This was to be just like every other mission this week i go out, do reconnaissance get info, return any important info of position and numbers usually and if need be eliminate any given target but life is never this easy.
It was a Friday and usually Saturday was the relax day for most so this mission was supposed to be a absolute breeze just as the rest were. A simple hard breach into the reasonably small compound and remove any threats and get the place under lock down, but they were prepared for us and that's where i was supposed to get numbers.
I was given the orders by command to go out ahead of the team and observe. I packed 5 bottles of water, 3 rations of food, Pair of Binoculars for quick scanning of a area, My trusty M40A5 Sniper rifle. It's got a five round box magazine, A bi-pod on the under barrel with a Schmidt & Bender 3–12×50mm Police Marksman II LP scope and in my bag is a PVS-22 night vision scope for any night time situations. My side arm is a Beretta M9 semi-Automatic handgun in the hip holster i have.
I headed from camp and walked for a few miles up to where i believe was a suitable location which was in a small valley between two hills that over looks the compound so i get set up behind a lengthy rock and immediately got to work gathering numbers as the team moves out and i gathered up around 250 people that i can see but there is a lot of obstructions and buildings so i cant gathered a solid number. I radio in reporting in a estimated number of 500 just to be safe and tell them this ain't going to be as easy as we think but shouldn't be all that much of a trouble either.
Hours later the team is prepared just around a hill and is gearing up for a full assault and i get notice that a infiltration team has been dispatched and to keep over watch to make sure things go smoothly but once the infiltration team were in and cleared that building the assault was to begin. I spot a glint of light and duck down seconds later a bullet sparks the ground behind me kicking up dust. The noise of the snipers gun going off alerts the rest of the enemy and they all get to what i assume is there positions and prepare so i alert through radio i have been spotted and ask for orders which comes through as return fire and once eliminated the sniper remove any other visible threats. I take my chance to stick my head up and aim to see a bullet hit hit the rock in front of me but i don't flinch and fire back, seconds pass and i see a gun fall to the ground.
Reload. Fire another one down. Reload. Fire another one down. Reload. Fire another one down. Reload. Fire another one down. I continue this chain for every magazine i can until i get told i need to retreat to safety as the whole team has eventually been over whelmed and is pulling back. That is when i pull out my pistol and put my sniper away on my back carry attached to my rucksack and get up from position and start my rush across to the next form of cover which was a good twenty meter dash but i managed to get behind cover as bullets fly past my head threatening to give me dangerous makeover. I make my next move is to get across the hill due south which is forcing me to run in front of their view but as i get up i see 3 Snipers aiming their weapons at me but before i can protest i hear the sound of the guns going off then a sudden surge of extreme pain in my chest and torso and a draining feeling come across me. I look down to see three gaping holes etched into my body and a lot of blood pouring out of each of them. i struggle to stand and eventually fall onto my side looking at the men who fired but they have finished reloading and go to take a second shot at me. Still holding my pistol i manage to dispatch two of them then i lose consciousness.
I wake up to complete darkness then a image appears but it's all blurry and begins to sort it's self out to show my body still lying the same way i died with the few comrades that were left and some other people i assume were from a different team standing around me. I wasn't sure what they were doing until i steadily started to hear something that became a voice of one of the men. "Why did we have to lose another sniper, especially one of the best we ever had" he said and that's when i knew what they were doing. They are paying respects to my unfortunate falling and a different man speaks up "We are already short of Recon specialist and that's another vacancy needing filled" he spoke sounding not all to bothered about my death and more worried about the war which was a bit understandable.
A sudden voice speaks out of the void calling my name "Casey do you know why you are here" yes i have a very feminine name but i can assure i am male after all it's a unisex name. "Apart from the fact i died no im not sure why im here in this void exactly, are you death or something?" i ask back.
"You could call me death without the whole i kill people but im only here to speak to those who do pass from the living and you clearly know you are no longer alive but i am here to take you to a peaceful land as you deserve it not for killing people but because you have been in that war for many years since a young age and have forgotten what peace is and have been a hero to many as your final living moments provided enough time for your fellow men to leave before you had to try leave yourself but ultimately you fell doing what you could for others" the voice answers.
"So who exactly made the decision i should go to where ever you are going to transport me to" i question hoping that would get answered but that hope was short lived. "This was a joint decision between a few people shall i say" the voice responds once again and quickly fits in "Maybe a bit rude for forgetting to announce who i am, my name is Horizon. "I guess that's a fitting name if your bring people from the dead and giving them instructions of what is going to happen next as in the horizon to a new life or a new memory but anyway when am i moving onto this place" i say and seconds later "Once i have finished speaking to you, you will be going to this land and just like on earth you can still die and be injured so don't go thinking you will be immortal and anything you hand on you at the time of death will go with you including any weapons and clothing and the stuff in your rucksack is also going with you as well".
"OK i got it and im starting to feel really sleepy all of a sudden is that bad?" i ask as i begin to panic. "Calm yourself that is a sign of you beginning to wake up in your new world and may we see each other in person" Horizon says as i suddenly somehow pass out into more darkness.
When i gain my consciousness i wake up to find my self lying in the middle of a meadow outside of what seems like a really twisted forest of sorts. I get up and take a look about and find i still have my pistol out and decide to check the ammunition i have left. 6 bullets in this magazine and two spare magazine's in my bag so that is 22 bullets, im set for the pistol for now and my sniper has a full magazine already loaded and 3 spare mags, that leaves me with 20 shots for the rifle. Now for where i am is in what seems is a golden yellow meadow with a gentle breeze blowing through the place.
I decide i should probably find the closest settlement to here and decide i should head south of the forest to get a idea of where i am. as i continue walking for roughly 10 minutes i notice a village start to come into view to my delight "Thanks Horizon for placing me close enough to someplace" i think and keep walking until im just outside of town and that's when i notice a pony walk by that i could get a quick glance at was a mint green colour. "What the..?" i speed up to find out if i really saw what i thought i did think i saw. I was not wrong i could see several different coloured ponies as if it was a rainbow just assaulted my eyes. "Maybe i take my statement back, Horizon where on earth am i !?".
I ponder at what to do and decide i should maybe head further back and set up position with my sniper to see if they are hostile at all but Horizon did say it was a peaceful land. I get set up a good hundred meters away and look down my scope to only see the ponies having normal conversations which almost made me blow a fuse in confusion at how they can talk. I also took note that it appears to be there is Pegasus and unicorns as well as normal ponies. After a few hours of observation i think it's best if i go into town which started to become more busy as the day went on, since i took note that the town started getting busy now it is roughly 11 in the morning so lunch time should be pretty soon. I walk to the edge of town, took a deep breath and kept walking to speak to some of them to get information on where i am. The first attempt went swimmingly as you would expect, went to speak to this pink happy pony who was bouncing along the street and she suddenly jumped into the air and gasped for a few seconds then darted down the street at an alarming rate.
"Ok what just happened ?!" i say aloud and many of the pony's are whispering among themselves but i just continue on to the next area hoping to find someone decent to speak to. I found a pony who was selling apples at a small store and from what i can hear she has a strong southern american accent but seemed pleasant enough to speak to. "Umm... Hello, do you know where i am?" i ask apprehensively not knowing whether they would take kindly to a stranger such as me but my fears were quickly removed when she said "Well howdy there your in Equestria, a don't think i have seen you around here or your kind because you certainly ain't a pony are you?"."Yeah im not a pony and Equestria? , there is no place i know of on earth that is called that apart from equestrian centers where you can ride horses" i respond very confused, i am in a total different world i deduce and have no clue who runs the country or world and the pony's do seem relatively kind so far albeit quite curious of who and what i am. "Ok well since you seem like a decent pony my name is Casey and what is the currency of this place because i wouldn't mind buying a few apples and i'll try and get money to repay you later, just right out a IOU and i'll make sure to return as soon as i can" i ask and shockingly she say's "Nah don't worry pardner two of these apples is on the house and the currency is bits".
"I will be paying you back later no matter what you say and thanks uhhh, Name please so i know who i am paying back" so she knows im being serious about returning the correct amount. "My name is Applejack, You don't need to give me anything this time and make sure to drop by the apple family's farm, i'll be around somewhere there later" Applejack says with pride. "Well thanks AJ i'll make sure to visit later then, Bye" and i take my leave wondering where should i go next and i come across what seems to be a Library.
I knock on the door and i hear a voice from inside shout "Come in, the door is open". ok i'll just walk in and hopefully not scare the living hell out of the pony living here, "Hello anyone...Home?" it is a library but there is also a kitchen and stairs to a upper floor which i guess where this pony sleeps or whatever. "Ahhh!, there is a monster here Twilight help!" i hear scream from next to me and i look down a bit to see a baby dragon of sorts running away from me now and up the stairs. "I am no monster for your information im here to look for more info of where i am" i respond slightly amused at the fact of being called a monster.
Cliff hanger for no apparent reason but i thought i would post this just before he meets the second main character in the show, thanks for reading and please tell me how i did and what i can improve
Catch you n the next chapter - Cookoogamer :)