever and pulled. The handle hit the mark and stopped as they began to pull harder. Anthony and Dustin both yelled madly, as if to will the handle to move further. With a crack the handle flipped open releasing the hatch which freely swung open, knocking the duo to the ground.
Adrian, gasped as fresh air and moonlight flooded into the compartment. His vision cleared as oxygen once again filled his lungs. He looked around at his men through watery eyes, no one seemed to be moving. Suddenly he felt himself being pulled backwards through the hatch. The impact against the ground almost knocked out what little breath he had in him. He raised his arms ready to fight, as the familiar face of Anthony came into view. Anthony stepped over him and climbed into the hatch. The sight and smell was almost to much. His stomach turned and he forced back a heave. The five other soldiers were burned and mangled beyond recognition. He grabbed a rifle and a M249 machine gun that were laying next to the ramp and handed them out the door with any other usable equipment he could see. He climbed back out of the hatch and landed on the ground next to Adrian.
"Can you hear me Sergeant?" came a muffled voice from beside him.
Anthony looked to his left to see who was speaking. Two soldier were helping Dustin onto a litter. Anthony's shoulders slumped as he sighed and nodded to the questioning soldier. "Its over." he though to himself as he laid back down on the hard ground.
Without warning gun fire called out in seemingly every direction. One of the soldiers helping Dustin, an eighteen year old private, fell as several rounds ripped through his shoulder and side. The rear Bradley immediately returned fire at an unseen target Thump Thump Thump Thump. The distinctive sound of the 25mm Chain gun, rang out over the fray.
Dustin slid off the litter and grabbed the downed soldiers rifle. Slowly he crawled his way to Anthony and Adrian dragging the wounded soldier beside him. Once there Anthony started dressing the soldiers wounds as Adrian and Dustin laid down cover fire with a rifle and the salvaged M249.
"Where the hell is our support?" shouted Anthony over the gunfire.
The Bradley behind them suddenly burst into flames as several heavy RPG's impacted it one after another. There was yelling and screaming as the gunfire drew closer. The three encircled the wounded soldier, forming a defensive triangle, and prepared to die protecting him and each other.
Three rounds impacted against the ceramic chest plate of Anthony's body armor taking his breath away.
"Bring it, you sons a bitches! Come get some!" yelled Adrian as he turned loosing a burst of rounds towards the assailant.
Enemy soldiers streamed in from every direction. The trio opened fire aiming for anyone that wandered into their line of sight. As the enemy drew nearer and their ammunition dwindled, they fought on and accepted their demise.