MIA
is a Halo/My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic crossover fanfic by Gravitys Rainboom.
Spartans never die, they're just missing in action. This has never been more true for Jorge-052 as, after activating the slipspace drive that was supposed to kill him, he is instead flung into a strange world where war is but a distant memory. Will the aging soldier be able to adapt to this new peaceful planet? Or will his only salvation be found in finding a way back to his own chaotic universe?
The story is still ongoing as of 2015, although updates have become a lot more irregular.
Contains examples of:
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Pinkie Pie, as usual.
- Cardboard Prison: Twilight, knowing that the strange being can punch through wooden doors, spells the doors of the barn they're keeping it in so that they're unbreakable. She neglects, however, to do so for the rest of the barn, and Jorge punches through the walls and escapes with extreme ease. Twilight is less than enthused to find this out.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Jorge vs the Hydra. It's a Super Soldier with a gun that fires armor-piercing explosive rounds vs. an ordinary flesh and blood creature, so it doesn't last long.
- Cuteness Proximity: 052 has this from time to time, noticing how adorable some of the ponies can be. He has enough self-control as to only keep it inside of his head, though.
- Deadpan Snarker: Jorge. Celestia, Twilight and Luna also seem to have a little of it.
- The Dreaded: Jorge is percived as this by the ponies (at least before they get to know him), due to some ancient legends and tales from ponykind (and many other races) that always portray humans as either demons or rampaging monsters. Needless to say, he is not amused by this.
- Exact Words: Luna demands to know why Jorge is in Equestria. So he tells her the exact truth: The Covenant invaded Reach, so the UNSC activated the Winter Contingency. He and his fellow SPARTAN soldiers then used a Slipspace Drive to destroy a Supercarrier, which teleported him to Equestria. Every single word of this is true. The ponies understand exactly none of it.
- First Contact: Chapters 2 to 5 center around this.
- Fish out of Water: Oh, boy, is Jorge one. He's in a mostly friendly location away from the Human-Covenant War, stranded technology-wise, and at odds with non-pony species because of the mythical origins of the native humans.
- Flashback Nightmare: Chapter 14, "Soldier Side".
- Friend to All Children: Jorge is much friendlier towards kids.
- Humans Are Cthulhu: According to the mythology of most (if not all) races in Equestria.
- Intrigued by Humanity: Ponies either run away in fear or stare fascinated at Jorge.
- This is especially true with Lyra, who takes it to insane levels.
- Only Sane Man: Jorge, when it comes to most of Ponyville's population. He even lampshades how crazy the ponies tend to be.
- Precision F-Strike: Some of the ponies (and Jorge) seem to have a small penchant for swearing. It doesn't gets too out of hand, though.
- Puppy Love: Scootaloo and Featherweight show clear signs of this.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Averted with Jorge. He actually finds their innocence and merriment pleasant, probably because it's a nice change from the depressing situation in which his race has been trapped for the last thirty years.
- He hasn't even mentioned anything related to the war to the ponies, so far, in part, because he doesn't want to ruin their more peaceful perception of things, as killing is an even more touchy subject to (most) ponies than it is to humans.
- Skepticism Failure: Upon hearing that unicorns use magic, Jorge immediately dismisses the idea as impossible, much to Twilight's annoyance (as her special talent is magic), who proceeds to show him how wrong he is.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Let's see. On one side we have the inhabitants of a Sugar Bowl world, where friendship, love and tolerance are always at the order of the day (or most of the time, at least). On the other side, we have a veteran Super-Soldier (who is also a Child Soldier) from a Crapsack Galaxy, who has witnessed most of the horrors of a Hopeless War for survival against a coalition of fanatically insane and bloodthirsty aliens. So, yeah, you can expect one of the P.O.V. to be more cynical than the others.
- Stalker with a Crush: Lyra comes off as one,
unsurprisingly. - Took a Level in Jerkass: Jorge's schtick in Halo Reach was being the nicest, friendliest, and most personable member of Noble Team. It's not quite as obvious in this story, but if you read it, you'll understand why.
- Several pony characters are unreasonably hostile to Jorge. They soften after they realize they behave too much like somebody they despise. Applejack like Diamomd Tiara, Rainbow Dash like Gilda, Shining Armor like one very unsympathetic OC.
- Trapped in Another World: Jorge, much to his chagrin.
- Walking Disaster Area: Applejack puts it best.Applejack: Have you ever gone a day without wreckin' somethin'?
- What the Hell, Hero?: Applebloom gives a very good one to her sister.Applebloom: Jorge ain't a monster, and he ain't a freak! He's mah friend, and he's one of the nicest people ah ever met! He'd never hurt anypony. You have no idea what it must be like fer him! All alone, surrounded by ponies who just treat him like a freak. You and the stupid town are just mean tah him cuz he’s different. Yer a...yer a bully!!!
