Don't like ads? PRO users don't see any ads ;-)

My Little Airman pt 30 The Test...

By: PonyAirman on Jul 16th, 2012  |  syntax: None  |  size: 22.27 KB  |  hits: 195  |  expires: Never
download  |  raw  |  embed  |  report abuse  |  print
Text below is selected. Please press Ctrl+C to copy to your clipboard. (⌘+C on Mac)
  1. Part 30 The Test…
  2.  
  3. >Today’s the day
  4. >Either all of them pass, or none of them do
  5. >It’s 0430, and all your trainees were already in formation before you woke their asses up
  6. >They must be excited to tackle your test
  7. You maggots must think you’re clever, getting up before me. Well, we’ll see about today.
  8. >You’re in no mood to scream at them, and at this point, it would honestly not serve any purpose
  9. >You pace in front of them, continuing
  10. All of you are about to face the first real challenge any of you have ever faced in your lives. Today, you all will be marching into the Everfree Forest and face everything I’ve set up. The mission is a search and rescue; there are four dummies at the designated location, and the mission is successful ONLY if all four are recovered. Expect traps and hostile creatures everywhere. And expect some heavy resistance the closer you get to your objective. The use of deadly force is authorized ONLY for wild creatures, such as the manticore and  timberwolves. Don’t mistake this as “just another test.” The possibility of death is very real, and as such, this test is to be taken as seriously as any mission. Any questions?
  11. >“NONE SIR!”
  12. That’s what I love to hear. Everyone load up and get ready to march! DISMISSED!
  13. >With that, your trainees broke formation and got their gear
  14. >It had been a while since they had used the weapons they were issued in the normal Royal Guard, but now they’d need it more than ever
  15. >In only minutes, they return and form back up
  16. >You yourself had your M1, M9, and KA-BAR, just in case
  17. >No matter how much you had prepared the area, there was always the chance that something unanticipated could wreck some serious shit.
  18. >They were waiting on your command
  19. FORWARD, HARCH!
  20. >And like that, you and your trainees marched towards the Everfree Forest.
  21.  
  22. >Marching for four hours in full gear, and not one of them complained
  23. >Of course not. You raised them better than that
  24. >You marched them through a back-road, to avoid the town
  25. >It’s not that you didn’t want them to be seen, but rather, you didn’t want your trainees to possibly get distracted
  26. >They might get overconfident if they saw the townponies
  27. >You see the edge of the Everfree Forest on the horizon
  28. >Ah, the Everfree Forest. The first time you were here, you were fighting for your life against the local fauna
  29. >Luckily for you, it was only the timberwovles, instead of the manticores you learned about reading the books in the library
  30. >Practically every night for the last month, you came here to set up for their final test, and you saw some shit that scared even you
  31. >Everyone was just outside the forest now
  32. >You halted them and turned to them
  33. From here on, it’s just you four. Go get ‘em.
  34. >“SIR TRAINEE STAR SHINE REPORTS AS ORDERED! YOU MEAN TO SAY YOU AREN’T COMING WITH US, SIR?”
  35. That’s exactly what I’m saying. If you recall, I only said “you all,” not myself. This is a test for you, not me.
  36. >“UNACCEPTABLE SIR! IF THIS IS A TEST OF OUR STRENGTH IN A REALISTIC ENVIRONMENT, YOU MUST BE WITH US TO MAKE SURE THE RESULTS ARE VALID, SIR!”
  37. >Did he just speak without a reporting statement?
  38. >He did.
  39. >You give him a stern look, and immediately he corrects himself, repeating his last sentence with a reporting statement.
  40. Listen here. There might come a battle where I’ll be unable to lead. You need to be able to lead yourselves to victory in my absence. And besides, what kind of test would it be if I were involved? I know where everything is…
  41. >He pauses for a second, reflecting on his prior wrong views
  42. >“UNDERSTOOD SIR!”
  43. NOW GET OUT THERE AND START THE MISSION!
  44. >“YES SIR!”
  45. >Of course, that was bullshit. You spent too much time on them to let them die
  46. >Come hell or high-water, none of them are going to die. Your plan included following behind them.
  47. >As they started to break ranks and run into the forest, you see a blue speck in the corner of your eye
  48. >Blue, and rainbow-
  49. >It’s Rainbow Dash
  50. >She seems strained, like she’s been flying around for a while
  51. >Her eyes meet yours, and you can feel something’s wrong
  52. >Your trainees are still going into the forest, and are about 50 feet away. You yell right at them
  53. STANDBY!
  54. >Without looking, they all stop while Rainbow Dash dives towards you
  55. >“ANON!”
  56. >She lands right next to you, breathing hard
  57. What’s wrong?
  58. >Through her panting, she says “It’s…She’s…come back…Ponyville…under attack…”
  59. Who’s back? Queen Chrysalis?!
  60. >“No…Trixie…She’s stronger…wrecking…havoc.”
  61. >Wait a second…
  62. Who’s Trixie?
  63. >“NO TIME! She’s…destroying everything…Need help…”
  64. >Whoever this Trixie is, she’s apparently making trouble in your neighborhood
  65. >And if RD is asking for your help, they can’t handle it on their own.
  66. Dash, I need you to tell me EXACTLY what’s going on.
  67. >She was breathing normally now
  68. >”Trixie is summoning…those things, and they’re destroying the town! Twilight Sparkle is doing her best to keep things under control, but we desperately need you!
  69. >Yup. Now there was no question. Ponyville is in trouble and Twilight Sparkle’s in danger
  70. >Sorry Everfree Forest. This can’t wait.
  71. What does Trixie look like?
  72. >”She’s got an azure coat, and wears a cape and hat, but she’s got this CRAZY Magic THING going on!”
  73. >You nod to RD, and sharply turn towards your trainees who, at this point, are wondering what the fuck is going on.
  74. RALLY! 
  75. >They immediately come to you, awaiting orders
  76. Change of plan Trainees! Ponyville is under attack, and we are ITS DEFENDERS! This is your first mission! The objective is to capture a hostile known as Trixie and halt the destruction of our town! Deadly force is authorized only for whatever Trixie is summoning, and nothing else!
  77. >You turn to RD
  78. Dash, I want you to head back to town and start evacuating the town. Let everyone know we’re coming.
  79. >”Got it!”
  80. >She immediately into the sky, disappearing from sight within seconds
  81. RALLY POINT IS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE TOWN, NEAR FLUTTERSHY’S CABIN! LET’S MOVE!
  82. >All at once, everyone runs at top speed
  83. >Star Shine, Blazin’ Blue, and Lightning Strike easily get ahead of you
  84. >Wait, where’ Lu-
  85. >You feel yourself being picked up and thrown-
  86. >Placed on Lucky’s back. He’s galloping as fast as he can, and is catching up to Star Shine
  87. >Under your breath, you mutter
  88. I swear Lucky…
  89. >”Sir?”
  90. Nothing. How well are you going to run with me?
  91. >”SIR, TRAIN-
  92. STOP THAT SHIT AND TELL ME NOW!
  93. >”YES SIR! YOU’RE BARELY WEIGH ANYTHING TO ME! I’LL BE ABLE TO RUN AS FAR AS NEEDED!
  94. Good. And one more thing.
  95. >”Sir?”
  96. Thanks.
  97. >”NOT A PROBLEM SIR!”
  98. >Your squad heads towards the most direct route to Ponyville, the route you ignored marching towards the forest.
  99.        
  100. >Less than half an hour later, you meet up with Blazin’ Blue and Lightning Strike near the rally point
  101. >About six miles back, you could see smoke in the horizon. Not a good omen
  102. Trainees! All together, we move into the town!
  103. >You hop off of Lucky, and sprint to the edge of town with your squad
  104. >As you approach the town, your eyes are horrified at the sight
  105. >The fire wasn’t all that big yet. In fact, it looked like it just started. So far, it’s only on a couple of houses
  106. >No, what horrifies you is the sight of those abominations
  107. >Their bodies are black as a shadow, but their featureless faces are a pale white. It’s unnerving how pony-like these monsters are
  108. >There seems to be a concentration of ponies evacuating the town, but those…things are pursuing them
  109. >You faintly hear a voice, but you take no notice
  110. >All you can concentrate on is the destruction of your hometown, ponies running away from those damned monstrosities
  111. >Another voice, louder this time, catches your attention
  112. >”CAPTAIN! WE AWAIT YOUR ORDERS SIR!”
  113. >You snap out of your daze, and draw your M1, facing them. Your music player pops on, blasting a different sort of song…
  114. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z5XcSxIB1g&feature=related
  115. YOU KNOW THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT! CHARGE!
  116. >All at once, they yell back “YES SIR!”
  117. >You turn and aim at the closest looking…thing…
  118. >Fire
  119. >Headshot
  120. >….It’s not dead!
  121. >It’s still stumbling around!
  122. >Apparently, it doesn’t need its head
  123. >You shoot several more times into its body until you hear PING
  124. >Now it’s down, but IT TOOK THE ENTIRE CLIP!
  125. >You lay down your M1. It won’t be of much use here. Instead, you draw your knife
  126. >Probably won’t be of much use either, but you need to have something. You just gotta have something to fight with
  127. >You charge head-on into the fray along with your trainees
  128. >They abandoned their crossbows like you with your M1, and now are attacking those creatures with the Krav Maga you taught them
  129. >It seems to work much better than the firearms-apparently, small bullet damage doesn’t affect the organism as much as a set of multi-organ blows
  130. >Your pride in them swelled, but only momentarily
  131. >What’s the plan captain?
  132. >I need to get to my jet. I can take them… No, I can’t.
  133. >Why not?
  134. >…..They’re not in the air….
  135. >….
  136. >FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
  137. >Alright, Plan B…
  138. >What the fuck is that?
  139. >All those creatures are now ignoring the ponies and charging you and your squad
  140. >PLAN B PLAN B COME ON PLAN B!
  141. >One comes up to you, only to have its face thrown into the ground
  142. >Another to your right, but you grab it and use its own momentum against it, flipping it onto the ground
  143. >Not content, you stomp where its stomach should be
  144. >Lightning Strike and Blazin’ Blue fly about half a foot off the ground, ramming into the monsters
  145. >Star Shine and Lucky team up, the unicorn providing a small shield barrier with a small opening allowing only one of them come at a time, the earth stallion taking them out one at a time.
  146. >That’s fucking teamwork.
  147. >As you’re kicking ass, you notice several flashes of light in the sky
  148. >One’s a pinkish light, though something’s off about it. It seems…dark
  149. >The other is pur-
  150. >Twilight!
  151. >You rush to the location of the lights, noticing that it’s becoming darker the closer you get
  152. >Worse, now you have the attention of those…things…
  153. >They’re catching up to you, easily
  154. >You can sense the malice from them. Fear rises from your gut, and breathing is difficult
  155. >Those unnatural things are creepy enough individually, but en masse, they’re unbearable
  156. >Still sprinting, you turn your head
  157. >One of them is close…it opens its mouth, revealing sharp carnivorous teeth and-
  158. >Out of nowhere, Lightning Strike rams into the mid-center of its body, sending it flying about 20 yards away
  159. I owe you one Lightnin’!
  160. >”Just doing my duty SIR!”
  161. >He flies off, and you soon see the other three keeping those things off of you
  162. >You can only wonder what you’d do without them
  163. >In the sky, the magical lights continue to flash like lightning. At your speed, it only takes a minute to come to the source of the lights
  164. >Twilight is cornered by a house, desperately defending herself from a pony matching Rainbow Dash’s earlier description: that “azure coat” and uncanny aura…Pink, but much, much darker looking. Just looking at her gives you a gut-wrenching feeling
  165. >She’s throwing spell after spell at Twilight, who can barely maintain a shield against that bitch.
  166. HEY! TRIXIE!
  167. >She looks over and pierces your gaze. “Who DARES to interrupt the Great and Powerful TRIXIE’S splendid return?”
  168. >Her eyes examine you, attempting to figure out what you are
  169. >Twilight looks up, fatigued by her constant defense. “Anon!” she yells, hope returning in her eyes
  170. >Trixie stops and laughs. “Ah! So you’re the ‘Anon’ this little egghead has been begging for! The Amazing Trixie admits she didn’t expect you to show up.”
  171. >You start walking towards her.
  172. Get out of my town. This is the only warning you’ll get.
  173. >More laughter erupts from her. “Do you not see? This is Trixie’s town now! She won it fair and square from these ingrates!”
  174. >You’re done talking to her
  175. >With your knife still drawn, you sprint towards her, anger in your eyes.
  176. >Before you can make it 15 feet to her, a pinkish barrier stops you like hitting a wall
  177. >Falling on your ass, that bitch taunts you. “Trixie expected more out of you. Now watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie destroys this insolent mare!”
  178. >Her aura engulfs her, and shoots at Twilight like a thousand arrows
  179. >Twilight quickly brings up her barrier, but Trixie’s magic quickly starts to wear it down
  180. >You frantically try to break Trixie’s barrier, but to no avail
  181. >Soon, Twilight’s barrier wears down to the point of uselessness, and a single bolt of Trixie’s magic strikes her across her left cheek
  182. >A small sliver of blood starts to drip, and that laughter fills your ears
  183. >”HAHAHA! That was but round 1! Trixie assures you that she will not survive round 2!”
  184. >You feel yourself being consumed by a focused fury, and a familiar darkness surrounds you
  185. >Just as Trixie is about to unleash her second attack, you drive your fist straight into her barrier and rip through it like paper
  186. >She flinches, appearing to feel you entering her space
  187. >”NO! You DO NOT HAVE TRIXIE’S PERMISSION TO ENTER HER DOMAIN!”
  188. >Her horn pointed at you, a burst of magic shoots straight at you.
  189. >You dodge it at the last second, rolling to the left
  190. >Another beam of magic shoots at you, and with no time to spare, you barely dodge it by rolling to your right
  191. >There’s not enough time now though.
  192. >You see the burst coming right at you, but you cannot get out of the way in time
  193. >Closing your eyes, you tense and throw your left arm in front of you, bracing for impact
  194. >The sound is nothing like you expected: it sounds like a bullet ricocheted off of a metal wall
  195. >Opening your eyes, you see that on your left arm is the shield you were given!
  196. >Did…did you just summon it out of nowhere?
  197. >You did, not even trying for it.
  198. >Without thinking, you run towards Trixie, shield first
  199. >Similar ricochets fill your ears until you hit her
  200. >You hear her hit the ground and you throw your shield from your arm
  201. >She’s down, helpless for the moment, but any second…
  202. >Before she can get up, you throw a brutal punch right under her horn
  203. >She’s conscious, but dazed
  204. >You pick her up by the neck, holding her inches away from your face
  205. >As she comes to, Trixie suddenly realizes the bind she’s in, and is…paralyzed with fear?
  206. >Oh, yeah. She should be. The rage in your eyes is telling her just how you’re going to kill her
  207. >There’s nothing else going on, no fire, no monsters, nothing. The world is just you and Trixie, and her life is about to end by your hands.
  208. >Her dark aura disappears, and she speaks through your grasp “Please, let me go.”
  209. >You reply softly
  210. Why would I do that?
  211. >”I’m surrender! Please, let me go and I’ll never return!”
  212. >There’s a madness in your eyes that communicates to her terrible things
  213. Oh, you’re never coming back. I’ll see to that!
  214. >As you’re about to crush her throat, you feel hooves on your shoulder
  215. >You give a quick angry gaze, until you see it’s Twilight
  216. >Her mouth is moving, but you can’t hear her
  217. >At least, for the moment. You relax a little, and the world comes back to you
  218. >Tears in her eyes, she’s desperately speaking
  219. >”Please! Let her go! She’s no longer threatening Ponyville! Please let her go! She’s no longer possessed! Just…please!”
  220. >Seeing how upset Twilight is, your will to fight disappears
  221. >One last glance at Trixie reveals that she’s frightened more than anyone you’ve seen before
  222. >Breathing deeply, you relax almost completely, your grip on Trixie disappearing quickly
  223. >She falls to the ground and immediately she starts running away
  224. >Objective: capture Trixie-Failed      
  225. >Primary objective: save Ponyville from destruction-Succeeded
  226. >You fall to your knees, black aura disappearing, and realizing you almost killed a helpless pony
  227. >Sure, she threatened your town, but she had surrendered.
  228. >Under normal conditions, you would never have killed a helpless opponent, especially one that had surrendered. Even if that opponent had killed your best friends, if he, or she as it were, surrendered, you would’ve captured her. What happened?
  229. >Twilight steps in front of you, and puts her face into your chest
  230. >Gently, you bring your arms around and embrace her
  231. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Twilight Sparkle.
  232. >She looks you in the eye. “It’s ok, Anon. You just got a little…carried away. But you still saved the town.”
  233. >You glance around, noticing only superficial damage to some buildings
  234. >It looks like the town would be fully repaired in less than a week
  235. >Even better, there was a lack of bodies lying around of either Ponyvillians or those…things
  236. >They appear to have disappeared with her
  237. The town is safe…Thanks, Twilight.
  238. >”For what?”
  239. If you hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve killed her. You know I would never…
  240. >”I know. And you’re ok now, right?”
  241. Yeah
  242. >You give her a small kiss, and stand up, turning away from her
  243. >As loud as you can, you yell
  244. FALL IN!
  245. >There’s a delay of about ten seconds, but all four members of your squad assemble into formation
  246. >You can see confidence in their eyes and feel professionalism in their stance
  247. You have all done well, exceeding even my expectations. Today, you woke up as Trainees, but tonight you sleep as Airmen. You all went through my hell, and faced a battle far worse than anything I could have set up. Lucky. Lightning Strike. Blazin’ Blue. You all have more than earned the title of Airman, and I could not be any prouder. As of right now, the graduation ceremony will be this Friday. I expect you to finish up helping Applejack with her apple-bucking, but afterwards, feel free to catch some R&R. Do not, I repeat, do NOT do anything crazy.
  248. >”YES SIR!”
  249. Good. Gentlemen, welcome back to my squadron.
  250. >”WE FIGHT TO OUR LAST BREATH! THE FIRST EQUESTRIAN AERIAL REGIMENT! FIRST IN LAST OUT! HOORAH CAPTAIN!”
  251. >You nod at them
  252. DISMISSED!
  253. >They scatter, going back (presumably) to the farm, while you take the next few hours to assess the full damage
  254.  
  255. >1 house destroyed by fire, 12 houses damaged by fire, no deaths or serious injuries
  256. >You return home, dead tired
  257. >You could lead military members, but not civilians
  258. >Thank the gods Twilight Sparkle was there to do that
  259. >Sitting in your study, you start to write a letter
  260. Dear Princess Celestia,
  261. My troops have successfully completed their basic training, and proven their battle-worthiness first hand. It is my honor to invite you to their graduation ceremony this Friday at 1000. I understand if this conflicts…
  262. >You scan over your letter, certain that the invite was proper
  263. >You then write another few: one for Princess Luna, Shining Armor, and your Airmen’s families
  264. >When you finish, you get Spike to send them
  265. >Twilight’s still not home, but you weren’t expecting her to come home while you were still awake
  266. >So you take a shower and get ready for bed
  267. >Pulling off the covers, you crawl into bed
  268. >You close your eyes, and as you’re about to fall into a deep sleep, the door opens
  269. >Twilight walks in, and collapses on the bed
  270. Everything ok?
  271. >”Yes, Anon. Organizing everything for repair was a little difficult, but without you, it would’ve been more difficult.”
  272. Tired?
  273. >”Only a bit.”
  274. >She crawls into bed, and nuzzles your neck
  275. >You, in return, wrap your arms around her and stroke her hair
  276. >”You know, this is the third time you’ve saved Ponyville from destruction.”
  277. Yeah.
  278. >”Anon, you’re no ordinary hero. You’ve always shown up when things have turned for the worse.”
  279. I’m just doing my duty.
  280. >She looks up and into your eyes
  281. >Her hoofs rub your shoulders
  282. >”Every hero needs his reward.” She tells you everything she wants without any more.
  283. >As much as you want to, you’re much to fatigued from today’s events to really do anything… exertive
  284. Let’s save that for after the Graduation.
  285. >A curious glance falls upon her face
  286. How about I take you out to a nice restaurant after the Graduation ceremony? Just the two of us this time? Will you go to the Hard Hoof Café with me?
  287. >Despite the faint moonlight, you can see her blushing
  288. >”Of course I will!”
  289. >She grabs onto you tightly, suddenly more energetic
  290. >You snuggle with her for a few minutes, before your mind starts wandering back to today
  291. Hey, Twilight?
  292. >”Yes, dear?”
  293. About Trixie…Who is she? And what were those things that attacked the town?
  294. >”Oh…her.”
  295. >There’s no hatred in Twilight’s voice, but rather…sadness?
  296. >”She came to Ponyville late last year, about eight months before we met you. She…liked to boast about her magical abilities, but she was only putting on a show. Long story short, I had to save the town from an Ursa Minor, and she ended up running away.”
  297. Ursa Minor? A bear-thing?
  298. >”Well, a baby bear. But yes. When you left this morning, she came and demanded that we accept her ‘greatness,’ but of course, she had a bad reputation here. She was ignored until she summoned those things…”
  299. Twilight, continue. What were they?
  300. >She pauses for a moment before continuing. “I remember reading about them a while ago. They’re ghouls, undead creatures that terrorize the living. I only thought they were a myth, but apparently, Trixie found a way to summon them.”
  301. >You stroke her back, calming her
  302. It’s alright though. We beat her today, and if she shows up again, we’ll do it again.
  303. >”YOU beat her. I saw that you finally were able to use your magic.”
  304. >You can hear the sincerity in her voice. She’s happy for you, but there’s still a little fear.
  305. Still, there’s something wrong. What is it?
  306. >”The last time she was here, Trixie couldn’t do more than a few tricks. It’s a huge leap to go from parlor tricks to summoning undead. And seeing her aura darkened, I suspect that she found something evil.”
  307. >You barely feel her shivering, but it’s there. You bring her close to you
  308. I love you, Twilight, and I swear to you that I will keep you, Ponyville, and Equestria safe as best as I can. You can count on me.
  309. >She lays her head on your chest, and you can’t help but feel a little d’awwww inside.
  310. >As you lay with Twilight Sparkle, your mind takes in all the recent events
  311. >You’re finally done with training your troops. You and your squad just saved Ponyville, and Twilight still loves you.
  312. >Things are looking up again
  313. >Comforting thoughts fill your mind as you fall asleep with Twilight close to you