Chapter 5: Darkness Rises
Location: Unknown
The king was sitting on his makeshift throne, alone. No one was with him. No family, no friends, no slaves, no anything. Well, let's rephrase that. The ex-king was sitting atop his makeshift throne.
The ex-king was known as Sombra. He once ruled over the Crystal Empire. By force of course. No one wanted him. So he just bent things to his liking.
Anyway, Sombra was pretty much a tyrant. He abused his power and his ponies. Celestia didn't like that.
"It's all about love and friendship!" he mocked her.
She defeated him once and united the Crystal Empire. Then he returned, only to be defeated by the Mane Six. And now, here he was, alone with no one to share his company.
Celestia angered him. She always beat him. She always had the upper hand. But this time he did.
Someone had filled him with dark energy, giving him the power to create anything he wanted. And now was the time to begin.
Sombra rose from his throne and walked across the dark room. The moon light creeped through the cracks in the walls, allowing only Sombra's glowing eyes to be seen in the darkness. But then his horn too glowed, illuminating the room a bit. The glow from his horn was dark and bubbly, giving the impression of evil.
Using the power given to him, he scattered dark spheres around the room. The room was dim with little light emanating from the spheres. The spheres all planted themselves into the stone ground and sunk in, creating a black puddle of darkness in various places.
Suddenly the room was lit up as the puddles flashed, and a black fume rose from each one. The fumes swirled around the room, surrounding Sombra. Then they settled down and each swirled in their own spots. They seemed to be building something.
And they were. The black smoke surrounded what seemed to be a pony, one in each puddle of darkness. When the fumes cleared, multiple ponies were in their place. Each one was pitch black, some unicorns, some pegasi, and some earth ponies. Their manes and tails billowed like a dark gas lingering in the air around them. Sombra grinned sinisterly.
"Yes," he muttered, "Celestia will surely fall now. She can't stop an army of darkness! What can she possibly do to defend against this new type of power! Not even the Mane Six could stop me!"
He laughed in triumph as he expressed his excitement. He continued to launch the dark spheres everywhere, creating more and more dark ponies.
"Hmm…" he muttered, "It will take time to create a large army. But when we do, I'll be unstoppable. I'll start with Ponyville, and then we will push our way up the mountain towards Canterlot. But I won't stop there. I'll seize Canterlot, and then I will attack that wretched Crystal Empire. I will take my rightful place on the throne of the Crystal ponies, showing them that they shouldn't have hated me."
Sombra continued to make the ponies as he planned his strategy.
'I mean, come on,' he thought, 'No one can stop me, right?'
Ponyville
Twilight couldn't believe what Rainbow Dash just told her. Why would Princess Luna want Michael… dead? She spent Nightmare Night with the princess, and she seemed absolutely nothing like that. She was just as kind-hearted as Princess Celestia.
Twilight pushed the thoughts aside. She had to speak to Michael. She wanted to see his point of view.
"Rainbow Dash," she said, "Go tell Michael I'll be out in a minute. I have to message Celestia."
"You got it, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew back up the basement stairs.
"Spike!" Twilight shouted, "Come down here! We have a letter to write!"
Down the steps came the small purple dragon, rubbing his eyes while yawning.
"Already, Twilight?" he asked, "It's only noon!"
"Well we have to let her know that Michael is safe and sound," she replied.
"Who's Michael?" Spike asked, yawning once more.
"You didn't see him on the way down here?" Twilight asked, "He was sitting right by the door."
"Is he another new pony or something?"
"He's a human, Spike."
Surprisingly, Spike didn't react, "I'm not surprised. Too many weird things have been happening lately in Equestria."
"Anyway," Twilight sighed, "Grab a pen and paper."
Spike obeyed and trudged sleepily towards a drawer and retrieved the pen and paper, "I'm ready when you are."
"Alright," Twilight began, "Er-em, Dear Princess Celestia, Just this morning, Michael stumbled into my library, along with Rainbow Dash. He was bleeding terribly from his leg, but he's fine now. So if you're worried about him, there is no need to. He's safe with us. And he specifically requested that you stay in Canterlot. He said he will come to you when the time is right. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
"Alright, hold on let me send it," Spike said as he rolled up the paper. Noticing there was no window in the basement, he walked back upstairs to find one. Twilight followed behind.
As she reached the top step, she realized Rainbow was chasing Michael around the room, while laughing.
"Rainbow! What's going on?" Twilight shouted.
Rainbow stopped and looked at her with an amused, but intent gaze, "Michael found the newest book in the Daring Do series and won't let me read it!"
Twilight laughed, "Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you. It came in yesterday morning."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as she returned her attention to Michael, who began reading the book.
"It's not that bad, actually," he said, "Whoever wrote this can definitely write well."
Rainbow Dash groaned, "Alright alright. You can read it. Just give it to me when you're finished."
Michael tossed the book to the airborne pegasus, who caught it with her hooves.
"Actually, I don't really have much time to read anyway," he said before looking at Twilight, "Twilight, when will my leg get better?"
"You'll be up and at it in about a week," she replied, "but since you're some super human, it may be faster."
"That's a relief," he said, "Do you have any like, encyclopedias about this world by any chance?"
"Well it is a library, so of course." She trotted up the staircase in the corner of the room, leaving Michael with Rainbow Dash. She was already reading Daring Do.
"Hey, Rainbow," Michael asked, "Could you show me around the town?"
Rainbow Dash wasn't paying attention. It was all directed towards the book.
"I guess I'll show myself around," Michael muttered as he stood up, "As long as I don't run or anything I should be fine."
He ducked under the broken door and then looked back at it, "I think I'll fix this sometime too."
Then all of a sudden, Michael heard a deep woman's voice echo inside his head, "Hmm… what do we have here? A human? So the legends are true…"
As the voice trailed off, a headache followed. Michael bent down to one knee while holding his head. The voice was too deep to be Nightmare Moon. And he doesn't think she'd leave him a headache. Soon it wore off and Michael scanned the area. Nothing appeared out of place, except him of course. And now Lyra was trotting towards him.
Michael waved, "Hey, Lyra!"
Lyra suppressed a giggle as she approached the human. Did he just talk to her?
"Hey… uh…. Human!" she replied when she got to him.
"Call me Michael."
"You got it, human!"
Michael chuckled before asking, "I was wondering if you could show me around the town."
"Really?!" she asked, "Me show you around? I'd be happy to!"
Michael rolled his eyes while grinning, "Well what are we waiting for?"
Lyra nodded in excitement before motioning him to follow.
They walked past a clock tower before arriving back at Sugarcube Corner. Standing outside was a pink earth pony, her mane and tail seemed to be inflated. As soon as she saw Michael, she jumped up and down excitingly before darting inside.
"That's Pinkie Pie, right?" he asked Lyra.
"Yep," she replied, "What? Is she too hyper for you?"
"No it's just, she kinda creeps me out."
"I understand that feeling. But that's just Pinkie Pie."
"Does she work at the bakery or something?"
"She doesn't just work there. She lives there too. On the second floor. That's where we have most of our parties. I'm pretty sure you will be there soon too, since she's acting so happy when she sees you. The balloons on her flank don't lie."
That reminded Michael of one big question he had.
"What are those symbols anyway?" he asked while gazing at Lyra's symbol, which depicted a harp.
"No one has told you yet?" she asked surprised, "Well they're called cutie marks. It shows a pony's talent. Like what they're good at."
"So I guess you're a really good harp player?" he asked.
"You bet," she replied.
The next few minutes they walked on in silence. Michael would gaze down at Lyra every now and then to see her attempt to walk on her hind legs, which she failed at.
Along the way, the two passed multiple ponies who stared at Michael cautiously instead of running in fear. Maybe they were growing used to his presence.
Eventually they made it to a river overlooking a bridge. The river was quite shallow, which seemed to go only beneath Michael's knees. All sorts of fish were swimming around in the clear water. They barely reacted to the unfamiliar human, which they seemed to not be scared of.
As they crossed the bridge, any ponies in their way made space to let them pass. Lyra looked up at Michael.
"You're a lot taller than I thought humans would be," she said.
"I am a lot taller than normal humans," Michael replied, "You see, I'm a super soldier. But…"
Lyra stared at him in confusion. Why did he stop?
"Um… Why'd you stop?" she asked.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you another time."
Once over the bridge, they approached a stylish looking building. It was mostly pink, with a carousel and two horses on top.
"What's this place?" Michael asked.
"This is Carousel Boutique," she replied, "One of Twilight's friends named Rarity lives here. It's not just a house though. It's also a fashion place. Rarity likes to design different dresses and suits for ponies everywhere. I bet she'd love the challenge of designing clothes for a human."
"Is that her at the door?" Michael asked while pointing at a unicorn. She had a magnificent white coat and her purple mane and tail were curled stylishly at the ends. She seemed to take great pride in her looks.
"Yeah that's her. I think Twilight already told her about you, since she's coming over here right now."
Sure enough, the white unicorn was trotting her way towards the two. She seemed to be examining Michael. Once she approached, she smiled warmly.
"You must be the human my friend Twilight told me about," Rarity said with a refined accent, "I must say you are quite the tall one aren't you?"
"You're Rarity right?" Michael asked, "My friend Lyra here told me about you."
"Indeed," she replied, "Though I must say you need a change of clothes! You should come inside and let me design something for you! I'd love the challenge!"
Michael thought about it for a second before shrugging his shoulders, "Why not?"
Rarity jumped with excitement, "This will be absolutely exciting!"
Lyra rolled her eyes, "I'll see you later, Michael. My friend BonBon wanted me to meet her at the park for a picnic. Nice finally getting to properly meet you!"
Michael waved goodbye before following Rarity inside. Once he ducked under the door, he marveled the interior. The place was well kept. The floor was lavender, matching the walls. Multiple pink curtains hung around for dressing rooms. Multiple mannequins were placed around showing off various dresses and suits. Michael began to feel like he was in some girl's dream world. But still, Rarity designed some pretty good dresses for ponies.
Rarity turned to look at him, "I see you like the place a bit."
"I'm admiring your work. You do a good job."
"Why thank you, darling. I do try my best."
Michael struggled before asking, "So you're not scared of me or anything?"
"Of course not! Well I will admit I was at the beginning. When I saw you fighting the princess, I thought you were evil. But when I heard your words of being in a war, it completely changed the way I saw you."
"That's not even half of it," Michael replied.
"Oh don't worry, darling. I think I'll find out soon enough."
Rarity's horn began to glow as she approached Michael.
Michael threw his hands up, "Woah woah woah. Are you about to do that mind reading thing?"
"Yes, why not?" she asked, puzzled.
"Well some other person- I mean pony, read my mind and broke down in tears from what she saw."
"Don't worry, dear," she said with a smile, "I promise I won't break down."
"OK," Michael said cautiously, "But I warned you."
Rarity nodded before standing up and leaning against Michael's chest to support her. Then she touched his forehead with her horn. Michael's eye color changed to a light blue glow as his mind was subject to Rarity's magic.
Rarity saw everything. The war, the violence, Michael's lost friends, Michael in combat, and his kidnapping as a child. She didn't cry though. She controlled herself well. Though the images did bring a depressed look on her face. Equestria was free of war. Violence like this has never happened. Yet Rarity took it well.
She pushed herself off of Michael and stood back on her four hooves. Michael on the other hand stumbled back, as his eyes returned to their cyan color. Once he recovered, he looked at Rarity and was relieved that she wasn't crying.
"You alright, Rarity?" he asked.
She was silent for a moment before answering, "I'm fine, Michael. It's just… I've never seen such violence. It truly was terrible. But I saw something else…"
"Like what?"
"I think I saw somepony evil…"
Michael's heart sunk. He forgot that his memories of Nightmare Moon was there. And she saw it.
"W-Who did you see?" he asked.
"Somepony named Nightmare Moon," she replied, "Michael, darling, did you by any chance see any kind of dark looking pony?"
"I don't recall," he lied, "Have you seen her?"
"Yes," she replied.
He knew what to say now, "Did you completely perfect the mind reading spell?"
"Now that you mention it, I've only used the spell a few times," she said while calming down.
"Then maybe you saw some of your memories there," he said.
"You could just be right," she said, "My apologies."
Michael's heart beat slowed, "It's alright. You just confused me there for a moment."
Rarity returned to her desk and rummaged through it, levitating things around.
"Michael, darling," she said.
"Yes?" Michael asked. Rarity's tone seemed more serious.
"When I saw those memories, I noticed how dangerous you are," she muttered, "But I saw that you only fight for yourself or your friends. I saw your kindness. And I conclude that you're safe to be around. I trust you."
Once again, Michael was taken back on how someone he just met felt so close to him, "Thanks, Rarity. It means a lot."
Rarity regained her posture, "Of course, darling. Anyways, you may go now. I don't want to keep you any longer."
"Didn't you want to design clothing for me?" Michael asked.
"Not really," she replied, "I made that up so that I may have a private chat with you. I wanted to learn more about you, that is all."
She embraced him gently, resulting in a puzzled look from Michael. Normally he would've blushed, but he doesn't anymore. His military mind made him mentally tough.
"Uh… Rarity?"
"What? You don't get hugs much?"
"Not really…"
"Well you better get used to it, darling. You get a lot of these on this world."
She let go and walked over to one of the mannequins. It displayed a beautifully made dress that was mainly white and had gold threads embedded in different places. The gold threads were placed perfectly, giving the dress a shining look.
"This is my favorite dress," Rarity said, "I made it a couple years ago for a young mare in Canterlot that was about to get married."
"Why didn't she get it?" Michael asked, frowning.
Rarity frowned too, "The stallion she would marry was kidnapped by changelings."
"That's terrible," Michael said, "What are changelings anyway?"
"There are just the worst POSSIBLE thing!" she shouted, "They are gruesome! They bare holes all over their bodies! And their queen! Queen Chrysalis! She tried to ruin Princess Cadence's wedding in Canterlot!"
"Sounds bad," Michael said, not reacting much since he hadn't seen a changeling.
"Well you can go now, darling," Rarity said, suddenly calm, "I'm sure you have things to do."
"Sure do," Michael said as he headed towards the door, "Nice meeting you, Rarity."
"Goodbye, James! Please do visit! Remember, if you need some clothing, you know where to find me!"
With a wave goodbye, Michael ducked under the door and headed out.
He didn't think there was much of anything else to explore, so he decided to head back to the library.
Michael decided to relax on the bridge for a while to unwind. But most importantly, to think. He walked over to the center and leaned on the railing, gazing down into the clear water. The other ponies on the bridge retreated to the edges to stay clear of the human. But Michael didn't really mind anymore.
While gazing down into the deep water, Michael lost himself in his train of thought. Starting from the beginning, he tried to remember how he got here in the first place. It was weird how he completely forgot about it.
'Let's see…' he thought, 'I was… I was… driving… in the desert… I think…'
A flash back of his memories occurred, and Michael tried to remember every part of it.
He was driving a transport warthog carrying five people. One medic, one engineer marine, two defensive marines, and a scientist. They were sent by… by… Captain… Lasky of the UNSC… Infinity. They were sent to check out a forerunner structure that erupted in the middle of the desert. It was quiet, but scans showed Prometheans every now and then. Mostly crawlers.
Sitting in the passenger seat was the scientist. His name was Dr. Eric Cullin. Spartan team Crimson escorted him many times to various locations on the forerunner planet, and this time it was Michael's turn. But he was alone, the rest of his Spartan team on another mission.
Eventually the structure came into view. As if detecting their presence, an entrance rose out of the ground in front of it, guarded by two Promethean turrets. They began to charge up.
"Bulk!" Michael shouted, "Hit the turrets with a rocket!"
One of the marines, known as "Bulk," rose from the back of the warthog with a rocket launcher propped on his shoulder, "You got it, Spartan!"
He locked onto the first turret and fired, and without waiting fired at the second turret. Both rockets soared through the air, flying towards the turrets. The first rocket collided with the target, causing the turret to dissolve into little orange flurries.
The second rocket soared past the first target and hit the second, causing another explosion. The second turret dissolved into orange flurries the same way the first did.
"Good shot, marine!" Michael shouted as he gave a thumbs up.
The radio in Michael's helmet fired up as a female voice came through, "Omega two, please copy."
"I hear you," Michael responded.
"Good," the woman said, "I'm Commander Sarah Palmer. I'll be your handler for today."
"Sounds good, Commander," Michael said, "So what do I need to find?"
"Actually," Palmer said, "I just need you and the marines to clear the area so the egghead can snoop around. And please, Spartan, don't touch any shiny objects you see. That's what we have the egghead for."
"You got it, Commander," Michael said, "Omega two out."
The radio shut off as Michael stopped the warthog right in front of the entrance. All was quiet, except for the noises the marines made unloading equipment.
Michael already had his DMR attached to his backside, and lifted his M90 CAWS shotgun out of the driver's seat. He checked the ammo for both weapons before turning to the marines.
"Alright, marines," he said, "Commander says we have to simply clear the interior of the structure. Then we stand guard while the scientist examines everything. Ooh-rah?"
"Ooh-rah!" they shouted in unison.
"Alright," Michael shouted, "Outlaw! Once we're in, sweep right with Spence! Trice, sweep left with Bulk! I'll take the middle with the scientist!"
The group approached the entrance cautiously, scanning the area. Once they got there, Outlaw and Spence stacked on the right side of the door, and Trice and Bulk stacked up on the left. Michael hung back with the scientist.
"Move in, marines!" Michael shouted.
On queue, Outlaw and Trice entered first, one on each side, followed by Spence and Bulk.
Michael drew his DMR and entered down the middle.
"This is some real bullshit we got ourselves into," Trice muttered to Bulk while scanning the area with his MA5C Assault Rifle.
"What?" Bulk asked, following close behind, "Are you gonna pussy out already?"
Michael directed his attention towards the two, "Quiet, marines!" he whispered, "You want to give up our position?"
And then… and then… an explosion? Wait no… that's not it…
Michael was suddenly having a hard time remembering.
"Umm…. Hi Michael…"
Michael snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at the source of the soft voice. He saw a butter colored pegasus with a pink mane. The sudden attention made her back up a few steps.
"Oh, hey!" Michael said, "Fluttershy… right?"
Fluttershy recovered a bit before responding, "Yeah… I was just visiting the river to see the fish and I notice you were here." She suddenly backed away again, "I hope I'm not disturbing you…"
"Not at all, Fluttershy," Michael said in a soothing voice. He knew he had to be careful about what he says around her, "Why don't you join me?"
She seemed to ease up a bit as she slowly made her way to Michael's side, peering over the railing into the water.
Michael looked down at her, "You really are shy, aren't you?"
Fluttershy tried to hide her face with her mane, "I hope it's not a problem…"
Michael lifted her chin up with his hand, "Look, Fluttershy. There's no need to be afraid of me. I'm willing to listen and I don't mind if you're shy. That's how you are."
He began stroking her mane, which cheered her up a bit. She seemed to open up more as well.
"Michael…" she muttered, "I'm glad you aren't a mean pony… I mean human…"
"I'm glad too," he replied, "I couldn't live with myself if I was a jerk. I hate people like that anyway."
She scooted closer and sighed as she let out her regrets. She seemed to relax a little, knowing that Michael wouldn't be upset with her.
"Is your leg OK?" she asked, "I saw the princess harm you and I didn't want to look anymore."
"I'm fine Fluttershy, thanks," Michael replied, "As long as I don't run anymore I'll be fine."
"Oh that's good."
Michael and Fluttershy were both silent for a few minutes.
"I was just wondering what brung me here," Michael muttered, "I had a flashback, and I remember some of it. Then I just couldn't think anymore. I don't know. Maybe I'll remember over time."
Fluttershy seemed to be in deep thought before asking, "Do you like it here?"
Michael also thought about his answer, "I will say that it's a complete change of pace from where I'm from. In my world, I live in war. My fighting side is like second nature. But here… I have to think before fighting. There doesn't seem to be much harm here."
"I couldn't imagine anypony living in your world," Fluttershy replied, "Nopony here could possibly live through the terror of what you've been through."
"Eh, I'm used to it," Michael said, "But I do kind of like it here. It's way more peaceful."
"I understand," Fluttershy said, "Well not your world, but Equestria. I do agree it's peaceful here."
Michael sighed and stood straight up, "I'm going to head back to Twilight's place now. I want to find out more about this place. See ya, Fluttershy."
"It was nice finally meeting you, Michael," she replied, "I'm glad you're nice."
"Same here, Fluttershy." Michael said as he turned to walk in the opposite direction.
Michael walked on in silence for a few minutes, with nothing but the sound of birds chirping and the conversing of ponies every now and then. Eventually, he passed Sugarcube Corner. He could've swore he saw Pinkie Pie staring at him through a window.
When Michael arrived at the library, he went to knock, but noticed the ruined doorframe.
"Right…" he muttered, "Twilight! You home?"
"Just a sec!" a familiar voice shouted from the top of the stairwell.
Michael noticed Rainbow Dash hovering in the middle of the room reading the Daring Do book.
"Hey, Rainbow," he asked, "Do you happen to know where that orange Earth pony lives? I've seen everyone but her."
Michael waited for an answer, but ended up with nothing due to her attention focusing on the book. Michael hated it when the marines he was stationed with didn't pay attention, and now Rainbow Dash was reminding him of them. He walked up to her and snatched the book out of her hooves. She gasped as she tried to get it back, "Hey! Give it back! Daring Do was being chased by some shadow ponies!"
Michael simply stopped her assault with a hand, "I took it because you weren't listening when I asked you a question." He closed the book with his other hand.
"You asked a question?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes," he replied, "Now I was wondering where that orange Earth pony lives. I've pretty much seen everyone but her."
"Oh, you mean Applejack!" she exclaimed while Michael rolled his eyes, "She lives outside Ponyville, in Sweet Apple Acres!"
"I thought I saw some apple trees on my way out…" he muttered. Michael heard the trotting of hooves as he turned to see Twilight coming down the stairs. A question popped up in Michael's head.
"Hey Twilight?" He asked.
"What is it?"
"I was wondering, do you happen to know a spell that can speed up the healing process of my leg?"
"Well I have been practicing a healing spell," she replied, "And I need someone to test it on. Mind being my test subject?"
"Why not? Just don't cause any blood to pour out."
"Trust me, that won't happen."
Michael limped over to the nearest wall and sat down, stretching his legs outward. He didn't know where to place the book so he called Rainbow Dash, "Catch."
She caught it eagerly and flew straight to a corner to read.
Twilight trotted over to Michael with a book on spells. She opened it up and read something over before placing it down.
"Alright," she said, "It may sting a bit, OK?"
"Got it."
Twilight's horn glowed with a pink aurora as sparks began to dance playfully in the air around it. The sparks eventually appeared to get sucked into the horn's tip as they were all released at once, flowing towards the bandages on Michael's leg. When they made contact, they danced around the wound before being absorbed into the bandages. Michael's leg glowed pink as Twilight't magic went to work on the wound. He felt the flesh being pushed inward, closing itself up.
Eventually Twilight lifted her horn away from the wound and the magic dissolved in thin air.
"There," she said, "That should do it."
Michael grabbed the end of the bloody bandage and slowly unwrapped it. Revealing his exposed leg, they both realized that a scar was in the place of the wound. Twilight had healed him.
"Wow," Michael muttered, "The wonders of this world."
"Try standing on it," Twilight said.
Michael forced himself up, testing his weight on the leg. When he put some weight on it, he felt a slight pain. The wound was closed but needed to heal on the inside. But he could still run without it bleeding at least.
"So?" Twilight asked.
"Just a small pain," Michael replied, "At least it won't bleed."
"Great! Now why didn't they heal you at the hospital?"
That made Michael think. Why didn't Celestia just heal him? Was she doing tests on him? He was pretty sure that if Twilight can perform a healing spell, then certainly the princess, who is able to shoot large burning sunbeams, can do so too.
"I actually don't know," he replied, "Do you think she's hiding something?"
"To be honest," Twilight said, "She's always hiding something."
Michael wasn't surprised. "I'm going to be going now."
"You can't go anywhere! Not with your arm burned up!"
"Is it affecting any serious muscles or tissue?" he retorted.
"Well, no…"
"Then I'm going."
"Where?"
"Back into that forest."
Twilight gasped, "You mean the Everfree?!"
"If it's the forest by Fluttershy's place, then yes."
"Michael! Are you crazy?!"
"Well, I guess you can say I am-"
"You're not going!"
"Why not?"
"Because you don't know how dangerous it is in there! There is a hydra, manticores, timber wolves, anything that will eat you up for a snack!"
"Speaking of manticores," Michael mused, "I knocked one unconscious in one blow before I found you guys."
This caught even Rainbow Dash's attention. "Wait, you knocked out a manticore?!"
"Definitely."
"That just made you… twenty percent-"
"Enough!" Twilight cut her off, "Even if you took on a manticore, there is NO way you're going back there!"
"I just want to see someone," Michael retorted, "She's the first pony I met before meeting you guys. And she DIDN'T attack me."
"Who?" Twilight asked.
"I can't say. But she is in the Everfree somewhere."
Twilight lost her intent gaze, "You're not going there."
"Yes I am. And you can't stop me."
Twilight smirked, "Oh yeah?"
Her horn glowed as she shot a laser from it at Michael. But before it touched him, it split and formed a dome around the human.
"What the-" Michael shouted from behind the barrier, "Really, Twilight?"
"Sorry Michael," she replied, a solemn look on her face, "But I can't risk losing you."
"That's fine," Michael said as he raised his fist. He slammed it into the barrier, causing the magic to crack.
"What?!" Twilight stammered, "Impossible! No pony can break a magic barrier!"
"No one but a human!" Michael shouted as he brought his fist back for another hit. It collided with the center of the cracks, shattering the barrier. He stepped towards the door as if nothing had happened. Twilight stood there in shock. Rainbow Dash on the other hand had a look of amazement on her face. "Sweet."
"I'll be off now, Twilight," Michael said smiling, "I should be back by night. See ya!"
And with that, he stepped out the door, leaving Twilight standing with her mouth open. "He just… He just… broke…"
"He just broke a freaking magic barrier!" Rainbow Dash shouted, dropping her book, "I'm gonna follow him. I can fly so I'll be safe."
Twilight didn't respond so Rainbow Dash flew out to follow Michael.
Michael POV
Michael didn't understand these ponies. Humans are nothing like them. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight talk like he's known them for a long time. Oh well. At least he could see Nightmare Moon again.
Michael once again passed Sugarcube Corner, this time with no sign of Pinkie. What a relief. She creeped him out whenever she peered at him from a far distance with that huge smile on her face.
He crossed the bridge leading to Fluttershy's cottage just to see her tending to her animals. A particular white bunny seemed to be poking her leg trying to get her attention. Michael prayed to God that she wouldn't see him. But of course she turned around and smiled at him, "Hi, Michael!"
She seemed to use a slightly louder tone, but was still quiet. Michael barely heard her.
"Hey, Fluttershy!" Michael rapidly said, "I gotta go into the Everfree! Bye!"
He dashed into the tree line and disappeared, leaving a confused Fluttershy trying to understand why he would go to such a place.
Michael looked behind him to make sure he was not being followed by Fluttershy. Satisfied that she flew off in the opposite direction, he started off down the dark path.
It sucked not having a motion sensor. Michael constantly heard noises all around him as he walked. Luckily, he could sense if something drew near, with the augmentations he received at a young age.
Michael knew all he had to do to find the ruins is to find the clearing. And he thought he was walking in the right direction.
Eventually. He reached the bog that he had passed last time. But this time, he wasn't wearing a helmet. The smell was bad, but not as bad as he thought.
Once again, he saw that large shadow under the water. He backed a good thirty meters away and walked around.
Michael found himself back on the wet forest path again.
"Shit man," he muttered, "Where's the clearing?"
Michael decided to try and remember how he got here again. He left off with entering the forerunner structure…
Flashback
"Quiet, marines!" Michael whispered, "You want to give up our position?"
Michael was walking while crouched, signaling the scientist to stay in cover. Outlaw and Spence reached a wall, with another doorway leading deeper into the structure. They paused on the right side of the doorway and stacked up, awaiting orders. Trice and Bulk also reached the doorway and stacked up on the left side.
"Doctor," Michael whispered to the scientist, "Fall in behind Outlaw and Spence. I'll scout ahead."
The scientist nodded and ran to the two marines. Once he was there, Michael stood up and walked slowly through the doorway. It was completely silent; the only sound was Michael's boots quietly tapping against the metal floor.
Michael scanned the room he entered, pointing his DMR in every direction. There was a metal platform in the middle, outlined with an orange glow. Sitting on it was none other than a Promethean crawler, staring at him. Before he could do anything, it howled loudly, alerting every single crawler in the structure. Suddenly, they appeared on the ceilings, walls, and out of thin air.
"Contacts!" Michael shouted, "Engage!"
The four marines poured in, taking cover behind multiple forerunner barriers. Michael dropped the howling crawler with a DMR round to the head, causing it to explode. All the other crawlers opened fire on him in response. Luckily his shields protected him long enough to get to cover.
The heat of the situation was intense due to large amount of forerunner bullets flying passed them. Occasionally a crawler or two would try to rush the humans, but a marine or a Spartan would quickly dispatch it.
"Damn!" Spence shouted, "How many of these things are there?!"
"Just keep shooting till they all pop!" Michael replied.
Eventually the marines mowed down the last crawler and ceased fire.
"Is that all of them?" Outlaw shouted.
"Looks like we got em all!" Bulk replied, "Clear!"
Michael stepped out of cover. "There must be something here if Prometheans are guarding it."
"Doctor?" Michael called, "You can come out now."
The scientist slowly emerged from his hiding spot, looking around casually, seeing all the dead and destroyed crawlers.
"Impressive work, Spartan," he said.
"Don't go poking around now," Michael replied, "We haven't searched the other areas of the structure."
Suddenly, Michael heard a warping noise as he turned around.
"We got a Knight!" he shouted, "Trice, behind you!"
Trice was to late to react as the Promethean Knight drove his blade right through his chest. "Arrrghh!" Trice grunted.
The Knight lifted him into the air with the sword, forcing blood out Trice's wound.
Trice unpinned a grenade from his vest and shoved it into the Knight's mouth, and pushed himself off the blade. The Knight's face exploded, dissolving it into a little glowing swirling sphere.
Trice was lying on the metal floor, slowly moving.
"Drag him to the wall and set him into a sitting position!" Michael shouted.
Outlaw and Bulk grabbed Trice by the shoulders and dragged his limp body towards a wall and sat him up. Spence kept watch with his MA5C.
"Medic!" Michael called.
"Uh…" Outlaw muttered, "Trice is the medic, sir."
"Shit!" Michael replied.
Trice looked down at his wound. "Fuck! Spartan, it… it pierced a lung. I'm… I'm a goner…"
"Don't talk like that, marine! Just stay with me!"
The radio in Michael's helmet sprung to life, "Omega Two! What's going on? Trice's signature is fading!"
"Sorry, Commander," Michael muttered, "But Trice's a goner."
There was silence for a moment before Commander Palmer spoke, "What hit him?"
"We got Prometheans, ma'am," he replied, "And there must be something here since they're guarding the structure."
"It seems dangerous, Omega Two!" she shouted, "I'm sending Majestic Team to reinforce. Can you retreat?"
"That's a negative, Commander!" Michael shouted, noticing Prometheans materialize out of nowhere, "We got Watchers and Knights appearing all over the place!"
Sure enough, a stray bullet flew past Bulk's face and hit Trice in skull. "Damnit!"
"Shit! Get to cover!" Michael commanded.
Present Time
Michael's mind went fuzzy as the flashback faded. For some reason he couldn't remember anymore.
"Damnit!" he grunted, "Oh. I'm here."
Without realizing, Michael was already in the clearing. It was brighter here, since the sunlight wasn't blocked by trees as much. The water glistened flowers shown in the sunlight, reminding Michael how beautiful it was last time. But the surrounding trees looked dead and gloomy, reducing the beautiful feel of the area. Just on the other side was the old bridge overlooking the ravine. And across the bridge were the ruins. Michael knew better than to cross the bridge this time.
'Great,' Michael thought, 'I don't have my thruster pack.'
Michael sat down in front of the bridge and tried to think of a way across. Then the simplest idea dawned on him.
He stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth before shouting, "Nightmare Mooooooooooon!"
Nothing happened for a moment and Michael thought she had left. But a familiar face appeared at the top of the old crumbling tower. That face looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled with glee. Nightmare Moon was here.
Michael smiled back. Nightmare Moon jumped from the top of the tower and soared straight down at him. Michael was waving, thinking the Mare of the Night would stop before reaching him. But he was a fool for thinking such a thing, and soon he realized he was wrong.
All he could say was, "Uh…oh," before Nightmare Moon barreled into him and brung him to the ground. She wrapped her hooves around him, squeezing him in tight hug.
"I thought you'd never come back!" she cried, "I thought you wouldn't want to see an evil alicorn like me again!"
"You're not evil, Nightmare," Michael replied, "You know that."
She just lay on the grass with Michael in her hooves, smiling happily. Eventually Michael muttered, "Nightmare, you can let go now."
She realized what was happening and let go, allowing Michael to stand up.
"You really missed me, huh?" he asked while brushing dirt off his legs.
"I did," she replied more formally, "I was hoping my only friend would come back."
Michael didn't mind having Nightmare Moon acting like this. She was the first to meet him and she didn't knock him out on sight. She suddenly gasped, "What happened to your arm!? Why is it wrapped in bloody bandages.?!"
Michael completely forgot about the burnt arm, "It's a long story. Why don't we go inside so I can fill you in?"
"Agreed," Nightmare Moon replied as she turned back towards the ruins.
She lifted off into the air and landed on the other side gracefully, turning to wait for Michael. He just stood there, a puzzled look on his face.
"Uh… Nightmare?" he asked, "I don't have my armor, so can you levitate me across?"
"I knew something was missing," Nightmare Moon said as she realized Michael wasn't wearing armor. Her horn glowed a dark purple aurora as she surrounded Michael with same one. She lifted Michael into the air and safely drifted him across the ravine. Michael landed beside her and the two walked into the ruins.