Eyes Up (Guardian Anon) (WIP/On Hiatus)

>"SUNSET WATCH OUT!"
>Vaulting over a small sand dune, you take cover as a bright red laser shoots past where you were standing moments ago.
>Bracing yourself against the wall, there's a bright blinding light to the left of you.
>Looking over, you start hyperventilating at the sight of a giant hole of glass only inches from your head.
>Oh dear Celestia...
>Peeking out, you can only surmise the possibilities as to what kind of Equestrian magic just made the creature standing a few yards away a reality.
>Getting into a fight with a creature made of pure beach trash and scrap metal was not really on your agenda today.
>Applejack grabs a wood bench and smashes it against the monster in an attempt to draw its attention.
>Unfortunately for her, the bench breaks apart with no signs of any actual damage on the strange junk monster.
>Slowly turning its head, the two glowing eyes simply stare right at her. Seemingly offended that she thought that could even work, or that she even try.
>The cowgirl sheepishly steps back with a huge nervous grin on her face.
>"Uh... hehe, sorry?"
>Raising its arms, the thing lets out a loud roar that nearly blows Applejack off her feet.
>Bracing herself, a rainbow blur zooms in and sweeps her away as the monster slams its limbs against the floor leaving a large crater in the ground.
>"I gotcha!" Rainbow declares with Applejack in her arms.
>Stopping just beyond you, she sets the latter down.
>"What are we supposed to do against something like that?"
>"Maybe we should just let the police handle this..." a voice mumbles.
>Looking around, you, Applejack and Rainbow try to find the source of the voice when the sand shifts below your feet.
>"Fluttershy?"
>"Mmhmm..."
>Rainbow facepalms, "Remind me what the plan was again?"
"I- Twilight said we're supposed to keep it distracted until she and Rarity get here."
>"For how long? That thing is shooting lasers now!"
"You don't think I know that?!" you retort, pointing at a mound of glass.
>There's another roar as the trash creature resumes its rampage across the beach.
>Random citizens panic and run as the beast slowly looms towards whatever destination its walking towards.
>Now is one of those moments where you had a power that could actually help in a fight. What are you going to do, read its mind to death?
>And today was supposed to be a relaxing one too...
>"AIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAI!"
>On the pier, Pinkie Pie lets out a battle cry and starts pelting the monster with sugary sweets.
>The 'sugar bombs' glow momentarily before exploding in a burst of pink confetti.
>"Alright!"
>"Y'all can do it Pinkie!"
>With a determined face, Pinkie Pie doesn't stop the bombardment until she runs out of treats and all is silent.
>You and the others let out a sigh of relief as Pinkie salutes, only for a deep rumbling to nearly shake all of you off-balance.
>A large arm made of seaweed and various debris latches onto one the pier's supports and starts shaking it.
>To your collective horror, the smoke finally clears and the monster looks no worse for ware.
>Pinkie goes wide-eyed as the monsters broken television 'face' begins glowing red once again.
>"Ah, Pinkie Pie its face!"
>Thinking quickly, she leaps from her spot on the pier down onto the beach just as the beam smashes into the wooden railing and destroys it.
>Where is Twilight and Rarity?!
>"Hold on girls!" a voice calls out.
>Speak of the devil!
>"Come on girls!"
>The seven of you quickly gather together and hold hands, letting the magic of Friendship flow through you all.
>You can feel the magic course through your bodies as your outfits change, hair grows longer, and ears sprout at the top of your heads.
>In the corner of your eye, you notice the creatures face glow once more.
"Let's do it!"
>A loud boom is heard as a rainbow colored beam flies straight at the monster.
>Moving to the side, the beam strikes the right arm.
>For a brief moment, you wonder if the beam did anything at all when suddenly it falls apart piece by piece into a harmless pile.
>The monster roars in what you can only imagine is horror as it tries to reattach its broken 'arm'.
>As you and the others prepare to fire another blast of concentrated magic, the trash monster doesn't fail to notice. Instead, it leans forward prepared to take you seven head on.
>Two opposing rays of light fly into each other and initiating a struggle to overpower one another.
>While you and your friends struggle to maintain focus as the beams fight for dominance, the sky around you darkens and begins clouding over.
>Eventually both attacks implode sending your group onto the ground.
>"Uh..."
>"Whoa..."
>Looking up, thick dark clouds swirl into a vortex of dark blue clouds with red lightning crackling in between.
>Suddenly a bright flash blinds you as you hear someone screaming followed by a small violent explosion of sand.
>"Was... was that supposed to happen?" Applejack asks.
>Rainbow only shrugs as you help Twilight up.
>You've never seen magic react like that before.
>The monster growls, but otherwise doesn't move as you all look at the freshly dug out crater between you.
>It looks like someone just dropped a bomb.
>Yet somehow all of you are relatively fine.
>Moments go by and the clouds dissipate, returning the sky back to its normal bright blue color.
>You think you can see a glint of light down in the crater, but before you can even think much of it, the monster on the other side roars.
>To your amazement, the monster seems to be fleeing.
>"After it girls!" Twilight yells out.
>Running around the crater, a short chase ensues as the monster leads you past the pier and towards the rocky cliffs that mark the end of the beach.
>Unable to climb the tall rock face, it seems to decide to take its chances in the ocean as the mass of trash makes its way towards the water.
>Without wasting a beat, you and the girls grab hands once again, but by the time the magic begins coming together the monster has already fled into the safety of the ocean depths.
>"Is it... is it gone?"
"For now."
>"Just what was that thing?" Rarity asks, "It looked absolutely disgusting!"
"It was probably some Equestrian magic run rampant again."
>"I was thinking that too; Applejack and I had a run in with some plants that got exposed to some a few months ago."
>"Yeah, but ah don't think water is gonna do much against *that*." the cowgirl retorts.
>Pinkie Pie flops down onto the sand and frowns, "So what do we do?"
"What can we do? We can't follow it, and I don't really feel comfortable even trying."
>"Sunset's right. It wouldn't be smart to try and chase it into the depths of the water this far away from any help."
>"So what? We just wait until it shows up again?"
>You shrug.
"What choice do we have?"
>"Ah guess it couldn't hurt. It is summer after all, we'll just have to be ready when it does show up though."
>Rarity flips her hair to the side, "Well I don't know about you darling, but I think this would be a wonderful opportunity to work on my tan."
>"I've always wanted to have a beach camp out!" Pinkie Pie says excitedly. "Ooh I'll get some more snacks!"
>Twilight walks up to you, "The problem is we don't know how long that's going to take? For all we know its not even going to show up aga- Sunset?"
>You look towards the giant hole in the sand further down the beach.
>Jogging towards it, Twilight follows you as you stop just at the edge.
>"What is it?"
"I thought I saw something down there before the monster ran away."
>"Down there?"
"Yeah. Did you notice the weird stuff that was happening before this crater showed up?"
>"Now that you mention it, I did notice a uniqueness to the event that I don't recall ever happening before whenever we used our powers together."
>Scanning the sandy floor, you don't really notice anything out of the ordinary though.
>And for some reason no signs of whatever made an impact of this size.
>Huh...
>Weird.
>"Maybe it was just a side effect of the two attacks?"
>Standing up, you scratch your head.
"Maybe, but I don't see anything besides sand. You would think with an explosion like that at least some of the sand would be scorched or turned to glass."
>"Hey Sunset! Pinkie brought a tent, help us set it up!" Rainbow calls out to you.
"I'll be right there!"
>Giving the crater one last glance, you and Twilight run off to your friends, not noticing the sand move slightly before going still.

>A few hours have gone by and the sun has finally started to set.
>Despite waiting for the monster to show its face once more, nothing seems to have come of it since the initial attack earlier.
>So otherwise it was just another day at the beach, albeit one on a mostly vacant one.
>People trickled in little by little, but it hardly reached the same peak as it did earlier in the day.
>A couple of police cruisers showed up, as well as a news van, but once it became apparent that there were no signs of monsters they quickly left.
>Apparently weird things have been happening a lot in Canterlot lately like reports of giant flying horses and rainbows of light popping up all over town.
>Not that you or your friends would know *anything* about that of course.
>"Timber, we found you under the desk inside lifeguard tower."
>"I told you, I was calling for help Twilight."
>"By hugging a rescue can?"
>"I was looking for my uh... my cellphone that I dropped and you startled me so I had to protect myself!"
>You roll your eyes at Timber Spruce's attempt at trying to preserve his masculinity.
>Sticking another marshmallow into the bonfire Applejack made, you can't help but think on how irritating Twilight's boyfriend has gotten ever since he got that job as a lifeguard.
>When you first met, he seemed like a nice guy but now... well let's just say Timber Spruce is really one of those individuals who you can really only take in small doses.
>But if he makes Twilight happy you won't complain.
>Openly at least.
>"Hey uh Twi, where did you park by the way?"
>"At the public lot why?"
>"You might want to move it to the reserved space for lifeguards. Just in case someone gets the bright idea of breaking into your car."
>Twilight smiles, "Aw, that's thoughtful of you. Are you sure its okay?"
>"Yeah, I'm cool with the other lifeguards." he says with a coy grin. "I'll go with you if you want."
>Ugh...
>"My keys are in my ba- oh Sunset could you hand me my keys?"
"You know what, I could use a walk. I'll do it."
>"Oh, alright. Thanks Sunset."
>"Private parking is over by the information center." Timber says pointing in the direction of the building not at all bothering to get up.
>You and Applejack share a look that Timber either ignores or is ignorant of.
>"Ah'll go with you."
>"Thanks Applejack."
>Grabbing the keys out of Twilight's bag, you and Applejack quickly walk away from the rest of the group.
>"Couldn't stand them either huh?"
"Timber's a nice guy and all but there's only so much one can take before you want to-"
>"Bash his head in with a two-by-four?"
>You chuckle.
"Applejack that's really bad."
>"Would make me feel better."
>"Hey Applejack! Sunset! Wait a second."
>Turning around, you see Twilight running after you two.
>"What is it Twi?"
"Something wrong?"
>She holds up a small red flyer that reads 'Canterlot Lifeguard' in bold black print.
>"Timber forgot to mention I needed to have one of these on the dashboard."
>Applejack shakes her head.
>"Of course he did." she says reaching for the slip.
>"Actually since I'm already here, I might as well come with you."
"What about Timber?"
>"Oh he'll be fine without me for a little while."
>Peeking over her shoulder, Timber Spruce is telling Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity some sort of joke that only he's laughing at.
>The others just have painful looks on their faces.
>But will the others be fine by the time you get back?
>Shrugging, the three of you head off to the vehicles.
>Unlocking Twilight's car, you hand her the keys but she declines.
>"I trust you."
"You sure?"
>Twilight nods her head.
>Entering the driver's seat, you shut the door when a thought pops in your head.
>'Its the driving safety rhyme, start your trip with seat belt tim-'
>No... no no no no.
>None of that. You already passed your driving test.
>Placing your hands at nine and three, you adjust your mirror to see things clearer and check your engine light to make sure the trips al-
>Shaking your head, you try and ignore the rhyming song Fluttershy hammered into your brain when you were learning to drive.
>"Sunset is something wrong? You look agitated."
"Just thought of something. Its nothing."
>"Oh."
>Because Twilight parked near the dividing line between the beach and lot, you back the car up and drive around the empty parking lot.
"Which building is it?"
>"That tall one over there." Applejack points from the back seat.
>With it being so dark its difficult to find the actual road out. But you can't help but feel a bit uneasy with the lack of visibility.
"You think they would get some more street lights around. Its almost pitch black over here."
>"Sunset, you should really be paying attention ahead of you more."
"I think we're fine Twilight, its not like there's anything in fron-"
>Suddenly a large figure walks in front of your headlights.
>Oh shi-!
>The only thought that goes through your mind is the thought of the trash monster.
>While Twilight and Applejack both scream, your fight or flight instincts kick in.
>Slamming the gas pedal, you drive the car into the monster knocking it down and running over it.
>*BAM* *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP*
>You spin the car around and slam the breaks, fully prepared to run it over again but a chill runs down your spine.
>Wordlessly, you look at Twilight and Applejack who just stare out the front window with shocked expressions frozen on their faces.
>With the headlights focused on the 'monster', a creeping realization dawns upon all of you.
>That wasn't a monster...
>You can clearly see two human legs sticking into the light from the darkness.
>And it doesn't look they're moving...
>Please, let that be a a mannequin from one of the shops.
>Please Celestia let that be just a mannequin.
>Twilight starts freaking out, "Oh my god. That wasn't a person was it?!"

"Ugh..."
>Your entire body hurts... really... really bad.
>Writhing in agony, you wince as a sharp pain in your front flares up.
>Did someone get the name of that... whatever it was?
>"OhdearCelestiaOhdearCelestiaOhdearCelestiaOhdearCelestia!" someone frantically yells. "Please don't be dead! PLEASE don't be dead!"
>"Sunset what did you do?!" another voice cries out.
>"He just came out of nowhere!"
>"This is bad! This is soooo bad!"
>"Don't just stand their, someone call 9-1-1!" a third deeper voice says.
>"My phone's at the camp!"
>"So is mine!"
>"Are you serious?! No one has a phone right now?!"
>Judging by the rapid breathing, one of them is clearly having some kind of panic attack,"Why was he all alone out here in the middle of a parking lot?! Doesn't he know dangerous that is?!"
>"Sunset y'all need to-"
>So someone ran you over.
>Well... that explains a bit.
>Oh geeze, everything feels numb below your... actually yeah, everything feels numb.
>"C'mon, ah think he's still breathing!"
>"Twilight go get the others!"
>Two pairs of hands grab your ankles and pull, dragging you along the cold hard floor.
>"W-what in the heck is he wearing?"
>You want to make a witty reply but nothing seems to work right now and you feel really really sleepy.
>It gets hard to think... coherent... things...
>Only two words seem to really stick out though:
>Goddamn it.

>Twilight and the others run up as you and Applejack just stare at the still body on the ground.
>"Holy crap what did you three do?!" Timber shouts. "Did you just kill someone?"
"Shout it out for the whole world to hear."
>"Rarity call 9-1-"
>"Oh no, we are not calling anyone!"
>"Timber what are you talking about?!"
>Twilight's boyfriend starts pacing about.
>"We just found him like this! A homeless guy! Yeah that's it."
>You and your friends all share a look of utter disbelief.
>Rainbow asks Twilight the very question you all are thinking right now, "Twilight, is this guy serious?"
>"Don't worry babe, I got you covered. I got some shovels in the storage locker give me five minutes and I'll be right back!"
>Before any of you can say a word, Timber runs off into the night.
>"Twi, no offense. But I think Timber may have a few screws loose."
>Twilight pokes a finger into Applejack's chest, "Don't joke about that. This is a really stressful situation."
"How do you think I feel? I'm the one that rammed into him!"
>Pinkie pokes the man's foot with one of the sticks you used for marshmallows, "Is he...? Is he dead?"
>"Pinkie!"
"Yes Pinkie Pie, considering the fact he stopped moving I think he's dead."
>Fluttershy whimpers into Rarity's arm.
>"Oh man..."
>"Darling, are you alright?"
"No... but what are we going to do?"
>"We'll have to talk to the police."
"That's what I'm afraid of though. Remember where I'm from?"
>Six collective lightbulbs go off.
"They're going to ask a lot of questions that I'm pretty sure will involve asking where I'm from."
>Applejack crosses her arms, "Now I ain't one fer being dishonest, but can't you lie?"
"Even if I lie, they'll probably investigate my background anyway. Best case scenario is that they'll only find info on this world's Sunset only to wonder why they're two of us."
>"Well we always did wonder if we'd ever meet the other you." Rainbow mutters offhandedly.
>"RAINBOW!"
>"We could always blame the monster that showed up earlier?" Pinkie suggests. "There were other people who saw it."
>"Maybe..."
"We can't let them discover the portal to Equestria that's for sure."
>Timber's suggestion doesn't sound so bad after all...
>"Um... girls?"
"What is it Applejack?"
>"Ah think something much worse than a car hit him." she says leaning over the body.
>"Whatever do you mean?"
>"Rarity, could you give us some light?"
>Holding her phone in flashlight mode, she hovers it over.
>To your shock, Applejack isn't wrong. Now that you have a better look, this man looks far from homeless. In fact, he looks like he's wearing some kind of... armor?
>His body is covered in scorch marks and dried blood from what looks like to be serious burns and cuts.
>Metal plates are dented, cloth is ripped and torn.
>Almost like this person was fighting for their life. Something that looks way beyond a simple car collision could do.
>"I wonder what this guy was doing all alone in the middle of the night to look like this?"
>"And why is he dressed so... strangely? It looks like his outfit has clearly seen better days."
>"Um... no offense guys, but this guy is still dead. D-E-A-D, dead."
"No Dash, we have not forgotten."
>But just who is he?
>"Hey what's this?"
>Pinkie holds up a small white object.

>"What is that?"
>You let out a frustrated groan.
"You know, we're getting a lot of questions but not a lot of answers."
>Fluttershy touches your shoulder, "Sunset, you need to calm down."
"Calm down? CALM DOWN? FLUTTERSHY I JUST KILLED SOMEONE!"
>"Sunset!"
>Fluttershy hides behind an angry Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Seeing her cower behind your friends instantly fills you with regret.
"I... I'm sorry Fluttershy. I didn't mean to yell at you. Look, lets just call the police and get this settled..."
>As your talking, Pinkie Pie takes the thing in her hand and shakes it.
>A small rattling noise comes from it, but otherwise it doesn't do anything.
>Taking one of the protruding pieces in between her fingers, she pulls on it and separates it. Letting go, the piece immediately flies back to its original position.
>"Huh..."
>Repeating the process, she leans on Twilight's car holding the two pieces with a puzzled expression.
>"Pinkie would you quit messing around with that?" Twilight asks.
>"Sorry Twi-Tw-whoops!"
>Without warning, Pinkie's trips and accidentally tosses the white object into the air.
"Pinkie be careful!"
>Using her geode, Twilight grabs the object in a purple aura with her telekinesis.
>And to your collective amazement, it reacts to it.
>Its subtle, but the shell moves slightly in the aura.
"Twilight are you doing that?"
>"No. Its doing it by itself."
>A blue symbol on the front dimly glows like on one of those old computer displays before becoming brighter.
>The white pieces behind the ball-like center begin twisting around as the front open and closes before twisting the opposite direction.
>When the motions stop, the 'eye' looks around.
>"Um... hi there?"

---

>You all step back in surprise.
>Rarity gently tugs your arm, "Did that thing just... talk?"
>The little white object faces your friend and floats up to her.
>"Of cour-"
>"Twi, ah don't suppose you have any idea on what that is?" Applejack asks Twilight, "I ain't never seen anything like it before."
>Twilight adjusts her glasses and examines the strange device.
>"It looks like some kind of drone. Though I have no idea how its managing to hover like that."
>"I'm a Ghost actually, but who are yo-"
>"A-a a ghost?!" Fluttershy stutters out.
>"Amazing, it also seems responsive to outside stimuli!" squeals an excited Twilight.
>She reaches out to touch the Ghost but it moves just out her reach.
>"Hey! Come here!" Twilight says trying to grab the robot. "I have to know how you work."
>"It don't look like spooky scary ghost." Pinkie says cocking her head to side. "Though it is colored white like one!"
>Rainbow Dash facepalms, "Pinkie, its obvious he's not *that* type of ghost."
>As Twilight frantically chases the Ghost you all watch in mild amusement as she jumps up and down.
>Even though it doesn't have a face to express emotions, you're beginning to think the Ghost is getting annoyed with Twilight.
>"Could you-? Stop please?" it asks, its tone confirming your suspicion.
>A purple bubble suddenly surrounds the Ghost.
>"What- what is this?"
>"A-ha! Gotcha!" your friend cheers with her hand on the geode around her neck. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to put you back together again."
>"Please don't." it pleads. "That's not advisable for a multitude of reasons."
>With the predatory gaze Twilight's giving the thing, you're kind of feeling worried for the little guy now.
"Twilight maybe you should just let it go..."
>"But Sunset, aren't you curious to how this drone works?"
>"Can you stop calling me a drone?" the Ghost. "And can you let me out!"
>You would be lying if you said you weren't also curious on what exactly the Ghost is. The way its reacting to your friends invasion of its personal space is almost human-like.
>Spinning around on its axis, it turns to face all of you.
>"Seriously, who are all you people?"
>"So, you're called a Ghost? Is that your brand or is that a specific unit designator?" Twilight asks. "*GASP* Are there more of you?"
>"Yes to all of that, but really, I would appreciate it if you could drop this containment field or whatever it is. I have importan-"
>Pulling out a screwdriver, Twilight gains a scary grin you've only ever seen when she gets *very* into a science project.
>"I have a couple of projects back home that would benefit from the hover and AI tech housed inside your shell."
>Rainbow leans into Applejack, "Man, Twi gets scary when she's in her science mode..."
>"Eeyup..."
>Fluttershy raises a nervous hand, "Twilight, I-I think you're scaring the poor robot."
>"But that would fall under the assumption robots can have feelings." she says. "At the very least this drone is programmed to simulate emotions like fear."
>"Wow, that... that hurt." the Ghost mutters.
>"I know it sounds like its 'scared', but in reality its probably just a mechanism to dissuade you from damaging it."
>The Ghost's eye stares at Twilight, "You're insane."
>"Oh please, as if I haven't been called that before."
>Sighing with a shake of your head, you grab Twilight's shoulder.
"Twilight I think this is getting out of-"
>A roar echoes in the night interrupting you.
>The Ghost's eye scans the sky, "What was that?"
>Applejack faces towards the water, "Sounded like it was coming from the beach!"
"You don't think..."
>As if to answer your question there's another bellowing roar.
>"The monster is back!" Rainbow shouts with determination, "Looks like it wants another beating!"
>"Monster? What are you- whooaaaaa!"
>The seven of you run in the direction of the water where you can begin to see the silhouette of the creature given life by Equestrian magic.
>The trash monster lumbers out of the water, its water-damaged and rusted body covered in a mix of seaweed and under-sea garbage.
>Only this time...
>"Did that thing... ah dunno, get bigger?" Applejack asks.
>Instead of just being a mass of random trash, now it seems to have given itself defined crab-like legs and two hulking arms made from various undersea trash and debris.
>An engine block near its back sputters to life, only to shoot out a billow of water and bloody chunks of fish.
>"Ew..."
>"Whoa, that thing got huge!"
>"It must have collected debris from under the water to give itself more mass!"
>The small robot, still in a telekinetic bubble besides Twilight, stares at the monster.
>"What is *that*?"
>Ignoring it, you look to Twilight, "Do you think we can still take it down?"
>"We have to try."
>"C'mon girls! Let's let'em have it!" Pinkie yells grabbing Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's hands.
>The rest of you nod back and hold hands.
>Once again, the Power of Friendship flows through all of you as you feel the magic changing your bodies slightly.
>"Why do I feel all tingly inside?" the robot asks as it watches you all transform.
>Ears pop up from the top of your head, your hair grows longer, and your entire outfits change.
>"Wait! What is happening? Someone tell me what is happening?!"
>The Ghost's questions falls on deaf ears as the monster takes notice of the lightshow you and your friends are causing.
>"Its looking at us... its *LOOKING* AT US!" screams the panicking small robot trapped in the bubble.
>The microwave it had as a face begins glowing, as well as the traffic lights mounted on its side.
>Red, yellow and Green lasers shoot out at you just as your own rainbow laser launches towards it.
>Like before, the two attacks collide into one another and explode on contact.
>It roars and walks onto the beach proper with its crab like legs and decides to handle you physically.
>You seven break apart as the monster swipes at you with a large metal claw.
>With her super-speed Rainbow gets into the monster's space and begins taunting it.
>"Hey! Ugly, you think you're hot stuff?" she says smacking her bottom at it, "Well prove it!"
>Provoked, the traffic lights glow brightly once again and fire one after another.
>Rainbow simply dodges each red, yellow and green colored blast as they each kick up dirt.
>Pinkie Pie giggles, "Its like a game of Red Light, Green light! Stop! Go! Stop! Go!"
>"Pinkie! Get out of the way!" Rainbow angrily shouts, picking her up and zipping off with her.
>"Ah got'em!" Applejack shouts, grabbing of one the three legs.
>With her super strength, Applejack lifts the creature trying to get it off-balance. Unfortunately, the other two legs manage to push back so she can't.
>The monster tries to grab her with its other claw but is suddenly pelted by a barrage of sugar bombs.
>In retaliation, it fires its traffic lasers at Pinkie but a large diamond barrier blocks the attack.
>"Thanks Rarity!" Pinkie says with a wave.
>Rarity replies with a confidant grin, "No problem darling."
>But despite your attacks, you know the monster looks hardly affected by anything your friends are doing.
>The only thing that's strong enough to take it out is your combined attack, but its shown that it can easily counter that.
>Memories flash of your own narrow encounter with the eye-laser earlier as you remember the sand that was turned into glass.
>You don't want to think of what would happen if any of you were hit directly.
>Fluttershy hides behind you and Twilight as you both try to find some kind of plan to take the monster out.
>"What are you three waiting for? Your friends need help!" The Ghost shouts from inside its bubble.
"My powers and Fluttershy's powers aren't really good for fighting." you answer. "All I can do is read its mind."
>"What?! That sounds incredibly helpful!"
>"Only if I'm physically touching it."
>"..."
>It stares at you.
>"Okay, yeah I can see how that might be a problem."
>Twilight begins looking worried as Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie continue fighting, "None of our attacks pack a big enough punch and the one that does is too slow without a distraction. I'm not even going to imagine what would happen if we actually miss!"
>"..."
>The Ghost's shell fidgets.
>"Let me go, I have an idea." it says.
>"What?"
>"You heard me, I think I know a way to beat it. But to do that you need to let me out."
>Twilight looks apprehensive.
"Twilight!"
>"I'm thinking!"
>Your temper begins flaring, Twilight's reluctance as your friends are in danger.
"What is there to think about?!"
>"Twilight... I think you should listen to Sunset and Mr. Ghost." Fluttershy adds, stepping out from behind you and placing both her hands on Twilight's shoulders.
>"Okay..."
>With a flick of her wrist, the purple orb drops freeing the little white robot.
>Its rear shell swivels as it faces you.
>"I'll be right back!"
"Wait wh-"
>Flying off, the Ghost zooms away until its nothing more than a little blue light in the distance.
"..."
>"I should have seen that coming..." Twilight deadpans.
>"I think it'll come back..." Fluttershy replies.
"Really?"
>She nods her head when a dust cloud covers you three.
>"Now ah ain't one to complain..." says Applejack being held in one of the monsters rust-covered metal arms. "BUT COULD SOMEONE LEND A HAND?!"
>A shimmer of white crosses across the joint of the monster severing the limb and Applejack into the sand.
>Rarity glides forward on top of a diamond barrier with her hands up in a karate like pose and two shields hovering behind.
>"I've got you dear!"
>"Thanks Rarity!" Applejack yells as she forces herself out and grabs the separated limb like a bat.
>With a smirk, she clubs the monster with its own appendage knocking bits and pieces off.
>"Hey! Y'all should really stop hitter yerself!" she taunts.
>The monster growls and fires its tri-laser once again, this time directly at the sand and kicking up a massive sand-screen.
>Covering their eyes, Applejack and Rarity are taken off-guard as it grabs its dismembered arm and throwing the cowgirl into the latter.
>"Rarity! Applejack! I got you!" Rainbow shouts.
>She runs straight at the junk monster when suddenly a small red eye glows through the cloud and turns towards her.
"Rainbow watch out!"
>"Huh?"
>With a slam of its claw like a club, Rainbow is knocked back a few yards.
>"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy cries out running towards her.
>As the dust settles, you watch in shock and amazement as it plugs the joint back in and flexes the arm like it was never damaged.
>"Oh no! It can just repair itself!" Twilight yells.
>Looming over Applejack and Rarity, the monster charges up its laser attack once again.
>At that range...
>Putting up another shield, the three beams smashes the diamond shield and pushes it with enough force to bring it down onto them.
>Rarity struggles to keep the barrier up as Applejack uses her own power to keep the barrier from crushing them into the sand.
>The two let out a scream as you can only watch helplessly in horror.
>Rage begins swelling up inside of you as you feel completely useless as your two friends suffer.
>If only you had more power like at the Friendship Games to do something!
>"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" A voice yells behind you.
>Turning back, you and Twilight see the Ghost and a man standing on top of the sea-wall hefting something on his shoulder.
>He's too far to see in this darkness, but he looks big.
"What is..."
>"HEY UGLY!"
>The monster turns to face the newcomer.
>"KNOCK KNOCK!
>A large plume of smoke erupts behind the man as the projectile smashes into the monster and explodes sending it staggering back in a cloud of fire.
>As the monster roars in what you can only imagine is 'pain', multiple glowing white objects shoot out from the fire before diving straight back into the monster and detonating.
>Your jaw drops as Twilight falls onto her behind.
"W-was... was that a..."
>"A rocket launcher?!"
>Who in Celestia's name carries around a freaking rocket launcher!?
>Flaming pieces of the junk monster fall off as it loses one arm.
>Unable to hold it together any longer Rarity passes out from the strain, causing her barrier to go down.
>With the monster too focused on other things, Applejack grabs her and scrambles out of the trench they were dug into.
>Angry, the two unbroken traffic lights charge up and fire in the direction of the stranger.
>The man simply jumps off the wall and switches out the rocket launcher for another weapon on his back before he even touches the sand.
>Bringing his new weapon up, there's a burst of gunfire as sparks fly off the junk creature.
>The glass coverings of the embedded traffic lights break open leaving the monster's main form of attack useless.
>Pinkie, Fluttershy and a dazed Rainbow Dash soon join up with the rest of you as you all watch this stranger take down the monster you were all having difficulty with.
>"Who the heck is this guy?" Rainbow Dash asks, massaging a large bump on her forehead.
>"And why does he have a gun and a rocket launcher?!"
>All questions you would love to know honestly.
>"Ah don't know but ah ain't complaining!"
>To your surprise though, despite having a gun, the man decides to charge straight at the giant standing twice as tall as him.
>With sudden jolt of speed, the man shoots forward and slams into the torso like a football player and staggering the monster.
>Pulling his fist back, sparks emanates go off as he plunges his fist into the 'gut' and using the momentum to knock the creature onto its back.
>"Whoa..."
>"Ah'll say..."
>Standing atop of his fallen opponent, a countless number of rounds from his rifle fire into the hole just created before he jumps off and hovers into the air.
>Is he flying?
>No wait... what is he doing no-
>Sliding his weapon onto his back, his arms begin surging with electric currents and give off a bright blue-white glow.
>Electricity surrounds his body and the glow of his arms is almost blinding as hoists them over his head and dives down directly on top of the beast.
>A massive shockwave knocks you and your friends off your feet as a massive cloud of sand is thrown from the point of impact.
>When the dust eventually dies down, you rub the sand out of your eyes to see the man standing unharmed in the center of a giant black impact crater with only bits and pieces of the monster leftover.
>Rolling his shoulder, the Ghost appears in a flash of light right in front of him.
>"I think that was a bit overkill don't you think?" you can hear the Ghost complain.
>The stranger stops and shrugs judging from the way his shoulders move.
>Kneeling down, the man picks up a chunk of the junk monster and looks underneath before setting it down and looking under another pile.
>Seeing nothing, he scratches his head.
>You and the girls look at each other nervously, except Rainbow Dash of course.
>"That. Was. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash yells out loud enough to get the man's attention.
>He turns towards you before looking at his floating companion.
>Walking towards you and your friends, you're all left speechless when you finally get a better look at who it is.
>"Hey, you didn't happen to see any engrams fly out of that thing? Preferably any purple or gold colored?"
>"Just because you killed it doesn't mean everything will drop an engram." Ghost says in an exasperated manner, as if it has had this discussion with the person many times before.
>"But that thing was pretty big. It *had* to have something good on it."
>"You'll probably just end up scrapping it anyway..." the robot mumbles.
>None of you answer the man's question. Instead you all just look at him wide-eyed and tight-lipped.
>"It looks like they've seen a ghost. Well, besides you I mean."
>The Ghost groans.
>You manage to point a shaky finger.
"Y-you... how...?"
>"Excuse me? Hey wait, aren't you...?"
>Things suddenly start getting very blurry.
>"Sunset?"
>"Sunset!"
>Maybe its the stress of the fight getting to you, or maybe you got injured somehow and you just didn't realize it until the adrenaline cooled off...
>Or heck, maybe its the fact that the guy you just recently killed is walking and talking like nothing happened.
>Whichever one, the last thing you remember is passing out.
---

>"Sunset? Sunset!"
>The one with the glasses frantically shakes her unconscious friend in an attempt to wake her up.
>"Easy there Twilight. Yer gonna shake her apart like that."
>Ghost hovers above your shoulder, "Is... is she okay?"
"Looks like she just passed out." you answer him. "Doesn't seem like anything too serious."
>Suddenly, you feel a strange feeling of someone watching you.
>Turning your head, you see the girl with rainbow colored hair next to you with barely contained excitement.
>While the fact she's all giddy is kind of funny, and maybe a bit cute, she's leaning up pretty close to you.
"Uh... hi?"
>"That was totally awesome!" she shouts, "The way you pulled out that rocket launcher!"
"Yeah I-"
>"And when you punched that thing! So cool!"
>The girl punches the air and makes fake gun noises in some attempt to reenact your battle.
"Just some-"
>"And *then* all that electricity! Just what was that?!"
"..."
>You give it a few seconds before she decides to interrupt you again.
"We call that 'Fist of Havoc'."
>"So cool..."
"Yeah, it most definitely is."
>Looks like you gave her her first Fisting.
>Wait... depending on how old she is that sounds bad.
>"Now wait just a darn minute here!" the girl with the cowboy hat on her head pipes up.
>The way she speaks reminds you of the Tower's shipwright Amanda Holliday.
>Speaking of Amanda, you need to schedule a maintenance check on your jumpship. Left engine's been making a weird noise ever since your last trip to Mars.
>"Just who in tarnation are you two? Weren't you dead not too long ago? How the hay can y'all even be walking and talkin' like nothing's the matter?"
>That's a lot of questions.
>Both you and your Ghost face each other before turning back and answering.
"I'm a Guar-."
>"ITS A ZOMBIE!" the one with the pink poof hair shrieks. "Run Applejack!"
>Another girl with pink hair yelps from the back, "Z-zomb-zombie!"
>This starts a chain reaction with the other pink haired girl.
>"HE'S GOING TO EAT OUR BRAINS!"
>The cowgirl, Applejack you're assuming, just facepalms while the other two just shake their heads.
"Is she serious?"
>Ghost just looks at you quizically.
>The glasses one just frowns, "Pinkie, he's not a zombie. Right?"
>You shrug.
>Technically you are undead.
"Ehhh..."
>"Ehhh?"
"Not one of those flesh eating ones if that's what you're implying."
>"He's not denying it!" Pinkie yells.
>"That's not helping." Ghost states to you.
>"Pinkie he's obviously not a zombie." the rainbow haired girl says crossing her arms.
"Seriously though, I'm not."
>Stopping right in her tracks, Pinkie frowns, "Oh."
>That doesn't stop her from narrowing her eyes at you and pointing, "But I'm keeping an eye on *you* mister."
"You do that."
>As you get into a small stareoff with Pinkie, the girl with the long pink hair that droops over half of her face finally speaks.
>"Um... girls, do you think we need to call an ambulance? Sunset doesn't seem to be waking up."
>"Maybe we should ask Rarity, she's the expert on fainting."
>'Rarity' blushes.
>"I know I've had my own *ahem* episodes of drama, but I would hardly call myself an expert."
>"How helpful." Applejack says, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
>Shaking your head, you walk over to the girl with the glasses and kneel down next to her.
>What was her name? That other girl said it not too long ago.
>Twi-something? Twibright... Twi... Twilight! That's it.
"Step back please."
>"What are you going to do?"
"Something that's worked for me."
>Sliding Sunset's head off of her gently, she lays her in the sand.
>"Ugh, that sand will take forever to get out." Rarity mutters under her breath.
>Applejack nudges her in the side.
>Rolling your neck, the curious girls make a semi-cirlce around you two.
"Could I get some light?"
>"Sure." your Ghost responds.
>His single eye brightens as a cone of light illuminates the area.
>With better light, on closer inspection you realize these girls are actually pretty young.
>Far younger than you initially guessed when you saw them fighting that weird... thing. But much more seriously, far too young to be outside the City walls for just a simple swim at the beach.
>"So what do you think he's doi-"
"HEY! WAKE UP!" you shout without warning. "STOP SLEEEEEPING!"
>You gently slap the girls face with the non-armored part of your hand.
>Each one of the girls surrounding you are taken aback as you slap their friend.
>"H-hey! Stop that this instant you brute!"
"Trust me, this is tame to how my fireteam wakes me up."
>Tucking in your center finger with a thumb you put a small charge of Arc energy, just enough for a small harmless shock, into the tip and flick her on the head.
>The sudden shock of electric energy causes her eyes shoot open.
>"BWAH! Wh-whats going on! Whossit?!"
>"Sunset! You're okay!"
>"Yeah, I- why does my face hurt?" she asks rubbing her slightly red cheeks.
"You're welcome."
>She turns to you and her expression instantly shifts to fear.
>"Y-you!"
"Me!"
>"You're supposed to be dead!"
"Where I'm from, death is just an inconvenient state of mind."
>Joking aside, the way she looks at you, you can tell she's genuinely fearful and confused at your presence.
>Maybe you should dial it back a notch. Or at least ease the tension.
"Relax, I'm not gonna do anything for you hitting me with a car."
>Yet.
>She flinches at the mention of your most recent demise.
"Don't worry, I will forgive. But I will *NEVER* forget."
>You add emphasis to the 'never' part just because you can.
"Because what you did didn't hurt me physically... well okay yeah it did, it hurt a lot; but what I mean is is that you hurt me inside here." you say pointing to where your heart is.
>Suddenly you bury your helmeted face in your hands and start sniffling.
>"Sure we just met, but I thought we had something special Sunset!"
>"How... how did you know my name?"
>Ceasing the fake tears, you look at her directly.
"Your friends."
>"O-oh..."
>Ghost clears his... throat? "I know you're having fun and all, but shouldn't we be focused on more important matters?"
"Right! Priorities! Thanks for reminding me."
>"Its good to see you're take this seri-"
"So going back to more serious matters, what exactly was that thing I just killed and why didn't I get any loot, or at least any glimmer?"
>"Are you still on that?!"
"Shush! This is important!"
>Glasses girl speaks up this time, "It would be nice to know who exactly you are, and more importantly how you're alive! And who's going to fix my car!"
"I already did. Well tried before I was *rudely* interrupted. I told you I'm a Guardian."
>"But that doesn-"
"Look, I answered you, you need to answer me little girl. Time is short. And don't think about lying."
>"I still have mo-"
"You're really gonna argue with a guy with a rocket launcher?"
>Ghost groans, "Its better to just play along, it'll move things along quicker."
>She relents, figuring she's not going to get anything more out of you and looks to each of her friends who each seem just as unsure.
"Trust me, nothing you say could possibly surprise me."
>"Well... would you believe me if I said that it was created with ambient, untamed magic let loose upon the world?"
"..."
>"..."
"Yes. I totally would."
>"W-wait... really?"
"Sure, weirder things have happened to Ghost and I."
>"Not to say *much* weirder. Though what was that strange energy you were making?"
"I was kind of curious about that as well. It was a pretty light show to say the least."
>"Its kind of a long story." Sunset says. "But to put it simply, it was the magic of our friendship that allowed us to harness that power."
>Looking around the dark and empty beach you teeter on your heels.
>That sounds like a load of bullcrap.
>But honestly? Who are you to judge? You come from a place where people worship a giant god-like sleeping white marble in the sky and sentient machines worship its abstract antithesis.
>Speaking of giant white marble...
"Ghost, could you get a line to the Vanguard?"
>Your companion just hovers there, "I've been trying for the past few minutes since the fight ended."
"And nothing?"
>"Nothing but static."
"Did Cayde fry the comm systems again? Or is something interfering or jamming us?"
>"Not that I can tell. Its like there's nothing on the frequency at all."
"Try the others."
>"I have, that's the thing." he replies. "I can't even establish a link to our jumpship."
>So for all intents and purposes, you're cut off from the City and the Vanguard as well as your ship.
>"Wait... did you say jumpship?" the girl with the glasses asks. "Is that some kind of spaceship?"
"Yeah? Why?"
>She gasps and her eyes seem to sparkle.
>"Are you an alien!? Ohmygosh is this first contact with another species? Can you understand u- oh wait of course he ca- WAIT! How can he understand us and speak our language if he's from another planet..."
>As the girl starts pacing around talking to herself, Ghost floats behind you in a slightly uneasy manner.
"Ghost? What is she on about?"
>"They're not familar with Ghosts or Guardians. She thinks I'm some kind of advanced drone."
"Huh..."

>"Oh man. The girls and Twilight must be fighting off that weird thing again. Man this night could not get any worse."
>Timber Spruce huddles in the life-guard tower underneath a desk with shovel in hand.
>"You were finally gonna put the moves on Twilight then all of a sudden that monster started attacking. Then to make matters worse, any attempts at having some alone time with her, you kept on getting cockblocked by her friends.
>The boy peeks over the desk and sees three lasers shoot up into the air, making him duck back down.
>"And just only recently, you have to help your girlfriend bury a dead body." he grumbles. "Sometimes I think I was better off in the forest like my sister."
>A few minutes go by and the sounds seem to have stopped.
>"Seems like they stopped fight- Timber, you're talking to yourself again..."
>Getting out from under the table, the young man cautiously exits the tower and walks down the stairs when a noise from underneath the pier just a few yards away startles him.
>Nervously, Timber raises the shovel and chooses to investigate the noise.
>For all he knows, maybe one of the girls got injured as is laying there waiting for him to come to their rescue!
>"Twilight? Is that you?"
>There's no response, but because its so dark, its hard to tell if anyone is actually down here. For all he knows it might just be a stray.
>Either way, but this is really starting to make him uneasy.
>But... if it actually is something, he could say he fought it off to Twilight and make him look even cooler in her eyes.
>Maybe get a "battle scar".
>He chuckles to himself as he moves deeper in.
>Timber looks around the dank, wet underside of pier and scratches his head.
>Nothing seems to be here.
>Maybe it was just his imagination?
>As he decides to leave, Timber notices a slight shimmer of movement in the corner of his eye.
>"Hello?"
>Again, no response.
>Against his better judgement, Timber moves further in to investigate when he hears something reminiscent of someone breathing right behind him.
>Turning around, he doesn't see anything, but something seems... off. Like his sight is somewhat distorted when he looks beyond.
>"Man, maybe my sights starting to go like Twi's... I should really convince her to start wearing contacts."
>Reaching forward, Timber's hand brushes against something cold and hard.
>Jumping back, he trips on a some washed up seaweed and falls onto his rear.
>"Ack!"
>Rubbing his behind, he looks up to see some kind of creature materializing right in front of him.
>"What the...?"
>Black armor, four glowering hate-filled red eyes, four spindly arms, and two giant horns on its head.
>Whatever it is, it looks like some kind of demon straight from Hell!
>In two of its four hands are are to long serrated blades that suddenly glow with visible currents of electricity.
>It seems to shout something at him though it mostly just sounds like some strange barking.
>But whatever it said, it clearly was not friendly in any way.
>"Oh shit!"
>Timber reaches for the shovel just a few inches away and tries to pathetically swing at the demon.
>Disarmed and vulnerable, the demon seems to let out a guttural laugh at his attempt to defend himself.
>Unfortunately, with one swift swing of its own weapons, Timber's shovel is sliced into three separate pieces.
>"O Dres..." it growls.
>Stomping towards him slowly, Timber crawls backwards only to hit one of the pier's wooden support beams.
>All Timber can do is scream.

---

>So they've never heard of a jumpship, never heard of a Guardian, and thought you were an alien. None of those things you are accustomed to hearing.
>Virtually everyone knows what a jumpship and what a Guardian are.
>Strange.
>You suppose that it is possible, granted unlikely. The only people who would have no clue who or what a Guardian is would most likely live outside the Last City's vast walls.
>And that's mostly a death sentence considering what's out there in the wild.
>But just from the way their clothes look, it doesn't look like these girls have had to scavenge or survive out here.
>That car you were hit with, minus the huge dent you left in the hood after you punched it, looks too pristine.
>And they're way too clean.
>Something definitely isn't right. You and Ghost will probably have to look in on this.
>First things first though, you need to take care of the reason you're here in the first place.
>"Um... Guardian?"
"Yeah?"
>Your Ghost tilts his body to the side, his own way of taking you aside.
>The girls whisper among themselves, casting you a few cautious glances as they clearly discuss you.
"What's up?" you ask while lowering your voice.
>"I'm starting to think we're not on Earth anymore."
"You're going to have to explain that one to me."
>"Well to be more accurate, I guess I should say we're not on our Earth."
>You cross your arms.
"What are you getting at Ghost?"
>"It’s just... I have this feeling."
"A feeling?"
>"Right, something just feels off. These girls, for instance, have these strange powers that I've never seen or heard about before."
"Yeah, that magic of friendship thing did seem a little out there."
>You peek over at the seven young women.
>The one with the bubbly personality, Pinkie something, spots you watching and waves.
>"I'm thinking we should be careful of our surroundings until we get some more information on where we really are."
"Sounds good I guess."
>"But that also means you should tone it down with your powers."
>Wait. What?
"And why would I do that?"
>"Because I don't know how our Light works here. The last thing I want is for us to be put into a position where I can't revive you."
>You groan like a little child.
"Aw, but that's no fun."
>"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" an extremely feminine voice screams into the night.
"What the hell was that?" you ask reaching for your auto-rifle.
>"Sounded like someone screaming." Ghost answers.
>Always stating the obvious this one...
>"Hey, did you hear that?" Applejack asks you as you jog over to the group.
"Hard not to."
>Your Ghost looks around the beach, "Was there someone else here that we didn't know about?"
>One of the girls, Twilight, gasps.
>"Timber!"
"Who?"
>"Timber is Twilight's boyfriend." Sunset answers you with concern. "He was supposed to be getting a shovel for... uh..."
>She scratches the back of her head awkwardly.
>Sunset teeters a bit on her heels, "For burying you."
>They were going to bury you?
"Wait wait wait. You hit me with a car, and then you were going to bury my body to hide the evidence? Seriously?"
>"We didn't want to do it!" she tries to explain, "Timber jus-"
"I think I need to re-evaluate our new relationship Sunset." you say.
>"I'm sor-"
"Were you at least planning to chop my body up and dump the pieces in separate locations?"
>"W-what?"
>Rarity gags, "That's positively barbaric!"
"A trick that a hunter once sho- you know what? Never mind." you reply, "Ghost, got a source on that scream?"
>"Over by the pier. Just a few meters to the West."
"Right, let's go."
>"H-hey! Wait we're coming with you!" Twilight yells, "I need to know Timber is safe."
>You eye her warily.
>You'd honestly rather not.
>Ghost hovers beside you silently.
>Putting innocents in danger would go against everything a Titan would stand for.
"I'd rather you stay safe while I do this." you tell her. "And I'm not joking around this time."
>Twilight opens her mouth for some kind of rebuttal but you ignore whatever she was going to say and instead head towards the pier.
>Ghost vanishes in a flash and his icon pops up in your helmets heads-up-display.
>"You know there's nothing actually stopping them from following you right?"
"It did occur to me yes."
>"So what'll you do if they *do* follow you?"
"Improvise?"
>"Of course..."
>Nearing a wooden shack, the flags mounted on the top billow in the wind.
>"We're getting close."
>Keeping your rifle level, you slow your approach to a crawl.
"Ghost?"
>"Getting something..."
>You glance at your radar. So far nothing's on the-
>Wait...
>One of the sections flashes red before fading out.
>Something’s out there. Something that's already been tagged as a hostile as soon as you approached and you have a feeling you know exactly what it is.
>But the fact you don't see any movement could mean that it's cloaked.
>"Twilight, we should just let him do this." Sunset's voice says behind you.
>"But I need to know if Timber is hurt or not Sunset!"
>Oh for the love of-
>The radar flashes again, this time the center circle lights up a bright red indicating whatever it is, it’s right on top of you.
>Turning your head, you hear the hum of electricity as two swords swing through the air towards you.
>Ducking, you narrowly avoid having your head taken off.
>Raising your gun, you squeeze the trigger and let loose a short burst of automatic fire towards where you assume the hostile's momentum carried it.
>Bullets hit the sand, sending dust into the air as you curse under your breath.
"Man, I really hate cloaked Fallen."
>Your weapon's discharge makes the two girls stop right in their tracks as you keep your head on a swivel and check each of your corners.
>The radar goes dark for a brief moment signaling the target moving just out of range.
>Because of the soft sand underneath, you keep an eye on any shifts in it.
>Cloaking tech is nice, but it doesn't help much if you leave footprints to follow. Unfortunately, your opponent clearly knows this as well. They're being cautious about any unnecessary steps that would reveal themselves.
>It doesn't help that it’s extremely dark.
>The Captain lets out a guttural laugh that even the girls can hear.
>"E Sloat er she de." (Time to give our prey... something to fear.)
>"My Eliksni is rough, but I'm pretty sure it's taunting us." Ghost chimes in.
"I figured."
>Radar flashing once more, you jump back only to see some sand get displaced where you once were along with an alien curse.
>Gotcha.
>Bringing your weapon to bear, you unload half a magazine in that direction.
>A purple aura blinks to life as the rounds make contact and ricochet off of it.
>The Fallen's active camouflage overloads from the fire and reveals the ugly visage of a Fallen Captain.
>A pit forms in your stomach as the Fallen's beady red eyes stare back at you hatefully.
>Ghost's icon flashes in the upper right corner of your HUD, "Look, his armor! Is that..."
"Yep. Black and red, geometrically shaped. Tubing filled with red-colored Traveler-knows-what."
>"Then that means..."
"SIVA."
>You frown as you notice that in addition to one of the legs, two of the Fallen's arms are purely artificial jagged pieces of black scrap metal.
>It couldn't have just been a normal Captain could it?
>Taking note of your pause, the Fallen takes the opportunity to taunt you once more, "She da hur et?"(Afraid of fighting?)
>Tilting your head side to side, you crack your neck and roll your shoulders.
"Guess we shouldn't be too surprised that there were a few stragglers left after taking care of their boss."
>"But if we're dealing with SIVA, this makes things much more complicated."
"We'll worry about details later. Right now I got a Devil Splicer's head to bust in."
>Though you'll have to switch it up a bit to bypass that shield somehow. Your Arc based abilities as a Striker Titan isn’t super effective against Void powered ones.
>You'll have to tap into some of that power yourself.
>"Ka e Sha'ir hoor ma!" (Face me and burn Guardian!)
>With a deep breath, you feel the power of the Void come to you.
>Spinning its own swords in hand you two standoff.
"Alright, time to dance."

>"What the heck is that?!" Rainbow asks as the Guardian engages his opponent.
>He rolls underneath an overhead slash and emits a strange bright purple energy into his fist.
>Adjusting the grip on his weapon, he uses the rifle's casing to deflect a sword strike and retaliates with a punch to the face causing a matching purple aura around his alien adversary flicker from the impact before vanishing.
>"Should we help him Sunset?" Applejack asks you.
>Though a few strikes manage to slice and scar his armor, the Guardian avoids and parries the majority of his opponent's deadlier attacks.
"I honestly think we'd just get in the way..." you reply.”This kind of thing looks way out of our league."
>Strange barking noises come from the creature that one can only assume is its native language.
>You look at the size of the swords in the creature's hands: Two matching, but extremely enlarged cutlasses that seem to radiate electricity.
>The Guardian staggers the alien with a kick to the chest and follows up by using his gun as a club sending small bits of metal flying off of the latter's armor and knocking it down.
>"Yeah! Give it to him!" Rainbow cheers on your right.
>You, on the other hand, are a bit more reserved.
>These two aren't holding anything back. Just from watching these two fight, there's no attempt to disarm or disable. Every move seems to be done with the express intent to kill the other.
>While you're not unfamiliar with things trying to kill you. A giant trash monster was trying to just a little while ago!
>But a familiar feeling starts welling up in your chest, that feeling of discontent with being on the side-lines when lives are on the line.
>Along with the same sense of uselessness you felt earlier in the day.
>"That thing... d-do you think that's what made Timber scream?" Fluttershy meekly asks hiding behind you.
>Timber...
>If he got attacked by that...
>You can only imagine how Twilight must be processing this-
>Wait...
"Twilight?"
>Looking to your right next, you and the others realize she's disappeared.
"She's gone!"
>"What in tarnation!?"
>Applejack points over near the water as Twilight tries to sneak past the fight.
>Rainbow squints, "Is that Twilight?!"
"What is she doing? She's going to get hurt!"
>You bite the tip of your thumb as the alien rises to its feet and charges.
>Someone needs to help her!
>Without thinking you chase after your friend as the two remain preoccupied with each other. With any luck, you'll be able to get her to safety without too much difficulty.
>But that would be too easy wouldn't it?
>Skidding to a halt behind Twilight, you grab her wrist and pull her back.
>"Sunset let go!"
"What in Tartarus's name do you think you're doing?!"
>"Timber might be in trouble we have to help him!" she whispers.
>For being so smart Twilight's being really stupid right now!
"Can't you see there's a fight going on?" you hiss.
>"Which makes this the perfect opportunity to sneak past and provide Timber with aid!"
>You hold back the urge to slap her across the face as she tries to pull away.
>"Let go!"
"No! Let the guy with the gun handle the situation first bef- gah!"
>A large amount of sand is thrown into the air and into your mouth as something lands in between you two.
>"What the hell are you two doing here?!" the Guardian demands.
>Clearing your throat of dust and waving it out of your face, you see the man pointing his gun directly in your direction when something cold and metallic wraps around your neck and lifts you off the ground.
>As your windpipe slowly gets crushed and oxygen becomes harder to take in, little jagged bits of metal dig into your skin if only to add to the discomfort.
>"S-Sunset!" Twilight cries out in distress. "Hey wait! What are you doing?"
>"Get back!"
>Sadly, any effort to try and pry the metal fingers choking you apart only causes them to tighten up.

"Let. Her. Go." you say coldly to the Captain.
>Sunset gasps for air as it keeps a tight grip on her neck unwilling to comply.
>You keep your gun trained on it, but with the girl in its metal grasp, you're not going to risk firing.
>"Don't hurt her!" Twilight demands as you keep her behind with one arm.
"Ghost, I could use a plan here."
>"Thinking!"
"Think faster. This stand-off isn't going to be a long one."
>One wrong move and the Devil Splicer will kill Sunset. Let him get away, and he'll most likely kill Sunset to make sure he makes a clean escape.
>Either way, you'll end up with a dead girl unless you can find a third option.
>And things were going so well too.
>The Eliksni shouts something in its own tongue. Something unpleasant sounding just based on the context.
>Part of you is really regretting not taking Variks on his offer to teach you the language right now.
>"I think he's telling us to drop your weapon." your Ghost says, though his tone is on the unsure side more than anything.
"That's not going to happen." you tell him.
>The Devil Splicer apparently understood that as he raises his shock blade and prepares to use it on little miss hit-and-run.
>"I don't think he's giving us a choice."
"..."
>Standing still the Captain keeps Sunset in front of him as a shield.
>Left without any other viable option, you toss your weapon aside and hold your arms up and step back to signal that you're not pulling any tricks.
>He orders something else and uses his sword to gesture at your rifle.
>It doesn't take a genius to figure this out.
>With gritted teeth, you use your foot to knock the gun even further away.
>Anger wells up inside as the alien lets out a low chuckle.
>Laugh it up now while you can.
>Because you're going to rip all those tubes sticking out of its helmet and shove them-
>Without warning the Captain tosses Sunset at you and Twilight, forcing you to catch the young teenager as he turns tail.
>When just as unexpectedly he meets a hail of gunfire.
>The Fallen roars out as bullets bounce off the barrier.
>"Who's firing on it?"
>Searching for the source of the covering fire, you see your discarded rifle surrounded by a pink aura aimed at the Fallen and firing on its own until the magazine runs out of ammo.
>In the corner of your eye, Twilight's holding onto the front of her swimsuit with a look of concentration on her face.
>Curious at first, you then notice her hand letting off a glow of the same color as your suddenly animated weapon.
>She's doing this?
>You don't have much time to ponder it as Ghost draws you back to moment, "Guardian, the Captain!"
>Without the auto-rifle to stop him, he glares angrily at you and Twilight before roaring again.
>Hoisting his sword behind his back he throws it like a javelin straight for Twilight.
>She screams and shuts her eyes when you act on instinct and throw yourself into the blade's path.
>Piercing your chest-piece, the sword's tip exits out your back.
>Twilight can only look on in horror as some of your blood splatters across the girl's face.
>Smoke begins to rise as the electrified blade burns away at the flesh on contact.
>Pain radiates throughout your body and it feels like every nerve is on fire.
>Collapsing onto the ground, Twilight frantically tries to think of what to do when a shadow looms over her.
>Grabbing his sword, the Captain yanks it out in one go and stares down at you.
>"Ki ra E." it says almost in contempt. (You are weak.)
"You... cheap piece... of shi-" is all you can utter before a blade is thrust through your helmet.

>After a fit of coughing, you manage to sit up when a deep metallic 'shunk' is heard.
>Looking towards the origin of the noise, just a few feet from you the Guardian lies on the ground with a sword sticking out of his helmet.
>You're left speechless and horrified at the alien as he mounts his foot on the man's torso and pulls his weapon out. Unphased and uncaring of the fact it just killed someone.
>Small bits of human flesh and blood are still stuck to the sword as it pulls out, only to quickly burn away to nothing and leaving the blade as clean as it entered.
>Twilight just stares at it, stunned as the creature just lets out a loud warcry when something falls out of its large fur-lined cloak.
>You don't really know what it is exactly, but from the looks of it, it seems to be a tube filled with something inside.
>The strange alien spins around facing you and your friend.
>Despite being at its mercy, it elects to say something in a threatening tone before running off towards the sea-wall and vanishing from sight.
>Both you and Twilight take a few moments to process what just happened when the rest of your friends come rushing towards you.
>"He... he just let us go? W-why?"
>Applejack slides on her knees and grabs you by the shoulders, "Sunset! Twilight! Are you two alright?"
"Throat's sore... but I'm okay," you say in a raspy voice. "Should have been more aware of my surroundings."
>Your throat feels really scratchy forcing you to massage your neck to relieve some of the irritated sensations.
>"Oh dear, those marks around your neck." Rarity says hugging you, "Don't worry I think I have something that can hide any nasty bruises."
>"Twilight what about you?" Fluttershy asks. "Are you hurt?"
>"..."
>Fluttershy places a hand on her shoulder, "Twilight?"
>Your friend doesn't respond.
>She just stares at the Guardian's body with a blank, unfocused gaze.
>A thin wisp of smoke emanates from the large gash from the strange warrior's helmet.
>He gave his life to save her.
>"He... he'll be fine right?" Rainbow asks nervously, "He got hit by a car and came back so this is nothing!"
>You'd find it hard to believe someone could come back from that...
>Twilight takes off her glasses and tries wiping the blood off of her face only to leave sandy red smears.
>Rarity takes out a small cloth and kneels down next to her, "Here darling let me help."
>"Thanks Rarity."
>Getting rid of the crimson streaks she looks over to Rainbow. "For all we know he could have just been in some kind of healing stasis when my car hit him, I doubt resurrecting the dead is something that could actually be possible"
>Suddenly the Ghost materializes in a brief burst of bright light.
>"Well that could have gone better." he says nonchalantly.
>His almost uncaring attitude catches you a bit off-guard.
>Pinkie Pie uncharacteristically frowns, "Don't you care your friend is dead?"
>The little robot looks at her, "Excuse me?"
"Your Guardian!"
>"Oh. He'll be fine."
>Applejack shakes her head in disbelief, "I'm sorry but how can he be fine from *that*?"
>"Like this."
>Expanding his shell outward, the light surrounding his core brightens up to nearly blinding levels before fading.
>Shielding your eyes, you hear a large gasp of air from a male voice.
>"Eyes up Guardian, the Captain's gone." it says.
>"Oh hell..." the familiar voice utters. "That was painful."
>No way...
>Lowering your arm, you see the Guardian picking himself up off the ground and dusting himself off.
>His armor looks just as it did before he was killed with no signs of any damage to the helmet or chest piece.
>Rarity lets out a piercing scream, quickly followed by Fluttershy, then Applejack and finally you.
>"ZOMBIE!" Pinkie yells tugging her hair and running around in circles.
>The Guardian stops brushing off his belt sash and shakes his head at your noise.
>Folding his arms, he just stares at you four impatiently, "Can we please not do this again? I just got revived and my head is ringing slightly."
>"How... how did you do that?!" Twilight asks.
>"Do what?"
>"Come back from the dead! That's what!"
>"Didn't we go over this already?" he asks. None too concerned about the reason you all are freaking out.
"But you had a sword jabbed through your head!"
>"Yeah, and it hurt. I guess you could say it gave me a splitting headache."
>He leans forward as if to expect some kind of response, but no one laughs at his bad joke.
>Growing exasperated with this repeated conversation the Ghost just floats in front of his partner, "Look, let me just explain it to them."
>The Guardian's dismissive body language demonstrates some level of annoyance, "Fine."
>"As his Ghost, I can resurrect my Guardian anytime he dies so long as I'm connected to the Traveler's light. Resurrective immortality one of his powers as a Guardian."
"So... you can't die?"
>"Well, as you clearly saw I *can* die. But thanks to my little friend here, I can come back just a few moments later no worse for wear and a little wiser."
>"Though that last part is not always the case." the Ghost snarks.
>As your friends start to calm down, Twilight walks up to him.
>"Thank you for saving me." she says looking down.
>"Hey, it's alright." he says placing his hand over her head, "But what you did was incredibly idiotic."
>"I know."
>"And you!" he says raising his voice and pointing a finger at you.
>"That's twice now I've gotten killed because of you Sunset; I know I'm irresistible, but I'm really hoping that you aren't going to make this a trend."
>You honestly don't know how to respond to this.
>Everything is just...
>You need to lie down.
>As you clutch your head to prepare for the on-coming migrane, something glowing catches Twilight's eye while everyone is pre-occupied with the Guardian.
>Picking up a small red vial, she examines it closely.
>"What is this?" she whispers.
"Twilight? Dear is something the matter?"
>"What? Oh... uh... no. Nothing." she says tucking it into one of her pockets.

>A little later...
>A red and white van zooms off into the night with sirens blaring.
>"So how is he?" Rarity asks as Twilight comes back from discussing her boyfriend Timber Spruce as you've learned his name.
>"Critical, but stable." you answer. "I wasn't given specifics but they need to hurry to the ER. He was burned and bleeding heavily."
>Sunset places a hand on her shoulder, "Is it that bad?"
>The girl with the glasses nods her head sadly.
>"He was hardly breathing..."
>As the seven girls discuss the status of the teenage boy, you stand over by the side and contemplate your next move with Ghost.
>Things like where that bloody Captain went.
"Nothing? Not even a slight trace in anything remotely similar to SIVA?"
>"None."
>Based on what Sunset told in the few moments you were dead, that Captain dropped what could have been a vial of SIVA right after the fight.
>But try as you might, neither you or Ghost could find any trace of it.
"We would be right on top of it. You should be able to pick up *something*." you tell him, not bothering to hide any frustration.
>"I'm sorry, but I can't detect anything. Either its dormant, which is good, or the Captain might have picked it back up."
>You don't know necessarily agree with either assessment as 'good' or 'bad'. Either option still would be 'bad' in your book.
>Crossing your arms, you just stare out at the ocean.
"Do another sweep."
>Or worse, he finds some kind of way to make more of it.
>The last thing you want is to see that technovirus multiply and end up making another Plagueland.
>You get the shivers just thinking about that hellhole.
>"So you think that this was just a straggler from the Cosmodrome?"
"I'm not sure. But just the idea that SIVA could be involved though, we've seen what it can do first-hand."
>"Don't remind me. I still get the creeps with all those giant tendrils pushing out of the ground."
>Speaking of ground; that brings you to another topic.
>For all intents and purposes, the ground you stand on doesn't belong to the one you're from. And what you mean when you say that is that this Earth isn't your Earth.
>From the small chat with those girls, its become apparent that the Traveler has not made Earth its home.
>The solar system is the same, Mercury, Venus, Mars and all that but that's where most of the similarities end.
>Not to mention all that nonsense about friendship magic.
>Which could mean a couple things actually.
>The first: Judging from the current date they gave you, you're in the past. Which itself makes handling things from here on out tricky.
>You've had enough lectures from the Tower's Warlocks on time paradoxes and the such. Especially after multiple encounters with the Vex.
>Ghost figures that this is the most likely scenario just based on a few factors that brought you here.
>The second though probably less likely: You're on an alternate Earth. One where the Traveler never made contact and there was no Golden Age or Collapse.
>Or the least likely of the three theories you three came up with: This is all some sort of complex simulation the Fallen trapped you in. While unlikely, is not impossible.
>You let out a depressed sigh.
"Remember when things like cleaning out a band of Fallen or Hive out of a cave were all we had to deal with? Instead of dealing with various Hive 'gods' and Humanity-ending Fallen related disasters?"
>"I would think you'd get bored of just those simple bounty missions."
"True, but sometimes I would like to be given something that wouldn't mean the end of civilization if we screwed up. Is it really that hard to ask for?"
>Both you and Ghost stand silently looking at the ocean for a bit before he asks you something.
>"So what do we do now?"
"We'll have to hunt down that Captain and recover whatever SIVA tech he has. Then we'll work on getting back."
>"That doesn't really sound like much of a plan."
>You look at the little constant companion for the past three years.
"It's all we have to go on."
>Turning around, you walk back over to the girls who you've come to know *so* well these past two hours.
"As for right now though, I'm going to give Sunset a load of crap for getting me killed twice."
>"Why?"
"Because I have nothing better to do!"
>Ghost looks at the ocean for a few moments longer.
>The waves crash onto the beach one more time before he spins around and follows.
---

>Despite spending the rest of the night searching the surrounding area, you were unable to locate your runaway alien.
>If there's one thing you got to give them credit for is that they know how to disappear quickly when they need to.
>Though you can't imagine this one in particular would be too happy about it.
>Leaning against a small wooden structure, you and Ghost decide to shoot ideas back and forth on how to catch him.
>Unfortunatly, none of the plans you two have come up with are really viable without knowledge of the area.
>Ghost floats over your shoulder using his eye as a light for you, "If only we had something to lure him to us."
"It would have to be something he couldn't pass up." you say popping the magazine from the rifle's casing.
>Checking the receiver for anything abnormal, you reinsert the magazine.
>The sound of footsteps breaks you away from your weapon maintience as you look up.
>Sunset and Twilight walk up to you each with a paper plate in their hands.
"Need something?"
>"Just wondering if you were hungry. Applejack has some hotdogs cooking over the bonfire."
>Part of you is kind of curious on why they're still here. You'd think after two attacks within such a short time-span of one another they would pack it up and go home.
>Though the other part of you is kind of itching for another fight just to relive some stress.
>You look to Ghost and shrug.
>Not like you two are making much progress anyway. Might as well take a break.
"Sure."
>Getting up, you follow the two towards their little campsite where the others are already eating and chatting away with each other.
>Sitting down in the sand, Rarity smiles.
>"Ah, our brave hero decides to regale us with his presence after all."
"Ghost and I weren't getting anywhere anyway."
>"Well I'm sure you two will come up with something." she says handing you a plate.
>Taking it, you eye the food item carefully before setting it down.
>Reaching to the back of your helmet, you begin to undo the latches when you notice the girls sitting in a semi-circle around you watch with anticipation.
>Suddenly you feel really self-conscious and uncomfortable with all the staring.
>...
>You'll eat this later.
>Retracting your hands, you can see the disappointment creep onto their faces.
>"Aww..." you can hear Pinkie Pie utter.
>"Pinkie hush!" Rarity says, "Ahem, we never really introduced ourselves."
"Ghost and I think we've picked up most of them anyway."
>You start pointing to each of them and naming them off.
"You're Rarity, she's Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight, and my *really* close friend Sunset."
>Sunset groans and covers her face.
"That right?"
>"Indeed. But what about you? We can't just keep on calling you 'Guardian', that just sounds so impersonal."
"You can if you want. Everyone else does."
>"Its true." Ghost chimes in.
>Applejack puts down her drink. "They don't call you by yer name?"
"I wouldn't expect them to since I don't remember it."
>"How can you not remember it?"
"Guardians don't have memories of who they were before they became Guardians. Sure there are rare exceptions, but I'm not one of them."
>"We usually just work with 'Guardian' and variations of 'you'."
>"Ain't that confusing?" Applejack asks between a mouthful of relish covered sausage. "Since ah'm getting the feeling you ain't the only Guardian."
"Sometimes. But unless the situation requires it I usually work alone in the field anyway so it isn't that much of a problem."
>The fire in front of you crackles as light bounces off your armor.
>"So what do we call you?"
"That's up to you honestly, but right now I'm assuming you all probably have a few questions of what you just saw."
>There are a few head nods.
>"Yeah, just what was that thing that attacked Timber?" Twilight asks. "It was some kind of alien wasn't it?"
>"We call them Fallen." Ghost answers, "They're a race from outside the Sol system."
"The one we just fought belonged to a faction called the House of Devils. Particularly their Splicer subsect, the group essentially tasked with making scientific advancements."
>"What do they want?" Sunset asks.
"A better one would be what they *don't* want." you say to yourself half-jokingly, "But to answer your question, they ultimately just want to survive."
>There's a brief silence before you continue.
"The Fallen are dying race. Their society is fractured, the Ether that they need to survive is running out, their leaders are dropping like flies, and the constant infighting between the Houses are pushing them towards the brink."
>"What's killing them? A plague?"
"Right now? Mainly us Guardians."
>You notice each of the girls stiffen up at your answer.
>"B-but why?" Fluttershy says almost whisper quiet.
"Because they leave us no choice. When they first arrived in the system, they immediately started attacking and raiding any concentrations of humans they could find."
>"From what we've uncovered from Fallen, they think we're dooming them by preventing them from taking something called the Great Machine."
>"What's that?"
"Its a Fallen term for the being we call the Traveler. The source of my power and the entity that created Ghost and his kind."
>You explain to the girls of what you know about the Traveler to the best of your ability.
>Which isn't really much, to be honest.
>But the general gist of what the Traveler is is that its some kind of massive mysterious spherical entity floating above Earth that protected humanity.
>A giant moon-shaped object in stationary orbit that has vast and incredible powers.
>It jump-started human advancement into a technological 'Golden Age' that allowed human-kind to colonize the system in a short amount of time.
>While each one of your listeners has varying reactions, Twilight, in particular, seems incredibly interested.
"I'm told things were good for a few hundred years." you say. "Sometime later the Traveler gave life to the Ghosts who started seeking out individuals to become Guardians."
>"Wow. That sounds incredible." says an impressed Sunset.
>"Ah'll say."
>"It definitely is..." Ghost replies giving you a knowing look with his single eye.
>Its a good thing you didn't take off your helmet. You're not the best when it comes to holding a straight face.
>If this really is the distant past, you wouldn't feel comfortable telling the girls of the event that caused the Traveler to create the Ghosts in the first place.
>How the enemy of the Traveler, the Darkness, arrived to destroy everything it built.
>How it triggered the cataclysmic event known as the Collapse and bringing humanity to the edge of extinction.
>And that by fighting back, the Traveler sacrificed itself to protect the remnants and created the Ghosts in its last act before it went dormant.
>Nor could you tell them of the Dark Age that followed soon after and how even now you still face an uncertain future with constant threats from not just the Fallen and the Darkness, but the Hive, the Vex, and the Cabal.
>They don't need to look forward to a future as bleak as that.

>Walking down an alley, Ghost materializes next to you and lightens up the extremely dark area.
>"They seem nice."
"They do."
>You rummage around the confined space until you manage to recognize some things.
"It should be around here somewhere..." you say under your breath.
>"What should?" Ghost asks.
"That Sparrow we borrowed."
>"It came with us?"
>Pointing towards a nearby wall, when Ghost looks over, it reveals a large hole in the brick building.
>A high-speed chase through a canyon and into a collapsing unstable portal that suddenly ends with you hitting a brick wall will do that.
>Luckily this is one of the older more durable models. You can't imagine your current one taking a crash like that.
"Yeah just barely though, when we got here I ended up getting crushed between it and the wall."
>You can still feel a stiffness in your shoulder from the crash.
>"I can see that."
"I'm guessing it hasn't transmatted back to the ship is because it can't establish a link like you."
>Pulling off some garbage bags and other refuse, you reveal a thin seat and handles flanked by two aerodynamic boons.
>Tapping the control console, it boots up but an error message appears.
"And now, for whatever reason, it's not functioning properly. Could be related to what happened to you."
>"I still don't know what happened." he says, "I was with you when everything suddenly went dark."
"Any idea what it was?"
>"I wish I could tell you."
"I'm hoping we'll find out eventually." you tell him before thumbing over your shoulder to the Sparrow. "Can you fix the issue?"
>"I'll see what I can do."
>Hovering to the Sparrow's controls, a thin blue beam of light shoots out of his eye and into the console.
>"Just a few coding sequences in the startup, nothing that shouldn't take too long."
"Great."
>As Ghost does his work, you can't help but feel curious about how he was rendered unconscious like he was.
>That normally doesn't happen unless a Ghost has been considerably damaged. Sure he has a little... character added into his shell from all your adventures but nothing that should have disabled him.
>Maybe it was just a side effect of that weird transmat/portal device the Fallen were building?
>Ghost did say it did give off some strange readings. Though now that you know SIVA is involved that could explain it.
>But that just raises the question of why they would want to access the City's orbital grid? And why would they use SIVA on it?
>You can only think that they would do so to get inside the Walls for a surprise attack, but the House of Devils don't have enough resources or allies in the other Houses to wage an attack like that.
>Not to mention the fact is that them attempting to force access is how the Vanguard caught onto them in the first place.
>Questions, questions.
> It's making your head hurt.
>*Snap*
>Grabbing your rifle off your back, you draw towards the alley's entrance only to see Twilight frozen in place with a look of fear.
>"Don't shoot! It's me!"
"Yep, it's you."
"Its called a Sparrow. We Guardians use it a fast means of travel to do our job."
>Suddenly the vehicle's controls light up and the engine starts.
>The Sparrow launches itself a few inches off the ground and hovers in place.
>"Oh my gosh... is it? Is it hovering?"
"Anti-grav tech if I recall."
>Twilight slaps both of her hands against her face and grabs it like it's about to launch off her shoulders and into the atmosphere.
>She would make a perfect Warlock you'd think.
>"A-A-Anti-gravity?!"
>Ghost floats back to you, "She seems excited."
>You roll your eyes.
>Always pointing out the obvious...
>You pull the Sparrow out from its hiding spot and out into the street.
>Its a little dinged up, but nothing that should affect performance too much.
>Mounting up, you do a quick diagnostic.
>"Um..."
>You look over at Twilight.
>"C-can... can I ride it?"
>Her enthusiasm reminds you of some of the kids that hang out in the city when they see you come by.
>A small grin spreads across your face.
"Sure."
---

"Hop on." you tell her, holding out a hand to help her on.
>A cool breeze of night-time air passes by as the rumble of your sparrow's drive engine pulses periodically.
>Twilight begins moving towards your sparrow when she suddenly stops.
>Recoiling your hand slightly, you wonder briefly what the issue is.
>"Wait, I need a helmet first." she says gesturing towards her head.
>She's one of those types huh?
"I think I have a spare you can use." you say her holding out your palm.
>Your Ghost emerges floating in your hand though you get the sense he's not too keen on what you're doing as much as you expected.
>"Don't tell me you're actually going to let her ride?" he grouses in that filtered voice of his.
"Why not? We need to do some recon anyway, someone who knows the area might be of use."
>"It's just that sparrows aren't exactly known for their safety." he says as his shell twitches slightly. "Things can easily go wrong in an instant on one of these things."
"It's not like I'm driving into the heat of combat." you retort, "Think of it as an impromptu patrol mission."
>"I'm just saying, this has bad idea written all over it. She's still just a normal person; if you get into an accident..."
>"I'm right here you know."
>Man, you really have an uptight Ghost, don't you?
"Just get her a helmet please. I know I have at least two spares on me."
>You hold your hands out as Ghost materializes one of the helmets you keep in reserve in a flash of light.
>Examining it in your hands, you think its one of the ones you won as a prize in the Crucible. It looks safe enough that this will do for now.
>Offering it out for Twilight to take, she has a look of surprise on her face as she just stares between both you and the helmet.
>"How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
>"Just pull something like this out of nowhere. You also did it with your guns too now that I think about it."
"Magic." you quip as you adjust some settings on the sparrow's command console.
>"Really?"
"Kidding, kinda. Maybe? I don't really know, it just gets stored in a more compact form by turning it into data. I think. All I know is that its one of the few tech advances we still have around."
>"'Still have around'?"
>Realizing your gaff, you shove the helmet into her hands and try to change the subject.
"Anyway... you can use that in the meantime. Might have to let your hair out to fit it though."
>She removes her glasses and the hair tie holding her ponytail together, letting it all hang loosely.
>Placing her glasses into a small case located in her jacket pocket, she takes the helmet and puts in on her head.
>Hearing your attempts to stifle a laugh, she directs her gaze at you.
>"What?"
"Nothing." you reply, waving off her concern.
>Its clearly too large for her head even as she tries to adjust it.
"Here, hang on one second."
>Reaching over to the side of the helmet, you press a small button on the underside so the interior padding inside conforms to her head.
>There's a slight buzzing noise as the tech inside the helmet fills in the voids so that her head can stay on securely.
"Better?"
>"Much." she asserts confidently. "This helmet even comes with a fully functioning heads-up display!"
"With this, you should be able to hear Ghost while he's packed away now."
>Mounting the sparrow behind you, she looks around.
"All right, we're going to go pretty fast so you'll have to hang onto me. Try not to lean to the side too much."
>"O-okay." she says nervously.
>You can feel a slight pressure on your abdomen as she wraps her arms around your waist.
"Ghost, do a quick scan of the road ahead, give me a decent route without too many turns."
>"Right."
>Ghost rises up into the air and flashes four times as he scours all four cardinal directions.
>"Got it." he says before trans-matting back into your pack.
>Letting your feet off the ground, you place them into their respective footholds. Despite the weight of your armor and an additional passenger, the sparrow shows no signs of straining.
"Don't be afraid to let me know if we need to stop alright?" you tell the girl, looking at her. "Right now I'm going to need you to let me know if we're going to come across any obstacles. Or if there are any shortcuts I can take."
>Twilight nods her head, understanding her purpose.
>Pulling on the twin handles, you turn the sparrow towards the road and gently drift forward.
>You can hear Twilight mumbling "Oh my gosh!" repeatedly into her helmets comm.
>Easing on the accelerator, the drive engine hums with greater intensity as it begins warming up. The tail end of the vehicle glows a dim red that proceeds to glow bright and brighter each second until its core burns a bright yellow-orange.
>"So how fast does this thing go?"
>"220 Kilometers per hour. Give or take." Ghost answers through the comm system.
>The girl does a double-take, obviously unprepared for an answer in that range. "D-did you just say '220 Kilometers per hour'?!"
"I know, pretty slow right?" you jest.
>"That's not what I-"
"Hold on!"
>Tilting both control sticks forward in unison, the drive engine screams to life launching you two forward and leaving only a bright orange drive trail in your wake.
>Rocketing down the streets at speeds only the insane would drive at, you can't help but laugh as you can feel Twilight hold on for dear life and letting out an ear-piercing scream.
>Peeking down at the speedometer, you're already pushing past 95 KPH in less than three seconds.
>As you close in on an intersection, you pull back on the right stick and dip the nose of the vehicle to the right before accelerating out of the turn in one fluid motion much to Twilight's fear.
>At the speed you're going, buildings and obstacles pass in a blink of an eye. Any normal person probably wouldn't have the reaction time or instinct to avoid crashing, but then again, you're not a normal person, are you?
>Even so, you're kind of thankful this is being done in the dead of night where people are less likely to be out. The last thing you need is accidentally hitting someone at the rate you're going.
>One time in the Cosmodrome, a wild turkey accidentally walked into your path.
>You cringe at the memory. Turkey bits, blood, and feathers everywhere!
"Hey Twilight, how you holding up?" you ask as you make a left turn.
>"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
>Yep, that's what you thought.
>"Don't you think you've scared her enough?"
>No.
>No you have not. Hell, this doesn't even compare to those afternoons on Mars where you would use the sand dunes as giant ramps to do tricks on.
>But the fact she might pass out due to running out of oxygen from all that screaming makes you consider otherwise.
>Twisting your feet to activate the air-brakes, the bike slows down to more manageable speeds until you come to a complete stop.
"You can open your eyes now Sparkle." you say tapping her arm.
>Cracking open one of her eyes she gasps.
>"That... that..."
>She lets go of you and just sits behind you.
>Did you break her?
>"That was amazing!" she says throwing both hands up in the air.
>Her sudden movement causes the sparrow to sway slightly, startling her enough to grab back onto you.
>"Hehe, sorry." she apologizes. "I get why Rainbow Dash is obsessed with speed." Twilight tells you, "It just feels so... exhilarating. The adrenaline, the uncertainty of death just waiting around the corner."
"Yeah well, I try to keep the last part as infrequent as possible. No offense."
>Engaging the landing gears, you park the bike and enter a few commands into the sparrow's control console.
>There's a little lag with the airbrake input. Not enough to be concerning, but its too slow for your tastes.
>Hopefully you can fix it when you have time.
"Glad you enjoyed yourself. Ghost scan the area."
>"On it."
>Holding out your hand, Ghost appears hovering only a few inches above before turning to the sky and flying away.
>"What's he doing?" Twilight asks as Ghost looks around the area.
"Getting the lay of the land."
>"It seems your Ghost can do a lot of things."
"They can."
>Ghost comes back down and vanishes next to you.
>"Next area please." he says, "I've marked a good spot on your display."
>Starting up the sparrow again, you continue to your next destination.
"Now that I've given you an introduction to adrenaline-inducing high-speed, let's go about giving us some information about the area to try and fill in some gaps."
>"What exactly do you need to know?"
"Where we are specifically."
>"You're in Canterlot City. It's on the-"
"Just a second, what was the city name?"
>"Canterlot."
"You mean Camelot?"
>"Came-what now?"
>You turn your head to look at her strangely.
>You've never heard of a city called Canterlot. Granted, records have been spotty since the Collapse. That and the fact that its name is eerily similar to the fictional kingdom of legend.
"Ghost?"
>"I'm in the same boat as you. I have no records of any city being called that."
"Strange."
>Something doesn't sit right with you already.
>"Is something wrong?"
"I don't know."
>You don't have much time to dwell on it now as Ghost's icon in your HUD appears once again.
>"I'm picking up movement."
"Hostile or friendly?"
>"Unknown. All I know is that its broadcasting some kind of chatter."
>Suddenly, you hear sirens coming in the direction behind you.
>Twilight's face drops as red and blue lights oscillate back and forth as a black and white car pulls up.
>"Oh no! Its the police!"
"Police?"
>"What people used to call law enforcement before the Collapse." Ghost explains into your private channel.
>The strange vehicle comes to a stop as the driver side door opens and a man steps out.
>"Oh geez..." Twilight mutters and turning her head away in an effort to hide her already hidden face. "What's he doing here?"
>It seems she's familiar with the driver.
>Walking up to you, he eyes you carefully with reserved curiosity on his face.
>"Evening." he greets, though just from his tone its far from friendly.
"Can I help you?"
>"We got a report on someone riding a motorcycle loudly in the area."
"Wouldn't know anything about that."
>He just stands there unconvinced. It probably wouldn't be an off guess to think he thinks he has his target.
>Well he would be right but that's not the point.
>"Really now?"
"Uh... As you can see this thing doesn't have wheels." Twilight interjects while deepening her voice for some reason.
>The man's face scrunches up as he looks at Twilight.
>"Twily? Is that you?"
>"Eep!"
>Twily?
>Her shoulders slump.
>"Hi Shining..."
"Now I'm confused."
>"I think they know each other." Ghost says pointing out the obvious once more.
>"Twily what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"
>Taking off her helmet, Twilight gives the man a sheepish smile.
>"Well I-"
>"Wait, who the hell are you?" he asks you.
>"He's-"
>Pinching the bridge of his nose he sighs, "Right, you're Timber Spruce aren't you? Mom told me you finally got a boyfriend."
"Wh-"
>Twilight elbows you in the gut.
>"Y-yeah, this is 'Timber'! Say hello to my BROTHER Shining Armor 'Timber'."
>You're playing this game now huh?
>Shining examines you up and down, "Though I didn't expect him to look this big. How old are you exactly?"
"A couple hundred years old give or take," you answer honestly. "Though I've only been awake for three."
>He lets off an amused snort, "Mom told me Twilight said you were a joker, but its best not to crack a joke like that to an officer. But seriously."
>The police officer points at the badge on his chest as if that means something or gives him some kind authority over you..
>"Timber's just gone through a growth spurt. And he plays FOOTBALL! And Basketball!"
"Yeah. What she said."
>Shining raises a suspicious brow when Twilight hugs him.
>"Can we not do this here? Mom and my friends can vouch for him."
>"Alright alright." the man concedes, "I'm just concerned for my 'wittle' sister and her first boyfriend!"
>He pinches her cheek and Twilight slaps his hand away, her face growing red with embarrassment.
>"Thank you."
>"So you never answered my question. What exactly are you two doing out here in the middle of the night anyway?"
>Well Twilight?
>"We were um... making a movie."
>Wow, you two are just going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole aren't you? There's no way that'll end well.
>You've met dozens of lazy Hunters who try to pull the same thing to Lord Shaxx and Commander Zavala every day back home.
>And rarely does it *ever* work.
>"A movie?"
>"Uh huh! We're filming a night scene and Timber here uh... built the suit and the bike for it. Isn't it cool?"
>Twilight is clearly not used to lying. Even a child could see through all this.
>Walking around your sparrow, Twilight's brother brushes a hand against one of the forward prongs.
>"I gotta say, it looks pretty realistic. Is it some kind of sci-fi movie?"
>You resist the urge to facepalm. Is this man that dense? Or is it just because it's his sister? Actually, maybe it could be both.
>"Y-yeah! Sunset and the others are at our camp on the beach with the camera and everything." she lies. "We were just picking this up from Timber's job. His boss let him store it here for tonight!"
>She points towards the sign of the closed building you parked in front of.
>"..."
>Really?
>Even Ghost takes note of the store's title, "What a... creative name."
>'Explore Uranus: Gay Strip Club'
>Twilight can evidently feel the glare behind your helmet's faceplate.
>She mouths the words 'sorry' to you as if that will make things better.
>"I see..."
"It... it pays the bills?" you mutter under your breath.
>Your fellow Titans would never let you live this down if they heard. It would be even worse if any Hunters got wind.
>Threats of Fists of Havoc be damned.
>"Right, well... I guess I'll leave you two to your movie then. If you see those motorcyclists give me a call okay?"
>You can't believe he's actually buying this.
>Putting a hand on your shoulder, he whispers to you.
>"Listen, I'm I know its cliche but as her older brother I'm keeping an eye on you."
"I'll try not to disappoint."
>"Good."
>Grabbing Twilight you carry her bridal style.
>"H-hey!"
"Don't worry, 'wittle' Twilight is in safe hands."
>Twilight blushes again as her brother chuckles.
>"Alright... I get it. I get it. I'm just gonna go now. Gotta find those hooligans causing real trouble. I'll see you later Twily."
>"Tell Cadance I said 'Hi'."
>Stepping back into his car, he drives off with a wave.
>Ghost tries to make the mood less awkward. "He seems..."
"Like a tool?"
>Once Shining Armor is far enough away, Twilight tugs at her hair and groans.
>"Now my brother thinks my real boyfriend is a freak!"
"Well, you're the one who said that he apparently works as a stripper."
>"Why did you even park in front of this building?"
"I didn't choose to, it just happened that way."
>"Ugh... can we just go back to the others now?"
>Nodding your head, you start up the drive engine once again.
>Putting her helmet back on, you both get on the sparrow and continue with your patrol.
>Though this time you opt to take it slow. No need to draw more attention to yourself.

-Sometime later-
>Twilight points a finger down a street just up ahead, "Take a left down that road and the location marked should be just up ahead."
"Right."
>"No I said le- oh. My bad."
>You shake your head.
>Slowing down and gliding to a stop, you have Ghost scan the area once again.
>Falling back to your hand, Ghost disappears as you spin the sparrow around and head back the way you came.
>"Got it, that should be enough for me to get something to work with."
>Guess now's a good time to drop her off with the others.
>You three have been at this for a good hour and now Twilight's looking a little tired.
>Accerlating back to the girl's beach camp, you decide to initiate some small-talk.
"So that was your brother huh?"
>"Yeah, my BBBFF."
"You're what?"
>Ghost's icon pops on the corner of your display, "I'm not familiar with that acronym."
>"Oh, it stands for Big Brother Best Friend Forever. It's just something we came up with when we were younger. I'm his LSBFF."
"With something like that, you two must be close."
>Twilight pauses for a noticeable amount time before answering back.
>"We still are. He just has his own life too; married and has his own kid. But I don't know why he was out here. He doesn't usually do patrols this far away from the city."
>You'd ask for her to explain, but its not your business, nor does it really concern you.
"Hang on."
>"Hang on? What do yo- whoaaaa!"
>Heading off-road, you ride through the brush and onto the sandy beach kicking up a large cloud of dust behind you.
>Just ahead you can see the campfire where the others are and point your vehicle in that direction.
>As you close in, six curious girls look up to see you slowing down and coming to a full stop.
>Rainbow goes wide-eyed while the others are a little less shocked. Though Sunset does drop the water bottle in her hand.
>"What is that contraption?" Applejack asks. "Some kind of fancy future motorcycle?"
>"Aw no fair! Twilight got to go on a joyride on a hover-cycle first! Lame!" Rainbow whines with a pout.
>There's a collective eye-roll from the others as Twilight removes her helmet and hands it back to you.
>As you and Twilight dismount, Sunset walks over but doesn't say anything. Her gaze doesn't seem to leave the sparrow as she silently walks around it and gently runs a hand along the frame.
>Rarity blows away some sand in the air with her hat, "My goodness. Is that why you two were gone for so long?"
>Rainbow skids down to her knees beside your sparrow and feels the surface like she can't believe its actually there.
>If they think a generation 1 sparrow looks amazing, they should take a look at the gen 2 models.
>"Sooo cool..."
>Fluttershy brushes a loose lock of her hair out of her face, "We were wondering where you two went. Um... what were you doing?"
>"We were just doing some 'tactical reconnaissance'." the nerdy girl says with a wink and a nudge to your side though you're not really amused by the action.
>You're still a bit irked that someone thinks you're a male entertainer.
>Seeing you just stare back without a word causes her to take a step away and let out a nervous chuckle.
>"S-sorry."
>Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she pulls her glasses out of her jacket pocket and puts them back on as Rainbow ogles your ride next to her.
>Rarity approaches Twilight only to suddenly reel back in disgust.
>"Um... Twilight, dear. You have some... how should I put this... bugs on your sleeves."
>Holding her arms to the campfire's light, the sleeves of the light blue jacket she's wearing is marked by dozens of small greenish colored splatter marks.
>Glancing down at your chest, it doesn't look any better.
>"Oh gross..." she dry-heaves in disgust.
>Rarity gently slips the jacket off of her and holds it between her index and thumb at a distance while looking like she's trying not to vomit.
>"Don't fret, we'll... ew ew ew... have this cleaned up and *ooog* looking good as new!" she says with a smile, "Though I might just burn it completely..."
>"What was that Rarity?"
>"Nothing darling!"
>As Twilight follows Rarity near one of the tents, Rainbow walks up to you nonchalantly with her arms behind her head.
>"Soooo uh, can we go for a spin on that thing?"
"Maybe next time." you tell her, causing her to pout.
>Right now you have more important things to worry about.
>Opening up your palm. "Ghost. Did you get anything useful from our little excursion?"
>"Beyond just a map of the area we're in, nothing conclusive. I'll have to access some kind of information hub connected to a local network in order to get actual results."
>Overhearing your conversation, Sunset walks away from your sparrow and taps you on the shoulder, "Maybe we could help?"
>"Yeah yeah!" Pinkie Pie says jumping up and down, "After all, you saved Sunny and Twi-Twi from that nasty alien. Its the least we could do!"
>"And maybe I can take a go on your hover-bike next?"
>Applejack nudges Rainbow in the gut, earning an irritated leer from the latter.
>You and Ghost glance at each other.
>"It's not like we're getting anywhere ourselves."
"They know the area better too. Wherever this Canterlot is."
>Turning towards her, you nod your head.
"Doesn't seem like we have much choice until we get our bearings. But you have to promise me to let me handle any fighting."
>There's look of understanding in her eyes that eases you a bit.
>"Okay then, first thing in the morning we're going to help you track down and catch that alien."
>Did she just say first thing in the morning? He's already got a head start, why would you give him an even bigger one?
"Why not now?"
>"Well darling, its dreadfully late." Rarity says to you, "And after everything tonight I'm absolutely exhausted."
>"Same." Applejack agrees, letting out a long yawn soon after.
>You grimace as you notice the fatigue setting in just from their postures.
>You suppose you can understand that, though that doesn't mean you have to like it.
>Thankfully, the helmet on your head hides your true feelings. Ghost's neural-link to you means he knows exactly what you're feeling however.
>"Well... we appreciate it." he answers on your behalf.
"So what now?"
>"We were just about to turn in." Sunset explains, showing you the pitched tents you somehow didn't notice. "If you need privacy the girls and I can double-up in one of the other tents."
"That won't be necessary. I'll keep watch just in case the Fallen Captain decides to pay us a visit."
>"Are you sure?"
>"Yeah. You girls have a good night." you say walking away.
>Shrugging to each other, the seven young women split off into two groups and head to sleep.
>"Soon..." Rainbow whispers to your sparrow before getting up and leaving for her tent.
>Time passes but you can still hear laughing and chit-chat among them for quite some time before everything eventually quiets down to the point where the only sound you hear is the crashing of the waves.
>Taking a fistful of sand, you watch it slip through the cracks in your hand and blow away into the wind.
>"So do you think we'll be able to get home?" Ghost asks.
"Just treat it as just another adventure." you reply as the dying flame of the campfire crackles behind you.
>"It's a good thing we've got plenty of experience in those."
>Watching the ocean, you lean back against the bike and just try to relax. You've got a busy day ahead of you.
---

-The Next Day-
>*CAW* *CAW*
>The sound of seagulls outside your tent brings you out of the comfortable sleep you were having.
>You can't quite remember what the dream was about, but you feel refreshed and that's what is important.
>Especially after that crazy night you and the girls had.
>Sitting up, you let out a great big yawn and scan the inside of the tent.
>Twilight and Rarity are still sleeping soundly despite the noise the birds outside are making.
>Reaching for your bag, you pull out your phone and see that its around seven in the morning.
>A little early to wake up for a Sunday but you honestly don't feel like you could get anymore sleep even if you wanted to.
>Rubbing away the sleep from your eyes, you crawl out of the tent and onto the sandy beach.
>There are a few people up and about getting an early morning surf day in before the weekday starts but otherwise its still pretty quiet.
>Even Applejack is still asleep judging from the sounds of snoring from the other tent.
>The fire's burned out, there's no sign of any heat even when you put a hand near it.
>You wonder if the girls had any plans on making a campfire breakfast or if you were just going to go grab something on the way home.
>Still got some leftover hotdogs. Maybe if you cut them up...
>Just as you start contemplating ideas, something in the corner of your eye catches your attention.
>The Guardian's weird hover-bike sits there in the sand completely alone and unattended.
"Um... hello?" you call out.
>Peering behind the tents, you search for the owner.
>He doesn't seem to be on the beach from what you can see. A man in a suit of future armor wouldn't be very hard to spot you would think.
>Huh, where could he have gone?
>Walking over to his vehicle, you take a closer look at it.
>And by closer, you mean get on the thing. Because how often are you going to get a chance like this?
>Unlike a normal motorcycle, the controls are laid out more like joysticks for a computer than a standard handlebar layout.
>And if you remember right he placed his feet into these footholds like so...
>You've always wanted to get a motorcycle yourself, seeing as how its a lot more compact than a car.
>Its kind of the reason you chose to be the motocross rider during the friendship games. Though thanks to certain events happening, you didn't really get to enjoy them even as much as you wanted.
>Grabbing both control sticks, you lean forward and begin imagining yourself driving this thing down the street.
>Feeling the wind in your hair as you travel the roadways...
>Suddenly something inside the hover-bike starts up as the control console lights up. You start panicking as the engine starts warming up and the bike begins floating up a couple feet from the ground.
"Oh no... Oh no no no!"
>The two landing gears shift into upward positions until the only thing keeping you afloat is whatever technology allows you too.
>You try and figure out how to turn it back off when in your rush, you accidentally knock the left control stick to the right and cause the vehicle to jolt in that direction.
>If it wasn't for both your legs being inside the footholds, the bike's sudden movement would have knocked you off.
>Carefully, you tilt the opposite stick to the left, and this time the hover-bike jumps to the left the same distance.
>Now that you're prepared, it's not actually that bad.
>You think you're starting to get the idea. It's actually not too dissimilar to one of those flight simulator games you tried out at the arcade.
>Tilting one of the controls forward slightly, the noise of the engine increases in volume as the bike gently glides forward.
"This is so cool!" you cry out excitedly.
>"Having fun?" a male voice says.
>You freeze.
>Turning your head, you see the Guardian standing there watching you with his Ghost floating just by his shoulder.
"Uh... this isn't what it looks like."
>He walks over to you and grabs your hands.
>Placing them on the sticks, he begins pointing at each of the instruments.
>"Tilting both throttles forward moves you forward, how far determines how fast. Pulling both back will activate the air-brake though the footholds also control that if you give them a slight twist."
>You look back at him slightly confused.
>"If you want to turn around, pull the stick in the direction you want to turn back." he explains. "It's a little tricky to start but its a pretty simple system."
>The man takes a few steps back, "Go ahead, give it a try."
>Looking back at the controls, you pull the left stick towards you and the sparrow spins its nose to the left until you let go.
>"Good."
>Smiling, using the instructions he gave you, you proceed to drive the sparrow around in a circle slowly.
>Without wheels, the ride feels incredibly smooth almost like you're on the ice which gives you an idea.
>You try something even a little more daring by using the remaining movement of the vehicle and turning towards the man while still drifting in the same direction.
>The man bobs his head slightly in approval.
>The little Ghost looks at him, "I think she's getting the hang of it."
>"Yeah. I think sh-"
"What does this trigger do?" you ask.
>The two immediately face you as the Guardian raises his hand and runs towards you, "Don't press that that's the overdri-!"
>*Click*
>The engine roars to life much to your shock before a loud boom sends you bolting in his direction.
>Without even having time to really react you go from zero to a hundred and fly into the man, sending him careening through the cooler and sand fort Pinkie made and into the seawall a few yards away.
>You pull back on the controls to turn on the brakes but the damage is already done as the Guardian hits the wall with a bone-crunching crack.
>"Guardian down!"
>You cover your mouth in horror as he falls into the sand unmoving.
>Is... is he...?
>The Ghost flies over to his body.
>Expanding his shell upward, he casts a white light towards the Guardian's body.
>In a blinding flash, the Guardian rises back onto his feet and shakes his head.
>"Are you alright? That looked like it hurt."
>"I'm fine." the Guardian replies dismissively.
>Brushing the sand off of himself silently, you get off the sparrow and run over to him, taking note of the large skid mark he left in the sand and how much power you must have hit him within that short of a distance.
"Oh my Celestia, I am *SO* so-"
>He holds up a finger to silence you before walking towards his surprisingly undamaged hover-bike and shutting it off. As the engine quiets down, the two landing gears underneath fold back out onto the ground.
>"What in tarnation is all that racket?" Applejack mutters as she groggily exits her tent.
>Looks like the other girls are awake...
>You take a look at the camp.
>Cold food and ice are strewn about everywhere as a completely caved-in cooler lies in the sand just a few feet away from the lid.
>Rarity and Twilight exit out of your tent and immediately notice the large trench the Guardian made going right by the entrance of their tent.
>"What in the world...?" the former asks genuinely confused.
>Pinkie Pie gasps and runs over to her destroyed sand structure.
>"Awww, my fort! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pinkie cries out before collapsing onto her hands and knees. "On this day, mankind received a grim reminder..."
>Twilight walks up to you confused. "What happened?"
"Uh..." is all you can say while looking at the Guardian who just stares at you shaking his head slowly.
>You turn towards Twilight with the biggest fakest smile you can muster.
"N-nothing. Nothing at all. Just some loud seagulls."
>"Seagulls?" she asks skeptically.
"Yep, seagulls. A lot of seagulls."
>Rainbow scowls, "Ugh, I hate seagulls. They're just rats with wings."
>"But not all rats are bad Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy mumbles. "I'm sure these gulls were just hungry and got carried away."
>"Well they must've been real hungry then." Applejack replies holding the cooler lid in her hand. "All the foods ruined now."
>Rarity shrugs, "I suppose we'll just have to get something on the way home then."
>"Looks like it." says Applejack.
>Twilight walks over a broken plastic bucket and looks at her phone.
>"I should really see how Timber is doing at the hospital."
>You and Rarity share a look.
"Go ahead Twilight. We'll take care of things here."
>"But what about you? I drove you here."
"I can catch a ride home with Appleja-"
>"I'll take her home." The Guardian says placing a hand on your shoulder.
>"If you're sure."
"I think I'd much rather-"
>The Guardian's hand squeezes just enough to stop you from finishing your sentence.
"Nevermind..."
>Leading you to the sparrow, he sits down and pats the back of the seat.
>Well it couldn't possibly get any worse, could it?

"YAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
>TOO FAST! TOO FAST!
>Running out of air, you take a deep breath and continue screaming into the helmet.
>Holding onto dear life, the hover-bike zooms between two semi-trucks narrowly squeezing by both of them.
>Thoughts rush through your mind as the Guardian just continues to accelerate way beyond the speed limit. Endangering not you and him, but anyone foolish enough to get in your way.
>You've already ramped over two cars and for some reason passed through a train yard!
>"STOP THE VEHICLE ASSHOLE!" a voice orders over a loudspeaker.
>"That's kind of rude don't you think?" the Guardian asks you, though you're too scared and busy screaming to respond.
>Peeking an eye back, three police cruisers are trailing behind you and the Guardian.
>"Picking up chatter from up ahead." Ghost says. "They're talking about a 'spike strip'?"
>Spike strip!?
>"Yeah I see them, looks like they got a blockade."
>Leaning over the man's shoulder, you see cars and trucks moved onto the side of the road. Further up, you can just make out a line of police cruisers in position lying in wait for you.
"We really need to stop!"
>"We'll be fine."
>"Do I have to remind you that Sunset can't come back to life if you mess up?"
"YES! PLEASE REMIND HIM!"
>He doesn't respond, instead he just speeds up.
>Oh Celestia you're going to die aren't you? Would doing a tuck-and-roll at these speeds kill you?
"ARE YOU NUTS?!"
>"Maybe!"
>Closing in on the blockade you can see them rolling out two metal strips across the road.
>Dear Princess Celestia, you are SOOOOOO sorry for being such a spoiled brat. If you survive you'll never get on a strangers hover-bike again!
>Zooming past the blockade, the sparrow flies over the spike strip without any issues much to your shock.
"Wha- But how?!"
>"That's the thing about spike strips. They only work when you actually have tires."
>Oh... right.
>Unfortunatly, the cop cars behind you aren't so lucky.
>Despite their attempts to brake, three of the police cars skid over the strip and burst all four of their tires.
>Three spin-outs puts and four collisions among the gathering of police is enough of a distraction that allows you some breathing room.
>Veering onto an off-ramp, the Guardian spins around and drives towards the underpass and parks close to the inner wall.
>Inside the helmet, you see a little icon in the top right corner appear that looks like a little stylized version of the Ghost. "Air vehicle closing in. They don't know exactly where we are."
>Cutting the engine emission down, the man looks up into the air.
>A low-flying helicopter passes by overhead but doesn't hang around. It takes one pass but thankfully doesn't stick around.
>"It looks like we're clear. They think we're still on the freeway." the Ghost announces. "There's a lot of confusion on how we avoided the spike strip going on."
>"Good."
>Getting off the sparrow, you hug the ground.
>Sweet, sweet solid ground.
>Leaning on the center frame, he looks at you with some kind of concern. "Are you okay?"
>Scowling, you yank off the helmet and face the otherworldly visitor.
"Hell no! I could have died!"
>"True, but I assumed you would have also preferred not going to jail or prison."
"I- That's not the point! We would have never been in that position if we weren't speeding."
>"How was I supposed to know there was a speed limit?"
"By the signs that say 'Speed Limit' on them?!"
>"Those looked more like suggestions." he says with a shrug.
>How can he be so nonchalant about this? You know he's from another world or time or whatever but that shouldn't excuse his blase attitude.
>You scream in frustration.
>You're not getting anywhere with him like this.
>Clearly seeing you in distress, he sighs and rubs the back of his head. "Look, I admit that was my bad. You said you would help me and I shouldn't take that lightly."
>Taking a deep breath, you let it all out in an attempt to calm down.
>"I'll try to be a bit more careful in the future next time."
>At least that's something.
>"But admit it, you had fun. I could tell." he teases.
>You turn away to hide the flush going to your cheeks.
"As if."
>Admittedly, despite shaving a few years off your life, as much as you don't want to admit it he's not entirely wrong...
>It is the rush you sometimes dreamed about when thinking about owning a motorcycle. Maybe just with a little less potential of being tagged with a felony.
>Putting those thoughts aside, you look for the nearest street sign to get your bearings. The area is recognizable, kind of.
>This is one of the neighborhoods not too far from where you live where you 'express' yourself with your alter ego "Flanksy". Which reminds you, you should restock on paint sometime soon; its been awhile since you've gone out but right now you have other things to worry about.
>Squinting, down the street is a tall post with a green rectangular sign that reads 'Cloverleaf Avenue'.
>Taking out your phone, you check the map app.
>Yep, not too far from your apartment. Though it's not on any route that you normally go through, you'll have to take it with the police out.
>The Ghost emerges from wherever he goes and fly over to you. "Sunset? Does that device has a map of the area?"
"My phone? Um, yeah. Do you not have phones where you come from?"
>"We have a few very similar things back at the Tower." he answers. "But what else can it do?"
>You stare at your phone and hold it up to him.
"It can call other people, play games, access the internet, be a calculator... a whole bunch of things I guess."
>The little robot turns towards his partner who just quietly watches you two converse.
>"I think I can work with that."
"Work with what?"
>"Sorry, I'll need to borrow this real quick." he says as his eye glows bright blue. "Just hold it still please."
"Okay?"
>His top and bottom shell close together and a blue laser fires into your phone taking you by surprise and nearly dropping your device.
>The screen flashes as a bunch of different app screens open up and close before the phone blacks out.
>Did... did it just break your phone?
>Please... oh please let there be a sign that it didn't just break your phone.
>You still had three payments left on it...
>Ghost continues to assault your mobile device with his laser until the screen starts displaying ones and zeroes before going black once again.
>A few seconds go by and it reboots again normally with the manufacture's logo appearing on the screen.
>"Alright, got it." the drone says. "Thank you Sunset."
"You're welcome?" you say tapping your phone to see if at least your contacts are still there.
>"I've marked the location of her house on your HUD Guardian."
>"Good job Ghost."
"How... how did you find out where I live?"
>"You have your house marked as a place of interest on your map application." it says facing you.
>Oh... right. That makes sense.
>"Alright then, get on." the Guardian says starting his bike's engine.
>Looking at the two with a confused expression, you shake your head and put the helmet back on.
>You know what? You'll treat this like you would with Pinkie Pie.
>It's probably better not to ask and just go with it at this point. You'll have a better chance at staying sane, and alive, like this.