Operating Operationally

>"Are you sure this intel is right this time, Lieutenant? I don't want you all running off on another wild goose chase."

>Spring Field nodded, her amber eyes staring straight ahead as she stood at attention.

>"Positive, Chief. We checked every contact, ran everything, it all checks out."

>The grizzled veteren sighed as his eyes scanned the report, before laying down the page and taking off his glasses.

>"Lieutenant, you have to be absolutely sure about this," He said, his tone carrying a heaviness that Spring Field rarely heard.

>"If what your report is telling me is correct, we're looking at a potential powder keg."

>"Sir, that's why you need to let us get out there as soon as possible." Spring replied

>Her voice carried an eagerness that was almost unbecoming of a pony in her position

>Officers were supposed to be calm, composed

>But her team had been stuck with desk work for months, she was antsy

>The Chief stared at her, weighing his options in silence

>A long silence

>Spring Field knew that silence

>It was the silence that she and her team had been given for the last six months since the incident.

>She felt her hooves begin to squirm as the chief looked her over

>"Lieutenant Spring field," He finally said, breaking the long silence.

>"You and your team leave in an hour, you will conduct further reconnaissance in the area you detailed in this report."

>Spring Field fought the growing urge to squeal in delight, struggling to keep a straight face

>"You are not to be seen, you are not to be heard. You are there to WATCH, are we clear?" The chief said, stone faced.

>"Crystal, sir." Spring said, saluting.

>"I certainly hope so, or I'll have you on latrine duty for the rest of your service, got that?"

>Suddenly a pit formed in her stomach

>But Spring nodded in recognition.

>"You are dismissed, Lieutenant." The chief said

>And with that, Spring Field bounded out the door and off toward the garrison...

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>Day 30 in Equestria

>The summer sun is beating down on your skin

>You wipe your brow of the sweat that was running down, stinging your eyes

>The life of a farmhand wasn't an easy one, especially not for the Apple family

>When you found yourself in this magical land of pixie dust and unicorn farts, this was not the life you were expecting to find

>For weeks, you had worked harder than you ever did back on Earth

>And with the recent vandalism on the far side of the farm, there was always more work to be done.

>Back breaking work, long days in the sun...

>But still, you were greatful to the Apples

>They had taken you in without question when you showed up dehydrated and half mad on their doorstep

>It was the least you could do to earn your keep

>You sigh deeply, turning back to your work

>These apples weren't going to carry themselves

>"Hey Anon, why don't ya take five? Granny Smith just finished up a mighty fine pitcher of applejuice, and you look like you could use a glass."

>These ponies and their apples, it's ridiculous.

"Thanks Applejack, it's crazy hot today isn't it?"

>"Oh this is nothin', you should have been here last summer, hottest season in a century I reckon."

>The farmer pony walked over to pick up your slack, picking up tow bushells of apples with her saddle carrier

>She had a knack for making you feel inadequate about your contribution to the farm

>As you made your way up the hill to the house, you looked over across the orchard.

>So many trees, so little time.

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>Spring Field flew as fast as she could across the yard toward the barracks

>Diving to and fro between other Night Guards with a skill accumulated through years of training

>She would waste no time

>This would be the time she proved herself to the higher ups that she was worthy of leading this crack team of operators in the name of Princess Luna

>She would-

>Her thoughts were cut off as she felt herself being dragged down to the ground

>"Gotcha!" A cheery voice sang out, laughing as she grinded to a halt in the dirt.

>"ARMA LIGHT, get off me!" Spring cried as she struggled to get back on her hooves.

>"Say please." Arma replied, a shit eating grin forming on her face.

>"Arma, get off me, this is serious, I-"

>"What was that? I'm not hearing the magic word~"

>Fucking NCOs.

>"We have a recon mission, now let me up or you'll be having no part of it." Spring snapped at her captor.

>Chuckling, Arma Light released her imprisoned squad leader

>"Now I know Ms. Lieutenant Spring Field isn't dumb enough to bench her star player before the big game."

>Spring Field barred her fangs at her subordinate

>There wasn't time to play games.

>"Don't make me prove you wrong Sergeant." She said, dusting her wings off and trotting toward the barracks door.

>Arma Light simply rolled her eyes, and followed.

>In the barracks, there were living spaces for the enlisted ponies

>But Spring Field was here for two in particular.

>"Izzy! Tula! Clip! Front and center!" She called out in the darkened hall.

>Two audible groans were heard

>"Always with the yelling this one...is like papa back in the old days."

>"The old days, you are sounding like old mare again Tula."

>Two strikingly similar looking ponies came forth from the dark, their deep indigo manes styled almost identically, and their gray coats varying only in the slightest shade

>The only difference noticable between them, aside from their cutie marks, were their eyes.

>One a pair of green, the other, blue.

>"Hello lieutenant, so nice to see you at this hour of the day." The green eyed one said.

>"Grab your stuff Corporal Tula, we've got a job to do tonight, you too Corporal Izzy." Spring Field said.

>A look of mild interest crossed the two mares faces.

>"Well it's certainly about time," Izzy yawned.

>"I was beginning to think maybe my sister would be getting out of practice."

>Tula shot her a playfully devious look, and gave her sister a nudge

>"Perhaps it is you who is in need of the practice dear sister." She chuckled.

>Spring Field rolled her eyes.

>These two and their little rivalry, it never stopped.

>She looked around

>"Where's Private Clip?"

>Tula shrugged

>"He said somethings about helping the engineers. They're demolishing the old sleeping quarters and he wanted to be learning with them."

>Spring Field thought for a moment

>"Private Clip isn't qualified for that Tula..."

>"We know, but is better that he learn these things himself." Izzy jumped in

>"who knows, maybe he learn a thing or-"

>Suddenly, an explosion rocks the far side of the barracks, throwing the four onto the ground.

>"WHAT IN LUNAS NAME WAS THAT?" Arma cried out, wincing at the sunlight pouring in through the gaping hole in the far end of the building.

>A lone stallion stood there, scratching his head.

>"Oh, the old quarters are on the OTHER side of the fort..."

>Damn it Clip...

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>The moon light illuminated acre after acre of apple trees

>Far from the lights and noises of town, Sweet Apple Acres may as well be the Everfree

>In the silence of the night, one could hear a pin drop

>Or, the slight rustling among the trees...

>"Clip, hold still! You're gonna give us away!" Arma growled

>Clip continued to fidget in his utility vest.

>"I'm sorry!" He pleaded

>"Don't be sorry just knock it off!"

>"Arma, Clip, quiet!" Spring Field scolded

>She made an internal note to not let those two share a tree next time

>Or share a general area for that matter

>Tula and Izzy snickered in their own position

>"Keekeekee...is like watching two school fillies." Tula chuckled, nudging her sister

>They had been waiting in these trees for hours, watching for any sign of activity

>Even on this stillest of nights, none of them noticed anything

>Spring Field was beginning to lose her patience

>Could her intel really have been wrong again?

>visions of scrubbing the latrine over and over again began flooding her mind

>She shook them off, and peered back through her binoculars.

>Looking toward the house, she saw lights still on inside

>The inhabitants had not noticed them, they couldn't find them, lest the compromise their mission

 

>But somepony was at the window

>Spring Field narrowed her eyes

>It was not a pony, but something else

>It was not a shape she recognized

>Long arms...a barely existent mane...

>No hooves

>"Disgusting..." She muttered to herself

>"What was that?" Arma asked

>"Nothing, keep your eyes to the south fence." Spring said, scanning the rest of the area

>Clip continued to fidget

>"Private, would you please stop messing with your equipment?" Spring whispered, getting progressively more annoyed.

>"I'm sorry Spring, I was just looking at these flares, how do these things work anyway-"

>"Don't worry about how they work, they're staying in your vest." She cut him off.

>"They are impact activated, comrade." Tula spoke up.

>"The primer is struck with your hoof and thrown to bring light to the darkness."

>"Oh, thank's Tula! At least SOMEONE around here is nice enough to help m-"

>"SHHH, look!" Spring said, pointing off toward the south fence of the farm.

>Three large, lumbering figures were moving toward the treeline

>They stood very tall, maybe 12 feet tall.

>They carried large sticks, possibly whole tree trunks.

>"Cave Trolls." Spring Field said.

>"They've been destroying property all over this area, but I couldn't prove it until now. This only confirms my suspicions.

>"So I just hit the primer with my hoof..." Clip muttered to himself, examining one of his flares.

>"Hey Tula! Is this the primer?" He called out, holding it toward the two sisters

>"CLIP, SHUT UP!" Arma shouted, punching Clip

>Causing him to drop from his hanging place and to the ground...

>...right on top of his flare.

>The flare ignited underneath him, the light burning bright beneath his stomach

>"HOT! HOTHOTHOTHOTHOT!!!" The private cried out, flying up to escape the burning sensation.

>The flare had snagged to his vest, and up it went with him

>A bright red light hovering above the treeline

>"...Great." Spring grumbled to herself, covering her eyes with her hooves as thunderous footsteps rushed toward them.

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>These vandals had gone too far this time

>You weren't sure what the hell was going on in that field, but you were going to put a stop to it tonight

>Throwing on some clothes, you fumble your way down the stairs, waking nearly everyone in the Apple house

>Applejack wearily steps out of her room as you grab your bow from the corner

>"Anon?" She asks, rubbing her eyes

>"Just where in the hay do you think you're going at this hour?"

>"Vandals out in the field again, I'm putting a stop to this tonight." You say, rushing out the door

>"Anon wait!" Applejack cries as you leave.

>You rush down the dirt path toward the commotion off in the fields

>Your foot steps kicked up dust as you hauled ass into the treeline

>In the distance, you could hear several voices

>"There's more than one, perfect." You think to yourself.

>The closer you got, the more the commotion sounded like a struggle

>Were the vandals fighting each other? What gives?

>Slowing your advance to avoid being spotted, you being darting from tree to tree

>About 50 yards away, you can barely believe what you're seeing

>3 towering brutes were swinging their clubs wildly, smashing trees over

>And around them flew 4 figures

>They looked like pegasi but there was something...off about them

>Another was rolling around on the ground as what looked like a flare was burning bright on his vest

>You stifled a chuckle at that and turned your attention back to the action

>"Tula, Izzy, flash flares, now!" You heard one of the ponies call out as she slashed at one of the huge figures with her bladed hoof contraption

>You've never seen ponies so...violent

>You start to think maybe you were getting in over your head here

>"Cover your eyes comrades!" You hear another cry out

>Two of them drop white orbs, and you watch as they ignite in a flash as bright as the sun

>It's so bright you need to shield your eyes, but it quickly subsides

>The towering monstrosities are now clumsily stumbling around, swinging massive clubs

>"Get the rope!" you hear one of the ponies shout

>They begin rushing around the legs of the brutes, binding them together

>Even blinded, they manage to break free of the ropes and continue swinging, barely missing their targets

>Suddenly you get an idea

>Emerging from your cover, you draw an arrow and aim for the heel of one of the brutes

>Letting your arrow loose, it strikes home, and buries itself in the tendon of one of the monsters

>With a cry of pain, it drops to it's knees

>You waste no time readying another arrow and taking aim at a second target

>Again, your arrow finds it's mark

>"Where's that fire coming from?!" you hear one of the ponies cry out as they finish tying down one of the monsters

>"It's coming from the trees, 12 o'clock!"

>You take cover again and try to catch your breath

>Suddenly, you feel a presence directly above you

>Looking up, you're greeted by two cat-like green eyes

>Focused directly on you

>Before you can react, you're headbutted and fall to the ground unconscious.

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