Unintentional Invasion Ch.4-Where Should We Tell Them To Go?

Your movie came to a close just as the train was pulling into the station, conveniently enough. Wasn't the best movie you had ever seen, but it did its job in keeping you occupied. You had noticed a few glances and stares from the ponies around you, but you paid them little mind. You assumed it was just because of your imposing stature...and the fact that the benches were creaking unpleasantly from your weight.

 

"Welcome to Ponyville! If this is your stop, please exit the train now! All other passengers, please wait while we load and unload others." The speaker box in the center of the ceiling said, presumably the conductor. You stood and exited, a handful of ponies right behind you. A veritable sea of colors was around you, much like at Canterlot's station.

 

"Anon!" Twilight called, galloping over to you. Rainbow Dash and four other ponies you didn't recognize were in tow, each giving you various looks. You pulled your helmet off...and the butter yellow pegasus screeched in fear before suddenly stopping, an embarrassed blush crossing her face.

 

"O-oh, I thought it was...pulling a body part off..." The pegasus trailed off, eyes locked to what must have been the most interesting dirt pile in the world.

 

You chuckled quietly, before introducing yourself.

 

"Hey there. My name's Anonymous, Anon for short. I'm already acquainted with Twilight and Rainbow, but may I know your names?" You asked, noting the reactions.

 

The yellow pegasus (with an interesting pink mane) still wasn't looking at you, or anyone in particular. An orange earth pony with a blonde mane and a stetson was giving you a careful gaze. Not quite hatred, but...distrust, it seemed.

 

A blindingly white unicorn put on a professional smile, and was the first to approach you.

 

"My dear, my name is Rarity! I'm Ponyville's local seamstress, and if I do say so myself, one of the best in all of Equestria!" She looked you over, inspecting your green armor. "Mm, that definitely is your color, you wear it well. Though, your choice of clothing...needs work. Please, by all means, visit my Boutique after you are done settling in, it's not often I get to work with...exotic guests!"

 

With that, Rarity took a few steps back to allow the others to greet you.

 

Pink face with bright blue eyes was all you saw next. It took all of your willpower to not lash out, trying to not let combat instincts take over.

 

"HI!" The pony started loudly, before hopping off of you and bouncing in place. An audible 'boing' came from her every time she bounced. "My name's Pinkie Pie, do you like parties?" You opened your mouth to respond when you were cut off by the bubblegum colored ball of energy. "Of course you do, who doesn't! ...except that meany Gilda, and Roseluck, and Mayor Mare..."

 

You did a double take.

 

"Gilda?" You repeated. Pinkie and Dash both nodded. "About my height, wearing armor like me?" Did she somehow get sent here too? That would be great, linking up with some squaddies would really put you at ease. They both nodded at the height part, but it was a big ol' negative on the armor.

 

"Armor? No, silly filly, she's a Griffon! Big, mean bird-cat thing." Pinkie supplied. "Have you met? Ooooh, maybe we can try another party for her, Dash! Just with less pranks!"

 

You went over all the griffons you had 'met' so far, all of them were male. You weren't sure if they even had females in their armies.

 

"No, haven't met her...Pinkie, right?" You asked, for clarity's sake. She nodded, wide grin plastered on her face. So far, so good.

 

You looked at the blonde-maned pony, who approached you and looked you over.

 

"Howdy." She said simply, with what you could call a deep southern drawl. "Name's Applejack, I help run Sweet Apple Acres down the way." Applejack gestured with a hoof down the road, where you could just make out a bright red farm house. "Not much else to say, stranger. If Twi and Rainbow here trust ya, I do too...but that don't mean I ain't watchin'."

 

So much for a warm welcome. Twilight and Rainbow both glared at the earth pony, which she didn't respond to.

 

"I'll keep that in mind." You replied shortly, which seemed to make Applejack at least satisfied.

 

The yellow pegasus still wouldn't make eye contact.

 

"M-my name's...Fluttershy..." She mumbled, so quiet your augmented hearing almost missed it. Fluttershy was visibly shaking, and you took a knee.

 

"Hi Fluttershy. I'm a friend of Twilight and Rainbow, you know that?" You said softly, holding out your hand. She flinched, and you retracted the offending limb.

 

"You'll have to excuse Fluttershy, Anon." Twilight said, walking next to her friend. "She's easily scared, especially when meeting new ponies. She'll warm up to you." Twilight offered a friendly shoulder to the pegasus, which she took eagerly.  

 

You shrugged before standing again, stretching slightly. Your weapons clanked against the ceramic and titanium plates, which reminded you that you still had them. You put your helmet back on, but left the visor unpolarized so they could see where you were looking. The waist-high ponies all split off, each saying that they had something or other to do. Eventually, it was just you and Twilight again...not that you minded.

 

"Alright Anon, let's get you settled in. I'm sure that stuff must be uncomfortable." Twilight said, leading you onwards towards a large tree. You spotted some windows and a balcony, some sort of literal treehouse?

 

She pushed the door open, and the first thing you noticed was books. Hundreds upon hundreds of books. There was a small counter directly in front of you, with a couch and some chairs behind it. An unlit fireplace was in the center of the rightmost wall, and a staircase lined the left wall, leading to a second floor. You stood in the doorway, a little stunned.

 

"Wow. Quite the collection you have here." You mused. "Any particular reason other than 'I love books'?"

 

"This is Ponyville's Library, Anon. There was a sign out front." The mare gave you a flat look.

 

Sign? You didn't see any sign...

 

Twilight trotted into a room off to the side, closing the door before you could follow. Some crashing was heard, followed by a tiny 'ow', before Twilight came back. She looked slightly scuffed, but otherwise fine. "This way, Anon! This is your room!"

 

Inside was plenty of room for you and your things. The bed was large enough for you, and it was flanked on either side by nightstands, complete with lamps and an alarm clock. You smiled, unlatching your helmet again and putting it on one of the stands.

 

"Thanks Twilight, the place looks fantastic." You began removing your armor, a slow and tedious process without the suit machine. Twilight was watching intently, taking note on where you unbolted or unlatched things.

 

"That looks heavy, now that I think about it. How do you even wear it?" The ever-inquisitive unicorn asked.

 

"It supports its own weight, as long as someone's wearing it." You answered, removing the torso and placing it on the ground with a heavy thud. The chestpiece alone made up almost half the weight. Next were your gauntlets, followed quickly by the boots.

 

Finally unsuited, you fell onto the bed. You relaxed there for a moment, Twilight giggling off to the side.

 

"Oh, Twilight! You're home!" A high pitched, but definitely male, voice called. You instantly put him at pre-teen to early teen, just judging by that. "How was your trip, find anything cool?"

 

"Well, no. I'd rather not talk about it, Spike..." Twilight muttered, looking at 'Spike'.

 

"Aww, why not? Just turn out to be a hunk of rock?" He pressed, and he finally came into view. He was a tiny purple dragon, with green ridges going down his back. He hadn't noticed you yet, focus completely on the purple unicorn. His face showed disappointment, while Twilight was trying desperately to change the subject.

 

"Y-yes, Spike. Nothing but a boulder." She fibbed. The reptile's shoulders slumped slightly.

 

"Aw man, that's lame." He then looked up and around the room. "Expecting comp-WHOA! What is that?!" Spike had finally found you, pointing at you like an over-excited child. Twilight forced his finger down with a bit of magic.

 

"Don't point, it's rude." She said, coming across as a motherly reprimand. "His name is Anonymous, he'll be staying with us for a while."

 

"Aw man, another?" He pouted, crossing his arms. "First I had to compete with Owlowiscious, now this thing?"

 

"He's not an assistant, Spike, and he's not a thing. He's here to keep an eye on Ponyville." Twilight flatly stated. "Don't mind him, Anonymous. He gets a little overexcited when he thinks somepony's going to replace him."

 

"Do not!"

 

You had been watching this exchange with amusement. You chuckled, and merely nodded.

 

Which is when the dragon burped and a scroll hit you in the face.

 

"Aw, what!?" You exclaimed, recoiling out of reflex and falling off the bed. "Where the frack did that come from!?"

 

Twilight and Spike were of no use, rolling on the floor laughing. You glared in annoyance.

 

"Spitballs, really? Two can play that game."

 

"No, no, Anonymous!" Twilight choked out, still fighting the giggles. "Spike's dragon fires act as a two way letter system between myself and Celestia. In fact..."

 

The scroll was lifted up, and sure enough it bore Celestia's mark on the seal. She popped it open, reading it a bit before handing it to you.

 

In it...was a bunch of scribbles and symbols you couldn't hope to decipher. It was if Celestia had just mashed her hooves on a Japanese/Hindi hybrid keyboard.

 

"I can't read this."

 

"You're...joking, right?" Twilight said, a hint of amusement turned shock in her voice.

 

"No, I'm not. Here, read it for me."

 

"Anonymous, are you illiterate? If you want, I can teach you how to read." Twilight offered. A twinge of annoyance once again reared its ugly head.

 

"No, I'm not illiterate. Just glance over it, is it important?" You asked. She did as such, and then shook her head.

 

"She just wants to know how you're settling in. She's expecting a response, but not right this second." Twilight trotted out, beckoning you with a swing of her head. "Come on, I'll help you!"

---

 

You were both back outside, and she lit up the Library's sign. That was why you hadn't noticed it: You couldn't actually read it, and simply assumed it was some sort of artistic statement.

 

"Golden," She lit up the first group of symbols. "Oak." She lit up the next three. "Library," she finished, lighting up the next. "Our alphabet consists of twenty six letters, all of which can by arranged in different ways t-"

 

"I'm not a kid, Twilight. I know what an alphabet is, I have one too."

 

The mare studied you for a second.

 

"Then...how is it that our spoken language is the same, but the written one is different?"

 

"You're asking me?" You replied, shrugging.

 

The rest of the day was spent learning the new alphabet, with you filing away the letters into your helmet's memory so it could auto-translate. You couldn't wear your helmet everywhere though, so you still had to learn it.

 

"And here I was, thinking I was done with grade school." You commented, Twilight giggling to herself.

 

By the end of the day, you had it...sorta. The easiest were the letters that happened to at least have a passing resemblance to English. The rest...well, you'd work on it. For now, you just dictated your response to Spike per Twilight's instructions. Twilight bid you goodnight, then she and Spike went upstairs, presumably to bed.

 

You also went to your new room, not quite tired yet. Putting your helmet back on, you fired up your favorite fiction novel.

 

Sleep took you before you knew it.

---

 

Bright and early, as was usual for you. Once again, you were up before the sun was.

 

"Early to bed, early to rise, I suppose." You tiredly quoted. You knew that was a nasty habit you had, but it's not like any of the ponies here would call you on it.

 

You stepped out of the library, noting Twilight kept the door unlocked. Either crime was a seriously minor issue, or your unicorn host was entirely too trusting. At this point, it could be either. A few ponies were milling about, even now. One or two were packing up telescopes, a few more were setting up shop stands. This included the orange one from yesterday...Applejack, right?

 

You decided to venture on over. Your stomach was growling, and she had apples. Seemed simple enough.

 

"Hey there, stranger!" You said, walking over with a friendly grin. The orange mare gave you a small smile of her own, continuing to set up the stand. She was finished by the time you were there, so you picked out a few apples.

 

"How much?" You asked.

 

"Says it there on the sign." The blonde pony replied, busy with a customer from another stand. You cursed under your breath, before studying said sign intently. At least the numbers were the same.

 

"I'll...be right back."

 

A few minutes and one helmet later, you paid the mare her 5 bits and were on your way back, grumbling to yourself. You really needed to learn the written bit, it would make your life so much easier.

 

You re-entered the Library, and Twilight was right there with another grade 1 book.

 

"Lesson time, Anonymous!"

 

You groaned.

---

 

The next few days went by mostly the same as the last. You would wake up, buy two apples from AJ, practice the Equestrian Alphabet for a few hours (making sure to do the same for Twilight and your alphabet, so you didn't feel like a total dunce), then explore the town.

 

Today was visiting Rarity. You wanted casual clothes, and Twilight had suggested Rarity to you before. Her building was...interesting, to say the least. It appeared to be an old 20th century carousel, complete with plaster horses on the second floor.

 

You knocked on the door after determining it was well past noon, certain Rarity's shop was open.

 

"Enter, please~!" A singsongy voice called. You pushed the door open to see...pink, everywhere. On the walls, on the floor, on the mannequins...

 

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique! What can I- Oh, Anonymous!" The snow-white mare caught herself mid-sentence. "I wondered when you would decide to stop by! Please, come!" She walked into the back room, and you shrugged to yourself and followed.

 

The assault of pink didn't stop, even most of the furniture was some shade of it. You mentally sighed, before taking a seat on the couch. It was...surprisingly comfortable.

 

"I was in the middle of my afternoon tea, coincidentally. Care for a cup?"

 

"No, that's fine. I was actually here to take you up on your offer of clothing..." You said. Rarity nodded, taking a small sip before setting the ornate cup on a coaster and standing again.

 

"Well then, my exotic friend, I need measurements!" She pulled a measuring tape over to her, then motioned for you to stand. "Arms straight, please. Also, what's your preference on gem type?"

 

"Gems?" You repeated.

 

"Yes, dear. Along the collar, I believe I'll put it."

 

"Ah, that's uh, fine." You started. "Just regular fabric will do." You heard the unicorn huff as she jotted down a few notes.

 

"Stallions, I swear. Never want to make themselves look fabulous." She finished her measurements, the royal blue aura returning the measuring tape to the desk. "No matter, only the best will do!"

 

"How much to I owe you?" You asked, pulling out the bag of bits.

 

"Anonymous, my dear, dear alien. I don't charge until the customer has the requested clothing, in case alterations need to be made! Your clothes should be done by the end of the week!" She chirped, giving you a light push. "Go, I have ideeeeaaaaaas~!"

 

You left with a chuckle, Rarity giving a brief wave goodbye before putting what you presumed to be a 'closed' sign on the door. You already liked that mare.

 

On the way back through Ponyville, you noticed it was...oddly quiet. Not a pony in the streets, which set you on edge.

 

"Maybe they all went on lunch...at the same time..." You reasoned to yourself. You still couldn't help but place that something was...wrong.

 

You approached the Library, and little warning bells went off when you saw the door hanging open. Did someone break in? You suddenly wished you had remembered to bring your handgun or knife.

 

You entered warily.

 

"Twilight?"

 

"SURPRISE!"

 

The lights kicked on and roughly a hundred ponies all jumped out of various hiding places. You jumped back in sheer shock and lowered into a combat stance...before realizing just what was said.

 

"Wait...what?" You asked dumbly, slowly relaxing.

 

"It's your party, silly filly!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed from the forefront of the crowd. "It's your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!"

 

You didn't really *do* parties. Still, you'd hate to disappoint the entire town. It really looks like they pulled out all the stops to make you feel welcome. A banner was strung along the ceiling saying 'Welcome to Ponyville!', and various streamers and balloons of all colors were hung about.

 

"Oh, well uh..." You started, not really sure what to say. You may have been more socially adept than a Spartan II, but not by much. No one had actually thrown you a party since your seventh birthday on Arcadia, directly before the Covenant attack and your conscription. "Thanks?"

 

Pinkie just gave you a wide smile, ushering you inside and closing the door behind you.

---

 

The following morning felt like the day after shore leave: You were slightly sore and upset at the prospect of going back to the Infinity...until you realize that you didn't have to yet, technically being lost in space and all. You grinned to yourself as you found a comfortable spot in the bed...before feeling a warm lump.

 

Curiosity took over, and you opened your eyes. Said warm lump was breathing softly and evenly, and had one of your pillows. Pulling the covers back, you revealed some random pony from the party sleeping peacefully. You leapt out of bed in shock, tripping and stumbling over another who had been using your floor.

 

She groaned as you accidentally kicked her, and then it happened: You fell headlong into the corner of the door, feeling your forehead connect with it and making one hell of a noise as you went down. The embarrassing yelp of pain and shock didn't help matters, and soon the entire treehouse full of hung-over ponies was waking up.

 

Now you had a headache too, and not because of drinking.

 

"Alright, everyone out!" You commanded, rubbing your face with one hand and pointing with the other. The crowd scattered, all having some excuse about being late for work or something similar. It was soon just you, Twilight, Spike...and a passed out Rarity, sleeping on the couch. An empty wine bottle was knocked over on the table, and Rarity herself was snoring like a buzz saw.

 

Twilight's magic began tidying the place up, grabbing the banners and balloons that you couldn't reach. You as well helped clean, it was *your* party after all.

 

Spike belched green fire, which sent out a letter and simultaneously set the carpet on fire. A few panicked stamps and a glass of water later, and the magical flames were extinguished.

 

You popped the letter open, trying your hand at what you had learned.

 

"To Our Honored Guest, something something Celestia something Twilight something something urgent something...Gah." You groaned, giving up and going for your helmet. The HUD superimposed English letters over the symbols.

 

"To Our Honored Guest and/or Celestia's Faithful Student, something has come up. Celestia would like both you and Twilight Sparkle in Canterlot Castle for a very urgent matter. Tell Anonymous to bring his armor."

 

Huh.

---

 

"The Griffons have declared war, not that it's any particular surprise." Your Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor, stated. "Baltimare is ready for action, the older cannons slightly time-worn but still capable of gutting a Griffon ship."

 

A map of Equestria was spread between the two of you, Baltimare lit up in green and the rest of your cities in red. Not a good sign in the least.

 

"Very good Captain. What about our military, how quickly can we mobilize?" You asked, your wings flexing slightly out of nervous habit. If Armor noticed it, he ignored it. A good pony, also from the Sparkle family. Something about those Unicorns and the way they keep pushing out spectacular children...

 

"Well, that's less than optimal. We haven't actually had a war in over two hundred years, not since the first Changeling incursion." He put a hoof to his chin. "Again, Baltimare and its entire garrison are ready. Las Pegasus, Fillidelphia, even here in Canterlot...won't be ready for at least another week at best. Need to get the troops back into combat readiness, run drills, that sort of thing."

 

"Mmhm." You agreed, it had indeed been a long time. If you were quite honest, far too long. Your military was rusty at best...and absolutely decrepit at worst. "What of Princess Luna's Night Guard?"

 

"You'd have to ask her, Princess. I'm not privy to the details of the Night Guard." You nodded, before turning to your sister.

 

"My children of the night managed to sneak into several keeps and castles, gleaning a little information. The griffons have been waiting for an excuse to spark a war. The meteor the other day, followed by Anonymous' arrival, was more than enough excuse." Luna spoke quickly and softly, which was a welcome change.

 

"As far as my children know, their fleet is much, much larger than ours. Roughly one hundred and fifty vessels of varying size, as well as one they've deemed the 'flagship'."

 

Luna rolled up the map of Equestria and rolled out a new map. This one was of all the territories the Griffons and Minotaurs held, though thankfully the Minotaurs kept mostly to themselves. They wouldn't get involved unless they felt threatened.

 

"The Minotaurs, as usual, are practicing their long-held isolationism. The single ambassador we have there was assured that they would not interfere in any way, unless attacked themselves." Luna said, confirming what you already knew.

 

"My spies have the locations of many keeps and strongholds," multiple red blips popped up on the map at this point, "and also found the dry dock where their sizable fleet is being held. The location of the 'flagship' is unknown, it is possible that it is on the move."

 

An amethyst flash announced the arrival of your student, and hopefully one more...

 

There he was. The human, in full battle gear and armed to the teeth. Exactly what you needed.

 

"Greetings, Anonymous." You started. "You may be wondering why I ne-"

 

"Judging by the map, I'd say this isn't a 'how are you doing' call." He cut across. Ordinarily you'd be offended, but Shining Armor was doing enough of a job being offended for you.

 

"How dare you cut the Princess off!? You let her finish what she's saying before you speak!"

 

"Enough." You said sternly, flaring your wings slightly for emphasis. Shining Armor closed his mouth, though Anonymous continued studying the map.

 

"Minotaurs, really?" You heard him mutter. "I should just stop questioning this crap. So, game plan is...?" The human asked, looking right at you.

 

"Shining Armor was just getting to that, weren't you Captain?"

 

"Uh, yes Princess." The unicorn cleared his throat, but you were drawn to Twilight Sparkle. She was staring at the map with apprehension.

 

"Princess, what's going on?" She asked, staring you in the eyes.

 

"Your escape, coupled with Anonymous' actions at Baltimare, have caused the Griffons to declare war on us." You sighed. "It's been coming for years now, I only wish I could have stalled this just a bit longer."

 

"W-war!?" Twilight cried, drawing the attention of the Spartan and her brother, before both went back to the finer details. "There hasn't been an actual war in...centuries..."

 

You simply pulled Twilight close in a wing-hug, comforting both her and yourself.

 

"Everything will be fine, Twilight. Shining Armor will be staying here, he's too important to send to the front lines."

 

"And Anonymous?"

 

"He...will be spearheading the attack, if he agrees to it. It will be a long time before you see him again, but he WILL come back. I promise."

 

Twilight simply nodded, tears in her eyes. You knew how hard it was to send someone you cared for to battle, but it had to be done.

---

 

"Just crazy enough to work, I think." You said, only barely listening to this 'Shining Armor' guy talk. You were going over your own plan of attack, you were pretty sure you could take these strongholds on your own. Only issue would be that, while you were doing said conquering, the Equestrian Army would be getting its clock cleaned.

 

"So, tell me. Would it be possible to do aerial insertions, end this quickly?" You asked.

 

"No. Whatever advantages our pegasus ponies have is rendered moot by the Griffons being able to both fly and carry a weapon." The stallion replied. "Our air forces have been issued bladed wing-caps to help compensate, so the playing field is roughly even. Our unicorn brigade can't teleport things long distances, so whatever you had planned won't really work."

 

"Damn, alright."

 

You looked the map over again. "Hey, any idea where that, uh, meteor landed?"

 

"Here, why?" Luna lit a small portion of the map up.

 

"That meteor was me. That's my ship. If I can get there, I can get to my ammunition stockpile." You replied. "I might also be able to scavenge my aircraft's main gun, it'll make confetti out of 'em."

 

Shining Armor shivered a bit at the mental image.

 

"If we can't get teleported over, how are we getting there?" You asked.

 

"Via boat, of course. They have enough supplies to last the trip there and back. Due to your, ah, weight, you will be alone in yours." Shining replied.

 

"Fun."

 

"Anon!" Twilight said, trotting over. "Are you...going?" You nodded, and she simply gestured for you to lean down. You did, and she wrapped her hooves around your neck. "Don't do anything reckless, hero."

 

You returned the hug, chuckling.

 

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I rescue two ponies from execution."

 

"What?!" Shining shouted. "What do you mean 'execution'?!"

 

"Shining Armor, may we speak in private?" Celestia called, gesturing to the room behind her.

 

"When do I leave?" You asked, looking at Luna.

 

"With just a bit of luck, in less than two days." The Princess of the Night replied. "I suggest you stay here for the night, go pick an Inn room. Don't worry about cost, we shall pay for it."

 

You nodded.

---

 

The night was spent not sleeping, and instead making sure your assault rifle and magnum were up to snuff. Twilight wanted to help, but you told her the only way she could help would be if she could copy bullets somehow.

 

So, much to your shock and surprise, she did. She also produced a few extra magazines for you, alleviating your ammo issue a bit. That took most of her energy though, and she quickly fell asleep. You tucked her in and went about your work quietly, taking care not to wake your friend.

 

The morning sun rose, and you woke Twilight up to say goodbye.

 

"So, I'll see you in a couple months, then?" You started. "Want any souvenirs? A griffon beak, some priceless artifact?" Twilight chuckled weakly, before wrapping her hooves around your neck again.

 

"No, I just want my friend to come back home. Promise?"

 

"Promise."

 

Twilight saw you off, and soon enough you were on a train bound for Baltimare, where the Equestrian army was gathering.