I should explain something now, before I lose a reader do to a bias. These ponies are not furries. Furries are animals with human characteristics and tendencies. This incarnation of Ponydom is more like a fantasy creature. They form in my mind as elves, only with broader features. IE: Wider and deeper ears, their nose is less narrow and angular and more broad and flatter. They have a horse tail, yes. Their hands are stronger, a little less delicate than an elf. Their nails are more opaque than a humans, also being thicker. They have no fur. This makes them also not furries or scalies or aquatics or amphibians. They have skin that is colored as if it was fur, but it is skin. It is also thicker than a humans skin. Their builds are either broad or slender, and they are either stacked with muscles or lithe and slim. But no matter the size, their muscle density rivals a Spartan three's. this means if they have the form of a 160 pound model, they would weigh around 200 pounds.
Also, I would advise favoring a Stones to Pounds or Stones to Kilograms converter on your browser. Seeing as Ponies are Greco-Roman in mythos on the show, I would prefer to use stones.
Please enjoy! :)
Kim accelerated along the dirt road, Sapphire much calmer than last time now that she had a firm seat. Kim had chosen the only vehicle that was fully operational and didn't a refill on its water reserve. It was the M12 FAV DF (Dense Foliage), or "Jungle Hog" in UNSC Jargon. It was more compact than the standard M12, being only five meters long and two meters wide. It had no windshield, a taller suspension lending it a roll ratio of five out of four turns, and was far less durable than the standard Hog. But despite all that, it made up for it with an increased speed of an even hundred miles per hour, enhanced tread on the tires, more power output by the transmission, and a weight distribution that would let it climb a fucking wall. For convenience's sake Kim tore the LAAG off the back, replacing it with a cargo cage and extra seats for personal arms and guards when they were needed; after finding Covenant in the remains of the Huntress Moon he knew there would be more elsewhere. He had fabricated skeletal style doors also, never feeling quite secure in the warthog without them.
They were half way to Ponyville according to both Baldur and Sapphire, The increase in foot mobiles on the road confirming their information. The ponies stopped and watched as the large jeep rolled by at a leisurely 30MHP, Sapphire waving to those she knew as they passed. Kim would reach into the cargo bed at random intervals, making sure his supplies and weapons were still there. "Why do you keep doing that?" Sapphire asked as he nearly hit her in the head. Kim shook his head and shifted into a higher gear, slowing to ten MPH as they entered the city walls. He maintained the speed of the vehicle in front of him, smelling burning propane as he removed his helmet.
"I get nervous in these," He said, following her directions to her brother's house. "Back on Reach, when I was still in basic training, I rolled one of these things." He took a left when she prompted the turn, waving to the violet unicorn as they rolled to a stop. "It landed on top of me and snapped both of my legs. I had fifteen staples in both of them for a month as they healed in a cast." Kim finished, getting a grimace from Sapphire. Twilight jogged up to the driver's seat, looking the vehicle over. It was definitely alien in her mind.
"About time you two showed…" She stopped, sniffing the air and covering her face with a hand. "Sweet Celestia, which one of you crawled inside a dead animal?" Sapphire took a moment and sniffed as well, noticing the smell. "What were you two doing that made such a stench?" Kim climbed out of the vehicle, grabbing his bag of guns and another of what he could scavenge from the wreckage.
"That would be the smell of a Jackal," Kim informed, holding out a small fang he carried with him. It had been pulled from the mouth of his first hand to hand kill. "They are one of the members of the Covenant and they smell like rotten meat. Bad thing is when your out looking for them it isn't as prominent. It happens more when they're excited or scared. Speaking of which, do you know where I can find a water hose to wash my armor?" Twilight handed the inch long tooth back to him, raising an eyebrow in question. "We ran across a team of them and…" He stopped, trying to break the fact easier to her. She didn't look to be much older than sixteen, and he was loath to harm any innocence that might be there.
"You had to," She said, touching him on the shoulder. "I understand. Things happen in war, and nopony likes to do it. But its fight or die," Kim looked at her, finding her expression solemn. "My brother is guar captain for the Royal Guard. He's fighting on the zebra front out to the east." Kim was surprised that war was so common here. Everything was so peaceful in this place, but every higher thinking race has disagreements. Kim patted her on the shoulder, getting a smile back to her face. "There's a garden hose out behind the library," She said, pointing to a converted tree. "I live there, so don't worry about any trouble for trespassing." Kim nodded, thanking her before walking off to the tree/house. Sapphire went in the opposite direction, knocking on the door of the house across the street.
Kim set down the bags, his armor still dripping from the rinse. He hadn't noticed how much blood he had on him until the water hit the plates and made something akin to grape 'Kool-aide'. 'No wonder I smelled to high hell,' he thought, setting his helmet back on. He picked the bags back up, walking out to the street and setting the bags in the cargo bed. in the bag of salvage was a hammer drill, several gun racks from the Huntress Moon, and a box of bolts. He went about attaching the racks to the bed, deciding on putting them on the floor and keeping the seats. As he worked the ponies went about their business, some drawn over to look as they heard the strange noises. Kim spent the next five minutes securing the gun racks, making sure that even he couldn't remove them by hand.
Sapphire was in the street side bedroom with her brother Mat Shield, observing Kim as he worked on the Warthog. "What in the name of the princesses is he doing?" Mat asked, his voice a high baritone. Sapphire gave him a glance returning to her watch afterward. Mat was tall, but not as tall as Kim. He was six feet tall and not a hair more. His looked around two hundred and fifty pounds, but like most ponies it was deceptive. Mat weighed an even one seventy, his muscles slight but dense. His mane reached the bottom of his shoulder blades, being brown with gold bangs. There were seven locks in the gold that were currently a bright blue and green, matching his eyes. He wore a black business suit with a red tie and white shirt, his skin the color of an opal and glowing slightly in the light.
AN: Yeah, hey. I'm gonna break the fourth wall here and clarify this fact. When your skin is really fucking pale, you will glow. I mean physically glow if any light hits your skin in a dark room. Kind of like white socks. He isn't a gay twilight vampire, so there. Bye.
"He's putting a gun rack in the Warthog," She said, watching as he began to load it with the weapons and magazines. The rifles would attach to the rack on the shoulder butt, locking into place along the barrel as it was lowered into the groove upside down. "I don't think I've seen a soldier that organized," She said, getting an amused scoff from Mat. "You know what I mean. None of the ponies use efficiency like he does, not even the Celestial Guard. I'm starting to feel glad Celestia ordered me to watch him." She turned away from the window, seeing him begin to sort through the salvage and already knowing what he had found. "Now, What have you been up to?" Mat waved his hand, motioning around the room.
"Look around you, sis," He said, turning around and opening a cabinet containing gold and platinum records. "I've produced three albums, one that went quadruple platinum and two that went gold instantly. I have mares hanging on me where ever I walk and fan mail by the bag every day." Sapphire leaned against the window frame, looking back into the street o make sure Kim hadn't walked off like he does. "Things happen when you leave home for the guard and become an instant captain, Blue." Mat opened the door, motioning out to her. "An I can see you're preoccupied," She shook her head, walking out as he held the door. "I don't mind, honestly. You've always been the kind to never sit still if there was nothing dangerous goin on."
Kim was currently holding plates of Titanium up against the cargo cage, marking them off with a black chalk to work on later. If he was going to be transporting guards with flintlocks around to fight Covenant then he wanted as many to survive insertion as possible. This meant weeks of fabrication to armor the Warthogs he had, months of training them to drive the unwieldy vehicles properly and even more time to make them proficient in effective tactics. He bent the metal plate he was holding, two ponies commenting in hushed tones on the strength of the armored being as they passed. He held the plate up against the cage, satisfied with the angle. He placed it in the cage as Sapphire walked out of the house, kissing her brother on the cheek. She walked up to the jeep, leaning against the cab as he walked around and bent another piece of Titanium-A plate to match the other. "Almost done here," He said, retrieving the largest plate he had brought and holding it against the back of the cage. It was squared and projected from the frame oddly. He marked it off larger than the framework turning it around and holding it against the frame again. "Do you know where I can do some welding where none of the ponies will see me?" He asked, punching the metal with both fists. The plate dented inward, creating a squared bubble. He held it up again, finding the marks to be flush with the frame. He tossed it in the back and opened the driver side cage, lifting it over head.
"Why wouldn't you want anypony to see you welding," she asked, following his cue and climbing into the vehicle. Kim sat in his seat, pulling the cage door down and starting the engine. The hydrogen combustion power plant roared as it started, idling down to a quiet purr. "Welding isn't uncommon, Kim." He shook his head, pointing to the arc welder in the back.
"Safety reasons," He said, shifting into second gear and starting off down the road at a slow pace. "The welder I use makes a blindingly bright light that will harm anything that looks at it without proper protective gear." She motioned to the right, directing him somewhere. He trusted her skills, following her directions to where they needed to go the most.
"You might have to leave town if we don't find a garage willing to let you borrow space," She said, maneuvering her tail out from under her and onto her leg. "And I think that might be the best choice anyway. The ponies here are trusting, but only once they get to know you." Kim nodded, slowing to a stop at a sign. He had noticed the ponies were wary of him, eyeing the weapons he carried most of all while he was placing them in their racks. As the cars passed, he took of his helmet and removed Baldur's data card. He placed it in the dashboard, a small projection of the Scandinavian modeled body appearing on the screen.
"It's only logical," The AI said. "Caution around an unknown being is to be expected. I suggest making friends, let the word spread that you aren't to be feared." Kim scoffed, knowing that was a flat out lie as he continued through town. "Ok, not to be feared until you get pissed off." Kim smirked and shook his head, turning left at Sapphire's request. She ordered him to stop in front of the large three story building at the end, climbing out and opening the front gates. Kim pulled in, stopping so she could get back in after closing the gate again. They continued along the drive way, parking outside the building on its right side.
The two entered the tower, Kim looking around to take in the sights. It was an office building built in the oriental Bagota style, the tiers reachable through a spiral staircase in the center of the structure. Ponies in suits and formally casual shirts and slacks milled around the area, paying no attention to them save for an apology when they nearly ran into them. Sapphire led Kim to the top floor, eyeing him as the wooden stairs creaked under his step. Kim shrugged as they ascended the spiral. "The armor weighs a lot," he explained. "More than any you might have access to here." They crested the stairs, the level being different from both lower floors. This level was lit by large picture windows all around the walls, the only area that wasn't walled off lay before them. A tan colored pony with a black mane and tail sat behind a desk, dressed in a gray suit with a skirt that reached halfway up her thighs in her sitting position. Her legs were crossed and her tail draped over them as she stared at them.
"Can I help you two?" She asked in a not unkind tone, seeming genuinely interested in why the guard captain and an upright tank were in her office. "If you wish to see the mayor then she will be out shortly. She is currently in a meeting." The pony returned to her paper work, handing them both forms to fill out. Kim took the pen Sapphire handed him. as they walked to their seats, Kim looked over the paper; finding the script hard to read. His implanted translation programs were trying all known human and covenant languages, coming up short each time. It bared a resemblance to Forerunner and Greek, along with the language the Elites wrote in, but none of it came together. Sapphire watched him as he stared at the paper, his brow furrowed and wrinkled in frustration.
"You ok?" She asked, getting a shrug in return. Kim handed her the paper, tossing up his hands.
"I can't read this," He explained. "You ponies use the same language verbally that I do, but your writing is so different that I can't figure it out." Sapphire filled out the information for him, asking him how to spell it in sounds. Kim watched as she wrote, his implants finally understanding the language. It was more related to Arabic and Hebrew in style, the script flowing and spelling the words in sound instead of individual letters. Sapphire handed him back the paper when she was finished, Kim looking it over carefully and fully. It was a verification of residence, Sapphire having filled out the information for a new citizen. The door opened to the mayor's office, a unicorn in a close fitting, hooded black cloak walking out and shaking the mayors hand.
The unicorn was lithe, slim and black; his coat contrasted by his dark red mane and what was visible of his tail. His horn was as black and opaque as a spire of onyx; the extremity thin and around a foot long. "Thank you again for clearing that incident up," He said to her, getting a modest bow in return. "I cant thank you enough." She shook her head, smiling.
"You don't have too Black Fire," She said, using the black unicorn's name. "You lost control, I understand. It could have happened to anypony. I'm just glad you reigned it in as quickly as you did." The unicorn nodded and thanked her again, pulling his hood up over his head as he descended the stairs. Sapphire and Kim stood up as the mayor approached them nodding to her and holding her hand out to the new face. "Hello, I'm Ivory Scroll," She said, making the introductions. "I am the mayor of Ponyville. To whom do I owe this visit?" Sapphire held up a scroll, a stylized sun emblazoned on a red ribbon with gold wax. "Ah," Ivory said, taking the scroll and opening it carefully. "A message directly from the princess." She read it over, looking up at Kim every so often. He returned her discriminatory stare with a passive one, simply looking through her. She rolled up the parchment, handing it back to Sapphire. "I am to provide you with whatever accommodations you require, set up a monthly salary for a guard position alongside Captain Shield, and if necessary, have a tutor sent to you so you may learn our scripted language and Geography." Kim counted the items in his mind, marking out one of them already. "So how can I help?" She added with a smile.
Kim looked at Sapphire, getting a shrug and, 'your choice'. Kim shuffled in place, the floor creaking. "First, I think we should get to solid ground," He advised at the beams groaned again. "I will meet you down on the dirt." With that, Kim turned toward an open window and jumped out. A moment later they felt the floors shake and heard a loud thump, Kim having landed to uncertain injury. The two mares exited the building, town hall, and were met by a slightly dusty Kim. He patted his rear clean of dust, following it up with his legs. "Now, I have the nerves to talk. I apologize for making such a dramatic exit, but five of these suits weigh as much as my vehicle." Sapphire and Ivory Scroll were both amazed at the numbers, the vehicle looked to them like it weighed more than a train. "Now for having accommodations set up, I would prefer it outside of town. I will be doing some rather loud work for about a month and I don't wasn't to disturb any neighbors." Kim fought his face for control of the muscles, suppressing a smirk at the ironic situation. The mayor waved a pony in a business suit over, sending him after something. The pony returned moments later, holding several small maps and forms.
"This is what we have outside of the city limits," Ivory said, handing him the maps and their corresponding property deeds. "Like I said before, any of these will be completely free of cost to you. The bill is to be sent directly to the Royal Treasury and from there the money will be returned to the fair towns ponies." Kim looked the map over, noting how much land was on the deed and what covered it. there was one with six acres of wild growth forest. It was about a kilometer from town at one end, meaning once he had the falcon he saw fixed up he could begin transferring the vehicles and working on them.
"This one," He said, handing the mayor the deed and map. "It's far enough away that I won't be a bother and close enough that I can be anywhere in town if I'm needed quickly." Ivory Scroll nodded, handing the Spartan back the deed with a pen. Kim signed the paper where he needed to, Sapphire filling out the Treasury purchase forms and handing them back to the mayor.
"That should do it," She said, rolling up the deed and sealing it with a stamp of preheated wax. She gave him the parchment, taking the carbon copy and handing it to the pony she had called out. "The property is currently vacant, so you can move in immediately. I will leave you to it," She said, shaking their hands and walking back inside. Kim and Sapphire climbed into the hog, Kim starting the engine as Sapphire closed her cage door. They pulled out of the driveway, Sapphire directing him down a side road so they could bypass the traffic. They sped out of the city walls moments later, Kim picking up speed and taking a right at Sapphires direct.
Kim gave her a sideways glance, placing his helmet on with one hand. "Have you ever gone off-roading before?" He asked, remembering his lessons in evasive insertion with glee. She shook her head as Kim gripped the hand brake. "Hold on," He said with emphasis, pulling the brake and taking a hard left off the road. They jumped over the berm at speed, landing twenty feet away from their launch point with a thud. Kim continued to pull hard, swinging turns; Sapphire being tossed around the cab like a rag doll each time they slid over a bump. Kim was laughing heartily as she squealed with surprise and fright, seeing the house through the trees ahead. "Time to start clearing out these trees," He shouted as he pulled the E-brake. The hog slid to a stop, Sapphire holding onto the dash so she wouldn't be thrown through the front of the cab cage. Kim reached back into the cargo bed, pulling out the Gillian nonlinear rifle and sitting back down. "Cover your ears," He said holding down the charge button. Sapphire did as he ordered, cupping the sides of her head as he pulled the trigger.
The rifle blasted light and particles out of its barrel, striking an over charged hit on the trees in its path. The red beam tore through the wide trunks of the hardwood growth, toppling the twenty in the way. Sapphire jumped back into her seat as the concussion hit her, quickly checking to make sure she hadn't wet her pants. Kim turned around, placing the weapon back in its cradle before driving forward. The trunks hindered their progress, but only slightly. The four point individual suspension allowed the hog to climb over them with ease, a few simply being knocked out of the way by the bumper and forward hooks.
Alright. So what do you think, is it good? I think it's so good it needs reviews! :D
Ivory Scroll is the officially unofficial name for the mayor of Ponyville, by the way and for your information.
Sapphire and Mat are property of and used with permission from Bahamut Crisis Core.
Black Fire is property of and used with permission from Najee.